The Swastika and Dhruva

by Michael Mamas | Sunday, January 10, 2016 | Spiritual Evolution | 17 comments

The central point of the Christian Holy Cross represents the Atman, the place deep inside a soul that is One with the Divine. The cross indicates that everything points to, leads to, the Atman… enlightenment.

The Swastika is the cross with the four arms ‘bent’ indicating that the path to enlightenment is elusive, not a straight line. The central point correlates with (maps on to) the North Star, the pole star…Dhruva in sanskrit. Everything, all the stars revolve around the Pole Star, Dhruva.

The seven stars of the big dipper are the Saptarishis, which by rotating around Dhruva, form a swastika. (more information) The Saptarishis as the guiding lights of dharma point the direction to the Atman, enlightenment.

In Vedic literature, Dhruv was the son of a king ignored by the king and denied his rightful place in life. Dhruv vowed to attain a place in life even higher than what he was denied, and went off and worshipped Lord Vishnu. Vishnu then gave Dhruv the status of the Pole Star. In other words, Dhruv awoke to his Divine nature, became enlightened, and realized that the entire universe revolves around the true Divine Self, the Atman.

Dhruv being ignored is like the Self, the Atman, being ignored in the state of ignor-ance before enlightenment.

Swastika

by Michael Mamas | Friday, January 8, 2016 | Spiritual Evolution | 21 comments

The swastika is an ancient sacred symbol.  For more information, click HERE  & HERE:

The seven stars of the Big Dipper map on to (correlate with) the seven SaptaRishis. These Rishis are the upholders of Natural Law. Natural Law means Dharma.

In the course of a day, they complete 360 degree rotation of the stars around the north star (every 24 hours it happens).

However, in winter it is dark out at the opposite stage of the rotation than in the summer. In other words, the stars seen in the middle of the night are up in the middle of the day six months later. This is because the Earth rotates around the Sun. So through the months at the same time of day, you are seeing the big dipper at a different stage of the 24 hour rotation. This of course occurs incrementally day after day as we progress through the year.

So through the four seasons, the SaptaRishis form a swastika in the sky.

The Individual Soul

by Michael Mamas | Thursday, January 7, 2016 | Spiritual Evolution | 14 comments

“Jivo Brahmaiva naparah” – “The individual soul is Brahman, the Totality, and nothing else.”
from Crest Jewel of Discrimination by Adi Shankara

This quote is so beautiful. Yet it can easily succumb to a simplistic understanding of something like: “I know. We are all one. I get it. What else can you tell me?”

Consider, for example, viewing this quote from the perspective that there is no space, no time, no bottom line, no relative. When Tat Wale Baba was asked why the universe manifested, he simply responded, “It didn’t.”

Or perhaps consider from Rig Veda, that Purusha has one thousand eyes.

Highest Form of Discernment

by Michael Mamas | Thursday, December 31, 2015 | Spiritual Evolution | 20 comments

Everything exists transgradiently (i.e., on all levels of existence). As Adi Shankara said, “Spirituality is the path of discernment.” We do well to understand the nature of discernment, particularly on the deepest level of existence. There lies the highest form of discernment.

The highest form of meditation is the technique of discernment. However at this profound level, discernment is not what many may think. In meditation, the practitioner innocently favors the mantra. When thoughts or emotions come up, we don’t push them out. Instead, we innocently favor the mantra. This is the process of discernment. On this profound level, discernment is an effortless process. Everything naturally gravitates back to Oneness. This form of meditation allows the awareness to naturally and effortlessly follow that flow.

Discernment on this level is the distinction between Sat and Asat (i.e., the Self and the non-Self). The Self is Oneness. The Self is Brahman. The Self is one with the source of all life and existence. Everything in creation naturally gravitates back to that source, just as every drop of rain naturally gravitates back to the ocean.

The vehicle the awareness rides in meditation is the mantra. The mantra resonates with the Transcendental Self as well as the subtle physiology of the practitioner.

Isn’t it beautiful that when understood, the spiritual path can be explained with that one word: “discernment.”