Japa Yajna continued - 2 Swami Govinddev Giri Maharaj

Continuing from previous Japa Yoga 1...

The Sweetness of Joy in Chanting The Name 

This one more thing we should pay attention to, that is, our tongue is unique in that it is both an organ of action and it is also a sense organ of perception/knowledge. Another name for the tongue is रसना - which has the meaning of 'relishing', 'joy', 'tongue'. Therefore when you take the  name, then remember the Lord (who is the object the name) with love. 'तत् जप तत् अर्थ भावनम्' - I take the name of Shri Rama, then it's meaning is that, I invoke the attitude connected to the meaning of Shri Rama. Along with the attitude associated with the meaning of Shri Ram, joy  arises, love  arises.

Whenever one peacefully chants the name, with each chant of the name, love for Lord Rama arises. And I think about the name or the one who is named. As I think about any one divine quality associated with the name, and there arises great love in me, then in time, the experience will be that as you chant the name more and more, you will relish the chanting and with joy you will chant (do bhajan). A meaning for भजन is भजनं नाम रसनम्. As long as this joy does not arise, this love does not arise, till then devotion is absent. Therefore let every chant of the name be along with emotion.

When I chant the name with love for a period time, it is possible that, today my mind may not be fully attentive. May be tomorrow my mind may be more attentive.  Tomorrow, there may less distraction than today. In this way, when I start to sit down on a mat and continue to do japa daily, it will be greatly beneficial, if I sit for japa, at the same time daily. If the place where I sit for japa and the time at which I sit for japa, remain the same daily, then you will find that a time will come when your thoughts will automatically go towards your japa at that time.

Choose any one place for your japa. Choose a time. For example everyday in the morning at 8 o'clock I will sit down on my mat and from 8 to 9 I will not get up from the mat. Even if this much we maintain as a rule for the body, then in a few days, our thoughts will automatically go towards remembrance of the Lord at 8 o'clock. The scriptures have revealed that the best time for namajapa and along with it for the joy to arise is pre-dawn - when the sun has not yet risen, but night is over. Even if bathing is not done, do not forgo this time. Sit during this time.

 Chanting of Name is Yoga

In this manner, sitting straight on a mat, we can continue a little practice of chanting the name loudly, and after some time mentally chanting  with love with image or statue of the Lord in front of us. As our eyes open, our attention is drawn to the Lord's form. At that time, hear no other sound, and at that time do not busy yourself with any other work.

Doing a little sadhana,like this, the mind turns extremely inward and thus with the use of a repeated word or words (Lord's name) I can become free of the verbal chattering in the mind. If verbal chatter (many words) are to be dissolved from my mind, then I can use one word, and eventually that one word also merges in the emotion it invokes. When that word merges into it's emotion, then one enters the state of mind called 'pashyanti' and the inner journey begins ...the mind imbued with Lord's form,  the mind imbued with Lord's symbol, and finally the mind imbued with the sound vibration of the Lord. In this way, there is an inner journey which culminates in a profound silence, after which the chanting of the name emerges from there. When name moves from different states of speech called as vaikhari, madhyama, pashyanti and finally para, and then again returns in reverse order and emerges, then it carries with it such great power, that it can influence anybody.

The day before yesterday, I talked about Swami Samarth Ramdas. What did all the siddhis do? Through the process of God rememberence, they reached the state of para, and then emerged from the state of speech called Para and when it reached vaikhari ( the physical aspect of speech), then that name of the Lord was not just a name. At the time of going within in the inner journey, it was just ordinary name. However having reached Para, when it returned and emerged out of the mouth, it was imbued with great power, it became extrordinary.

In this context, you will see that the child devotee Dhruv, reached a  profound state while doing japa, in which his speech was completely silent. His speech had merged inside. After that his speech was awakened by the Lord. The power of speech that was awakened by the Lord, was unique. It was divine. This is like being reborn in the same body. Christ had also said 'Ye  must be reborn again'. When this kind of rebirth from inside takes place, that is the real success.

