January 21 2016

Title

The Hindu Way of Prayer - SO'HAM ASMI (Isha Upanishad, Verse 16)

Narration

The Supreme Pontiff of Hinduism, Jagatguru Mahasannidhanam, His Divine Holiness, Bhagavan Nithyananda Paramashivam, expounded on the Cosmic Principles of Upanishad during the everyday live public talk - Nithyananda Satsang. In this talk entitled The Hindu Way of Prayer – So’ham Asmi, The Supreme Pontiff of Hinduism (SPH) revealed that So’ham Asmi, as the Hindu way of prayer, is the most important breakthrough the Hindu tradition can give to the world, sharing that this is The Grand Narrative of Hinduism. He shared that when one stands in front of God or Guru with the remembrance that “I am praying to the Source where You and me are one and the same”; having this understanding as an undercurrent, the very quality of one’s prayer will be totally different. One will just see that every prayer becomes reality effortlessly.

The Supreme Pontiff of Hinduism then gave blessings to Kaula Lumpur Adheenam for carrying out many Enriching activities during Thaipusam and for a successful Anna Daan.

Day's Events

Highlight from Evening Nithya Satsang:

-This is the Hindu way of prayer- Even when you pray, You are he, he is you: SO HAM ASMI. You are not praying to the Deity or Guru, you are praying to the Source, where that Guru and you become one. You don’t know if the center is outside or inside: ‘Oh source awaken in me and make this a reality’. Then you know forever SO HAM ASMI.

H.D.H. Sri Nithyananda Paramashivam

Description

In today's Nithya Satsang (21 January 2016) on Isa Upanishad in Living Advaita series , Paramahamsa Nithyananda gives the essence of verse 16 – which holds in it the grand narrative of Hinduism. The Upanishadic Rishis declare that - even while they pray to the Consciousness, indeed, they are verily 'oneness' with IT. SO'HAM ASMI – I AM HE. This is the ideal of the Hindu way of Prayer or Prarthana – where in, even when a seeker, a devotee has not yet realized the Oneness or Adviata with the Whole, yet he/she prays, relates and rejoices with the Divine, knowing that his self and the Consciousness are ever ONE and that center of Oneness is what is prayed onto for fulfillment of desires and wishes, or devotion. Such a way of connecting with the Divine, from pure Oneness, quickly ensures the prayers becoming reality; for it is done from the center of the ultimate truth, Advaita. All paths of Hinduism merge under this universal, eternal truth of SO'HAM ASMI.

Video and Audio - The Hindu Way of Prayer - SO'HAM ASMI (Isha Upanishad, Verse 16)

Video	Audio

Transcript

(0:18)

nithyānandeśvara samārambhām nithyānandeśvari madhyamām | asmat āchārya paryantām vande guru paramparām ||

(0:41)

I welcome all of you with My love and respects. I welcome all the devotees, disciples, Samajis, Satsanghis, SriMahants, Mahants, Thanedar, Kothari, owners of Sarvajnapeetha, visitors, viewers through Nithyananda TV, two-way video conferencing having Nayana Deeksha. Cities sitting with us in two-way video conferencing – Toronto Aadheenam, Kaula Lumpur Aadhenam, Ohio Aadheenam, Shivananda, Mukta, Phoenix Aadheenam, Toronto Aadheenam, Guadeloupe Aadhenam, Los Angeles Aadhenam, Indrani New jersey, Singapore Aadhenam, Warrington UK, Trinidad Tobago, Houston Aadheenam, Dakota Dunes, Hyderanad Guptakashi and Hyderabad Aadhenam. And some more cities are joining. I welcome all of you with My love and respects.

(1:53)

I will enter into Upanishads. Today, I will expand on the 16th verse of Isavasya Upanishad. Understand, Mahadeva’s silence is Upanishads. His words are Agamas. When He breathed in silence, what reverberated in the inner space of the Rishis is Upanishads. When He opened His mouth, started explaining, that became Agama. Now, you are going to listen - Veda Agama. He is going to explain what He meant by His breath; what He wanted to convey, what way He wanted the inner-space of the Rishis reverberate... This commentary, or I should say the repetition, should be called as Shuddhādvaita Shaiva Deepika. From the context of Shuddhādvaita Shaiva, let Upanishads become alive in all of you, in all of us, experientially.

