I AM – The Light Within | Teachings of Sri Amit Ray
I learnt meditation from Sri Amit Ray ji. I wanted “OM” mantra from him, but he has given me the “I AM” mantra. I know both are powerful. It has given me immense happiness. It removed many darkness of my soul. I am ever grateful to him. Now, I can cultivate the witness consciousness, and become a neutral observer of my own life.
His three stage “I AM” nadi kriya meditation is unique. It activates the three energy channels, vayapani nadi, hastijivha nadi and the sushumna nadi. The “I AM” activation without activating vayapani nadi, Hastijivha nadi is ineffective and can be dangerous. The sushumna (most beautiful) energy channel in the body – running from the base of the spine to the crown of the head. The moment sushumna is awakened, the mind enters into the inner world of bliss and light. The mind travels into the deeper levels of consciousness and peace through these nadis. Once you master the other two nadis, the art of sushumna application is very easy. Sushumna awakening removes many obstacles of life and brings happiness in life. Ray said Hastijivha is our subconscious mind and vayapani is our unconscious mind. He said,
“In seeking God, you discover she is now-here and everywhere – in every heart, in every breath, in every thought, and in every pulse of the Universe. You are neither the body nor the mind, and the love of the self in you is the love for the God in you – the supreme witnessing self.” — Amit Ray
God who resides in all beings:
Jesus said, “For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.” So our first work is to find out the treasure, the God within us, the divinity within us. The greatest thing we can do for another human being is to get our own house in order and find our true spiritual heart. Upanishads said,
“That in whom reside all beings and who resides in all beings,
who is the giver of grace to all, the Supreme Soul of the universe, the limitless being” — Amritabindu Upanisha
When you learn how to apply “I AM” kriya meditation, there is no way for your mind to go anywhere but into the inner journey. It is an effortless internal and external purification process. It is the path to reach the highest consciousness.
The Story Of the Two Birds
In the Mundaka Upanishad, there is a tale of two birds sitting on a tree. The first bird is sitting on a higher branch in a serene and peaceful manner. This higher branch is the Sushumna nadi. The second bird is sitting on the lower branch and it is busy in tasting and enjoying the fruits. Accidentally, the second bird ate a bitter fruit. It felt disgusted and looked around. It saw the first bird and wondered at the calm nature of the first bird. Never mind. Again the second bird became busy in eating the fruits. Once more it ate a very bitter fruit and it felt miserable. This time it decided to go near the first bird to know the secret of its tranquil nature. As the second bird started flying near the first bird a surprise thing happened.
The second bird discovered the fact that it is nothing but the shadow of the first bird. It was never as solid as it thought of. The first bird is the true and the real nature of the second bird. All the time the second bird was the part and parcel of the first bird only. In ignorance the second bird identified itself as separate from the first bird. Joyfully, the shadow of the second bird melted away in the majestic light of the first bird.
Knowing the observer within us:
The conscious mind receives information from the physical world only through eyes or other sense organs that are presumably understandable deterministically. Generally, “observation” is synonymous with measurement. Our reality is limited by these measurements of the sense organs. The witness is actually another level of consciousness. The witness coexists alongside your normal consciousness as another layer of awareness, as the part of us that is awakening.
Humans have this unique ability to be in two states of consciousness at once. They are like the two birds of the Upanishads. “I AM” kriya separates the observed from the observer and abandon false identifications. Vayapani nadi, and Hastijivha nadi are the giver of joy and blessings. Hastijivha is the branches of the tree of life. Vayapani nadi is the shadow of the supreme self. Unless you know these two nadis tangibly, liberation is difficult. I am grateful to my teacher Sri Amit Ray ji, for his wisdom, love and simple teachings.