Therefore an inner transformation is required, which is what Sri Krishnamurty calls as a mutation. An inner change, a total change. Our saints stand a witness to this.  मीच मज व्यालो पोटा आपु लीया आलो। Sant Tukaram Maharaj says ' oh! I have been reborn! A new birth has happened. Now I am not that. I have undergone a total change'. After that his whole life was a divine one. Beginning with the process of yajna, how our body, vital energy, mind is purified is also important. महायज्ञैश्च यज्ञैश्च ब्राह्मीयं क्रियते तनुः। Japa yoga can be used for purification and stability at the level of body, vital energy, mind, intellect, ego. This is a simple yet unique process for divinizing one's life. Therefore, while performing any other kind of yajna, we must always practice japa yajna. Through all these yajnas, may our life become divinized, may our life belong to the Lord, and be given to service and through that, may there be constant rememberance of God. May we be totally fulfilled and help others to be fulfilled. This is success in life.  May our feet progress in that direction through the grace of Sant Jnaneshwar.
श्रीकृष्णार्पणमस्तु

Translated from Yajnamaya Jivan

The translation does not do full justice to the original. Please pardon.

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Japa Yajna - 1 Swami Govinddev Giri Maharaj

We saw different types of yajna. Even though all of these are excellent, still for an ordinary person who may not be able to do all this, or who is not able to take recourse to any of these processes, what kind of yajna can that person do in their life? Which is the yajna which can be done, by which anyone who participates in it, can make their life fruitful. Lord Krishna has said the most excellent yajna is यज्ञानां जप यज्ञोस्मि -  amongst all the yajnas, the most excellent is japa yajna.

Look, earlier the Lord had talked about such great yajnas, such excellent yajnas, and the best among them was told by the Lord as
 'My glory, O Arjuna, is japa yajna'. The Lord has given lot of importance to japa. In just half a sloka the Lord has placed japa in an exalted position. Why? Why has the Lord given such importance to Japa amongst all the yajnas? Bhagavan Shankaracharya has given the reason as सर्वसुलभत्वात् - being the easiest. Because it is easy for everybody. Anybody can do japa and very quickly japa purifies the mind. The Lord did not use just the word japa, he used the word japa yajna. We all do japa. We sit down and use our japa beads and while turning the japa beads we look to to managing the house. While turning the japamala we are alert to ask if the milkman came or not!  The japamala is going on and at the same time we ask did you give yes to the guests!

Keep taking the Lord's name even while moving around. It will bless you. Remembrance of the Lord's name is exalted and the Lord continues to bestow auspiciousness on all jivas. Taking the Lord's name in anyway, is always useful - it destroys papa and begets punya. All this is absolutely true. Even though this is all true,  I personally feel that we have oversimplified this sadhana.

In Japa Yajna rules are applicable

It is fine, that whenever you can you should take the Lord's name. While cooking  you take the Lord's name and if you forget it is not remembered and you continue with your work. When Lord's name is taken in this way, it is japa alright but it is not japa yajna. This cannot be called as japa yajna.

I had said that wherever yajna is there,  there bhavana (emotion)  is necessary and together with that certain discipline is also necessary. There is discipline in yajna. Therefore when we sit down to perform a yajna then how many ahutis (offering in a fire ritual) are to be offered, with what materials are these offerings to be done, which mantra is to be used for making the offering - all these matters are pre-decided and one cannot make any changes in them. In the same way when we want to to give japa the nature of a japa yajna, then our performance of the japa should necessarily follow certain rules. We will have to bring in certain discipline and when we begin our japa, with certain discipline then our japa yajna will certainly prove to be the most exalted yajna in our life.

Japa is a unique sadhana. Since all our saints, our acharyas, and even the Lord, have given so much importance to japa, we will definitely have to seriously analyse the process of japa. All all other sadhanas, other yajnas are mostly externally oriented sadhanas. They are performed using external materials, external instruments. They require special performance, special situations. Whereas japa is a sadhana, for which no external material is required. We do use a mala (prayer beads) however the mala is not essential. The Lord has declared this most simple japa yajna as his vibhuti, his glory. A serious analysis of this will be very useful.

