Prabhuji Journal - Issue 4 - Freedom

About Prabhuji David, Ben Yosef, Har-Zion, who writes under the pen name Prabhuji, is a writer, painter, and avadhūta mystic.

In 2011, he chose to retire from society and lead the life of a hermit. He spends his days in solitude, praying, studying, writing, painting, and meditating in silence and contemplation.

He was born on March 21, 1958 in Santiago, Chile. When he was eight years old, he had a mystical experience that sparked his search for the Truth, or the Ultimate Reality. For more than fifty years, he has dedicated himself to explore and practice various religions, philosophies, and spiritual paths.

He has devoted his life to deepening the early transformative experience that marked the beginning of his process of involution. For Prabhuji, awakening at the level of consciousness, or the transcendence of the egoic phenomenon, is the next step in humanity’s evolution. He considers that the essence of every religion is selfknowledge. His syncretic vision speaks of the recognition of consciousness.

His spiritual search led him to study with different masters of various traditions and to travel far from his native Chile, to places as distant as Israel, India, and the USA. He has studied Hebrew and Sanskrit to deepen his understanding of the holy scriptures.

Prabhuji is a recognized authority on Eastern wisdom. He is known for his erudition in the Vaidika and Tāntrika aspects of Hinduism and in all branches of yoga. He has an inclusive attitude toward all religions and is intimately familiar with Judaism, Christianity, Buddhism, Sufism, Taoism, Sikhism, Jainism, Shintoism, Bahaism, and the

Mapuche religion, among others.

His curiosity for western thought led him to venture into the field of philosophy. He delved especially into aesthetics, metaphysics, philosophy of life, philosophy of mind, philosophy of religion and philosophy of self.

He holds a doctorate in Vaishnava philosophy from the respected Jiva Institute in Vrindavan, India, and a doctorate in yogic philosophy from Yoga Samskrutum University.

His profound studies, his masters’ blessings, his research into the sacred scriptures, and his vast teaching experience have earned him international recognition in the field of religion and spirituality.

Prabhuji spent more than forty years studying hatha yoga with prestigious masters in the field of classical and traditional yoga. Prabhuji Yoga is the

result of efforts to improve his own practice and teaching Since his childhood and throughout his life, Prabhuji has been an enthusiastic admirer, student, and practitioner of classic karate-do, and received the rank of black belt (third dan) in the traditional Japanese Shotokan karate.

From his earliest childhood, he has been attracted to and curious about postal stamps. During his life he delved into the study of philately.

Based on his knowledge of philately and his extensive wisdom in theology and oriental philosophy, he created Meditative Philately or Philatelic Yoga.

The Prabhuji Mission was founded in 2003 with the aim of preserving his vision and literary work. For fifteen years (1995–2010), Prabhuji accepted a few monastic disciples who expressly requested to be initiated. In 2010, he stopped accepting monastic disciples, followers, devotees, or visitors.

Currently, he only guides a small number of serious disciples who have decided to stay with their master.

Prabhuji Ashram is the headquarters of the Prabhuji Mission and the hermitage of Prabhuji and his monastic disciples.

Prabhuji operates various humanitarian projects, such as the Prabhuji Food and Toys Distribution Programs, inspired by his experience that “to serve the part is to serve the Whole.”

Prabhuji’s vast literary contribution includes books in Spanish, English, and Hebrew, including Kundalini Yoga: The Power is in you, What is, as it is, Bhakti-Yoga: The Path of Love, Tantra: Liberation in the World, Experimenting with the Truth, Advaita Vedanta: Be the Self, Īśāvāsya Upanishad, and others.

In this issue:

Freedom… much has been said about freedom.

The international human rights law deal extensively with various aspects of freedom, including the right to life and liberty, freedom from slavery and torture, freedom of opinion and expression, and more. The First Amendment of the United States Constitution protects the freedom of religion, the right to assemble and the freedom of expression.

Everyone is entitled to these rights, without discrimination, everybody is entitled to be free.

Modern society grants us freedom in so many ways, but strangely, although there is no violation of human rights restricting our freedom, we still desire to be free.

Why do we aspire for freedom? Is there something which is limiting our liberty?

In this magazine we’ve selected a wide collection of articles from Prabhuji’s various books delving deeply into the subject of freedom. Starting from understanding our slavery and limitations, to how it is manifested in our personal life, and continuing on with elaboration into the concept of liberation in the spiritual path, or what is called in Hinduism, Moksha or Enlightenment.

Content:

1

15

What do you mean by freedom?

Acting With Freedom

Excerpts from Prabhuji’s book Experimenting With The Truth

Excerpts from Prabhuji’s commantary to the Isavasya Upanishad, Mantra 2

5

21

Understanding our captivity and the ultimate Liberation Excerpts from Prabhuji’s book Advaita Vedanta, Being The Self

The Sun Salutation Excerpts from Prabhuji’s Book Yoga Union With Reality

Ma Ramananda, Editor.

11 Meditation The Path To Freedom Excerpts from Prabhuji’s book What Is As It Is

26 The falcon Who did not want to fly Short Eastern Story by Prabhuji

What do you mean by

freedom?

Excerpts from Prabhuji’s book Experimenting With The Truth Freedom, not emancipation

pain, and hospitals; and release from slavery, with shackles and prison cells.

Most people believe that freedom means escaping from life’s limitations.

Two concepts of freedom They confuse freedom with overcomSome live their lives running away ing oppression: the prisoner wants to be from freedom because they are afraid free from jail; the slave, from the master; to accept the responsibility. They the depressed person, from sadness; and are content with just imagining what the sick, from pain. Freedom, however, freedom is and blaming others for their is not the same thing as emancipation oppression. The people of Israel were or release, even though they are synonreleased from captivity when they left ymous in the dictionary. Emancipation Egypt, but they only became free on means releasing oneself from someMount Sinai, when they accepted the thing. Freedom, on the other hand, does responsibility of receiving the Torah. not entail any kind of escape; it cannot In his essay Two Concepts of Liberty, be dependent on anything.

