What is the state of Trance?
From Wikipedia: Trance denotes any state of awareness or consciousness other than normal waking consciousness. Trance states may occur involuntarily and unbidden. The term trance may be associated with hypnosis, meditation, magic, flow and prayer. It may also be related to the earlier generic term, altered states of consciousness.
Trance is an amazing experience. It is difficult to explain to one who hasn't been in the state himself. A state resembling deep sleep, An out-of-body experience in which one feels they have passed out of the body into another state of being, a rapture, an ecstasy.
Trance conditions include all the different states of mind, emotions, moods and daydreams that human beings experience. All activities which engage a human involve the filtering of information coming into sense modalities, and this influences brain functioning and consciousness. Therefore, trance may be understood as a way for the mind to change the way it filters information in order to provide more efficient use of the mind's resources.
Trance-like states are often interpreted as religious ecstasy or visions and can be deliberately induced using a variety of techniques, including prayer, religious rituals, meditation, pranayama (breathwork or breathing exercises), physical exercise, music, dancing, sweating (e.g. sweat lodge), fasting, thirsting, and the consumption of psychotropic drugs such as cannabis.
Sensory modality is the channel or conduit for the induction of the trance. Sometimes an ecstatic experience takes place in occasion of contact with something or somebody perceived as extremely beautiful or holy. It may also happen without any known reason. The particular technique that an individual uses to induce ecstasy is usually one that is associated with that individual's particular religious and cultural traditions. As a result, an ecstatic experience is usually interpreted within the context of a particular individual's religious and cultural traditions. These interpretations often include statements about contact with supernatural or spiritual beings, about receiving new information as a revelation, also religion-related explanations of subsequent change of values, attitudes and behavior (e.g. in case of religious conversion).
Benevolent, neutral and malevolent trances may be induced (intentionally, spontaneously and/or accidentally) by different methods: Auditory: driving through the sense of hearing by chanting, auditory story telling, mantra, overtone singing, drumming, music, etc.;
Chanting is one of the most effective ways to enter into trance. See the chanting of the bhajan "Om Namah Shivaya" in this video
Om Namah Shivaya BhajanVideo of group Chanting Om Namah Shivaya
The first video is peppered with beautiful images from around Kolkata, the second one is of a group celebrating Shiva Ratri. For the purpose of trance this is just a distraction. Your mind keeps wandering trying to decipher and understand the images, trying to relate to it. Ignore the video all together, listen just to the bhajan with eyes closed,
the rythm is repeated over and over again, the wordings are simple but repeated over and over again. The words have exquisite meaning, as a prerequisit to chanting of a mantra you are suppose to be completely aware of the meaning of the matra while chanting it, this keeps you in the now, it holds your mind just on the edge of sublimal surrender. The body is seen to get into deeper and deeper states of relaxation.
The tempo of the Bhajan is gradually increased, very gradually almost imperceptible. The rythm itself is so cleverly constructed to include subtle highs and lows within it, the sounds don't lull the brain to sleep, instead it gentle awakens you, makes you more conscious, alert and aware.
The effect of the chanting is heightened when performed in a group, amongst other like minded individuals. It is something to do with the presence of the human body and the human mind adding positive or negative re enforcement. Notice that the tempo increases by at least 2 folds, ever so gradually. You need not be aware of this simply let your self go with the flow. Melt into the rhythm, towards the end it is just one blissful crescendo.
Namah Shivaya
Om Namah Shivaya
Hare Hare bole namah shivaya
Bheemeshwara shiva bheemeshwarayah
Har Har bole namah shivaya
Om Namah Shivaya is a very powerful mantra. It is just a 5 syllable mantra. It has been said about this mantra that if this mantra vibrates continually in your heart, then you have no need to perform austerities, to meditate, or to practise yoga. To repeat this mantra you need no rituals or ceremonies, nor must you repeat it at an auspicious time or in a particular place." This mantra is free of all restrictions. It can be repeated by anyone, young or old, rich or poor and no matter what state a person is in, it will purify him.
The Buddha's Heart Sutra
One last video of beautiful chanting, this time the Heart Sutra in Sanskrit
Chanting the Heart Sutra in a beautiful melody Checkout the Heart Sutra at this location
The heart Sutra translated from Sanskrit
if nothing else, this will leave you stunned in silence. Pragya Paramita Vajra Chedita, the group of sutras that the Heart Sutra belongs to in Mahayana Buddhism means - perfection of wisdom that cuts like a thunderbolt!
Form is emptiness; emptiness also is form. Emptiness is no other than form; form is no other than emptiness. In the same way, feeling, perception, formation, and consciousness are emptiness. Thus, Shariputra, all dharmas are emptiness. There are no characteristics. There is no birth and no cessation. There is no impurity and no purity. There is no decrease and no increase. Therefore, Shariputra, in emptiness, there is no form, no feeling, no perception, no formation, no consciousness; no eye, no ear, no nose, no tongue, no body, no mind; no appearance, no sound, no smell, no taste, no touch, no dharmas, no eye dhatu up to no mind dhatu, no dhatu of dharmas, no mind consciousness dhatu; no ignorance, no end of ignorance up to no old age and death, no end of old age and death; no suffering, no origin of suffering, no cessation of suffering, no path, no wisdom, no attainment, and no non-attainment. Therefore, Shariputra, since the bodhisattvas have no attainment, they abide by means of prajnaparamita.
Shortcut To Nirvana
Amazing movie on the 12 yearly Kumbh Mela
See the Trailer here
See Reviews and Buy the DVD here
The Bhagavad Gita and Mother Theresa
The Bhagavad Gita
The infinite joy of touching the Godhead is easily attained by those who are free from the burden of evil and established within themselves. They see the Self in every creature and all creation in the Self. With consciousness unified through meditation, they see everything with an equal eye.
I am ever present into those who have realized Me in every creature. Seeing all life as My manifestation,they are never separated from Me. They worship Me in the hearts of all, and all their actions proceed from Me. Wherever they may live, they abide in Me.
When a person responds to the joys and sorrows of others as if they were his own, he has attained the highest state of spiritual union.
Compare this to what Mother Theresa said, you will be left stunned and cold!
Click for the Video
Some months ago we went out in Kolkata and we picked up four or five people from the streets, and we took them to our home for the day. One of them was in a very bad condition, I told the sisters, I will take care of her. I did for her all that my love could do. I put her in bed, she took hold of my hand. There was such a wonderful smile in her face! She said one word - Thankyou and she died. She gave me much more than I gave her, she gave me her grateful love. She was so beautiful in her giving.
The poor are great people, they give us much more that we give to them. We must love them not by feeling pity for them, We must love them because it is Jesus himself in the distressing disguise of the poor.
They are our brothers and sisters, they are our own people. Those lepers, those dieing, those hungry, those naked - They are Jesus!
What is Death?
