"What is Suma Iru?" Acharya Ceyonswami challenged us. This is one of Yogaswami's major statements during His life. Yogaswami would often tell His devotees who were attached in the external world, with cares, worries and confusion, Summa Iruttal - be still, sit down, be quiet.

What is Siva Consciousness? Acharya Ceyonswami challenged us again. This is very important. Think about it - what is Siva Consciousness? There are two major states of consciousness in the world today. Being and becoming. Most people with few exceptions are in the "becoming" state of consciousness. They are trying to become something. Trying to become happy, trying to become rich, trying to become secure. In this striving to become something they are missing the vision. The purpose of life on this planet is not to become something - it is to "Be".

Once you begin to taste this state of Being, you want it more and more. You look out from this state and see the whole world full of people who are in the "becoming" state of consciousness and you see that they are like the walking dead - they are not really alive, and they go on from life to life missing the purpose of life. They live and strive to become something and then die and are born again and strive to become something and on and on.

Visualize the ocean and the waves on the ocean. Those in "becoming consciousness" are like the waves. First they are a big wave and then a small wave and then a white foamy wave and they experience all the change and turmoil of believing they are a wave. Now dive below the surface and dive down deeper and deeper. As you go deeper it becomes calm and you become unaware of the flurry above you. You go deeper and deeper and finally you reach the bottom of the ocean and you sit there and go in and in and realize you ARE the ocean. You are completely unaware of the waves on the surface. You are the infinite sea itself.

This state of Being cannot be strived for - it is a dichotomy that you can't arrive at a state of Being by trying to become it. So what do we do. We come to one who has attained this state of Being and He gives us sadhanas to perform. Panchakshara mantram is given by one who know's the bottom of the Ocean. He is consciously conscious. So we begin to repeat our mantram and we move into deeper and deeper levels of consciousness. Consciousness become Superconsciousness, Siva Consciousness. But we can't just repeat the mantram unconsciously - going around our mala almost mechanically while part of our awareness is jumping to what we are going to do when we have completed our japa! This is a very important point. We must repeat our mantram consciously. Consciously think it, be consciously conscious while you are thinking it. Become aware that you are there thinking your mantram. This is the whole key and there are groups today who have based there entire organization around this one simple truth. They charge you $1,200 for a mantram and then explain this meaning behind it - how to do it.

Once you have tasted this state of Being - you have to have more and more of it. Imagine the souls of the world were born with their eyelids sewn shut. They are busy, very busy in their world of taste, touch and hearing but they can't see. And if you have opened your eyes you cannot explain it to them. When they are ready and start to get the subtle, soft messages from their soul they try to open their eyes a little. And as they do they want it more and more because it is so wonderful, so magnificent. To awaken to the Eternal Now, Summa Iruttal, Siva Consciousness - they are all the same thing - where opposites merge and the realization of Being pales all external life is the purpose of life. But most people are too busy, they just don't have the time to realize the depths of their own being. They think they can see but their eye lids are sewn shut.

The reason we are born on this planet is not to become something it is to be and that is why we have all the sadhanas, all of the sutras, all of the things we do - is just to bring about this state of realization that is so simple. Gurudeva can function in ordinary states of consciousness, but He is not doing anything, He is in a pure state of Being all of the time, He is an eternal witness to everything that is happening. This is Siva consciousness and it is the purpose behind everything we are doing.