Faith and Religion

Faith and religion is something we are born into. Many say it is not a matter of choice. Then again, I have seen many intellectuals, writers, spiritual seekers and highly knowledgeable individuals legally convert to another religion. Kamala Das, Annie Besant, Robert Downey Jr, Madonna, Snoop Dogg, Orlando Bloom, J D Salinger, Michael Jackson and innumerable others are a microcosm of the examples of converts to other faiths.

Why do people do this? It can be to seek out for solace, comfort, to escape from the harsh realities of life, because of crises and issues, for strength, moral and spiritual support, political agendas, public relation stunts, inspiration, resonation of their beliefs in another faith, wanting something new, change, trends, media attention, fame, guru's and spiritualist's advice and the list goes on.

Faith and religion do not require labels. Some of the teachings and preaching across religions and practices are a mirror of each other as you can see above. Faith as such was meant to be a way of life, something to hold you together through the tough times, to guide you during doubt, to protect you when you fear, to strengthen you when you feel vulnerable and to instill a value based system.

Religion was not meant to be a destructive double edged sword like it is today. It was meant to connect us and unite us to be better individuals and a better collective society keeping in mind the multi factorial influence a religion or faith would have on our communities. Why then are we fighting over fault finding, pointing fingers, waging wars, shedding blood and discriminating based on the differences? Look at the tenets above and see what religion and faith's true purpose was meant to be.

- Dr Rathi Prabhu




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Siddhi and Spiritual Ascension

Spiritual Ascension or Energy accumulation or Siddhi is something that very many of us seek. We look for gurus, for spiritual courses, ashrams, yogis and those who possess powers or senses beyond our capability to guide us. But, did you know these powers, intuition and extra sensory perception, the ability to sense energy bodies, to see spirits, to ward off spirits, protective energy, healing powers, self healing capacity and several other spiritual energy powers are innate in our loving cohabitants of this planet, for a more common example of them? Cats and dogs.

Cats were worshiped in ancient Egypt. They are a very significant spiritual motif in Chinese Feng Shui. They are known to be able to sense emotion, pain, negative energy, spirit energy, to be able to see beings without forms and to dispel spirit forms. They can understand, connect and heal you. The same applies to dogs. They are not known as man's best friend just for their loyalty. There is a different level of perception which they are capable of. They can attune to cosmic vibrations and sounds. The ancient Egyptian god Anubis is worshiped as a protector. The egyptian cartouche card of anubis is given with attunement, initiation and siddhi from a guru these days to carry around in your wallet or to be placed among your things.

Apart from the innate spiritual energy, the universal life force mentioned above, you may ask how one can ascend spiritually? My experience was one where I was born into a lineage where my ancestors were spiritualists. Those born into such families have it by blood and karmic links passed down. Nature, animals, feeding the hungry [annadhaana] teaching for free [vidhyadhaana] nurturing other lives, taking care of family or someone in need, a virtuous life, positive thought-deed-action, absolving negative reactions/anger/hatred/jealousy by performing deeds of good karma and being genuinely apologetic for our negative thoughts or deeds are ways in which I sought to creating the foundation to a spiritual path. Energy ascension was initiated by growing up in spiritual and religious places [parent's choice and my liking as a child] visiting as many pilgrimages as possible, mantra siddhi, meditation and trataka practices in the first 8 years of life. Reiki, yoga, meditation, rituals, pujas, karuna reiki, advanced healing, crystals, fengshui, vastu,  divination techniques, initiations/attunements/siddhi from gurus from the 8th year of life [when energy centres are fully formed] I took up various advanced Siddhis and formal learning in this fields subsequently. These are ways in which a certain spiritual discipline sets your life path. I would say that it is necessary to have formal education discipline in spirituality, informal learning and guru dheeksha or learning from spiritualists. It creates a holistic form of true and complete spiritual learning.

It does not mean an individual has to begin early or lead a stringent pious life. An example of this would be Saint Valmiki who abnegated his old life to become a spiritual man. The same can be implemented in anyone's life at any stage. It is important to realize what can be changed and how. This is where it helps to seek out to spiritual experts and teachers or guides. A guru must be one who is formally educated in spiritual discipline, trained by other gurus and given dheeksha and someone who learns or ascends spiritually for life- a life long learner of spirituality and energy science. This is how you differentiate between those who just claim to have Siddhi and those who are educated, learned and given Siddhi in these fields. Most often we are destined to meet certain gurus or saints who are meant to walk us through the spiritual path. It is not us who find them but the universe that makes us find them. Runa- karmic debt, that we have to meet that individual at that time.

Siddhi or spiritual energy ascension can be possible by increasing the inherited or passed down spiritual energy from ancestors if your family lineage had rishis, saints or yogis. It can also be built over years with a spiritual foundation- through practice of yoga, meditation, trataka, kundalini, reiki, karuna reiki, traditional healing practices, chakra therapy, crystal therapy, mantra siddhi, homas, pujas, sevas and innumerable other practices. Most spiritual seekers take as many of these Siddhis as possible through guru dheeksha or learning under a spiritual guru or spiritual teacher. Some rare individuals are born with a higher level of spiritual energy and a radar, a compass to detect and grow spiritually. Spiritual Siddhi can also be handed down through family- from father to son or mother to daughter.

