Foreword

The book Planetary Meditation by Shri Ajai Bhambi is reflected upon by different aspects of me scientist, psychologist, spiritual seeker but also a skeptic of the esoteric without basis.

It has been written in a fashion that helps weave stories in a logical way mythology in contextual terms, psychology from a lay person’s perspective and self transformation through do it yourself but planned approach. The exhaustive theoretical framework creates ample understanding of the astrological background for the reader to understand self not only in a mental cognitive perspective but also from emotional viewpoint. It sets the pace for the reader to delve into their nature, personality and samaskaras apart from looking at life from a karmic perspective.

The natural flow of knowledge from knowing the planetary positions in your life, especially nakshatras followed by knowledge of yourself, strengths and weaknesses and their place in your life followed by specific techniques for meditation would help the reader digest the knowledge before dwelling on the wisdom gained through meditation.

It is common knowledge that as in everything else, tools for self growth and spiritual wisdom do not follow the one size fits all dictums. It is quite well known that while some would benefit from one technique or method of meditation, others would not even be able to connect with it. The background information on nakshatras, as exposed in the book highlight their effect on our personality, phases of life and our ability to connect with or benefit from spiritual growth or meditative techniques in particular.

The preparation for meditation, simple techniques of harnessing the power of our breath, easy to follow yet well defined meditations based on t attributes of a person based on their personality according to nakshatras are effectively delineated in a reader friendly method. The interpretation of often used word Shar num in a new light is interestingly compelling to be with the powers of the universe and feel safe and connected.

In today’s world that is full of strife and people are reeling under stress, going within is not only necessary but also therapeutic. It is common knowledge that astrology is often resorted to without knowing its basis and that can sometimes be exploited or feared. The combination of informed astrology and meditatively going within to seek solutions is very welcome.

The challenge would be for the readers to extract the essence from the vast knowledge and condense it into coherent wisdom for themselves. It should then be used as a guiding principle in changing times in life specially challenging phases to turn it then become a life changing experience leading to growth.

I enjoyed reading the book. I am also able to see possible sources of differences in personalities and outlook of the person one happens to know in public life or the clients having psychological issues with whom I work as a psychiatrist. I can also see another perspective on my personal conversations with others as a spiritual seeker as to why some people connect with one form of philosophy or meditative practices while others move onto different ones.

The book has many things to offer. The intricate details about nakshatras, their strengths and weaknesses etc. may be heavy for some but scholarly for others. Yet, the essence as applicable to one self is interestingly informative. I hope those who read it would not just cherish it as good literature but as a starting point or as a guide in their spiritual journey and personal growth.

Preface

Started writing this book on the auspicious birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev. Interestingly, it was completed on another auspicious date Makar Sankranti, a day when the sun changes course to the northern hemisphere for the next six months. Makar Sankarnti is celebrated across India, as also in other parts of the world. According to the Mahabharata, Bhishma Pitamah was lying on a deathbed of arrows for many days, waiting to go to his heavenly abode on the day the sun turned from the southern hemisphere to the northern hemisphere. This analogy seems apt for it seems that perhaps cosmic consciousness has played a role in producing this book.

This book was complete in sixty odd days. The subject matter, however, has been on my mind for the last thirty five years. Around that time, I met a great luminary of the subject, a contemporary of Dr BV Raman, the Indian doyen of the astrology. He had a monthly journal on astrology called Astrological Magazine in which scholars would regularly publish their articles and papers. This gentleman, who was also a regular contributor to this great magazine, happened to meet me in my hometown at Gwalior. At the time, I had started contributing articles in local newspapers and was also on All India Radio. This gentleman wanted to asses may knowledge and asked me to read his horoscope when I met him.

We were sitting in the house of one o his relatives and I started interpreting his horoscope; this went on for almost four hour. During the course of this reading the host served us water, tea and snacks. I still remember vividly that I did not take even a sip of water. I focused entirely on interpreting the gentleman’s chart. I told him about this birth and also told him at length about his past birth, and also what was to happen to him in the next birth. He was very happy with my readings and interpretations, and informed me that after checking from Nadi Shastra and Brighu Samhita, all that I had told him was correct. He said I was almost there.

