my self vs. our Self

The Front Door – Part 1

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By Dr. Jessie Mercay
posted by Ganesh

The correct front entrance placement is vital to the general effect that Vastureva Vaastu has on a home or structure. The placement of the front door determines which cosmic forces are stimulated at the entrance and what the effects are based upon that cosmic force. For example, a main entrance in the east-northeast zone (placed in a very specific, mathematically determined position) is very supportive to health, family relationships, and relationships in general.

The front entrance placed in the very center of the south – facing in a house wall creates a harmful effect on the occupants. Moving that door to the module east or west of south center using specific mathematical equations will do the opposite and actually enhance the lives of the occupants. The front door located in the central east promotes egotistical behavior and the demise of children. Whereas if the front door is located one pada to the north of central east it promotes fame and well-being.

The front door can be located in any of the four directions but only in the correct module as directed by the Shastras. This effect is due, in part, to the cosmic energy (Vastu) that pours down onto the house from Unbounded Space as the earth’s Vaastu attracts it to the building. That energy showers the building up to about ten feet around the building (hence the need to ensure that the plot is flat at least ten feet around the building). When the front door is opened, this energy pours in through the door. This is not energy from the stars, planets, sun etc. (all material energy) but rather direct Vastu energy (spiritual energy).

People with limited knowledge of authentic Vaastu Shastras do not know that the front door may go on any side of the house if placed in a correct position for that direction. Because they are unaware of this Shastric declaration, out of fear they place the front door only in the East or North. Again, because they are unaware of the Shastric rules for placing front doors, they place the front door in the central east location. This location for most homes is prohibited as it gives rise to egotistical behavior and demise of children either through death or departure from the home in unhappy circumstances.

Another interesting front door phenomenon executed by improperly educated designers and builders is that they read or heard that the front of the house should be deflected 1.5 degrees to improve material well-being. They interpret that to mean that the front door should be moved 1.5 to 2 inches to the right of center (center of the 101 pada). This in fact creates a disturbance in the Vaastu of the house and can result in disharmony for the inhabitants, as the center of the door should be centered on the pada per Shastric rule. Another common error of improperly trained Vaastu consultants and Sthapatya Veda Consultants is that they rely solely on a text called the Manasara. The text used is a literary translation by a Classical Sanskrit translator who was unfamiliar with technical Sanskrit. This fact produced a text that is only about sixty percent accurate.

It is only through proper training directly under the auspices of a Shilpi Guru that one can learn the nuances of ancient and authentic Shastric rules. The only existing organizations that provide that training are Vaastu Vedic Research Foundation (www.vaastuved.com) Chennai, and The American University of Mayonic Science and Technology, USA (www.aumscience.com)

Reference

Fabric of The Universe: The Origins, Implications, and Applications of Vastu Science By Jessie J. Mercay. Text and diagrams, with permission, from Dr. Jessie Mercay, Fabric of the Universe,  aumscience.com/wordpress. For any questions please visit http://www.aumscience.com.

Simplifying Our Life

Recently I watched this simply nice video. It’s something we need to think about and learn to make our life simpler as it is… 🙂

Jnana Yoga – Path of Wisdom – Part 2

The capacity of the mind to think exists, because it is enlightened by the Brahman (Supreme Soul) or Soul shining within and it is by that the mind is capable of activity. Those who have realized the Self say that the mind is pervaded by Brahman. “He who dwells in the mind, is within the mind, whom the mind does not know, whose body is the mind, who from within rules the mind is thy Self, the Inner Ruler, immortal.” (Brihadaranyaka Upanishad, III-vii-20) “That which one cannot think with the mind, but that by which they (wise sages) say the mind is made to think, know that alone to be Brahman” (Kena Upanishad, 5). Mind is a mere beggar. It borrows its light and intelligence from the Inner Ruler, the Soul that is self-effulgent. Just as a piece of iron moves in front of a magnet, so also, this mind moves in front of the Inner Ruler. It plays, thinks, feels and imagines before the Divine Presence, just as a prime minister plays and works before the presence of the king. The mind shines in its borrowed feathers. It appears like pure consciousness.

