by Gnyana Sangha | Feb 8, 2023 | Ashtavakra Gita, Awareness, Awareness, Body, Breath, Buddha, Dhyana, Doership, Equanimous, Flow with Life, I, Independent Spirituality, Intellect, Just Be, Krishna, Meditation, Mind, Mindfulness, No-Mind, Non-Doership, Patanjali Yogs Sutra, Present Moment, Purushartha, Purushartha, Sakshi Bhav/Witness, Self-Effort, Self-Effort, Senses, Silence, Spontaneous, Thoughts
Is being a witness and being 100% aware the same? Question 1: I was practicing 100% awareness for most of the day. But it seemed to me that as I was 100% aware, I was also totally aware of what I was experiencing through the senses – I was totally aware of what my...
by Gnyana Sangha | Feb 2, 2023 | Advaita, Atma Nirvriti, Atmananda, Body, Consciousness, Direct Path, Doership, I, Mind, Self-Effort, Thoughts
Thought is not conscious! Question: Didi,In the example that you gave during the session, the 1st thought arose out of my previous conditioning that on Sundays I have to attend Atma Nirvriti class. The second thought arose out of the habit of being lazy and the last...
by Gnyana Sangha | Dec 4, 2022 | Advaita, Atma Nirvriti, Atmananda, Direct Path, Drama, Duality, Ego, Just Be, Laziness, Maya, Self-Effort
Why drop conditioning? Question: In Atma Nrvriti we are talking about unlearning what we have been taught thus far and to drop all the conditioning, isn’t this another conditioning to drop conditioning? Can we just be? Answer: The Ego makes new excuses daily...
by Gnyana Sangha | Nov 6, 2022 | Atmananda, Buddha, Consciousness, Dispassion, God, Guru, Kabir, Knowledge, Meditation, Moksha, Nisargadatta Maharaj, Ramana Maharshi, Self, Self-Effort, Silence, Wisdom
Is sadhana alone not sufficient for attaining moksha? Question: Ekta didi, If we are doing our sadhana and meditation which then what is the need for knowledge? Is sadhana alone not sufficient for attaining moksha? Please guide me, I am stuck in this. Answer:...
by Gnyana Sangha | Oct 16, 2022 | Advaita, Atma Nirvriti, Atmananda, Aversion, Craving, Direct Path, Doubts, Ego, Impressions, Knowledge, Meditation, Mind, Raaga/Dvesha, Self-Effort
Do impressions get released during contemplation meditation as well? Question: While doing the Nisargadatta Contemplations [https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLwOB9CZXOf9TFFu5ayJGJHYpb6SW0xj5G], I noticed a release. Do impressions get released during contemplation...
by Gnyana Sangha | Oct 2, 2022 | Awareness, Buddha, Flow with Life, Independent Spirituality, Knowledge, Let go, Meditation, Patanjali Yogs Sutra, Prarabdha, Present Moment, Purushartha, Samadhi, Scriptures, Self-Effort, Self-Effort, Viveka
Be like a crystal! Question: In Patanjali Yogasutras, a reference is made to ‘being a crystal’. Is ‘being a crystal’ different from Sampragnyata samadhi? Answer: ‘Being a crystal’ means living as if you don’t exist....
by Gnyana Sangha | Aug 31, 2022 | Aagami, Awareness, Bhakti, Craving, Divine, Emotions, Enlightenment, General Spiritual, Gnyana, Impressions, Intellect, Karma, Karmaphalam, Knowledge, Meditation, Mind, Patanjali Yogs Sutra, Prarabdha, Reaction, Sanchita, Self- Realization, Self-Effort, Self-Effort, Tapas, Types of Karma, Vedic, Wisdom
Dealing with Anxiety Question: Dear Ektaji, How should one deal with anxiety through Karma Yoga? I understand the role of gyana and bhakti/surrender when we are anxious about something in future but it is still prabhava gyana. Therefore I end up reasoning with my...
by Gnyana Sangha | Jun 16, 2022 | Bhakti, Bondage, Commitment, Courage, Devotion, Dispassion, Doership, Ego, Faith, Freedom, Guru/Disciple, I, Independent Spirituality, Liberation, Mind, Moksha, Non-Doership, Prayer, Raaga/Dvesha, Samadhi, Self- Realization, Self-Effort, Self-Effort, Surrender, Surrender, Vairagya, Wisdom
Mind retaliates to your answer on craving for Guru! Question: Ektaji, My bhakti kicked in and did a little revolt against the answer – https://ektabathija.com/craving-for-guru/ Divine craving (for the physical guru or the tattva) is in my faith a blessing..does Mukti...
