RAPAMYCIN - DELAYS AGING
. Kaeberlein is investigating whether rapamycin, a drug used to prevent organ rejection, can increase the life span of dogs and decrease their incidence of age-related disease. One reason he chose to study pets is because they live with people, sharing the same environment.
A
Walt Crompton, a retired biomedical engineer in Silicon Valley, is 69 years old. He has ample white hair, a white goatee, and a dark vision of growing older. “I’m at the age where I’m swirling around faster and faster at the bottom of the toilet,” he says. “You look around, more and more of your peers are dying, getting horrible diseases. You have little aches and pains, all of a sudden your knee hurts when you run, and blah, blah, blah. If it’s not one thing, it’s another.”
a
Humans evolved to be active, so a sedentary senior lifestyle is risky, but even modest exercise can improve physical and mental health.
A
“Don’t eat too much,” says Grazia Cosmano, 102, and stick to fruits and vegetables. “Keep it as simple as possible.” That’s how Cosmano became one of an unusual concentration of centenarians in Italy’s Calabria region, says biochemist Valter Longo of the University of Southern California. Longo, whose parents are from Cosmano’s hometown of Molochio, has known her since childhood. When she turned 100, he added her to his study of Calabria’s centenarians and their diet.#
a
Because the drug can raise the risk of type 2 diabetes, he added two pills: metformin and dehydroepiandrosterone, or DHEA, a hormone that improves blood-sugar regulation. Both are also thought to mitigate the effects of ageing, and they’re commonly used for that purpose. Metformin, which is taken for diabetes by 150 million people worldwide, may reduce the incidence of neurodegenerative diseases and cancer. U.S. researchers are planning a study to see if it prevents or delays major age-related illnesses. But some longevity scientists aren’t waiting: They pop metformin daily.
A
"Distance yourself from things that do not align with your well being, growth, and serenity - without the guilt, shame, or fear of being misunderstood."
-- Morgan Richard Olivier
A
Coffee could reduce the risk of memory loss by up to 70 percent, research suggests.
The study found that drinking three or more cups per day was associated with better memory than just one cup per day.
A
"Mind is consciousness which has put on limitations. You are originally unlimited and perfect. Later you take on limitations and become the mind." - Ramana Maharshi
From a Satsang with Robert Adams
Nobody can help you
When you say, "Well, life still goes on. I've got to meet my bills. I've got to go to the doctor. I've got to do this and I've got to do that." That's blasphemy, that's what you call blasphemy. Not that you're not going to do it, but your body has nothing to do with you. Your body-mind and all of its affiliations, does not even exist.
Even Jay (*in the audience) who thinks he's blowing his nose, that's an illusion. You think, "I've got a cold. I've got an allergy, I've got to go to work tomorrow morning, I've got to wear my clothes." It is this, that keeps you from realization. You'll wear your clothes. You'll go to work. You will do whatever your body came here to do, but don't worry about those things. Do not concern yourself about those things.
The more human you are, the more you will say, "If I don't take care of these things, who will?"
What are you talking about? There is only one I, and that is consciousness.
Try to get it through your thick skull that the powers that be, know how to take care of all your needs and meet them most abundantly. There is something that cares about you, the great mystery. Something loves you, when you get your bloated nothingness out of the way.
As long as you believe that you've got to solve a problem, then you will have to solve a problem. Something will take care of you.
Put first things first.
And the first thing you have to remember is that you are pure awareness. You can tell yourself that. "I am pure awareness." Sure it's the mind that does this, but there is something that grabs hold of the mind and annihilates it as you turn into I am. These are the things that you should think about. I know it sounds strange when I say this, but do not concern yourself with the world. The world was here, with all of its destructive mechanisms, before you came upon the scene. It will be here after you leave.
People who do not understand Jnana Marga, Advaita Vedanta. They say it's your duty to help others, to make this a better world in which to live. But they do not understand that if you awaken and you become liberated, you become others. You are others.
There's no one to help.
This doesn't mean again that you will do nothing. Your body will appear to be helping, to do all kinds of things. But the truth is, when you help yourself, you help others. And when you help others, you help yourself.
It's all one.
