What is the relation between love and meditation? here are some thoughts.

When we talk about love, there is

1) Attachment on physical level
2) Attachment on mental level
3) Connection or true love

Worldly love falls on firt two categories - because it is often conditional.

Meditation will raise your love from the first two levels to the third level.

And in this level, you are effortless, totally aware, centered, totally in love, and you see everything around you just as your SELF or conciousness or divine.

Only Divine love is complete. Love is our very nature, our very existence. Only divine love is limitless. It can bring out all the charm and beauty in life. Worldly love is an ocean, but even an ocean has a bottom. Divine love is like the limitless sky.

And in this form, love and meditation merges to a single point. And this is why Bible says God is love, and Bhagvat Gita says Love is your true nature :)

Be in total love, and if you are not yet there, meditate. For meditation will lead you to there, and finally, merges with love :)

This write up is in response to the article ‘The Pope and Freedom of religion in India’ by Prof. Dr. Anniyil Tharakan (New Indian Express, View Point, Page 2, May 30, 2006).

Pope’s concerns over the laws made by various states in India, banning religious conversion, ‘and there by infringing on religious freedom’ caused a lot of fury – especially among some of the BJP leaders. Let us thrust aside all the show offs from political parties involved in this matter – it may be because of pure political reasons. But still, there are some major facts to consider, regarding the statements made by the respected Pope.

Converting a person from one religion to another is simply changing the outer skin – and this won’t do any good if we can not uplift the moral and spiritual values of a person from with in. But in India, religious conversions are done purely for outer reasons, normally by offering material comforts, or by exploiting sentiments about a ‘better life’ after death.

By banning religious conversion in some of its states, India just send a clear message to the world that all the religions are equal, and we are committed to keep our well acknowledged religious tolerance and commitment towards communal harmony.

It is high time that we should get around the banana skin (which are the rituals and symbols in religions), and move towards the religious values which is the real banana. The values in all religions are the same – and they are eternal and universal. If a Christian can not find God through Christianity, he is not going to do that just by changing his outer label to a Hindu. Similarly, a Hindu or a Muslim can not realize himself or the Divine or the unseen consciousness or Allah, just by changing to another religion.

As I got enough opportunities to interact with a number of so called ‘converted’ people, I can clearly state that these types of conversions only mounded up their religious confusions and worries. This happens often, mainly because suddenly these people are coming to a new set of rituals and symbols which may contradict with their present rituals and existing beliefs. Their new ideology will not match with their existing thinking and traditions, and add up their mental frustrations.

Freedom of a person is limited by laws - to protect him, and to protect the society. Even if a person interested in suicide himself, there are laws that prevent it. Similarly, in present day society, a religious conversion can be considered as a spiritual suicide – since it causes frustration and self-conflict in ones own mind – and hence it should be banned by law.

It is the responsibility of the state to protect people from undergoing such problems and exploitations, and hence, I strongly feel that religious conversions should be banned all over India. It is important to understand that this is not about infringing in to the religious freedom of people.

India has already shown the world that human values, peace and harmony can be promoted with out mixing any colour of religion to spirituality. Various spiritual leaders in India have done that in the past, and India is still doing it.

We have a lot of spiritual leaders who clearly set the examples – like Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, Mata Amritanandamayi, Sri Satya Sai Baba etc. Around the world, they are converting people from stressed and strained ones to self contented, service minded, peace loving people. They are not even worried about the religious labels associated with the people they influence. And they even ask people to think beyond religion, to move towards the real values and spirituality. This is because, religion is often used as a measure by most to achieve one’s own selfish desires – while spirituality is all about service, caring and sharing.

The church may take a clue out of this. It is not required to worry about the laws that prevent religious conversions – since these laws simply ban the assignment of a new religious label to a converted person. And everyone will agree that simply assigning a new religious label won’t do any good to anyone. At this point, I would like to mention that we should think and talk about spirituality and human values – and not about the outer covering – i.e, the symbols, rituals and labels associated with religions.


