INTUITION

Intuition is that power of Spirit inherited by the soul by which truth is perceived directly, without the medium of any other faculty.

Intuition is soul guidance, appearing naturally in man during those instants when his mind is calm. Nearly everyone has had the experience of an inexplicably correct “hunch” or has transferred his thoughts accurately to another person.

Everyone has the power of intuition, as he has the power of thought. As thought can be cultivated, so intuition can be developed. In intuition one is in tune with that unchangeable Reality, with unity in diversity, with the inner laws that govern the spiritual world, of what we call God.

But intuition needs to be developed:

In the life of every person, two forces of knowledge are operative from birth: (1) the power of human reason, along with the faculties of sensation, perception, conception, and so forth; (2) the power of intuition. 
The former is developed through social institutions and interactions. The latter usually remains undeveloped, because of lack of proper guidance and methods of training.

So long as one's intuition remains undeveloped, he is guided mainly by the limited understanding of the mind, with only occasional promptings of intuitive wisdom. Thus he engages in some correct actions, but also in wrong ones. Through the operation of the law of cause and effect, or karma, he finds himself moving helplessly into his own self-created destiny, which can lead to either happiness or misery.

A life can be successful, healthy, and complete, balanced with wisdom and happiness when activity is guided by inner, intuitive direction.

Then one will see that life has a meaning, and that no matter what one is doing the inner voice is guiding him.

The ordinary person is guided by his ego; the one who is united with the Self is guided by the soul.

 Distinct from senses, thought and intellect, intuition manifest in the calm consciousness as feeling, perceived mostly through the heart. When such feeling comes, one receives through it a definite sense of right direction and unshakable conviction.

The senses and the heart are the outer doors through which knowledge seeps into the consciousness. Human knowledge filters in through the senses and is interpreted by the mind. If the senses err in perception, the conclusion drawn by the understanding of that data is also incorrect.

The senses and understanding are easily deluded because they cannot grasp the real nature, the essential character and substance, of created things.

One must feel as well as think; if one does not have feeling along with thoughts, he will not always be successful in reaching the right conclusion. Feeling is an expression of intuition, the repository of all knowledge. Feeling and thought, or reason, must be balanced. The harmonious balance of reason and feeling leads to intuitive perception and the ability to know what is Truth.

One should meditate deeply or be still until his thoughts become dissolved into intuition. In the lake of intuition, free from the waves of thought, one can see the unruffled reflection of the soul.

The scientific man or the business man or anyone seeking success would accomplish more if he concentrated upon increasing the receptive quality of his mind, instead of depending just on books and college work for his progress. We start with books and outside methods, but one should continue with increasing the receptivity of intuition and thus realizing that within oneself lies the infinite seat of all knowledge.

Ways to Develop Intuition

This intuitive power can be developed by learning the step-by-step methods of meditation that lead to Self knowledge.

First develop common sense.

Intuitive wisdom, though transcending ordinary knowledge, does not make one otherworldly or impractical; it is the parent of common sense, which is simply intuitional response to one's environment.

Whenever we want to solve a problem intuitively, we ought to first go into deep meditation or silence. It is advisable not think of problems during meditation. Meditate until you feel a sense of complete calmness. Deep breathing will enhance a state of calmness. Then one concentrates simultaneously at the point between the eyebrows or higher brain centre and the heart. Lastly, one asks for inner direction, so that he may know what you should do. An answer will come, it may not appear immediately, but it will come.

Another suggestion is that clear-thinking should be distinguished from thinking too much. Intuition manifests only in calmness; in the undeveloped person, it surfaces only occasionally when one is relaxed.

The clear-thinking individual also does not allow the intellect to overrule intuition; by his patient calmness, he permits intuition to guide him in the right direction.

None Duality according to Vedanta

Yoga describes the Ultimate Reality as Brahman, also as Satchitananda, or ever Existing Conscious Bliss, Absolute. Brahman is the only Real Existence. In It there is no time, no space, no causality, no multiplicity. But through maya Its power, time, space and causality are projected and the one becomes the many. The non dual Spirit appears as multiple individuals endowed with forms and subject to the conditions of time and space.

The immortal becomes a victim of birth and death. The changeless undergoes change. The sinless soul hypnotized by its own maya experience the joy of heaven and the pains of hell. But these experiences based on duality of the subject object relationship are unreal. Even the experience of a personal God is, ultimately speaking, as illusory as the experience of any other object. Man attains his liberation, by piercing the veil of maya and rediscovering his identity with Brahman. Knowing himself to be one with the universal spirit, he realizes peace. Only then does he go beyond the fiction of birth and death. Man needs to be dehypnotised by his own ignorance.

The path of the Vedantic discipline is the path of negation, not this, not that, by this discipline all the unreal, the changing is renounced until the changeless Reality is attained. It is the path of jnana, knowledge, the direct method of realizing the Absolute. After the negation of everything relative, including the ego, the aspirant merges in the One without a second, in the bliss of nirvikalpa samadhi, where subject and object are dissolved. The soul goes beyond the realm of thought; duality is transcended. Maya with all its changes and modifications is left behind. The soul towers above the delusion of creation, preservation and destruction. Bliss sweeps away all relative ideas of pain and pleasure, good and evil. There shines in the heart the glory of the Eternal Brahman, Existence, Consciousness and Bliss. Knower, knowledge and known are dissolved in the ocean of eternal Consciousness; love, lover and beloved merge in ecstasy; birth, death, vanishes in infinite Existence. All doubts and misgivings are conquered forever; the vrittis of the mind are stopped, past karma has vanished. Space disappears into Pure Being, time vanishes into eternity. Only existence is. Who can describe what the soul then feels in its oneness with Spirit.