What is japa? Bhagavan Patanjali has also described japa amongst the sadhanas he has discussed. While talking about the Lord he said :-
तस्य वावकः प्रणवः।
तज्जपस्तदर्थभावनम्। 

Om is the name of the Lord and one should do japa of that. How to do japa? He says do it with understanding of the meaning. This is applicable to japa of Lord's name as well as to japa of any mantra. You can take up japa of mantras, or japa of the Lord's name.However, japa of the Lord's name is given greater importance. Our scriptures have described very beautifully, what happens, when we consistently and regularly sit down and begin japa. They have described the processes that take place, and what are their uses.

Our main issue is antahkarana shuddhi (purity of mind)  and antahkarana ekagrata ( capacity to focus the mind). If really one purifies one's mind, and with focussed mind one is to reach the absolute truth, then how japa alone, is the very important sadhana, can be understood by you.

The Nature Of The Mind

What is the nature of the mind, that one desires to purify and develop focus. What is the mind? Because of the limitation of language, we entertain an errorenous idea that mind is some kind of a physical structure or bag  in which thoughts come in or go out. We say things like, ' such and such thought came in my mind', and 'such and such thought went from my mind'. When we think in this manner, then we think that the mind is some kind of physical structure/ bag and thoughts come and go from that structure. In reality the mind's nature is not like that.

What is the nature of the mind? When we say that thought came in the mind or a thought went from the mind then we think  thought and the mind are two different things. We appear to differentiate between them.

In reality our mind is of the nature of thoughts. Thought is the very svarupa of the mind.  The nature of the mind is waves of thought. This constant flow of thoughts is the very nature of the mind. We should understand this.

There was the mother-in-law who once told her daughter-in-law that I will send you some cabbage from the market. Please make vegetable out of it today. So the mother mother-in-law, went to the market bought a cabbage and got it sent to the daughter-in-law. She went away to do some other work. When the mother-in-law came back she was thinking to herself that I will have really good good vegetable made of cabbage today. Now the daughter-in-law had never worked in her mother's house. And she had to cook this cabbage vegetable. When the mother-in-law came back and asked her that 'is the cabbage ready?' The daughter-in-law answered 'how to make it? You didn't see and send me a good cabbage'. The mother-in-law said 'I had definitely looked and chose a good cabbage and sent it to you'. The daughter-in-law said 'I kept removing the leaves of that cabbage. I removed one leaf, then I removed the other leaf and I kept removing the leaves and I could not find any anything inside with which to cook! There was nothing inside to cook. What kind of cabbage did you send me?' The mother-in -law put her hand on her head and thought to herself that these educated daughters-in-law, they don't know that it is the leaves which are the cabbage,  you don't have to find the cabbage!' The leaves of the cabbage are what is called as cabbage. In the same way you don't find the mind by removing all the thoughts. Thoughts are the mind. संकल्प विकल्पत्मकं मनः - these thoughts of the nature of sankalpa and vikalpa are verily the nature of the mind. And the basis for those thoughts as they arise, are words.

The Sadhana of Japa

Bhagavan Patanjali says that use one word to remove the chaos of words (occurring in the mind). तत् प्रतिषेधार्थम् एकतत्त्वाभ्यासः। If you want to to remove many words then take the support of one word. With the support of that one word all the other words which are there in the antahkarana will be able to subside.

Therefore what is that one word whose support we can take? Naturally, it is the auspicious name of the Lord -whichever name of the Lord which is pleasing to you, or better still the name of the Lord given to you by your sadguru. When we sit down to chant the Lord's name received from our Guru or any name of the Lord which is pleasing to us,  we find that numerous thoughts come into our mind. Sometimes we experience that we get more thoughts when we sit for japa, than at any other time. However this is not the reality. Thoughts flow continuously. However it is only when we sit for japa that we notice how many thoughts are coming in the mind. It is because of this that we think that only at time of iapa so many thoughts seem to come in the mind.

It is not so. Thoughts always flow continuously and it is only when we sit for japa that our attention goes specially towards the flowing thoughts.

