Prabhaker

I said, " You can't sit silently right now. " We are not ready to sit silently as we are. That's why we need different techniques, martial arts, mantras , yoga to remove all blockages, so that we can become capable of sitting silently, doing nothing, unoccupied ; meditation happens on its own accord.You can't do meditation, it happens.

You can use a mantra to still the mind, to make the mind totally silent. You go on repeating some name. The mantra can help to make you unoccupied with other words, but once the mind has become silent and still, then this name will become a hindrance. It becomes a replacement, a substitute. All other words are thrown away, but then this word continues in a crazy way. You become attached to it; you cannot drop it. It has become a habit, a deep occupation. So begin mantra repetition, but then come to a state where mantra is not needed and can be thrown. Use ”mantra” to dispel all other words from the mind, but when all other words have been dispelled, do not retain this word. It is also a word, so throw it. This throwing becomes difficult. One begins to feel guilty about discarding the mantra because it has helped so much. But now this help has become a hindrance. Throw it! Means must not become the end.

Goat sweater can be used for a short time if the goat has recently been shorn or is ill and having trouble maintaining proper body temperature. It can hinder good fur growth and make them colder in the long run.

You are misinformed brother, mantras, chants can help in reaching state of meditation, before you reach there you have to drop them. You can't enter into state of meditation while chanting mantra. Meditation happens spontaneously. Non-doing is a way of moving in. Occupation is an escape. Meditation happens, you cannot do it. Who told you that chanting mantra can be a meditation ? Maharishi Mahesh Yogi ?

Meditation is always relaxation. If you can just sit, doing nothing with your body and nothing with your mind, it becomes meditation; but it is very difficult. All techniques including martial arts, help in reaching state of total relaxation. You can't sit silently right now. Sitting in a buddha posture is the last thing to do really; it should never be done in the beginning. Only after you have begun to feel identified totally with movement can you begin to feel totally identified with nonmovement. Buddha certainly says: Know how to sit silently. That does not mean that he says: Go on sitting silently forever. He is not saying you have to become inactive; on the contrary, it is only out of silence that action arises. If you are not silent, if you don't know how to sit silently, or stand silently in deep meditation, whatsoever you go on doing is reaction, not action. You react. The buddha does not become inactive; great action happens through him, although there is no doer anymore. The doer disappears, the doing continues. And when there is no doer, the doing is spontaneous; it cannot be otherwise. It is the doer that does not allow spontaneity.

Yes. A smart and witty person is more conscious, more alert than dull and stupid person , but with meditation your intelligence will grow more.

Certainly , a person who has successful career is more conscious than a lazy , retard unconscious person, but those who grow towards meditation successfully , deserve the best.

If you live meditatively , consciously in your remaining life , then only you will deserve a better reincarnation. Your future depends on way you live your present.

Your next birth depends on what you desire and what you deserve, Krishna in Bhagavad Gita say : The unsuccessful yogis (seekers of truth) , upon death, go to the abodes of the virtuous. After dwelling there for many ages, they are again reborn in the earth plane, into a family of pious and prosperous people. Else, if they had developed 'dispassion due to long practice of Yog' (higher state of consciousness), they are born into a family endowed with divine wisdom. Such a birth is very difficult to attain in this world. Successful yogis(seekers of truth) , those who attain enlightenment , don't take birth in physical body again.

The composition of garam masala differs regionally, with many recipes across India according to regional and personal taste. For details read https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Garam_masala

Yes, I like it's taste. I think most of the people on this forum don't know about 'garam masala' spice.

We have already discussed vegetarianism many times, this was in its continuation.

In the context of self-improvement and self-growth it was irrelevant but it was in response to Loreena's statement. Methamphetamine users can be social, however once the more severe effects of long term drug use occur the personality is altered.

Vegetarian diet includes cereals and pulses , I am Lacto-vegetarian , I take milk products.

