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Namaste. Today, I would love to do a little saging. Sage is very important, and this is how you do it. What sage does, mathematically speaking, is that the material of sage permeates the field, because it permeates space. It has a particular intrinsic property. Everything has a property—a blueberry and a strawberry have different intelligence, different innate, intrinsic properties that they bring into the field of subjective experience.

Sage has a very powerful property that is similar to selenite, the crystal. It purges. It purifies. It is very powerful—almost like bleach, but spiritual bleach. It clears things. Sometimes, just a little is enough. You can take a piece off, and you could really fall in love with burning sage. The smell, the scent of it, brings a quality of Pavlovian conditioning. Whenever I smell it, it reminds me of when I began meditating formally.

When you sage yourself, you can put it over, under your arms, around your head, between your legs, under your feet, on your back—you sage yourself and your space. If you do not have sage, I recommend you buy it and try it. Even a little leaf is enough if you are sensitive to smoke. Sometimes I need a little sage, because when I go live and people are mean—someone was a bit mean about it recently—it is good to clear that with sage.

The goal today is to have a full meditation, so I will keep the sermon a little shorter. Today will be a little bit different. I wanted to invite a few sermon topics, do a spontaneous exploration. Some ideas that came up are openness, love, and forgiveness. Forgiveness is a very deep topic, with a deep history and lineage, particularly in Christianity, but in all religions. Jesus was big on that, and it is beautiful.

Today, though, I want to talk about Sanskrit. Sanskrit is one of the most robust languages for enlightenment. It is an ancient language that, as far as I know, is a precursor to Hebrew. The Old Testament was written in Hebrew, and Sanskrit was even before that.

Sanskrit is a powerful language because it provides a robust lexicon for describing certain dimensions and aspects of enlightenment as practice and ontology. I use the word "ontology" a lot. It is the philosophy of the study of being. When something is ontological, it is almost—existential is a similar word for it.

There is an ontology to enlightenment. What is consciousness? What is ultimate truth? What is existence? What is matter? What is energy in all of that? Sanskrit provides an incredible lexicon, a collection of words to reference these subtle, esoteric concepts that English just does not have. Most languages do not, because a language is a reflection of the culture that uses it. For example, if you are an Eskimo, apparently you have many words for snow. If you are an ancient Greek, you have many words for love. It is always a reflection of the values and focus of a particular culture.

Sanskrit comes from an ancient Indian culture that was extremely advanced spiritually and centered on enlightenment. There are a few words—maybe 10 or 30—that you really have to know. Not just know, but contemplate. Try to find your own personal semantic reference point for the meaning of those words.

What I mean by that is, here is a word, but is there an experience for it? The Eskimo might say, "Well, there are these 10 different kinds of snow—this kind, that powdery snow, that old snow, that icy snow," and they have life experience with it. Sometimes, when we propose a Sanskrit word, there is not a semantic reference point yet, experientially, to genuinely use that word. But when you have the word, it can provide you with an insight into your meditation. You might think, "Oh, I did experience that thing," or "There is that aspect of my life."

Words empower us. We live by the language that we speak. The metaphors we use shape our experience. Positive language versus negative language—these choices matter. Krishnamurti is an interesting example; he often avoided saying the word "I," and would instead refer to himself as "the speaker." He never said, "I do this," or anything like that. He had a way of speaking where he did not even like to be separate, or to identify as an entity, and he lived in enlightenment in that way.

Let us go over some Sanskrit words that are particularly relevant. I have a document with about 75 words and definitions, but for now, let us look at the Practice Hall, where there are 21 Sanskrit words to contemplate and study.

You can also ask, is there a Hebrew word for a Sanskrit concept? For example, is there a Hebrew word for "dhyana" or "ahamkara"? Generally, there are. This might be really interesting to explore.

Atman is the soul; it is the individuality, the essence of individuality. It has a slightly different connotation than "soul." Think of it as the coalescence of the universe into an individual entity, but in the most essential form. When you go into meditation and you experience the gold light of meditation, you are actually merging into a depth of essentiality. That is an expression of the Atman.