On Death
The Self, having in dreams enjoyed the pleasures of sense, gone hither and thither, experienced good and evil, hastens back to the state of waking from which he started.
As a man passes from dream to wakefulness, so does he pass from this life to the next.
When a man is about to die, the subtle body, mounted by the intelligent self, groans--as a heavily laden cart groans under its burden.
When his body becomes thin through old age or disease, the dying man separates himself from his limbs, even as a mango or a fig or a banyan fruit separates itself from its stalk, and by the same way that he came he hastens to his new abode, and there assumes another body, in which to begin a new life.
When his body grows weak and he becomes apparently unconscious, the dying man gathers his senses about him and, completely withdrawing their powers, descends into his heart. No more does he see form or color without.
He neither sees, nor smells, nor tastes. He does not speak, he does not hear. He does not think, he does not know. For all the organs, detaching themselves from his physical body, unite with his subtle body. Then the point of his heart, where the nerves join, is lighted by the light of the Self, and by that light he departs either through the eye, or through the gate of the skull, or through some other aperture of the body. When he thus departs, life departs; and when life departs, all the functions of the vital principle depart. The Self remains conscious, and, conscious, the dying man goes to his abode. The deeds of this life, and the impressions they leave behind, follow him.
As a caterpillar, having reached the end of a blade of grass, takes hold of another blade and draws itself to it, so the Self, having left behind it [a body] unconscious, takes hold of another body and draws himself to it.
As a goldsmith, taking an old gold ornament, molds it into another, newer and more beautiful, so the Self, having given up the body and left it unconscious, takes on a new and better form, either that of the Fathers, or that of the Celestial Singers, or that of the gods, or that of other beings, heavenly or earthly.
Brihadaranyaka Upanishad 4.3.34-4.4.4
On Why Arjuna should Fight
About why Arjuna should fight
The demonic do things they should avoid and avoid the things they should do. They have no sense of uprightness, purity, or truth.
"There is no God," they say, "no truth, no spiritual law, no moral order. The basis of life is sex; what else can it be?" Holding such distorted views, possessing scant discrimination, they become enemies of the world, causing suffering and destruction.
Hypocritical, proud, and arrogant, living in delusion and clinging to deluded ideas, insatiable in their desires, they pursue their unclean ends. Although burdened with fears that end only with death, they still maintain with complete assurance, "Gratification of lust is the highest that life can offer."
Bound on all sides by scheming and anxiety, driven by anger and greed, they amass by any means they can a hoard of money for the satisfaction of their cravings.
"I got this today," they say; "tomorrow I shall get that. This wealth is mine, and that will be mine too. I have destroyed my enemies. I shall destroy others too! Am I not like God? I enjoy what I want. I am successful. I am powerful. I am happy. I am rich and well-born. Who is equal to me? I will perform sacrifices and give gifts, and rejoice in my own generosity." This is how they go on, deluded by ignorance. Bound by their greed and entangled in a web of delusion, whirled about by a fragmented mind, they fall into a dark hell.
One man believes he is the slayer, another believes he is the slain. Both are ignorant; there is neither slayer nor slain. You were never born; you will never die. You have never changed; you can never change. Unborn, eternal, immutable, immemorial, you do not die when the body dies. Realizing that which is indestructible, eternal, unborn, and unchanging, how can you slay or cause another to be slain?
As a man abandons his worn-out clothes and acquires new ones, so when the body is worn out a new one is acquired by the Self, who lives within.
The Self cannot be pierced with weapons or burned with fire; water cannot wet it, nor can the wind dry it. The Self cannot be pierced or burned, made wet or dry. It is everlasting and infinite, standing on the motionless foundation of eternity. The Self is unmanifested, beyond all thought, beyond all change. Knowing this, you should not grieve.
Bhagavad Gita 16.7-16
Basava Vachana
"When the ghosts read the writing on the skulls Shiva wears
around his neck, they know, 'This one is Brahma, this one is
Vishnu, this one is Indra, this is death,' as they play happily
with them, Shiva smiles, he laughs, our god
--Basava, vacana no.537 translated in A.K. Ramanujan.
The Goal of Life?
To many it is not given to hear of the Self. Many, though they hear of
it, do not understand it. Wonderful is he who speaks of it. Intelligent
is he who learns of it. Blessed is he who, taught by a good teacher, is
able to understand it.
The truth of the Self cannot be fully understood when taught by an
ignorant man, for opinions regarding it, not founded in knowledge, vary
one from another. Subtler than the subtlest is this Self, and beyond all
logic. Taught by a teacher who knows the Self and Brahman as one, a man
leaves vain theory behind and attains to truth.
The awakening which you have known does not come through the intellect,
but rather, in fullest measure, from the lips of the wise....
Words cannot reveal him. Mind cannot reach him. Eyes do not see him.
How then can he be comprehended, save when taught by those seers who
indeed have known him?
Bright but hidden, the Self dwells in the heart.
Everything that moves, breathes, opens, and closes
Lives in the Self. He is the source of love
And may be known through love but not through thought.
He is the goal of life. Attain this goal!
The shining Self dwells hidden in the heart.
Everything in the cosmos, great and small,
Lives in the Self. He is the source of life,
Truth beyond the transience of this world.
He is the goal of life. Attain this goal!
Mundaka Upanishad 2.2.1-2
Quotes from the Upanishads and the Gita
This is a Random collection of quotes. They are not necessarily in the right sequence. If you want to study the Upanishads or the Gita in their entirety, pl refer to sites dedicated to this. I have some links ion the left pane
Select a clean spot, neither too high nor too low, and seat yourself firmly on a cloth, a deerskin, and kusha grass. Then, once seated, strive to still your thoughts. Make your mind one-pointed in meditation, and your heart will be purified. Hold your body, head, and neck firmly in a straight line, and keep your eyes from wandering. With all fears dissolved in the peace of the Self and all desires dedicated to God, controlling the mind and fixing it on Me, sit in meditation with Me as your only goal. With senses and mind constantly controlled through meditation, united with
the Self within, an aspirant attains Nirvana, the state of abiding joy and peace in Me.
Arjuna, those who eat too much or eat too little, who sleep too much or sleep too little, will not succeed in meditation. But those who are temperate in eating and sleeping, work and recreation, will come to the end of sorrow through meditation. Through constant effort they learn to withdraw the mind from selfish cravings and absorb it in the Self. Thus they attain the state of union.
When meditation is mastered, the mind is unwavering like the flame of a lamp in a windless place. In the still mind, in the depths of meditation, the eternal Self reveals itself. Beholding the Self by means of the Self, an aspirant knows the joy and peace of complete fulfilment. Having at-
tained that abiding joy beyond the senses, revealed in the stilled mind, he never swerves from the central truth. He desires nothing else, and cannot be shaken by the heaviest burden of sorrow.
