A True Spiritual Path Is Difficult

For those who are interested in living an ordinary life - a spiritual path is not for you.

A spiritual path is the most difficult climb, the steepest curve, the highest peak.

Before you walk on such a path, you must know that things will never be the same again. You cannot retain any part of your formed identity nor its various layers - only your core essence will remain i.e. who you really are and have always been throughout all time - and you will have an infinitely more beautiful ROYAL identity grafted upon you.

I often ask people a question: does a King or Queen ever live an ordinary life? Ask Prince Charles, he will tell you. No, a King or Queen has a duty to serve their country, a duty to always have royal actions, royal words, royal dress, royal food, royal activities. It is not possible for somebody who is royal to live an ordinary life.

The difficult part is giving up the ego, the formed identity, controlling the senses, having the eyes, ears, mouth, nose, touch under one's control, giving up objects which seek to just gratify the senses, overcoming attachment, balancing sexual desire, controlling anger, watching greed, dropping hatred, conquering the mind, filtering thoughts, conquering fears, overcoming shyness, transcending anxieties, breaking depression, becoming courageous, being forgiving, kind, compassionate, intelligent, assertive, intuitive, constant, dedicated, faithful. In other words: becoming totally balanced, unshakable, GLOWING.

So, although the spiritual path is the most difficult, it's also the most rewarding. The rewards cannot be quantified in words, as they will be beyond your wildest dreams, and more than you could have ever hoped or dreamed for. You will experience real miracles, superhuman abilities will grow within you, you will have humbling experiences that leave you speechless, your body and face will literally begin to glow with light, you will become AWARE of how to travel between the past, present and future at will, you will begin to hear other people's thoughts and feel other people's feelings, you will come into contact with other civilisations and beings through the intuition, the entire Universe will begin to serve each of your needs, you will find the Universe revolving inside you, nature will become your friend, the elements will change as you want them to, each of your words will become a meditation full of purity and clarity.

You will become incredibly powerful and capable of things only imagined within science fiction, but all your power will be because of your humility, because you would have given up your identity, given up your likes and dislikes, given up being right and making others wrong, given up your ego, your ambitions, your desires, your goals, your fears, given up everything you know and believe to be true, given up your breath, your mind, your body and your soul and dedicated it before God, before the Supreme Being, the Lord of the Universe. Your power will be because of your complete and constant surrender to God and the Guru, the teacher who shows you how to get to God.

I write all these things because there is too much doubt about the spiritual path nowadays. Spirituality and God have just become an empty belief, a childish belief, without any reality, substance, without any true effects and changes taking place within the human psyche, without the idea of God changing our character, improving our character and expanding our awareness about ourselves, without us gaining insight into the impact of our actions on others. True religion makes one a better human being day by day. Nowadays, religion makes one more egotistical day by day.

Therefore... a true religion, a true path is difficult to find within this modern world, but there are paths that exist, and they are very difficult to walk, but the rewards for walking them are mind-blowing and heart-rendering, making you glow and grow beyond what you can ever imagine.

I am always looking for people who want to walk a spiritual path, so if you feeling a calling towards walking such a path please get in touch and allow us to humbly serve you.

Sat Naam.

Your Money Is Your Vote

My brother, Onkardeep Singh Khalsa, wrote about the idea of money being a vote in 2009. Money is a more powerful vote than the votes we give to elect governments and local councillors. Business and the private sector is arguably a more powerful force than the public sector.

It is easy for us to forget as individuals the power we wield in our hands. It is possible for society to transform very quickly if we all act consciously.

For example...

Instead of buying non-fairtrade chocolate just because it may be a few pennies cheaper, you can choose to buy fairtrade chocolate and help the third world countries get a fair bargain at the same time.

Instead of buying clothes manufactured in sweat shops to reduce their cost, we can choose to buy clothes which are certified to have been made ethically.

Instead of buying washing up liquid which harms the Earth, we can buy one which is kinder to the Earth.

Instead of leaving our lights on all the time, we can switch them off when not needed so the Earth is less polluted by our coal-fired power stations, or we can even switch to an electricity provider which generates electricity more sustainably and consciously.

Instead of buying chips (fries) which are poor quality from the chippie on the corner, go the extra mile to buy  from a quality chip shop so that all chippies must raise their standards.

Instead of buying milk which has come from sources where cows have been potentially harmed, we should buy milk where cows are treated respectfully or switch to another alternative like rice milk or almond milk.

Instead of buying meat which involves the harm of animals, and which exposes our barbaric human nature, we should err to become vegetarians or vegans. Or if that is too impossible, then at least to become vegetarian one day of the week.

Our money acts as a vote as to what we want in our society to continue and what we want to end. If a service or a product is cheap, poor quality, environmentally destructive, destructive to any species on Earth, or unethical in ANY way, THEN WE SHOULD NOT BUY IT! It's OK if there are no other alternatives, but in the developed world, there are ONLY alternatives. Choice is our basic freedom. So we should decide as a society what we want to continue and what we want to end.

Each person, and every pound or dollar they spend, makes a difference and acts as a vote as to what products or services we want in our society!

