Welcome back to yet another segment of our Journey of Self-Discovery.

            Thus far we have discussed the Enneagram and Saturn Return, which are two ways of better understanding oneself and place in the world.  Now I would like to introduce you to something which will almost certainly, if you fully engage with it, give you pause, if not Awe.  I’m talking about Nadi Astrology, and first I would ask that you watch the following video all the way through and deeply consider what is being said.

Next, please read the following Wiki article on Nadi Astrology to get some more background:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nadi_astrology

And here is one other video on the subject to ponder:

[This astrologer also has videos where he predicted that Hilary Clinton would win the Democratic nomination, not Obama, but I don't think that necessarily takes away from what these leaves can tell you about yourself.  What he was doing was interpreting the leaves in that case, not reading them word for word.]

That’s just a little introduction to Nadi Astrology.  If you are interested, you might wantto read about my personal exploration of this subject (below).
***************************************************************************
  Nadi Astrology — My Personal Nadi Reading & Reflections

When I was in Bangalore that first India trip (1997) , L. was strongly suggesting I go get a palm leaf reading. Now, like you, perhaps, I had no idea what palm leaf reading even was (like reading your palm?), and I was hesitant, but at the same time open and interested.

L. explained that thousands of years ago, in deep meditation, certain yogi sages were given the life information of souls who were to incarnate in the future. They then wrote this information on the palm leaves, and the leaves were passed down from generation to generation, with the knowledge of how to read and interpret them.

So essentially a palm leaf reading (known in India as “Nadi” or “lifestream” readings) is a soul analysis done by a highly trained person who knows how to find, read, and interpret each person’s individual leaf. You can imagine that once I understood this, being who I am (a “Depth-Seeker”), I was very excited about going and seeing if my leaf was there. But then, too, I wanted exact details — names, numbers, future events foretold, etc. Having been in India for a couple of weeks already, though, I was realizing that THAT kind of certainty was going to be somewhat hard to come by. Still, I was hopeful.

Nonetheless, first thing that happens when we arrive at the Nadi reader’s place is that it looks like he won’t have time for me today, because after all, I haven’t made an appointment. But we wait it out (my friend, at least, knows not to take “no” for an answer in India) and after an interminable wait with lots of mantras and attempts at meditation, we’re finally led into his inner chamber, which is basically just a little office.

This Nadi reader is nice, speaks English, seems somewhat cosmopolitan. He’s probably seen not a few westerners like me, after all. He first asks me some basic questions about my life, which I have no idea why he needs really, but I obligingly answer everything he asks.   Then he takes my thumb print and goes back into another room to look for my leaf. It isn’t too long before he comes back and asks me a few more questions to narrow down his search. After another trip back into his inner chamber, he comes back with my leaf. He asks me some more questions, and then proceeds to give me the reading. He suggests that first I take some pen and paper and make notes, as he would not be able to record what he says. So I do, and here’s the transcript of the notes I took from the reading:

“My Nakshatra is Citra. This is the most mystical of signs. Overcoming sexual desire is a big thing, or can be.

I was the third child. I was formed first and came last. [Didn't understand this at first, but essentially was saying that Edward, my fraternal twin, is the youngest, the fourth.]

I have “researching potential.” I know 3 languages, Spanish one of them (this is true). I will be a writer, philosopher, and teacher. I will write a philosophy book which synthesizes psychology, Vedanta, and religion [I have yet to do this, unless "Child's Play," the artistic anthology I put together, is the book to which he referred.] I will do “unification work.” I will also teach philosophy.

I will be a traveler to learn. Want to meet my guru, but my guru is not alive. I will meet many masters, but find my own way. I will find the reality of knowledge and life.

I am aware that I have some blockages inside. These blockages will go when I learn these knowledges and languages.

In my last life, I was born in India, and was a teacher of non-dualistic knowledge and Vikarana [Grammar -- didn't know what it meant at the time.]

In this life, through the practices of Kundalini Yoga, I will learn all Vedanta and grammar. Patanjali’s Yoga system will open my third eye, which will “give brightness in inner life.” He also said: “Yoga will give strength for inner life.”

