Sutra 6🔗

Sutra 7

Life – the game of Existence!

udagacchantim tadidrupaam pratichakram kramaatkramam | urdhwe mushtitrayam yaavat taavadante mahodayah ||

Kundalini rising like lightning through the chakras, Experience Shiva Consciousness as it explodes anew. You cannot compare Shiva with any another master, because the depth or the vision, the way in which he sees, the way in which he penetrates the future are so different. When I introduced this book I was telling you all that there are techniques in this book not only for those who have come into this planet, but also for all those who are yet to come. He speaks to every possible mind, past, present and future.

Today in this sutra he solves an important problem. He addresses a totally different kind of human being. Throughout this book you don't see a single ritual. You don't need any temple to practice Shiva's teaching. You don't need to do any rituals. Straightaway he gives life solutions. In this technique he completely changes our whole attitude towards life. He shakes us completely. He defines the concept of purity very clearly in this sutra.

What does Shiva mean by the word purity? The other day someone was asking me, 'Swamiji, when you talk about Shiva you say he was a great master, but we read in the puranas that he gets angry easily'. Today Shiva is answering that question by giving great clarity. He gives us a clear vision about purity.

Let us enter into the sutra:

Kundalini rising like lightning through the chakras, Experience Shiva Consciousness as it explodes anew.

I wish I could speak in Sanskrit, because the English translation is not as accurate as Sanskrit. In translation you can't do much. Let me give a rough idea of what Shiva says in this sutra. Whatever you think as worldly activity, whatever you think as impure, for e.g., anger, lust, greed, even in those moments if you can practice this meditation you can explode anew. It is an amazing assurance he gives us. He is giving us a new idea, new concept about purity.

Shiva addresses one of the issues that modern man is facing. People tell me, 'Swamiji I don't have time for meditation.' That is one of the important problems. Shiva is addressing that problem in this sutra. He says that you don't need to spend separate time for meditation. Even when you are in worldly activity, one can practice this meditation technique and so practicing in a few days can be born anew. Shiva is converting your whole life into spirituality.

First thing you need to understand Shiva's concept about purity. Constantly, we are asked to be good, to be pure. The idea of purity is forced upon us. Constantly we are taught by the society, by the moralists that something is right, something is wrong, something is pure, something is impure, something is good, and something is bad. Constantly we are taught the idea of good and bad, constantly you are forced to practice something that is good or what the society thinks is good.

But life is no way related to what society believes in. Life is totally different. What society believes is different; what life is, is different. There is a beautiful saying: 'When you think, you think in generalized way; but when you live, you can't generalize.'

Situations can't be generalized. In your life there are so many things where generalization is not possible, where you can't decide what to do and what not to do based on popular guidelines. All your ideas about morality, about right and wrong, will not have any relevance. Somebody asked me 'Swamiji why do our scriptures not speak of gambling? Only puranas speak about gambling. The older ancient scriptures don't speak about gambling. Why have they not banned gambling in the Upanishads?'

I tell them that at that time there was no gambling! First of all the gambling did not exist, how do you expect them to speak about gambling then? Naturally no Upanishad bans gambling or drugs because at that time these problems did not exist. When it comes to morality it completely depends on the situation, it is relative and it is not existential.

According to Shiva, purity means innocence, not being affected by the thoughts or the samskaras or by the engraved memories. Let you be very clear, even if you are not expressing your emotions, your anger, greed and lust but if they are present in your inner space, you are not a pure person. Socially you are a pure person but actually you are not. On the other hand if you express your anger, lust and greed but nothing touches your inner space and you live like an innocent child, then be very clear, you are a pure being.

You can see kids get angry. Children can be greedy. Kids build their personality on greed. That is why they are so aware and conscious of 'mine' attitude. Try to take away a toy from a child. The child will behave as if his life is taken away. He will scream and shout and may become even breathless. This is because their whole personality is built upon 'mine' attitude. They also have greed and anger, but you cannot call them impure. They are pure. This is because whatever you may think as impurity does not affect their inner space. They will sit and play with their toys and after a few hours they will throw it and go away. They don't carry anything in them. Their inner space is beautiful and pure.

You can't call them thieves even if they have stolen something because they don't have an idea that something belongs to someone and that you cannot take it from them. The idea that an object is someone's property does not exist in them. Innocence is purity. Knowing that an object is someone's property, even if you don't steal it, you are constantly thinking about it. You have not become a thief as yet because of the police, that's all.