A
Freewill and destiny are ever existent
Destiny is the result of past action; it concerns the body. Let the body act as may suit it. Why are you concerned about it? Why do you pay attention to it. Freewill and destiny last as long as the body lasts. But Jnana transcends both. The Self is beyond knowledge and ignorance. Whatever happens, happens as the result of one's past actions, of divine will and of other factors.
There are only two ways to conquer destiny or be independent of it. One is to enquire for whom is this destiny and discover that only the ego is bound by destiny and not the Self and that the ego is non-existent.
The other way is to kill the ego by completely surrendering to the Lord, by realizing one's helplessness and saying all the time, 'Not I, but Thou oh Lord' and giving up all sense of 'I' and mine, and leaving it to the Lord to do what he likes with you. Complete effacement of the ego is necessary to conquer destiny, whether you achieve this effacement through self-enquiry or bhakti marga (Path).
A
"All over the place, from the popular culture to the propaganda system, there is constant pressure to make people feel that they are helpless, that the only role they can have is to ratify decisions and to consume." - Noam Chomsky
Don't become Brainwashed - wake up!
We speak many words, we take many actions, but to what avail? Does it matter in the end? We build our life, we own possessions, we father children, and what happens at the end?
Poof! It's all gone... Everything just disappears. There's nothing.
So what's the purpose? People say, "I'm making this world a better world for my children." They're just dreaming. The world will never be better, it'll never be worse. The world just is a dream of existence and it's like this one day, it's like that another day. But you are not the world. You have to awaken to that fact. You are not your thoughts. You are not your karmic expressions. You are not your inclinations from past lives. These things appear real as long as you believe in them.
As an example, if you believe in the devil, the devil will appear to you, because you are creating the devil yourself. If you believe in a god, the god will appear to you. As for instance, sri Ramakrishna believed in the God Kali. Kali used to become very real to him and he used to dance and sing with Kali (he laughs), and this was true as far as he was concerned. But he created Kali. That's why nobody else was able to see her but him. And that's how we create our lives.
Think of the things you fear in your life.
Say you fear becoming sick, you fear poverty, you fear getting divorced, you fear getting married. Whatever you fear is a concept created by your own mind. There is no question of should I get married or shouldn't I get married. It doesn't matter. What matters is how you react to it, how you see it, what you expect of it. This is true of every aspect of your life. That's what you've been trained to believe since you were a little kid. It first started in kindergarten. Your teachers brainwashed you, your family brainwashed you, the outside world brainwashed you, the system brainwashed you, and here you are. You are filled with ideas, concepts, notions, feelings, attitudes and that makes you what you are: miserable. (laughter).
As soon as you wake up all that disappears.
Nothing can ever happen to you that is of a destructive nature. There is absolutely nothing that can ever destroy you. You cannot be destroyed. Your body may appear to vanish, but that's like a dream. You dream about yourself, you're doing something, and you get shot, and you disappear. But then you wake up.
So my question to you is, "What do you believe about yourself and about the world? What's most important to you?" This is why I feel that a spiritual path, not necessarily this one, but a true spiritual path, should be the first thing of importance in your life. Why? Because it wakes you up!
- told by Robert Adams
NOTE: Nowadays we are confronted with our own and others' fears almost daily. This satsang can be a reminder of who you really are and that you can accept what is happening without beeing confused.
A
It is Duality who makes the "I"
“Nobody can say anything about you. Whatsoever people say is about themselves. But you become very shaky, because you are still clinging to a false center.
That false center depends on others, so you are always looking to what people are saying about you. And you are always following other people, you are always trying to satisfy them.
You are always trying to be respectable, you are always trying to decorate your ego. This is suicidal. Rather than being disturbed by what others say, you should start looking inside yourself…
Whenever you are self-conscious you are simply showing that you are not conscious of the (*your real) Self at all. You don’t know who you are. If you had known, then there would have been no problem— then you are not seeking opinions. Then you are not worried what others say about you— it is irrelevant!
When you are self-conscious you are in trouble. When you are self-conscious you are really showing symptoms that you don’t know who you are. Your very self-consciousness indicates that you have not come home yet.” - Osho
The Sun and his rays
Consider the analogy of the sun and its rays. If you are yourself the sun, you are not aware of any rays, or of any of the other characteristics that humans attribute to the sun, such as intense heat, fire, and so on.
