The Technique Of Kundalini Awakening

Anup Taneja





Among various methods of awake energy ning the dormant kundalini, `shaktipat' or transmission of , says Swami Muktananda Paramhansa, is the easiest, safest and most potent method that, over a period of time, bestows upon the seeker the priceless gift of Self-realisation.Shaktipat is a spiritual technique through which the master “injects“ in the astral body of the seeker a current of psychic power or a dose of astral fluid. This can be effected by the master either through look, touch, word or simply thought.
At the time of shaktipat, some bad karmas of the seeker “attack“ the master and as a result the latter's body begins to ache severely and the top of his head becomes hot. The reason why the master takes upon himself the seeker's karma is that he wants to ensure that the seeker is able to withstand the powerful currents generated by the awake ned kundalini. Such masters, who are blessed with the power to bestow grace through shaktipat, are hard to come by .
In his magnum opus entitled, `The Play of Consciousness', Swami Muktananda describes his experience of receiving shaktipat-initiation from his master, Bhagwan Nityananda, in the following words: “As he looked into my eyes, I saw brilliant rays of light emana ting from his pupils, and going right inside me. Its brilliance dazzled my eyes like a highpowered bulb. I stood there, stunned, and my body was completely motionless.“
The conspicuous feature of shaktipat is that it not only helps the seeker in meditating deeply but also enables him to excel in his profession and other areas of worldly life. The seeker's health improves substantially , his memory gets sharpened, and he is blessed with the capacity to work at high efficiency and output levels. After having received shaktipat the seeker should constantly endeavour to nurture and develop the shakti given by the master. The seeker can sit in meditation on a regular basis, preferably in early morning hours, for at least 30 minutes and steadfastly follow the principles of `yama' ­ morality and `niyama' ­ discipline.
Adhering to the principles of nonviolence and truth, avoiding covetousness at all costs, doing good to others, performing one's duty with utmost sincerity , all constitute `yama'.Leading a highly disciplined life, avoiding negative company , total abstinence from alcohol and tobacco, and non-vegetarian food, and devotion to the Almighty , are some elements of `niyama'.
When the dormant kundalini is ignited through shaktipat, prana, the life-force moves through the sushumna, the central nadi, in the base chakra, at lightning speed; in the process the seeker experiences electric-like currents in the body. The fire of yoga then begins to blaze spontaneously within the seeker, purifying him at all levels and paving the way for his evolution to the highest level of consciousness. As the seeker's awareness gets stabilised in the upper spaces of sahasrara, the crown chakra, in deep meditation, he begins to listen to the celestial music that fills him with rapture.
Finally , the seeker is blessed by the beatific vision when, to his utter amazement, he sees a tiny blue pearl within the sahasrara that begins to expand infinitely , encompassing the entire universe. His ego then gets completely dissolved in the Divine Effulgence and all his past karmas are burnt in the fire of Atma-jnana, Self-knowledge.Realisation then dawns upon the seeker that the entire universe is nothing but a blissful sport of Consciousness.

GLOBAL CITIZEN - Now, Students Face Language Barrier in UK

With the UK government planning to introduce tougher English language tests for non-European Union students, many from India who are looking at UK as a destination for higher studies will be affected. In fact, this new move by the British government is likely to lead to a further fall in the number of Indians going to the UK for higher studies.According to a report in The Sunday Times, UK's Home Office officials recently held a workshop with representatives of universities to discuss the new system to introduce tougher English language standards for foreign students. The tests are, in fact, expected to be tougher than those being used in Australia and America. Top universities in the UK are worried over the hard stand being taken by home secretary Theresa May on limiting the number of international students.
“I think that these restrictions are economically illiterate and will damage the UK's global influence. It will come as a great blow to the UK's universities who have always advocated actually lessening the restrictions.Our university chiefs are already worried at the tarnished reputation and the loss of talent that UK universities and research faculties are suffering as a result of Theresa May's policies regarding international students,“ said UK entrepreneur Karan Bilimoria, who was recently appointed president of the UK Council for International Student Affairs (UKCISA).
He said it was strange that the UK government aims to increase restrictions on international students thereby making it tougher to enter the UK in order to study . “Our economy thrives on building international connections and taking in talent from throughout the world, and the higher education sector plays a key role in this. It is one of Britain's strongest forms of soft power. In other ways, the UK is inviting young international talent, such as through the UK Trade & Investment's Sirius programme, yet tighter rules on student visas run directly contrary to this.“
Earlier this year, the UK government changed rules related to Tier-4 student visas to prevent non-EU foreign students at publicly funded colleges from working and banning such college students from extending their Tier-4 visas in UK. Further, col lege students have also been banned from switching visas to Tiers 2 and Tier 5 in the UK and are now required to apply from outside the country .
“Stricter English language rules will further deter international students from coming here to study.International students will feel unwelcome in this country and the scrapping of the two-year post-study visa has already had very damaging effects. I have long campaigned for international students to be excluded from net migration figures and that the government should make more exceptions to allow international students to remain in the country , but we have not seen this happen,“ Bilimoria added.
The new rules are also causing concern among some sections within the government as the number of Indian students is falling every year. Last year, there were 12,000 student visas granted to Indians by the UK High Commission.
“Stricter student visa rules are potentially damaging, given that international students contribute massively to the system and financially prop up most universities. The UK needs to have a system in place where the brightest and best international students can come and flourish,“ said Navinder Kalsi, director of UK-based consultancy GB Immigration.
There are fears among educationists and experts that for many students from India, UK is becoming an unviable option to study with other countries such as Canada and Australia becoming more attractive.
“Indian students make up the second-largest portion of international students in the UK and the decreasing numbers represent a huge loss to UK universities, who rely on foreign talent that benefits UK universities in so many ways. The UK has extensive ties with India ­ we have India's largest share of foreign direct investment ­ and we want future generations of Indians to partner with the UK,“ said Bilimoria.

