Bali: Beyond “Eat, Pray, and Love"

If “eat, pray, and love” is what you are looking for; if that is your definition of life, religion, spirituality, or whatever – then, it really does not make any sense for you to come all the way to Bali.

Can’t you do all that in your own country? Sure, you can. So, why come to Bali?

Eating and loving are very, very basic human needs and instincts.

Whereas praying is most often motivated by our fears of the unknown.

The point is: You don’t have to be in Bali for all that.

Is it because Bali is still cheap? If that is your reason – then, perhaps you have chosen well.

But, if you are really looking for “spiritual experience”, then you must first of all get over with “eating, praying, and loving” business.

Get ready for something “beyond” all such normalities!

Spirituality is not confined to ashrams, places of worship, ceremonies, rituals, robed hermits, gurus, shamans, and so on and so forth.

Spirituality is not withdrawing from Life, it is living amidst the madding crown of the world, and keeping to your sanity, and not getting carried away by them. 

Spirituality is also not always “going with the flow”. If necessary, it can go against the tide.

Ashrams are meant to function as retreat points. Retreat unto and into the deepest recesses of your own being!

Ashram is a place where you can spend time to do some self-reflection and introspection,  to go within.

If you are looking for a shaman to perform some seemingly magical rituals to take care of your problems, then ashram is certainly not a place for you.

Ashram is a place, where the whole atmosphere, the whole clime, the space itself is conducive to lead you within. The presence of a Guru in the ashram, in any ashram, works as only a catalyst.

A Guru has nothing to do with magical mumbo jumbo to eliminate all hurdles from your life. No.

A Guru is only pointing you the way to the Source of All Strength within you, having accessed which, you can take care of all your problems by yourself.

Spirituality is Self-Empowerment and not leaning upon a guru or a shaman.

Spirituality is not being restful while your next-door neighbor sleeps on an empty stomach.

Spirituality is not sitting in silence, working on your self-realization alone, but utilizing whatever little self-realization you may already have to work vigorously and dynamically to serve the ailing society.

Ashram, then, prepares you for this very venture!

©Anand Ashram

www.ubud.

anandashram.asia

Email: ubud@anandashram.asia 

 www.ubud.anandashram.asia

Mahanavaratri: Invoking the Divine Feminine Within

The Most Auspicious NINE Nights Dedicated to the Invocation of Shakti - the Divine Source of Energy within - this is what Mahanavaratri is about. 
Then, on the 10th day, the Vijayadashmi Day, Victory of Dharma or Rigteousness over the dark forces of adharma or unrighteousness is celebrated to mark the end of the entire 10 days long festival.



But, the end of the festival is not the end of our Sadhana or Spiritual Endeavour. 
Indeed, it marks the beginning of our sadhana. The idea is to remind us of both the forces of dharma, as well as of adharma within us. It is a constant war within.

When the forces of adharma are winning, we become asura, demons.
In Sanskrit, asura has the meaning of "unrythmic" - those who are not living naturally, in rythm with Mother Nature, those who are destructive and not creative - they are asuras, they are demons.

And, those who are creative, ever contributing towards the cause of general wellbeing, they are suras, the devas, the gods, the rythmic. 


Being dharmic, living righteously is living in svarga, living in the natural state of being. Yes, that is the meaning of svarga, usually translated as heaven.

So, heaven is not up there.
Heaven is not a place, a realm, or a state of consciousness you attain to after your physical death. No. Heaven is right here. This very earth is heaven, or rather, it can be turned into heaven, and you can live like heavenly beings, if you adjust your rythm to comply with the rythm of Mother Nature.



Learn to give as Mother Nature does.
Learn to share as She does.... This is the inner significance of Mahanavaratri Pooja and the Vijayadashmi Celebration.



Year 2012
This year, the pooja, the ceremony starts on Tuesday, the 16th of October, and ends on Wednesday, the 24th of October, with the Victory of your Higher Self over the lower animalistic instincs.

During these nine days, avoid all kinds of grains, cereals, and vegetables to detox your body, and most importantly brain; mind, and soul - during this sadhana. Eat only fruits, nuts, milk, honey, and all kinds of roots (grown underground, like potatoes, sweet potatoes, and etcetra). For sweetener, use brown sugar or honey. Tea and coffee (limited) is still okay, but definitely not more than 2-3 small cumps per day.

On the 10th day you shall feel much lighter, much confident, but, then, the catch is that after the 10th day dont go back to old unhealthy eating habits. You can start eating grains and vegetables again, but sparingly, only when your body needs them. Do not overstuff your body. Its not only about vegetarian diet, raw food diet, and the like. Its about moderation.... I have seen people on rawfood diet for years, but overstuffing themselves, with the end result that they suffer from excessive wind element, which makes them hallucinate as if they are already enlightened.

If raw food or any other kind of vegetarian diet "alone" can turn you into a Buddha, then most animals are already enlightened beings. They dont have to be born as humans to strive for buddhahood, for enlightenment. So, beware of mental tricks.

Buddhahood is not about diet alone, its also about mental putification, emotional culturing, development of intelligence,and accessing the inner self.... Its about self development in its truest sense.

Happy Mahanavaratri and Merry Vijayadashmi!