Why put the Bindi or Tilak?

Vedic scientists, known as Rishis, the Seers, never randomly suggested something. Vedic wisdom is not prescriptive, Vedic texts are not code of law like other religions' books, they are explanatory and advisory in nature. Knowledge in Vedic tradition is based on science and universal principles to understand the Supreme, creation and individual souls. 

Why then was putting sandalwood powder, Kumkum, and/or ash on the forehead suggested and practised? 

There are both spiritual as well as physiological effects of these substances, so let us try to re-discover the knowledge which the Rishis used for this practise. 

These powder/pastes are put between the eyebrows, which represents the 'third eye', or the Ajna Chakra in the Yogic system. Also, physiologically, the Ajna Chakra is where the pituitary gland is. The pituitary gland controls the thyroid, and all the lower endocrine glands. So if you can control and balance the pituitary gland, you can automatically influence the entire endocrine system. 

The pituitary gland is associated with the Ajna Chakra. When the Ajna Chakra is in balance and activated, it perculates that to the lower chakras. Also, the Ida and Pingala Naadis merge at the Ajna Chakra. 

The Ida Naadi has a cooling effect on the body and associated with the parasympathetic nervous system, while the Pingala Naadi has a heating effect and related to the sympathetic nervous system. When both these Naadis are balanced it is an optimum state. 

Each of these substances has unique properties and effects on a person on multiple levels mentioned above. 

Sandalwood

First let us understand how sandalwood powder is beneficial. Sandalwood has a very pleasant scent, the uniqueness about sandalwood is that it never loses its fragrance. It is mixed with a little water and usually put first as a dot between the eyebrows. 

• Sandalwood powder has a cooling, calming, purifying, and grounding effect on the mind and nervous system. This is especially good for those who body heat is higher, an overactive thyroid, who have Pitta Dosha (fire element), as it calms and cools the body, the pituitary gland and activates the Ida Naadi. 
• Putting sandalwood paste on the Ajna Chakra also helps in meditation, as well as creates a protective energy field around the body. 

Kumkum - the red powder

Commonly known as the "Bindi", most people do not know that Kumkum or Sindoor is made up of turmeric and slaked lime (not synthetic red powder), making it energetically and physically beneficial. When mixed properly, it turns red, which symbolizes life force (Shakti) and purity. Again, the powder is mixed with a drop of water,  put on the spot between the eyebrows on top of the sandalwood paste that was put first.  

Putting kumkum on the forehead is not just a cultural ornamentation, it has a scientific and spiritual basis to balance and unite the body, mind and spirit. Also, some people think that only married women put Kumkum which is not true. Both men and women of any age can put this. I know many women put a stick on Bindi, but I would encourage them to put on real Kumkum after reading this knowledge. 

• Kumkum has a heating, activitating, energizing, and firey effect on the mind, body, nerves, and endocrine system. Therefore, people with an underactive thyroid will benefit from Kumkum. It is also good for those with Kapha Dosha (earth and water elements). It raises the inner fires of a sluggish endocrine system, raises energy level, promotes concentration and activates the Pingala Naadi. 
• Kumkum signifies fire and stimulates the Ajna Chakra for meditation and invokes the Devi energy. 

Vibhuti - sacred ash

Applying Vibhuti (sacred ash) on the forehead is one of the most ancient and spiritually significant practices in Shaiva and broader Indian traditions. Vibhuti is sacred ash made from burnt dried wood, herbs, or cow dung during a yajna (sacred fire ritual) or from temple fires. It is far more than a ritual—it’s a powerful symbol of a declaration of one’s aspiration for purification through the inner fire, for gaining liberation, renunciation of ego, and alignment with divine truth. “Vibhuti” literally means glory or divine power.   

• Vibhuti is typically applied as one or three horizontal lines on the forehead above the sandalwood and kumkum spot between the eyebrows. Shiva is associated with three, and the three lines represents several aspects of creation which are in sets of three (such as Sattva, Rajas, Tamas). Shiva also represents transcendence of body, mind, and intellect to realize the soul (Atman) therefore it's above the Ajna Chakra. 
• Vibhuti symbolizes the ultimate truth: everything material will turn to ash. It is especially associated with Lord Shiva, who is often depicted with ash smeared on His body. Devotees apply it as a way of aligning with and invoking Shiva qualities: stillness, detachment, transcendence. 
• Vibhuti has natural cooling properties and helps regulate pitta (heat) in the body. It also absorbs excessive body heat on the forehead. Ash is also antibacterial, and especially in a hot country like India, it is good to put on the forehead to absorb sweat. It is often put on other parts of the body by religious people. 