You can find good water any where, but you should dig deep enough. We should learn to take the spirit-uplifting human values and knowledge from all religions - to help us deepen the faith in our own religion and to instil human values and self contentment with in us. Self Realization or realizing the global consciousness, and finding the Kingdom of God with in, is not limited to the people in a particular cast or community. This is the great vision of Sanathana Dharma, which forms the root of India’s history and culture.

Hence, the laws that prevent religious conversions will not cause any threat to the religious equality and religious harmony of the country.

Through which specs you are reading this?
I feel to laugh

You see, that glass is just yours.
Just as I have my own.

The moment these words come out,
Those become yours, just as they are mine.

And from where they are coming?
I can see them only after they are there.

But for now, let me take the doer-ship
Though I may take births again

Or may I go beyond the cycle,
And Oh Lord, may I see the light?

I am tired, reading the same stories,
Only my glasses are changing

With out light, how can I read?
But I am still changing my specs

In response To 'Jalarekhakal' by S GopalaKrishnan - Malayalam Varika, 2005 April 29

I just read your article The Ligtened Darkspot (Prakashamanamaya Thamobindu). The name itself is excellent. I would like to share some more thoughts about the ‘dark spot’ you mentioned.

You mentioned in your article that you are a non believer. It seems interesting and funny. Exactly as your friend told to you, your mind reaches the dark spot (or gets blank) at some stage - it is when the mind gets completely settled – or when you are completely in the present moment – or when you are in expanded awareness. Normally, your mind is full of thoughts – either worrying about the past or agonizing about the future.

What do you think right now? Observe your mind right now, what is there inside? What is the first thought that comes to your mind?

You’ll get blank. This is Pragya or awareness. I think Pragya is the Sanskrit word for your ‘dark spot’. This is the present moment.

It is all about experiencing the present moment or the dark spot as you put it. The dark spot is NOW. When your mind is in present moment, you don’t have any thoughts, and then you experience the formless. All your demands and thoughts will stop. Unconditional joy and bliss dawns. Children are always in this state, isn’t it? This is the dark spot. The dark spot is the present moment. It is here, right now. And realize that all the rituals, practices and customs in all religions are to bring you to that dark spot.

According to the famous theory of Einstein, matter is just energy (E=mc2) isn’t it? If we decompose anything around us, we just end up in sub atomic particles, which are waves and particles at the same time. According to the quantum theory, matter is just vibration in the level of energy. And if matter is just energy, where does this energy manifests as matter? It is in the level of observer, in the level of conscious ness. With out conscious ness this energy cannot manifest as matter. For an event to take place, there should be an observer, isn’t it? This is the basis of relativity theory.

Hence, we can say that the whole universe manifests in the observer, or with out an observer, there is no universe (or Brahma) around him. The conscious ness or such ness or divine or atman or God, itself is the Brahma or universe. This is why Rigveda says, ‘Prajnanam Brahma’ or the conscious ness itself is the whole (or universe) around you. The Human body is capable enough for experiencing this conscious ness. Experiencing this conscious ness with in you is called as Realization, enlightment, moksha etc etc, by various realized masters at various times. These days, we speak about God men, and it is quite funny that there is a scientific possibility of finding God men around us – they are people who are living in your ‘dark spot’ all the time. You will experience a trace of this conscious ness when your mind is in present moment.

That is all about the dark spot you just wrote about. It is where you are in total awareness, and it is what about Swami Vivekananda, Parama hamsa Yogananda and such people mentioned about when they experienced the same. Read the books - Autobiography of a Yogi and Yoga Vasishta - if you haven’t done that yet. And after that, start meditating for some days – Ha ha. You may get some more clues regarding the dark spot.

The nature of this dark spot is unconditional joy and bliss, and GOD is just a symbol to take you there. First you concentrate on some symbol, and in the end you even throw that symbol away – to reach this dark spot. And this is what various masters tried to convey at various times – Jesus Christ called it the ‘Kingdom of God within you’, and Hindu Philosophy called it ‘Moksha’. Krishna says to Arjuna, “Those who realize my form as formless will reach me”. It is all about reaching that dark spot, to synchronize your conscious ness with the universal conscious ness. Again, the name dark spot reminds me the concept of black hole – where time stops and all our rational views break. Realize that the dark spot you just mentioned is a trace of bliss, a trace of your conscious ness, a trace of your own source. We are discussing all these things in the level of intellect, but you can experience the dark spot only with your heart. Finding the path from your head to heart is ‘Bhakti’ or surrendering to something around you – it may be a stone, a wood piece, some forces of nature, anything. Religion is just the skin and spirituality is the Banana.