Thoughts will keep coming in the mind. Let them come. But when if we sit down for japa everyday and do a certain number of japa daily, and other thoughts keep coming, and we are not able to to stop them, it is okay -  it does not matter. One thing you will certainly notice is that the thoughts which were coming were all different but my japa mantra is only one. So understand this that when I  sat for half an hour to do japa, and in that half an hour many different thoughts were there,  but my mantra japa was only one. In half an hour you would have repeated your mantra a thousand times and in those thousand repetitions your attention would have been on your mantra japa say around hundred times. The rest of the time your attention was distracted - it was all over the place even though your tongue kept repeating the mantra japa. Even then it's a very big thing that it at least a hundred times one thought alone took place in your mind. The thoughts which are coming are different different thoughts, however one thought was only the thought of the Lord's name.

If we follow this process with a little care then today a hundred times we paid attention to the name, yet it is possible that tomorrow or after a week or after a month it will become a hundred and fifty times or two hundred times. It is definite that this number will keep increasing. However for that to happen it is necessary that we sit down and do japa.

People who complain that our mind does not take to japa are people who don't sit quietly taking the prayer beads in their hand. If they don't take the prayer beads in the hand it is ok. But how many times did they sit quietly and repeat their mantra loudly? It is important to repeat the name loudly at first. This is called as vaikhari.

The meaning of repeating the name by vaikhari, is that one repeats using one's tongue. Our speech can be  classified into 4 types. Vaikhari, madhyama, pashyanti and paraa. If we want to start our inner journey, then first of all it is important that the Lord's name should remain on our tongue always and we should take care of this. There should be a practice of taking the name by the tongue. When through the tongue the practice of taking Lord's name is there for a period of time, then though the mind will not be focused totally,  still most of the time it would remain with the Lord's name. Now slowly the name should move from loud chanting, in which the tongue is used,  to a state in which the lips are closed but the tongue is still being used to utter the Lord's name.  In the third stage of japa, more subtle than the previous, when both the lips are closed and tongue is not being used, and the name is being uttered only in the mind. These are called as vachika, upamshu and manasika japa respectively. In this way, taking the support of the Lord's name, we can start our inner journey.
To be continued ....

Translated from Hindi Booklet 'Yajnamaya Jivan'

Puja is also a yajna- Pujya Swami Govind Dev Giri

Press Link for original in Hindi
देव पूजन् भी यज्ञ है। Pujya Swami Govind Dev Giri

Translation ( pardon any mistakes)
When these five objects (sound, sensation/touch, form, taste, smell) are not enjoyed by myself, but are offered to the Lord, then automatically it becomes a yajna. Looked at from this vision, we find that out daily puja is also a yajna.

In our worship to Lord, we use words. We praise the Lord.The beutiful deity is in front of us. I sing a beutiful stotra. The beutiful stotra that is sung, certainly gives my mind joy. However, I do not sing for the purpose of making my mind happy. I sings so as to please the Lord. I light the best incense sticks. It is true that the fragrance from the incense reaches me. I am also pleased by that fragrance. However, that incense stick was not lighted for me.

If the incense stick was lighted for the sake of the Lord, if I bought the best fragrant materials, and used it for abhishek of the Lord, if I cooked tasty sweets, but they were not cooked for me, but were cooked for the Lord, then all those actions were nothing but yajna.

In this manner, here we have excellence in taste also, words also, touch also. All these, sound, touch, colour and form, taste, smell are meant for the Lord.

I bought beutiful clothes, but I bought them for the Lord. I bought beutiful ornaments, but I bought it for the Lord. Supposing I go somewhere outstation, and I buy things for myself, but I also buy something for the Lord.  In this case my daily worship also becomes a yajna.  I use the best of everything, of words, touch, form, taste, fragrance - however before I use them, I first use them for my Lord, my Thakurji - then my worship of Lord also becomes a yajna. In this case, all objects are used, but I am not primary here.

