Put Ego-self in Best Light?

Swami Vishwananda teaches a great spiritual lesson in a dream: We like very much to acquire the title of “Looking Good;” it is simply human nature. We will fashion our speaking and acting about anything so that our self, the ego-self, appears in the best light. In my case, in this story I wish to share with you, I went to the opposite polarity poll. In some types of interactions with people I sometimes do not bother at all to consider how I am being with people, how my ego-self is “looking” in this duality game of life on planet Earth. My spiritual teacher, Swami Vishwananda taught me a lesson about that recently in a dream. The dream came after I had posted the VBV Blog, meditated at 3:00 A.M. and had gone back to sleep. After the meditation, I asked Swamiji to please help me with this stumbling block on my path to enlightenment that I had noticed in meditation.

In meditation, I clearly saw this about myself: Recently I have had the great blessing of Maha Lakshmi “introducing me to her husband,” Vishnu-Narayana. I am overwhelmed and feel greatly humbled when I think about that experience. And maybe it is not humility I feel but the great love of Divine Mother and Father that brings Bhakti tears, as I remember the experience! In meditation, I was re-living that experience when I noticed something about myself, something I wish to correct, wherein with these Great Beings, Narayana, God Himself, I don’t show sincere humility and proper respect in honoring their appearance to me. For instance, I did not bow down to Vishnu, I did not greet Him. It never occurred to me that it would have been proper for me to greet Him in some way, perhaps by pranaming at the very least! I just stood there waiting for the authority figure, The Father, to show me what to do! Vishnu was standing approximately nine-feet tall in a luminous, deep blue, energy light of a shade of blue I have not seen on Earth. He, Himself, was blue and very tall, big!

As I stood there looking at Him, I wished He would say something to me. I thought, “This could be my only chance in this lifetime to speak with Vishnu,” or something mundane like that! But it was more than that! I longed for “The Father” which I have looked for all my life since I was born to say something; perhaps “I love you.” I really don’t know, I just wished for The Father to say something to me, the two of us alone like that. Lakshmi had discreetly, and respectfully, stepped aside to my left a few feet. Where was my resolve to be happy with what the Divine sends or does not send? Why wasn't it enough that through His great blessing and Grace the Divine allowed me to stand near Him and be with His Universal form? This experience has shown me how much more ego-self I have yet to surrender before enlightenment has a chance to manifest in my life! Even so, with this state of mind, the Divine revealed Himself and showered His Grace! The love the Divine has for us as we strive to reach Him is manifested in our lives each day if we only will acknowledge it.

Dream With Swami Vishwananda: Swamiji is dressed in a pair of white painter coveralls with rainbow splotches of paint colors liberally sprinkled over them. He has his hair down in what I call “Swami Mode.” He dips a paint roller into a pan of paint rolling it around as if to get the paint distributed evenly. I walk up to him and ask a question bluntly: “Swami, I have this problem, will you help please?” I perceive a quick flash of “annoyance” on his face. Then I tell Swami in the dream what I already have told him in meditation. And I ask him: “Will you please help me with this problem of not showing proper respect to the Great Beings in the Etheric experiences?” End of Dream!

Swami Vishwananda’s Teaching - Interpretation: Swamiji appeared in an ordinary human work scenario – painting walls. However, He is still Swami because He appears to me as how I see Him in “Swami Mode.” with his hair down. I go up to Him and without any prelude like, “Hello, Swami. How are you? Need any help?” Without any polite conversation as is normal in such an encounter, my ego-self just selfishly blurted out my question and request for His help! Remember, He is engaged in painting walls! I see a flash of annoyance on His face. That “subtle flash” in his look is where the teaching comes in, I think. Have you all noticed that Our Swamiji teaches indirectly or subtly? You have to be alert or awake somewhat, or you miss it. I think that is an effective way of teaching because one only “gets it” if one is willing to control the ego enough to actually take the lesson within, embrace it, and implement it into the life thoughts and actions. Please know that I am not speaking for Swami, of course, this is just my experience.

This is what Swami was communicating to me in the dream, and I will say it in His usual economy of words: I think Swami was communicating: “How can you express sincere humility and proper respect to the Great Beings in the Etheric when you have not learned to show the same to an ordinary house painter; he is a part of God too!” Swami was playing both roles, that of house painter and Swami with His hair down. In the dream, I did not show proper respect to either of them, my fellowman, the house painter; or Swami, the Enlightened, Great Being. Good Job, Swami! Thank You; I got it! Now it is my job to subdue the ego and live the lesson; and therein is where Your teachings have the possibility to produce enlightenment. Please accept my sincere gratitude for so beautifully and simply helping me understand the “root” of my problem, my ego-self, and how to correct it. Jai Guru Dev! —Utpalavati

Mt. Kailash & Lake Manasarovar Video Below: Mt. Kailash is the abode of Lord Shiva. In the Hindu tradition, the lake was first created in the mind of Brahma. Therefore, in Sanskrit it is called “Manas sarovara,” which is a combination of the words manas (mind) and sarovaro (lake). In certain stories, the lake is also associated with Lord Vishnu. Hindu tradition informs us that drinking the water from the lake cleanses one of sins [from the ego-mind-self] committed over a hundred lifetimes. Perhaps if we could drink some of this water, Swamiji would not have to work so hard creating dreams and many other plays to help us get beyond the ego-mind. : )

Mt. Kailash & Lake Manasarovar