Glimpses of Samadhi

Glimpses of Samadhi
Taoshobuddha
Taoshobuddha Meditations International
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Glimpses of Samadhi
Glimpses of Samadhi
Samadhi is the ultimate flowering of inner oneness, bliss and harmony. However before the ultimate happens there are many small yet enlivening, invigorating and breathtaking moments when the seeker experiences these moments as glimpses to the Ultimate flowering. These are like small windows into the totality. Zen calls these as Satori. I share with you such moments from the life of Ramakrishna Paramhansa and Guru Nanak.
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Glimpses of Samadhi
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Glimpses of Samadhi
amakrishnas first SAMADHI happened that way. He was only thirteen. He was coming home from his farm, and was passing by a village pond, and a few swans suddenly flew from the pond. The sky was dark, full of dark clouds. Against the backdrop of those dark clouds, the white swans flashed like lightning. The moment was so pure, of such utter beauty, that Ramakrishna fell then and there to the ground in great prayer. He was struck by God. He remained unconscious for a few hours. Somebody discovered him and people carried him home. That was his first SAMADHI. When he opened his eyes after a few hours, he was a totally different man. Those eyes were no more the old ones instead they had a new shine. The face was no more the old one it had a new glory. The boy was transformed. People started worshipping the boy as people started to come from far and wide just to see what had happened. Something divine had penetrated him. And he had not been doing anything, he was just passing by the pond, but he never allowed his ego to take possession of it. When people would ask What did you do? he would say I have not done anything it has just happened. And he never was greedy for it to happen
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again otherwise he would have missed. And it started happening again and again; then small things started triggering it. You cannot find swans flying against the dark clouds every day. But that is not the point; that was just the beginning. Then small things explode into something magnanimous. Somebody would smile, and it would happen. A flower by the side of the road, and Ramakrishna would look at it and go into ecstasy again and he would no more be there. Or somebody would say something - just the sound or chant a mantra again just the sound or somebody playing on a VEENA again just the sound, and he would go into ecstasy. Later on it was so difficult for his disciples to take him anywhere was a problem. On the road, walking, and suddenly he would be gone, he would disappear. That must have happened to Basho, the Zen mystic and poet. The ancient pond A frog jumps in Plop! Basho must have gone into a deep ecstasy just the plop, the sound of the frog jumping into the ancient pond, was more
Glimpses of Samadhi
than enough the door opened. It opens to you too God is generous but you miss the point, because you misinterpret it. Sometimes it happens while you are making love, more often when you make love because that is your deepest experience. Ramakrishna must have been a very aesthetic soul, otherwise who goes into such orgasm seeing a few swans flying by against the black clouds. He must have been of immense aesthetic sensibility. It was enough therefore for him to go into an orgasmic state. Ordinarily, people are not so sensitive; they have become very hard. Just to survive they have gathered armor around themselves just to protect themselves because they are afraid of being vulnerable. But while making love one becomes vulnerable. In that intimacy, the glimpse comes; you are lost, and possessed by some energy which is not your own. You are tiny compared to it while it is enormous. But never take possession of it later on; the ego is cunning. When it comes thank God when it goes, thank God again, but do not become in any way a doer, and always remain a non-doer.
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Glimpses of Samadhi
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Glimpses of Samadhi
He is Omkar
He is one he is Omkar, the supreme truth. He is the creator, beyond fear, beyond rancor. His is the timeless form. Never born, self-creating He is attained by the gurus grace. He was truth before the ages and as time ran its course. Nanak says, now is he truth eternal, and forever will he be. We cannot comprehend him though we think a million times; Nor quiet the mind by silence, however long we sit;
Glimpses of Samadhi
Nor a mountain of bread appeases the hunger of the soul; Nor one hundred thousand feats of mind achieve unity with him. How can truth be attained And the veil of falsehood torn Nanak says, by submission to the divine order which is preordained.
#k Aae<mkar sitnamu krta puo inr_av inrbEr Akal mUrit AjUnI sE_a<g gu prsad jpu
Ekomkr sa nm kar purak nirbao nirvair akl mra ajn saiba guru pars! PURPORT: One Universal Creator God! Thy Name Is Truth! Creative Being Personified! No Fear! No Hatred! Beyond death! And beyond Birth too! Self-Existent - cause of His own existence! How one can attain! Certainly by Guru's Grace alone!!!
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Glimpses of Samadhi
