by Ekta Bathija | Mar 22, 2026 | Body, Death, Energy, Fear, Formless, Independent Spirituality, Knowledge, Masters, Matter, Meditation, Mind, Rishi, Scriptures, Self, Swamy, Truth, You
Fear of Death = Fear of unknown Question: How is fear of the unknown different from the fear of death and how to come out of both these fears? Please help. Answer: Fear of the unknown and the fear of death are essentially the same. Understand one thing that,... 
by Ekta Bathija | Jan 28, 2026 | Advaita, Body, Buddha, Conscious, Courage, Direct Path, Dukkha, God, Happiness, I, Impressions, Intellect, Mind, Physical, Sakshi Bhav/Witness, Samadhi, Self, Sukkha
Effort or Effortlessness Question: Didi, I was under the impression that the spiritual path is effortless, but you said in the previous post that effort must be applied. I am sure I am missing a delicate pointer somewhere. Please guide me. Answer: Let me... 
by Ekta Bathija | Dec 24, 2025 | Advaita, Body, Consciousness, Direct Path, Dreams, Elements, Emptiness, Existence, Formless, Ishavasya Upanishad, Sakshi Bhav/Witness, Sensations, Suffering, Thoughts, Wisdom
Q&A on the effacement of conditioning by Wake-Dream-Sleep wisdom Question:Dear Ektaji, In Swapna Nidra Gnyana Sadhana, there is a blackness/nothingness, and the dreams sprout out of this blackness, like a bubble, one at a time. I see how I get drawn into the... 
by Ekta Bathija | Mar 6, 2025 | Advaita, Ashtavakra Gita, Awareness, Consciousness, Direct Path, Existence, Form, Knowledge, Matter, Physical, Sakshi Bhav/Witness, Sensations
Sight, Sound, Smell, Taste, and Touch cannot prove the existence of matter Question: What is Perception? Answer: Perception = Bodh in SanskritA simple translation of Bodh = Knowing. Drishya Bodh: Visual perception is that which is known as a form [shape +... 
by Ekta Bathija | Oct 27, 2024 | Elements, Food, General Spiritual, Paths, Satvik/Rajasic/Tamasic
Tamasic food attacks your spiritual health! Question: Is it OK to eat Tamasic or left-over food because it’s easy for me to cook once and then consume it for 2 to 3 days? Isn’t running around to cook food everyday Rajasic? How to prepare and keep food Sattvic? ... 
by Ekta Bathija | Oct 6, 2024 | Advaita, Ashtavakra Gita, Awareness, Consciousness, Direct Path, Dreams, Existence, Form, Illusion, Knowledge, Matter, Sakshi Bhav/Witness, Sensations, Thoughts
What is perception? Question: What is perception? Answer: Perception is simply ‘knowing’.Seeing is knowing a form. Hearing is knowing a sound. Smelling is knowing an odor. Tasting is knowing a flavor. Touching is knowing a sensation. All perception... 
by Ekta Bathija | Sep 4, 2024 | Aagami, Craving, Desire, Impressions, Karma, Karmaphalam, Maaya, Mind, Niyati, Prakriti, Raaga/Dvesha, Reaction, Sakshi Bhav/Witness, Vedic
How does Prakriti cause turmoil in the body-mind complex ? Question: ‘Janaka realizes that all events, all happenings, all people that were leading to all the feelings that were rising and falling was all on account of the Prakriti (3 Gunas – Rajas, Tamas... 
by Ekta Bathija | Aug 28, 2024 | Aagami, Consciousness, Ego, Elements, General Spiritual, Impressions, Independent Spirituality, Intellect, Karma, Memory, Raaga/Dvesha, Senses, Sub-conscious, Surrender, Thoughts
How does a “thought” become an Agami Karma ? Question: First one of the 5 elements or the senses hits us (it also depends on my doshas), then it goes to the memory bank & opens one file like, dislike with People, Situation & Thing. (Is there any... 
by Ekta Bathija | Jun 30, 2024 | Brahman, Consciousness, Dispassion, Just Be, Matter, Mind, Soul, Vairagya, Vedic, Viveka
Married but celibate, is that possible? Question: If I get attracted to someone, I just remind myself that I can be without it and focus on the breath. Can someone be a Brahmachari or celibate throughout his/her life and still have a happy married life? ... 