Ahamkara is the created self. The soul exists in an eternal state—think of it as potentiality. But the ahamkara is the self that evolves through time. It is your evolving, created manifestation of self. It literally means "I created." Ahamkara is changing from day to day. However, it has a great deal of momentum involved. For example, a sport you played when you were 12 years old has left an imprint as a form of momentum on your ahamkara to this day. Whether it is dormant or active depends on how much that is being expressed in your ahamkara right now.

Ahamkara is evolving, but we do have multi-life tendencies from karma, so there should be some elements of ahamkara that carry over. For example, I think I have been Japanese and a mathematics person for many lifetimes, and those things are expressed in my created self. I do not think it is totally renewed. The Atman includes multi-life tendencies as well as predilection, but ahamkara is the way your subjectivity experiences your life—the way you have built yourself. Think of the Atman as more of an eternal structure, and the ahamkara can actually be aligned or not aligned with your soul.

Ahamverti—notice "aham" is there again—means the perturbation in perfection. Verti is a wave, a perturbation, a disturbance. What it is really referring to is the disturbance—there is this fundamental Isness, that is, without ripples. The verti is a disturbance, it is a thought, it is an imposition. The fundamental verti is the ahamverti—it is the sense that "I am," which is actually an imposition on ultimate truth.

An imposition on ultimate truth is this ahamverti. If you can go to the root of all thought, of all ideation—that is the "I" thought, ahamverti—and it is actually an interesting form of jnana yoga, self-inquiry, to look at: okay, who am I? You can uproot that and go into a state of dissolution. The light helps one to do that, actually.

The verti has a very particular quality—you can actually see it. It looks like the ripples on the surface of a pool. You see the shadow of the sun, and there are ripples moving. There is a light that appears like that. It is not Shakti; it is verti. Sometimes, if you are in the light and you blink, you will see these little waves, as if they are running away like mice—and that is the verti. You are actually seeing your thoughts. It is a truly interesting mystical perception.

Samskara means manifestation. This universe of galaxies and planets and people and plants and animals and molecules—the periodic table of elements—is samskara. It is creation, which is different from Maya, which is illusion. There is a lot of subtle connotation here, so you can explore these—what is the subtle connotation? It is not simply equivalent to manifestation; it exists within a context of Sanskrit.

Karma means action. Now, it is not just action—it is action as it pertains to the way it informs the subjective space of mind. The word means action, but who cares about action? If you are really interested in enlightenment and Sanskrit, karma means if you do this, you feel this way, and your actions inform your states of mind.

Diana is profoundly important. It is the seventh limb of yoga. In yoga, we culminate in samadhi—the experience of total dissolution and impersonal existence as the ultimate reality. Diana is a meditative absorption in an effortless state of stillness. But you have not yet dissolved into impersonal existence. It is also not dharana, which comes before it—it is not focus. It is effortless meditation. We seek to experience Diana. Diana actually led to the word Zen. It is actually the same word. The dialects could not pronounce the word in the same way. It actually translated to the word Zen, and Chan. Before that, I believe it was Chan and then Zen. Zen actually means that meditative absorption state.

Moksha means liberation or enlightenment, and it specifically refers to someone who has been liberated from the bondage of selfhood. To achieve moksha is very much the goal of the Sangha. Sangha means association with truth, the spiritual community. So, a Sangha has a central value of progressing towards the point of moksha.

Samadhi is a meditative state, indicative of one who is in moksha. Accidentally falling into samadhi means that you are close to moksha. Actually, moksha means a full liberation—there is no self left anymore. You have actually become fully enlightened. Samadhi can happen spontaneously, whether or not moksha is present, but when you are in moksha, your meditations are samadhic.

Shakti is the light. It is actually the fabric of consciousness. Everything is made of Shakti, and light is one way that it manifests visually. But it is more than just light. It is not simply the light of your computer screen, or just looking at something. It is consciousness. It is a feeling, it is the substance, the fabric, the essence of mind and existence. In fact, Shakti is very much an ontological phenomenality—and reality.

Most people have a materialist outlook on what existence is, because science has really led us to think existence is made up of things. But things do not exist on their own. They exist within the experience of the witness. The actual substrate of existence arises out of the experience of consciousness, in which the contents of consciousness are galaxies and… samsara.

Samskaras are impressions. They are impressions; they are actually a different thing from samsara. Samsara is an important word that I love, and I wanted to talk about it.