(4:04)

So I will recite the mantras. Please repeat along with Me, then I will read out the translation, and let Mahadeva expand on it:

pūṣann-ekarṣe yama sūrya prājāptya | vyūha raśmin samūha | tejo yat te rūpaṁ kalyāṇa-tamaṁ tat te paśyāmi yo’sāvasau puruṣaḥ so’ ham asmi || 16 ||

(5:20)

Listen. I will read out the exact literal translation, and then reveal the sacred secrets. The literal translation is:

O Pūṣan, Consciousness, who is the nourisher, sustainer of all, the primeval solitary traveller, the disciplining principle of all, is like the bright, effulgent Sun, and is the Lord of entire creation, which is His subject. Please remove all Your rays of this radiating, brilliant golden light, which had blinded me, so that by Your grace, I can have the Divine vision of that most auspicious, graceful, beautiful form of Yours. That which is there, the glorious Sun, is the mirror of the Supreme Being, who is all-pervading, pure Consciousness of the Cosmos. Indeed, I am He.

(6:30)

I don’t know whether, when I am talking about some sacred secrets, coincidentally exactly those mantras appear, or when those mantras appear, I talk exactly about that subject. When I read out the translation, I feel this is the Grand Narrative of Hinduism... This is THE Grand Narrative of Hinduism. So’ham asmi.

(7:12)

The lofty height of Suddhādvaita and the grounded reality of Agama. Listen, the biggest problem with incomplete mind is — whenever it develops wings, it tries to destroy the root, go against the root. That is why sometime you even believe if you against the root that is what is developing wings. Just say ‘no’ to your parents, you have grown up. Many of the kids, just to establish, “Aye! Now I am big boy. Let me say ‘no’ to father. Whatever he says.” By the time you understand whatever your father says is right, you have a son, who says, “whatever you say is wrong.” By the time you have a father, by the time you understand whatever your father is saying is right, you have a son, who says, “whatever you say is wrong.”

(8:31)

Please understand, many times, you think the moment you have wings you should forget roots, and if you have roots, it is against the wings. Incompletion exists in you as the fight between root and wings! Constantly, you are trying to choose: Should I choose root or should I choose wings? Should I choose wings, should I choose roots?” Upanishad or Agama? Agama or Upanishad? In the modern day, whether traditional lifestyle or the so-called modern lifestyle? You think modern lifestyle is wings and traditional lifestyle is root!

(9:35)

Understand, as long as the incompletion exists in you, as long as small way of thinking exists in you…I have seen the people who think in a small way are the most dangerous people. Understand, the moment they don’t like you, they start hating you; they can’t be just, “Okay, I don’t have love, but that does not mean I have to hate.” They do not settle down into that space. If they don’t become lion, straight they become fox; wolf not even fox. Please understand, all confusion is only for small minds. Small minds which cannot look at the Reality.

(10:47)

I tell you one thing: from my own experience, if I have to give the essence of whatever I learnt from Arunagiri Yogishwara, whatever I learnt from Arunagiri Yogishwara, the essence is this — the more your mind raises, the more you will see everything in the form of solution. You will see everything is properly moving as it is supposed to be. The questions, doubt, everything will disappear. When your mind is becoming smaller and smaller, you will have more and more stupid questions, you will have more and more confusions and complications, even if the solution is given, you will not be able to imbibe it, incorporate it, make it as part of you; you will continue to suffer with the same question like a rut… Understand, if you are finding the same solution for the same problem few hundred times in your life, you have small mind. That is the definition. If you are finding the more and more zig-zag puzzles falling in place, the paradoxes, more and more paradoxes are falling in place, more and more the paradoxes settling in place, then you are expanding; you are growing.

(12:55)

Please understand, you only need to choose between small mind and larger vision. You don’t have to choose between modern life and traditional life; you don’t have to choose between Upanishads and Agamas; you don’t have to choose between roots and wings. No! You only need to choose between small mind and larger vision. I tell you, it’s all about whether you have a small mind which can find problem for every solution; larger vision which can find solution for every problem. The moment I pick up the responsibility of Hindu grand narrative, everything I see looks like a solution for that one issue! The moment I read this verse, it feels like a solution. When you have solved everything inside, you will go on finding solutions. When you have not solved inside, you will go on finding problems; you will go on finding problems.

