by Gnyana Sangha | Oct 14, 2021 | Advaita, Anger, Bhakti, Body, Buddha, Compassion, Concepts, Consciousness, Direct Path, Dispassion, Ego, Energy, Fear, Flow with Life, Gnyana, Illusion, Independent Spirituality, Let go, Life, Meditation, Mind, Religion, Sakshi Bhav/Witness, Thoughts, Truth
Let go of the story! Q: While yoga and Buddha’s path made me feel more calm and secure, I feel it was the mind still finding security and solace in some concept/activity, albeit more socially acceptable. A: What is the mind? It is simply thoughts+feelings dear....
by Gnyana Sangha | Oct 7, 2021 | Concepts, Dispassion, Duality, Dvaita, Equanimous, General Spiritual, Mind, Raaga/Dvesha, Vairagya
Are you a Vairaagi yet? Question: Does Vairagya mean a giving up of non-religious pleasures like singing, dancing, poetry etc. or just give up hankering for them? Answer: Vai – raagya means devoid of raaga. Who is not a vairaagi? – It does not matter whether...
by Gnyana Sangha | Jun 15, 2021 | Body, Concepts, Doership, Dreams, Ego, Faith, I, Just Be, Mind, No-Mind, Purushartha, Samsara, Self, Thoughts, Vedic, Yoga Vasistha
The Mind does not exist! Question: JGD Ekta Ji, I am of the mindset that there will always be thoughts in the mind but by staying in knowledge and other techniques you can control your mind so that you are not attached to these thoughts. This way you are still...
by Gnyana Sangha | Mar 14, 2021 | Awareness, Concepts, Dhyana, Energy, Guru, Knowledge, Kriya, Meditation, Meditation, Mind, Pranayama, Purushartha, Scriptures, Silence, Thoughts, Upanishad, Vedic
Thoughts during meditation and sadness after! Question: Dear Ekta didi, I have been doing my meditation but I just can’t get my mind to shut up! It constantly brings thoughts. I don’t resist them. But I am slightly concerned. I am in no way impatient, I will continue...
by Gnyana Sangha | 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:Yesterday Guru Dev tweeted that 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 Dev beyond the body. And you are...
by Gnyana Sangha | Feb 14, 2021 | Advaita, Atma Nirvriti, Atmananda, Awareness, Body, Concepts, Direct Path, Energy, Mind, Sakshi Bhav/Witness, Sensations, Senses, Silence
When you drop labels, you find Awareness! Question:I feel the energy as well, as soon as I sink into silence. I find the energy is intense and overpowering. I am not sure If it is the witness that is witnessing this energy or is it the mind that is feeling this...
by Gnyana Sangha | Feb 11, 2021 | 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 in...
by Gnyana Sangha | Jan 31, 2021 | Advaita, Atma Nirvriti, Atmananda, Awareness, Concepts, Consciousness, Direct Path, Doership, Dreams, Ego, Happiness, I, Mind, Nisargadatta Maharaj
I have eaten up the world! Question:Didi for some time now, in the dream-state, there is that ‘I-Amness’ and a knowingness of the dreams. Whatever the story is, it runs like a movie with a knowing that it is a dream. Is that how it’ll be? Answer:Yes, dear. As...
by Gnyana Sangha | Dec 15, 2020 | Awareness, Buddha, Concepts, Ego, Enlightenment, Intellect, Karma, Karmaphalam, Knowledge, Liberation, Meditation, Purushartha, Sakshi Bhav/Witness, Samsara, Self- Realization, Vairagya, Wisdom
Intellectualization of Spiritual Knowledge is a MAJOR obstacle! Question: Ekta ji, can you point to any references in scriptures or your own experience on how to identify the symptoms of being half baked in Vedanta knowledge or being caught up just in the theory of...
by Gnyana Sangha | 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 Gnyana Sangha | Aug 29, 2020 | Advaita, Concepts, Consciousness, Enlightenment, Food, General Spiritual, Mind, Paths
Is vegetarianism preferable for spiritual growth? Question: Thank you for the article on vegetarianism and non-vegetarianism – https://ektabathija.com/are-there-karmic-consequences-to-eating-meat/. My question is not about the Karmic consequences of eating meat...