How can the mind which gropes in darkness, which changes in every minute, which has a birth from Mahat (Cosmic Mind) and also death (dissolution) in Prakriti (Nature) be termed as pure consciousness? The thoughts are various and changing. Now good thoughts manifest. Five minutes later, vicious thoughts appear. The mind is very fickle and changing. It cannot, therefore, be the changeless Soul or unchanging, rock-seated Brahman.

INERT AND CONSCIOUSNESS

Mind, Intellect, Senses and all other things are inert and lifeless. That thing which has no knowledge of itself and of other things also is called Jada or Inert or Lifeless. Brahman only is Conscious-Energy or Pure Consciousness is self-luminous and illuminates everything. It illuminates the mind, intellect and all senses internally; and externally the sun, the moon, the stars, lightning, fire, etc.

BRAHMAN IS CONSCIOUSNESS

Who sees the defects in the sun whether it shines brightly or whether it is obscured by clouds? It is the eye. Who sees the defects in the eye whether it is a cataract or Timira or not? It is the Intellect. Who sees the defects in the Intellect whether there is confusion or clarity in it? Who illumines the Intellect? It is Aham (Infinite ‘I’). This Aham is the Soul or Brahman, illuminator of everything. Who illuminates in dreams? There is no other light there. The mind is not self-luminous. It is inert. It is Brahman who illuminates the objects in the dream.

Suppose there is a blazing light at night. You stand at a distance. Something stands between you and the light as an obstruction and you cannot see the light. But you can clearly see the objects that are illuminated by the light. Though you cannot see the light directly, you clearly conclude that there must be a big light through the perception of the objects. So also, there must be a self-luminous illuminator behind this Nature. That illuminator, the Light of lights is the Adhishthana(support) for this illusory world.
If you sit down and realize that you only think by virtue of the one Life and that the mind, animated by the one Life into the act of thinking, is a part of the whole which is God, then you will argue that your mind is out of existence as a separate entity and the result is that mind and body physically (so to speak) disappear and the only thing that remains is Being Existence which is not explicable in words.

BRAHMAN IS WITNESS

Like, dislike, pleasure and pain, are the deeds of the mind only. Soul is Witness (perceiver) and unattached. Like a crystal which, though tinged with the seven colors is yet unaffected by them, Soul too is not affected by the actions of the mind. The very idea of creation suggests that there must be a creator. The very idea of matter suggests that there must be a spirit. The very idea of changing phenomenon suggests that there must be an unchanging noumenon. The very idea of a changing mind suggests that there must be an unchanging Witness and controller for the mind. He is Kutastha Brahman that clearly understands everything and is a silent witness of the embodied Soul and his activities. You are able to see the objects only. But the Witness or Kutastha Brahman sees the mind, its modifications, the embodied Soul or reflected consciousness and the various objects of the universe.

Reference

Mind – Its Mysteries and Control by Sri Swami Sivananda

Slope of Land in Vaastu

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By Dr. Jessie Mercay
posted by Ganesh

The slope of the land is an important factor that indicates certain qualities of Vaastu Purusha at a given site. Those qualities will affect a human living there based on the specific direction of slope in relation to the Earth’s grid. Specific qualities of Vaastu Purusha form the physical slope of the land and other geophysical features. Through insight and observation Mayan was able to assess the energetic patterns of a given site and then how those patterns would affect humans living there. This gave rise to various site assessment codes that at first glance might seem born of superstition. In fact, they are born of fundamental principles of the transformation of energy to matter.

It is optimal to select a site that has the proper slope of land already in place. It is possible to rectify a site using specific principles but, the underlying energetic patterns that formed the land slope and geology will always exist on that site even if only on a subtle level. Certainly it is of value to rectify an existing site if the land is already purchased but it will never be perfect in terms of subtle energy. Yet, good will come to the individual once they live in their Vaastu compliant house.