(14:27)

One of the most important points, sacred secret from this verse: you do not need to make a choice between root and wing. The original, pure science and applied science. Pure science is Upanishads, applied science is Agama, experiential laboratory is Nithyananda Sangha... Pure science, the Upanishads; applied science, the Agamas. The essence master key, shared in this verse is — So’ham asmi.

yo’sāvasau puruṣaḥ so’ ham asmi | tejo yat te rūpaṁ kalyāṇa-tamaṁ tat te paśyāmi yo’sāvasau puruṣaḥ so’ ham asmi |

(15:56)

Even, even when I am relating with You, I am YOU. I may be having love towards You, I may be praying to You, sometime I may have even incompletions with You; I may even be fighting with You, I may even be negotiating with You, I may even be bargaining with You; I may even be getting trained by You, whatever may be, I just know – I am YOU... So’ham asmi.

(16:47)

Understand, this is the most important breakthrough the Hindu tradition can give it to the world. Please understand, all different religious traditional Masters, Gurus have experienced different states of consciousness. Dvaita, experiencing the duality; Visishtadvaita, experiencing a commonality, an underlying connection with everything; Advaita, experiencing Oneness; but, unfortunately, many of these different tradition Gurus, Masters, Saints, Sages, when they were experiencing duality, they deny the existence and possibility of Oneness. One they experience Dvaita, they didn’t believe Visishtadvaita exists. When they go through the Visishtadvaita, they don’t believe Advaita is possible. When they go through the Advaita, they don’t think Dvaita was reality. See, the intoxication of Oneness is such, you just forget there was a time duality was your reality, and during the space of duality, you can’t even imagine the Oneness can become reality! That is why prayer has become such a divisive technique in some of the religions, just to put you in depression. No, in some of the religions, prayer is used to create sick people so that they will have business.

(19:24)

One fellow went around asking every house in a city, asking “Do you want to hire me to clean your windows? Do you want to hire me to clean your windows?” Nobody wanted him. Next day he got hold of a friend, and told him, “please make all the windows dirty, I will give you hundred dollar.” This fellow went and did and you know what happened. Third day when this fellow goes, he gets the job.

(19:57)

In some of the religions, prayer is used as a method to create sick people so they will have customers. Please understand, it’s like an indirect understanding. What indirect? Nowadays direct understanding between pharmaceutical industry and food industry. Food is the most abused drug in the modern society! Understand, it’s like a secret understanding between food and pharmaceutical industries. Food industry sends you to pharmaceutical industry. Pharmaceutical industry is supported by food industry. That is why most of the time you will see same guy owning both the industry, because through one he creates patients, through others he cures or maintains. If God is angry with you, he sends you to doctor. If doctor is angry with you, he sends you to God. (21:24)

Praying is used as a technique in some of the religions to create mentally sick people so they can have patients forever; this one verse will finish their business! This one verse…

tejo yat te rūpaṁ kalyāṇa-tamaṁ tat te paśyāmi yo’sāvasau puruṣaḥ so’ ham asmi |

(21:57)

Just this one verse: “Even when I am praying to You, I am relating to You, You are Me; indeed I am He, So’ham Asmi.” The word ‘indeed’ means ‘even while’, not that during the duality we are separate, during the non-duality we are one. During the dvaita (duality), we are separate, during the Oneness only, we are one, no! “Even while I am bending in front of You, standing in front of You, bowing down to You, praying to You…” Prayer means what? Sometime asking, sometime bargaining, sometime negotiating, sometime even shouting, sometime fighting, sometime screaming, it is all based on your mood and how the other side responds; how you relate to Him and how he relates to you.

(23:18)

In Facebook I read these few lines: one fellow asked why do Indian women have this big red dot on the forehead? Other person response is, “it’s a record symbol. All your conversations will be recorded for the future quality and training process.” That’s the record symbol dot, red dot.

