gradual

"Performing and listening to a gradual musical process resembles:
pulling back a swing, releasing it, and observing it gradually come to rest;
turning over an hour glass and watching the sand slowly run through the bottom;
placing your feet in the sand by the ocean?s edge and watching, feeling, and listening to the waves gradually bury them."

- Steve Reich

work

19 SEPTEMBER 1983
Evening
For the sake of Lord Rama, the group that came here yesterday worked wholeheartedly today. Work is Mahayoga, Supreme Yoga. To go astray from the path of Karma is to create trouble for ourselves. Action is the source of all joy. Go on working. Go ahead, making progress. Work until your last breath.
The world is transitory. You will find stability only on the path of Karma Yoga. Only action can take a man to God and give him liberation. The law of Karma is so deep that no words are great enough to describe it. The day Karma stops on this earth will be the day of its dissolution (pralaya).
Brave ones, all of you, continue to work! Through Karma alone will you be able to change the world. It is the only way.
Today the world is playing with fire. We have to be ready to face fire, water and great storms and not be shaken. We have to go beyond the hope of life and the fear of death. Whatever happens, we must go ahead. Then only can we benefit the world. We have to bring the path of Karma into the light. Now the world is in deep darkness. The Revolution spreading in this world can be controlled by Karma alone.
(Babaji then whispered two mantras to Shastriji who repeated them: "Yadatma Dhrishchayaha: He who has control over himself, who is of determined mind, will succeed in life." "Utishchata Jagrata Prapta Varan Nibhoda Yata: Arise! Awake! Go and seek the wise and learn from them.")
You have come here from the four corners of the world. Today you should take a vow to work hard always and to spread the message of Karma wherever you go.
JAI MAHAMAYA KI JAI!
23 SEPTEMBER 1983

Babaji

Why is programming fun?

First is the sheer joy of making things. As the child delights in his mud pie, so the adult enjoys building things, especially things of his own design. I think this delight must be an image of God's delight in making things, a delight shown in the distinctness and newness of each leaf and each snowflake.

Second is the pleasure of making things that are useful to other people. Deep within, we want others to use our work and to find it helpful. In this respect the programming system is not essentially different from the child's first clay pencil holder "for Daddy's office."

Third is the fascination of fashioning complex puzzle-like objects of interlocking moving parts and watching them work in subtle cycles, playing out the consequences of principles built in from the beginning. The programmed computer has all the fascination of the pinball machine or the jukebox mechanism, carried to the ultimate.

Fourth is the joy of always learning, which springs from the nonrepeating nature of the task. In one way or another the problem is ever new, and its solver learns something: sometimes practical, sometimes theoretical, and sometimes both.

Finally, there is the delight of working in such a tractable medium. The programmer, like the poet, works only slightly removed from pure thought-stuff. He builds his castles in the air, from air, creating by exertion of the imagination. Few media of creation are so flexible, so easy to polish and rework, so readily capable of realizing grand conceptual structures. (...)


Yet the program construct, unlike the poet's words, is real in the sense that it moves and works, producing visible outputs separately from the construct itself. It prints results, draws pictures, produces sounds, moves arms. The magic of myth and legend has come true in our time. One types the correct incantation on a keyboard, and a display screen comes to life, showing things that never were nor could be.

Programming then is fun because it gratifies creative longings built deep within us and delights sensibilities we have in common with all men.

The Mythical Man Month - Fred Brooks

determination

Spring Navaratri 2009

essence

` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` `
The essence of saintliness is total acceptance of
the present moment, harmony with things as they
happen. A saint does not want things to be different
from what they are; he knows that, considering all
factors, they are unavoidable. He is friendly with
the inevitable and, therefore, does not suffer. Pain
he may know, but it does not shatter him. If he can,
he does the needful to restore the lost balance
or lets things take their course.
` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` `
"I Am That"
Talks with Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj
The Acorn Press, 1973

fail better

"ever tried. ever failed. no matter. try again. fail again. fail better."

Samuel Beckett

blessings

Blessings:

Do not be overwhelmed. This is a time of great change. Observe. Be
Aware. Be Alert. Take one step at a time. Follow what is in your
heart. You will understand what your direction is to be.