Wonderful sweets are made even in parties. The sweets being offered to the Lord are the same as those made for the parties. Yet there is a difference in the attitude behind their use. Two or three points are relevant here. The first is that, since I intend to offer it to the Lord, I take care of the cleanliness and purity of the items and the during process of making them. So the attitude of sanctity will be there. The other attitude is that these are not for me, they are for the Lord. This is not for me, this is for someone else - this is  the main attitude in a yajna.

In the yajna of a fire ritual,when an offering is made into the fire, after that the priest says ' इन्द्राय इदं न मम, अग्नये इदं न मम'. 'This is for Agni, not for me. This is for Surya, not for me. This is for Indra, not for me.

 'It is not mine, it is not for me' - when any offering is made with this attitude of sacrifice keeping the Lord in mind, when this attitude is awakened, then all the actions done by us, become of the nature of yajna. That is why, our daily worship is called as a yajna.

Our daily puja is also a yajna, as long as we follow certain rules pertaining to yajna. They are purity in conduct, purity of items used, purity in my own life, purity of the body, and reverential faith while offering all puja items to the Lord. And understanding that after offering to the Lord, those items do not belong to me.

I can partake of the food and other items offered to the Lord, in a limited measure. Partaking of prasada in a limited measure is permitted by the shastras. However I have no right over anything left over after that.

The attitude इदं न मम - 'this is not mine' needs to come into our daily life. All the objects of the five organs of perception, when they are used for the Lord, for the worship of the Lord, that puja is also a yajna. Therefore the word 'yajna', can also have the meaning of our daily puja.

'यजेत पुरुषं परम्' - by this injunction, the meaning of yajna is not restricted only to a fire ritual. The puja done by me is also a yajna. The word yajna is used to indicate puja also.  Lord Krishna says 'शब्दादीन् विषयान् अन्ये इन्द्रियाग्निषु जुह्वति' - these five sense object reach upto our senses. May my sense-organs be of the nature of fire. Whatever is put in fire, is destroyed. Within  is the mind, outer to the mind are the sense organs. And outer to the sense organs are their objects. The sense organs no doubt experienced the objects, however if the mind did not take them in with the  thought of enjoyment in them, then this process becomes a yajna.

I use my art for the sake of achieving something excellent.  I may have earned some wealth by displaying my art, this becomes my profession. However, through the medium of my art, I am able to achieve something big, for society, then that is also a yajna. I don't want anything from that for myself personally, but I make the effort to contribute something stable at a societal, cultural, ethical, humanitarian level, that also is a yajna.

Om That Sat

Base your priorities on oneness of Atma and Brahman - Swami Viditatmananda Saraswati

This mahavakya, ayam Atma Brahma, appears in the second mantra of the Mandukya Upanishad. This identity, this oneness, should really be our ideal, and all of our priorities and values should be based on this vision. Inasmuch as you and I are the same, what is common within us should become the basis of their interaction, rather than what divides. There are many things that separate us, but there is also something that is common.

What is identical in everyone should, as much as possible, form the basis of our vyavahara, interaction with others. This vision of oneness is the basis of karma Yoga. If I were really a limited individual, then being a consumer would be justified. Being a contributor is based on the fact that yours is not different from my self. When I am contributing to you, I am contributing to myself. That is the ideal behind being a contributor.

This unity in diversity forms the basis of the Vedic culture and values. All values are taught based on this identity. The value of non-violence is based on this identity, because nonviolence is treating others as I treat myself. That is the ideal of non- violence. Treat others as you treat yourself, meaning that the self of the others is not different from your own self. You start with aligning your behaviour with values such as non-violence, based on this recognition of our inherent identity. This recognition ultimately grows into the recognition of the fundamental identity as expressed in ayam Atma Brahma.

Om Tat Sat

Are you a drop in the ocean of consciousness, or are you limitless consciousness?

ॐ गं गणपतये नमः।

How subtle is the knowledge of oneself! It is all about recognizing the nature of reality.

Having accepted that you are consciousness distinct from the body-mind-sense complex, you could still imagine you are a tiny drop in the ocean of consciousness, if your identification is with the body...it is like the space within a room identifying with the room and saying I am the size of the room. When we think like this, it means in our understanding, there are two things of the same reality ie space and the room. So the room  confines the space and the space is only room-space.

