Maya and the Five Kanchukas….

RohiniMaps and Principles, Reflections, Uncategorized

In the cosmology of Kashmir Shaivism, God (Shiva) manifests the world out of Himself in a series of 36 principles, or tattvas. The first five tattvas are called pure; it is not until the sixth tattva that forgetfulness of our true nature becomes apparent. The sixth tattva is Maya tattva. Maya conceals God’s true identity. The word “maya” comes from …

Able to Learn….

RohiniReflections, Uncategorized

When my sons were young, I would ask, “Did you work to the best of your ability? Did you give it your all? Left nothing on the field?” Everyone’s 100% is different, and it also varies from time to time. When we work to our highest level at a given moment, we can feel a satisfaction that we accomplished our …

Spiritual Illiteracy….

RohiniReflections, Uncategorized

If we can read something like this blog, we are what most people would call literate. When we look at literacy, we usually think of reading, language, letters, and being able to make sense of the words those letters form. Most of us went to school, and one of the reasons for that was to learn how to read. Illiterate …

Conversion….

RohiniReflections, Uncategorized

Our cars should not decide where we are going. Our vehicles should not be making our decisions. Our fallen existence is a turning outward from God, the Self of All. After the initial asmita in which the intellect assumes the role of the subject—though it will always be just the moon that thinks it is the sun—we continue moving outward …

Diving into Sādhana….

RohiniReflections, Uncategorized

Some people approach sādhana with a dualistic map. Some people approach with a nondualistic map. What is important is right effort—approaching with right effort. God created us and this world in Love; our misery is because of our wrong understanding. Our wrong identification with vehicles like our bodies, mind, emotions, thoughts. The more we differentiate in our identification, the further …