After all, it doesn’t matter whether you are a believer or skeptic to realize this dark spot. But of course, from my personal experience, it is better to gain it from some one who experienced the same – like an enlightened master.

Often, you feel that you are working hard with out obtaining much output, reputation or result.
How to gain the maximum from you? In Hindu philosophy, there is the symbol of Lord Mahavishnu sleeping on Anantha, the snake. Vishnu is resting on Anantha, and the snake Anantha is the symbol of alertness. The lotus flower that comes from the abdomen of Mahavishnu is interpreted as the birth place of Lord Brahma, the creator.

This is a wonderful interpretation of creativity. Maximum creativity comes from you when you are Restfully Alert.

You can become restfully alert only when you have enough prana or subtle life force energy with in you. Meditating, chanting, going to worshiping places like churches, mosques and temples, playing with children etc will increase your prana. Alertness comes from awareness and awareness comes from dispassion. Becoming dispassionate will help you to de link the observer from the event and this take you beyond the event – and beyond an event, there is the real truth.

In Hinduism and Christianity, there is a practice of wearing ash in forehead. Wearing ash in fore head reminds you how impermanent and insignificant you are. It is just like reminding you “I am nothing, I want nothing”

Experiencing the inner joy will make everything else insignificant.

Every thing around us, everything we see and feel, is just energy in the subtle level. It is in our conciousness where this energy manifests as object (remember E=Mc2). This is the basis of Indian Philosophy. Everything manifests in our conciousness, and this causes the universe around us, which is called 'Maya'. Conciousness is the real source of joy or bliss, and all relgious practices, meditations etc are to take you to this source :). When the feeling of 'I' ends, conciousness and bliss dawns. Read my article about miracles at http://www.logicmatrixonline.com/anoop/art/miracles/miracles.htm for a more detailed discussion

Heard a talk from Nechoor Venkataraman about Ramayana. He interpreted Lanka as the human mind, Ravana as the Rajasic nature of human mind, Kumbhakarna as the tamasic nature and Vibhishana as the satvic nature. His talks about Bhagavatha are really providing me a lot of intutions. Seems that he is enlightened..lol :)). Also, saw a nice site today. http://www.realization.org . They have a translation of Ashtavakra Gita http://www.realization.org/page/doc0/doc0004.htm

Here are the results of my experiments with love.

• Possessiveness is often mis interpreted as love.
• Possessiveness causes attachment and entanglement, which limits our creativity.True love is non possessive. It won't look for proofs.
• Unconditional love will not demand. If you demand love, then your love is conditional.
• The basic cause of annoyance in all relationship is the fear of losing respect. See this quotes from Guruji

• "Only renunciation can sustain love and joy. Without renunciation love turns into misery, possessiveness, jealousy and anger. Renunciation brings contentment and contentment sustains love. Without renunciation one gets discontented, frustrated, sad, fearful, suspicious, analytical. And the whole soap opera begins. And this is what we find in society , don't we?"
• "When you love someone you dont see anything wrong in them. Even if you see some fault in them you justify the fault and say Well everyone does it, it is normal. You think you have not done enough for them. The more you do, the more you want to do for them. They are always in your mind. Ordinary things become extraordinary. For eg. A baby winking at grandmother. You want them to be yours exclusively. When you love someone, you want to see them always happy and you want them to have the best . You get hurt even over small things"

Only Divine love is complete. Love is our very nature, our very existence. Only divine love is limitless. It can bring out all the charm and beauty in life. Worldly love is an ocean, but even an ocean has a bottom. Divine love is like the limitless sky. Sans limits, Sans boundaries. :)