If we want animal suffering to continue, then we should continue to buy non-free range eggs. If we want plant suffering to continue, then we should continue to buy inorganic food. If we want human suffering to continue, then we should continue to buy non-fair trade goods. Money is a vote, choose wisely my beloveds.

Jasdeep Hari Bhajan Singh Khalsa Sikh Channel Interview

Quote of the Day - White Light and Consciousness

"Just as all colour comes from white light, all religion comes from consciousness.

Focus on white light. Focus on consciousness. Then you will understand religion in all its colours."

Movable Cities

In the ancient native cultures, a piece of land was only lived on for a short period of time before the tribesmen would decide to move away from it so to allow the land to regenerate itself.

It seems to me, after travelling through the UK, US, Canada and Europe, that there is plenty of land which is under-utilised. Modern society should take a lesson from the ancients socities that walked this Earth, and we should for the future create movable cities.

The idea of a movable or mobile home is already in existence, so why not a movable city? Where an entire city is relocated to another area temporarily in order to allow the Earth to regenerate itself. This would create the necessary flow in order for us to restore our balance with nature, and in the future this I feel will become a possibility and a necessity. Of course, unlike mobile homes, you cannot move entire buildings, or the city infrastructure of transportation, sewage, water and gas, but you could relocate to another place that has some more basic infrastructure in place which is sufficient for a short period of time.

It also seems to me that if any city was deserted for even a short period of time, it would probably begin to look more like a forest in no time at all, as nature is alive and wishes to grow and expand just like we do. We should stop and allow nature time to expand itself and regenerate itself. I feel this idea of movable cities will become more common as we become more in touch with our true nature, and transform into a conscious modern society of using more natural products, minimising waste, recycling everything, using renewable energy sources and preserving our Earth together.

Movable Cities

In the ancient native cultures, a piece of land was only lived on for a short period of time before the tribesmen would decide to move away from it so to allow the land to regenerate itself.

It seems to me, after travelling through the UK, US, Canada and Europe, that there is plenty of land which is under-utilised. Modern society should take a lesson from the ancients socities that walked this Earth, and we should for the future create movable cities.

The idea of a movable or mobile home is already in existence, so why not a movable city? Where an entire city is relocated to another area temporarily in order to allow the Earth to regenerate itself. This would create the necessary flow in order for us to restore our balance with nature, and in the future this I feel will become a possibility and a necessity. Of course, unlike mobile homes, you cannot move entire buildings, or the city infrastructure of transportation, sewage, water and gas, but you could relocate to another place that has some more basic infrastructure in place which is sufficient for a short period of time.

It also seems to me that if any city was deserted for even a short period of time, it would probably begin to look more like a forest in no time at all, as nature is alive and wishes to grow and expand just like we do. We should stop and allow nature time to expand itself and regenerate itself. I feel this idea of movable cities will become more common as we become more in touch with our true nature, and transform into a conscious modern society of using more natural products, minimising waste, recycling everything, using renewable energy sources and preserving our Earth together.

Consciously Conscious Consistently

Your focus determines your consciousness. For example, if tomorrow I decide to start-up a business then all the opportunities for starting a business will come to me. However, it’s not that the opportunities come, they actually are always there in existence, but by focussing on that opportunity an awareness about it arises which allows one to see the opportunity. In other words, more poetically, from blindness about starting a business comes sight.

Similarly, when one is blind about reality, sight is gained through focusing on the core essence of the human being – consciousness itself. Through consciously focussing upon consciousness, we expand in consciousness. Just like when two mirrors face each other, infinite mirrors may be seen within the mirror, similarly consciousness has the unique property of being able to analyse itself and go within itself to find out how infinite it is within itself.

By being negative about negativity, you lose the game of life. By being positive about positivity you lose the game of life. The game of life is won by being consciously conscious consistently.

So in summary, whatever you focus on, you become or you find – thus to win the game of life you must become conscious about consciousness consistently so that you expand in consciousness day-by-day, moment-by-moment. To be conscious is to live, to be subconscious is to survive, to be unconscious is to die.

By Guru’s Grace, Completed 01/11/2009

Consciously Conscious Consistently

Your focus determines your consciousness. For example, if tomorrow I decide to start-up a business then all the opportunities for starting a business will come to me. However, it’s not that the opportunities come, they actually are always there in existence, but by focussing on that opportunity an awareness about it arises which allows one to see the opportunity. In other words, more poetically, from blindness about starting a business comes sight.

Similarly, when one is blind about reality, sight is gained through focusing on the core essence of the human being – consciousness itself. Through consciously focussing upon consciousness, we expand in consciousness. Just like when two mirrors face each other, infinite mirrors may be seen within the mirror, similarly consciousness has the unique property of being able to analyse itself and go within itself to find out how infinite it is within itself.

By being negative about negativity, you lose the game of life. By being positive about positivity you lose the game of life. The game of life is won by being consciously conscious consistently.

So in summary, whatever you focus on, you become or you find – thus to win the game of life you must become conscious about consciousness consistently so that you expand in consciousness day-by-day, moment-by-moment. To be conscious is to live, to be subconscious is to survive, to be unconscious is to die.