There are some practices where a bheeja mantra is given by a guru to a shishya, where it is to be chanted 24, 36 or 12 lakh times. The Mantra Siddhi transforms, cleanses, ascends and morphs your life and karmic personal energy. Homas, sevas and pujas are performed. Yoga, deriving energy from nature through worship, yogic life practices and meditation are followed. These are the ancient, highly auspicious forms of Siddhi practices which you can find in the Siddhar Systems, Aghoris, Rishis life biographies, Vedas and other sources. In Reiki, crystals. chakra, nature healing, wicca and certain other forms of energy which are religion neutral- years of practice can yield energy ascension abilities. Ultimately the path for you is chosen in consultation with a guru, to be guided through the process of what you want and where you wish to reach.

- Dr Rathi Prabhu

Addicted to Achievement

Achievement is something that as a psychologist, I would see through Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs. The theory and principles of which are depicted above in an image. The pyramid shows the needs and drives that govern our lives. Achievement as opposed to the lower primal instincts and drives is a higher, more complex, self esteem based need.

Achievement can work as an incentive. The need to grow, to be respected, to gain recognition, to gain fame, to reach goals, to progress in career or any other attainment based motive can drive one towards achieving things.

We often fear what would happen if our children drop out, do not achieve what is required for a certain profession or admission to specific colleges. Stop right there. The pressure and bulldozing emerges from a herd mentality to compete and push our children like trained animals to achieve beyond their capacity at times. Be rational and practical in your expectations towards achievement. Target realistic goals.

Did you drop out or did a child drop out due to personal issues, learning difficulty, pressure or some other reason? In most cases time helps resolves their conflict and they get back to something they love. Overcompensation is a process where an individual tries to make up for something lost, inadequate or their so called mistakes. They internalize dropping out and try to make up for it. It becomes a drive. One step of success in that path will only encourage them to take up higher goals or newer interests or a job or work towards achieving something else.

Failures, setbacks, road blocks, slow growth, indifference and dropping out can be phases in some cases. This does not mean you should overlook and be complacent about it. Look up stories on google about drop outs, about those who achieved late in life or had a break through. A few examples I can name here are Mark Zuckerberg, Oprah, Steve Jobs, Bill Gates, Walt Disney, Brad Pitt, Abraham Lincoln and Lady Gaga. Draw inspiration from other examples. Aim to achieve, be it as a grass root level or something within your reach. Use it to fuel that drive to achieve again. Don't let the need die. You never know!

How do you fuel this drive of addiction towards achievement? Let the individual be comfortable and free. Give them time and space. Let them work out their own issues. Let them find their own way by facilitation or with the help of a support system or professional. Let them pursue what they really wish to. Most underdogs and early failures emerge as greater success stories and super-cede their competitive peers in due course of time. 


Image source- Creative Commons image search. Disclaimer- this is not meant to be a professional consultation session and is in no way directional or a substitute for professional help. This blog and its contents are personal reflections similar to an open diary, in the form of thought snippets. 

Gratitude - Count your blessings

I remember singing a hymn during my school days in Bishop Cotton Girls' School, a hymn they choose a little too often for our morning assemblies. I realize the true worth of those golden lines, everyday, these days, when I counsel clients.

The lines were- "Count your blessings, name them one by one, Count your blessings, see what God has done. Count your blessings, name them one by one, Count your many blessings, see what God has done. And it will surprise you what the Lord has done."

I suppose these very lines are something that we need to be reminded of ever so often. We are unhappy for the silliest of reasons- because we did not become famous at 21, do not look like photo shopped models on TV, don't earn as much as the CEO of Facebook does, don't own 50 properties by the time our midlife crisis hits us like a bus or something else among a million lines that start with 'what if' and 'I could not'.

Life is short. Everything we achieve here is ephemeral. We can choose to accept, acknowledge, be grateful for and be contented with what we are blessed with or we can look the other way and stay unhappy and make everyone else unhappy around us. Like rot or fungus that spreads out. Misery loves company right?

What's wrong with good old contentment and living for ourselves than trying to prove something to someone else who doesn't matter? or try to achieve something beyond what we are destined to ? or compare yourself to every other person and feel small? What is the point of self deprecation and setting unreasonably unattainable standards and targets and then feeling bad about not reaching that benchmark?

To see a glass filled half way and either say its half full or half empty. That cliche line applies even today- what will it be? Better to bite off only as much as we can chew, right? To live and follow what truly makes us happy. To bear practicality in mind and save for those rainy days. To achieve whats within our limits and most of all to be happy for what we have rather than being sad for the million things we don't.

Count your blessings so far, name them one by one, and it will surprise you as to what you already have been blessed with that you once only wished, prayed, fantasized and dreamt of having. There is not much to lose by being grateful for what we have, rather a lot to gain from gratitude, isn't it?

- Dr Rathi Prabhu


Image source and credit:- a facebook post shared by a friend.