The word consciousness is often used in modern psychology and philosophical literature. It is used for Atmajnana, the direct knowledge that we receive from our Atman. Jiva Atma is the individual soul, and Param Atma is pure consciousness.

From the center of consciousness flows the life force in various degrees and grades. With the following simile, you will clearly understand. When a lamp has many shades, the light is very dim. When you take off the shades, one by one, finally you find the center of light.

Read the February 2013 Newsletter [by Dan Prideaux]

Table of Contents

• Consciousness and Knowledge
• Silence Between Breaths
• Spiritual Advice
• Astavakra Gita, Part VI by Swami Nitya
• SRSG News
• Ammaji's Corner
• KHEL News
• Chai and Veggie Pakoras

In November 2012, Himalayan Yoga Meditation (Thailand) has for the first time organized a group of people from Thailand to join Teacher Training Program (TTP) at Swami Rama Sadhaka Grama. I have known Swami Veda Bharati for nearly twelve years and he more than once had asked me to set a meditation group in Thailand and get people to attend TTP at his ashram. I never took action - a good example that in spite of one's dedication to one's own Guru, the person can still disobey his beloved Guru if he allows his own personality aspects to stand in the way. Guru always knows a disciple better than the disciple knows himself and he only asks the disciple to undertake tasks that are beneficial to developments of his disciple in all areas, physically, emotionally, mentally and spiritually. Yet, Guru's love for a disciple is always reflected in his patience and understanding (of disciple's limitation and weaknesses).

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A letter written to Swami Veda Bharati by a sadhaka who prefers to remain anonymous.

Dear Swamiji,

Daily God is thanked with the greatest of gratitude for the beautiful blessing of the many recordings of spoken words of divinely inspired wisdom. Daily, hour upon hour, my ears hear words of wisdom flowing from the cosmic consciousness like a quiet, but confident river whose source is eternal beauty and truth.

This voice of recorded words is the conduit mouthpiece for the living truth of God's cosmic mind, and a great source of guidance for this one who daily with great eagerness of intention listens to these words, hoping that today, finally, may a strong seed be planted to purify at least one unruly thought of her rampant distracted mind; thus may she be, at last, one millimeter closer to knowing her greatest wish--the realization of God.

Daily, guided by spoken words of truthful insight and by my efforts of intense self examination, if in matters of the day, am unsure of which course of action to take, in the final moment, my mind answers the question the ears have heard many times before; "What action will most please God"? And almost as quickly as the question is asked, the answer will follow.

What a day! It is Chinese New Year Day. It is a sacred Jewish day.
 
Sharing Steve Siegel's response to Silent Day, the invitation to share one day of silence, Mauni Amavasya, each year:
 
"I find it very interesting that the annual day for silence corresponds to the new moon that inaugurates the Hebrew month of Adar. Although there is no specific reference to silence, in Jewish tradition, in relation to this new moon that I am aware of, a little digging shows it to be a most auspicious time for the practice.
 
The name Adar is connected to the Hebrew word Adir meaning empowerment and strength. The word Adar can also be broken into A/Dar-the first Hebrew letter 'alef' representing the oneness of God, and the Hebrew word 'dar' meaning dwells. The letter 'alef' has no sound of its own. It is the pregnant silence just before a sound. So one could interpret the beginning of the month of Adar as a time to be strengthened by dwelling in silence with God or when God dwells in silence with us.
 
Adar is the happiest, most joyous month of the Hebrew calendar. In fact, its motto is 'When Adar comes, joy is increased.' May we all be empowered and strengthened by the joy of silence and the presence of the One at this special time.

Excerpted from The Essence of Spiritual Life by Swami Rama

The most ancient traveler in the universe is love. It is love that travels from the unknown to the known, from eternity to eternity.

Those who want to realize the greatest delight should realize themselves in others. This is the definition of true love.

The spirit of love is boundless and emancipates our being from illusory bonds and superimpositions. It is unity that will lead us to Truth. That which is the beginning and the end of the phenomenal world is divine.

Loving somebody does not mean hating others. Remember this. If you love somebody, that means loving all. Your love should travel toward expansion, not toward contraction.

Learn to love others and demonstrate your love through selfless action. This is very important. Try not to hurt others through speech. Dark words have no capacity to contain real feeling and love, for they are not containers. Love is immortal and needs an immortal container. People say that it is expressed through the heart; therefore, the heart is the center of love. I deny that. The soul, actually, is the real container of love, for the soul alone is the most ancient traveler, and so is love. They are one and the same.