Here’s the story I mentioned at the end of the previous post. Many years ago (39 to be exact) I had a girlfriend who I will call Anna. One night while we lay in bed, about to go to sleep, she told me that she had experienced telepathy several times. The fact that we were […]
Author: Freddie
The supernatural
I’m planning to add more examples to the series on vasanas but before I do, I’d like to say a few words about the supernatural because it’s going to be an element in future articles. I’m using the words “supernatural” and “magic” ironically in this essay. I don’t believe anything is really supernatural. Things either […]
How to destroy a vasana (example 2): Julia’s grandmother
This is the second post in a series. The first one is here. This vasana belonged to my girlfriend Julia. She has given me permission to write this article and has checked it for accuracy. How the vasana got created About the time Julia was born, her father began to suffer from schizophrenia. His illness […]
Be kind, part 3
This is the third post in this series. The first two are here and here. Rents in New York City are high so stores are often small and cramped, and sometimes there isn’t enough room for customers to line up in front of the cashier. Instead of forming a line they wait in a spread-out […]
More about kindness
In response to yesterday’s post, Be Kind, a friend wrote in an email: Kindness is the main dharma that I try to live by. I have also been blessed to receive kindness from many living beings in my life, and it truly feels like grace is showering upon us when we experience it, either from […]
Be kind
We should try always to be kind. Be generous, cause happiness, listen to other people, see things from their point of view. Avoid causing pain. Do no harm. Give and help and soothe and cheer. Be this way not just with people but with all creatures that have feelings. This is so simple that nothing […]
Did Ramana practice Self-enquiry for four years or a few minutes?
How did Ramana Maharshi get Self-realized? The standard description goes something like this: One day when Ramana was 16 years old, for no apparent reason, he suddenly thought he was about to die. Instead of shouting for help or running to a doctor, he lay on the floor and pretended he was already dead. He […]
Only when there is absolutely no sense of the self
I’m putting this video here because of the section that starts at 8:05 when he says, “But there is a different form…” and continues until 9:43. This is Jiddu Krishnamurti at age 84.
How to destroy a vasana (example 1): I am a coward
In this article, I’ll describe in detail how I destroyed a vasana which had tormented me for decades. Vasanas must be destroyed in order to realize the Self. This particular vasana was painful because it made me hate myself. Painful, self-hating vasanas are especially insidious. First I’ll tell you how the vasana got created. When […]
This might be a powerful sadhana
The basic idea This technique is intended to make you more conscious of your vasanas in order to help them dissolve. Set your phone (mobile) or digital watch so it beeps or vibrates unexpectedly at random times. Each time it goes off, notice what you had just been thinking. Optionally, you can write the thoughts […]