(23:50)

So with your God also, you do all recording of all the prayers, everything, and sometime it is asking, sometime it is gratitude, sometime it is love, sometime it is just flirting, sometime it is sweetly reminding, sometime a little nagging, sometime real nagging, sometime little fight, sometime little louder fight. I have heard everything that is why I am describing it in such varieties. Only if you have eaten you can describe 200 types of food; I have eaten almost million variety prayer! With chili, without chili, with masala, without masala, with salt, without salt. Understand, whatever may be the mood, relationship you are experiencing now, actually, for women, only once in 27 days they go through the mood swing; for men, once in every 27 hours. For a male body, once in every 27 hour; for female body, once in every 27 days. Man who needs alcohol and the women who have uterus related issues, both the bodies will go through mood swings. Man’s body will go through once in 27 hours, the woman’s body will go through once in 27 days. Mood swings, based on your mood swing, it will be anywhere between love talk to loud talk.

(26:10)

I read one more one liner: My mother in law gives me sound advice: 99% sound, 1% advice.

It can be anywhere between loud talk to love talk, but I tell you, during the whole spectrum, whether it is love talk or loud talk, a prayer or a nagging, sweet nagging, hard nagging, hard fight, violence, whatever it may be, please understand — you are He, So’ham asmi.

(26:56)

How many people even get physical with atma murtis! No, really, they beat. But then they will hug also, they will hug atma murti only. You can’t have two Swamis’, one for hugging, one for beating. Whether you hug or beat; whether it’s a love talk or loud talk; whether it is prayer or fight – So’ham Asmi, I am He.

(27:34)

Understand, this raises the very concept of prayer to the next level. I tell you, I wanted all our temples to have a beautiful prayer explanation. Put this verse and the translation, and below the commentary: This is the Hindu way of prayer.

(28:08)

Please understand, people should understand what is prayer as per Hinduism before entering and praying into all My temples. So in the entrance itself put it. Hindu prayer itself is separate, it is prarthanā, prarthanā. Because even when you pray, you are He, He is you. If you have this understanding as an undercurrent, the very quality of your prayer will be totally different; you will just see, your every prayer becomes reality just like that! Just like that it becomes reality. Just like that it becomes reality.

(29.21)

Understand…

pūṣann-ekarṣe yama sūrya prājāptya | vyūha raśmin samūha | tejo yat te rūpaṁ kalyāṇa-tamaṁ tat te paśyāmi yo’sāvasau puruṣaḥ so’ ham asmi || 16 ||

(29:45)

I think this verse is the Grand Narrative of Hinduism. At least this verse can give a beautiful, huge input to develop, reveal the Grand Narrative of Hinduism; we will work on it.

(30:14)

Essense of today’s satsang: Even when you pray, you are He. Understand, that is why awakening your God particle is very important for any human being, because once the God particle is awakened, you know – even while you are praying, you are He; you just know! Please understand, whenever you pray, remember — you are not praying to the Deity which is in front of you or Guru in front of you; you are praying to the Source where that Guru and you become one, so which you don’t know, whether it is outside or inside, so remember – “I am talking to You where You and me become One. I do not know that center is there or here. But I am praying to that center, where You and me become One. Oh that center, give me, this is what I want.”

(31:38)

When you stand in front of God or Guru, Deity or Guru, just remember this one: “I am praying to the Source where You and me are one and the same. Oh the Source, please open up, awaken in me and make this space into reality,” so that you know forever, So’ham asmi.

(32:24)

Mahadeva teaches to Subramanya, Sarvajnottarāgama. Why it is called Sarvajnottarāgama, please understand. The Mahadeva’s seat is called Sarvajnapeetha, so essence of everything He taught through the five faces – Satyojātam, Tatapurusham, Vamadevam, Aghoram, Ishanam; through all the five faces. Through four faces, he revealed four Vedas; through the fifth face, all the Agamas. The essence of all that is Sarvajnottarāgama. The essence of that Sarvajnottarāgama is – reminding Subramanya the experience of Shivoham.