Purity is directly related to inner space. It is in no way related to the outer world. Shiva is giving us a technique to achieve this purity, that's why I have given an introduction on purity. Shiva is telling us how to achieve purity. If you follow Shiva's life as is described in the Shiva puranas, you will not be able to see any social or traditional purity in him. The place where he lives or the way in which he lives is not directly related to purity. Shiva lives in a cemetery where bodies are cremated, surrounded by spirits and ghosts.

His lifestyle also is far from traditional purity but he is a great master because nothing touches him.

Kundalini rising like lightning through the chakras, Experience Shiva Consciousness as it explodes anew.

Shiva is giving us a beautiful technique, which can be practiced the whole day and does not need any separate time. You say 'Swamiji I don't have time for meditation', for such human beings Shiva is giving this technique. Now you cannot give even this excuse of lack of time. Whenever people come and tell me 'Swamiji I don't have time for meditation', I tell them, don't say you don't have time for meditation.

There are people who meditate and it is not like they do not have any better job hence have taken up meditation. The other day I asked one of our ashramites why he was not coming to the discourse. She replied 'Swamiji I have work.' Does that mean that people who are coming and sitting for the discourse are jobless or what?

I always tell people, don't say you don't have time instead say that you don't give enough importance to meditation in your life. If you say that you do not give much importance to meditation in your life, then I can understand. Let us be at least honest with ourselves. Do not say you don't have time instead say that you are not able to understand that meditation is important, or that meditation can help you in your life in some way.

First of all Shiva dropped all the rituals, all the techniques, and now he is dropping all other problems that are usually created by the mind. He says that even if you don't have time, no problem! Whatever you may be doing, keep you attention between two breaths, constantly watch the gap, and be aware of the gap.

In the previous sutras, Shiva was speaking about separate meditation techniques, which you need to practice for half an hour or one hour every day. First Shiva asked you to add mediation into your life and now he is asking you to make your whole life a meditation. Be very clear, he is not giving you any morality; he is not saying what should be done and what should not be done. He is purely giving you techniques. He is a great master; that's why he straightaway gives you the torch, and doesn't give you any instructions.

Be very clear, if you try to follow any instructions, you will always miss. All guidance is misguidance. Since the guidance was given for someone else, is penned down and then presented to you, it is not going to match with you and your lifestyle. Instead of giving instructions Shiva is giving the torch itself so you can find your own path. I call this book as 'finding your own path to freedom'. He is giving you so much intelligence that you can find your own path to freedom. You don't have to follow everybody. He is giving you all the roots, all methods, all techniques. You can pick up any one technique and find your own path to freedom.

Actually this book gives you freedom at all levels while starting, walking and ending. Some books give you freedom and liberation in the very end. Other books give you freedom while walking. It is very rare to see a book that gives you freedom from the very beginning. Even when you start you have choice. You don't have to start according to the teacher. Even in the beginning level, at time of starting, you are given complete freedom. Your freedom is respected! You are accepted as you are. You are not asked to follow a particular person. You are not asked to go behind particular teachings. Shiva is giving you freedom even as you start.

Shiva says whatever you do keep your attention between two breaths. You can do this while engaged in any activity. Buddhist philosophy calls this mindfulness. Buddhist monks practise this while walking or working or meditating. Walking and working become meditation when you focus your attention between the breaths. Once you understand what Shiva is saying, whenever you watch your breath your attention will automatically move to the gaps between breaths. The gap is the source of the breath. With each breath your energy rises and you are renewed.

Be constantly aware of the gap between two breaths and live your life knowing the game of existence. You can ask, is it okay if I get angry or be greedy and just keep my attention between two breaths? Can I do whatever I want? In that case the whole society will be in chaos. People again and again ask me, 'Swamiji, you say meditation is enough. If we just do mediation and then do whatever we want, will the society not be in chaos?' I ask them: do you think now it is not chaos?

A person who meditates will never create chaos and will never do anything that you call impure. Meditation brings so much of intelligence that he will be completely integrated. He will never go against anyone's interest. He will never disturb anybody's life.