by Gnyana Sangha | Aug 27, 2020 | Advaita, Advaita, Animal, Concepts, Duality, Dvaita, Food, General Spiritual, Human, Independent Spirituality, Karma, Mind, Paths, Rumi, Uncategorized
Are there karmic consequences to eating meat? ‘.Question: Good afternoon. I have been raised as a pure vegetarian. I am however married to a Bengali (love marriage) who has been raised on fish and meat. I love my husband a lot and do not want him to suffer the...
by Gnyana Sangha | Aug 25, 2020 | Attachment, Awareness, Awareness, Bondage, Buddha, Buddha, Concepts, Craving, Desire, Equanimous, Freedom, Ignorance, Just Be, Knowledge, Let go, Meditation, Mind, Misery, No-Mind, Pleasure/Pain, Present Moment, Sakshi Bhav/Witness, Samadhi, Samsara, Satipathana, Seeking, Sensations, Silence, Suffering, Temporary, Thoughts, Wisdom
What is taught in a Buddha retreat? Question: Please would you explain what is taught in the Buddha retreats? I have statues of Buddha at home but am totally unaware of his teachings. Please enlighten me about what is Vipassana, Samatha, Jhanas, etc. Answer: Here is a...
by Gnyana Sangha | Aug 4, 2020 | Buddha, Concepts, Dharma, Flow with Life, Impressions, Intellect, Opinion/Behavior/Judgement, Raaga/Dvesha, Vedic, Viveka
Drop Judging! Question:I attended a family reunion last week, first time in a long time being in such a large gathering for an extended period. I noticed that even though I could let go of judging externally, i.e. expressing my judgements, I still found myself judging...
by Gnyana Sangha | Jun 11, 2020 | Ambition/Career, Animal, Birth, Body, Concepts, Consciousness, Death, Ego, Flow with Life, I, Ignorance, Illusion, Impulsive, Life, Maaya, Maya, Mind, Present Moment, Purusha, Samsara, Self, Soul, Spontaneous, Temporary, Vedic, You
What is the purpose of life? Question:I keep wondering why we first broke away from our nature of infinite consciousness? Why did that subtle vibration even occur that led to the “I”/ ego and then to the projected consciousness that leads us to this cycle of samsara...
by Gnyana Sangha | Apr 26, 2020 | Concepts, Enlightenment, General Spiritual, Guru, Maaya, Mind, No-Mind, Senses, Silence, Viveka
How does the mind of an Enlightened function? Question: As a realized sage reads a newspaper, looks at the words, does the mind faculty in him read the words out loud? Even as I read there is a voice in the head clearly enunciating every word or since they are...
by Gnyana Sangha | Mar 10, 2019 | Anger, Awareness, Concepts, Flow with Life, Independent Spirituality, Intellect, Just Be, Let go, Present Moment, Reaction, Thoughts
Samagra in a state of anger Question:What is meant by ‘being Samagra’ in the flow when one gets angry and reacts?Answer:Samagra means ‘being immersed totally in the present moment as it is, devoid of thought or logic’. The moment you use the word ‘I am reacting’ in...
by Gnyana Sangha | Feb 28, 2019 | 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 Gnyana Sangha | Feb 23, 2019 | Concepts, Emotions, General Spiritual, Knowledge, Mind, Scriptures, Self- Realization, Sensations, Thoughts, Wisdom
Stand naked in front of the mirror Question:Hi Ektaji, How to control or stop negative thoughts that are coming in the mind every time or in any situation and think positive?Answer:JGD dear,Mind is a trickster so there are certain important steps that we need to...
by Gnyana Sangha | Feb 17, 2019 | 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 Jai Guru Dev, Can you please give me tips on how to get a Proper True Darshan of Gurudev during this upcoming Guru Poornima. The mind gets swept away with the much fanfare and misses seeing the...