Summary

Next time you see someone with a "Bindi" - the red spot on the forehead, you will know the deeper meaning, and perhaps you will also avail of it's benefits. The sandalwood paste bringing cooling and calming. The red Kumkum brings energy and activates the endocrine system. Combining both by putting them one on top of the other balances the pituitary gland which controls all the endocrine glands, and Ajna Chakra where the Naadis and lower chakras merge. The sacred ash, Vibhuti, cools and purifies the body while bringing spiritual awareness about the transcendental consciousness. 

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Nothing is my own...

So funny, nothing really is my own. Needless to say all the material belongings come and go, money goes from hand to hand, it is not forever mine. My family are souls that came together as agreed before birth, and will separate at death, are not forever mine. My body is my temple, a gift from mother earth, to the earth it belongs, I can't claim as mine. My breath, comes and goes from the Prana Vayu, I can't claim as my own. My mind is an instrument that came as a package deal with the body, and which my soul has tamed somewhat but it isn't mine. My Soul, this Jiva, is a dream that the Atma, the Spirit, has spun, it will vanish in a while. Even the Atma isn't mine, as there is no 'me' to be mine there, the Atma is where the "I" dissolves. So truly, in reality, nothing is my own....

Faith...Devotion

Devotion cannot be learnt. It is the nature of the heart to love. However; devotion starts with feeling loved by the Divine. It is the descent of Grace that kindles devotion and faith in our heart. Faith that you are taken care of, you are protected, always.

If you don't have faith or devotion, then just feel gratitude, and pray. One day your prayers will be answered, and you will be touched by the nectar of devotion. 

If you can't pray then be a servant of the Supreme, and serve others as His instrument. Surrender your actions and the outcomes of your service work to Him.

If you don't believe in God or the Supreme, then just serve others without expecting anything in return, and do things for others out of kindness and compassion. Pray for those you can't love, who may be negative or evil. Do unto others without conditions or prejudice or judgement. This too will result in divine love.

If you can't even serve others, then at least don't have anxiety and fear about your life and your future. Find a way to attain peace of mind, be calm in the face of difficulties and crisis. When life tests you, when relationships torment you, turn to the core within you which is peace and love. Whatever way you wish, from whoever you wish, find something that will help you attain wisdom and tools to settle the storms within. 

Slowly as you climb this ladder, you will find that Grace was leading the way all the while. You will realize that the small mind and ego are so limited in knowing, even though it seems they are in control. One day you will experience the melting of the ego sense and the blossoming of your heart and soul. 

That emergence of gratitude for the divine will flow through your tears. Your body and bones will be soaked in divine light, the head will bend and bow to the Supreme Grace that is the all loving presence as your own Divine Self. Slowly your mind will melt, the "I" will surrender sweetly into a vast ocean of bliss, and body will dissolve into the ocean of consciousness. Then you will realize what is complete faith. When devotion flows from your heart, you can't even speak in mundane words, as love flows in poems and life becomes a song. You remain forever in gratitude and connected to that Supreme Lord that keeps smiling at you and pours immense love and grace unto you. At once you feel you have merged in the ecstacy of oneness, where separation is painful, and never can you feel apart. The pull of That blissful ocean of cosmic consciousness seems more real that the shadow of this world. 

What can I say of faith and devotion. Fear falls into non-existence, with the little mind's illusionary chatter. Why wait? Transform the hard mind into golden glow.

(Image: Andal, the Alvar saint)

Love, Compassion, Caring, Kindness & Prayer

 Love is all you got!

A moment away from love is suffering. Our nature should be to wish others to be free from suffering. That is compassion. Say when someone is not well, if we live from our hearts, we would automatically send loving healing. Our hearts should want to help another, that is kindness. When we connect with others, soul to soul, heart to heart, and genuinely share concern, it is called caring. Only unconditional love from the heart can replace judgement which comes from the mind. Cultivate the seed of divine love placed in your soul from your divine Mother & Father.