You can see in your life that when you are in joy, in bliss, in ecstasy, you don't disturb anybody. Even if someone makes a mistake, you take it in a light way. But when you are irritated inside, when you are tensed, when you are not relaxed, then there is no need for anyone to make a mistake. Even if they come in front of you it is enough. They will start having your blessings. Your presence will radiate and you will just start vomiting yourself on them. Be very clear, a person who is completely integrated, who is totally relaxed, calm, and settled in himself will never disturb anybody. He will have his own way of living. His morality can never be shaken.

Morality of a person on whom morality is imposed by rules and regulations can never be believed. Be very clear, his morality can never be believed. On the other hand the morality of a person who is expressing morality out of his spiritual wisdom and spiritual energy can never be changed. You can trust his life and you can trust his energy.

Shiva says that by being aware of the gap between two breaths you will be in ecstasy the whole day. He says one more thing, that by practicing this you will be renewed. Shiva says that this truth can give you new birth. You cannot be the same old person again and you cannot be living your old life again.

One important thing, these techniques have to be constantly practiced. Yesterday someone asked me, 'Swamiji, everyday you teach a new technique, how we can practice all since each technique needs some time'.

Here I am speaking for the whole world, so it can be recorded and be useful for the whole world. You can pick up any one meditation technique and start practicing it. Sometimes when you listen to a technique, you feel that your whole being is opening, your whole energy is vibrating and you feel that this technique can surely help you. You feel a particular technique is your path, and then simply take up that technique and practice at least for 21 days. You will see you have become a new being, and you are not the same old person again. You don't have to practise each and every technique that Shiva gives and that I speak on. Just pick the one that vibrates in you, internalize the understanding behind that technique and don't let it go.

Only when you practice you understand how bringing the attention between two breaths can change your whole life. Whenever you bring your attention between two breaths you are unclutched. Just remember that you are unclutched. You come to the same neutral space, in which you experience that you are unclutched. As long as you that believe you are a connected being, that your thoughts are connected to one another, all your problems will be alive and you will go on suffering. The moment you understand that by your very nature you are unclutched, illogical, unconnected, and independent being, from that very moment, you cannot suffer. You suffer only if you create a shaft of thoughts.

You can't continue to suffer if you remember again and again that you are unclutched. The suffering that happened to you one year ago, suffering which happened two months ago, and the suffering that happened to you yesterday are unconnected, independent incidents, separate thoughts. When you start connecting all of them and start seeing them, you create an understanding about them in your life, or create an idea about them in your life. Be very clear that by this connecting of thoughts you are creating suffering for yourself, hell for yourself. You are creating more and more difficulties for yourself.

When you go into these techniques you will see liberation happening in your being. Whenever you are in depression, just remember that you are unclutched. The incidents or things that happen in the outer world are no way connected to your response in the inner world. Similarly thoughts that arise in your inner world are no way related to the identity you have in the outer world.

You have two identities: One that you show for others, and one that you keep for yourself. Both are lies. Let you be very clear, you always think the identity that you show to the world is a lie and the identity which you have within yourself, about yourself, is true. Let you be very clear, the identity that you are keeping within yourself, about yourself, is a big lie. It is also a big lie. Your response or your thoughts related to your identity shown to the outer world and the identity within both are completely unclutched. They both are lies.

People come and tell me their guilt. Swamiji, actually I am a different kind of person but I pretend to be courageous, nice and honest in front of people. I don't know how to bridge the gap. Let you be very clear, the guilt that you carry or the personality within that creates guilt in you, then that is also a big lie. If you think that the personality that you carry inside is true and the personality that you project to the outer world is false, it is then you start thinking about morality. All your understanding of morality is the gap between these two identities. In other words the gap between these two identities creates the idea about morality. Here I am talking about a very subtle, but basic truth of life.

The idea of confession or seeking forgiveness is nothing but pure business for religions. It is an idea given to you so you can be kept controlled. The idea of guilt and absolving that guilt through confession is a cunning and subtle way of exploiting human beings. It is a very cunning and subtle way to keep people under control. You are conditioned by religions to believe in and accept certain ideas and certain codes of conduct that you must conform to. These are imprinted in your unconscious mind. But consciously you keep doing many things that are not in conformity with these imprinted beliefs. You create guilt within you. You believe that by confessing about these differences between what is within and what you do and project and seeking forgiveness something is going to change. Nothing can change. You will keep visiting the temples and churches week after week, that is all.

