In This Video:
We operate with the hope that life will go well, and when it inevitably goes wrong, our resistance creates immense suffering. This resistance is the engine of the 'life-death train'—a cycle of reactivity we are all on. But there is a side door, an attainable exit from this machine. It's a different energy field, one you can witness not just in realised humans, but in the quiet stillness of nature itself. This teaching points directly to that available exit.
- When things 'go wrong' for you, where in the body do you first feel the clench of resistance?
- What might it feel like to take the 'side door' in a moment of difficulty, choosing not to engage the story of how things 'should' be?
- Can you sense the 'different energy field' Rohan speaks of when you are quiet among trees or in nature? What is that quality?
TRANSCRIPT
[00:00:13] Life hopefully goes really well, and it's supposed to. And if things go wrong, that's terrible. We don't want that. [00:05:54] But of course, things are going to go wrong, but we resist it. [00:11:78] But there's a side exit, there's a side door off that life-death train. [00:16:89] And it's attainable by humans. [00:20:30] And actually, some plants, trees, and some ground. It's not just humans that can hold this different energy field.
GLOSSARY
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Kirtan
A form of devotional call-and-response chanting. It's a meditative practice that uses sacred sound and mantra to bypass the thinking mind and open the heart, leading to a state of direct presence. -
Satsang
Literally, 'meeting in truth'. It is being in the presence of a self-realised teacher to experientially discover our true, non-dual nature beyond the idea of a separate 'I'. -
Mantra
A sacred sound, word, or phrase repeated to aid concentration in meditation. The vibration of the mantra helps to quiet the mind's internal chatter (the Mitoté) and attune consciousness to a deeper reality. -
Kali
In the Hindu tradition, Kali is the goddess of time, creation, destruction, and power. She represents the fierce, compassionate energy that dissolves the ego and liberates the self from illusion. -
Non-Duality
The direct recognition that there is no fundamental separation between subject and object, self and other, or consciousness and the universe. It points to the underlying unity of all existence. -
Life-Death Train
A metaphor for the relentless, mechanical cycle of conditioned existence. It's the human tendency to ride the rails of hope and fear, resisting reality until we find the exit. -
The Side Door
An attainable exit from the cycle of suffering. It isn't a destination but a shift in perception—a direct realisation of the silence that exists prior to resistance. -
Resistance
The ego's automatic 'no' to what is. This friction against reality is the primary engine of suffering, keeping one locked on the life-death train. -
Energy Field
The palpable quality of presence or unconditioned consciousness. This is not a mystical idea but something directly observable in nature and in those who abide in the Substratum. -
Attainable
A key term emphasizing that Direct Realisation is not a far-off concept for saints, but a practical, available possibility for any human being willing to look inward.
Q&A
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What is Kirtan?
Kirtan is a devotional practice of call-and-response chanting, often using mantras from Hindu traditions. It is a form of musical meditation designed to quiet the analytical mind and open the heart, allowing for a direct experience of presence and inner stillness. -
How is Kirtan used in Satsang?
In Satsang, Kirtan is used as a tool of 'Inward Engineering'. It helps participants move from thinking and conceptual understanding to direct feeling and being. The vibrations of the chant help to dissolve mental patterns and egoic structures, making it easier to rest in the non-dual truth. -
Who is the goddess Kali in the 'Om Mata Kali' mantra?
Kali is a powerful goddess in Hinduism representing the fierce, transformative energy that destroys the ego and illusions. Chanting to Kali is an invocation for the courage to face and dissolve the inner patterns that cause suffering, leading to liberation and freedom. -
Do I need to be religious to benefit from Kirtan?
No. While the mantras originate from spiritual traditions, the practice is about the direct experience of sound and vibration. It can be approached as a powerful meditation technique to quiet the mind, regardless of personal beliefs. The focus is on the energetic effect, not dogma. -
What is the 'life-death train' in a spiritual context?
The 'life-death train' is a metaphor for the mechanical cycle of human suffering. We operate with the hope that life will go perfectly, and when it doesn't, we resist. This constant push and pull against reality is the train we are unconsciously riding. -
How can I find the 'side door' to stop suffering?
The 'side door' is not found by doing, but by seeing. It is about recognizing the mechanism of resistance itself. When you see the resistance without judging it, a space opens up. That space is the side door—an attainable exit from the cycle of suffering. -
Is this state of acceptance and peace only for advanced spiritual people?
No. The teaching emphasizes that this exit is 'attainable by humans.' It's not a mystical state reserved for a few, but a practical possibility available to anyone. Even plants and trees can hold this quiet energy field, showing it is a natural state of being.
“There’s nothing to add. What you are is prior to beliefs, thoughts and labels.
Here we explore and unveil the ultimate mystery of non-dual being.
Reality.”