Ironically, this gentleman warned me saying I was going to starve in this life. I was taken aback and asked him why. He believed that in today’s world people were more interested in their hobs, businesses, careers, marriages, etc, and if you discussed their past and future birth then no one would consult you. Astrology was a non –starter as a career in those days; worse, I did not came from a s=family of astrologers, one of my dear friends, ND Pandey, whom we lost some time back, also used to tell me that I was investing all my energy in a career which would not fetch me even Re 1.25 per chart. I took offence me a princely sum of Rs 1 lakh for a single consultation; I went to see my friend ND Pandey and told him, See what I have achieved. Pandey politely told me that he had made that statement because at the time people were not paying even Rs. As soon as he said that, I felt so small.

During the past thirty five years, I have had the chance to observe many people from close quarters and have in many ways lived with their experiences. I have seen people get hobs, start businesses, become politicians, industrialists, sportspersons, actors, musicians, scientist, scholars, etc. most of them are blessed with children, have built huge houses, bought luxury cars, travelled the world ; in short, experienced a worldly life of pleasure to the maximum. Today when I look into their eyes I see emptiness as if their achievements/gains have provided them with temporary happiness.

Thirty five years ago, understanding the world may have been more important, but now I think it is very essential to know yourself. At that time the world was changing, from static to dynamic, but now the pace of change is huge. According to the ancient Indian approach life was divided into four stages or ashrams Brahm ach arya, Orihastha, Vanprastha and Sanyaas. Each of these stages comprised twenty five years of a person's life. In the first stage, a person is supposed to gain knowledge while observing celibacy. In the second stage, he is duty bound to look after his family and is involved in procreation. The third stage is dedicated for the preparation of the next stage while completing all the pending duties of the second stage. The last stage is when man renounces worldly pleasures and seeks oneness with God.

Today, the dynamics of the world have changed completely. In the 21^st century, a person experiences almost all the stages of life in perhaps the first 25 to 30 years of life. A child of ten years is connected with the world and knows precisely what is happening all around. A teenager is completely aware of his mental capacity and therefore it does not take him/her long to experience sex and other pleasures of life. Psychologists say that the age of puberty is now reduced and today's children appear eager to experience the different shades of life early on. It is very strange that man always repels poverty but whenever he is surrounded by riches his behavior undergoes a sea change. Perhaps that is what is happening across the world. New riches have engulfed all human beings and the old traditions are all but falling like a house of cards.

Today, it appears that society has little or no influence over man. For a long time, religion and society have controlled man but now the dynamics of this relationship seems to be changing. It is said that man is a social animal, that he cannot sustain himself without society. But modern science and technology have given him an option he did not have earlier. As a result, the influence society had on man has greatly diminished, and will probably be negligible in the next 100 years. Media and information technology have given man the means to create his own virtual society; he therefore cares less about the reality that surrounds him. He no longer has to force himself tointeract I a society he does not relate to. It is no longer a necessity for his sustenance. And this applies to friend, neighbors and family! No one is exempt from man making the ruthless choice of his virtual world over reality.

Today's man lives more in the mind and uses his imagination and brain to create a new environment, society and world for himself. The beauty of this world lies in its eternity of changeability, and it can never be reversed. If change happens at an intellectual level alone, it is not enough as it can lead the mind into a chaotic situation. The real change has to happen at the level of consciousness or being. It can only happen if the mind, body and soul are one, all the while moving from one dynamic into another. Whenever change happens at the level of consciousness then the change in self consciousness becomes one with the cosmic consciousness. This is when man can never go wrong. This book discusses how you can connect with your inner self and bring about a change within yourself. This fundamental change will help you bring about desired changes in your outer world to help you realize your goals.