In fact, you are not aware of anything at all.
Now imagine someone holding up a mirror in front of you. Now you are aware of your own light rays and your heat. By becoming aware of these qualities, you become aware of yourself; in fact, you experience yourself as those qualities. You essentially become your own object.
This is exactly how it is with the ego "I".
The Reality is a "I" without "I" that is, pure being without any experience of "I" or "I am."
When you are in a state of deep sleep, you are in that nondual condition. You are not aware of anything; there is no "I" until duality comes when you wake up in the morning. Then you may say "I had a good rest."
"May all living beings on all levels and places of creation live in truth, freedom and peace. Oum Shanti, Shanti, Shanti!"
a
Notion of Doership is Bondage
“Descartes, of course, the French philosopher said: "I think therefore I am". If he had waited a little bit longer before saying anything, he could have come to the point of cessation of thinking and then he could have made the more profound statement: "I am conscious therefore I am".
Thinking is only an expression of consciousness: a surface expression of consciousness.” - Eckhart Tolle
A Satsang with sri Nisargadatta Maharaj
Questioner: We have been staying at the Satya Sai Baba Ashram for some time. We have also spent two months at Sri Ramanashram at Tiruvannamalai. Now we are on our way back to the United States.
Maharaj: Did India cause any change in you?
Questioner: We feel we have shed our burden. Sri Satya Sai Baba told us to leave everything to him and just live from day to day as righteously as possible. 'Be good and leave the rest to me', he used to tell us.
Maharaji: What were you doing at the Sri Ramanashram?
Questioner: We were going on with the mantra given to us by the Guru. We also did some meditation. There was not much of thinking or study; we were just trying to keep quiet. We are on the bhakti path and rather poor in philosophy. We have not much to think about -- just trust our Guru and live our lives.
Maharaji: Most of the bhaktas trust their Guru only as long as all is well with them. When troubles come, they feel let down and go out in search of another Guru.
Questioner: Yes, we were warned against this danger. We are trying to take the hard along with the soft. The feeling: 'All is Grace' must be very strong. A Sadhu was walking eastwards, from where a strong wind started blowing. The Sadhu just turned round and walked west. We hope to live just like that -- adjusting ourselves to circumstances as sent us by our Guru.
Maharaji: There is only life. There is nobody who lives a life.
Questioner: That we understand, yet constantly we make attempts to live our lives instead of just living. Making plans for the future seems to be an inveterate habit with us.
Master: Whether you plan or don't, life goes on. But in life itself a little whorl arises in the mind, which indulges in fantasies and imagines itself dominating and controlling life. Life itself is desireless. But the false self wants to continue -- pleasantly. Therefore it is always engaged in ensuring one's continuity. Life is unafraid and free. As long as you have the idea of influencing events, liberation is not for you: The very notion of doership, of being a cause, is bondage.
Questioner: How can we overcome the duality of the doer and the done?
Maharaji: Contemplate life as infinite, undivided, ever present, ever active, until you realise yourself as one with it. It is not even very difficult, for you will be returning only to your own natural condition.
Once you realise that all comes from within, that the world in which you live has not been projected onto you but by you, your fear comes to an end. Without this realisation you identify yourself with the externals, like the body, mind, society, nation, humanity, even God or the Absolute. But these are all escapes from fear. It is only when you fully accept your responsibility for the little world in which you live and watch the process of its creation, preservation and destruction, that you may be free from your imaginary bondage.
Questioner: Why should I imagine myself so wretched?
Master: You do it by habit only. Change your ways of feeling and thinking, take stock of them and examine them closely. You are in bondage by inadvertence. Attention liberates. You are taking so many things for granted. Begin to question. The most obvious things are the most doubtful. Ask yourself such questions as: "Was I really born?' 'Am I really so-and-so?" 'How do I know that I exist? 'Who are my parents?" 'Have they created me, or have I created them?' 'Must I believe all I am told about myself?' "Who am I, anyhow?'.
A
NSDM
We have spent so much energy building a prison for ourselves.