Isaiah Berlin makes a difference beRelease from slavery is born from slavtween positive and negative freedom, ery and, therefore, remains an integral both clearly reflectpart of it. Its very exised in the Universal Real freedom tence depends on slavcannot be conceived Declaration of Huery, and thus, it is not man Rights. The exempt from oppresfrom within the negative is “freedom sion. The same haplimitations of the from something,” pens with relief from mind, but only when meaning the abhunger or a toothache: sence of obstacles the content of the it is just a desire to exmind is transcended. to action. The poschange an intolerable itive is “freedom situation for a pleasant for something,” the one; that is, to exchange uncomfortable possibility of choosing the actions that conditions for more promising ones. It is accomplish our goals. merely a reaction against what we wish The idea of freedom most people to be released from. It is not a pursuit of have is limited to these two types: freedom but an escape from certain cirpositive and negative; freedom from cumstances. Release from poverty is not something and freedom to do somerelated to freedom but rather to money. thing. The first is related to the past, the Release from disease has nothing to do second to the future. However, both are with freedom but rather with medicine, merely psychological reactions and su1 / Prabhuji Journal

perficial types of emancipation. They go after our mental projections, not reality. Real freedom cannot be conceived from within the limitations of the mind, but only when the content of the mind is transcended.

Our conditioning Reasoning is nothing but a response to our conditioning, from the experiences accumulated in our memory. Thus, thought is inevitably chained to this heavy load of accumulated experiences.

We are not free from our psychological limitations. According to Karl Marx, the economic structure of capitalist society defines how we interpret the world. As victims of this “false class consciousness,” we necessarily interpret the world from a viewpoint determined by our social class. Marx believed that the only way to disentangle ourselves from the limitations of this perspective and to be free was by understanding dialectical materialism and adopting socialism, which, of course, is highly debatable. As a matter of fact, political freedom does not exist, because it only has meaning in relation to others.

Various political movements have tried to impose their own concept of freedom and turned into totalitarian and oppressive regimes.

We are conditioned not just by capitalism but by society as a whole and all that it implies. Likewise, we indisputably lack the psychological freedom needed to access reality. Expressions such as “freedom of thought” or “freedom of worship” are nothing more than verbal stimulants that activate our conditioning. All of our ideas and concepts about other people, about the world, about life, and therefore about freedom, stem from our psychological limitations.

Only by transcending this conditioning will we gain an objective perception of reality. Without a clear perception, aspiration for freedom is impossible.

Absolute freedom

Meditation and freedom

Since it is an intrinsic quality of our Authentic freedom has an existence of its own. It is independent of everything reality, freedom cannot be given or and has no cause or motive. Absolute taken away from us; it is inherent in freedom simply is. The Sanskrit term our true nature. Nothing and nobody mokṣa means “freedom.” Those who as- external to us can liberate or suppress pire to freedom are called mumukṣu, ones us. In fact, we do not even have the freedom to renounce who aspire to the auour freedom. It is thentic freedom that Authentic freedom possible to oppress flourishes from conhas an existence the body or the mind, sciousness. True freeof its own. It is but consciousness dom is not physical, independent of can never be limited. mental, economic, or everything and has Meditation is the sexual.

If we found ourselves alone in the no cause or motive. only opportunity to recognize freedom desert, a suitcase with without any kind of limitations.

Only ten million dollars would not increase our freedom one bit. Authentic freedom within the depths of our interior are we does not belong to objective, temporal, free from the body, mind, emotions, and and therefore, illusory reality. Freedom all that we believe ourselves to be. The is subjective and belongs to eternal and New Testament points this out: “Then you will know the Truth, and the Truth infinite consciousness.

will set you free” ( John, 8:32).

Absence of freedom means lack of consciousness.

We are as free as we are conscious. Such freedom is not “from something,” nor “for something,” but simply to be what we are. Freedom is a return to the state of original and pure consciousness. Our authenticity is freedom, which is the divine source and origin of any virtue.

The discovery of freedom When we transcend the relative, the Absolute is revealed; when we go beyond falsehood, reality is unveiled; when the illusory and temporal is transcended, Truth is recognized; and when we go one step beyond the ego, freedom is discovered. Only the recognition of Truth will allow us to transcend the fetters of illusion and know who we really are. ~ ••• ~ Prabhuji Journal / 2

Responsibility and Freedom “When talking about freedom, you mention responsibility.

Isn’t responsibility an obstacle to freedom?”

Generally, people think that freedom Focusing on freedom itself is the ability to do whatever they want Freedom, however, is not about without any limitations. They believe responding indiscriminately to all that freedom means of our mental and choosing and deciding emotional demands.

Responsibility without restrictions. means responding Jean-Jacques Rousseau This notion, however, said: “Man is born does not recognize appropriately to life’s free, and everywhere the responsibility that events with all our he is in chains.” As freedom entails. capacity. long as our yearning

Accepting the consequences Responsibility means consciously accepting the consequences of our choices. We must understand that a conditioned mind lacks freedom. Such a mind may dream of being free, but it only responds according to its conditioning.

3 / Prabhuji Journal

for liberation is born from oppression, we will seek to escape its bonds rather than free ourselves.

We often think that if the oppressing element vanishes, we will be free. Hence our attention is focused on the chains, on what we desire to be liberated from, rather than on freedom itself.

If we were all responsible Responsibility means responding appropriately to life’s events with all our capacity. If we were all responsible, we would not need laws, judges, or policemen. But since society is made up of immature people, governments resort to control to maintain order. A higher state of consciousness would allow us to adequately respond to life and to make this world a paradise.

A higher state of consciousness would allow us to adequately respond to life and to make this world a paradise.

Can freedom be misused?

“Dear Prabhuji, can freedom be misused?”

Freedom entails choice Unlike slavery, freedom can be misused.

It is said that to err is human; hence, anyone can use freedom inappropriately.

Freedom entails choice and, therefore, the possibility of going in the wrong direction.