Let you be very clear, both your idea about yourself that you are keeping inside your mind and your idea about yourself that you are projecting to the outer world are pure lies. Both identities are lies. Keep your awareness between two breaths and realize, remember again and again that you are unclutched, that by your very nature you are unclutched. Again and again remember that you are unclutched by bringing your attention between two breaths.

All of a sudden you will notice that all your activities are taking a U–turn. You will notice that you no longer talk as before, you no longer do things in the old way. You realize that you have started working in a new way and you think in a new way. This will be so because your idea about pleasure will change, your idea about joy will change. Your idea about pain will change. All your ideas about yourself will change.

That is why I say Shiva is the only master who is the master who cures the disease of bondage. He is the only master, the only doctor to treat the disease of bondage. He straightaway liberates you. He doesn't even give you the bondage of spirituality. Almost all the religions take away all other bondages but keep you in spiritual bondage, the golden chain. But with Shiva, he neither gives you spiritual bondage nor gives you physical bondage.

Religions will usually relieve or liberate you from the image that you show to others. They will say do not bother about name, fame etc. It is easy to liberate you from the image that you project about yourself to the outer world. Just little bit of intelligence and understanding is needed and you will be liberated. But real freedom is to liberate yourself from the image that you carry within about yourself. That is what J. Krishnamurthy calls 'freedom from yourself'.

Liberating yourself, from your self since your self is constantly torturing you is true freedom. You can't relax with yourself and you can't sit with yourself. You can see for yourself that even old people, who don't have any responsibility, cannot sit with themselves. I have seen old people with no responsibility, with no more needs to be satisfied, and yet cannot sit with themselves. From morning till night they read the same old newspapers with big glasses on in such a detailed manner, which even the Editor would not have read. They would have been married, their sons would have been married, their daughters would have been married, their grandsons would have been married but they would still be reading the matrimonial column, with their big glasses on. They can't sit with themselves. When you can't sit with yourself, be very clear, you are not relaxed. You are not at ease with the image you are carry about yourself in your inner space.

Here Shiva is telling you to be at ease with the image you are carrying about yourself within yourself. Only then will real morality happen. Please understand that unless you are completely at ease with the image you are carrying about yourself within yourself, unless you accept yourself completely, real morality can never happen in your life. The one and only way to accept yourself completely is to understand the truth that by their very nature your thoughts are illogical, irresponsible, independent and unclutched. You can't do anything about it.

You can only do one thing, understand this truth and liberate yourself, that's all. When you liberate yourself you will be completely at ease with the personality or the image that you are carrying about yourself in your inner space. Only when you are at ease with your personality; only when you are integrated, will life become a game of existence. Until then you will be tortured with life.

In Sanskrit there's a beautiful word called leela, which means play, an illusory play. To a person who has integrated his life, a person who is completely comfortable with the image that he carries of himself within himself, to him life will appear as a leela. Life will not be a serious thing but a game of existence. Such a person is just playing the leela and there's no question of something being right or wrong, no question of getting exploited by someone or exploiting someone.

If you have respect for your freedom, for your inner space, you will never disrespect another's freedom. Same way if you are binding somebody, taking away somebody's freedom, let you be very clear that you will be selling your freedom. You can see that all so-called moralists are moral because of their followers and the followers are moral because of their leader's injunctions. Both the leader and the follower are in big bondage, both are binding each other. Be very clear that the real morality or purity can happen to you only when you are completely at ease with the personality that you carry within yourself about yourself.

This meditation technique has two parts. First you need to center your attention in the gaps between the two breaths. Next, you need to hold this attention while you are in action. You will be able to put your attention between two breaths and be at ease with yourself, only if you can be at ease with the neutral space. You have to be comfortable in the zone where you don't have attachment with your identity, where you are ready to be relaxed from your identity and where you are at ease with the personality that you are in your inner space. This is the first step.

Second step is to being aware or centering your attention on the same neutral space even during action.

First let us understand the first step. Since so many of you are new today I want all of you to do the first step first, later we will do the main meditation technique from this sutra. First step is to be aware of the gap between the two breaths. Let you be centered, let you put your attention between the gap between two breaths. Today the meditation technique will take at least 45 minutes. So now we will do the first step, then I will explain about the second step.