A small inclination of the site in an inappropriate direction is not as crucial as a large inclination in an improper direction. The force of nature that caused the small inclination is not as potent as a large inclination. In any case, the land must be flat for a minimum of ten feet around the house for optimal Vaastu effect and ensuing results. These are laws of subtle origin and thus of a subtle nature. We cannot overcome me the laws of subtle nature through trickery (doing some special trick to overcome them). We cannot trick Vaastu Purusha by hanging a mirror in the house or using a yantra or other device. In that same way we can’t trick Vaastu Purusha by flattening a drastically sloping piece of land. The essential patterns of subtle nature are there and can only be altered by that great Cosmic Force itself.

The diagrams below are an example of some of the many Shastric Codes set forth by the Vaastu Shastras that ensure the well-being of individuals inhabiting any given parcel of land or site.

Mayan also applied his understanding of the effect of mathematical values creating varying frequencies and qualities in any given built space. He formulated specific calculations – Ayadi calculations – that are applied to the perimeter of a built space called a Motherwall. We will see more about the Ayadi calculations by end of next week.

Reference

Fabric of The Universe: The Origins, Implications, and Applications of Vastu Science By Jessie J. Mercay. Text and diagrams, with permission, from Dr. Jessie Mercay, Fabric of the Universe, aumscience.com/wordpress. For any questions please visit http://www.aumscience.com.

All is One?

The separation between individuals is an illusion created by time. Space-time is a four-dimensional fluid that is “polarized” in one dimension so that causality and entropy occur.

All waves travel at the speed of light through space-time. Matter waves travel through the time dimension, and can also travel through space dimensions, experiencing time dilation to remain at light speed. Light waves and gravity waves are restricted to traveling through space, which is the three-dimensional surface of space-time.

Each moment is a focal point of the Universe, a standing wave pattern created at the intersection of all the matter, light, and gravity waves at that position in space-time. Individual beings are fractal extensions of their environments, each one created by a different section of the universe, unique and appearing separate.

The separation is an illusion, all moments and beings are interacting with each other and arise from the same underlying Cosmic order. We are all parts of the same being, experiencing and creating ourselves, continually changing, dissolving and emerging in time.

Source: http://yourbeautifulmind.tumblr.com

Who is Bodhidharma?

Much has been uttered about the semi-legendary Shao-lin Monastery in China. However little or no research has been done to clarify the many stories surrounding the history of this place, thought by many to be the birthplace of the traditional oriental martial arts. Closely related with the story of the Shao-lin Monastery is the name Bodhidharma, also referred to as Ta-mo, Damo, Daruma. Bodhidharma, revered by Buddhists as the 28th direct spiritual descendant of the Lord Buddha and First Patriarch of Chinese Zen. Bodhidharma was born near Kanchipuram in the Pallava Kingdom in South India.

Pragyatara, Bodhidharma’s master, told him to go to China because the people who had reached there before him had made a great impact, although none of them were enlightened. They were great scholars, much disciplined people, very loving and peaceful and compassionate, but none of them were enlightened. And now China needed another Gautama Buddha. The ground was ready.

Bodhidharma was the first enlightened man to reach China. The point I want to make clear is that while Gautama Buddha was afraid to initiate women into his commune, Bodhidharma was courageous enough to be initiated by a woman on the path of Gautama Buddha. There were other enlightened people, but he chose a woman for a certain purpose. And the purpose was to show that a woman can be enlightened. Not only that, her disciples can be enlightened. Bodhidharma’s name stands out amongst all the Buddhist enlightened people second only to Gautama Buddha.

Being an adept in Kalaripayattu (fighting art) which was popular in Pallava Kingdom, Bodhidharma taught the martial arts to Shaolin monks. He is credited with inventing Kung-Fu and associated martial arts in East Asia. Bodhidharma put up the essence of Mahayana Buddhism as a four-fold practice that encompass all other practices. They are: accepting adversity, adapting to conditions, seeking nothing, and acting in accordance with the Dharma.