Truth, Simplicity and Love is the guide for living in this
world. Observe change through the teachings of Truth, Simplicity and
Love.

The unreal cannot overwhelm the real. Great change cannot overwhelm
the real.

Your strength is greater than the maya of change. Your heart is
greater than the maya of change. Your higher self is greater than the
maya of change.

The maya of change passes, fades into nothing. The real remains,
eternal, observing.

Attach to the real and triumph over the maya of change. Follow what is
in your heart and overcome the maya of change.

Change is the Law of the Universe. The lower self is overwhelmed by
change. The higher self is unmoved, alert, aware, and unconditionally
observing.

Change is merely the maya of Shiva's dance. Understand this and rise
above the unreal.

Blessings
Babaji

feb 14th

"I am no-thing. I am no-body. Fifteen years ago I left that body, worn by the problems and emptiness of all who sought me out to solve those problems. They wore the body down and that is why I left it. I have taught humans how to solve their problems. Few have listened. Now I try again in a different way (emails and website) to impart my message to those who will listen. Understand?
"If you live in truth,simplicity and love and if your purpose is to serve, then the black hole,the emptiness that cannot be filled with money, power or knowledge, will no longer be a cause of your bitter sadness.

"Nothing will stop it. Not intoxicants, not relationships, not material things, not power, not scholarship, not wealth, no-thing will stop the endless wheel of maya from spinning round and round, over and over, cycle after cycle of unending misery,sadness and emptiness. But Truth will stop it. Simplicity will stop it. Love will stop it. Service will stop it.
"That is my message on this anniversary of maha samadhi. In this body, I will not let it be worn by the problems of the many. I will let it inspire the few to transmit the teachings and let them serve as a beacon of hope for humanity."

Babaji

maha

"With thy sweet soul, this soul of mine
Hath mixed as water doth with wine
Who can the wine and water part
Or me and Thee when we combine
Thou art become my greater self
Small bonds no more can confine
Thou hast my being taken on
And shall not I now take on Thine?
Me Thou for ever hast affirmed
That I may ever know thee mine
Thy love has pierced me through and through
Its thrill with bone and nerve entwine
I rest a flute laid on Thy lips
A flute, I on thy breast recline
Breathe deep in me that I may sigh
Yet strike my strings and tears shall shine."

Akka Mahadevi

ascetic

For hunger, there is the village rice in the begging bowl,
For thirst, there are tanks and streams and wells
For sleep temple ruins do well
For the company of the soul I have you, Chenna Mallikarjuna

Akka Mahadevi

self

` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` `
High self-esteem and low self-esteem are just
different sides of the same coin.
They each assume that there's a separate and
independent self that's feeling?or that's not
feeling?a certain level of esteem about itself.
Both positions equally support the illusion of the
actual existence of a real coin?a real historical
self.
In true awakening, though, there can be no
coinage.
- Chuck Hillig
` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` `
Seeds for the Soul
Chuck Hillig
Black Dot Publications, 2003

the one

In spite of your beliefs to the contrary, you are not what you think,
feel, say, do, have, want or fear. You're actually the context or the
space in which all of those other things appear to show up in. In
short, you are "what is." You are what creates you. It's all
happening both within?and AS?you. So, instead of reacting out of your
fear, you need to learn how to respond out of your love. Romantics
are always looking for "The One." But, everywhere you go, you're
always (and only) meeting "The One."

Every one is "The One."

- Chuck Hillig

koan

haskell koans

buddha nature

"Are you a God?" they asked the Buddha.

"No," he replied.

"Are you an angel, then?"

"No."

"A saint?"

"No."

"Then what are you?"

Replied the Buddha, "I am awake."


-Huston Smith

Are you ready for this?

"Blessings.
From no-thing to no-thing. The movement of thought creates the maya of time and space. It creates the template for life housed in a body made out of food. It exists for a brief amount of time because thought is transient. The higher self, the unconditioned observer, is not created by thought. It has no movement, no template. It is not made out of food. It is not transient. It is not in time nor space. It is the spark of creation composed of Truth, Simplicity and Love. Attach to this and enjoy the destruction of desire. This is my message of a deeper nature. Are you ready for this?