Meditation 1

Please close your eyes. Sit straight. Do not suppress and do not express any of your thoughts. Just be aware of inhaling and exhaling. Just be aware of incoming and outgoing breaths. Be aware of incoming and outgoing breaths. Keep attention between two breaths. Keep your attention between incoming and outgoing breaths. Be aware of the gap between incoming and outgoing breath. (Approximately 15 minutes)

The next meditation technique is a strange one but very powerful. Usually mediation means our body will be still and our minds will be moving. In this technique your mind has to be still even when the body moves. If you have done Vishuddhi mediation during the first level Life Bliss Program, this mediation is based on the same concept, the same truth, but the technique is different.

Since there are a lot of newcomers, let me explain what I mean by the word neutral space. The gap between the incoming breath and the outgoing breath is what I call neutral space where you are unclutched, by your very nature. This is where you relax into the consciousness by your very nature. Here is where you experience ultimate peace and bliss by your very nature. As of now you can experience this neutral space when you close your eyes and meditate; but you should be able to experience this neutral space even when you are in action. That is the main theme of this sutra, this technique.

You must be able to experience the neutral space even when you are in worldly activity. There are two prerequisites; one, that you must be ready to let go, ready to relax from the identity that you are showing to the outer world; to your friends, to your family, to your relatives, and to your enemy. As of now, you present an identity to the outer world trying to impress others. You must be able to relax, and let go from that identity. Next, you are carrying an identity within yourself about you. Constantly condemning!

There's a beautiful saying by Jesus: Love thy neighbor as you love yourself.

The big problem is we don't love our self then how can we love our neighbor? Constantly you are condemning yourself. You are carrying a personality within yourself with which you are constantly struggling, constantly trying to chisel and work. You must be able to let go from this second identity also. Only then you will be able to experience the neutral space even when you are in worldly activity.

Please understand, actually commenting on Bhagavad Gita is very easy. It is more a social scripture telling you what to do and what not to do. But explaining Shiva sutras is very difficult, because it is directly connected to mysticism, directly connected to your inner self. It is a powerful alchemy where the transformation is bound to happen. Only people who are interested in transformation will be able to understand. The moment you enter into Shiva Sutras transformation has to happen. It is very powerful. That is the reason you need to understand every inch of it. Even if you miss a single statement you will miss the whole meaning, you may miss the whole purpose itself.

Small story:

One famous art collector was traveling in a small village. Outside a shop he saw a cat drinking milk from an old saucer. He realized by looking at it that the saucer was very old and valuable. Somehow he wanted to posses the saucer. He went to the shop owner and started talking. Can you sell that cat to me? The owner said 'no sir, that cat is not for sale'. The art collector said 'I want a hungry old tomcat to kill all the mice in my house. I will give you 10 dollars for it.' Owner said: No. Art collector said 'I will give you 20 dollars.' Owner said: all right, have it. And he gave the cat. This guy started saying, 'why don't you give the old saucer also, because the cat is used to that saucer; it will be happy with that saucer. I don't want to buy one more dish for the cat.'

The owner said 'No, no; no, that is my lucky saucer. Just because of that saucer, in one week, I have sold 48 cats.'

Sometimes you miss the essence. Be very clear. Even if you miss a single line, you may miss the essence. You may miss the saucer and have only the old cat. So now at least don't miss the saucer.

Here you need to understand two things. You need to relax from the identity, which you are projecting to the outer world. Then you will experience the neutral space. Actually if you relax from the identity that you are projecting to the outer world, immediately you will have the experience of the neutral space, the gap between two breaths.

Second thing, if you are relaxed from the identity which you are carrying inside about yourself, then you will be able to maintain that same neutral space throughout the day. Nobody can disturb you, nobody can shake you, and nobody can pull you out of that neutral space.

If you relax from the identity that you show to the outer world you will have a glimpse of the neutral space. Then relax from the identity that you have for yourself within yourself. This identity is far stronger since you believe it to be true, but actually it is also not true. You are made to believe it is a truth by your conditioning through society and religion. Morality, speaking truth, not harming others and all these commandments are about projecting the identity that you are carrying about yourself on the outer world.

Be very clear, that identity itself is not true. That identity itself is not true, so even if you give importance to that identity it is not going to help you. Let you be very clear that is why these people who understand this social morality or who understand only about speaking truth etc, they will be completely masochistic and self-condemning.

Always you carry two identities; one which is projected to the outer world, the superiority ego. You believe, I am this and I am that. It is the big cutout that you carry about yourself in the form of a visiting card. Be very clear that, the visiting card is not as small as it looks; it is actually of a billboard size. Since you cannot carry a billboard wherever you go, you carry the visiting card. This is superiority complex. Second identity is which you carry within you for yourself. If you relax from the first one you will get a glimpse of the neutral space, and then you need to relax from the second one also.