Now we should spend a lot on tearing it down. In fact, demolition is easy, because the false dissolves when it is discovered. Everything depends on the idea of "I am." Examine it very thoroughly. It lies at the root of all problems. It is a kind of skin that separates us from reality. The real is both inside and outside the skin, but the skin itself is not real. This "I am" idea was not born with us. We could have lived very well without it. It came later through our self-identification with the body. It created an illusion of separation where there was none. It made us a stranger in our own world and made the world seem alien and hostile. Without the sense of "I am," life goes on. There are moments when we are at peace and happy without the feeling of "I am".
With the return of the "I am" the problems begin.
A
As this body breathes, I connect with the Supreme Consciousness that exists in and as me.
This is the Silence at the end of Oum.
Absorption in this state exists in the Now.
There is no other; I am awake to I am.
From the depth of my heart, I offer gratitude for Self Realization.
Knowledge from this state removes attachments.
Nothing is mine. Nothing is mine.
I ask the grace of the Guru inside, to forgive myself if I stray from the Path of Fire and Light.
My mere mind cannot sustain this awareness. Grace, in the form of Divine Love, is the gravity that pulls me to my True Self.
Nothing exists that is not Brahman.
🎄Oum Shanti Shanti Shanti🎄
A
“You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your Soul, and all your mind.’
This is the first and greatest commandment. A second is equally important:
‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’
The entire law and all the demands of the prophets are based on these two commandments.” - Jesus Christ
A
Everything Is Yoga
By - Sri Swami Chidananda
Early Morning Meditation Talk given in the sacred Samadhi Hall of Gurudev Sri Swami Sivanandaji Maharaj, Sivananda Ashram, Rishikesh.
Worshipful homage to that supreme, eternal, universal Being who revealed Himself in a glorious personal form comprising total Divinity as the world teacher, Lord Krishna, and who revealed Himself in and through the Gita wisdom teachings that He imparted for all mankind, for all times, through His beloved devotee and disciple, the warrior prince Arjuna. He not only revealed His divine nature through His Bhagavad Gita teachings, He also revealed how man can realise Him fully, can experience Him, and, ultimately, how man can merge himself in Him to become one with Him. All this He taught within the compass of 700 brief verses contained in 18 chapters.
And what is His main teaching?
What is His main method of attaining the supreme human experience of our essential non-differentiation from Him, which experience liberates us forever from all sorrow, all confusion and delusion, and liberates us once and for all from a return to successive birth, death and rebirth in this mortal world?
What is this method?
We all know that classical Indian spiritual tradition speaks of four yogas–channelising our action potential through karma yoga for God-realisation, channelising our sentiment and emotion potential for realising God through bhakti yoga, channelising our mind’s power of concentration for attaining God-realisation through raja yoga, through meditation, and channelising our intellectual potential of analysis, logic, discrimination and reasoning to attain illumination through jnana yoga. But in the Gita we witness a strange phenomenon in that 18 yogas are mentioned, one for each chapter. It speaks only about yoga. What is this strange phenomenon? There are four classical yogas and here we have 18 yogas. Everything is yoga.
He covers the whole of human life in His teaching.
What is that central teaching? The central teaching is that, in fact, all life is yoga. Life is to be lived as the great sadhana, the great yoga. All actions constitute yoga. Everything that you think is yoga. Everything that you speak is yoga. Everything that you do is yoga. That is why everything that you think should be thought of as yoga. That is why everything that you utter should be regarded as yoga. That is why everything that you do must be done as yoga.
There is nothing else in life except yoga and yoga alone.
All of life is yoga. Life is the great sadhana. Life is the supreme yoga, every part of it. Life is to be lived as such. That is why it was given. Each and every one of our actions from morning till evening should have a Godward thrust; they are to be engaged in for attaining illumination. Everything in our life is and ought to be enlightenment oriented. Breathing, sitting, standing, running, resting, working, lying, waking, dreaming, sleeping, all constitute that one single process–yoga.
So there are not merely 18 yogas.
There are innumerable yogas every moment. Everything is to be regarded as yoga; it is not just eighteen. The number of yogas is legion. This is to be grasped. This is the great truth about you, about each and every one of us.