Babaji"

determination

31 JANUARY 1984..

You must all have a firm determination. Even if total destruction
comes or any great calamity comes, you must not be shaken from your
determination. If there is a great flood, if fire breaks out - in any
calamity - you must be so brave and determined that you would jump
into fire or water. You must inspire others also to become brave and
courageous.

Only he who has courage is a true living being. One who has no courage
is like a dead man, even though he lives. We have tightened our belts
and taken a firm determination to do good to the world and uplift
humanity. You must stick to this resolve with your full energy.

Calamities will fall not just on one country but on the whole
universe; the whole universe is in danger. The terrible times which
are approaching will engulf the whole world; the whole universe will
be enveloped in this destruction. We must consider not only ourselves
but also the whole of the universe. We can achieve anything in this
world when we are hard working and industrious.

Because you must consider the whole universe, we should say "Jai
Vishwa!" instead of "Jai Hind!" "Jai Hind" means "Victory to India" -
"Jai Vishwa!" means "Victory to the whole Universe!"..

karma yoga

Still, the main importance must be given to Karma Yoga. Without Karma
Yoga it is not possible to progress in life - not only to achieve
material progress; Karma Yoga is essential for spiritual perfection,
as well. I consider an inactive man a dead man. Only through Karma
Yoga can you advance in your life; your heart becomes purified, your
thinking will be good. Karma Yoga is also beneficial for your health;
you will sleep well and have good appetite. A man with good appetite
and sound sleep is always a healthy man and with good health he can
achieve anything in life.

I have told you before that there are many kinds of Yoga, but Karma
Yoga is of supreme importance. Karma Yoga must come first, then others
types of Yoga can be added. In the name of Lord Rama, advance and
progress through Karma Yoga.

navaratri

Night and Day Nine:
Siddhidatri - She Who is of great spiritual Powers and knowledge
Siddhidatri begins at Sunset Oct. 7 and ends at Sunset Oct. 8.
(Usually, the final day?s activities wrap up after lunch time on the ninth day.)

Siddhidatri: Siddhidatri means the giver of siddhis (magical or spiritual powers for the control of self, others and the forces of nature). It is said in Devipuran that the Supreme God, Lord Shiva received all of these powers by propitiating the Maha Shakti. The Goddess is sometimes shown atop a lion and sometimes atop a lotus. She is shown as having four arms, which hold a club, a conch shell and a lotus. The fourth hand forms a gesture of granting. Siddhidatri is considered to be the most powerful of all the nine forms of Durga.

Durga is said to be extraordinarily beautiful; she does not use her beauty for seduction, but rather entrapment. She entices her victims and then defeats them. She rides a lion, and it appears whenever her strengths are needed. Her role is not that of creator, but rather that of a maintainer: she maintains cosmic order by defeating demons that plague the universe.

Durga is not only a powerful force for cosmic order but also a protector of her devotees. She listens to her devotees and attends to their needs.

Goddess Durga keeps up the play of the divine universal God through the three attributes of Nature, namely, Satva (equilibrium and serenity), Rajas (dynamism and kinesis) and Tamas (ignorance and inertia). Knowledge, peace, lust, anger, greed, egoism and pride, all are Her forms. Maha Saraswati is Her Sattviki Shakti or power of equilibrium. Maha Lakshmi is Her Rajasik Shakti or power of activity. And Maha Kali is Her Tamsik Shakti the power of destruction. All these are feminine forms.

Shiva's power is Shakti, the dynamic creative mother aspect of the Godhead. It is she who creates and at the time of dissolution, it is she who swallows her own creation. Shakti cannot exist without Shiva and Shiva cannot personify without Shakti.

Our beloved Mother, Saraswati, the goddess of learning, knowledge, music, speech and all the creative arts. She is the Flowing-One. She represents the union of power and intelligence from which organized creation arises. Saraswati possesses all the learnings of the the Vedas, scriptures, dancing, musical power and poetry. She revealed language and writing to man. Her origin is the lost Vedic river Saraswati. This is the source of her profound connection to fluidity in
any aspect (water, speech, thought...). She is wisdom, fortune, intelligence, nourishment, brilliance, contentment, splendor and devotion.

navaratri - night 8

SARASWATI: The last three days are devoted to Saraswati, the Goddess of
Wisdom, Knowledge and the Arts, wife of Brahma; it is a time of receiving Divine Guidance on how to properly use all resources sent your way. This is making most efficient and purposeful use of everything you are given.