The misuse of freedom is obviously possible because humans can err.

Freedom implies that we can make right or wrong decisions. If we were not able to choose incorrectly, we would not be truly free. Naturally, going down is tempting, because it requires less effort and energy than going up.

The fear of mistakes Freedom is a challenge that implies responsibility. We are intimidated by

the risk of erring. That is why most people choose to place their lives in the hands of others. We blame others for our defeats and failures. We criticize our parents for the way they raised us, and we put spiritual masters in charge of our enlightenment. Afraid of making mistakes, we live according to rules decreed in a sacred book or by a guru. We renounce our freedom to keep from making a wrong decision. If we were not afraid to accept responsibility over our lives, society would be full of enlightened beings.

Free beings can make mistakes but never fail, because errors teach them and contribute to their development.

As Carl Jung said, “In this way, the last thing I want to tell you, dear friends, is the following: live your life as best you

Free beings can make mistakes but never fail, because errors teach them and contribute to their development. can, even if your life is based on an error, because life must be consumed, and truth is reached by error.” Instead of defeats, errors are an integral part of our evolutionary learning process.

It is not my intention to restrict anyone’s freedom but to help understand it.

Having comprehended what freedom is, make your own decisions. Do not be afraid to make mistakes, because in the long process of development, errors are as important as successes. The important thing is not to avoid falling down but to understand the lesson. In the school of life, we learn from both our defeats and triumphs.

~ ••• ~

Prabhuji Journal / 4

Understanding our

captivity A n d t h e u lt i m at e

LIBERATION

Excerpts from Prabhuji’s book Advaita Vedanta, Being the Self.

Understanding our captivity Jñāna-yoga is a path toward vimukti, or “the final liberation.” In order to inquire about emancipation, it is necessary to have a clear definition of captivity. In fact, few people can grasp the essence of liberation or even understand the nature of captivity. The Bhagavad Gita (18.30) indicates that only those who have a sattvic buddhi, or “intellect,” can identify captivity. A rajasic or tamasic intellect is unable to discriminate between bondage to samsāra and freedom from it.

to create sattva.

Patañjali Maharṣi helps us identify the five components of slavery: avidyāsmitā-rāga-dveṣābhiniveśāḥ kleśāḥ

“The five afflictions that hinder the balance of consciousness are ignorance, egoism, attachment, aversion, and the desire to cling to life.” (Yoga Sūtra, 2.3) These afflictions, or kleśas, can be classified as intellectual (ignorance and egoism), emotional (attachment and The five afflictions aversion), and instinctive (clinging to life). These five obstacles may be latent or kleśas or manifest, attenuated or aggravated, The intellect, due to its proximity to repressed or active; but even when a lion the Self, is the highest mental faculty in is asleep or relaxed, its mere presence sentient creatures. Its main functions are implies danger. to observe, analyze, We cannot become classify, discern, Only a sattvic buddhi liberated without decide, discriminate, overcoming the kleśas. has enough clarity to reason, and desire. perceive that which is However, repressing Only a sattvic buddhi does not lead subtle and recognize them has enough clarity to salvation. To his or her own to perceive that escape from prison, which is subtle and conditioning. we must first know it recognize his or her well enough. To live own conditioning. For this reason, one beyond the cell bars, we must first be of the main purposes of yogic sādhana is aware of them.

5 / Prabhuji Journal

Mumukṣutvā or “the aspiration for liberation” ahaṅkārādi-dehāntān bandhān ajñāna-kalpitān sva-svarūpāvabodhena moktum icchā mumukṣutā

The aspiration

Any desire for worldly pleasure is diminished by the aspiration for the Self, which is an essential requirement for enlightenment. It is this spiritual “Mumukṣutvā, or ‘spiritual aspiration,’ longing that leads us to give ourselves is the yearning to break free from all in body, mind, and soul to religion bondage fabricated by ignorance, and the search for God. It involves beginning with the feeling of ‘I’ (ego) changing our addictive attitude toward and ending with the fetters of the body misery: a change that clearly implies through the realization of our authentic much more than just an intellectual nature.” (Viveka-cūḍāmaṇi, 27) decision. Mumuksutvā means completely renouncing our chains. It is the mumukṣutvaṁ mokṣecchā aspiration to free ourselves not only from sorrow and pain, but also from “Mumukṣutva is the yearning for the misery brought about by what we liberation.” (Vedānta-sāra, verse 25) mistakenly call happiness. May every moment of our lives become filled with Desire enslaves whereas aspiration spiritual aspiration. liberates. Aspiration is the sublimation The “I” cannot be free because the of desire. Although ego is slavery itself. the destruction of Although the Slavery cannot be desire is impossible, destruction of desire is freedom. In the it can be sublimated same way that the impossible, it can be into a sincere of sublimated into a sincere appearance aspiration for the light means aspiration for freedom. freedom. the disappearance This yearning of darkness, the of the soul is so necessary on the appearance of freedom means the spiritual path that I would say it is disappearance of slavery. essential. Experiencing this yearning We are of freedom is undoubtedly grace manifested and channeled through the spiritual master: The search for enlightenment is synonymous with the aspiration manda-madhyama-rūpāpi for liberation from everyone and vairāgyeṇa śamādinā everything, including ourselves. We prasādena guroḥ seyaṁ are of freedom: from freedom we have pravṛddhā sūyate phalam come and towards freedom we are headed. Freedom resides as much in “This longing for liberation, however our origin as our destination. It is not torpid or mediocre, can bear fruit something one achieves, but something through the grace of the guru, [being one becomes. developed] through renunciation As long as we remain confined by (vairāgya), peace (śama), and so on.” the mind, we continue to be slaves.