When I say relax from second one, what I mean is this. Do not bother about developing it and don't bother about improving it. Constantly you are trying to improve, trying to develop, the idea that you are carrying about yourself. That is why you are constantly entering into all these self-development programs. All self-development is just useless because there is no self. What then what will you develop? There is no self.

All self-development programs are nothing but trying to give you a feel good factor. If somehow you can give a feel good feeling to someone, then you can become a self-development teacher. Nothing else. It is not a big thing. Self-development is pure nonsense, because there is no self, what will you develop?

The very identity that you are carrying cannot be developed because it does not exist. You can't develop something that does not exist. Even if you develop, develop, develop, after five years you will be the same old thing. You may start believing that you have developed, but if you record and see you will be the same old person.

Let me give you a simple experiment. Record or pen down whatever comes in your mind right now and keep it in a room; then, for five years try to develop yourself. After five years again record and see, it will be the same or a little worse, that's all. You will not have anything else.

All you can do is only one thing: understand that your self cannot be developed. Then suddenly you will see that you are able to integrate the whole thing. Developing is different and integrating is different. Suddenly you will see that you are able to express the identity, which you are carrying.

You will see a different energy, different kind of love, and a different kind of compassion in your life. That is what I call enlightenment. Relaxing from the identity that you are showing the world is the first experience, satori. Relaxing from second identity that you are carrying in your mind, in your inner self, is what I call enlightenment.

Now Shiva is asking us to be enlightened and to be renewed. Just practice this for a few days and you will be born anew. What do you mean by the word 'few days Swamiji'? Surely less than a week, else he would have said few weeks. Shiva has not said few months, or few weeks, so he means less than a week.

Let you be very clear. Constantly remind yourself that the identity you are carrying within yourself and the identity that you are projecting outside are both not true. Be convinced that they are not solid things and that they are purely unconnected, independent, illogical shafts. When you understand this, you will be liberated!

Actually in the two days of Dhyana Spurana Program (DSP) that we conduct this is what I am trying to do. DSP is nothing but inserting or putting this truth in your inner space and making you experience this from all the corners.

You have five levels of conditioning. In five major levels you are caught. One is in the physical level, annamaya kosha; next at the breathing level, pranamaya kosha; third manonmaya kosha, at the mental level; fourth vignanamaya kosha meaning the emotional level, unconscious level, and the fifth is anandamaya kosha, which is the level of spirituality. You are supposed to go beyond the idea of spirituality. In all the five levels you are caught.

In these two days of DSP, we work on how to give you the experience of being unclutched in all five levels. You will be liberated; you will be made to experience liberation. Actually the truth even if it is understood once, will transform your being. When you work on that deeply, you can't be the same old person again. If you understood once logically and clearly that you are un-clutched, every time you remember that you are unclutched, a new energy will rise in your being, a new consciousness will rise in your being. You will feel the big liberation and celebration in your life!

Now let us enter into the meditation. It is a two-step technique. First thing, you will be sitting with closed eyes trying to relax in the neutral space, means putting your attention between two breaths, not bothering about the identity that you are carrying or are projecting to the outer world. All your thoughts will be centered on name, fame and money and on your money, property, name and fame, relationship, your ideas about how you should position yourself etc. Relax from these for a few minutes. Once you are able to settle down in your neutral space, once you are able to relax in the gap between two breaths then being centered in the same space you will start moving your body.

As of now, you will feel the neutral space when you are sitting with closed eyes. But when you open your eyes and start moving your body, you will forget the neutral space. You will be caught by the activities. Now you are supposed to train yourself to be in the neutral space even when you are in action, even when you are moving and leading your life. Be in that meditative state and move only one hand. You will miss, suddenly you will forget, bring back the awareness, bring the attention back, then move the leg, then slowly open your eyes.

Step by step I will guide you. We will operate our mind and body being in the neutral space. Initially it might look a little difficult, but it is not. If you practice you will realize that you are able to operate your body and mind from the neutral zone, the neutral space, and the Zen zone. We can operate our body and mind from Shiva Consciousness.