Source: Economic Times, 19-10-2015

Love and Detachment

SEEMA BURMAN





Burdened with attachment towards his relatives, Arjuna was reluctant to wage war.Krishna tells him that a man who has become free from attachment, fear and anger is a man of wisdom; that true freedom lies in not doing what the mind craves for, because the mind makes us its slave. Once the mind desires something, it is stored up as vasanas and these vasanas get fulfilled one day , even if it means taking many births to fulfil it, but there is no surety that after fulfilment its outcome will bring happiness.Through life, we believe ourselves to be the body and refuse to rise above it. As for the mind, it gets used to expecting rewards. As a baby , we laugh and play with everyone. But as we grow older, we expect a smile to be returned. Once the mind learns to work without expectations, it gets filled with purity and becomes free. Each of us is a free, detached, realised soul, the only hindrance being attachment to the body .
Explaining the true meaning of Krishna's detachment, Swami Ranganathananda says that the capacity to detach oneself from the sensory system is present in humans alone. Such people are able to love all. Love truly flows from within, with true detachment. The mind is the only instrument with which we can deal with the world or spiritual life.
So, the mind must be kept pure, fresh and strong. One can develop tremendous detachment and yet have concern for the welfare and happiness of all -not the kind of detachment that makes us apathetic and unconcerned.

Economic and Political Weekly: Table of Contents

When Silence Is Not an Option

Vol - L No. 42, October 17, 2015 

• Editorials

The "award wapsi" reminds us of the place of literature in society.

• Read more
• 0 Comments

Competition to Sell Medicines

Vol - L No. 42, October 17, 2015 

• Editorials

The battle between chemists and online pharmacies must be decisively resolved.

• Read more
• 0 Comments

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20% MP funds for education, proposes NEP draft

As per the draft of the National Education Policy (NEP), being drawn up by the Human Resource Development ministry, MPs will be asked to contribute 20% of their funds to education. The draft envisages a separate and permanent cadre for education along the lines of administrative, revenue, foreign and police services.

The other key components of the policy will be social services and spirituality. In addition, educational institutions could be asked to adopt villages and participate in social upliftment, and the National Council for Teacher Education could be asked to make BEd a five-year programme.

With the consultation process in its final stage, the government has started the drafting process.

Academicians has been demanding from a long time, to set up a separate cadre for teaching, that is to take education out from the hands of bureaucracy. The report on education commission of 1964-65 by DS Kothari had recommended setting up of a separate cadre for education along the lines of IAS and IRS.

The HRD ministry is also considering the option of setting up an independent commission for education along the lines of the Election Commission of India. The ministry is vetting the report of Hari Gautam Committee that has recommended replacing the UGC with the National Higher Education Authority.

Source: Elets News Network (ENN) Posted on October 17, 2015 

Ideas Over Methods

Deaton knows the importance of both theory and data in solving social problems.

