​Introduction & Namaste
Welcome, my fellow brother or siStar! I hope you're having a great day or evening! Thanks for stopping by.

My name is Melanie Pavitra-Sundari, if you're not familiar with me, and this is my little project that I started in May 2019. Basically, it's a delve into an area that I feel inspired to share information about as it relates to "Empty Mind"/Self-Realization/Moksha -- a Liberated mind, a mind, day-in and day-out, Free from thought from, what I like to call, the often compulsive, dysfunctional, unloving, egoic-thinking mind. That's all. 😘 (This doesn't mean you can't think when you need to, of course.) I write and share posts on other topics of a spiritual nature from time to time, too. 

A big part of my background, in regards to this endeavor, has been as a spiritual counselor/therapist; a hatha/kundalini yoga & meditation teacher; a serious student of several of the great East & West teachings on "Empty Mind"/Self-Realization such as: 1) A Course in Miracles (ACIM); 2) Anandamayi Ma/based on the teachings of Hinduism's Advaita Vedanta, and 3) Buddhism of which all of these are nondual teachings/guidance (i.e. Realizing Oneness/Presence from within versus being trapped in duality of past and future thought).

​My background also includes my own experience in residing in "empty mind" since 2015 in Rishikesh, India, after practicing a combination of chanting with a mala (i.e. a string of beads like a rosary if you're not familiar with it), and mouna (i.e. mouna meaning being in silence), moving, daily meditation practice (when I was in my ashram room and as I went about my day outside of my room) during a one to one-and-a-half year span.

Prior to that, I lived in India for the first time in 2010 for four months immediately falling in love with ashrams; partly because I am naturally attracted to anything good, pure and high-minded. So that’s how this project transpired! If interested, there is more on my background on the About page.

The Ashram's Main Objective
The purpose of the Ashram is to point the way, to the best of my ability, in the posts I write and the posts I share from others, to "Empty Mind”/Self-Realization, along with other topics from time to time, as mentioned in the Intro. (Also, though I like to have fun with words in regards to "Empty Mind," there is, in actuality, no "way”/no "where" that you need to go to, because your Self, is Here, right Now in the Silence of This Moment.)

In this day and age, at this point, most people only occasionally have glimpses of Complete Silence from within their mind. (However, this number will invariably increase as more people learn about "Empty Mind" and, most importantly, implement a daily meditation practice where they are actually in Presence/Complete Silence from within for a particular period of time.)

Know, though, if you don't already, that the only reason a person is not residing in the Self, day-in, day-out, with thought-free constancy, from moment to moment, is 1) because of the belief in the thoughts of the egoic-thinking mind, and 2) a lack of Awareness due to being involved in the content of thoughts (i.e. what is being thought in the thought) versus the form. 

​So, when a person resides in "Empty Mind" from within, it means, then, that all thoughts of the egoic-thinking mind have been Forgiven/Released/Let Go Of. 

How you Forgive a thought is one at a time when you see it in your mind. You casually observe it and, just as casually, Forgive it/Release it simply by Seeing it, as thought can't survive in Presence. 

Because thoughts from the egoic-thinking mind are often one big jumbled-up mess of thoughts together, a daily meditation practice is how thoughts begin to slow down and separate from one another, making it possible to See More of them (i.e. become More Conscious of them) in order to Forgive them.

For instance, if you're new to meditation (or have found that meditation hasn't "worked" for you in the past), if you feel so inclined, a daily meditation practice, as mentioned, where you are in Complete Silence/Presence, for one to five minutes in the morning and evening is a good place to start. Less is more in the beginning. Otherwise, the mind often just goes in circles, worthless. When you find that you can easily Be in Presence for up to those five minutes, then consider adding on another five minutes and work up from there with each successive week (i.e. beyond Powerful).

Also, a key point here, a daily meditation practice can be either sitting or while moving, perhaps while doing your various chores at home, for instance -- BUT, when your home is in Complete Silence from Everything for that period of time (and substance-free, if you want it to be real, other than tea or coffee). Know, too, that it makes absolutely Zero difference (no matter what others might say, lol) whether it's sitting or moving around, as Presence is Presence. 

In addition, if you feel drawn to it, you can incorporate a mantra practice with it where you repeat a mantra, of your choosing, to yourself or out-loud if you like. As I mentioned in the Intro, chanting a mantra and mouna were the techniques I used, along with the guidance of my guru/spiritual teacher in Rishikesh, India (where I was at the time), as well as teachings from two books during that period (i.e. Eckhart Tolle's book A New Earth: Awakening to Your Life's Purpose, and another, a compendium of teachings by the guru/spiritual teacher, Sai Baba, the second Sai Baba).

​Having said this, unbeknownst to me, I didn't know anything about fully silencing the mind, "Empty Mind" and had no particular objective in-mind, no pun intended, lol, in regards to it. 

Anyway, as mentioned, a thought-free mind is a mind in Complete Silence from moment to moment. In all its Glory (i.e. Presence is its Real Power), Complete Peace and True Contentment, this is the Self. Along with being referred to as the Self, it's called by other names as well, depending on the source of the teaching. 