By Guru’s Grace, Completed 01/11/2009

The Four Blessings

I went to the Gurdwara this morning and there was this Kathakaar (person who explains spiritual teachings), who was speaking in Punjabi. At first I thought, "this is such an outdated way of doing things". And I was also thinking "how would any young person understand this guy". And also I thought "this guy is just doing it for the money and is very inauthentic". But despite these thoughts, I still listened carefully and when he started to explain, my thoughts dissipated - because what he was explaining was profound.

He began to explain that a Sikh, or learner, on a path of spirituality, receives four blessings. This should not be confused with the four blessings which are the four basic needs for all people (known as Char Padarath).

The first blessing, is one which every Sikh will be familiar with: Karah Parshaad, also called Sero (as shown in the left picture). This is just a sweet pudding which is made with a consciousness and with a vibration which when consumed, raises our own magnetic frequency...and its quite tasty too! Yum!

The second blessing comes from the Guru, called Gurprasaad. This is when a person has been on the spiritual path for a while and the Guru, the teacher, the light, the guide, blesses the Sikh with the ability to control the five desires of sex, anger, greed, attachment and ego. This only ever happens with the blessing of the Guru.

The third blessing is where the ego goes, called Tav Prasaad which means "Your Blessing" - referring to God. The "I" or the identity is smashed and instead is replaced with "You" or "Thou". So instead of a Sikh identifying with their own individual nature, the Sikh begins to identify with their higher, Supreme, Godly nature. Then a Sikh becomes God.

The fourth blessing is where the Sikh who has become God, then shares this path of purity of heart (Khalsa), with the whole world. So the final blessing, is not received by the Sikh, it is given by the Sikh to others. The example given was that of Guru Gobind Singh, the 10th and final master of the Sikhs, who created the Khalsa, the society of those who are pure, and then himself bowed before his creation and asked if he may become a part of it.

So there we have it, the four blessings on the Sikh path, explained in English, translated from Punjabi ;).

The Four Blessings

I went to the Gurdwara this morning and there was this Kathakaar (person who explains spiritual teachings), who was speaking in Punjabi. At first I thought, "this is such an outdated way of doing things". And I was also thinking "how would any young person understand this guy". And also I thought "this guy is just doing it for the money and is very inauthentic". But despite these thoughts, I still listened carefully and when he started to explain, my thoughts dissipated - because what he was explaining was profound.

He began to explain that a Sikh, or learner, on a path of spirituality, receives four blessings. This should not be confused with the four blessings which are the four basic needs for all people (known as Char Padarath).

The first blessing, is one which every Sikh will be familiar with: Karah Parshaad, also called Sero (as shown in the left picture). This is just a sweet pudding which is made with a consciousness and with a vibration which when consumed, raises our own magnetic frequency...and its quite tasty too! Yum!

The second blessing comes from the Guru, called Gurprasaad. This is when a person has been on the spiritual path for a while and the Guru, the teacher, the light, the guide, blesses the Sikh with the ability to control the five desires of sex, anger, greed, attachment and ego. This only ever happens with the blessing of the Guru.

The third blessing is where the ego goes, called Tav Prasaad which means "Your Blessing" - referring to God. The "I" or the identity is smashed and instead is replaced with "You" or "Thou". So instead of a Sikh identifying with their own individual nature, the Sikh begins to identify with their higher, Supreme, Godly nature. Then a Sikh becomes God.

The fourth blessing is where the Sikh who has become God, then shares this path of purity of heart (Khalsa), with the whole world. So the final blessing, is not received by the Sikh, it is given by the Sikh to others. The example given was that of Guru Gobind Singh, the 10th and final master of the Sikhs, who created the Khalsa, the society of those who are pure, and then himself bowed before his creation and asked if he may become a part of it.

So there we have it, the four blessings on the Sikh path, explained in English, translated from Punjabi ;).

Become Lost in the Cosmos

There comes a time in a person's spiritual journey where even the simple act of taking a breath is enough to send you beyond your body, beyond space, beyond time, beyond life itself into the great void of existence, the nothingness, the spacelessness.

In this nothingness, you simply exist as consciousness, without any memory of who you are, where you are or what you are - just an awareness, a consciousness is left. In a single moment everything dissolves, fades to nothing, and one becomes lost in the cosmos. Just lost completely. How can one know where one is if one is lost? Is this God-consciousness? I cannot say. Is this Universal-consciousness? I do not know.

All I know is that there is more to life than meets the eyes and there are places within our own mind which are waiting to be discovered. And that's just the mind, the heart is a different story :).

‎"Tongue-tied and mesmerised, I yearn for my Beloved Lord, Spellbound and mystified, I’ve become lost in the cosmos." ~ Spiritual Poetry: A Disciple's Journey, I’ve Searched All The Seven Seas, p.42


So, why not have a stab at exploring your inner Universe which is waiting to be discovered? Maybe you'll find a place you've never been before.