According to Sri Swami Yukteshwar Giri the guru of Paramahans Yogananda, Kalyug or the Iron Age ended in 1894, and now the world is already in Dwapara Yug. These calculations are based on the subtle movement of the sun. As we are aware, there are fouryugsSatyug, when the dharma or mental virtues are maximum or say 100 per cent. We don't know much about humanity at that age. If humanity was there then they were totally at peace with themselves and strain and stress was negligible. The secondyug is Treta, where dharma or mental virtues reduce to 75 per cent. If we look back on Ram rqjya, then 75 per cent awareness was there and people were innocent, enjoying their own awareness. Ram lived the life of an ordinary man, and rose to become God. His relatives and disciples and followers were devoted to him. Raavan on the other hand was a demon but his clan was totally devoted to him. Ignorance or nonawareness was seen only at the level of Kekayi, one of Dasharath's queens and the dhobi who doubted the integrity of Sita. In the Dwapara Age, awareness and ignorance are at par, 50 per cent each. The Pandavas could experience the superconsciousness of Krishna and at the same time the Kauravas were in complete darkness. When knowledge and ignorance are looking into each other's eyes then a great war like the Mahabharata is the only answer. All material and spiritual knowledge was lost by the end of Dwapara Age and we are led into the Dark Age or Kalyug. The moon revolves around the earth and the planets revolve around the sun. The sun also has another motion by which it revolves around a grand centre called Vishnunabhi, the seat of the creative power Brahma, the universal magnetism. Brahma regulates the mental virtues of the internal world.

When Kalyug is fully operational then ignorance is maximum 75 per cent people of the world live in ignorance and only 25 per cent have knowledge. This trend runs across the world. Democracy has taken centre stage and whenever three people support any issue it becomes law. Numbers matter, not the 'rightness' of the issue. In Satyug, man lives intelligently and is totally compassionate towards animals and nature. Unfortunately, it's just the opposite in Kalyug. Man's cruelty is optimum towards animals and nature. He sees everything from a selfish viewpoint. We entered the Dwapara Age in the last 100 years and it will probably take 500 years to set the real pace of this Age. Man's consciousness is bound to rise because autumnal equinoxes leaves PiscesVirgo and enters into AquariusLeo around 2499 AD. Then the world will enter the new Age of Consciousness. This book is an effort to prepare man for the New Age of Consciousness.

 In this book meditation techniques are designed on the basis of a person's birth nakshatra or constellation. We call this Nakshatra Meditation (NM) technique in this book. Nakshatras (constellations) are spread all over the sky and are visible even to the naked eye. At the time of one's birth, the nakshatra visible at that time becomes the person's birth nakshatra or the rest of their life. The influence of nakshatra is immeasurable on each and every individual. The NM technique connects a person with their birth nakshatra in a profound way. The birth nakshatra gives a new dimension to a person's infinite being. When one continuously meditates on their nakshatra, it opens up the hidden qualities of a person's being. The real meaning of meditation is to withdraw your senses and mind as Jainism suggests. There is another way of going beyond your senses and mind to connect with eternal consciousness. The NM technique lifts one's being from the ground and puts the person in the sky where their nakshatra is located. Once in the sky, the entire cosmos belongs to you and you can become one with cosmic consciousness.

The writing of any book is never an entirely solitary experience. And the same holds true for Planetary Meditation. During the writing of this book, many people have supported me unconditionally. It is difficult to mention everyone but I would like to mention Brigadier SC Thareja (retd), who walked with me during the course of writing this book. And, Chandra Mohan Madan, who used to enjoy my discourses on our early morning walks. His one liners were extremely useful. Sunaina, my able niece, who helped me edit the first part of the book and did a commendable job. Dr Avdesh Sharma, spiritual psychologist, who was kind enough to write the foreword. I remain indebted to him.

I am also indebted to Sanjay Bhatnagar, Madhulita Mohanty, and Dilip Singh from The Times Book Group for their support in bringing out this book.

Contents