I was born in Israel in Jesus’ time, and had close contact with Jesus. I was witness to Jesus’ punishment at the time. I went to Nepal at bottom of Himalayas. I criticized my masters and gave away secrets to “non-permitted people.” As a result, in this lifetime I have these certain blockages. As a result, I am very careful about mistakes in this life. [In the margin, I wrote: "Is that so?" which is I think a question the Nadi reader asked me in regard to making mistakes. I answered: "Yes," because I was becoming increasingly careful and conscious about every thought, word, and deed, and making sure that I was truly living in accordance with the wisdom I was learning.] I will also have a lot of experiences in the region of the Himalayas — I will go in this lifetime [Haven't gone yet].

I was also born in Spain, but the land in which I was born no longer exists now.

I have a desire to live in the countryside and do research. Will live in the Southeast of North America [I was then living in the Northeast, and am now in Florida -- the Southeast].

The Nadi reader then asked if I have taught? I said that I have taught in High School. He said that I will teach languages in College. [Somehow don't see that happening now?] He later said I would do many kinds of work.

Health: Stomach is sensitive. Must eat slowly. Having a regular time of eating is best. [Haven't fully succeeded with either of these suggestions yet.] May have an operation on stomach or throat. Pranayama will give good health for me. Also, water therapy: Drink water in the early morning, and 30 minutes prior to lunch and dinner.

Relationships: I am separated from my partner. I would marry second important girl in that year. I would find her in 19-20 months. My coming partner will be a good healer and counselor. We would have 1 child, if “both minds permit.” We would live together for many years, then marry. [Well, I was "separated" only in the sense that I was in India, and E. was in Philadelphia at the time, though it wasn't long (19-20 months?) before we were to go our separate ways. If that's what he was referring to, he was right on, but I did not find someone new in 19-20 months, no. My current partner is a good healer and counselor, though, that is true, but we met a good 8-9 years after the Nadi reading.]

I was told to recite a certain mantra for jnana (wisdom/Knowledge). The Nadi reader wrote it on the page in both Sanskrit and English. I was to repeat it 30 minutes each day: 10 in the morning, 10 in the evening, and 10 prior to sleep.  [I never kept up with this practice, but I was doing so many other practices...]

At the end I asked 3 questions: 1) What about meditation? He said do yoga like he said (Patanjali’s 8-limbed path), which includes meditation. 2) What about music? Do it as a hobby, I was told. 3) I told the Nadi reader that while there were a lot of accurate things, some things were wrong, such as his saying that the woman I am separated from is older than me [And we weren't truly SEPARATED separated at the time.] He said you can read it that she is older than me in knowledge/spiritually, not years. Originally he said that she is one year older than me.”

All that for 850 rupees, which at that time was $17 or so.

Now I have to say, this Nadi reader in Bangalore did not impress me overmuch, mainly because I provided him with some information before he found my leaf, and his reading seemed too general. Later, though, I was to hear about another Nadi astrologer not too far away in the Chennai area. This guy, I was told, had the goods — his leaves (from an ancient sage named Agastya) actually do have names and other specific facts about your incarnation. A friend who had gotten his reading from this Nadi reader said that the guy read off from the leaf:

His name,

his father’s name,

his mother’s name,

his first wife’s name,

his second wife’s name,

and more.

I was blown away when my friend told me this, part of me didn’t completely believe him, but part of me wanted to go see this Nadi reader IMMEDIATELY. Now this friend is very business oriented and he said that he was going to both film this guy doing his readings, and also try to bring him to the States. Whether he succeeded in doing either of those things, I don’t know, haven’t heard a word. Here are a few YouTube videos that you can watch, though, in the meantime (see the above videos). One says that there’s actually a project to put all of the Nadi leaves onto a computer database that people can access (if they are meant to have a reading).

I showed these to a friend who recently went to Chennai to attend the Oneness University. I suggested that if he had time to go to this Nadi reader, he would not be disappointed. So he called ahead before leaving the States. At first it didn’t look like he was going to have a reading, but I guess it was meant to be because he did. And guess what? It was just like my other friend said. The Nadi reader told him a bunch of things it seemed like he could not have known otherwise (not sure if he was the same one that Dadhichi the Astrologer saw, because his Nadi reading seemed a bit different than described in the video).

Now, how did some guy from how many thousands of years ago, whose native tongue was Tamil, and who didn’t know you or I from Adam — how did he come to know all of this stuff? What kind of Time Machine did this dude have access to, really? And the answer is: There is no time, and…That’s the power of meditation — real meditation. Read the third chapter of the Yoga Sutra to see what real, disciplined yoga practice can achieve.

---

Possibly related posts: (automatically generated)

• Featured Artist: Promise Tangeman