Living in an ashram, going to "satsangs" (i.e. satsang, if you're not familiar with this term, is a gathering where you talk about living in Spirit, overall, and "Empty Mind"), and a regular meditation practice were all so enjoyable to me, so that's what I did. In terms of my mind, specifically, I just followed the promptings from within having no idea that all thought would eventually subside. I just kept forgiving a thought, forgiving a thought, forgiving a thought, bringing my mind into Presence again and again with my mantra. After some time, it was a surprise to me when I went back into the mind and saw that nothing was there, because now I was Here. 😘

It was only when I went to various satsangs around town and the spiritual teacher would talk about "Empty Mind" did I begin to figure out that there was a term for it, lol, strange but true. I had been going to satsangs prior to this, as mentioned, but when "Empty Mind" was referred to, I must not have known what it really meant, which is not a surprise as it does take many/most of us, from what I've seen, time to grasp what it means. (Also, however, having said this, "Empty Mind"/Self-Realization is often described in very confusing ways, too, as well as unattainable (!) by people, which is why I do my best here to describe it clearly and simply, as well as point out that "Empty Mind" is every  person's automatic birthright.

Anyway, if you believe as I do, the soul knows exactly what it's doing in terms of its own progression. In other words, it's always leading us in the right direction. Even in our dark moments, it's always on the right track. Though it sure may not seem like it at times, lol, and for some of us, early death occurs even. But then, the person eventually or right away (i.e. who knows, lol) comes back, if you believe as I do, in reincarnation to keep learning and growing.

​So, thought, like a wave in the sea, comes into one's Consciousness and with Awareness/Forgiveness, the thought fades away into oblivion. 

What remains when you Forgive a thought in your mind, is Silence, as mentioned. This is the Self. Make no mistake. As such, you don't have to look "Anywhere" for it. The Self is Always This Moment. 

With enough practice of Forgiving thoughts (i.e. grievances, judgments, regrets, worries, sadness, other pain thoughts, etc.) from the egoic-thinking mind, All thoughts eventually dissipate, as mentioned.

And, in case you're wondering, you don't need one single thought from the egoic-thinking mind. It's true! (You can still think when needed, of course, as mentioned earlier.) This is because in every moment, you know intuitively what to do or not do in it. Trust in this. It could be your ticket Home which, just to clarify, is not "Anywhere" at all, in actuality, but right Here, right Now.​

Also, as said before, you can still think, of course, such as: the key points of a meeting you went to yesterday; planning your itinerary for a trip to the mountains you're taking next week; what you want to buy for your friend's birthday, etc. But the bulk of your time, you're just (but not "just") living in the Complete and Utter Peace of Silence, in Emptiness, from within. 

As this section comes to an end, A Course in Miracles calls Self-Realization/"Empty Mind" a "journey without distance."

As mentioned before, for the majority of people, however, thoughts -- like clouds over the Sun -- tenuously cover the Self. As such, though there is a light veil, the mind is still actually Always in Presence and is Experienced when thoughts are Cleared/Released through Forgiveness.

By Accepting "What Is" Now, you Experience "What Is" Now, which is Emptiness. Though a mind in Presence is much more than just Empty (i.e. words are a poor substitute for something so magnificent), as nothing is more vibrant and full of life than Presence, especially compared to a mind wrapped-up in thoughts of past and future. These thoughts are not real, by the way, if you're just learning about this or are not that clear about it, as Only the Present Moment is Real. 

(Also just touching base here: Is this as clear as mud at this point? Lol. If so, if you feel guided to, keep reading teachings on Self-Realization, and your understanding will, most likely, eventually become crystal-clear on the topic.)

Anyway, it is by Forgiving each and every thought, that arises on the surface of your Consciousness, that the mind resides more and more (i.e. in increments, through a daily meditation practice, is usually how it works for those who undo the egoic-thinking mind) in Emptiness/the Self. The Self is also referred to, by the way, if you're not familiar with it, as "I Am" (i.e. as in "I Am Pure Consciousness").

Last, but not least, in the posts that I write and share here, I do my best to provide a variety of fun, different, interesting angles in which to understand "Empty Mind."

I want to mention, too, that at this moment in time, the Ashram is mainly an online platform.

In closing, many blessings to you in living in This Moment, This Moment, This Moment, in Presence, ad infinitum (i.e. Forever, if you believe as I do, that the soul goes on).

Presence is always a problem-free zone, by the way. Yes, you may have to address things on the outside, but for the person who has Fully Quieted the chattering, monkey mind, the mind is still Empty on the Inside.

To add, life is infinitely easier in Presence, as your only concern is what's Now. It's the simplest, most pleasant way to live. One of the many reasons is because, it takes away a whole lot of perceived decisions, in terms of outcome about a particular issue, that a person feels they Always or Often have to be making in his or her head about the "future.” There is no "future," though, Ever. There is only Ever Now.

Instead, begin to Trust, if you're not already, that This Moment will see you through better than thinking about the "future" ever will. (I.e. False thoughts regarding how you want something to turn out/the outcome, when in the greater scheme of things, you never really know what the best outcome would be for yourself anyway, even if you think you do.)    

​I want to say thanks again for perusing this site! May you find a few, some or a lot of nuggets here that serve you on your path to "Nowhere" 😘!

​ALL MY LOVE & BLESSINGS TO YOU MY DEAR BROTHER OR SISTER IN THE DIVINE! ~Melanie ​😻 💕🙏

​p.s. Congratulations for getting to the end of this, too, lol, if you did read it all. 😘

(updated March 21)💗  💗​