(Viveka-cūḍāmaṇi, 28) Liberation is the absence of “I”: it is the Prabhuji Journal / 6

absence of you. Even though the mind this slavery is reached through the cannot conceive of enlightenment, direct knowledge of reality, or Brahman. it can become aware of its slavery. We access this revelation through Ultimately, freedom involves liberating study and understanding of the sacred oneself even from the need for freedom. scriptures under the proper guidance of The path of an enlightened wisdom does not Jñana-yoga does not promise spiritual master. offer loopholes, When we are liberation but the direct evasions, or blessed with realization that in fact escapes from liberation, we the ego. It does nothing has ever existed and recognize that not advise us to there is nothing and no one we are in fact ignore the ego consciousness. to be liberated from. but suggests that Just as we cannot we investigate it, analyze it, understand lift ourselves up by pulling our belt, it, confront it, and look it straight in no active effort of a human being the eye, which will eventually dissolve it as an egoic phenomenon can lead to liberation. Clearly, no ego can go completely, like acid.

Jñāna-yoga does not promise liberation beyond itself. but the direct realization that in fact The path to liberation nothing has ever existed and there is nothing and no one to be liberated The path to liberation does not entail from. There have never been any locks getting, reaching, acquiring, gaining, or chains. Misery does not enslave us; seizing, appropriating, or grabbing we are the ones who cling to it and do something we lack but going after a revelation. The spiritual process is not let it go. not a series of systematic practices to satisfy needs. No spiritual effort should be carried out from a feeling of lack.

Enlightenment is not Instead of acquiring what we do not something we obtain have, we should try to discover what has but what remains after always been. Mukti cannot be obtained our ignorance vanishes. because it is our authentic original nature, what we originally are. Mukti is simply being, without the intervention of the mind and its interpretations. The spiritual process is not about acquiring something but about getting rid of everything: our conclusions, concepts, emancipation or ultimate ideas, prejudices, and in general, of our liberation. acquired conditioning. Enlightenment Mukti or moksa are Sanskrit terms that is not something we obtain but what mean “emancipation or ultimate remains after our ignorance vanishes. liberation.”

Liberation or mukti

No limitations

Since incarnate beings are unaware of their authenticity, they are motivated by egoism and are thus dragged into the slavery of samsāra. Liberation from 7 / Prabhuji Journal

The word “liberation” refers to the direct experience of our reality. But in fact, it does not involve freedom from anything tangible but from our

Liberation is the recognition of consciousness as what we really are. When revelation happens, you realize yourself as the very essence of the phenomenal universe, as the unique nature that lies behind everything and everyone. acquired conditioning. It means ceasing to relate to life through a mental prism and stopping to project what is known upon reality.

Mukti is recognizing consciousness where every experience happens. It is an awakening to our reality as the origin of all that is. Consciousness is believed to be a personal and individual quality of the human being, separated from the universe. In this way, we create an illusory inner fracture called ego. Liberation is the recognition of consciousness as what we really are.

When revelation happens, you realize yourself as the very essence of the phenomenal universe, as the unique

Freedom is transcending the idea that I am a person and accepting that I have no limits.

Limits only exist as long as I consider myself someone, but nothing can limit nothingness.

nature that lies behind everything and everyone.

Fundamental conditioning consists in believing ourselves to be someone or something separate from the rest. Since we are integral parts of the Whole, this separation is illusory. Liberation is understanding that we are not disconnected from the universe. As long as I believe that I exist in time and space, I am limited by that idea and I lose my existence to become a simple mental creation. Freedom is transcending the idea that I am a person and accepting that I have no limits. Limits only exist as long as I consider myself someone, but nothing can limit nothingness.

Jivan-mukta,

“The one liberated in life” jīvan-muktas tu tad vidvān pūrvopādhi-guṇās tyajet sac-cid-ānanda-rūpatvāt bhaved bhramara-kīṭa-vat “Liberated ones, endowed with selfknowledge, give up the traits of their previously explained conditioning (upādhis) and because of their nature of sat-cit-ānanda, they truly become Brahman, like the worm that grows to be a bee.” (Ātma-bodha, 49) nanu jīvan-muktaḥ kaḥ: yathā deho ‘haṁ puruṣo ‘haṁ brāhmaṇo ‘haṁ śūdro ‘ham asmīti dṛḍha-niścayas tathā nāhaṁ brāhmaṇaḥ na śūdraḥ na puruṣaḥ kintu asaṅgaḥ sac-cid-ānandasvarūpaḥ prakāśa-rūpaḥ sarvāntaryāmīcid-ākāśa-rūpo ‘smīti dṛḍha-niścaya rūpo ‘parokṣa-jñānavān jīvan-muktaḥ “So who is a jīvan-mukta? Many have the conviction that ‘I am a body, I am a man, I am a brāhmaṇa, or I am a śūdra.’

But a jīvan-mukta has the firm belief and the direct experience that ‘I am not a

Prabhuji Journal / 8

brāhmaṇa, I am not a śūdra, I am not a man, I am detached, I am absolute existence–knowledge– bliss, I am effulgent, I am the inner dweller of everything, I am the formless awareness.’” (Tattva-bodha by Śaṅkarācārya, 12.2–12.4) The jīvan-mukta, or “the being liberated while still in a physical body,” lives in union with the Absolute.

The jivan-mukta, or “the being liberated while still in a physical body,” lives in union with the Absolute.

Enlightenment conflicts with the phenomenal experience but not with the presence of the phenomenal world.

It is possible to awake to the recognition of consciousness without leaving the physical world. The proof is in the large number of master ācāryas of the past who achieved enlightenment during their lives. This state is especially accepted within the context of Advaita.

Dualism, in general, refers to liberation as the enjoyment of an association with a personal God in a paradise after the abandonment of the physical body. For non-dual Vedanta, however, liberation

9 / Prabhuji Journal

in life is like salt dissolving in water.

When dissolved in the Absolute, the human being ceases to have a separate existence from Brahman: both are one and the same. In nirvikalpa-samādhi, consciousness expands to become one with infinity. It is not a loss of our identity, but the realization of our true original identity.

When dissolved in the Absolute, the human being ceases to have a separate existence from Brahman: both are one and the same.