THE MOOL MANTRA - THE INVOCATION: The mool mantra has two parts the Invocation and the Explanation of the attributes. As is the customary etiquette before one begins the message there is invocation. Invocation comes first. Ek Omkar Satnam is the Invocation. This is the essence. The entire Sikh religion is condensed in these three words. After this all that Nanak spoke is the explanation. Not everyone is at the same plain as Nanak is. And if that has been the case then there was no need for Nanak. The explanation is therefore needed. This is the methodology or Tariqat or the Way of Nanak to bring transformation in you. This is the way for the transformation of human consciousness. EK OMKAR SATNAM is the remembrance and salutation of that which is. And there can be no better way than remembering the attributes of that which is. There is a significant difference between the invocation you do and the invocation of Nanak. The words Nanak is using as attribute are his experience. These are the words of the one who has known. When a master uses certain words there is certainly a difference. In fact it is the master who gives his fragrance to
Glimpses of Samadhi
these words. Each word that Nanak has used echoes his fragrance and his being. Nanak experienced his beloved and out of that experience these words overflow. Before I go into the actual text it is important to know something of the birth of Jap Ji. Only then we will be able to enter the being of Nanak through the message of Jap Ji.
First Glimpse of Samadhi
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Glimpses of Samadhi
The first experience or the satori of Samadhi or Ultimate or Enlightenment Nanak had when he was only Thirteen years old. Nanak was then working at the shop of a grocer. His job was to weigh the grocery or food grain for the customers visiting the shop. In India people will buy items like wheat, rice and beans in bigger quantity. The weighing mechanism was ancient. No electronic scales or prepacked bags. Every time when a customer visits the shop the item has to be weighed before the transaction is completed. The weighing scales were hand held. However I could only find the image of the scale on a stand. Through the traditional hand held scale has been strenuous because the person has to hold the scale with weight on one side and the item to be weighed on the other side. And then the scale holding in the hand is raised high enough the ground level to balance the two sides. And when the quantity is large the weighing is done in multiples. For instance If 20 Kilograms of what is to be weighed then it has to be done in smaller multiples because the scale with equal amount of wheat and weight has to be held with one hand. This is tenuous.
Glimpses of Samadhi
One day there was a similar situation. Nanak had to weigh a huge amount and this was to be done many times. Each time Nanak weigh he repeated the number until the next weighing completed. Thus having completed twelve time Nanak reached the Thirteenth time. In Gurumukhi thirteenth implies Tera or Terah meaning your think. This word became catalyst to transport Nanak to a new realm. This word became a glimpse into the unknown. Then Nanak continued weighing but counting did not go beyond thirteen. There are only two situations mine and yours. The entire inward journey starts from mine or I or ends on yours. This is beginning. And then one day one attains to the ultimate. This is Enlightenment. Either man is guided by ego then he is concerned with I and mine. He is selfcentered in his ego and ignorance. And when he comes out of this quagmire of ego he flies in open sky. This was the beginning of the inward journey for Nanak. Thereafter he was a totally different person. This glimpse was followed by many such similar glimpses until the dawn of ultimate awakening happened on the inner horizon and Nanak was enlightened. Let me explain another incident when Nanak was sixteen to seventeen years of age. One dark rainy night in the month of
Glimpses of Samadhi
Bhadaun (The Indian Name for the rainy month)! Thunder! In between lightening! Periodic pangs of rain. The entire village was asleep. Only the lamp is lit in Nanaks room. Thunder! Lightening! In between the sound of rain drops falling on the roof breaks the stillness of the night. An indrawn Stillness continues! Total silence! Only the melody of Nanak echoes. Until late that night Nanak continues singing. Night entered the third quarter. Nanaks mother feared. She gave a gentle knock at the door. Mother Tripta said, Son, go to sleep now. The night is about to disappear. It is almost day break, son go to sleep now. Nanak got silent. Same time amidst the dark stillness of the night a bird papeeha echoed the sound PIHU PIHU. Nanak drew the attention of his mother towards this sound, and said, mother are you listening to the sound of this bird. This bird is not asleep as yet. Its song the Clarian call continues. The bird continued the lament of separation with its beloved. I am in competition with this bird. It is calling to its beloved. Then how can I be silent. I will continue to sing as long as this bird continues to call. Its beloved is close by. But my beloved is far. Even if I continue for lives only then I can reach. In love one does not count days. And thus Nanak
Glimpses of Samadhi
continued singing. Nanak reached to the Ultimate through singing. Nanaks path is full of songs. Nanaks search is unique. Remember Nanak did no Yoga! No Tap! No Dhyana! Nanak simply sang. And thus attained to oneness with the Ultimate! Nanak sang with so much totality that his song became dhyana (meditation). Song became Yoga! Also song became tap or austerities. An ecstatic Kabir sings:
surt klarI mtvarI mxuva pI GayI ibn taEle,