So too you might imagine that you are consciousness alright, yet you are only a drop of the ocean of consciousness called Ishvara,   confined by, limited by the body-mind complex.

Advaita however points out that, you are the all-pervading Consciousness, totally limitless.How can this be so?

By proper atma-anatma viveka, you recognize that you are self-revealing, self-evident consciousness distinct from the body-mind complex. The consciousness that you are is not a part, property, product of the body-mind complex. It is independent of the body-mind complex, it pervades and empowers the body-mind complex. It survives the fall of the body-mind complex. It is not available for transaction without the body-mind complex.

At this point, if you think there are two entities of the same order of reality, Atma and anatma, consciousness and body-mind complex, then naturally you would think that you are a drop in the ocean of consciousness, quite distinct from other drops!

So at this point we need to question if consciousness and the body-mind complex are the same order of reality?

The body-mind complex is made up of different part, intelligently put together to be able to perform it's functions. Skin, bone, blood, fat, muscles, nerves, ligaments, tendons, vital organs, hormones etc are different constituents of the body. Not only is each constituent dependent on something else, the body as a whole is dependent on it's individual constituents, as well as on factors external to it. The body is also changing. And above all it is dependent on consciousness to even be recognized. So all-in-all the body is a dependent changing entity.

So the first point to note about the body is that it is a dependent changing entity. The body is limited by time, space and object.

What about consciousness? Sruti is pramanam for the nature of consciousness. Consciousness is not an object of knowledge - it is the very subject, the self. So consciousness cannot be objectified like the body. It is totally independent - it does not depend on anything else. It is not limited by time, space or object. Consciousness never changes, nor is it divisible. It is a partless whole.

In fact we can say, the body-mind is in consciousness. Is it like a log of wood, in the ocean ...meaning is the body-mind complex different from consciousness?

Here is where we find that the body-mind complex is nothing but a form of the principle of existence (सत्). We should understand this  very well.

Body is.
Skin is.
Bone is
Ligament is
and so on....meaning body exists, each constituent of the body exists.

Now if we take any one constituent, say skin ... skin is
Skin is made of several types of cells.
Each type of cell is.
The cells are made of their individual components. Each component is.

In this way we keep looking for what is common to each of the components...we find the irreducible common denominator is the principle of existence or isness of everything. The isness does not vary ...just its form varies. Isness in the form of each constituent of a cell, isness in form of a cell, isness in form of each constituent of the skin, ....isness in form of bone, ligament, tendon, muscle, vital organs, hormones etc , isness in form of the body.

Isness does not change. The form of isness appears to change.

So now do we have two entities - Isness (सत्) and Consciousness ( चित्)?

When you say 'I am', undeniably you are a conscious entity - so you can say Consciousness is ... because 'am' is first person singular of 'is'. This consciousness that you are, is, the isness. They are not different. चित् is सत्. सत् is चित्.

So now is the body-mind seperate from you consciousness? It is not ...it is merely a form of consciousness having a name called body?

There is just one limitless Consciousness appearing as the knower of the body, the body, as well as the knowing.The perceiver, the perceived, the perception are all just like waves in the ocean of consciousness. From the standpoint of the wave (a limited standpoint) it would appear like consciousness is confined by the wave. From the standpoint of consciousness, there is only one limitless consciousness ...there is no wave standing as a seperate entity to limit it.

So are you a drop of consciousness in the vast ocean of consciousness, or are you the limitless consciousness?

Om Tat Sat

Give Less Importance To What Is Incidental- Swami Viditatmanandaji

Everything in the universe has an incidental and an essential. Our value should be to give less and less importance to what is incidental and give more and more importance to what is essential. We can do this when we interact with people.

I am frequently asked, but 'Swamiji what will happen if I do this with my business competitors? Should I look upon them as the same?' You may not be able to do that. But at least with your family members and friends, see what is common. Don't create differences with them. Relate to what is essential.