Once it happened: Jesus was walking and a woman -- a very poor woman, afraid and apprehensive about whether Jesus would treat her or not, because he was always crowded by so many people -- the woman thought to herself, "Just touch Jesus' garment from behind." She did, and she was cured. Jesus looked back and the woman started thanking him. She fell at his feet and was very grateful. Jesus said to the woman, "Your faith has saved you; go in peace." The world was deep in trust; people were rooted in faith. Jesus' miracles happened because the people were very trusting. If a person is healed that only means this was the time for his healing, he was bound to be healed in some way.

This is how a western mind thinks, how can a person who is still greedy for money can acquire psychic abilities ? Only a fake psychic will be attracted to such challenges. Money appears to be so important to the people who don't know about real treasures.

It was he, who admitted that he is doing all this for money. Once I was non-vegetarian, a vegetarian can be cruel and cunning , a non- vegetarian can be compassionate a loving person. I only stated that with vegetarianism it is easier to reach deeper levels of meditation. There are many enlightened persons who are non-vegetarian.

I had a discussion with Rali on this forum , he admitted that he is teaching others as a profession. He is not fully enlightened as he sometimes claims.

@Snick We have associated the most trivial matters with astrology. Those matters have no value, and because of our connecting them with astrology, difficulties have arisen. Mohammed had a disciple named Ali. Ali once asked Mohammed’s opinion about whether a man is independent and free to do what he wants, or whether he is bound by his destiny in everything he does. Ali asked, ”Can one do as one wants or not?” – and man has been asking this question for a long, long time. ”If a man is not able to do as he desires,” Ali said, ”then it is useless and foolish to preach to him not to steal, not to tell lies, not to be dishonest. Or is it destiny that one man should always be there to preach to others not to steal or not to do this or that, knowing full well that it is also destiny for a dishonest man to remain dishonest, for a thief to remain a thief, for a murderer to remain a murderer? All this appears absurd. If everything is predestined, all education is useless – all prophets, all saints and all teachers are useless.” People have asked such questions to Mahavira and to Buddha also. If what is going to happen is predestined, why should Mahavira or Buddha take so much trouble to explain what is right and what is wrong? So, Ali asked Mohammed what he thought about this controversial matter. If such a question was asked to Mahavira or Buddha, they would have given a very complicated and deep reply, but Mohammed gave a reply which Ali could understand. Many of Mohammed’s replies were direct and straightforward. Ordinarily, answers given by people who are uneducated or less educated, or who are simple villagers, are direct and frank. Mohammed did not give any metaphysical reply. He asked Ali to lift one leg and stand on it. Ali had asked a question about whether a man is free to do what he wants. Why should Ali stand on one leg? Mohammed said, ”First lift one leg.” Poor Ali lifted his left leg and stood there on one leg. Mohammed then asked him, ”Now lift the right leg also.” Ali was puzzled and asked how it was possible. Then Mohammed said, ”If you had wanted to, you could have lifted the right leg first, but now you cannot.... A man is always free to lift the first leg – it can be whichever he wants – but no sooner has the first been lifted when the other becomes bound to the earth.” With regard to the nonessential part of life, we are always free to lift the first leg. But once that is done it becomes a bondage for the essential part. We take steps that are nonessential, become entangled, and then we are not able to do the essential. So Mohammed said to Ali that he had all the freedom to lift the right or the left leg first. But once he exercised that freedom and lifted one left leg, he was incapable of lifting the other leg. So freedom is there within certain limits, but beyond those limits there is bondage. There are three areas of life. In one area, that which is the essential core, everything is predetermined. In another area, that which is peripheral, everything is uncertain. Between these two conditions – the essential and the peripheral – there is ample room for changes through the exercise of choice.

For beginners intermittent fasting is good, don't try longer duration fasting.

@Snick You can go into meditation just by sitting, but then be just sitting; do not do anything else.

Nothing rude in it, I always like to share as much information as possible, I know it is a very difficult journey.

What else do you want , some esoteric secrets ? Growing towards meditation requires great patience.

I have told you about meditation many times, you can always ask about any problem on this forum.