(33:32)

Once Subramanya experiences that, He was made to sit in that seat of Sarvajnapeetha, that is why the agama is called Sarvajnottarāgama. And after teaching Subramanya, please understand, when you learn from the teacher, one quarter you learn; when you discuss among the friends, you learn the next 25%, when you ask Him questions and get clarified, you learn the next 25%. Only when you start teaching, you learn the last 25%. So first 75% is done. Mahadeva taught to Subramanya, 25%. Subramanya discussed with his friends, 25%; Sumbramanya asked questions from Mahadeva, and learnt 25%. Now Subramanya has to teach and learn the last 25%. He says, “Don’t waste time in finding a student; come on, sit. I will listen. I will learn from you, and get that next 25% also.” That is why in Swamimalai, Bhagavan becomes disciple. Sadashiva becomes a student, and Subramanya learns to teach and gets that last 25%, becomes perfect Jnana Skandagurnathan. He sat in the Sarvajnapeetha, He made Subramanya to sit in the Sarvajnapeetha. Now He decided, teacher Mahadeva, student Mahadeva, student Subramanya, teacher Subramanya, all the four to assume one body and fill the same Sarvajnapeetha... Teacher Mahadeva, student Mahadeva, Student Subramanya and Teacher Subramanya.

(35:58)

Beautifully the Agama describes, it seems the Mahadeva had Subramanya on His right shoulder. So Subramanya was teaching. Suddenly He moved him to the left shoulder. Subramanya asked, “Why, am I heavy?” He said, “No, I want your mother also to listen to you; because this side belongs to her. I want your mother to you, how beautifully you are teaching. I heard enough, now I want your Mother to know how beautifully you are teaching, because the left belongs to her, Devi.”

(36:38)

He moved him to the left shoulder. That is the way He made Subramanya perfect, perfect Master. In that Sarvajnottarāgama, He beautifully describes –“Subramanya not only after the experience, even before starting the practice – you are Me, I am You.” And He uses the word: “if somebody believes at one time there will be duality and the other time, there will be Oneness, they are fools and they will never reach the Oneness. Only one who understands, even while you practice, Oneness is the Reality. It may not have become reality for you but, that is the Reality. Only those people achieve Oneness, experience Oneness.”

(37:48) Understand, Yoga, Meditation reduces 43% of medical expenses, the recent Harvard University’s research. I tell you, realizing the Truth – all diseases are hoax, reduces 90% of medical expenses. HOAX. H for hero…I thought of spelling it out once more.

(38:25)

Anyhow. Mahadeva perfects Subramanya as the Master not only by teaching, making him talk and by listening, by becoming his own student, so in this whole training process, the essence of what He taught in Sarvajnottarāgama – Even when you have not experienced, the truth is the truth is the truth, that is Shivoham. So’ham asmi.

(39:07)

Essence of today’s satsang: even when you experience duality, the Truth is Oneness, the Reality is Oneness.

With this, I will move to the next segment of evening satsang - Nithya Satsang. Ramanujam, Nithyananda Palace, Melbourne Aadheenam, birthday blessings – with all the auspiciousness, you will be with Me, I will be with you. Blessing. Be Blissful. Kuala Lumpur Aadheenam, blessing with Thaipusam. My blessings, your plan for Anna Daan, everything will go successfully. It will enrich lot of people. Have at least 20-30 people doing third eye demos there. Even tell, call Nithya Devi, let her also come and do demo there. And have Rathotsavam. My blessings for all the plans. Don’t worry there wont be any terrorist attack. I will take care. Subramanya is protecting... Subramanya is there. I will take care. Don’t worry about any terrorist attack. There won’t be any terrorist attack. And blessings to all of you, the whole Thaipusam program will be successful. Go ahead. All of you use this Thaipusam to learn micro-management. Listen, God is in details. God is micro-manager. Plan from the pamphlets, everything and have stalls properly and organize everything properly and do it, my blessings. It will happen beautifully. My Blessings. Blessings for Kaula Lumpur’s Aadhenam’s plan for Thaipusam. (42:00)

So, with this I bless you all: Let you all radiate with Integrity, Authenticity, Responsibility, Enriching, Causing Living Suddhādvaita Shaivam, the Eternal Bliss, Nithyananda. Thank you. Be Blissful!

~ end of Nithya Satsang ~

(42:24)