MumukSu,

the ideal aspirant mumukṣutvaṁ kim? mokṣo me bhūyād iti ḍṛḍecchā “What is mumukṣutva? It is the intense desire to achieve liberation.” (Tattvabodha by Śaṅkarācārya, 1.4)

Mumuksus are ideal aspirants who are completely sure that moksa is what they want in life.

Mumukṣus are ideal aspirants who are completely sure that mokṣa is what they want in life. Mumukṣutva is the burning aspiration for Truth. It is an aspiration to realize the reality that far exceeds all other urges, ambitions, or desires.

People have a large number of wishes.

Those who have grasped the limitations of artha, kāma, and dharma do not strive for security, pleasure, and religiosity nor do they expect that these things will solve the essential problem. Only these people are in a position to undertake the search for liberation.

In fact, the desire for liberation is not about wanting to gain something.

Rather, it is the aspiration to get rid of all selfish worldly longings. The true seeker of Truth is one who is aware of the fundamental problem. Those who lack intense aspiration will be unable to withstand temptations. This clarity reflects a very advanced level on the spiritual path. When starting on the path, most of us face difficulties, doubts, distractions, and obstacles.

At times the path is clear, but at other times it becomes confusing and we stumble. It is only possible to advance with mumukṣutva and determination, patience, courage, detachment, faith, willpower, and joy. Mumukṣus evolve through yogic life relatively quickly because their direction is clear: the commitment to transcend ignorance and to achieve self-knowledge.

~ ••• ~

Mumuksutva is the burning aspiration for Truth. It is an aspiration to realize the reality that far exceeds all other urges, ambitions, or desires.

Prabhuji Journal / 10

Meditation - The Path To Freedom Excerpts from Prabhuji’s book What is as it is Is freedom possible?

change what happens, but what matters see our lives now, that is what we are.

For any religious person, seeker, is changing how we see what happens And the major question is: Is it possible to us. As is often said, don’t to transcend all this mental content and dreamer, or anyone who try to change the situation; liberate ourselves?

When we lives with a yearning for your attitude freedom, one of the most speak of true change The Mind’s Limitations toward it. important questions is if freedom, we Thus, when we speak That is our world in which we move freedom is possible. And, and live. Our world is between our ears. what does this freedom are referring to of true freedom, we are It’s the mind. That is what we are and mean? What does freedom being free from referring to being free from ourselves. Is it possible to that is our reality: the reality of our consist of ? ourselves. get rid of our behavioral complexes, our ways of reacting, our Some people think of attitudes, our fears and worries. That is politics when hearing the word freedom. patterns, of this mind, which is what we our world and that is what we are. Can However, freedom from communism or are, or at least what we believe ourselves we free ourselves from imperialism, freedom from the Chinese, to be? this? the Arabs, or the Jews, freedom from The mind is made up Nothing I do as the Why free ourselves? my husband or wife; all of that isn’t of pain, misery, fears, I-idea, as the I-ego, Because all that is mind true freedom because in that kind of ambitions, complexes, as the I-concept can is limited: comes from freedom, we’re still completely focused desires. Everything that matter, from others, on our fellow man, on the other. It’s an constitutes it was added help me to transcend from the dimension of external and superficial freedom. We by others, and all this is what I am. forms. Its information what I believe myself can call this material freedom. received from our It requires abundant introspection to be. In fact, it is what parents, siblings, friends, neighbors, to understand that it’s impossible to I am, because according to the way we schoolmates, co-workers, fellow soldiers, 11 / Prabhuji Journal

etc. Everything—from my name to the newspaper that I like to read, and my way of reacting when someone treats me with sympathy or contempt—comes from the dimension of forms, which is limited; therefore, all that I am is necessarily limited. Being in this way, I am a limited being, and therefore, the desire for freedom is a grace. If I’m able to break free, I would be liberated from matter. Whether or not I can free myself is a very important question.

What can I do?

On the physical level, action is simply the expression of a thought, a desire, an idea, so we must not do anything on the mental level: yogaś citta-vṛtti-nirodhaḥ.

Meditation is to do nothing on the mental level, without any movement of the vṛttis; it’s just observing.

Observation In this observing, we observe forms and movements. This is what we realize in karma yoga: the observation of action.

In hatha yoga, while practicing the yogic postures, asanas, we observe each effort, each muscle, and each tendon.

In prāṇāyāma, we observe our breathing: while inhaling, how the air passes through our nostrils, and while exhaling, how it comes out.

Now we can understand that nothing I do as the mind, as this content, can lead me beyond the mind. This is very important. Nothing I do as the I-idea, as the I-ego, as the I-concept can help me to transcend what Meditation is I am. Nothing the ego does can take it beyond an observation itself. And since there is of what is, as it nothing that can be done, is, without the all that remains is, so to influence and speak, to sit and watch.

This is what is called interference of dhyāna, or “meditation” the mind. The in Hinduism, or Sanātanamind ceases to dharma.

In this process of observation, we gradually interiorize.

As we interiorize, we notice that what we once thought was internal becomes external. What was once the closest, my body, becomes distant, something, be the meditator becomes because by observing Meditation and becomes the my body, I create a Meditation can only come meditated, the distance between the after you experience that “I” and the body. This observed. there is nothing you can is disidentification. The do, that any effort will body stops being me to be fruitless, because every action stems become just a body. In the same way, we from an idea, behind which is hiding continue internalizing, as we observe a thought, and any thought or idea our thoughts, then our emotions and comes from the limited contents of the feelings. This is meditation. mind. Thus the “I”—the limited “I,” Meditation is an observation of what the I-idea—cannot bring itself beyond is, as it is, without the influence and itself. It’s impossible to lift myself by interference of the mind. The mind holding myself tightly. Hence, nothing ceases to be the meditator and becomes else remains but to watch... observe... the meditated, the observed. This is a and do nothing. And here we reach serious challenge for many spiritual dhyāna, or “meditation.” seekers: how do I cease identifying with But, what is meditation? It’s to observe the ego in order to discover what I really without doing anything on any level.