Become Lost in the Cosmos

There comes a time in a person's spiritual journey where even the simple act of taking a breath is enough to send you beyond your body, beyond space, beyond time, beyond life itself into the great void of existence, the nothingness, the spacelessness.

In this nothingness, you simply exist as consciousness, without any memory of who you are, where you are or what you are - just an awareness, a consciousness is left. In a single moment everything dissolves, fades to nothing, and one becomes lost in the cosmos. Just lost completely. How can one know where one is if one is lost? Is this God-consciousness? I cannot say. Is this Universal-consciousness? I do not know.

All I know is that there is more to life than meets the eyes and there are places within our own mind which are waiting to be discovered. And that's just the mind, the heart is a different story :).

‎"Tongue-tied and mesmerised, I yearn for my Beloved Lord, Spellbound and mystified, I’ve become lost in the cosmos." ~ Spiritual Poetry: A Disciple's Journey, I’ve Searched All The Seven Seas, p.42


So, why not have a stab at exploring your inner Universe which is waiting to be discovered? Maybe you'll find a place you've never been before.

The Awakening - By Sonny Carroll

A time comes in your life when you finally get it...when, in the midst of all your fears and insanity, you stop dead in your tracks and somewhere the voice inside your head cries out...ENOUGH! Enough fighting and crying and blaming and struggling to hold on.

Then, like a child quieting down after a tantrum, you blink back your tears and begin to look at the world through new eyes.

This is your awakening.

You realize it's time to stop hoping and waiting for something to change, or for happiness, safety and security to magically appear over the next horizon. You realize that in the real world there aren't always fairy tale endings, and that any guarantee of "happily ever after" must begin with you... and in the process a sense of serenity is born of acceptance.

You awaken to the fact that you are not perfect and that not everyone will always love, appreciate or approve of who or what you are... and that's OK. They are entitled to their own views and opinions.

You learn the importance of loving and championing yourself... and in the process a sense of new found confidence is born of self-approval. You stop complaining and blaming other people for the things they did to you - or didn't do for you - and you learn that the only thing you can really count on is the unexpected.

You learn that people don't always say what they mean or mean what they say and that not everyone will always be there for you and that everything isn't always about you.

So, you learn to stand on your own and to take care of yourself... and in the process a sense of safety and security is born of self-reliance.

You stop judging and pointing fingers and you begin to accept people as they are and to overlook their shortcomings and human frailties... and in the process a sense of peace and contentment is born of forgiveness.

You learn to open up to new worlds and different points of view. You begin reassessing and redefining who you are and what you really stand for.

You learn the difference between wanting and needing and you begin to discard the doctrines and values you've outgrown, or should never have bought into to begin with.

You learn that there is power and glory in creating and contributing and you stop maneuvering through life merely as a "consumer" looking for your next fix.

You learn that principles such as honesty and integrity are not the outdated ideals of a bygone era, but the mortar that holds together the foundation upon which you must build a life.

You learn that you don't know everything, it's not your job to save the world and that you can't teach a pig to sing. You learn that the only cross to bear is the one you choose to carry and that martyrs get burned at the stake.

Then you learn about love. You learn to look at relationships as they really are and not as you would have them be. You learn that alone does not mean lonely.

You stop trying to control people, situations and outcomes. You learn to distinguish between guilt and responsibility and the importance of setting boundaries and learning to say NO.

You also stop working so hard at putting your feelings aside, smoothing things over and ignoring your needs.

You learn that your body really is your temple. You begin to care for it and treat it with respect. You begin to eat a balanced diet, drink more water, and take more time to exercise.

You learn that being tired fuels doubt, fear, and uncertainty and so you take more time to rest. And, just as food fuels the body, laughter fuels our soul. So you take more time to laugh and to play.

You learn that, for the most part, you get in life what you believe you deserve, and that much of life truly is a self-fulfilling prophecy.

You learn that anything worth achieving is worth working for and that wishing for something to happen is different than working toward making it happen.

More importantly, you learn that in order to achieve success you need direction, discipline and perseverance. You also learn that no one can do it all alone, and that it's OK to risk asking for help.

You learn the only thing you must truly fear is fear itself. You learn to step right into and through your fears because you know that whatever happens you can handle it and to give in to fear is to give away the right to live life on your own terms.

You learn to fight for your life and not to squander it living under a cloud of impending doom.

You learn that life isn't always fair, you don't always get what you think you deserve and that sometimes bad things happen to unsuspecting, good people... and you learn not to always take it personally.

You learn that nobody's punishing you and everything isn't always somebody's fault. It's just life happening. You learn to admit when you are wrong and to build bridges instead of walls.

You learn that negative feelings such as anger, envy and resentment must be understood and redirected or they will suffocate the life out of you and poison the universe that surrounds you.

You learn to be thankful and to take comfort in many of the simple things we take for granted, things that millions of people upon the earth can only dream about: a full refrigerator, clean running water, a soft warm bed, a long hot shower.

Then, you begin to take responsibility for yourself by yourself and you make yourself a promise to never betray yourself and to never, ever settle for less than your heart's desire.

You make it a point to keep smiling, to keep trusting, and to stay open to every wonderful possibility.