Night and Day Eight:
Mahagauri - The Great White Goddess
Mahaguari begins at Sunset Oct. 6 and ends at Sunset on
Oct. 7

Goddess Saraswati is generally depicted with four arms (some pictures may show only two arms), wearing a white sari and seated on a white lotus. She holds a book and a mala in Her rear two hands, while the front two hands are engaged in the playing of a lute (veena). Her right leg is shown slightly pushing against Her left leg. She uses a swan as Her vehicle. There is a peacock by Her side gazing at Her. This symbolism illustrates the following spiritual ideas:

a.. The lotus is a symbol of the Supreme Reality, and a white lotus also denotes supreme knowledge. By sitting on a lotus, Saraswati signifies that She is Herself rooted in the Supreme Reality, and symbolizes supreme knowledge. The white color symbolizes purity and knowledge. The white sari that the Goddess is wearing denotes that She is the embodiment of pure knowledge.

b.. The four arms denote Her omnipresence and omnipotence. The two front arms indicate Her activity in the physical world and the two back arms signify Her presence in the spiritual world. The four hands represent the four elements of the inner personality. The mind (manas) is represented by the front right hand, the intellect (buddhi) by the front left hand, the conditioned consciousness (chitta) by the rear left hand, and the ego (ahankara) by the rear right hand.

c.. The left side of the body symbolizes the qualities of the heart and
the right side symbolizes activities of the mind and intellect. A book in the rear left hand signifies that knowledge acquired must be used with love and kindness to promote prosperity of mankind.

d.. The mala signifies concentration, meditation, and contemplation,
leading to samadhi, or union with God. A mala in the rear right hand
representing ego conveys that true knowledge acquired with love and devotion melts the ego and results in liberation (moksha) of the seeker from the bondage to the physical world.

e.. The Goddess is shown playing a musical instrument that is held in
Her front hands, which denote mind and intellect. This symbol conveys that the seeker must tune his mind and intellect in order to live in perfect harmony with the world. Such harmonious living enables the individual to utilize acquired knowledge for the welfare of all mankind.

f.. Two swans are depicted on the left side of the Goddess. A swan is
said to have a sensitive beak that enables it to distinguish pure milk from a mixture of milk and water. A swan, therefore, symbolizes the power of discrimination, or the ability to discriminate between right and wrong or good and bad. Saraswati uses the swan as Her carrier. This indicates that one must acquire and apply knowledge with discrimination for the good of mankind. Knowledge that is dominated by ego can destroy the world.

g.. A peacock is sitting next to Saraswati and is anxiously waiting to
serve as Her vehicle. A peacock depicts unpredictable behavior as its moods can be influenced by the changes in the weather. Saraswati is using a swan as a vehicle and not the peacock. This signifies that one should overcome fear, indecision, and fickleness in order to acquire true knowledge.
- Bansi Pandit

kalaratri

SARASWATI: The last three days are devoted to Saraswati, the Goddess of Wisdom, Knowledge and the Arts, wife of Brahma; it is a time of receiving Divine
Guidance on how to properly use all resources sent your way. This is making most
efficient and purposeful use of everything you are given.

Night and Day Seven:
Kalaratri - Kali Night of no Moon
Kalaratri begins at sunset on Oct. 5 and ends at sunset on Oct. 6
The goddess called Night of Time, Kalaratri, represents nirvana.

What is Nirvana?

Nirvana literally means "The blowing out of a candle". The fire that goes out
does not pass away, but merely becomes invisible by passing into a conscious
experience of union with All That Is. It refers to entry into another mode of
existence and experience. The fire that comes forth is the fire of the self.
This is the "emptiness" which is referred to in many of the teachings. It is an
ideal condition of rest, harmony, stability, or joy; the ability to consciously
pause the mind. Om Namah Shivaya.

You are the ONE who makes the difference-- right here and right now!!
Help just one other person to breathe easier.