When one has an emotional reaction,
where is the Witness in that?
Self is there, witnessing everything. Self is laughing at you saying "Aw look, there he goes again." Mind also witnesses, that is how you know "I am" having this thought. The Self is always constantly watching & guiding, but it is through the mind we watch. That is why they say, just rise above these emotions. Kids & wife & all of that is part of this, one day they are happy next day they are upset.. it is the nature of the world. It is not wrong or right.. We are simply talking about the nature of the world, the nature of the human life & the nature of the body the breath & the mind. And then in the mind, the emotions & the parts of the mind that everybody is affected by it. It may be more or less depending on where one is in their journey but ever one who has prana is affected by it, unless one is a master or self realized. And that is why they say to go toward self realization -- because that master is completely happy. It is the emotions & their changes that decrease your happiness. This understanding doesn't come by listening or reading.. it only comes by meditation & contemplation & turning inward. Thats why a lot of people will hear me say this, or hear this, and intellectually understand it.. but will they do something about it? Will it change their lives?
They don't..because it takes true practice and experience to KNOW.. everyone can give a nice lecture about it.. but like the Bhagavad Gita says, even the wise ones are confused.. even the wise ones behave exactly the same as one who is not wise. Wise means knowledgeable of the scriptures, of the technology of the philosophy and all of that.. Meanings, and quotations..one who knows.. but real knowing is Self..Knowing who you Really are.. Self..
Like the quote from Swami Rama.. "The greatest book to study is your Self" and Then you will know. .. he says.. "The interesting part of this manuscript of so called life is the beginning and the end pages are missing.. you only have the middle pages with you. You don't know where it began and you don't know where it will end.. you have the book but its incomplete.. you carry the middle pages of this life.. you no longer have the past and you don't know the future"… Study the Self.
What is the Universal Power?
Universal power is the identical.. Universal power is unity, friendship, love, commitment, growth. What i mean by this is, the powers that are in everybody and part of everyone nature.. no matter where one comes, from they exist in everyone.. they are universal. The powers that are the nature of human being.. which are; to be compassionate, to help each other, to give and to forgive.. those are the True nature of the self and they exist in every human being.. And then the question comes, why does everyone then act differently? That is their ego.

Email questions to info@himalayanmeditation.com

In late August Panditji gave an extensive interview covering a multitude of questions that his family of students put forth. Speaking openly and candidly we hope you enjoy getting to know the tradition and the man we are so lucky to have as our compassionate guide. If you have any questions you believe others would benefit from hearing the answer, please email them to our team at info@himalayanmeditation.com

How did you become a part of the Himalayan Tradition.
Philosophically, my luck, my karmas, and my fortune, brought me to The Himalayan Tradition. One comes in contact with many traditions and that attraction, or 'the pull' towards a teacher one gets if you have some past Karmas or some past relationship with the tradition - then you find the same tradition again. So, I believe this is how I became a part of the tradition.

What distinguishes the Himalayan tradition from the other tradition, or makes the Himalayan tradition unique.
1.It came out of the cave monastery of the Himalayas. The training comes from the sages who have sat, or they still are sitting, in their meditation in the caves of the Himalayas.
2. This tradition is also know as a living tradition. The teaching is handed down from a guru disciple relationship.
3. And also it is a complete tradition that does not reject or leave out any other tradition. It includes, rather then excludes, and teaches the totality of all Yoga Science and its whole Philosophy. Where as, other traditions have not gone into the totality of it, they teach only one part of Yoga... Swami Veda says it is like a frame. There are pieces to that frame, and as you collect all of them you are able to see the entire frame and picture. The Himalayan tradition is like the frame for that whole picture, and all other traditions are like pieces of that frame.

How did the process of you coming to the United States come about?
The process of coming to the US for me was that Swami Rama of the Himalayas asked me if I could go to the US. So he is the reason, or the source, or cause for me to come to the US. He brought me to the US and said, now you teach here.

Did he say why? or the purpose?
No, purpose was not said as such... Just teach and help, in service. Purpose is to teach, as he himself is teaching, to serve the humanity. So he might have seen something in me, or I might come back to the philosophy of Karma, that it was something from my Karma that made it so he brought me to teach. And so..I started to teach when I came.

Does that mean at any point you will complete this task in the West?
That nobody knows. I don't know what it means to be done. You continue your journey as long as you live.. so that question doesn't cross my mind or, i think, the minds of one who is a real teacher.. its just serving.. So there is no 'done' as such in any place. I still go to many places in the world and teach. I am part of those places and feel a connection to them and the family of students in each place. So if I go somewhere I am serving in the same tradition with the same manner and the same capacity, no matter the location.

Interview will continue in future Blog updates due to the space limitations for this site..

SADHANA
Everyone is eager to know more about the path of spirituality. You long to know more, but there is actually a barrier that you create for yourselves, and that barrier is practice. You do not practice what you already know. You really do not need to know many things, but you definitely need to practice what you know.
~Swami Rama

Change as YOU can
When you understand that all your habits are formed by the simple process of repeating some action or thought again and again, then you can learn another process, that of undoing and changing your habits.
~Swami Rama

SAMSKARAS
Samskaras are the "seed memories" of your previous actions, which you have stored in the reservoir within yourself. Sometimes a time comes in your life when you feel helpless and at the mercy of your samskaras because you do not work with yourself; you do not sincerely do your practice, you do not improve yourself, and you do not really want to change your personality. That is why this feeling of helplessness occurs.
~Swami Rama