Everybody is different, everyone is unique. The more importance we give to uniqueness and the more separateness there is from one thing to the other, the greater the likelihood of likes and dislikes. One particular person or thing I may like and some other person or thing I am likely to not like. The more importance is given to the distinctions or separating characteristics, the more likes and dislikes or attachments and aversions there will be. That is what creates desires and conflicts.

That is what is called as samsara- desires affections, actions, appointments, disappointments, further desires, further reactions, further disappointments and further desires, with concerns all the time about whether I will get what I want. All these concerns are samsara. Any samsara is a result of giving reality to what distinguishes rather than giving reality to what unites, giving importance to the incidental rather than to the essential.

Today, what is given importance is what distinguishes one from the other. My hair style must be different from others. My clothes must be distinct from others. There is always an emphasis on distinguishing myself from others; somehow that seems to be the mark of success. In fact, that is what creates separateness, isolation.

It is true that everyone is unique and everyone is different, and therefore you cannot coalesce or merge into one. There is no need. There is no need to melt down the ornaments for us to appreciate them as gold. Ornaments can remain ornaments and we can still appreciate them as gold by recognising that the form and design are incidental. The gold is essential, inherent; whereas the form, the name, and the use are incidental.

The incidental is not real because it is subject to change. You can change an ornament. If you melt it and give it a different design and shape, then its name and form changes, its use changes. What was formerly a bangle may now be a ring or several rings or a necklace or an anklet. That incidental part is subject to change. How much importance should we give to that? Importance should be given to what is essential. In an ornament, the gold is essential. Its form, its design, and its name are all incidental.

We need to completely transform our perception. If the world is Ishwara, if it is a Brahman, then it is reverential and it is to be worshipped. If it is merely names and forms, merely an inert world, then it is an object of my pleasure. Do I look up on the world as an object of my pleasure, or do I look up on the world as a field of my worship? Lord Krishna teachs karma Yoga. Karma Yoga is performing karma, duty, in the spirit of worship. Lord Krishna says, यतः प्रवृत्तिः भूतानां येन सर्वम् इदम् ततम, the one from whom the beings were created, who pervades everything" that is Brahman or Ishwara.  स्वकर्मणा तमभ्यर्च्य सिद्धिम् विन्दति मानवः, worshiping him by one's own duty, a person attains perfection." Worshipping Ishwara by our karma, our duties, our day to day activities, one attains perfection.Therefore first what is required is a complete shift in perception. The world is not a place to extract gratification; it is the place to offer worship.

if you have been accustomed to extracting joy from objects, you might wonder where gratification will come from if you make the shift. Lord Krishna says that the act of offering, the act of worship itself will give you that joy. In fact, it gives much more lasting Joy. The joy that comes by extracting pleasure from objects is a binding Joy, only a momentary joy. On the other hand, the joy and satisfaction that you gain by worshipping, by contributing, is a lasting joy, a freeing joy, a healing joy.

serving is an excellent way to heal our pain and wounds. Serve, and in doing so we tap into our own goodness. In the course of time, any hut, guilt, and womens are purified from the mind; the all evaporate. In this way, the life of yoga- life of worship in the form of offering action is a very healing process. The act of giving or offering, even when a small thing is given or offered, is very conducive to the sense of dignity, self-esteem, and self satisfaction.

By this process of transforming our perception of the world and performing action with the attitude of worship, सिद्धिं विन्दति मानवः a person gains purification. traditionally, worship is confined to an altar of worship, with a particular ritual or image of God. Lord Krishna makes worship more general; the whole world is made the altar. As a Ramana Maharshi says जगत ईशधि युक्त सेवनम् serving the world with the attitude that it is Ishwara is worshipping Ishwara.

Excerpted from Mandukya Upanishad book. 

Insight into the unreality of the sense of individuality

The sense of reality in the sense of individuality - that I am different from everything else, that I am a unique  body-mind-sense complex having my own history, is error. We can say it  is an error, when there is recognition that in reality I am self-evident, boundless consciousness, that is free of all individuality. If there is recognition of this fact, then and only then one is free enough to sport a benign (almost divine) individuality, through the medium of the body-mind-sense complex.

Om Tat Sat