by Ekta Bathija | Jun 19, 2024 | Anger, Awareness, Elements, Emotions, Faith, Guru, Hurt, Jealousy, Karma, Karmaphalam, Maya, Prayer, Raaga/Dvesha, Sankalpa/Intention, Surrender, Vedic
How to deal with emotions of negativity ? ,Question: I am going through storm of emotions and all negative like anger , jealousy. I feel frustrated, guess fire element is dominant. Though I tell myself it’s not me it’s the effect of fire element but it... 
by Ekta Bathija | May 26, 2024 | Ashtavakra Gita, Awareness, Death, Emotions, Fear, Fear, Fear, Independent Spirituality, Knowledge, Mind, Prakriti, Scriptures, Sex/Passion/Celibacy, Vedic, Wonder
Go beyond Curiosity to be in the state of Wonder! Question: Dear Ekta, I am in the middle of reading Ashtavakra Gita #12 – Nature of the mind. I am actually having a bit of difficulty understanding Wonder. What is wonder? How do I identify wonder? How do I know... 
by Ekta Bathija | May 8, 2024 | Body, General Spiritual, Independent Spirituality, Intellect, Mind, Physical, Prakriti, Senses
Difference between Brain and Mind Question: Dear Ektaji, please clear my confusion: A human body has five senses, touch, smell, taste, hear and sight. While eating food that smells good, looks colorful, and tastes flavorful our stomach send a signal to the brain... 
by Ekta Bathija | May 5, 2024 | Advaita, Awareness, Body, Conscious, Consciousness, Direct Path, Energy, Mind, Physical, Sakshi Bhav/Witness, Upanishad
The BodyMind work on an autopilot mode! Question: Is it that the mind is in autopilot mode in dreaming, therefore the experience of the mind’s attention is less? But then even in waking the body-mind are on autopilot. Then what is the difference? Answer: The... 
by Ekta Bathija | Aug 9, 2023 | Awareness, Awareness, Body, Buddha, Buddha, Craving, Desire, Dispassion, Doership, Elements, Feverishness, Gunas, Impressions, Karma, Non-Doership, Pleasure/Pain, Present Moment, Raaga/Dvesha, Raaga/Dvesha, Reaction, Sakshi Bhav/Witness, Samadhi, Satvik/Rajasic/Tamasic, Self- Realization, Sensations, Senses, Sex/Passion/Celibacy, Truth, Vairagya, Vasana
Dealing with Sexual desires on the spiritual path! Question: What should be the effort from our side to get over sexual desire on the spiritual path, if we should not suppress it? If we express it aren’t we making those impressions stronger? What should be our... 
by Ekta Bathija | Jul 3, 2023 | Body, Brahman, Commitment, Concepts, Consciousness, General Spiritual, Guru, Guru, Guru Poornima, Intellect, Liberation, Maaya, Maya, Moksha, Paths, Physical, Pleasure/Pain, Purushartha, Raaga/Dvesha, Raaga/Dvesha, Samsara, Scriptures, Self-Effort, Siddha, Wisdom
How to do proper darshan of the Guru during Guru Poornima? Question: Ektaji, Can you please give me tips on how to get a Proper True Darshan of my Guru during this upcoming Guru Poornima. The mind gets swept away with the much fanfare and misses seeing the Guru in his... 
by Ekta Bathija | Jun 21, 2023 | Awareness, Awareness, Body, Buddha, Buddha, Dukkha, Enlightenment, Equanimous, Matter, Present Moment, Sakshi Bhav/Witness, Samadhi, Satipathana, Senses, Sukkha, Thoughts
Yardstick to measure spiritual progress Question: What is the yardstick to measure my spiritual progress? How do I know if I am progressing spiritually? Answer: The yardstick to measure your spiritual progress is: ‘Equanimity + Awareness’. *Equanimity =... 
by Ekta Bathija | Jan 29, 2023 | Advaita, Atma Nirvriti, Atmananda, Body, Concepts, Direct Path, Emotions, Mind, Physical, Sensations, Senses, Temporary, Thoughts
Difference between perceptions, sensations, thoughts, and feelings! Question: Didi, Is there a difference between perceptions, sensations, thoughts, and feelings? Answer: Let’s understand them in detail: Perception:Perception is nothing but images... 