Meditation 2

Let us start. I request you all to move the chairs, so that in the second step you can stand up and move your body, being in that same consciousness. If you can't sit down, please go to the last row. You can sit in the chair in the last row. If you have found your place, please sit down and close your eyes. Tie the ribbon around your eyes. If you don't have a ribbon at least use your kerchief. I want everyone to sit on the ground. If you really cannot sit down then go to the last row and sit on the chair. Sit straight. Inhale and exhale as slowly as possible, as deeply as possible. Tie the ribbon over your eyes.

Inhale and exhale as slowly as possible as deeply as possible. (2 min)

Slowly very slowly put your attention on the incoming breath. Be aware of the incoming breath. (3 min)

Slowly put you attention on the outgoing breath. (2 min)

Slowly very slowly put you attention between two breaths. Just be aware of the gap, neutral space. Forget about the incoming breath and forget about the outgoing breath. Just be aware of the gap, of the neutral space, the space in which you are Shiva Consciousness, the Zen zone.

Be aware of the gap. Keep attention between the two breaths. (3 min)

Keep attention between two breaths. Relax in the neutral space. Being in the same space, same consciousness, try to move only one hand, any one hand. If you feel you have come out of that awareness, bring yourself back to the neutral space. Come back to neutral space and move the hand. Very slowly being in the neutral space, move a hand. Without losing the neutral space, without coming down from that consciousness move at least one hand. Bring yourself back to that neutral space. If you feel you have lost your awareness, come back to the neutral space. Come back to the neutral space and move the hand. (5 min)

Being in the same neutral space, without losing it, please try to stand up. If you feel you are losing the neutral space, sit down; come back to the neutral space again. Now without forgetting, without missing the awareness try to stand up. Let your eyes be closed. Just be aware of the gap between two breaths. Let your attention be between two breaths. Let you be in that neutral space. Let you be where there is no mind. (3 min)

Keep attention between two breaths. Be aware of the neutral space. Without missing the awareness try to move both the hands very slowly. Important thing do not miss the awareness. (3 min)

Relax. Be centered between two breaths. Be completely at ease in the neutral space. Be aware of the gap. With that awareness, without missing the awareness slowly move your head. Important thing do not miss the awareness. If you feel you have lost the awareness, come back, bring the awareness back and then move the head. (5 min)

Without losing the awareness, totally centered between two breaths, being in neutral space, try to move your feet. Be aware. Do not miss the neutral space. Be completely centered on the neutral space. Do not miss the neutral space. (3 min)

If you feel you lost the awareness, come back. Slow down. Center yourself in the neutral space. Let your attention be between breaths. (2 min)

Without losing the awareness, slowly very slowly, try to open your eyes. If you feel what you are seeing takes away your awareness, close your eyes and again center yourself in that awareness. Very slowly, be in that same awareness, be in that same neutral space and try to open your eyes. If you feel you are losing your awareness, close your eyes and bring the awareness back. Center yourself in the awareness. (3 min)

Keep your attention between two breaths. Keep your attention on the neutral space. Let your attention be in the neutral space. (3 min)

Be in that same awareness and sit wherever you are. If you feel you are missing the awareness, come back, slow down, and center yourself in the awareness. Be aware. Keep attention between two breaths. May you be in eternal consciousness! (3 min)

Om Shanti Shanti Shantihi. Relax. May this teaching and technique of Shiva liberate you. May you be in and radiate THE SUPREME PONTIFF OF HINDUISM BHAGAWAN SRI NITHYANANDA PARAMASHIVAM.

Q: The sutra mentions kundalini moving through the chakras. How is this related to the breath and the gaps between breaths?

In tantra, kundalini is the primal energy that lies dormant in our root chakra, muladhara. When activated this energy moves up through the spinal passage sushumna to the crown center, sahasrara. Metaphorically, sahasrara is the point where this energy or shakti merges with the Cosmic Consciousness, the Shiva Consciousness.

Prana is an integral part of this kundalini shakti. When the sutra refers to kundalini rising, it refers to the prana energy rising as well. Breath is the vehicle through which prana normally moves. This is how breath and kundalini are related.

As you focus on the neutral space between breaths, the very awareness activates the kundalini and allows it to move up to the sahasrara and reach Shiva Consciousness. If one wants to understand logically this is the explanation.