The practice of meditation frees one from all affliction. This is the path of yoga. Follow it with determination and sustained enthusiasm. Renouncing wholeheartedly all selfish desires and expectations, use your will to control the senses. Little by little, through patience and repeated effort, the mind will become stilled in the Self.
Wherever the mind wanders, restless and diffuse in its search for satisfaction without, lead it within; train it to rest in the Self. Abiding joy comes to those who still the mind. Freeing themselves from the taint of self-will, with their consciousness unified, they become one with God.
This is true knowledge: to seek the Self as the true end of wisdom always. To seek anything else is ignorance.
Few see through the veil of maya.
Arjuna: Tell me of those who live established in wisdom, ever aware of the Self, O Krishna. How do they talk? How sit? How move about?
Lord Krishna: They live in wisdom who see themselves in all and all in them, who have renounced every selfish desire and sense craving tormenting the heart.
Neither agitated by grief nor hankering after pleasure, they live free from lust and fear and anger. Established in meditation, they are truly wise. Fettered no more by selfish attachments, they are neither elated by good fortune nor depressed by bad. Such are the seers.
Even as a tortoise draws in its limbs, the wise can draw in their senses at will. Aspirants abstain from sense pleasures, but they still crave for them. These cravings all disappear when they see the highest goal. Even of those who tread the path, the stormy senses can sweep off the mind. They live in wisdom who subdue their senses and keep their minds ever absorbed in Me.
Bhagavad Gita 6.10-27
In a clean, level spot, free from pebbles, fire, and gravel, By the sound of water and other propinquities Favorable to thought, not offensive to the eye, In a hidden retreat protected from the wind, one should practice yoga.
Svetasvatara Upanishad 2.8-15
When all the senses are stilled, when the mind is at rest, when the intellect wavers not--then, say the wise, is reached the highest state.
This calm of the senses and the mind has been defined as yoga. He who attains it is freed from delusion.
Katha Upanishad 2.6.10-11
Within the lotus of the heart he dwells, where the nerves meet like the spokes of a wheel at its hub. Meditate on him as OM. Easily may you cross the sea of darkness.
Mundaka Upanishad 2.2.6
As one not knowing that a golden treasure lies buried beneath his feet may walk over it again and again, yet never find it, so all beings live every moment in the city of Brahman, yet never find him because of the veil of illusion by which he is concealed.
Chandogya Upanishad 8.3.2
See more at this site
The Benefits Of Meditation At Work
Here is yet another article that talks about "Benefits of Meditation" at work
The needs of business environment are fast demanding some techniques that can be incorporated to cater to the mental needs of the employees and executives. Tension, anxiety, and fatigue are common phenomenon that almost all the corporate sector is complaining about.The competition and market demand does not allow them to be moderate in their work. They need to work like machines. This is actually where the problem lies, and meditation at work can easily have its impact. Meditating at work can prove almost to be a panacea for work environment problems.... (Read the rest of the article here)
The summary "Benefits" seems to be "Increase in productivity" and "Improvement in performance". My take on this is, firstly this sounds like you are describing a machine, secondly Yes, we all know one needs to enter the inner sanctum to be at peace, weather at work or not. The goal of meditation cannot be anything else but meditation itself. Its a state of being, its not doing. It doesn’t matter how, when, where the individual finds time and place for his 3 minutes of silent self awareness. The silence remains with him for the rest of the day.
You are describing meditation as something, which is not being done in the work place today. You seem to be proposing an idea, which benefits a business. You imply that some kind of "Meditation Program" should be implemented in the work place? if so what? How? it is very difficult if not impossible to implement any kind of meditation program in most western office buildings. These are nothing more than "small places to put the resources" a collection of cubicles. The worker is just another resource who is put with any other office resources like the computer, telephone, desk, waste bin, stapler, pencils etc. Where is the place? Also, Where is the time? when do you propose to do this? Will bosses accept people sitting silently doing nothing, first thing in the morning after they arrive? say from 9.00 - 10.00 AM?
Sorry my friend, you are talking about an impossible situation. You are talking about using the classic “Invest-Monitor-Correct” techniques to implement something very personal. Meditation has incredible benefits for the individual true. How you propose to implement the solution seems to be by encouraging managers and business owners to "Invest" in another employee benefit and monitor if revenue and margins do improve. This will not work. The capital benefit has to go back to the individual for him to get motivated to perform any better than he already is.
The stress, strain, fatigue you describe are direct results of capitalism. We have accepted that we want to perform at higher levels, build better machines and deliver better products and services faster and cheaper. We are willing to work hard to achieve these because We want to get rich faster. We have setup performance based incentives for the employee in the hope that he will aim to perform better. We are the ones who want this situation. To keep up with our competition which could be from a different company, a different department, a different section of the same department or just the person in your next cubicle. We want to keep running; the race gets faster every minute so you have to run faster to remain where you are.
Yes, meditation will help up to a limit, like a psychotropic drug, to desensitize the mind. The limit in this case is purely physical. Once this limit is reached, the mind-body breaks down. The individual cannot perform any better. By insisting in staying in the rat race, you can only push this limit a bit higher and delay it a bit longer through meditation.
I feel, the whole premise for this discussion is wrong. Meditation cannot be misused as a tool to achieve higher monetary gains in business. Once an individual gets the fragrance of Meditation the whole structure of the societal rat race will seem irrelevant. You might end up completely losing an individual from the rat race!
OSHO: Indias Greatest Bookman?
If there were a competition to decide who is the 20th century's a) most voracious reader; b) most prolific author; and c) assembler of the largest personal library, India would have a candidate. His name is Osho, a spiritual leader, who attained, before his death in 1990, a substantial following both in India and the West. India's esteem for Osho can be measured by the fact that he is one of only two authors whose entire works have been placed in the Library of India's National Parliament in New Delhi. The other is Mahatma Gandhi.
From 1958 to 1966, Osho was Professor of Philosophy at the University of Jabalpur. Thereafter, he devoted himself entirely to spiritual study, reading close to 100 books a week. He is said to have read 100-200.000 titles over a period of forty years, some fiction, but mostly philosophy, psychology, religion and science.
In Books I have loved (1985), a book dedicated to the memory of Alan Watts and his effort to bridge the gap between Eastern and Western thinking and spirituality, Osho cites authors as diverse as Walt Whitman, Lewis Carroll, Friedrich Nietzsche, Fyodor Dostoyevsky, The Book of Mirdad, Lao Tzu, Hahlil Gibran, D R Susuki, Herman Hess, Jean Paul Sartre, Martin Heidegger, Ludwig Wittgenstein, Samuel Beckett, Karl Marx, Turgenev, Herbert Marcuse and Aristotle.