SURAT KALARI MATVARI MADHWA PEE GAYEE BIN TAULE! Nanak is the one who drank the mystical wine to immesurable quantum! Nanak continued to sing the rest of the life. Such songs are not the songs of an ordinary singer. These are the songs of one who has known Truth. These songs echo the ultimate experience of Truth or Oneness. These songs reflect the very Being of Parmatma or God or Rab as Nanak calls Him. Having drunk Nanak is now overflowing that which cannot be put into words. Only an enchanting heart can feel Nanak and His ENERGY FIELD. The energy of Nanak cannot be destroyed by
Glimpses of Samadhi
any means. Only an Enchanting heart can become a medium of communion.
The birth of Japji Sahib

The dark night of rainy season I spoke of earlier, and then Nanak was about 1617 years old. When Jap Ji was born Nanak was 36years, 6 months and 15 days old. The night that I spoke of earlier Nanak was an aspirant. That night he was in search of his beloved. Search has just begun. The call for the beloved is continuing PIHU, PIHU The bird was still calling. Union had not yet happened. The flower has not yet blossomed. But the bud has its beauty fragrance and aura as well. Whenever an individual does any act with so much totality that alone becomes the path! Anything done halfway! Be it meditation, cannot lead to ultimate flowering!! If you sing with your whole being! Dance totally! Certainly you will reach. It matters not what you do? What really matters how you do? The question is of your totality. Just as atom cannot be destroyed so too consciousness can never be destroyed!!! Scientists have harnessed atomic energy only for destructive purposes so far! But
Glimpses of Samadhi
Nanak has harnessed the energy field of consciousness for the transformation of human being! Feel it! Be it!!! Nanaks effort is the birth of a new man out of you! The integrated, harmonized, and blissful!!! One who lives life beyond duality!!! JAPJI SAHIB is the announcement of Nanaks union with God. The bird is now united with its beloved. The lament of PIHU, PIHU is over now. After this solemn union with his beloved JAPJI is Nanak message. Nanaks compassion overflows through JAPJI. Japji is the Being of Nanak. Japji is the Fragrance of Nanak. Therefore, in the message of Nanak JAPJI occupies a very significant place. Most sublime of Nanaks message is Japji. Japji is the most authentic, sublime, and the recent message from the UNKNOWN AND UNKNOWABLE. JAPJI is the first words that overflowed through Nanak after the Union with his beloved.
Prelude to Japji
In the darkness of the night! On the bank of the river! Nanak remained sitting till late in the night along with his disciple and attendant Mardana. All of a sudden Nanak took off his clothes. Without a single word Nanak entered the river. Mardana followed.
Glimpses of Samadhi
And kept on asking, what are you doing? Night is cold and dark. Far he went in the river. Nanak took a dive. Mardana thought in a few moments Nanak will come out. Nanak did not come out of the river. For five to ten minutes Mardana waited. Then he started searching for Nanak. He started calling. Then he started sprinting along the shore. Where are you? Respond! Mardana felt as if each wave is responding. Have patience! Wait a little longer! But there was no trace of Nanak. Mardana ran to the village. Midnight he woke up every one. Crowd gathered. Everyone loved Nanak dearly. People saw a rare possibility in Nanak. A possibility of blossoming! In the presence of Nanak everyone felt a different aura. A new fragrance! Flower has not yet blossomed! Yet still the bud has its beauty! And fragrance too! Entire village started crying. People gathered. They searched the entire river. But found no trace of Nanak. Three days passed. It was accepted either Nanak drowned or some animal has eaten Nanak. It was accepted that Nanak died. There seemed to be no possibility of Nanak coming back. Sudden demise of Nanak was accepted. Three days after Nanak appeared from the river suddenly. As Nanak appeared JAPJI is his first message. Nanak made this announcement.
Glimpses of Samadhi