You hang a wind chime outside your window so you can listen to the wind.

Finally, with courage in your heart, you take a stand, you take a deep breath, and you begin to design the life you want to live as best you can.

By Sonny Carroll

The Awakening - By Sonny Carroll

A time comes in your life when you finally get it...when, in the midst of all your fears and insanity, you stop dead in your tracks and somewhere the voice inside your head cries out...ENOUGH! Enough fighting and crying and blaming and struggling to hold on.

Then, like a child quieting down after a tantrum, you blink back your tears and begin to look at the world through new eyes.

This is your awakening.

You realize it's time to stop hoping and waiting for something to change, or for happiness, safety and security to magically appear over the next horizon. You realize that in the real world there aren't always fairy tale endings, and that any guarantee of "happily ever after" must begin with you... and in the process a sense of serenity is born of acceptance.

You awaken to the fact that you are not perfect and that not everyone will always love, appreciate or approve of who or what you are... and that's OK. They are entitled to their own views and opinions.

You learn the importance of loving and championing yourself... and in the process a sense of new found confidence is born of self-approval. You stop complaining and blaming other people for the things they did to you - or didn't do for you - and you learn that the only thing you can really count on is the unexpected.

You learn that people don't always say what they mean or mean what they say and that not everyone will always be there for you and that everything isn't always about you.

So, you learn to stand on your own and to take care of yourself... and in the process a sense of safety and security is born of self-reliance.

You stop judging and pointing fingers and you begin to accept people as they are and to overlook their shortcomings and human frailties... and in the process a sense of peace and contentment is born of forgiveness.

You learn to open up to new worlds and different points of view. You begin reassessing and redefining who you are and what you really stand for.

You learn the difference between wanting and needing and you begin to discard the doctrines and values you've outgrown, or should never have bought into to begin with.

You learn that there is power and glory in creating and contributing and you stop maneuvering through life merely as a "consumer" looking for your next fix.

You learn that principles such as honesty and integrity are not the outdated ideals of a bygone era, but the mortar that holds together the foundation upon which you must build a life.

You learn that you don't know everything, it's not your job to save the world and that you can't teach a pig to sing. You learn that the only cross to bear is the one you choose to carry and that martyrs get burned at the stake.

Then you learn about love. You learn to look at relationships as they really are and not as you would have them be. You learn that alone does not mean lonely.

You stop trying to control people, situations and outcomes. You learn to distinguish between guilt and responsibility and the importance of setting boundaries and learning to say NO.

You also stop working so hard at putting your feelings aside, smoothing things over and ignoring your needs.

You learn that your body really is your temple. You begin to care for it and treat it with respect. You begin to eat a balanced diet, drink more water, and take more time to exercise.

You learn that being tired fuels doubt, fear, and uncertainty and so you take more time to rest. And, just as food fuels the body, laughter fuels our soul. So you take more time to laugh and to play.

You learn that, for the most part, you get in life what you believe you deserve, and that much of life truly is a self-fulfilling prophecy.

You learn that anything worth achieving is worth working for and that wishing for something to happen is different than working toward making it happen.

More importantly, you learn that in order to achieve success you need direction, discipline and perseverance. You also learn that no one can do it all alone, and that it's OK to risk asking for help.

You learn the only thing you must truly fear is fear itself. You learn to step right into and through your fears because you know that whatever happens you can handle it and to give in to fear is to give away the right to live life on your own terms.

You learn to fight for your life and not to squander it living under a cloud of impending doom.

You learn that life isn't always fair, you don't always get what you think you deserve and that sometimes bad things happen to unsuspecting, good people... and you learn not to always take it personally.

You learn that nobody's punishing you and everything isn't always somebody's fault. It's just life happening. You learn to admit when you are wrong and to build bridges instead of walls.

You learn that negative feelings such as anger, envy and resentment must be understood and redirected or they will suffocate the life out of you and poison the universe that surrounds you.

You learn to be thankful and to take comfort in many of the simple things we take for granted, things that millions of people upon the earth can only dream about: a full refrigerator, clean running water, a soft warm bed, a long hot shower.

Then, you begin to take responsibility for yourself by yourself and you make yourself a promise to never betray yourself and to never, ever settle for less than your heart's desire.

You make it a point to keep smiling, to keep trusting, and to stay open to every wonderful possibility.

You hang a wind chime outside your window so you can listen to the wind.

Finally, with courage in your heart, you take a stand, you take a deep breath, and you begin to design the life you want to live as best you can.