In 1954, at the age of twenty-three, he spent his entire salary for a month (seventy rupees) on a copy of P D Ouspensky's Tertium Organum. He had a particular passion for 19th century Russian novelists and maintained that if he had to count only ten outstanding novels, five of them would be Russian. Osho first came to the attention of students from the West during his stay in Bombay from 1970 to 1974. Thereafter he settled in Poona, on the edge of the Deccan plateau, 120 miles from Bombay. His mansion, known as Lao Tzu House, is entirely filled with books. His private library of 100.000 volumes is said to be exceeded in the 20th century only by that of Henry Edwards Huntington, the American railway tycoon (1850-1927).
Read the rest of this fascinating article here
OSHO: On Socialism
In the name of socialism today a great uproar is being raised all over the world. In this huge crowd, shouting hurray to socialism, my position is like that of the little child who exclaimed, "Father, the king is stark naked; there are no clothes on his body." I feel it is time somebody said it.
Human nature is such that it accepts a well-published lie as truth. A lie repeated again and again begins to look like truth. And truth said for the first time does not look like truth. For the last hundred years a systematic myth has been created around socialism. And its constant propaganda and slogan-mongering have made socialists of those who are not socialists at all. Even those who do not accept it in their hearts have begun to sing hymns of praise to socialism. And no one seems to have the courage to speak against it. I am an inexperienced man in the world of the experienced, and, therefore, I am going to speak out against socialism.
The crowd has always accepted great lies, and lived with them. Now a new lie, in the name of socialism, has captured the minds of men. So it is essential to understand its full implications.
The first thing to understand is that socialism today stands as an enemy, in opposition to capitalism. But whatever socialism may be, it is the child of capitalism. Capitalism arose out of the system of feudalism. And if capitalism is allowed to develop fully, it will lead to socialism. And socialism, allowed to run its full course, will turn into communism. And in the same way communism can lead to anarchism.
Read the full article here. This is in a particular ebook format, you will need IE to read this :)
Exerpts from the Gitanjali
Thou hast made me endless,
such is thy pleasure.
This frail vessel thou emptiest
again and again,
and fillest it ever with fresh life.
This little flute of a reed
thou hast carried
over hills and dales,
and hast breathed through
it melodies eternally new.
At the immortal touch of thy hands
my little heart loses its limits
in joy and gives birth
to utterance ineffable.
Thy infinite gifts come to me only on these very small hands of mine.
Ages pass, and still thou pourest, and still there is room to fill.
When thou commandest me to sing it seems that
my heart would break with pride; and I look to thy face, and tears come to my eyes.
All that is harsh and dissonant in my life melts into one sweet harmony ---and my adoration spreads wings like a glad bird on its flight across the sea.
I know thou takest pleasure in my singing. I know that only as a singer
I come before thy presence. I touch by the edge of the far-spreading wing
of my song thy feet which I could never aspire to reach.
Drunk with the joy of singing I forget myself and call thee friend who art my lord.
From the Gitanjali by Rabindranath Tagore
Osho: Love and Hate are one
What has destroyed love? it is the continous teaching of love that has destroyed love. Hate is still pure, love is not. When you hate, your hate has an authenticity but when you love it is only hypocricy. For thousands of years all the religions, politicians have been teaching one thing - love. Love your enemy, love thy neighbour, love your parents, love God! Why did they start this strange teachings of love? they were afraid of your authentic love, because the authentic love is beyond your control... you are possesed by it. You are not the possesor, you are the possessed. And every society wants you to be in control. The society is afraid of your wild nature, its afraid of your naturalness, so from the very begining it starts cutting your wings. The most basic thing which is dangerous in you is the possibility of love because if you are possessed by love, you can go even against the whole world
OSHO: Jealousy- society's device to divide and rule
The end proves the means right. The whole question is about how to go up the ladder but you never come to the end of it. Who so ever is in front of you creates jealousy in you. The whole life, you will find somebody is always ahead of you. Somebody below you. Amazingly there is always somebody ahead of you whoever you are in the world. So everybody seems to be in the middle. Perhaps the ladder is a circle, a wheel? So why not jump out of the ladder? Well this is not possible! because you see, there is always someone below you... this makes you feel good! you want to be in the ladder...
Drop competition, drop jealousy. Its absolutely pointless. If you have found yourself you have found contnetment, fulfilment...Esctasy
The Spectacular Zero
The class 6 student history text books in India make the following proud statement about the glorious days of ancient India. “Ancient India was a pioneer in science and mathematics. We invented the zero….” The lesson goes on to state various accomplishments in medicine, astronomy and mathematics. All of these are amazing accomplishments in their own right but it is the statement about the zero which has always intrigued me. What are we proud of? of inventing nothing? of inventing a mere symbol for nothing, which is probably the most insignificant number of all? At that time, for the little me, it was even a little embarrassing. We are the proud owners of the sunya (zero). Is that Indicative of how we are a big zero in contribution to modern science, sports, medicine or industry? Yet, the statement was never once retracted. Everybody seems to think that it is an important claim, but nobody seems to explain its importance. So, what is the importance of the discovery of zero? The answer to this question nagged me for quiet a while until I wandered into the fantastic world of Indian philosophy. Its here I realized the true brilliance and the absolutely stunning beauty of the mighty zero.
It is said that the introduction of zero into the decimal system was the most significant achievement in the development of a number system, in which calculation with large numbers became feasible. Without the notion of zero, the descriptive and prescriptive modeling processes in commerce, astronomy, physics, chemistry, and industry would have been unthinkable. The lack of such a symbol is one of the serious drawbacks in the Roman numeral system. In addition, the Roman numeral system is difficult to use in any arithmetic operations, such as multiplication. In India a simple but stunning number system was developed; the ingenious method was of expressing all numbers by means of ten symbols, each symbol receiving a value of position as well as an absolute value. This was a profound and important idea which appears so simple to us now that we ignore its true merit. But its very simplicity and the great ease, which it has lent to computations put our arithmetic in the first rank of useful inventions. We should appreciate the grandeur of the achievement the more when we remember that it escaped the genius of Archimedes and Apollonius, two of the greatest men produced by Greek antiquity.
It sounds like a very basic property of a simple but natural counting system escaped the brilliant minds of society everywhere else in the world except in India. It’s like somehow the Indians stumbled upon the idea which was the most natural counting system possible. It is descriptions like these that undermine the importance of zero to the discovery of fire or the wheel by cavemen. What’s the big deal? These are natural phenomenon which existed from eternity. This is the way things are, eventually a self aware being was bound to stumble upon these principles. So, Hello! what’s all the hype about?
The reverence for the zero is not about its use as a void place holder in a decimal counting system, the secret of the zero is in its very meaning. The invention of the zero should actually be the “revelation” of the zero, not a mere discovery, a revelation nothing less! Considering the true meaning of the zero, this revelation is perhaps the single most important of all ideas ever conceived by the human mind. Its incredible implications on our very existence and the conflicts that it evoked in belief systems of other cultures, led to the furious suppression of the true meaning of zero. The meaning of the zero to this day remains the niche knowledge of the most advanced of spiritual seekers.