May the grace of the Supreme and the benedictions of revered and beloved Holy Master Gurudev Swami Sivanandaji enable us to fully recognise this truth, fully assimilate this truth, fully live in the light of this truth, and thus become the Truth. May God bless us all!
a
See Yourself
“He who has overcome his fears will truly be free.” - Aristotle
See Yourself Impartially
This article is a chapter from the book "Seek The Beyond", by sri Swami Chidananda
Worshipful homage to the supreme, eternal, primal Being, the universal Spirit Divine, who is auspicious, beautiful, good, elevating, illuminating and liberating! To that Being, worshipful homage!
Loving adorations to revered and beloved Holy Master Gurudev Swami Sivanandaji Maharaj, whose central mission in his life of the Spirit was to bring sincere seeking souls nearer to this great Divine Reality by various means suited to people of different tastes and temperaments, abilities and capacities.
Knowing that there are diversities in human nature and abilities, knowing that not all are ready for the same highest teachings, accordingly the teacher gives. Let the Supreme Being bless us to have the right and proper understanding of the teachings of Guru Bhagavan Swami Sivanandaji.
There is a story in the Upanishads of the three da. Da is a letter in the Sanskrit alphabet. A human individual, a celestial and a demon all approached Brahma, the Creator, seeking knowledge of the Higher Self. Coming down from His deep meditation, He looks at each one of them and gives the same identical upadesa or spiritual instruction. And the upadesa is to look at their image and pronounce the word da. And each one understands the meaning according to his own nature and propensities, inclination.
A commentator upon this Upanishadic episode says, “Even though it was given to three types of beings, all three of these can equally apply to one human individual, because within the human individual all three propensities inhere. They are already there–celestial, demoniacal and human. So one should understand all these three aspects of one’s being and how to interpret and apply this knowledge for one’s own benefit. Mark you, one’s own benefit. Spiritual truths should be applied only for one’s own benefit.
It is here that clarity is necessary, discrimination is necessary. We all know the adage that the devil can quote scriptures to his own purpose. The best scriptural quotations can be made use of in the worst way also. They can be made use of in ways that are divine, that are demoniacal and in human ways as well.
For example, in my bathroom I have a little plastic picture of Mickey Mouse sitting in a one-man rowboat which is rapidly heading for a waterfall. The title on it is “Perseverance.” We must persevere. How? When we reach a point and then say, “No, no, no, it’s no use me persevering, I am lost, I will be dashed against the rocks,” –all these ideas will come–perseverance is the very last ounce of determined effort that you give. And that one last determined effort somehow or other may be able to save you from the terrible current that is drawing you to the depths. You should not simply give up.
But this not giving up has its own nuances. It does not always manifest in one way; it manifests in subtly varying ways–divine, demoniacal and human. For example, when after repeated efforts, Siddhartha, who became an ascetic and a muni and strove for Self-realisation through yoga was not able to do it after the most extreme austerities, he said this is not the way, there is a middle path. He took the middle path, but still nothing seemed to be of any avail.
Then a terrible determination comes in His mind. He goes to Bodhgaya, sits under the Bodhi tree, and takes a terrible resolution: “Now, here I seat myself. I shall not leave this seat until I attain illumination, no matter what the cost. Even if the body dries up, even if the flesh and skin wither, even if the bones become brittle and are reduced to powder, Siddhartha will not leave this seat until he attains what he has set his mind to attain.”
Terrible resolve! Even the gods and celestials were astounded: “Siddhartha will not leave this seat until he attains illumination!” That is a great resolve. That is spiritual. That is sattvic. It is a divine resolve. It derives its strength from God Himself.
A
Blessings and Grace
"The wind of God's grace is incessantly blowing. Lazy sailors on the sea of life do not take advantage of it. But the active and strong always keep the sails of their minds unfurled to catch the favorable winds and thus reach their destination very soon." - Mahatma Gandhi
Shri Hans Ji Maharaj used to say that there are four types of grace with which a human being can be blessed:
First is the grace of God who gives the jiva – the individual spirit- the gift of a human form in the first place. It is a great blessing. It is the gateway to salvation. It is only in a human body that we can commune with God, the highest goal of life. The knowledge of good and evil, of righteousness and unrighteousness, falls within the human domain. Man can scale the heights of nobility like Buddha and Christ or degrade himself to levels lower than beasts.