by Gnyana Sangha | Mar 20, 2022 | Anxiety, Company/Association/Sangha, Emotions, Fear, General Spiritual, Gnyana, Ignorance, Let go, Mind, Purushartha, Self-Effort, Self-Effort, Stress, Thoughts
What will people say? Questions: Hello Ekta didi, small negative events make me sad. It’s like the earth element is constantly dominating me. I worry and fear about things in my life. I don’t know how to rise above it. My problem is I think a lot what other...
by Gnyana Sangha | Dec 19, 2021 | Brahman, Buddha, Just Be, Knowledge, Meditation, Mindfulness, Prana, Self-Effort, Self-Effort, Seva, Vedic
Just DO NOthing! Question: How do you meditate on a specific subject? For example, I think I can utilize deep meditation to get a stronger comprehension of love and how that’s what I’m made of etc etc. But if I’m already in meditation, to try to grab at a specific...
by Gnyana Sangha | Dec 9, 2021 | Body, Commitment, Guru, Karma, Knowledge, Laziness, Maaya, Meditation, Mind, Patanjali Yogs Sutra, Purushartha, Satvik/Rajasic/Tamasic, Scriptures, Self-Effort, Vedic
No proxies allowed in Spirituality! Question: My peaceful experiences are not stable, and I am going up and down in my spiritual path, I feel there is no steady growth in my spiritual path. What should I do? Answer: The spiritual path is long, it is unknown,...
by Gnyana Sangha | Nov 4, 2021 | Buddha, Buddha, Fear, In- Laws, Marriage, Misery, Relationship, Samsara, Self-Effort, Temporary
Obstacles on Spiritual Path Question: JGD Ekta ji, I have registered for the Silence course but I am so scared of my in laws. They would not approve my absence for 5 days. I have almost decided to not attend the course. But I am very restless to attend. I am stuck...
by Gnyana Sangha | Oct 26, 2021 | Awareness, Awareness, Buddha, Causation, Faith, Flow with Life, Intellect, Karma, Karmaphalam, Knowledge, Life, Love, Memory, Mind, Purushartha, Raaga/Dvesha, Raaga/Dvesha, Sakshi Bhav/Witness, Self- Realization, Self-Effort, Self-Effort, Truth, Wisdom
What if the Karma theory is wrong? Question: I am getting a feeling of missing out. What if this Karma Theory is wrong and I wake up 40 years from now realizing that I missed out on people, places and things that at least gave me short-term pleasure. Now I have to...
by Gnyana Sangha | Aug 12, 2021 | Advaita, Dispassion, Ego, Enlightenment, General Spiritual, Gnyana, God, Happiness, Independent Spirituality, Intellect, Knowledge, Nisargadatta Maharaj, Paths, Samsara, Scriptures, Self-Effort, Self-Effort, Surrender, Worship
Do you test the participants before admitting them to Gurukul? Question: Dear Didi, I want to join your Gurukul system, but I know that I am far from being eligible right now. I am too attached to this Samsara and my yearning is not strong enough for the highest...
by Gnyana Sangha | 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 Gnyana Sangha | Jul 29, 2021 | Commitment, Courage, General Spiritual, Let go, Mind, Self-Effort, Thoughts
Consistent effort is the only way out! Question: JGD Ektaji, I have seen many of your videos. Needless to say I loved them all . Sometimes I feel that I should first be very regular with my sadhana/practice. Because the knowledge that you explain is so very good that...
by Gnyana Sangha | Jul 1, 2021 | Awareness, Awareness, Dhyana, Emptiness, I, Independent Spirituality, Just Be, Meditation, Meditation, Mind, Non-Doership, Purushartha, Purushartha, Seeking, Seeking, Self-Effort, Self-Effort, Silence, Thoughts
How do I experience Silence during meditation ? Question: “Drop the small mind”. I understand one way is to keep saying I am not the body, I am not the mind, I am not the ego etc. I do this during meditation, yet I am unable to TRULY drop the mind just does not go...
by Gnyana Sangha | Jun 20, 2021 | Causation, Commitment, Destiny, Doubts, Gnyana, Guru, Guru, Guru, Independent Spirituality, Intellect, Karma, Knowledge, Liberation, Scriptures, Self, Self, Self- Realization, Self-Effort, Self-Effort, Truth, Wisdom
Are you worthy of Spiritual Knowledge? Question : Sometimes I wonder that, am I even worthy of this highest and beautiful knowledge? Even after studying and applying the knowledge we sometimes lose the path and get involved in cravings, desires and get carried away by...