Charles Seife in his book “Zero: The Biography of a Dangerous Idea” says “Cultures girdled themselves against zero, and philosophies crumbled under its influence, for zero is different from the other numbers. It provides a glimpse into the ineffable and the infinite….Zero is powerful because it is infinity’s twin. They are equal and opposite, yin and yang. They are equally paradoxical and troubling. The biggest questions in science and religion are about nothingness and eternity. …yet through all its history, despite rejection and exile, zero has always defeated those who oppose it. Humanity could never force zero to fit its philosophies. Instead zero shaped humanity’s view of the universe and of god.”
Charles then starts the first chapter of his book with a hymn from the Rig Veda.
“There was neither non existence
Nor existence then;
there was neither the realm of space
nor the sky which is beyond.
What stirred? Where?”
Nor existence then;
there was neither the realm of space
nor the sky which is beyond.
What stirred? Where?”
The humble zero demands such reverence, fear, unease, confusion and mystery. No wonder mystics from all lands and all cultures have strived to understand it and command the power of its knowledge. Zero is known by various names as the Hindu sunya, meaning "void" or "empty" , Arabic sifr, meaning "vacant", Roman cifra, Latin zephirum or zephyrum , zeuro, zepiro, cifre , English zero and cipher and several other forms: naught, tziphra, sipos, tsiphron, rota, circulus, galgal, theca, null, figura nihili and zilch.
The Zero is a representation of what does not exist. It is used in our numerical system to denote the non existence of a place. Example 101 has no tenth component unlike 111 which has one tenth component. 121 has two tenth components. For the number 101 to make sense, you need the zero to indicate that this is a 3 digit number and not the two digit number - eleven. So what you need is a “Void Place Holder”. The tenth place is occupied but the value is nothing. This goes to number systems of any base like binary(base 2) or hexadecimal (base 16).
On the land we now call Iraq, much of Western civilization first flowered. The Greeks called it Mesopotamia, “the land between the rivers,” (Tigris and Euphrates) Sumer was the first Mesopotamian civilization dating back to 5000 BCE. The Babylonian civilizations date from about 500 BCE. As known in the western world, the Babylonians first used the notation of a “void” place holder. This placeholder used to be a blank space but was replaced with a symbol. This was strictly a positional notation. Their system was sexagesimal (base 60) Unlike our decimal value system which uses nine distinct signs to represent numbers 1 to 9, the Babylonian sexagesimal place-value system has only two numerical signs, not fifty-nine, as one might expect. It uses only two signs: a vertical wedge for 1 and a crescent for 10. According to a Babylonian legend the original shape of the zero was said to be derived from the teachings of the Buddha.
The zero was discovered in India by the Arabs who understood the stunning simplicity and practicality of its use in mathematics. It is the Arabs who taught the European tribes about the zero. There is still a huge debate about when this happened, was this as recent as the 13th century CE? It cannot be because In 500 BCE the Persian empire has spread to the very borders of India. if the Babylonians knew about the zero in 500 BCE, roughly the time of the Buddha. It had to have happened at around that time. As knowledge evolved, it unavoidably had to be influenced by the tyranny of the ignorant. The Roman empire existed from about 300 BCE to 400 CE. The Roman numeral system completely banished the zero. Such a stupid idea! Why do you need a symbol to denote “nothing”? and why a zero placeholder? Hence the Roman numeral system did not use the zero. This more than anything else sealed the fate of the Roman numeral system.
Buddha was a breakaway radical from the much older and the incredibly complex Vedic system. The earliest estimated date of the Vedas is 6000 BC. He rebelled against the increasingly abstract definitions of the infinite in the Vedas. Many Hindu sects were headed in one direction exploring the complex nature of existential reality when Buddha went to the opposite extreme – nihilism, exploring the void. Ironically what he discovered about the void turned out to be as complex as the teachings in the Vedas. His efforts to bring the higher knowledge to the millions were not successful. The majority of humanity was not ready, prepared or capable of assimilating the highest knowledge from the Buddha. Buddha had to devise simple, understandable statements that were palatable to the masses. Exactly like the later Christianity or Islam. His deepest teachings in the Buddhist sutras were reserved to the more prepared; the more trained monks who dared to go all the way. According to the Babylonian legend the shape of the zero is derived from the Buddha. When he was meditating he formed a circular shape with his index fingers and thumbs meaning void. By doing this he was saying that in prayer you should make your mind blank. This void was the same idea as the blank space between numbers. So in order to be able to define the number of blanks they used the symbol in the shape of a 0.
Amazingly the mighty zero was lying quietly for thousands of years in India unknown to the rest of the world. The Shape of the zero itself is that of a circle, the only shape with no beginning and no end, the very definition of the sanathana dharma- The Indian philosophy of the Eternal way of life, The only way of existence from eternity till eternity, without beginning or end. The zero existed long before man was born and will remain long after man is gone. Why is it so intriguing, why do Indian mystic philosophers and an ever increasing number of western intellectuals go gaga over the zero.
Here are some equations from commonly accepted principles. It is expected that these can never been proved. They are “assumptions” made in order to enable mathematics to exist. For all observable phenomenons, except the strangest hypothesis in Quantum Physics, these assumptions seem to have worked.
2/0 = Infinity (generally held Taboo, the division by zero rule, cannot be defined, understood or comprehended)
2*0 = 0
2+0 = 2
2-0 = 2
0+0 = 0
0/0 = Infinity (this is a profound result but is only academic, safely ignored because division by zero is not allowed )
2+Infinity = Infinity
2/Infinity = 0
2*Infinity = Infinity
Zero is a symbol for "nothing.". As easy as the concept sounds, this has posed numerous problems to conventional arithmetic. Consider 4/2 = 2, what number will you get if you break 4 into 2 equal parts? The answer is 2. Now What number will you get if you break 4 into zero equal parts? Many thinkers including mathematicians presume the answer to this question as, “it is impossible to break anything into zero equal parts”. Try to break an apple into zero equal parts! That is the reason division by zero is Taboo. It’s referred to as “undefined” and hence this division is forbidden. Interestingly an answer can be found in the hypotheses of Indian philosophy. The infinite exists right within the zero. Its sounds incomprehensible because of the strong rooted assumption that something that exists cannot be divided into zero parts. The problem is right there, the assumption that something exists. How can you convert something that exists into something that does not exist? (zero – the void). If you let go of the assumption that something exists, then nothing exists!!! The apple does not exist, hence it can be divided or multiplied by anything and will still remain how it was before and will always be part of the infinite existence which is one with non existence or zero. Thus anything divided by zero will dissolve into infinity. Infinity is that which nothing can distort, nothing can add to it and nothing can subtract from it. only from it can all other numbers be derived from, It is eternal, and unchangeable. The definition of the absolute entity in Indian philosophy, the Brahman, the eternal self out of which all material existence manifests. God himself!