By Sonny Carroll

Video on Arithmetic, Population and Energy by Dr. Albert A. Bartlett

Everyone should watch the following video on how the rising human population and our increasing use of resources is going to become one of the biggest problems in OUR lifetime. The blurb of the video is "I introduce this video to my students as "Perhaps the most boring video you'll ever see, and definitely the most important." But then again, after watching it most said that if you followed along with what the presenter (a professor emeritus of Physics at Univ of Colorado-Boulder) is saying, it's quite easy to pay attention, because it is so damn compelling.":

Video on Arithmetic, Population and Energy by Dr. Albert A. Bartlett

Everyone should watch the following video on how the rising human population and our increasing use of resources is going to become one of the biggest problems in OUR lifetime. The blurb of the video is "I introduce this video to my students as "Perhaps the most boring video you'll ever see, and definitely the most important." But then again, after watching it most said that if you followed along with what the presenter (a professor emeritus of Physics at Univ of Colorado-Boulder) is saying, it's quite easy to pay attention, because it is so damn compelling.":

Quote of the Day: Life-blood of Consciousness

"If you lose your music and songs, you lose the life-blood of your consciousness"

By Guru's Grace - 12/07/2010

Quote of the Day: Life-blood of Consciousness

"If you lose your music and songs, you lose the life-blood of your consciousness"

By Guru's Grace - 12/07/2010

Rising in Love vs. Falling in Love

Between 19th - 20th September 2009 I went on a very transformational spiritual retreat organised by the Chinmaya mission about how to rise in love (called the higher love of selflessness or Prema), which is the opposite of falling in love (called the lower love of attachment or Sneha). The distinction between Prema and Sneha is very clear, but is blurred by our existing notions about love and so as humans we think that loving always brings pain because our relationships don't seem to work out. I shall try to summarise what I learnt in as few sentences as possible so that you can all get the benefit of this retreat's learnings.

Usually we go into a relationship to get something out of it, for example, to receive love, acceptance, comforts, material goods, money or to escape our own loneliness. Contemplate on this deeply in all of your life's situations to see where these aspects are coming into play. Recognise that this is not true love, this is just a bargaining game - its the lower love of attachment or Sneha which we are just so accustomed to, that its normal for us to 'love' in this way. We have never been taught the way to love truly, unconditionally.

True love or Prema is where you go into a relationship to give love without any expectations of reward or failure. I repeat, giving love without any expectations of reward or failure. Everyone is always waiting for when they will receive love, but the key point to understand is: giving love is our privilege as a human being, and we all have the ability to choose to give love in all situations, and when we give love, the giving of love is in itself the fulfilment! This fulfilment is automatic as soon as we give love, so all we have to do is give love! Therefore, we all have the power of fulfillment at our finger tips! Just contemplate on this for a moment. If this is so, they who can hurt you or stop you or bring you down? Your love becomes an immortal love, a higher love, an everlasting love because the choice to give love is in your hands, in your control! So now time to go out there and give love without any expectations of reward or failure! If you have understood the above paragraph, your heart should start to beat with love because you have discovered that the source of love is YOU!

With this as our basis, now we move onto some more of the semantics of love. Giving love makes you irresistible, because today there is a famine of love, there is a recession of love and a credit crunch of love! There is such a demand for love, that wherever there is a supply, people will flock the whole world over to receive it. Giving love without expectations of reward or failure makes you completely irresistible as a human being, you will always be in demand so long as you can give love in this pure way of Prema! But when love is not pure, it just becomes a bargaining game, it become Sneha.

Let's take our relationship with God as an example. With God we also play a bargaining game, "God if you give me this, I'll do this for you", "Please grant me XYZ". This is love, but its a love which makes you dependant on God, you become a slave to God, when instead God wants us to become independent of everything including God. In this bargaining game, you want to get something out of the relationship, but you are not willing to sacrifice your own likes and dislikes so that you may serve God unconditionally in the way God wants. Seems a bit strange right, because surely God doesn't NEED your love? You're right, but if you love God truly, you'll stop playing a bargaining game and ask that may you continue to be at the feet of God and serve God in whatever way God wants. And what's the best way to serve God? Serve the creation of God, the people. That's pure love for God, Prema!

So when should you stop giving love in this pure way without expectations? Well, to answer this question let's look at the love of a Mother. Does a mother ever stop loving her child? No. Does a mother ever say "Right, I'm not going to make food for any of you today"? No, otherwise the family would go hungry. A mother doesn't even have to think about making food, she just makes it as a matter of-course because its part of her duty towards her family, to ensure they have a good well-being. That duty is ceaseless - it has no end - there is never any thought of not doing that duty. And this is the second biggest point to concentrate on: true love is where you only look at the well-being of your Beloved. So again, with the example of God, this means that we all have the ability to serve God ceaselessly because as devotees of God it is our duty to do so - the thought of not serving God should not even come into your mind for a moment if your love for God is true.

Another way to see where Sneha or Prema are in play is to look at the effect of love. If by loving a person your love becomes exclusive to that one person, then this is just attachment or Sneha. If by loving a person, you begin to love the many, the whole world, then this is true love or Prema. For example, relationships usually become quite emotional where one partner becomes extremely jealous if their partner is around other women or men, and as a result, just wants their partner to exclusively look at them and love them. This is attachment, Sneha. Prema is where there is a confidence, trust and truthfulness in a relationship, so much so that the love from this relationship expands and expands so that the love between two people begins to spread to other people and there is no jealously. The following excerpt of the poem Love For Each Other by Onkardeep Singh Khalsa portrays this well:

The love of two for each other moves the world,

It travels into the hearts of all uncurled.

Piercing all problems and conflicts, it rides the high bird unfurled,

Such is the power of love, of love.

