Journey to the Self
Sunanda
Dubai (U.A.E)
Hari Aum!
Humble Prostrations at the Lotus Feet of the Revered Sree Guru Parampara and Pujya Maa ji.
Since childhood we have been instructed at school and at home “Use your Head and be practical! Don’t get emotional.” So my association with the heart has always been, being emotional and at the same time, if I became too practical, I would hear “Have a Heart!” … Big Confusion! Our culture and traditions always inspired me towards doing what ‘should’ be done. Stories from the great Epic Ramayan and the character of Maryada Purushottama Prabhu Sree Ramchandra ji’s gave me the courage to imbibe qualities of love, respect, humility, patience, perseverance etc. Yet there have been times when I was in dilemma.
What am I supposed to do? Do I become headstrong? Or a soft human being who is considered weak in today’s society? I grew up with this confusion and then I met Maaji. When I started listening to Maaji, she would speak about the Spiritual Heart, the Lotus seat of the Lord, the Atman. I didn’t understand quite a lot, but I always loved listening to what she said. I felt a connection and then I started studying the Scriptures under Maaji’s guidance, and for the 1st time started understanding, what is Head and the importance of the Spiritual Heart.
This topic ‘Bridging the Head and Heart’ is so important for all of us. Our daily interactions with the competitive world; be it professional life, life as a student or a mother preparing the kids to face challenges, makes us headstrong and selfish, fattening our egos; leaving behind the soft, but the Righteous voice of the heart far behind, exactly the opposite of what the Scriptures say. The Mind and the Intellect are our instruments with which we perceive the world around. Both are two sides of the same coin. The mind has the power to take us closer to our own True Self, or take us far away from It, depending upon our inherent tendencies - our Gunas, which bind us to this falsehood.
The Scriptures and our Revered Gurus have been teaching us how to train our mind and intellect equipment, to understand the true nature of our Satchidaanand Swaroop.
Mere understanding of the intellect cannot take us to that Ultimate Bliss state of Realization. To experience the Highest, we need to have Infinite Love, a pure heart and accommodation for all; which can be gained by transcending the limitations of the Mind and Intellect through meditation and devotion to the Lord and Guru, by total surrender at the Guru’s Lotus Feet. By Guru’s Grace alone, the Spiritual Heart will develop, and the culmination of Head into Heart will take place.
I consider myself to be blessed to get the opportunity to study this Treasure of our Scriptures under Pujya Maaji, and want to make the best out of it, and put in effort to the best of my ability and try to live it.
ब्रह्मानन्दं परमसुखदं केवलं ज्ञानमूर्तिं
द्वन्द्वातीतं गगनसदृशं तत्त्वमस्यादिलक्ष्यम् ।
एकं नित्यं विमलमचलं सर्वधीसाक्षिभूतं
भावातीतं त्रिगुणरहितं सद्गुरुं तं नमामि ॥
Surrendering at Your Lotus Feet
Pranaam Maa