Prabhuji Journal / 12

am? How do I get liberated from the ego? You can’t fight against the belief you have about yourself and reject the ego or reject yourself as an ego. You can’t push, kick, or beat yourself up.

However, if you observe your reactions, your conclusions, the movement of thoughts and ideas, and your behavioral patterns, at a certain moment you will see a very interesting phenomenon: all that you manage to observe becomes subtle, loses solidity. Every idea, every concept, every conclusion, and every thought you observe, loses its substantiality: it evaporates, disappears.

And simultaneously, the subtle gets fortified: the soul, the spirit, consciousness, and observation get solidified, until you reach the final level before nirvikalpa- samādhi: the observation of the observer, the observation of the meditator, the observation of yourself.

The evaporation of the “I” What will happen then will be the most marvelous revelation: you evaporate, you become subtle, you lose your solidity. The “I” evaporates, that which was most solid in your life: I want, I don’t want, I like, I don’t like, me, mine.

The “I” is what we fear losing more than anything in the world, that which 13 / Prabhuji Journal

makes us feel threatened if something or someone diminishes it in any way. And in the moment of its disappearance, consciousness is revealed in its full splendor. A question has puzzled me for a long time. How is it that the ideas and conclusions disappear? Why do the concepts, thoughts, and the “I” dissolve when they are observed? Why do they lose their solidity? Where do they go?

Why does the observation get stronger?

Why does observation, which was the most subtle and the most difficult to perceive, become solid and substantial, reaching its maximum expression when the meditator dissolves? Where does all this go?

Do you know why this dissolution takes place? By observing, this experience happens: you notice that you are not the thoughts, the ideas, the conclusions.

You are not that thought, that I-idea that you believe yourself to be, but on the contrary, the thoughts and the ideas are you. You are not the conclusions and the concepts, but they are you.

They originate in you, they are part of you, they are you.

Just as the wave is not the ocean—as it is limited, it has a beginning and an end, it is temporal—but the wave is ocean

because it is made of water, in the same way, you are not the thoughts, concepts and conclusions, the “I,” but they are you, because when you see them, when you observe, they are revealed as consciousness.

Every thought or idea that you observe evaporates as something separate, disconnected, but at the same time is revealed as consciousness. Then, consciousness acquires solidity and grows: the ocean becomes perceptible until finally, you don’t see waves, bubbles, or foam, but you see the infinite ocean of consciousness: tat tvam asi.

That infinite ocean of consciousness is you; it’s what you really are. ~ ••• ~

That infinite ocean of consciousness is you; it’s what you really are.

Prabhuji Journal / 14

Acting With Freedom

Isavasya Upanishad Excerpts from Prabhuji’s commantary to the Isavasya Upanishad, Mantra 2 कुर्वन्वेने ह कर्माणि जिजीविषेच्छतं समाः । एवं त्वयि नान्यथेतोऽस्ति न कर्म लिप्यते नरे ॥

kurvann eveha karmāṇi jijīviṣec chataṁ samāḥ evaṁ tvayi nānyatheto ‘sti na karma lipyate nare “Acting in the world in accordance with this wisdom, one can aspire to live a hundred years, without action restricting one’s freedom.”

We have complete freedom to choose how we act and later, will suffer or enjoy the consequences of our choices.

The law of karma

In order to understand this verse, we first need to explore the basics of the yoga of action, or karma yoga, and understand what action is and how it restricts our freedom.

Studying the law of karma, we understand the great responsibility that we have to our own destiny. We have complete freedom to choose how we act and later, will suffer or enjoy the consequences of our choices. These reactions keep us enslaved to this relative world and are the cause of our reincarnation, life after life.

Positive karma is like a precious metal such as gold or platinum; mixed karma, a less expensive metal, such as silver; and negative karma, a cheap metal. However, it matters little what metal was used to make the bars of the cell that restricts our freedom. It is not the quality of the chains that is responsible for our suffering, but the chains themselves. If we continue to create karma—whether positive, negative, or mixed—we will continue to be chained to this world of birth, sickness, old age, and death. As long as our actions are only an escape from the disagreeable and a pursuit of the agreeable, our enslavement to karma will continue.

“Acting in the world in accordance with this wisdom, one can aspire to live a hundred years.”

15 / Prabhuji Journal

Wisdom is required to live in the world without being affected by it. If we have wisdom, we can live for a hundred years, fulfilling our duties without them affecting our purity and original freedom. When we love, we feel united to our beloved. When we experience hunger, we identify with the hunger. We do not feel that we experience hunger, but rather that we are hungry. When we feel rage, it completely takes over. If there is fear, we are scared. When we feel sadness, it invades us, permeating every corner of our being. It seems inevitable that our actions, whether physical, mental, or emotional, condition us.

Our activity colors us with its tones and leaves its imprint on us. As long as it is executed from the egoic phenomenon, every action will affect us.

Renouncing the doer The only way to act during life without being conditioned by action is to know how to renounce being the doer. To free ourselves from action, we need the wisdom to be witnesses or observers of our actions rather than doers. It is

The only way to act during life without being conditioned by action is to know how to renounce being the doer. very simple to be the witness because it does not require doing anything, not even thinking. In fact, to stop thinking is the first step to place ourselves in the position of witness to our actions.

As long as we continue to think, it will be impossible to place ourselves as witnesses. In order to stop thinking, we must observe thoughts instead of thinking them.The first thing to discover is that the mind does not belong to you.

Prabhuji Journal / 16

Society has installed your mind in you through the brainwashing process called education. The mind is not part of who you really are, but observation is. As you observe, the domain of the mind loses its power until it becomes irrelevant.

This irrelevance of mental activity will be the beginning of freedom. To stop being the doer means to stop being the thinker of thoughts, the feeler of emotions, and the doer of activities.

Instead, we must take the position of the witness and observe your emotions, thoughts, and activities. Moving from the role of doer to witness requires a radical shift in our lives.