As a first-year graduate student, confused about potential research fields, I had a conversation with Angus Deaton. He patiently explained to me his passion for solving puzzles. “You can do theory, or finance, or development, as long as the questions attract you. I would try to look at it as solving puzzles, if they interest you, and you want to find answers to them, research is fun.” This is how I started my research statement for the academic job market last year. After writing it, I realised it might be improper to use a private conversation for a job application. I emailed Deaton, asking for his permission. He replied quickly, “Yes of course, I’d be delighted and humbled.” When I heard that Deaton had won the Nobel Prize in Economics, I was not surprised in the least — it was long overdue. Deaton is one of those truly exceptional scholars who are purely excited by questions. He has worked on a breadth of topics — the theory of income and consumption, poverty, inequality, measurement of relative prices, health, foreign aid and more. In the 1970s and ’80s, economics as a discipline was grappling with drawing connections between the micro and the macro. How do small economic decisions made by an individual aggregate into the macro economy? How should we measure these small decisions? How should we estimate economically meaningful variables from observed data? How to break down big issues of development into manageable and actionable economic problems? Deaton has made an indelible impact in his quest for answers. The Nobel committee classified his contributions into three categories, of which the most important, in my opinion, is his research on consumption and poverty. His work on measurement through consumption rather than income, through surveys rather than aggregates, through tracking cohorts rather than individual households, laid the foundations of modern development economics. A common thread in all of Deaton’s work is an appreciation for both theory and data, and the importance of their coexistence in confronting social problems. The Nobel committee called it a “desire to build bridges between theory and data”. Never one to shy away from learning new techniques, his strong emphasis on putting ideas over methods has led him to become a vociferous critic of trends in applied microeconomics, and especially development. These are masterfully expressed in his article, “Instruments, Randomisation, and Learning about Development”. Prominent among them is his persistent critique of the so-called RCT (randomised control trials) revolution. To the best of my knowledge, Deaton has never criticised the use of RCTs as one important possible tool in the arsenal of development economists, but has little patience for it being treated as a gold standard and the solution to understanding economic problems in developing countries. The overemphasis on recognising simple causal patterns at the cost of neglecting theoretical building blocks in understanding the underlying mechanisms, the pitfalls of treating “approximately random” as actually random, limits on external validity, and channelling precious resources on the basis of methods rather than questions are some of his potent critiques. Much of his work on development — healthcare and health service delivery, measuring prices and poverty, and food and nutrition — has been focused on India. In his work with Jean Dréze, he brought into notice the crises of nutrition in India, which came to be recognised the calorie consumption puzzle: Why, despite growth in income at every percentile, had the composition of food intake, especially amongst children in poor families, deteriorated? Deaton has been a great ambassador for the profession — with a welcome touch of Scottish elegance. Even with his large frame, he is proudly dressed in a suit to work, with the signature bowtie and, sometimes, red socks. The writer is currently assistant professor of economics at Pennsylvania State University 

Source: Indian Express, 19-10-2015

Aesthetic Science Is To Receive & Give Joy

Shri Shri Anandamurti





Nandana vijiana or aesthetic science proceeds along the sys taltic or pulsating wave movements of trough and crest. The quintessence of aesthetic science is to get joy and give joy . When the wavy movement at a certain stage of its progress is turned into linear movement, that is no longer aesthetic science, it becomes converted into supra-aesthetic science.What is this supra-aesthetic science known as mohana vijiana?
We are attracted to the lofty peaks of the Himalayas. But it is impossible for us to attract the Himalayas, because they are static, not mobile, whereas human beings are dynamic. That's why humanity reaches out to the Himalayas: People want to attract the mountains to themselves, but since this is impossible, they rush to the Himalayas.How do multitudes of microcosms evolve? They evolve because Parama Purusha loves them, and the force of His intense love draws them towards Himself.If someone says, “No, I won't go“, that will not do. One will have to go, there is no other option. In supra-aesthetics, Parama Purusha has been ever-attracting all towards Himself. The difference between aesthetics and supra-aesthetics is vast indeed. All entities of the universe are mutually attracting all other entities. But Parama Purusha is attracting all entities by dint of His love for all, by dint of His personal relationship with all. Micro cosms, no doubt, have the power of attraction, but their attrac tion is not as irresistible as the supra-aesthetic attraction. Unit beings try to attract, but their power of attraction is not all: pervasive. This is the crux of supra-aesthetic science., How does the Supreme attract jivas? Through inferences. Microcosms are acquainted with the world through these inferences (of sound, touch form, taste and smell). As far as your relationship with Parama Purusha is concerned, that inferential realisation or inferential bondage is not of the physical world, it is of the ectoplasmic world (of mind-stuff). When we look at the external world we stand and stare and simply marvel at the beautiful, divine manifestations. Similarly in our minds we can also enjoy beautiful, divine expressions ­ the inferential bliss that emanates from Parama Purusha.
Tanmatras emanate from both worlds, but physical tanmatras emanate from the physical world, not the psychic world. The smell that emanates from crude objects when they are pulverised is crude. Depen ding upon the degree of subt lety or crudity , we can dis tinguish between sweet-scented and foul-smelling things. The the smell, the sweeter it is. subtler the smell, the sweeter it is.
And when this sweet smell is there but we fail to locate the physical source of its emanation, that smell is called surabhi (aroma). The source of its emanation is beyond the range of sense organs. Whenever a person is deeply absorbed in the thought of Parama Purusha, he experiences this aroma.
When the aspirant enjoys this ectoplasmic aroma due to a good deal of mental concentration, he gets the same sort of aroma in the external world as well. Divinity draws the microcosms through waves of aroma. Your mind gives up all other objects and rushes headlong towards the Supreme. The aspirant deeply enjoys the blissful aroma and exclaims, “How sweet, how blissful this aroma is! But where does it come from? I can't locate its source.“ This is how the Supreme of supra-aesthetics is drawing you to Himself, through the inference of aroma.You too are running towards Him.