by Gnyana Sangha | Apr 22, 2021 | Aagami, Death, Ego, Emotions, Fear, General Spiritual, Karma, Knowledge, Maaya, Meditation, Meditation, Mind, Self-Effort, Self-Effort, Wealth
Are you spiritually wealthy? Question:Jgd Didi,I am working on not creating any more Agami Karma through my thoughts, speech, and action by meditating regularly and being in knowledge. But what if I die and in the next birth because of being lost in MAAYA, I again get...
by Gnyana Sangha | Apr 1, 2021 | Aagami, Bondage, Karma, Maya, Mind, Raaga/Dvesha, Self-Effort, Self-Effort, Vedic
Be a Lotus! Question: “The soul sticks on to the body until the karma is exhausted.” This means that you will keep getting a body by the laws of Niyati as long as you have karma. What happens to the soul after it is exhausted with all the Karmas–no more Karmas left,...
by Gnyana Sangha | Dec 13, 2020 | Awareness, Consciousness, Enlightenment, God, Guru, Kabir, Paths, Religion, Self-Effort, Suffering
Kabir says drop all conditioning! Question: In one of your answers, you mentioned that Kabir asks us to burn down our house of material and spiritual conditioning if we want to attain the Witness/Consciousness/Sakshi. Has Kabir explained what is spiritual...
by Gnyana Sangha | Dec 10, 2020 | Advaita, Advaita, Awareness, Brahman, Consciousness, Enlightenment, Mind, Paths, Self, Self-Effort
The personal Journey within the Witness/Awareness/Consciousness! Question: Didi, please, please share with me your own experience of the Journey within Awareness/Witness. I might be there but I am not confident if it is my ‘ego’ thinking I am there. Your...
by Gnyana Sangha | Dec 1, 2020 | Body, Death, Karma, Liberation, Mind, No-Mind, Ramana Maharshi, Self-Effort
Why is the no-mind state not permanent in this human body? Question: Dear Ektaji, With reference to the ‘no mind’ state, why is it that no mind state is not permanent in this human body? Answer: This answer will make sense only if you have started the...
by Gnyana Sangha | Nov 3, 2020 | Awareness, Guru, Independent Spirituality, Knowledge, Maaya, Maya, Meditation, Meditation, Mind, Paths, Present Moment, Purushartha, Purushartha, Scriptures, Self-Effort, Self-Effort, Vedic
Guilt of spiritual insincerity Question: JGD Didi, I have started listening to knowledge recently and I, suddenly, realized that I have been tremendously insincere in the past.This is bothering me too much. I want to progress on the path, please guide me on how to...
by Gnyana Sangha | Oct 13, 2020 | Awareness, Buddha, Enlightenment, Knowledge, Knowledge, Let go, Liberation, Life, Maaya, Maya, Meditation, Meditation, Moksha, Self, Self- Realization, Self-Effort, Self-Effort, Service, Seva, Vedic
Why do I feel stagnant in my spiritual growth? Question:JGD Ektaji – As you are aware, I have been in knowledge for about 3 years now. I have also been involved with some seva and regular sadhana but I feel like I am not growing. I watch my self all the time (sakshi...
by Gnyana Sangha | Oct 8, 2020 | Awareness, Buddha, Buddha, Consciousness, Depression, Emotions, Knowledge, Let go, Mind, Present Moment, Sakshi Bhav/Witness, Self-Effort, Thoughts, Vedic, Viveka
Observing the mind and getting out of problems! Question: I understand that we have to maintain an observer’s attitude towards our mind. But sometimes, trying to observe what is going on in my mind creates more turmoil in my mind since an inner dialogue starts...
by Gnyana Sangha | Oct 4, 2020 | Awareness, Buddha, Karma, Meditation, Purushartha, Sakshi Bhav/Witness, Self, Self- Realization, Self-Effort, Self-Effort, Truth, Vedic
Intention v/s Effort Question:How to be in Sakshi bhaav and master the mind when I don’t have any means of Sadhana, Seva and Satsang because of a personal situation? I am averse to 2 people in my office, my mind is getting trapped. Knowledge takes a back seat many...