A Bhakti Raja mystical Sangha has to have a talk about Sanskrit. You could explore Sanskrit for the rest of your life, and there would be no end to what you could study. And it is very, very powerful.

For those interested in physics, it would be really interesting to explore Sanskrit from a physics perspective, because physics is all about natural law, inquiring into the nature of the universe. Sanskrit provides something that goes beyond the limitations of Western thought. Physicists can be a little bit arrogant at times, thinking they know everything. As physicists, we come into this world, and a materialist thinks they know all.

How do you use Sanskrit in everyday life? Use it to describe your spiritual experiences. Use it to go deeper in your meditation. Use it to guide you, teach you, and refine the way you live. If you know the word karma, and you actually study karma, there is a whole set of related terms: karma bandha, karma phala, vi-karma, akarma—all of these words. This is like a small seed. You could really go down the rabbit hole with karma and explore all these terms, each describing different ways to live.

Vi-karma means bad action. What is bad action? Akarma means non-action. Karma bandhana refers to attachment to the results of your actions. All of these are relevant concepts in becoming more conscious. If you know these words, you can contemplate these topics. That is the reason.

Also, as a community, it gives us a common language to discuss these things. For example, if I say Sangha, everyone knows what I mean. I do not have to say, "a spiritual community that is centered on progression towards moksha"—I do not have to explain it each time, because we all understand.

Another topic I was considering—Enlightened Beings—would be interesting to discuss. I have a list of about twenty fascinating individuals here, each with varying degrees of enlightenment, or complete enlightenment.

I hope you are reading your book. Reflect on these things.

Let us meditate. Start by focusing on the heart. Feel gentleness. Anahata, the heart chakra. Activate it, clear it, open it, expand it. Purify it. Give it your attention for a few minutes. This is the first step in meditation.

One of the key ways to open the heart is to feel gentleness, to disarm resistance. At the very least, begin with a heart-centered meditation. Feel—listen to the magnetism in charge of Anahata.

There is a connection between love and being. When we are in love, when we are in love with existence, when we are in love with all, there is a sense of returning to the simplicity of being—the warmth of it.

Focus on being and heart, but also on the light. Light as a visual—luminosity that you can feel. Feel into the light. Use the light in your meditation, draw on that vitality.

To see the light, to experience the light, you have to expand your field. Soften your hold on physicality. Allow everything to become fluid and holographic. There is an imminent luminosity, a latent luminosity, that will shine if there is no resistance to it.

When we allow things to become fluid, that luminosity can emerge. I am seeing it right now, everywhere. Join me, or perhaps you already are. The light is love. Enjoy it. It is a source of joy. It is what we are made of.

You can do this with your eyes closed or open, whichever feels more natural. Let the universe shine. Let yourself shine.

Expand your mind. You are not just the body. Let your field of attention expand. We are the light.

The beautiful thing about Sangha and meditation is the feeling of sacredness. We are trying to cultivate that feeling. It is hard to find. It is there, it is available.

How we have opened our hearts. We have opened the causal planes of light. Power makes you more of what you are. Let us put a little power into it—a rocket with intention moves in the direction it faces. This power is an ambient power that can move through us, the power of existence.

So let love permeate your mind. There is a phenomenal love, a velvety warmth, like a summer night. Let us bring it into the field. Acknowledge it. Being there already. Bring attention to your heart center. Feel the whole world out there. Be one with it. Namaste.

Expanding the scope of your attention is an important part of meditation, because it allows your field to become larger. But make sure not to use the word "light" metaphorically. Expanded scope is more about reaching with your attention. The light is very much here. You can feel it move through your body, even through your seat. In front of you, or through your body, and it is a visual experience.

Usually, if the light is present enough, you might not even be able to see your computer. Or the computer appears different, as if it is fogging up. It is like going into a disco with a smoke machine, except it is divine and magical—much more etheric—and it touches and gently stirs your soul as it moves through the air around you.

Expanding the scope is a good way to avoid having your field feel so small. That can actually make the light more accessible as well. Good job with the light.