Observe Nowadays, many recommend solutions related to thinking, but I advise you to just observe. To analyze or reflect is only to go round and round in a vicious circle. Analysis will take you to the distant past in your memory, without giving you a real way out. It will give you a certain degree of understanding about the beginning of your problem, but you will remain the same. You will be able to adjust to the demands of the environment and the parameters of society without any real transformation.

Observation, on the other hand, implies a true transformation from the very roots of who you are that will purify you of all conditioning. For although this conditioning has contaminated your roots, your consciousness has remained eternally pure, clear, crystalline, and transcendental.

Observation, on the other hand, implies a true transformation from the very roots of who you are that will purify you of all conditioning.

17 / Prabhuji Journal

“…without action restricting one’s freedom.”

By nature, consciousness is freedom; therefore, it does not refer only to the superficial. You can be free even in jail, in a cell, and guarded by jailers. Your freedom does not depend on where you are. It is not related to bars or chains, but to consciousness. You can be a prisoner in your own home. You can be a captive in your job. You can be imprisoned in a romantic relationship or a marriage.

Human interdependence It is impossible to be free externally because you are obliged to yield in order to participate in society. You have no choice but to compromise in order to live with peace of mind. If you do not restrain yourself, your freedom will be problematic for others. You have the freedom to listen to loud music at home. However, if it is midnight and your neighbors are sleeping, you will have to limit your freedom. In an interdependent society, our freedom will always be limited. We can live freely as long as our freedom does not limit that of others. In an interdependent universe there is no absolute freedom.

Human beings are interdependent, even with the environment.

Absolute freedom Absolute freedom is only possible on the level of consciousness. It is achieved through observation without intervention of the mind. Observing you will realize that you are not greed, anger, jealousy, or an inferiority complex. As you observe your mental activity, you gradually free yourself from labels such as Russian, Peruvian, Chilean, Spanish, or Korean. You stay away from denominations like Zionist, Capitalist, or Communist. You distance yourself from labels like successful person, loser,

or winner. By revealing that you are not the thought, you experience complete freedom from it. Observation leads you to absolute inner freedom. Those who have found their freedom in themselves do not look for it on the surface. By finding freedom deep within, you will have no problem accepting external interdependence and even surrendering to it. Remember that capitulating is only for defeated prisoners who have no alternative. Surrender is only for those who have found their freedom.

Freedom from something is not genuine, since is only a reaction and, therefore, both are on the same continuum.

By nature, consciousness is freedom; therefore, it does not refer only to the superficial.

You can be free even in jail, in a cell, and guarded by jailers. Your freedom does not depend on where you are. It is not related to bars or chains, but to consciousness.

Freedom is not an escape Our entertainment-focused culture only provides us with temporary palliatives.

Bliss does not lie in feeling less anguish, nor silence in hearing less noise. Just as freedom is not the absence of slavery, happiness is not the absence of suffering. If we focus on freedom from tyranny, we may one day succeed in reaching a state devoid of oppression, but not in achieving freedom. Being free means much more than not being a slave. Freedom from something is not genuine, since is only a reaction and, therefore, both are on the same continuum. This movement, called in Vedanta dveṣa or “rejection,” can only lead us to frustration. Emancipation from oppression does not lead to absolute love, freedom, and bliss. Those who escape from reality do not gain access to Truth, because they strive for a solution to their problems instead of seeking awakening.

~ ••• ~ Prabhuji Journal / 18

The Prabhuji Food Distribution Program was founded

by Prabhuji with the aim to help people who are in need of nutritious food, and assist them with their daily struggle against food insecurity. In these challenging days assistance is needed more than ever, Prabhuji’s programs are here to support the families in need with weekly supplies of food.

Every child deserves a gift on Christmas. Because of this, Prabhuji has founded the Prabhuji Toy Distribution Program to give new toys to children whose families do not have enough resources.

“Thank you all so very much! It has been a rough few years, and this year has topped the charts, but thanks to your help my family has not gone hungry!”

“Thank you for making our last xmas amazing!!! Bless you all for doing this program!”

19 / Prabhuji Journal

Prabhuji Journal / 20

The sun salutation Exerted from Prabhuji’s Book Yoga union with reality Before starting any session of āsanas, one should

bends, performed in a continuous and dynamic way.

warm-up the body and the muscles. For this purpose,

Every movement is synchronized with the breathing.

various sequences of postures, called vinyāsas, are used.

Not only is sūrya-namaskāra the most recommended

One of the most classic and well-known series is sūrya-

method of warm-up exercise, but it constitutes an

namaskāra, or the “Sun Salutation”. This is a series of

extremely powerful yogic practice in itself.

āsanas that alternate between backward and forward

21 / Prabhuji Journal

Sacred mantras to the Sun The scriptures call the Sun Āditya (the son of Aditi), and enumerate its twelve different aspects. The Sun has a different name according to the zodiac sign that is associated with it. From these names originate the twelve mantras that are pronounced in each one of the stages of sūrya-namaskāra: 1. Oṁ mitrāya namaḥ Oṁ salutations to the friend of all.

2. Oṁ ravaye namaḥ Oṁ salutations to the one who causes noise.

3. Oṁ sūryāya namaḥ Oṁ salutations to one who sets in motion.

4. Oṁ bhāvane namaḥ Oṁ salutations to the luminous one.

5. Oṁ khagāya namaḥ oṁ salutations to the one who moves in the sky.

6. Oṁ pūṣṇe namaḥ Oṁ salutations to the one who nourishes.

7.Oṁ hiraṇyagarbhāya namaḥ- oṁ salutations to Hiraṇyagarbha, who was born from a golden egg.

8. Oṁ mārīcaye namaḥ -

oṁ salutations to the one bears rays of light.

