Manasana Retreat
Notes and Reflections
Over Memorial Weekend, Babaji gave a retreat on Manasana, or mental posture. The main chart used for this retreat placed manasanas (manas-asana) into three categories: Salubrious – manasanas that heal; Spiritual – manasanas that purify the mind; and Sempiternal – those representative of Eternal Truth. In August, Babaji’s latest book on essential teachings of Indian Philosophy will be released. Manasana, The Superlative Art of Mental Posture elucidates all the manasanas on the chart.
Click to view book announcement
Almost invariably, and speaking spiritually, people work from the outside in. It is rare in this world to find anyone who works from the inside (mind) out. It means they have been born with a pure mind, or with desires already fulfilled, or karmas all neutralized, etc. Beyond both of these is the person who sees the cycle of phenomena as a Witness, always and ever, called a Nityasiddha – an ever-perfect Soul.
Sri Ramakrishna walked out of school at a young age because he saw that the intent of education was to use Mother’s Knowledge for making money. It is the mental posture of society to compromise like this Therefore, a mental posture, Manasana, is used to combat it – not only to keep oneself pure and free of ignorance, but to show people that it should be adopted against all such ills.
According to Sri Ramakrishna, beings can only get free by following up their affirmations with spiritual disciplines.
The Soul, Atman, is unmarkable, taintless.
Ignorance is never bliss; it is karma.
No one prays to God in India, they pray to the gods. God does not have a name, nor is It an object. It does not have ears; It can not be prayed to.
Swami Aseshanandaji frequently stated, “Satiation never comes.” It never comes in adharmic life, but desires can get satiated within the dharma after karma winds down.