Inner Journey

Friends! Welcome Aboard
for Inner Journey!!

This website is devoted to serious accounts, instructions and meaningful discussion on spiritual topics, along Indian/Hindu traditions such as:

--- Yoga - Bhakti, Karma, Jnana, Raja

--- Vedanta -The Bhagavad Gita and the Upanishads,

some puranas too

--- Spiritual practices---compassion [Daya], Charity, Japa

[Chanting], Worship [Pooja] and Meditation [Dhyana]

--- Spiritually charged centres [pilgrimage sites] in

India, especially in the South Indian peninsula

--- Lives of saints and sages [not living now, so that I dont

get drawn into controversies and calumny] - both Hindu

and of other faiths.

Specific topics can be added if readers/friends send requests thru email to me.
You can meet me at Bangalore or Palo Alto,CA subject to availability of time.

Bangalore
5th Feb 2008
P S : Please give your opinions/feedback/comments
to the email Id: nksrinivasan@hotmail.com
---N K Srinivasan

Note: Please see my other website also:"Saints and sages of India"---www.freewebs.com/nksrinivasan1

Lord's Promise

Those who worship me, meditate on me, without any other thought,
to these ever steadfast devotees, I secure safety and supply all their needs [carry their burden]
--- The Bhagavad Gita [9:22]

In whatever way men worship Me, in the same way I fulfill their desires[accept and bless them]. O Arjuna, in every way men follow my path.
--- The Bhagavad Gita [4-11]

Page Contents

By way of Introduction to my web pages:
-- several yoga techniques, mainly focussing on JAPA and MEDITATION--Why?--because they are easy to practise for modern folks
--places of pilgrimage especially in South India with its magnificent temples and traditional ways of worship,temple rituals.
---Books--classics and profound ones by great masters of 19th/20th centuries
---Saints and sages of 19th/20th centuries about whom authentic information is available and who have influenced the last few generations --that is my father's and my generation . Most often the information and books available are too vast--One has to be selective.
---brief instruction on the Bhagavad Gita-- 'Gita Snippets"

---ashrams of these great ones where you can stay for a few days/weeks to roup your spiritual moorings and benefit from satsangha.
----Brief notes on Advaita
---Some notes for Westerners on Vedanta and Gurudom...

--.You will quickly perceive that I am not enamoured of or attracted to modern day,self-styled gurus who claim 'self-realization' as a matter of course, who build their empires with media coverage and corporate-style organisations with advertisements and who charge fees for their short, elementary stuff.
If you also feel that way, you will find much useful information in these pages.
Om Sai Sri Sai Jai Jai Sai
In (Shirdi) Sai Smaran
N K Srinivasan

P S I have created another website devoted to saints and sages of India...Pl visit www.freewebs.com/nksrinivasan1

Hierarchy of Spiritual Practices

The hierarchy of spiritual practices is as follows:
   --- Worship [Upasana --- with or without form or image]
   --- Prayer [spoken, silent, hymns]
   --- Chanting [Japa of mantras, names]
   --- Meditation [of different kinds, with or without breath control/pranayama]
   --- Samadhi [ Savikalpa, Nirvikalpa/Sahaja [Jivan mukthi state], Bhava mukha, in this order]
   --- Merging with the Supreme, as Light, Jyotir-maya --[Equivalent of E = m x c x c in spiritual plane]
[Saints and sages pass through these stages with slight differences.Formal religions and popular sects emphasize the first two --- they build temples, churches, synagogues, Gurudwaras and so on.
Japa and meditation can be done anywhere --- but, quiet places are conducive --- hence ashrams & retreats.
Samadhi states are fruits of these efforts, allowed by the Guru/God/Self as Divine Grace. The last stage is merging with the Lord/Self eternally. In Hindu tradition we say that the person has become a Star in the Firmament --- a symbolic way of telling that It is eternal.]

Self -Enquiry

Self-enquiry directly leads to realization by removing the obstacles which make you think that the Self is not already realised.
Seeking the ego,that is its source, the ego disppears.What is left over is the Self.This method is the direct one.
------ Bhagavan Ramana Maharshi

Responses & Contact

CONTACT

Dear Friends,

I moved to Palo Alto,California, USA on 1st July 2008. I may be here till next summer.You can contact me here by calling me at this number: 650-321-4022 at any time except from 2 PM to 7 PM and also visit me with prior appointment to discuss things that are related to matters given in this website and of mutual interest.

- --In Sai Smaran,

N K Srinivasan

Palo Alto, CA, USA.

3rd July 2008

Dear One,
It is about six months since this website was created.Visitors from various countries, big and small,have seen this website.Most of them are focussed on these pages: 'Books','Three Great mystics',Goddess Worship' and 'Shirdi Sai Baba'...Many are interested to know more about Hindu traditions and also books on these.The lives of great mystics,sages and saints attract spiritual seekers.I was pleasantly surprised at this interest on 'Goddess Worship', while in India it is a common mode of worship of the Divine Being...
In a month, about 500 visitors see these pages---some may be visitng several times..Please do send your feedback by emails!

I intend to add a few paragraphs about comparative religion aspect, mainly to bring out the common 'bottom line' of all major religions---the thread of Jnana [knowledge] and Bhakti [devotion] running though these religions.As a first step,I am including several books in that aspect inthe web-page on 'books' ---Please see that page to keep updated. ---In Sai Smaran,
N K Srinivasan
29th June 2008