Sadhana

Q: You recently said that "one might as well not seek ultimate enlightenment, because that is already you – but the intermediate steps you should go for, because they help awaken That which is already You."
Babaji:  One cannot so easily see God without performing sadhana and awakening the consciousness within oneself.  Then the intermediate realizations become available.

You have probably done various methods and found them wanting.  That is why you will eventually come to the teachings of the Upanisads.

Body & brain constitute the gross body.  Mind & intelligence make up the subtle body.  These are two different bodies, but the second one is often left out of the equation, even in "wholistic" circles.  The mind does not get its due as the subtle cause behind the effects we see.  What does it matter that one eats well and exercises if all the while the mind is thinking unhealthy thoughts?

Seeking and striving are essential for Advaita Vedanta.  Rigorous spiritual practices will remove one's doubts, and keep karmic dust from collecting on the mirror of the mind.

The Tantras tell us: "You are the darling of your own worship."  If you can find your Self, you will find everything worthy within you."

Please secure and utilize spiritual discrimination, Viveka.  You cannot love if you do not know what and what not to Love.  Real love is Love of God. "Seek ye first the Kingdom of Heaven and all else will be added unto thee."

If one is seeking God with form, that is sweet dualism.  If one is seeking the Father through the Son, that is salient qualified nondualism, and if one wants to merge in Oneness, that is serious Nonduality.

Five things to note in Pranayama:
1 - Perspiration – if one does not feel this, then one needs to intensify by degrees.
2 - Heat – the heat that is generated is indicative of opening the nadis, subtle nerve passageways.
3 - The heartbeat and its gradual decrease.
4 - Dizziness – this is the result of heart and mind getting connected before prana is stabilized.  Your mind will feel like a flame in a windy place.
5 - Mind will feel like it is rising and thoughts will become calm.

Just do it.  Just do your practice and then periods of clarification will come.  And when you look back, you will see that ignorance evaporated when you were not looking.

We cannot solve problems at the same level they were created.  Sri Ramakrishna cautions us not to study Maya from inside Maya.  One cannot eradicate lust from inside lust, for instance, or anger from inside anger.  One has to step aside, witness, then eradicate.

The things you renounce have been concealing the Self.  So, when you renounce things, you get closer to your true Nature.