Such is the story. I say a story! A story means it is true and not true at the same time. It indicates truth. And it is not true because it indicates in symbols. And deeper the message is one has to search for deeper and more subtle symbols. When Nanak disappeared in the river for three days, the story says Nanak appeared in front of his beloved God. Nanak experienced Totality. He came face to face with God. Found his beloved in front of his eyes. One whom Nanak called day and night through his songs found in front of his eyes. For whom all his songs were addressed! One who was his heart beat! One who was the cause of his existence! Found right in front of his eyes! Nanak is fulfilled. God said, Now you go back. All that I have bestowed upon you, Share the same with people. Returning from this communion, JAPJI is the offering of Nanak.
Birth of Japji
When I said Nanak disappeared in the river for three days he appeared in front of his beloved. Found the beloved in front of his eyes! One for whom he sang! One for whom he spent sleepless nights! One that existed within him like a deep thirst! Now found him in front of his eyes! Eyes are overflowing with joy. Insatiable quest is
Glimpses of Samadhi
fulfilled now! His beloved asked him now to return and share all that He has filled him with. JAPJI is the first offering of Nanak to humanity. After this communion with his beloved JAPJI IS THE FIRST WORDS THAT EVOLVED OUT OF NANAK! JAPJI IS THE ECSTASY OF NANAK! NOTHING IS MORE SUBLIME IN THE MESSAGE OF NANAK THAN JAPJI! JAPJI IS THE BEING OF NANAK! HIS FRAGRANCE! This is a story. And I say this is a story. Try to understand its symbols. Until you disappear there can be no communion. What is this paradox! Until you disappear! And if I disappear then who will meet! Who will be in front of God! This you need to understand. You are not what you ought to be. You are not one. You are divided. There is utter confusion and conflict within. You cannot see that a seed is a flower. All this happens because of the false center-Ego. So when I say until you disappear it refers to the disappearance of ego. Ego has to dissolve. Only then your real face will appear. And remember this is the first criterion. How does this ego disappears it matters not. It is insignificant whether you disappear in the river, or mountains or forests. None of these really matter. What really matters is that you disappear. Where
Glimpses of Samadhi
and how you disappear matters not. Your very presence is the obstruction. You are the china wall. This is the reason that story says Nanak disappeared in the river. So too you have to disappear. Your ego has to vanish. This takes minimum three days. This is the reason when someone dies we celebrate Teesara or the third day ceremony. For the process of death to complete minimum it takes three days. That much time is needed. So too ego never dies instantaneously. Slowly and slowly it dissolves. And it takes three days. This is the reason there is gap of three days. Nanak disappeared in the river for three days. Nanak remained in the river for three days. Ego dissolved completely. Man exists as ego alone. Ego feels happy, sad, etc. All that you do is the outcome of ego. This happens until ego dissolves completely. Thereafter a new journey begins. Family, friends, and relatives can only see ego. If you are not operating as ego you do not have any existence. Sometimes you would have observed this happening to you as well. We do not have the eyes to see the soul. So it was considered that Nanak drowned or died. Whenever one begins the inward journey he becomes futile for the outer world. Now he is no more. He does not behave as you are. There is a discontinuity. Past is no
Glimpses of Samadhi
more. New is now born. This is the reason that the story has the gap of three days. The symbol of three days! Three days after Nanak returned. On the inward path whoever begins the journey certainly returns. But returns as refurbished, as new, as reborn! Certainly whoever moves on this path ultimately returns to the world of beings. He returns to share all that he has experienced through this commune. On his way he was thirsty. His quench is satiated now. He was a beggar while he was going. But he returns as an emperor. Emperor not of the outer but of the inner! He is now connected to an unfathomable ocean of bliss. JAPJI is such an offering of NANAK. Never consider this story of Nanak disappearing in the river or drowning and then appearing in front of God literally. If you think so then you are still an infant juvenile. You have only grown physically. Consciousness or wisdom is not yet born in you. What to do? Something sublime has to be communicated. Language is the only medium. This is the problem with the masters. They have to choose the words from the language. Words and language has its limitations. All that he wants to communicate is magnanimous. And cannot be put into words! Words are incapable to