by Ekta Bathija | Oct 25, 2022 | Awareness, Body, Consciousness, Dreams, Existence, Illusion, Knowledge, Matter, Mind, Sakshi Bhav/Witness, Sensations, Thoughts
Are sensation and feeling different or the same? Question: What is sensation? What is feeling? Are they different or the same? Answer: A sensation is simply ‘knowledge’. A feeling is simply ‘knowledge’.A pleasant sensation is only... 
by Ekta Bathija | Aug 4, 2022 | Anxiety, Awareness, Awareness, Buddha, Concepts, Doubts, Emotions, Equanimous, Fear, Flow with Life, Gnyani, I, Just Be, Knowledge, Let go, Love/Hate, Matter, Mind, Misery, Present Moment, Sakshi Bhav/Witness, Self- Realization, Sensations, Stress, Suffering, Surrender, Viveka, Wisdom
Stop struggling and float with Life! Question: At times I feel like I have dropped a desire, but again it pops up with more intensity. And at times I feel I am dropping the desire but doubt arises if I am just resisting it. How to differentiate between dropping a... 
by Ekta Bathija | Apr 3, 2022 | Dispassion, Girlfriend/Boyfriend, Illusion, Independent Spirituality, Life, Maaya, Physical, Pleasure/Pain, Prakriti, Purusha, Raaga/Dvesha, Raaga/Dvesha, Relationship, Samsara, Seeking, Self, Sex/Passion/Celibacy, Vairagya, Vedic
Does spirituality reduce the desire for sex? Question: Some have very strong desires and need sex anywhere between 2/3 times a week. Some have not had sex in months. Some are frustrated that one of the partner initiates all the time. Some have never had great need for... 
by Ekta Bathija | Mar 15, 2022 | Elements, Matter, Prakriti, Science, Space-Time, Vedic
What is the difference between Air and Ether? Question: What is the difference between air and ether? Answer: Ether is space. Everything is in space. Every prakriti object is suspended in ether or space. They are just 2 names for the same element. Whereas, Air... 
by Ekta Bathija | Feb 1, 2022 | Attachment, Attraction, Awareness, Consciousness, Emptiness, Enlightenment, Expectations, Gnyana, Impressions, Knowledge, Mind, Prakriti, Purusha, Scriptures, Self, Self- Realization, Self-Effort, Surrender, Vedic, Viveka, Wisdom
Abiding in the Self! Question: There is a sort of ‘bond’ between the awareness and the mind. The awareness goes out every time (away from the self to the world). And this connection or bond must be broken. How can I break this connection? I know that I have to take a... 
by Ekta Bathija | Jan 27, 2022 | Chanting, Elements, Karma, Karmaphalam, Meditation, Mind, Physical, Prakriti, Vedic
Karma and Mercury Retrograde! Question: Please explain what happens during Mercury Retrograde from the spiritual aspect. Answer: All cosmic bodies whether planets, stars, comets, etc affect us. E.g. The moon affects the water element on our Planet. It is a... 
by Ekta Bathija | Sep 16, 2021 | Body, Consciousness, Existence, I, Matter, Science, Vedic, Vibration
Everything is but a vibration. Matter does not exist! Question: JGD Ekthaji, Reference: YG page 25 para 3 – Vasishtha is talking to Rama on the vibrations and their impact. Does the vibration here means the event(s) that are occurring to this body-consciousness in... 
by Ekta Bathija | Sep 2, 2021 | Independent Spirituality, Matter, Maya, OM, Vibration
“OM” is not just a sound, it is a vibration! Question: “Om” is the antidote to both sound AND sight? I didn’t get this, how it could be the antidote to the latter? Answer: Because “OM” is not just a sound, it is a vibration. According to the... 
by Ekta Bathija | Aug 3, 2021 | Aagami, Attraction, Aversion, Awareness, Awareness, Body, Causation, Commitment, Compassion, Craving, Destiny, Elements, Equanimous, Freedom, General Spiritual, Happiness, I, Impressions, Jealousy, Karma, Karmaphalam, Knowledge, Life, Love/Hate, Patanjali Yogs Sutra, Pleasure/Pain, Prarabdha, Purushartha, Purushartha, Raaga/Dvesha, Raaga/Dvesha, Relationship, Sakshi Bhav/Witness, Samsara, Sanchita, Self-Effort, Self-Effort, Tapas
Dealing with Possessiveness Question: What if it is not me who is possessive, but someone else is possessive of me , rather obsessive almost to the sick levels of possessing me, what is that I should or should not do. Answer: Recognize that it is just a play of the... 