It is the quality of the heart, the purity of love, the intention from your being, not just the words and actions. 

We should do for those who deserve our love and care. For those who are harming others by their thoughts, words or actions, we should pray to God for them. God will take care of them, better than we can. We can be dispassionate. 

Having love in our hearts doesn't mean that we can't dislike what is wrong. The knowledge for your inner world is different than the knowledge for action in the outer world. If there is a murderer, rapist, thief, or someone who is nasty, we don't have to like them. We need to be smart and skillful in dealing with them in our words and actions. But our hearts should not hold negative emotions, then we have kept ourselves unaffected. 

When the Kauravs refused to give land to the Pandavs, even when Sri Krishn the diplomat negotiated. Krishn ji told the Pandavs, you must fight for justice, for Dharm (righteousness), that is your moral duty, but without vengeance, anger, or hatred. So I say to those who preach love & peace, it doesn't mean inaction. Knowledge for action is different, you need to act in the world according to Dharm. 

Meanwhile, let us work on ourselves. May our life become an effortless flow of love.

Why did our Ancestors and Ancient Aliens use Gold?

 I think I just cracked 'Why were ancient aliens mining gold on Earth?' 

Because the magnetic field/shield on their planet had completely eroded and they were exposed to their Sun's radiation.

Yes gold shields us from radiation that's why NASA uses it for astronauts. That's why our ancestors wore gold, esp on all the chakra points.

Did you know that the Earth's magnetic field shields us from Solar radiation and it is eroding at a faster pace and it is about 25% weaker now than it was 100s of yrs ago? Do the Solar storms and sun's radiations is affecting us more now.

Image 1: Earth's magnetic shield degradation

Image 2: Google search results 

Good Vibes - Great Vibes - God Vibes

Mental disturbance, emotional imbalance, health issues, relationship problems...Is any part of you out of balance? 

If 5 musical instruments are discordant it will hurt your ears. Then how can you body, mind, emotions and soul all be out of sync yet you remain happy and healthy? Impossible.

Listen - you need to be in perfect resonance. Your true nature.

How? 

One way is to entrain your being to perfect vibes, God vibes. Brain entrainment, not entertainment. 😊

You can sing a sacred song, you can recite a mantra, do Japa, or try sound healing. I love Kirtan myself and can get lost into the chanting. 

See what sound vibration is suitable for you. Feel the vibrations of what you hear and if that resonates with your being, it bring your body, mind and soul into balance. 

Nature is always in perfect balance, it's natural balance. When we are in nature our body and mind also resonates with nature, then with our inner nature, our perfect balance. When you bring a tuning folks near another, the second one also starts vibrating at the same frequency. 

That is why it's said in Vedic texts to be in the company of evolved beings. They lift your vibrations and purify your inner presence. 

Vibrations are very powerful, from keeping your DNA functioning normally, bringing your cells to optimal health, to aligning your human existence with your soul. Ultimately you are just vibration, and vibration is closest to conscious, from vibration emerged creation. 

Absorb yourself into the rhythm of some blissful vibes, where the mind is silenced, slowly your vibrations rise bearing gifts of peace and perfection. 

Om....

The Seven Sages of the Ancient World - the seven Rishis?

 Freddy Silva (invisibletemple.com) talks about the "Shining Ones" on Gaia. These are seven sages that show up in many places around the world at ancient cites and cultures, often accompanied by a wife of one of the sages, . These sages come to help humanity during a cataclysm, or transitions, and have been teachers to man over the ages. The image of the seven sages and a wife in a boat during the deluge around the world is bringing together a puzzle about a common history of the world. 

These Sages are very evolved being who seeded humanity and therefore are the progenitors of our race, and the Vedic "Gotra" which is the male DNA tree, descends from these seven Rishis. 

This resonates with the seven Rishis in Vedic tradition. There are 7 new Rishis in each Manvantara time period, along with a Manu for that age. In the Puranas we are told about the seven Rishis along with Manu in a boat being rescued by the Matsya Avatar of Vishnu. There are other similarities, like the Sages in other ancient cites, like Sumeria, carrying a water pot is very similar to "Kamandalu" carried by Vedic Rishis and sages. 

The Saptrishi constellation (Ursa Minor) has the seven Rishis as seven stars, with the dual star system of Vasistha and wife Arundhati. Seven sages and a wife. 