Another argument is that if you have a 1 in 10 chance of something happening then you have a 1/10, or 10% chance of it happening. It's inconsistent and can't be defined what odds of 1/0 (1:0) are. Out of 0 events an event happening one time is just erroneous and invalid. Or is it? Consider the current understanding of the creation of the universe - the big bang theory. This is one theory which has stood through the most severe scientific scrutiny not to mention condemnation and ridicule by the Christian church because the theory contests the 6 day creation theory of the Bible. The theory has stood the critical examination by eminent physicists and had common acceptance over all. Yet still, nobody knows what happened at the exact moment of the big bang. The theory breaks down totally at the very event of the big bang. This theory is forced to stop speculation at the infinitesimally small point at which supposedly all the matter and all the energy in the universe was condensed to! Imagine that! Imagine condensing the weight of this room, this building, this city, this country, the earth, this galaxy, the billions of other galaxies to one single point smaller than the tip of a pin? This point should contain infinite mass and infinite energy! Because one step beyond that the point would disappear, there will exist nothing but a void, a true state of nothingness, not even space.
From common perception how can anything get created out of nothing? Impossible! All known mathematics breaks down at the exact point of creation. All equations of the big bang run into “undefined” territory Thus to explain the big bang theory mathematically it is essential to have his infinitesimally small point from which the universe emerged. The logical conclusion seems to indicate that the universe was created from absolutely nothing! the void – zero. It’s only within our narrow understanding of existence that all mathematical knowledge makes sense to us, hence the ancient treatise of existence – reality and Maya. All science and mathematics known to man is successful within the realms of Maya. It breaks down miserably once reality is reached. When you reach zero or infinity every theory blows up.
The Vedas say that the universe was created out of the actions of prana the life force acting on akasha the ever present body of potential spread across the entire universe. What is perhaps referred to as dark energy in current quantum mechanical models of the universe. Einstiens in 1917 created a cosmological constant Lambda in his general theory of relativity. For his theoretical static universe to exist Einstien had to add a mathematical fudge to align the equations. Later when Hubble discovered that the universe was not static at all but is expanding at mind boggling speeds, Eienstien withdrew this mathematical fudge and called his failure to predict a dynamic universe the biggest blunder of his life. Now cosmologicts have discovered by the study of 1A (one A) supernovas that the universe is expanding at a much higher rate of expansion than what the quantum mechanical equations predict. The only explanation seems to be an invisible low density energy source exerting negative force on the universe causing galaxies to move away from each other at a much faster pace. This energy is predicted to occupy 73% of the known universe. In fact the matter that we know of constitutes only 4% of the entire universe. The remaining 23% is said to be in the form of Dark matter as that in black holes.
The current Quantum mechanical model of the universe proposes the Heisenberg uncertainty principle Nuclear physicists today say that every atom in the universe right now is being sustained in its known form by the continuous creation and destruction of elementary particles out of empty space! These elementary entities appear out of nothingness and disappear out into nothingness. It is said that this is what the Vedas refer to as the eternal cosmic dance of Shiva. Who is also called Nataraja the lord of the dance. This is happening every nano second in every atom in the universe. The position and angular momentum of any fundamental particle cannot be known at the same time. The state of a fundamental particle can only be predicted as one of the states in the so called probability density cloud. The entity that collapses these probabilities into one reality is held to be the observer the act of observation or consciousness.
The void space between these sub atomic particles inside every atom at any given point of time, is so vast that it can be concluded that atoms contain 99% empty space! so you and me are 99% empty space at this instant. So who or what am I? If I exist only one percent and all I can see is nothing but 100% existence. I can imagine why maya or illusion is so powerful. 99% of what I think I am, does not exist according to Quantum physics! So yes, it appears that an event can occur where the probability of occurrence is zero. In fact the probability of an event occurring out of zero possible events is infinite! thus 1/0 = Infinity. The probability is impossible only if we assume that nothing can be created out of nothingness. This has been proved wrong by quantum physics. The universe is continuously being destroyed and recreated from nothingness. Starting from there, every molecule, every cell, every muscle, every body is being continuously created and destroyed every nano second of existence. This has been happening from eternity and will continue to do so till eternity.
Consider the Vedic proposition that there exists nothing but “that”. We have infinity as the only thing that exists; all theorems are mere representations of interplay of its infinite sub elements. No wonder in ancient India the approach to knowledge has always been all encompassing and all integrated - religion, philosophy, theology, mathematics, astronomy, ayurveda, medicine, art, music, astronomy, sex, yoga, surgery… each one rooted in the eternal truth, each one connected to the other, which is finally one with “that” - existence itself. It looks like the grand unification theory, the present holy grail of science was already well formed in the Vedas. This is the truth, the eternal way of existence, the sanathana dharma.
The Indian belief system collectively called the sanathana dharma places knowledge above all else, above all things which command respect, above all human goals and aspirations. It is said that the gods bow down to a learned man. It was in this land that sages and philosophers dared to defy mighty kings and emperors, long before JRR Tolkien wrote the Lord of the Rings. In India, all ideas, all knowledge is derived from the knowledge of the Brahman, the eternal self who is everywhere. It is the source of infinite knowledge and wisdom. All knowledge was accumulated by direct observation of existence, of reality. Perhaps it was considered impolite to flaunt knowledge of something which is very visible to anyone who truly seeks? How can you take pride in the fact that you can see in the land of the blind? How would you explain what light is? to the blind? How would you document such an experience? The only way is for you to teach them how to see. The first symptom of the truly learned is humbleness. The more you know, the more you realize how much more there is to know. The great poet Rabindranath Tagore cried at this realization of the infiniteness of knowledge and the humble stature of the human mind. Thus to be able to realize any portion of this infinite knowledge one has to transcend the limitations of the human mind. The yogi declares that this is possible and that the only way to accomplish this is to become part of that infinite itself. Further he declares that one is already a part of the infinite, one just need realize this by reducing the infinite manifestations of maya (illusion) to zero. This is the spectacular relation between infinity and zero. It is said that if one observes with a still mind by moving the mind towards the void, towards nothingness, eliminating every thoughts that rises and be in a state of pure consciousness, all laws of nature will be revealed. For thousands of years this teaching was imparted by word of mouth and by memory (Shruthi and Smrithi) it is only in the last couple of thousand years that people began writing these Ideas down.