Please consider even just a page or two—maybe one page a day—of Think on These Things. It is a very sweet book. It is a very powerful book, and it could bring a great deal of happiness and empowerment to your life in a very leveraged way. Do not take the suggestions of the teacher lightly. There is a reason I am suggesting it, and here is an opportunity in your life to tap into some wisdom that is out there, which you might not encounter on a screen at the mall or in a passing, scrolling Instagram Reel. There is something special here that is calling to you. Think on These Things by Krishnamurti.

And just also remember, the principle of the month, which is gratitude. Try to feel gratitude, and if you lose touch with it, that is okay—just come back to it. And the principle and the formal routine element of the month is a formal mindfulness practice for 15 minutes a day. These are things you can do, and meditate at sunset and when you wake up.

If anyone wants to join us tomorrow for the Coding Constellation, it starts tomorrow. It is two hours a week for five weeks. I highly recommend it. If you have never done code before, that is okay. If you are not good at math, that is okay. It is a small group, so I will be able to give very personalized attention to everyone.

Namaste. You are all amazing. Good meditation. Wonderful.

Theme of the Lesson

Sanskrit as a robust lexicon for enlightenment—using words to deepen meditation by linking language to direct experience (heart, light, selfhood, liberation).

Key Quotes

Key Points

• Sage was presented as having an intrinsic property that “purges” and “purifies,” clearing the field; even a small leaf can be enough if sensitive to smoke.
• Sanskrit was offered as “one of the most robust languages for enlightenment,” giving a lexicon for subtle concepts that English often lacks.
• Ontology was named as an important word: the study of being; there is an “ontology to enlightenment” (consciousness, ultimate truth, existence, matter, energy).
• Students were encouraged to learn a small set of key Sanskrit words and to contemplate them until there is a personal experiential “semantic reference point.”
• Language and metaphors were emphasized as shaping experience; words can refine how one understands and navigates meditation.
• The Sangha was encouraged to actually look at the posted sermons/transcripts/essays and the study guides with quotes, key points, assignment, and actionable focus.
• Atman was described as the soul/essence of individuality; a depth of essentiality in meditation (including the suggestion to set an intention to experience “the gold”).
• Ahamkara was described as the created, evolving self through time, with momentum and tendencies; it can be aligned or not aligned with the soul.
• Ahamverti was described as the fundamental “I am” disturbance; self-inquiry into the root “I” thought was framed as a way into dissolution.
• Verti was described as a ripple-like disturbance that can be perceived as waves of light; “you are actually seeing your thoughts.”
• Karma was framed not only as action, but as action in relation to subjective mind-states: actions inform how you feel.
• Dhyana (said as “Diana” in the talk) was described as effortless meditative absorption (not focus), and connected etymologically to Chan/Zen.
• Moksha was described as liberation from the bondage of selfhood; Sangha as association with truth oriented toward moksha.
• Samadhi was described as a meditative state indicative of one who is in moksha; it can also happen spontaneously.
• Shakti was described as the light and fabric of consciousness; to experience it, expand the field, soften the hold on physicality, and allow things to become fluid and holographic.
• Meditation guidance emphasized heart-centered practice (Anahata), gentleness to disarm resistance, expanded scope of attention, and direct (non-metaphorical) experience of light.
• Monthly emphasis was reiterated: gratitude, and a formal mindfulness practice for 15 minutes a day, plus meditating at sunset and upon waking.
• Reading was encouraged: even a page a day of Think on These Things by Krishnamurti.

Assignment

Choose a few Sanskrit words from the lesson (for example: Atman, ahamkara, ahamverti, karma, dhyana, moksha, Shakti) and live with them this week by quietly asking, “Is there an experience for it?”—letting the word point you back into meditation and into how you describe what you actually perceive.

Actionable Focus for the Week

• Attention to clearing your space/field when needed (including saging, using only a little if sensitive).
• Attention to reviewing the Sangha emails and briefly looking at the posted transcript/essay and study guide.
• Attention to heart-centered meditation: Anahata, gentleness, disarming resistance.
• Attention to light as a direct experience (not metaphor), and to expanding the field so luminosity can emerge.
• Attention to expanding the scope of awareness (moon, sun, solar system, galaxy) as a way to avoid a small field.
• Attention to gratitude as the principle of the month, returning to it when it is lost.
• Attention to a 15-minute formal mindfulness practice, and meditating at sunset and upon waking.
• Attention to reading a small amount of Think on These Things consistently.