by Ekta Bathija | Jul 13, 2021 | Aagami, Brahman, Consciousness, Dukkha, Elements, Gnyani, Impressions, Karma, Karmaphalam, Knowledge, Maya, Meditation, Prakriti, Prarabdha, Raaga/Dvesha, Samsara, Sanchita, Self- Realization, Self-Effort, Space-Time, Surrender, Upanishad, Vedic
KARMA! Question: Please explain the sentences Excerpt 1 -The space is not afflicted by any action. Similarly, you are free from karma. Answer: Look around you right now. You are surrounded by space from all angles. Can you touch the space around you?... 
by Ekta Bathija | Jul 8, 2021 | Awareness, Company/Association/Sangha, Elements, Food, General Spiritual, Meditation, Meditation, Mind, Prakriti, Present Moment, Purushartha, Satvik/Rajasic/Tamasic, Self-Effort, Sub-conscious, Thoughts
How do thoughts generate in the mind? Questions: How does the thought generate in our mind? Answer: From a Dvaitam perspective: Thoughts generate out of the subconscious. Now what is the quality of your subconscious? It depends on the conditioning of your mind from:... 
by Ekta Bathija | Jun 29, 2021 | Aagami, Company/Association/Sangha, Emotions, Equanimous, General Spiritual, Karma, Kriya, Let go, Life, Physical, Prakriti, Pranayama, Problem/Struggle/Calamity, Raaga/Dvesha, Types of Karma
Dealing with difficult people & situations Question: Dear Ekta, I really don’t trust my business partner as he cheats on tax and my share of profits. I also realize that it must be karma, so I have to deal with this. At this moment I don’t have an alternative,... 
by Ekta Bathija | Mar 18, 2021 | Aagami, Brahman, Consciousness, Energy, Flow with Life, Freewill, Impressions, Karma, Karmaphalam, Maaya, Niyati, No-Mind, Prakriti, Prarabdha, Purusha, Raaga/Dvesha, Sanchita, Types of Karma, Vedic, Vibration
Mahaa Maaya, Moha Maaya and Yoga Maaya Question : The ball is rolling and we are not the doer. Whatever will happen will happen. How does free will fit in? We have the free will not to create agami karma but what has to happen will happen irrespectively. Unless agami... 
by Ekta Bathija | Mar 4, 2021 | Body, Concepts, Doubts, Emptiness, Faith, Fullness, Guru, Intellect, Knowledge, Mind, Opinion/Behavior/Judgement, Personality, Prakriti, Purusha, Vedic
See Guru as an Energy, not a Personality! Question: You said, ‘See Guru as beyond a personality, see the being, see the hollow and empty, ever full presence’. From past few weeks, I was actually wanting to feel Guru beyond the body. How to see that?... 
by Ekta Bathija | Nov 29, 2020 | Awareness, Body, Enlightenment, Gnyani, Guru, Independent Spirituality, Intellect, Masters, Matter, Mind, Physical, Pleasure/Pain, Prakriti, Ramana Maharshi, Suffering
Does a Guru or the Enlightened one feel sadness? Do they actually fall sick? Question: I have a question, although it may sound silly. I was wondering, do enlightened beings feel sadness? Do they actually feel sick? As I look at an enlightened one, I see consciousness... 
by Ekta Bathija | Nov 5, 2020 | Anger, Ego, Elements, General Spiritual, I, Impressions, Just Be, Reaction, Relationship, Sakshi Bhav/Witness, Spouse
When in anger, not being a winner is actually winning! Question:I have been working on my spiritual knowledge yet could not deal with a big fight with my spouse. How to deal with anger? After that fight, I realized that I valued winning more than my... 
by Ekta Bathija | Oct 29, 2020 | Awareness, Body, Brahman, Concepts, Consciousness, Doership, Ego, Elements, Existence, Fear, Form, Gnyana, Gratitude, Guru, I, Impressions, Life, Matter, Mind, Opinion/Behavior/Judgement, Personality, Physical, Prakriti, Purusha, Self, Soul, Surrender, Truth, Vedic, You
What is Personality? Question:Is personality born from the soul or is it created by the ego? When we see others who are acting very differently than we ever would like ourselves to, even though they are part of our same consciousness, does that mean that they have the... 