Quantum physics predicts the existence of an underlying sea of zero-point energy at every point in the universe. This is different from the cosmic microwave background and is also referred to as the electromagnetic quantum vacuum since it is the lowest state of otherwise empty space. This energy is so enormous that most physicists believe that even though zero-point energy seems to be an inescapable consequence of elementary quantum theory, it cannot be physically real, and so is subtracted away in calculations. The basis of zero-point energy is the Heisenberg uncertainty principle, one of the fundamental laws of quantum physics. According to this principle, the more precisely one measures the position of a moving particle, such as an electron, the less exact the best possible measurement of momentum (mass times velocity) will be, and vice versa. The least possible uncertainty of position times momentum is specified by Planck's constant, h. A parallel uncertainty exists between measurements involving time and energy. This minimum uncertainty is not due to any correctable flaws in measurement, but rather reflects an intrinsic quantum fuzziness in the very nature of energy and matter.
The existence of an actual vacuum was a subject of debate among scientists from the period of Aristotle all the way till this century. Since light, magnetic fields and heat all travel through a vacuum, something must be there. Borrowing a word from Aristotle, scientists described various kinds of 'aethers' that exist in even the hardest vacuum and that pervade space. Maxwell's theory of electromagnetism reduced these different types to just one, called the ether. Various experiments were developed to detect this ether, of which the most famous was the Michelson-Morley experiment, which failed to find it. Finally, in 1905, Einstein banished the ether by means of special relativity and allowed the true vacuum to exist but not for long. The Heisenberg uncertainty principle of 1927 led particle physicists to predict that particles would arise spontaneously from the vacuum, so long as they disappeared before violating the uncertainty principle. The quantum vacuum is a very active place, with all sorts of particles appearing and disappearing. Careful experiments have demonstrated that the quantum theorists are correct in this interpretation of the vacuum... Furthermore, starting in 1980 with the theory of the inflationary universe, particle physicists have told us that the entire universe was created as a 'false vacuum', a quantum vacuum that has more energy in its nothingness than it should. The decay of that particular vacuum to an ordinary quantum vacuum produced all the mass in the universe and started the Big Bang.
"He who is beyond all exists as the relative universe.
That part of Him appears as sentient and insentient beings.
From a part of Him was born the body of the universe,
and out of this body were born the Gods, the earth and men."
- Rig Veda
That part of Him appears as sentient and insentient beings.
From a part of Him was born the body of the universe,
and out of this body were born the Gods, the earth and men."
- Rig Veda
Osho Rajneesh reads this about sunya-the zero from the Buddhist Heart Sutra , "Shunya means emptiness; but not negative, very positive emptiness. It means nothingness, but it does not mean simply nothingness; it means no-thing-ness. Shunya means void, void of everything but the void itself is there, with utter presence, so it is not just void. It is like the sky which is empty, which is pure space, but which is. Everything comes in it and goes, and it remains. Shunya is like the sky -- pure presence. You cannot touch it although you live in it. You cannot see it although you can never be without it. You exist in it; just as a fish exists in the ocean, you exist in space, in shunya. Shunyavada means that everything arises out of nothing"
- page 48 The Heart Sutra
The Casimir effect refers to the tiny attractive force that appears between two uncharged plates in a vacuum. This Casimir force is only measurable when the plates are extremely close together (several atomic diameters). This force was predicted in 1948 by Hendrik Casimir, a Dutch theoretical physicist. It was experimentally verified in 1958 by Marcus Spaarnay, again at Philips in Eindhoven while he was studying the properties of colloidal solutions. The recognized cause of the Casimir effect is the quantum vacuum fluctuations (zero-point fluctuations) of the electromagnetic field between the plates.
Yes, it was known for sometime that there might exist infinite energy in the vaccume! The classical void, where there exists no known molecules of anything. Its pure nothingness. In 1957, Lee and Yang, initiated a great revolution across physics by suggesting the strong prediction of broken symmetry. Its experimental proof was provided by Wu the same year. Lee and Yang won a nearly instant Nobel Prize in December 1957. That asymmetry is used by charges and dipoles for extracting and pouring out Electromagnetic energy from the vacuum!
Reference: (a) T. D. Lee, "Question of Parity Conservation in Weak Interactions," Phys. Rev., 104(1), Oct. 1, 1956, p. 254-259. Errata are given in in Phys. Rev. 106(6), June 15, 1957, p. 1371; (b) T. D. Lee, Reinhard Oehme, and C. N. Yang, "Remarks on Possible Noninvariance under Time Reversal and Charge Conjugation," Phys. Rev., 106(2), 1957, p. 340-345.
In the words of Swami Vivekananda “According to the raja-yogi, the external world is but the gross form of the internal, or subtle. The fine is always the cause, and the gross, the effect. So the external world is the effect, and the internal, the cause. Therefore the external forces are simply the grosser parts of that of which the internal forces are the finer. The man who has discovered and learnt how to manipulate the internal forces will get the whole of nature under his control. He wants to arrive at the point where what we call nature's laws will have no influence over him, where he will be able to go beyond them all. He will be the master of the whole of nature, internal and external. The progress and civilization of the human race simply mean controlling nature. The yogi proposes to himself no less a task than to control the whole of nature, to master the entire universe!”
It was not until 1997 that the precise magnitude of the Casimir force was measured by Steve K. Lamoreaux of the Los Alamos National Laboratory along with Umar Mohideen and Anushree Roy from UC Riverside. Because using two parallel plates would require impractically high standards for precise alignment, a plate and a nearly perfect sphere were used. Within a margin of error of 5%, the intensity was found to be just that predicted by quantum theory; defined as the zero-point energy of the Fourier modes of the electromagnetic field between the plates.
Today there are major scientific experiments in progress to harness the infinite potential of what is being called the “Zero point Energy” http://www.zpenergy.com/
consider the commonly accepted principle 4/0 = Infinity. What we are saying is if you are able to break anything into zero equal parts you realize nothing less than infinity itself!. This is the very challenge of the Raja Yogi. The shunya, that is, the voidistic state of the Buddhists, and the brahman or ethereal plane of the Hindus (of Shankaracarya) are not different. Therefore, the Buddhist’s shunyavada, the philosophy of voidism or nihilism, and the Hindu's or Shankara's brahmavada, the philosophy of monism, are simply different words that mean the same thing. Infinity and zero are the expression of the same thing - “that”. And as the Upanishad proclaims “Tat Tvam Asi” – “Thou art That”
Another explanation of how the infinity of possibility is hidden in the zero is in Taoism. Taoism states that by 'doing nothing' one could 'accomplish everything.' Lao Tzu writes:
The Tao abides in non-action,
Yet nothing is left undone.
If kings and lords observed this,
The ten thousand things would develop naturally.
If they still desired to act,
They would return to the simplicity of formless substance.
Without form there is no desire.
Without desire there is tranquility.
In this way all things would be at peace.
Yet nothing is left undone.
If kings and lords observed this,
The ten thousand things would develop naturally.
If they still desired to act,
They would return to the simplicity of formless substance.
Without form there is no desire.
Without desire there is tranquility.
In this way all things would be at peace.