by Gnyana Sangha | Aug 30, 2020 | Awareness, Buddha, Dhyana, Enlightenment, Gnyana, Gnyani, Guru, Guru, Guru, Knowledge, Knowledge, Meditation, Meditation, No-Mind, Present Moment, Purushartha, Purushartha, Samadhi, Scriptures, Seeking, Self- Realization, Self-Effort, Self-Effort, Silence, Thoughts
How to experience the spiritual knowledge? Question:I am starting to get to a point of reading/listening/understanding this spiritual knowledge where I am “making it a concept” as Guruji puts it. How do I “experience” the knowledge rather than “learn” it? Just wait...
by Gnyana Sangha | Aug 20, 2020 | Awareness, Body, Bondage, Causation, Craving, Death, Fear, Fear, Freedom, General Spiritual, I, Maya, Purushartha, Raaga/Dvesha, Raaga/Dvesha, Reaction, Relationship, Samsara, Seeking, Seeking, Self-Effort, Self-Effort, Senses, Vedic
Birthday Message! Question: JGD didi, many happy returns of the day. Please could you give us a message on your birthday about how to celebrate a birthday. Answer: Life is a school. We all are here to learn some lessons. There are several classrooms:...
by Gnyana Sangha | Aug 16, 2020 | Advaita, Advaita, Awareness, Brahman, Consciousness, Ego, Enlightenment, Flow with Life, God, Paths, Rituals, Sakshi Bhav/Witness, Self-Effort, Symbolism, Truth
Happy Paryushana! Approaching rites and rituals the Advaitic way! Question: Di, I finally had the experience and recognition, that everything is awareness, everything is Brahman! I am Brahman and everything is Brahman. Only Brahman is. And there is no karma....
by Gnyana Sangha | Jun 4, 2020 | Advaita, Advaita, Awareness, Duality, Ego, Emotions, I, Mind, Paths, Sakshi Bhav/Witness, Satipathana, Self-Effort, Sensations
Advaitic way of dealing with uncontrollable emotions Question: Ekta didi, I am going through a strong emotion because of an event in my life this last week. I am quite aware of it and this time I want to use it to go deep into the emotion. What is the Advaitic way of...
by Gnyana Sangha | Apr 28, 2020 | Anger, Ashtavakra Gita, Attraction, Awareness, Awareness, Buddha, Commitment, Compassion, Craving, Dhyana, Emotions, Fear, Gnyana, Mind, Mindfulness, Purushartha, Purushartha, Raaga/Dvesha, Raaga/Dvesha, Reaction, Relationship, Sakshi Bhav/Witness, Seeking, Self-Effort, Self-Effort, Tapas
Are you a SAKSHI ? Question: When the storm of emotions hit (it did yesterday LOL) I kept reminding myself to “watch for it”. The emotion was anger and disappointment but when it was surging the high wasn’t under control. I was constantly reminding myself that the...
by Gnyana Sangha | Jan 23, 2020 | Anger, Aversion, Awareness, Buddha, Craving, Desire, Emotions, Equanimous, Gnyani, Mind, Mindfulness, Paths, Pleasure/Pain, Present Moment, Raaga/Dvesha, Sakshi Bhav/Witness, Self- Realization, Self-Effort, Sensations, Thoughts
Sensation Vs Thought Question: If a craving (or aversion) arises in my mind, would it be more strategic to observe that thought itself objectively, or to just direct my attention to my body for an observation round? My guess is the former…..but I’ve been finding more...
by Gnyana Sangha | Jan 21, 2020 | Ego, Enlightenment, God, Guru, Independent Spirituality, Mind, Purushartha, Self, Self- Realization, Self-Effort, Self-Effort, Vedic
The door that leads you ‘IN’ also leads you ‘OUT’! Question: I am a very competitive and jealous person in the office, at home, with family & friends and especially in my volunteer activities. Now this competition is coming into my...
by Gnyana Sangha | Feb 20, 2019 | Alcohol, Ashtavakra Gita, Commitment, Emotions, Happiness, Hurt, Karma, Karmaphalam, Knowledge, Let go, Life, Love/Hate, Marriage, Meditation, Memory, Mind, Misery, Pleasure/Pain, Present Moment, Problem/Struggle/Calamity, Purushartha, Scriptures, Self-Effort, Self-Effort, Spouse, Suffering, Temporary, Thoughts, Vedic
Karma and its ways Question:My husband is an alcoholic all he does is work and sleep alone. there is practically no interaction or no marriage between us. I feel extremely lonely and very depressed at home.What should I do to come out of this loneliness and depressed...