Optional Reflection Prompts

• What Sanskrit word from today feels most alive for you, and what experience (even a small one) does it point to?
• In meditation this week, what happens when you soften your hold on physicality and let the field become more fluid?
• Where does gentleness naturally open your heart, even before anything “mystical” happens?

"Words empower us. We live by the language that we speak. The metaphors we use shape our experience."

"Sanskrit provides an incredible lexicon, a collection of words to reference these subtle, esoteric concepts that English just does not have."

"Most languages do not, because a language is a reflection of the culture that uses it."

"There are a few words—maybe 10 or 30—that you really have to know. Not just know, but contemplate."

"Here is a word, but is there an experience for it?"

"When you have the word, it can provide you with an insight into your meditation."

"There is an ontology to enlightenment. What is consciousness? What is ultimate truth? What is existence? What is matter? What is energy in all of that?"

"Atman is the soul; it is the individuality, the essence of individuality. Think of it as the coalescence of the universe into an individual entity, but in the most essential form."

"Ahamkara is the created self. The soul exists in an eternal state—think of it as potentiality. But the ahamkara is the self that evolves through time."

"Think of the Atman as more of an eternal structure, and the ahamkara can actually be aligned or not aligned with your soul."

"What it is really referring to is the disturbance—there is this fundamental Isness, that is, without ripples. The verti is a disturbance, it is a thought, it is an imposition."

"The fundamental verti is the ahamverti—it is the sense that 'I am,' which is actually an imposition on ultimate truth."

"If you can go to the root of all thought, of all ideation—that is the 'I' thought, ahamverti—and it is actually an interesting form of jnana yoga, self-inquiry, to look at: okay, who am I?"

"Karma means if you do this, you feel this way, and your actions inform your states of mind."

"Diana is a meditative absorption in an effortless state of stillness. But you have not yet dissolved into impersonal existence."

"Moksha means liberation or enlightenment, and it specifically refers to someone who has been liberated from the bondage of selfhood."

"Most people have a materialist outlook on what existence is, because science has really led us to think existence is made up of things. But things do not exist on their own. They exist within the experience of the witness."

"Shakti is the light. It is actually the fabric of consciousness. Everything is made of Shakti, and light is one way that it manifests visually."

"To see the light, to experience the light, you have to expand your field. Soften your hold on physicality. Allow everything to become fluid and holographic."

"There is a connection between love and being. When we are in love with existence, when we are in love with all, there is a sense of returning to the simplicity of being—the warmth of it."

Namaste Community,

You are warmly invited into the circle of the LoveLight Sangha. This week, our gathering centered on the living language of Sanskrit—its role as a vessel for spiritual insight, and how its words can shape and deepen our meditative experience. Together, we explored the subtlety and power of language, and how it reflects and supports the journey toward awakening.

Highlights from the Teaching

“Sanskrit is a powerful language because it provides a robust lexicon for describing certain dimensions and aspects of enlightenment as practice and ontology.”

“Words empower us. We live by the language that we speak. The metaphors we use shape our experience. Positive language versus negative language—these choices matter.”

“If you know these words, you can contemplate these topics. That is the reason. Also, as a community, it gives us a common language to discuss these things. For example, if I say Sangha, everyone knows what I mean.”

Reflections from the Gathering

The evening unfolded with a gentle, attentive presence. We began with a shared saging practice, inviting purification and intention into our space. The teaching was both practical and contemplative, inviting each person to find their own relationship to Sanskrit terms and the experiences they point toward. There was space for questions, honest curiosity, and personal sharing—each voice welcomed, each experience honored. The meditation that followed was heart-centered and luminous, with participants describing subtle shifts in color, light, and feeling. The atmosphere was sincere, grounded, and quietly devotional.

Ways to Engage

If you would like to revisit the teaching, a full transcript and recording are available. Please feel free to reach out if you would like access.

You are always welcome to join us for future LoveLight Sangha gatherings. Whether you are new or returning, your presence is valued.

If you wish, you might reflect on these questions this week:

• Is there a word—Sanskrit or otherwise—that invites you deeper into your own experience?
• How does the language you use shape your sense of self and your relationship to the world?

With gratitude and respect for your journey,
LoveLight Sangha