The second grace is the grace of scriptures, which lay down the guidelines and map out the path one must follow to peace and enlightenment. Reading the scriptures motivates us to know not only the purpose of life but also the way to achieve it. The scriptures provide a balance, a higher perspective, without which human society would be all the poorer ethically and morally. The scriptures teach that there is a higher life beyond the mind and senses which gives immense bliss, peace and understanding.
Third is the grace of the master. Scriptures are undoubtedly very important, but the living spark of divinity is transmitted by the perfect master. It is only through his grace that the sacred and the secret knowledge of the divine is revealed to the disciple.
The fourth grace is self-effort. In the Gita, Lord Krishna says that we can be either our own best friend or worst enemy. If a person chooses a low lifestyle (‘adharma’) he does himself great harm and ultimately degrades himself spiritually. On the other hand, if he follows the path of knowledge he will achieve higher levels of consciousness.
Shri Hans Ji Maharaj belongs to the galaxy of Saints of Seers who spread the teachings of devotion and universal religion. He spent his life travelling around India and initiated millions of people into the ‘para vidya’.
Apara vidya is related to material knowledge while para vidya is the experience of spirit or consciousness. All the information about the world around us that comes in through our senses or intellect, as well as the branches of science and philosophy which we develop to organize and interpret this information (including scriptures), falls into the category of material science.
The para vidya , on the other hand, is the science of spirit, the science of consciousness. Satguru is the one who triggers the quantum leap in consciousness. He reveals the know-how, the living technique of linking the mind with the all- permeating consciousness – the Soul – within.
All the masters have proclaimed that scriptures by themselves cannot reveal the divine within us. For that we need a living master who can open up the inner channel which leads to that level. He shows us how to refine our awareness so that we can tune into the eternal vibration, the cosmic engine which is the source of all creation. Invariably the scriptures of all religions eulogize the divine master and emphasize his important role in spiritual realization.
A
The seven Stages of Jnana
"Till you reach the state of Jnana and thus wake out of maya you must do social service by relieving suffering whenever you see it. But even then you must do it without ahankara, i.e., without the sense of 'I am the doer', but with the feeling 'I am the Lord's tool'. - Ramana Maharshi
The seven stages of Jnana or the seven Jnana Bhumikas
First, Jnana should be developed through a deep study of Atma Jnana Sastras and association with the wise and the performance of virtuous actions without any expectation of fruits. This is Subheccha or good desire, which forms the first Bhumika or stage of Jnana. This will irrigate the mind with the waters of discrimination and protect it. There will be non-attraction or indifference to sensual objects in this stage.
The first stage is the substratum of the other stages.
From it the next two stages, viz., Vicharana and Tanumanasi will be reached. Constant Atma Vichara (Atmic enquiry) forms the second stage. The third stage is Tanumanasi. This is attained through the cultivation of special indifference to objects. The mind becomes thin like a thread. Hence the name Tanumanasi. Tanu means thread – threadlike state of mind. The third stage is also known by the name Asanga Bhavana. In the third stage, the aspirant is free from all attractions. If any one dies in the third stage, he will remain in heaven for a long time and will reincarnate on earth again as a Jnani. The above three stages can be included under the Jagrat state.
The fourth stage is Sattvapatti. This stage will destroy all Vasanas to the root. This can be included under the Svapana state. The world appears like a dream. Those who have reached the fourth stage will look upon all things of the universe with an equal eye. The fifth stage is Asamsakti. There is perfect non-attachment to the objects of the world. There is no Upadhi or waking or sleeping in this stage. This is the Jivanmukti stage in which there is the experience of Ananda Svaroopa (the Eternal Bliss of Brahman) replete with spotless Jnana. This will come under Sushupti.
The sixth stage is Padartha Bhavana. There is knowledge of Truth. The seventh stage is Turiya, or the state of superconsciousness. This is Moksha. This is also known by the name Turiyatita. There are no Sankalpas. All the Gunas disappear. This is above the reach of mind and speech. Disembodied salvation (Videhamukti) is attained in the seventh stage.
Remaining in the certitude of Atma, without desires, and with an equal vision over all, having completely eradicated all complications of differentiations of ‘I’ or ‘he’, existence or non-existence, is Turiya.
a
No comments:
Post a Comment