Lao Tsu , literally “old sage” the commonly accepted founder of Taoism, taught that all straining, all striving are not only vain but counterproductive. One should endeavor to do nothing (wu-wei). But what does this mean? It means not to literally do nothing, but to discern and follow the natural forces -- to follow and shape the flow of events and not to pit oneself against the natural order of things. It says first and foremost to be spontaneous in ones actions. In this sense the Taoist doctrine of wu-wei can be understood as a way of mastering circumstances by understanding their nature or principal, and then shaping ones actions in accordance with these. This understanding has also infused the approach to movement as it is developed in Tai Chi Chuan. This has been perfected by Buddhist monks like those of the Shaolin temple in martial like Kung Fu. In Taoism the central vehicle of achieving tranquility was the Tao, a term which has been translated as 'the way' or 'the path.' Te in this context refers to virtue and Ching refers to laws. Thus the Tao Te Ching could be translated as The Law (or Canon) of Virtue and it's Way. The Tao was the central mystical term of Lao Tzu and the Taoists, a formless, unfathomable source of all things. The definition of the Tao is eerily similar to the zero point quantum state with infinite energy predicted by Quantum Physics.
The Tao-
There is a thing, formless yet complete.
Before heaven and earth it existed.
Without sound, without substance,
it stands alone and unchanging.
It is all-pervading and unfailing.
One may think of it as the mother of all beneath Heaven.
We do not know its name, but we call it Tao.
25. [Bodde].
Deep and still, it seems to have existed forever.
4.
Look, it cannot be seen - it is beyond form.
Listen, it cannot be heard - it is beyond sound.
Grasp, it cannot be held - it is intangible.
These three are indefinable, they are one.
From above it is not bright;
From below it is not dark:
Unbroken thread beyond description.
It returns to nothingness.
Form of the formless,
Image of the imageless,
It is called indefinable and beyond imagination.
Stand before it - there is no beginning.
Follow it and there is no end.
Stay with the Tao, Move with the present.
Knowing the ancient beginning is the essence of Tao.
There is a thing, formless yet complete.
Before heaven and earth it existed.
Without sound, without substance,
it stands alone and unchanging.
It is all-pervading and unfailing.
One may think of it as the mother of all beneath Heaven.
We do not know its name, but we call it Tao.
25. [Bodde].
Deep and still, it seems to have existed forever.
4.
Look, it cannot be seen - it is beyond form.
Listen, it cannot be heard - it is beyond sound.
Grasp, it cannot be held - it is intangible.
These three are indefinable, they are one.
From above it is not bright;
From below it is not dark:
Unbroken thread beyond description.
It returns to nothingness.
Form of the formless,
Image of the imageless,
It is called indefinable and beyond imagination.
Stand before it - there is no beginning.
Follow it and there is no end.
Stay with the Tao, Move with the present.
Knowing the ancient beginning is the essence of Tao.
Quantum physics is like the fantastic teachings of the core of all religions. The infamous JZ Knight of the Ramtha School of enlightenment proclaims “Quantum Physics is the science of the gods”. It is a collection of postulates and theories, a collection of hypotheses that cannot be verified by external scientific instruments. The only way to verify these is through the mind. Richard Feynmann gives this introduction to a lecture about quantum theory - "Do not take the lecture too seriously . . . just relax and enjoy it. I am going to tell you what nature behaves like. If you will simply admit that maybe she does behave like this, you will find her a delightful, entrancing thing. Do not keep saying to yourself "But how can it be like that?" because you will get . . . into a blind alley from which nobody has yet escaped. Nobody knows how it can be like that."
David Quinn, in the Wizard Forum posts this
“The core delusion of the mind, which forms the basis of all other delusions, is the belief in inherent existence. I refer here to the instinctive and deeply-held belief that things really exist in an independent, objective manner. From this core delusions spring the thousands of beliefs which make up religion, science, agnosticism and atheism. In each case, one is creating imaginary entities (such as God, matter, objective existence, etc) in order to explain a "reality" which is falsely imagined to exist in the first place. As soon as this core delusion is eliminated, every other delusion concerning the nature of existence naturally falls into a heap - like the sudden collapse of a stack of cards - and it is here that the mind experiences enlightenment. What the enlightened person perceives, in his enlightenment, is the formlessness of Reality, sometimes referred to as "emptiness" or "the Void". He perceives that everything is causally created and an illusion of the moment, including his own self. He sees that there is nothing at all which is objectively or fundamentally real. There is nothing to seek or grasp, nothing to explain or resolve, nothing to uncover or know. There is only the purity of Nature relentlessly producing whim after whim after whim. This is Nature as it really is. This is Ultimate Reality.”
So it seems, that after enlightenment, one realizes that the infinite forms of existence which has blinded us, deluded us, made us kill each other in greed or rage, made us scheme and plot for land or gold, made us hate and strive for illusory glory, made us wage war for wealth or women was all actually contained in the one infinite, unchangeable and ultimate reality. The sunya! Read more...
Osho Video discourse and Documentary
OSHO: Satsang Why are we able to see faults of others more easily than our own? Here Osho talks about the self and the other. Why are we not able to see ourselves easily. Who are we? What happens when we see ourself? What is awareness?
Rise and Fall of Rajneeshpuram University of Oregon video on the 64,000 acre land that Osho sanyasins transformed into the worlds biggest meditation resort.
Tom Robbins about the Indian Mystic Osho Tom talks about his experiences with teachnigs of Osho. Shares his opinion on the most powerful teachnings of Osho like the grandest joke he played on consumerism.
OSHO: Nataraja Meditation Video description of of all 5 stages of the Natraja Dynamic meditation pioneered by Osho. The video is informational and not instructional. That is you cannot use this to acually perform the meditation. For instance it is not the actual length of the meditation 10mins stage one + 10 mins satge two etc
OSHO: Medicine - Mind - Meditation A video documentary on John Andrews the British MD who decided to treat causes and not symptoms. He studied Osho meditations for 20 years and beacame his personal physician. John discusses some interesting maedical approaches and insights he has had. Tom says the mind and body is one organ. The mind is the source of major illnesses. In order to maximize our potentials, we need to live naturally.
OSHO: Strange Consequences Funny video. When Friedrickh Nietzhche declared that God is dead F*ck became the most important word in the english language!
OSHO: Absolutely Free to Be Funny In a series of excerpts from an interview with Jeff McMullen of Australia's "60 Minutes" Osho offers a series of one-liners about Gandhi, Hitler, the Pope and Mother Teresa -- and goes on from there to talk about his reputation for being controversial, contradictory, and, in the words of the interviewer, "one of the funniest people I've ever met."
OSHO: From Ignornace to Innocence #13 The Joy is in Finding. For those who think it's important to indoctrinate children into a religion--think again.This is an Osho talk on education and meditation
OSHO - Bhagwan, The Movie A film document by Robert Hillmann from 1978 (with german subtitles)
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