The first Patriarch Bodhidharma arrived in Canton from T’ien-Chu (India), and stayed at the Harilakit Grove. At that time, Emperor Wu was a faithful adherent of Buddhism. The Emperor sent emissaries to receive the monk at Chin-ling (Nanking). They had a meeting, but no impression was made on the Emperor. The monk crossed the Yang-tze to the north and stayed at the Shao-lin Monastery at Sung-shan.

There are many legends about the man; they all have some significance. The first legend is: When he reached China – it took him three years – the Chinese emperor Wu came to receive him. His fame had reached ahead of him. Emperor Wu had done great service to the philosophy of Gautama Buddha. Thousands of scholars were translating Buddhist scriptures from Pali into Chinese and the emperor was the patron of all that great work of translation. He had made thousands of temples and monasteries, and he was feeding thousands of monks. He had put his whole treasure at the service of Gautama Buddha, and naturally the Buddhist monks who had reached before Bodhidharma had been telling him that he was earning great virtue, that he will be born as a god in heaven.

The dialogue between Emperor Wu and Bodhidharma is recorded in the book, Fu-tsu li tai t’ung tsai, it reads:

When Bodhidharma was presented to the Emperor by the magistrate of Canton, Hsiao Ang, the Emperor said, “I cannot enumerate the number of monks that I have supported, since I ascended the throne, in erecting monasteries and transcribing the sutras. I wonder what merit is gained by all this.”

Bodhidharma answered “There is no merit at all.” The Emperor asked, “What achievement is considered without merit?”

Bodhidharma answered, “All these are insignificant doings that would not free the doer from being reborn into this earth again. These deeds still show traces of worldliness; they are like the shadows following objects.

“Although they appear actually existing, they are no more than mere nonentities.”

The Emperor asked, “What then can be considered true merit?”

Bodhidharma answered, “A deed of true merit is full of pure wisdom and is perfect and mysterious, and its real nature is beyond the grasp of human intelligence. Such as this is not to be sought after by any worldly achievement.”

The Emperor asked, “What is the principle of the sacred truth?”

Bodhidharma answered, “Emptiness, and not sacred.”

The Emperor asked, “Then who is it that stands before me?”

Bodhidharma answered, “I do not know.”

The Emperor could not understand the deep meaning of all this. Bodhidharma remained for a few days and then he crossed the Yangtze River and proceeded north to the Shao-lin Monastery to remain there gazing at the walls.

What the Emperor did not understand was that Bodhidharma was advocating Cha’an (Zen) Buddhism, which centers its teaching “directly pointing to the human mind” and “becoming a Buddha just as you are,” believing that the Buddha nature is inherent in all human beings and that through meditative introspection this nature can readily be seen. By the Buddha-nature is meant the Buddha-mind in its highest attributes and true essence, which transcends all distinctions of object and subject or duality of any kind. It is emptiness, that is, empty of any specific character. The world of appearances, with all its specific characters, is but a product of the imagination.

To penetrate the Buddha-mind, the great masters of meditation variously advocated “absence of thought” in the sense that the mind should be freed from the influence of the external world. They taught “ignoring one’s feelings” so as to eliminate all defilement’s and attachments.

From its distaste for book-learning, Cha’an (Zen) Buddhism became known as the doctrine “Not founded on words or scriptures.” It was rather a teaching “transmitted from mind to mind,” that is, from one master directly to his disciple without the intervention of rational argumentation or formulation in conceptual terms. In essence, Cha’an (Zen) Buddhism is highly individualistic and often irreverent and iconoclastic with respect to tradition.

Reference

http://www.usashaolintemple.org/chanbuddhism-history/
http://www.messagefrommasters.com/Life_of_Masters/Bodhidharma.htm
http://ariseasia.blogspot.com/2010/01/2010-bodhidharma-has-no-shoes.html
http://www.buddhismgrove.com/history/the-shadow-of-bodhidharma-the-founder-of-zen/