These seven sages are mentioned as "The Watchers" in the most ancient Sumerian texts (in Armenia) to a great extent. They also show up in Egyptian texts as "Followers of Horus" who taught people agriculture, and advanced knowledge. The Hopi talk about the seven sages at "Lookers" who show up in a boat during the great deluge. These seven sages are also in the carvings at the Mayan temples and pyramids. Many monolithic and ancient sites in Europe also have images of the seven sages and a charismatic woman who's the wisdom keeper, 

What does the "Shining Ones" mean? Who are these Rishis? 

I had done a past life regression on a woman who saw a non-human shining being in the center of their community, whom they could not physically see, but telepathically teaching the tribe how to do agriculture, and also how to use fire to cook. 

This is amazing similar to what Freddy Silva talks about in his book, "The Missing Lands". Watch this interview on Gaia, from the 22nd minute: https://www.gaia.com/video/the-shining-ones

Maybe these Seven Sages will show up during the next cataclysm...maybe they are guiding humanity even now, within...listen.

Transcending a cycle

 (cont. from last post)

As the soul stood in a realm where all time seem to exist, he felt the life experiences in the journey of his soul. The luminous master, who was part of a group of masters, spoke to me telepathically in the most gentle and loving way. He communicated that if I choose to ascend, I can now do so by integrating all the experiences from this cycle of lives for this soul. I agreed. Instantly, all the timelines merged back into my presence. My soul body whirled and whirled and then transformed into a beautiful sacred geometry of light. Then it went through yet another spiral portal tunnel, out into a vast expanse where there was nothingness, only existence. He was now a luminous being, a master, in a realm where there were many light being masters. They were all creator beings with great potential. 

From an impulse that came from within, and expanded as vibrations, this luminous master projected himself into lower realms. The luminous master went back to the time where he was a soul that needed guidance for ascension. The same master simultaneously projected himself into many lives, like when the he was a caveman, and when this soul was in its last incarnation where he blessed the seeker with liberation. The higher Self, this luminous master, was none other than a future version of the soul. The luminous master had as though traveled back in time to guide his soul in various incarnations!

We are what we are seeking...

Integrating Experiences

 (cont. from my last post)

As the soul ascended it seemed to go through a funnel, be sucked up and through to the other side. He didn't have a body, but he could see, and hear telepathically. It was like a different realm, a vast expanse from where this soul could see the place he came from which seemed like a dream or like watching a movie from a theatre. Like a magnanimous projection screen hung in space behind a veil, he could see multiple movies, each from a life in the past, present, and future.

He looked at one of these lives where he was a caveman, his wife, and their child next to him. In the center of their gathering was a shining one, a bright, light-skinned man, with a long beard, partially bald and long hair down his back. They were oblivious to his presence though, as they couldn't see him. His radiance and light energy surrounded all of them, he seemed to be guiding them through an inner voice and giving them knowledge on agriculture and how to grow crops.*

As his soul watched this, it didn't seem to have any emotions, only an understanding from all these life experiences. Also came a realization that the same or similar luminous master that blessed him with liberation, seemed also to be present when he was a caveman and was beside him now, as he watched all his lives....

To be cont.

*Note: the first part is from one of my own experiences, the 2nd part about the caveman and luminous man is from a past-life regression session I did for someone (it was amazing).

Experiencing Life

 A child is put in a room...Crying for food and water, the child is fed, dressed, and then goes to sleep.

This child becomes a youth and now cries for a partner...is given a partner. Though half satisfied and emotionally distraught, lives there with the partner and has a child.

This adult becomes older and wiser and finally realizes there is something more, something missing, that I'm caged in a room and I need to get out and be free...that no matter how much I get, no matter what I do, what I think, however much I feel or fight, whatever happens, happens inside this room. So with closed eyes this soul prays earnestly for freedom, and then arrives a luminous master and blesses the soul with liberation...that moment the physical body of this seeker transforms into an etheric translucent body that ascends and looks down at that make belief room and the person that seems to exist, is working, eating, talking, crying, feeling, the good, the bad, the ugly ... only to experiment with his own creation and expression to know and learn...and from that space where he observes all this, darkness and light are both expressions of that center, this soul ascends higher back towards its own source.

To be cont.