9. Oṁ ādityāya namaḥ oṁ salutations to the son of Aditi.

10. Oṁ savitre namaḥ oṁ salutations to the one who awakens.

11. Oṁ arkāya namaḥ oṁ salutations to the radiant one.

12. Oṁ bhāskarāya namaḥ oṁ salutations to the illuminator.

>>>

Prabhuji Journal / 22

Praṇamāsana salutation posture:

Hastottānāsana raised arms posture

Pāda-hastāsana hand-to foot pose

Stand with your legs and feet together, palms together in front of the chest. Stretch your body from head to heels, without tensing it.

Inhaling deeply, spread your arms above the head and arch the body backwards.

Rise up, and while exhaling, flex the body forward, keeping your knees straight. Place the palms on the floor on both sides of your feet, while touching your knees with your forehead. Press the chin against your chest.

1

2

3

Bhujaṅgāsana the cobra posture:

Śvānāsana the dog posture:

Aśvasañcalanāsana the posture of the horse-rider:

Inhale slowly, pressing down with your hands, with the help of the arms lifting the head and chest, pushing the torso upward and back, as much as possible. Keep your hips on the floor, and tilting your head back; bend the spine.

Lift the hips, exhaling and keeping the arms and legs straight. The heels should remain on the floor between the head and arms.

Inhaling, move your left foot forward to align with the hands and place the left knee close to chest. The right knee and right foot touch the floor.

Look up and lift your chin.

7 23 / Prabhuji Journal

8

9

Aśva-sañcalanāsana the posture of the horse-rider:

Utthita Chaturanga Dandasana Extended four-limbed posture

Aṣṭāṅga namaskārāsana the eight point salutation posture

Inhale and extend your left leg, taking a big step backward. Then place the knee on the floor. Raise your chin, and extend the toes of the left foot. Keep your right knee between the arms, the hands on the floor, and the thigh pressed against the stomach and chest.

hold the breath and extend your right leg back, placing it next to the already extended left leg. Keep your body away and parallel to the floor in a straight line. Hold your hands firm, keeping the arms extended, and spread out the body weight on your hands and feet.

Exhale, lower your body to the ground and slowly flex the arms.

Supporting the chest and knees on the floor, keep the hips lifted slightly and the toes bent under the feet.

The body must remain in contact with the ground only with the hands, forehead, chest, knees and toes.

5

4

6

Pāda-hastāsana hand-to foot pose:

Hastottānāsana raised arms posture

Praṇamāsana salutation posture:

Exhaling, bring the right foot forward next to left. Raising the hips, straighten the knees and bend toward them. Place the palms on the floor to the sides of the feet. Align the tip of the fingers with the tip of the toes.

Inhale and extend your arms forward, straighten up and continue arching the back backwards.The arms continue to stretch back over the head.

Inhaling fully, join the palms in front of the chest and relax back to the starting position.

10

11

12 Prabhuji Journal / 24

25 / Prabhuji Journal

The falcon who did not want to fly Short eastern story written by Prabhuji

A king received a fine gift of two precious falcons. The monarch delivered both creatures to a falconry to be trained. .

After some time, the master of the falconry informed the King that one of the falcons was flying majestically in the heights but the other had not moved from his branch since his arrival. The monarch commanded that various experts from his kingdom be called to see if they could find a solution, however, none of them were capable of making the bird fly.

The king commanded that one

of the wisest of his counselors be called, and great was his frustration in seeing that no one could make the bird leave his branch and fly.

One of his advisers told him that perhaps the best thing would be to search for a person more accustomed to a life in contact with nature to solve a problem like this.

The king gave the order to search in his kingdom for a farmer who might be able to do something about it.

One morning the king was amazed to see through his window that the bird was flying very high, and immediately said: –

—“Who has done this?”

— “A farmer, your majesty.”

At which the king ordered: —“Bring me this hero immediately.”

The simple farmer was brought in the presence of the King, who thanked him for his efforts and asked him: —“So my good man, could you tell me how you were able to convince that falcon to fly?”

To which the farmer replied: —”“I simply took my tools and cut off the branch, your Majestry.” ~ ••• ~

Prabhuji Journal / 26

With the purpose of preserving Prabhuji’s message of wisdom, his disciples and friends seek to perpetuate his legacy by distributing his books, paintings, poems, melodies, websites, and videos of talks given to small groups of disciples at the Prabhuji Ashram.

Prabhuji Website - prabhuji.net

Books by Prabhuji You tube

Prabhuji Radio

27 / Prabhuji Journal

YouTube

Important

May 21, 2011 David, Ben Yosef, Har-Zion, who writes under the pen name Prabhuji, is a writer, painter, and avadhūta mystic. In 2011, he chose to retire from society and lead a silent and contemplative life as a hermit. He spends his days in solitude, writing, painting, praying, and meditating.

Prabhuji does not accept the role of a religious authority figure that people have been trying to attribute to him for years.

Although many consider him an enlightened being, he does not present himself as a preacher, guide, coach, teacher, instructor, educator, enlightener, pedagogue, evangelist, rabbi, posek halacha, healer, therapist, satsangist, psychic, leader, medium, savior, or guru. He has retired from all public activity and does not offer sat-saṅgs, lectures, gatherings, retreats, seminars, meetings, study groups, or courses.

“Do not search for me, but search for yourself. It is not me that you need, because the only thing that really matters is you. What you yearn for lies in you, as what you are, here and now.”

For 15 years (1995–2010), Prabhuji accepted the requests of a few people who expressly asked to become disciples. In 2010, he took the irrevocable decision to refuse any further requests.

He objects to social, organized, or community religiosity. His message does not promote collective spirituality, but individual and inner searching.

Prabhuji does not proselytize or try to convince anyone of anything; it is not his intention to attract disciples, visitors, or followers. Currently, he writes his books and gives talks only to a handful of disciples and friends who accompany him.

With the purpose of preserving his message of wisdom, his disciples and friends seek to perpetuate his legacy by distributing his books, paintings, poems, melodies, websites, and videos of talks given to small groups of disciples.

We ask everyone to respect his privacy and not to try to contact him, by any means, for interviews, blessings, śaktipāta, initiations, or personal visits.

Prabhuji Journal / 28