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manifest its magnanimity. So this remains the barrier. When ego vanishes the entire creation becomes godly. In that inner harmony and oneness everything and everyone dances in that glory. Remember God is not a person sitting somewhere and you have to be in front of him. God is an invisible energy field. Such an understanding comes out of maturity. How can you appear in front of that invisible energy field? When this happens you see that invisible energy at work all around. It is this energy that surrounds you. To say then that the creator is separate from the creation is wrong and ignorance. The creator is hidden in the creation. The creation is the manifestation of the creator. And creator is the unmanifest creation. Precisely creator is the process of creativity. God is an unmanifest power hidden within you. It is this power or energy field that knows beyond our finite understanding. And we are bound to each other by a causeless force. We are not aliens nor as strangers meet. Instead we are bound to each other by an invisible causeless force. Such an understanding is the beginning of the inward journey. An ecstatic Kabir says:
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jb mE< wa tb hrI nahI<, jb hrI hE< mE< nahI<.
JAB MAIN THA TAB HARI NAHI, JAB HARI TAB MAIN NAHI! As long as I was, Ego continued to function. No union with God was possible! And now that when God is I have disappeared!!
em glI AtI sa<krI tame du# n sma@, raja prja jeih cE zIz dE lE ja@.
PREM GALI ATI SSANKRI TAAMAI DUI NA SAMAI RAJA PRAJA JEHI RUCHE SHEESH DAI LAI JAI!!! The lanes of love are very narrow! Two can never dwell simultaneously! The rich or poor; king or the subject Whoever this appeals can get it!! Certainly not as he is; Certainly a price is for this: And what is the price? Your mind, your thoughts, your conditionings, Your traditions and your dogmas too; Are the prices for this invaluable inner treasure of love!!!
Glimpses of Samadhi
With ego and vanity how can you be in front of him? Also how can you be in such a presence that is not an ordinary presence? You cannot look towards the sun attentively. The glare blinds you. Then how can you be in front of that which is thousand times more glowing than the sun. The day your inner vision opens, you will realize only that energy field surrounds you. Only you disappear. That is all. This cannot happen as long as you have ego. Ego is like a speck of dust in your eye. With that speck you cannot open your eye. And with closed eyes you cannot envision. Do not consider me literally. By opening the eye I mean the disappearance of the speck of ego in your eye. The moment this speck is removed the unknown and the unknowable becomes visible to you. God is always. There was never a time when he was not and also there will never be a time when he will not be. This is true of you as well. Only you were not available. Nanak disappeared. God appeared. Now God manifested through his very being, and his presence! Remember there is nothing except God. But God only appears through his creation and godliness. This is more sublime that God himself. Nanak returned as God. The man in him died. And now God is born in Nanak. After this happening whatever Nanak said is
Glimpses of Samadhi
precious. Every syllable is precious than the costliest gem. For each word or syllable even the entire wealth is meaningless. Each syllable then is Scripture. Each syllable is VEDA. Now try to understand JAPJI: Ek omkr sat nm kart purakh nirbhao Nirvair akl Murat ajn saibha guru parsd He is one! His very form is Omkar! The existential! He is Satnam! Embodiment of truth! Truth incarnate! The cosmic doer! Beyond fear! Beyond prejudice! Beyond time and space is his sublime existence! Born out of his own free will he ever remains unborn! Yet still he is the cause of his own existence! Such are his attributes Sacred and Sublime! How can one attain to this presence!! Certainly not by your own efforts alone! Be assured! By the grace of the Master! Let this be your trust and certitude as well!!! All that we see around is many. Wherever you see division is. All around only duality and multiplicity is. You go to the sea shore. Only waves are visible. Ocean alone is. And waves are on the surface. Yet still you do not see the ocean.