Perfection exists in this state of bliss,

A time of stillness not to be missed.

Light in the dark, the heart carries you,

Little things in life left, the two so true.

The souls rejoice, they have united once more,

Two become one, the spiritual law.

The individual crawls through their journey,

But together do they grow, the Thou and me.

In joy, in sadness, in conflict, activity,

The comfort in silence a sure sign of clickery.

Create, take and sharing all things,

Realising the oneness, the angels sing.

Two become four and then still more,

Unity, love, self sufficiency universally core.

A utopia? Ideal? Perhaps nothing more,

But a worthwhile aim, love not war.

There is an adage that 'love is blind', however its only blind in attachment or Sneha, not in Prema. In Prema, love is all seeing. For example, sometimes in a Sneha relationship couples are blind to the negative tendencies of their lover including problems of anger management, problems in personal hygiene, problems in control etc. This blindness only occurs through attachment, because the person is only in a relationship to escape their own loneliness, and this utter selfishness makes them blind to the negative tendencies of their partner however severe these may be. However, in Prema, both partners are completely aware of each others' negative tendencies and not afraid to point them out whilst at the same time being all-accepting of their partner, because the underlying interest is in the well-being of their beloved, as mentioned earlier, therefore if one needs counselling or help with anger management, the other partner should pro-actively organise this if their truly care about their partner. In Sneha, there is a lack of response to do what really matters and waiting for things to happen, in Prema, there is a deep proactive response to action what needs to be actioned by making things happen!

Finally, sometimes people have been married for a very long time and yet seemingly have nothing in common. So what thinking is it that makes their relationship work? I leave you all with a beautiful quote from the retreat:

True love is not where you love someone because of something, it's where you love someone in spite of everything

We have now discussed the main aspects of attached love of Sneha and selfless love of Prema. Please save a version of this article and come back to it regularly, each time you read it you will understand it in some more depth and in a new more relevant way. The table below should help to make the distinction between the lower love of attachment (Sneha) and the higher love of selflessness (Prema) clearer for you:

The Lower Love of Attachment - Sneha	The Higher Love of Selflessness - Prema
Waiting to receive love	Actively giving love without expectation
Thinking that receiving love will fulfil you	Knowing that giving love is itself the fulfilment
Love for the one creates love exclusively for the one	Love for the one creates love for the many
You want things to remain separate	You want things to be united
Concerned with your own well-being	Concerned with the well-being of your beloved
Compromising with your beloved about your likes and dislikes	Sacrificing your own likes and dislikes to serve your beloved
Love is because of something	Love is in spite of everything
Love is blind	Love is all seeing and all accepting
A lack of response of 'now is the time to share'	A deep response of 'now is the time to share'
Waiting for things to happen	Making things happen
Living with fear	Living with courageous love
Involved with the future or the past	Involved with the present
Being dependant on somebody or something	Being independent of everybody and everything

Sat Naam.

Rising in Love vs. Falling in Love

Between 19th - 20th September 2009 I went on a very transformational spiritual retreat organised by the Chinmaya mission about how to rise in love (called the higher love of selflessness or Prema), which is the opposite of falling in love (called the lower love of attachment or Sneha). The distinction between Prema and Sneha is very clear, but is blurred by our existing notions about love and so as humans we think that loving always brings pain because our relationships don't seem to work out. I shall try to summarise what I learnt in as few sentences as possible so that you can all get the benefit of this retreat's learnings.

Usually we go into a relationship to get something out of it, for example, to receive love, acceptance, comforts, material goods, money or to escape our own loneliness. Contemplate on this deeply in all of your life's situations to see where these aspects are coming into play. Recognise that this is not true love, this is just a bargaining game - its the lower love of attachment or Sneha which we are just so accustomed to, that its normal for us to 'love' in this way. We have never been taught the way to love truly, unconditionally.

True love or Prema is where you go into a relationship to give love without any expectations of reward or failure. I repeat, giving love without any expectations of reward or failure. Everyone is always waiting for when they will receive love, but the key point to understand is: giving love is our privilege as a human being, and we all have the ability to choose to give love in all situations, and when we give love, the giving of love is in itself the fulfilment! This fulfilment is automatic as soon as we give love, so all we have to do is give love! Therefore, we all have the power of fulfillment at our finger tips! Just contemplate on this for a moment. If this is so, they who can hurt you or stop you or bring you down? Your love becomes an immortal love, a higher love, an everlasting love because the choice to give love is in your hands, in your control! So now time to go out there and give love without any expectations of reward or failure! If you have understood the above paragraph, your heart should start to beat with love because you have discovered that the source of love is YOU!

With this as our basis, now we move onto some more of the semantics of love. Giving love makes you irresistible, because today there is a famine of love, there is a recession of love and a credit crunch of love! There is such a demand for love, that wherever there is a supply, people will flock the whole world over to receive it. Giving love without expectations of reward or failure makes you completely irresistible as a human being, you will always be in demand so long as you can give love in this pure way of Prema! But when love is not pure, it just becomes a bargaining game, it become Sneha.