But neither kundalini nor Shiva are logical. They are far beyond logic. As long as you try to understand the rationale and figure out how you can move your kundalini shakti up, you are only playing a useless mind game. As long as your mind occupies you in the useless mind game the kundalini will lie dormant in your muladhara. You will be controlled by fear and greed, the resident emotions of the muladhara chakra. You will remain in bondage, not merely in this life, but for many more lives.

As long as you sit in meditation and try to observe the neutral space you are still adding that meditation as an activity to your life. You constantly fight to find the time and space to do this. However, when you make that activity of being aware of the neutral space amidst all your normal actions of the day and night, then and only then meditation becomes the core activity for you. You no longer need to find the time and space because you are in meditation always.

The very word meditation creates fear and greed in the minds many people. From the simple fear of how to sit and how to stay still, one extends one's logic to the threat to the loss of one's identity. Even before yo have learned to sit still for two minutes you start being afraid of dying. If I focus on the gap between breaths, what will happen if I forget to breathe? You have not even learned to breathe properly yet, and you are already worried about forgetting to breathe.

Shiva has provided you with a natural intelligence that operates in spite of you. Even if you forget this natural intelligence is aware that you need to breathe. You do not need to be taught that in schools.

For others it is the greed. One starts imagining all the powers that one is told would be theirs when the kundalini is awakened. They can already visualize their materializing objects from thin air and predicting the future. Nothing of this sort may happen. Even if you get such powers the intelligence that comes with such powers ensures that you do not feel the need for them.

Shiva takes you in stages to this point. You are already aware of the neutral space and you know how to experience the neutral space. Now he leads you to experiencing it in the midst of other activities. He teaches you to be aware while being active.

I have spoke in other places of a naga master who used to test people with his trident. He would ask the candidate to focus of all three tips of the trident all at once without moving the eyeballs. This practice creates awareness. Normally we concentrate. Concentration is elimination. We eliminate all others to the exclusion of whatever we concentrate upon. Awareness is inclusion. It is a 360-degree view. Nothing is excluded. You can talk, you can listen, you can see, you can eat and you can do everything while still being aware of the neutral space.

In fact in this state because of this awareness, whatever action you are engaged in becomes more meaningful. It becomes special. It is no longer a routine. Every flower you see is special. Its beauty explodes n your inner space. Every dish you eat, however many times you may have eaten that before, becomes special and ever so delicious. Nothing is ordinary. Everything in this universe is extraordinary. That is because you have become extraordinary. Each moment is a new moment. You are constantly reborn.

This is the state Shiva leads you to. He has taught you how to become aware of the neutral space while still in motion and action. Once this practice becomes natural and once this awareness is built into you, your kundalini energy is constantly exploding anew maintaining you in that Shiva Consciousness.

In various tantric practices there are various techniques that are prescribed to activate the kundalini energy. To the uninitiated many of these techniques can be harmful. All the techniques that Shiva prescribes in Shiva Sutras are absolutely safe and without any ill effects. It is a promise that Shiva makes. These techniques unless where I warn you to do under a Master's guidance can be safely practised at home or elsewhere by you. They will deliver you the effects that Shiva guarantees.

Shiva has made this path so simple. He has made the possibility so easy. All you need to do is maintain your awareness in the neutral space between your breaths, one or the other or both. You can maintain this awareness along with any activity you are engaged in. this awareness can be maintained even while your senses are flooding you with inputs. When you are in this mode, you become a witness to what your senses are up to.

Every moment, even when you think you are asleep, your senses are active. You are constantly on the periphery with your sense antennae trying to catch all wayward signals that float around you. That is the food for your senses. They cannot remain alive without this feed. When your senses feed they drag you into the slush with them. Like a pig in a trough you wallow in the feed that they serve you.

You have an option. You can move from the periphery to your core. Your core is at the neural space. When you move into your core you are centered. Nothing that assails yours senses then disturbs you. You are a mere witness to the games your senses play.

You no longer need to bind and control your sense organs. Whatever anyone may tell you this cannot be done. The suppression will only explode later. You can then play the game with your senses, instead of their playing a game with you.

Senses can only play with your when your boundaries are defined. This can only happen when your identity is defined. When you are centered the boundary disappears. There is no need for a boundary at the center. You are stable. From this vantage point you can safely witness all that happens around you. You are no longer in bondage because there are no boundaries. You are not attached to your senses which constantly try to drag you with them since you are now merely a witness and not a player.

You now have the technique to play with your mind. You have the means to move beyond your mind.