by Ekta Bathija | Jun 9, 2020 | Brahman, Consciousness, Energy, Form, Prakriti, Purusha, Vedic
You are not the body! Question:Are Purusha and Brahman the same? Since both are energy, does it mean they are the same?Answer:Brahman is that supreme energy out of which everything is born. It is also called the supreme consciousness. This everything that was born of... 
by Ekta Bathija | May 31, 2020 | Aagami, Animal, Ashtavakra Gita, Brahman, Consciousness, Ego, Fear, I, Impressions, Karma, Karmaphalam, Mind, Prakriti, Vedic
Consciousness in animals and immaterial objects Question:Since immaterial objects and animals have no mind, are they pure consciousness? (I feel like I’ve asked this before and you gave a simple answer, but not simple enough for me to remember!)Answer:The mind... 
by Ekta Bathija | May 10, 2020 | Aagami, Aversion, Awareness, Compassion, Craving, Emotions, Guilt, Gunas, Let go, Life, Mind, Opinion/Behavior/Judgement, Prakriti, Raaga/Dvesha, Sakshi Bhav/Witness, Vedic
What can I do to increase Awareness? Question:You mentioned law of attraction in our discussion. Is there anything we can do for the numerous times we have had knowingly/unknowingly grumbled upon others behavior and had bad thoughts about them? I am sorry for my ill... 
by Ekta Bathija | Apr 17, 2020 | Awareness, Consciousness, Dreams, Duality, General Spiritual, Illusion, Let go, Physical, Sakshi Bhav/Witness, Satori, Self, Truth, Videha
Is it possible to drop duality? Questions: In Cosmos, it is said that there is no concept of time. My question though is, can you experience this while you are in a physical form. From Lila’s story(yoga vasishtha), she had to remove the duality completely? Please... 
by Ekta Bathija | Mar 18, 2020 | Awareness, Bondage, Boss/Colleague, Death, Emotions, Existence, Fear, Fear, Form, Illusion, Maaya, Physical, Prakriti, Relationship, Samsara, Self, Self- Realization, Soul, Temporary, Vedic, Viveka, Wisdom
Death Question: Dearest Ektaji, My first boss and mentor who became a very good friend just died this morning. I have known him since 1985. Part of me feels ignorant/lost and part of me feels thirsty. I feel Lost because I do not have good knowledge about death and... 
by Ekta Bathija | Jan 13, 2020 | Awareness, Awareness, Body, Breath, Buddha, Fear, Impressions, Just Be, Meditation, Memory, Physical, Raaga/Dvesha, Raaga/Dvesha, Reaction, Sakshi Bhav/Witness, Satipathana, Sensations, Senses, Thoughts
Shivering during meditation, is it normal? Question: Yesterday, when I was meditating, I could only do three rounds of body observation but I felt I was aware the whole time and I felt for the first time I am doing it as you had explained, I was feeling all my body... 
by Ekta Bathija | Mar 7, 2019 | Body, Independent Spirituality, Physical, Prakriti, Purusha, Self, Soul, Universe, Vedic
Difference between the ethereal body and the physical body Question:What is the difference between the ethereal body and the physical body?Answer:Ethereal body is what you are, the Purusha/Soul/Self. This Purusha just forgets its own identity and thinks I am solid, I... 
by Ekta Bathija | Mar 6, 2019 | Elements, Prakriti, Science, Vedic
Doshas and their cycles Question :How fast does the element changes its every minute, second, micro second, nano second?Answer:Elements change the Prakriti. Here are the timings for the Dosha changes. We will talk about this in Ashtavakra 20.Doshas in the daily... 
by Ekta Bathija | Feb 28, 2019 | Brahman, Consciousness, Elements, Existence, Form, I, Matter, Physical, Prakriti, Purusha, Scriptures, Self, Soul, Vedic
Pancha Rahasya – The 5 secrets of Creation Have questions? Reach out to Ekta by clicking on the “Ask a Question” button on the left sidebar. For attending Ekta’s online knowledge sessions, click the “Gnyana Sangha” button on the left sidebar. Have a Spiritual... 
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