Let's take our relationship with God as an example. With God we also play a bargaining game, "God if you give me this, I'll do this for you", "Please grant me XYZ". This is love, but its a love which makes you dependant on God, you become a slave to God, when instead God wants us to become independent of everything including God. In this bargaining game, you want to get something out of the relationship, but you are not willing to sacrifice your own likes and dislikes so that you may serve God unconditionally in the way God wants. Seems a bit strange right, because surely God doesn't NEED your love? You're right, but if you love God truly, you'll stop playing a bargaining game and ask that may you continue to be at the feet of God and serve God in whatever way God wants. And what's the best way to serve God? Serve the creation of God, the people. That's pure love for God, Prema!

So when should you stop giving love in this pure way without expectations? Well, to answer this question let's look at the love of a Mother. Does a mother ever stop loving her child? No. Does a mother ever say "Right, I'm not going to make food for any of you today"? No, otherwise the family would go hungry. A mother doesn't even have to think about making food, she just makes it as a matter of-course because its part of her duty towards her family, to ensure they have a good well-being. That duty is ceaseless - it has no end - there is never any thought of not doing that duty. And this is the second biggest point to concentrate on: true love is where you only look at the well-being of your Beloved. So again, with the example of God, this means that we all have the ability to serve God ceaselessly because as devotees of God it is our duty to do so - the thought of not serving God should not even come into your mind for a moment if your love for God is true.

Another way to see where Sneha or Prema are in play is to look at the effect of love. If by loving a person your love becomes exclusive to that one person, then this is just attachment or Sneha. If by loving a person, you begin to love the many, the whole world, then this is true love or Prema. For example, relationships usually become quite emotional where one partner becomes extremely jealous if their partner is around other women or men, and as a result, just wants their partner to exclusively look at them and love them. This is attachment, Sneha. Prema is where there is a confidence, trust and truthfulness in a relationship, so much so that the love from this relationship expands and expands so that the love between two people begins to spread to other people and there is no jealously. The following excerpt of the poem Love For Each Other by Onkardeep Singh Khalsa portrays this well:

The love of two for each other moves the world,

It travels into the hearts of all uncurled.

Piercing all problems and conflicts, it rides the high bird unfurled,

Such is the power of love, of love.

Perfection exists in this state of bliss,

A time of stillness not to be missed.

Light in the dark, the heart carries you,

Little things in life left, the two so true.

The souls rejoice, they have united once more,

Two become one, the spiritual law.

The individual crawls through their journey,

But together do they grow, the Thou and me.

In joy, in sadness, in conflict, activity,

The comfort in silence a sure sign of clickery.

Create, take and sharing all things,

Realising the oneness, the angels sing.

Two become four and then still more,

Unity, love, self sufficiency universally core.

A utopia? Ideal? Perhaps nothing more,

But a worthwhile aim, love not war.

There is an adage that 'love is blind', however its only blind in attachment or Sneha, not in Prema. In Prema, love is all seeing. For example, sometimes in a Sneha relationship couples are blind to the negative tendencies of their lover including problems of anger management, problems in personal hygiene, problems in control etc. This blindness only occurs through attachment, because the person is only in a relationship to escape their own loneliness, and this utter selfishness makes them blind to the negative tendencies of their partner however severe these may be. However, in Prema, both partners are completely aware of each others' negative tendencies and not afraid to point them out whilst at the same time being all-accepting of their partner, because the underlying interest is in the well-being of their beloved, as mentioned earlier, therefore if one needs counselling or help with anger management, the other partner should pro-actively organise this if their truly care about their partner. In Sneha, there is a lack of response to do what really matters and waiting for things to happen, in Prema, there is a deep proactive response to action what needs to be actioned by making things happen!

Finally, sometimes people have been married for a very long time and yet seemingly have nothing in common. So what thinking is it that makes their relationship work? I leave you all with a beautiful quote from the retreat:

True love is not where you love someone because of something, it's where you love someone in spite of everything

We have now discussed the main aspects of attached love of Sneha and selfless love of Prema. Please save a version of this article and come back to it regularly, each time you read it you will understand it in some more depth and in a new more relevant way. The table below should help to make the distinction between the lower love of attachment (Sneha) and the higher love of selflessness (Prema) clearer for you:

The Lower Love of Attachment - Sneha	The Higher Love of Selflessness - Prema
Waiting to receive love	Actively giving love without expectation
Thinking that receiving love will fulfil you	Knowing that giving love is itself the fulfilment
Love for the one creates love exclusively for the one	Love for the one creates love for the many
You want things to remain separate	You want things to be united
Concerned with your own well-being	Concerned with the well-being of your beloved
Compromising with your beloved about your likes and dislikes	Sacrificing your own likes and dislikes to serve your beloved
Love is because of something	Love is in spite of everything
Love is blind	Love is all seeing and all accepting
A lack of response of 'now is the time to share'	A deep response of 'now is the time to share'
Waiting for things to happen	Making things happen
Living with fear	Living with courageous love
Involved with the future or the past	Involved with the present
Being dependant on somebody or something	Being independent of everybody and everything

Sat Naam.