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You can see all that is on the surface. This is the only vision that you have. You do not see beyond the duality! To see beyond the outer you need a different eye. As is your vision so will be the scene. Whatever shade you have on your eyes will certainly give you the hue. Your awareness can never be deeper than your understanding. This is the reason there are altered states of awareness. And Sufis call these as various states of Nafs. And when you have the outer eye, then you can only see the waves. And then you will claim that you have seen the ocean. Use your intelligence to find the answer yourself. This is not the way to go to the ocean. From the shore only waves are visible. To know the ocean you have to be in the ocean. This is the reason that Nanak drowned in the river. He is not lost in the waves. Instead Nanak is deep within the river. Mystically river symbolizes the being of an aspirant. And from the surface whatever you will say will be false. How can you say that you have been to the ocean? A wave is not ocean. And neither the sum total of waves is ocean. There is a fundamental difference between the ocean and a wave. Wave is short-lived. One moment before it was not! Next moment it appears. And then the following moment it no more again!
Glimpses of Samadhi
This is transitory. Such cannot be the taste of God. Can it be? Certainly not! Once there was a mystic, a Sufi master! His name was JUNNAID. He loved his son dearly. Suddenly, one day the son died in an accident. Junnaid cremated the son. This baffled his wife. Wife always thought that Junnaid could never bear the agony of separation with his son. It appeared as if nothing has happened to Junnaid. It appeared son has not yet died. Junnaid remained unaffected. By evening everyone left expressing their condolences. An amazed wife enquired if he did not feel the agony. You loved your son so dearly that I thought you may break apart with this. Junnaids response is significant. It reflects the understanding of a master, one who has known how to be. For a moment I was taken aback by the sudden demise. The same time I remembered something. There was a time when the son was not and I was happy. And then the son came, happiness remained. Now that the son is no more then why lament. Happiness is there still. You think happiness increases or decreases. Happiness is not quantitative. Happiness is the quality of your being. In that state it is Bliss. Happiness is an inner functioning. It has nothing to do with the outer. I am blissful because of a different reason. When the
Glimpses of Samadhi
son was not yet I was not unhappy. Then how can I be unhappy when the son is no more. Between these two happenings was a dream. Children are born through you. Not from you. You are the door. You are the mechanism that a child is conceived. A child is the gift from the unknown. Give them your love. Mind they will have of their own. And once you have given them your love certainly something will evolve from within. That which comes and disappears is dream. That which attains form and dissolves is dream. Waves are dream like. Waves are numerous. Ocean is one. We can only see many. As long as we will not see oneness wandering will continue. Misery and despondency too will continue. TRUTH IS SOLITARY. Nanak sings: Ek omkr sat nm kart purakh nirbhao Nirvair akl Murat ajn saibha guru parsd. EK OMKAR SATNAM!
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Glimpses of Samadhi

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Taoshobuddha Meditations International

Taoshobuddha Meditations International

Taoshobuddha Meditations International

Taoshobuddha Meditations International

Taoshobuddha Meditations International

Taoshobuddha Meditations International

First Glimpse of Samadhi

Taoshobuddha Meditations International

surt klarI mtvarI mxuva pI GayI ibn taEle,

The birth of Japji Sahib

Taoshobuddha Meditations International

Taoshobuddha Meditations International

Taoshobuddha Meditations International

Taoshobuddha Meditations International

Taoshobuddha Meditations International

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