When man descends from this height he will no longer think of ideas of “I” and mine, he looks on the body as a mere shadow, an outer sheath encasing the soul. He does not dwell on the past, takes no thought of the future and looks with indifference at the present. He sees everything in the world for what it is, a play of consciousness; he knows that it is Brahman alone that manifests Itself through everything.

The impact of such an experience is awe inspiring, as consciousness becomes illumined with light.

The result of such experience is that one will live and move in the world for only one purpose, the well being of human kind.

Prana and its Influence

There are five pranas or vital currents in the yoga system.

Prāṇa is classified into subcategories. According to yoga philosophy these are the vital principles of basic energy and subtle faculties of an individual that sustain physiological processes.

Udana Prana is directing the vital current upward.

A more subtle aspect of this type of prana is that it represents the conscious energy required to produce sound, the intention behind the words or noise. Udana gives the higher centers total control over the body.

Prana is responsible for the beating of the heart and breathing. Prana enters the body through the breath and is sent to every cell through the circulatory system.

Samana Prana is located in the stomach and intestines, regulating digestion. It is responsible for inward movements of Prana such as digestion of food and cellular catabolism (break down and recycling of old cells) and thermo-regulation. A visible source of the Samana current is the Aura. By meditating on Samana yogis can produce a lively aura. Samana is responsible for the digestion of food and cell metabolism (i.e. the repair and manufacture of new cells and growth). Samana also includes the heat regulating processes of the body. Auras are projections of this current. By meditational practices one can see auras of light around every being. Yogis who do special practice on samana can produce a blazing aura at will.

Apana Prana is located blow the naval, regulating the elimination of waste products from the body via the excretory systems, and the lungs.

Vyana Prana is all encompassing, it regulates vital forces. It is responsible for the outward movements of Prana, extending to the muscles and the pumping action of the blood vessels in the arteries. It governs circulation.

When one or more of these pranas is disturbed, mental and physical discomfort may manifest. Contributing factors to impeded flow of prana can be, stress, wrong diet, inadequate sleep, emotional conflicts, environmental changes, injury to the body unhealthy home environment and many more.

The distribution of prana

In yoga, the concept of prana is very scientific. When we speak of prana, we do not mean the breath, air or oxygen, but life force.  This prana is in constant motion and commences in the human being as soon as one is conceived in the mother’s womb. Prana is responsible for the body’s life.

Nadis, chakras and the distribution of prana:

According to tantra yoga and the kundalini, prana originates in pingala nadi. Within the framework of the spinal cord, there are three channels known as nadis in yoga. One is called ida, another is pingala and the third is sushumna. Ida nadi controls the mental processes of the two hemispheres of the brain; pingala represents prana and controls vital processes. The sushumna represents spirit or spiritual awareness. These three nadis originate in muladhara chakra, which is situated at the base of the spine. Pingala nadi flows to the right from muladhara and continues to cross Ida at each chakra all the way up to ajna. Similarly, Ida nadi also crosses at each chakra but in the reverse order.

The Pingala nadi is the distributing channel for prana in the body, and from each chakra the pranas are disseminated to every organ.

Prana is not merely a philosophical concept; it is in every sense a physical substance. Just as radioactive or electromagnetic waves exist even though we can’t see them.

When our prana diminishes, sickness sets in, and when we have plenty of prana, every part of the body is in perfect health. If we have an excess of prana, it can be transmitted to others for healing.

The inner prana can be stimulated and increased by pranayama. Balancing the left and right brain through alternate nostril breathing and therefore increasing prana, is beneficial for the practice of meditation.

Deep breathing alone is not enough to stimulate prana. By breathing deeply, we stimulate the respiratory system, but not the brain. However, when we practice pranayama with concentration, the brainwaves undergo a significant change.

The brain can be split into two parts- the frontal brain and the posterior brain. The posterior brain is the instinctive brain. The frontal brain is the seat of total consciousness. When we breathe without awareness, the breath is registered in the posterior brain, but when we are aware that we are breathing and we are consciously witnessing the whole process, then it is registered by the conscious brain, the frontal brain.

When we practice pranayama, the pranas are stimulated in the lower region of the spine and are brought to the higher brain centre through the process of sushumna breathing.

Let us be aware, that we can enliven the body through conscious breathing.

NON DUALITY

Is there any way of adoring the Supreme which is all

Except by abiding as That

Find out who am I

The pure I is the absolute

If one has realized he is That which alone is

He cannot describe that state

He can only be That

Remain aware of your Self

All else will be known

The real Self is the Infinite

It is eternal

It has no origin and no end

When your real effortless, joyful nature is realized

It will not be inconsistent with the ordinary activities of life

Your only duty is to Be

Not to be this or that

Your true nature is of infinite Spirit

The feeling of limitations is the work of the mind

You are not the mind

You are the Self.

                         Ramana Maharshi