Yoga Life Book

Yandara Yoga Institute

AN INTRODUCTION TO YOGA LIFE

Compiled and edited by Craig Perkins

Yoga Sutra 1.1 : Now, after having done prior preparation through life and other practices, the study and practice of Yoga begins.

Yoga is a system of integral education, educa­tion not only of the body and the mind or the intel­lect, but also of the inner spirit. Yoga is a science perfected by ancient seers of India, not of India-merely, but of humanity as a whole. It is an exact science. It is a perfect, practical system of self-culture.

Yoga brings in perfection, peace, and lasting happiness.You can have calmness of mind by the practice of Yoga.You can have increased energy, vitality, longevity, and a high standard of health.Yoga will infuse in you new strength, confidence, and self-reliance.Yoga brings your emotions under control.Yoga discipline gives poise, tranquility and rebuilds one’s life.

Yoga is an aid to the practice of the basic spiritual truths in all religions.To be a Yogi means to abide continuously in Divine Love and to live at peace with all.Yoga is union with Divine Love.Yoga is union with all.Divine Love dwells in all.

Bliss Divine, Swami Sivananda

For the past few decades, we have been trying in all kinds of ways to liberate ourselves simultaneously from our frenetic materialism and our tired religious traditions.

We are still looking for the same thing: how to integrate the experience of life in western society with a deeper consciousness that would bring us bliss and reconcile us with our emotional and sensory natures.

We want a path that would not be opposed to our life; a life that would not be opposed to our path.In short, we want a harmonious integration of the spiritual with the material along an accessible path, one not too estranged from the common culture.We want to attain plentitude without denying life’s marvelous effervescence; we want a light and moving joy that would bring us to a larger, more all-encompassing experience of reality.

If we look around, we can see those people who throw themselves into a hedonistic search for pleasure.They try to live out their passions, and sometimes they succeed.They frantically attach themselves to the material world and end up in a state of chronic dissatisfaction, which pushes them to undertake a more and more neurotic quest.These people are often egoistic; they leave a trail of destruction in their wake.

In opposition to them we find the people who are fascinated by the spiritual search and whose aim is to purify themselves of desires and passions by trying to reduce the impact these have on their daily lives.They are said to be wise of on the path of wisdom.They proudly claim to be of a spiritual school.In observing them we sometimes notice, along with their austerity, signs of coldness and hardness of heart and body; signs of a certain lack of spontaneity.A halo of fear encircles their whole being.They seem to have submitted themselves to overly strong tensions; their virtuousness seems a little artificial.Their tolerance has limits, they are often slightly fanatical – indeed, everything about them leads us to believe that their balance is precarious.It would take just one lovely temptation, it seems, to tip them into the neurotic quest for pleasure that they condemn in others.

Our cultural and religious heritage seems to tell us that we must choose: the spiritual against the body or the body against the spiritual.

It is rare that either the hedonistic quest or the spiritual quest, with its rejection of the body, brings us happiness, harmony, or joy.

So are we condemned to oscillate unceasingly between these two paths? In just about every person I meet there is a deep intuitive knowledge that a third path does indeed exist.We have suffered too much from fanaticism, violence, and exclusion; we have progressively opened ourselves to the world and its diversity.What men and women seek today is a path that reintegrates these opposites with genuine love and acceptance of all the richness that each human being carries within, a way of total love, which leads to the freedom to be.

Daniel Odier

 

SUMMARY

Patanjali’s Eight Limbs of Yoga from the Yoga Sutras

1. Yama- Guidelines

1.Ahimsa- non-harming, kindness to all

2.Satya- truthfulness - the truth of who we are.

3.Asteya- Living for others not taking from others. Seva – Service.

4.Brahmacharya- By remembering the highest energy or force of reality, that energy is then not dissipated. As it is not dissipated, thus we gain strength, vigor, vitality, and courage.

5.Aparigraha- not clutching - trusting that all your needs will be met.

2.Niyama- Observance

1.Saucha- purity

2.Santosha- contentment

3.Tapah- practice

4.Svadhyaya- self-study

5.Ishvara pranidhana- devotion, love.

3.Asana- posture

4.Pranayama-breath control

5.Pratyahara-withdrawal from thoughts

6.Dharana- attention to the present moment

7.Dhyana- meditative absorption

8.Samadhi- pure consciousness

 

 

1. Meditation

2. Yoga (Asana) Practice, Pranayama, practices related to the Body.

3. Satsang

A. Group study of inspiring writings: yoga sutras of Patanjalis and other yoga texts.

B. Music - Chanting, Bhajans, and Kirtan:Listening to and singing bhajans allows us to access our feelings and places of inspiration within ourselves.

C. Group meditation.

4. Satya – Truthfulness - Our true selves

5. Seva - Selfless Service - Karma yoga - Ahimsa

6. Bhakti Yoga – Love - Devotion

7. Nature

 

1. MEDITATION

Sutra 1.2Yoga happens when there is stilling (in the sense of continual and vigilant watchfulness) of the movement of thought - without which there is no movement.

Sutra 1.3. Then the Seer abides in Itself, resting in its own True Nature, which is called Self-realization.

Sutra 1.4. At other times, when one is not in Self-realization, the Seer appears to take on the form of the modifications of the mind field, taking on the identity of those thought patterns.

Sutra 1.12. These thought patterns are mastered regulated, coordinated, controlled, stilled, quieted) through practice and non-attachment.

Sutra 1.14. This practice becomes well-grounded when continued with reverent devotion and without interruption over a long period of time.

Sutra 1.41 When the modifications of mind have become weakened, the mind becomes like a transparent crystal, and thus can easily take on the qualities of whatever object observed, whether that object be the observer, the means of observing, or an object observed, in a process of engrossment called samapatti.

 

THE POWER OF NOW: A Guide to Spiritual Enlightenment

"You are not just a meaningless fragment in an alien universe, briefly suspended between life and death, allowed a few short-lived pleasures followed by pain and ultimate annihilation. Underneath your outer form, you are connected with something so vast, so immeasurable and sacred, that it cannot be spoken of - yet I am speaking of it now. I am speaking of it now not to give you something to believe in but to show you how you can know it for yourself." 

AN INTERVIEW WITH ECKHART TOLLE

The essence, the very foundation, of the teaching is that a different state of consciousness is possible for humans. The state of consciousness that is considered normal and that has been running human history for thousands of years is not the only possible state of consciousness. It’s also not the most advanced state possible for humans.
It’s nothing new. All the great teachings and teachers have pointed to the fact, since the normal state of consciousness is a state that is extremely deficient, a state that in the ancient teachings has been called suffering. The Buddha called it suffering, Jesus called it a state of sin and illusion, and the Hindus call it a state of illusion.

The second part of the teaching is that it’s possible to enter that state now. Not only is it possible to enter it now, but the only time when you can enter that state of consciousness is in the Now; not needing the future in order to arrive at a projected state of consciousness, but realizing that new state of consciousness one that is free of time.
The main characteristic of the old state of consciousness is that it is dominated by past and future, in other words by time. If you observe the workings of your mind you will see that you’re almost never in the present moment. The mind is always engaged in projecting a future, thinking about the future, trying to get to the future or reviving the past.

The old state of consciousness is also a state of identification with thought processes. Now what does that mean? To be identified means to derive your sense of self, of who you are from thought movements, to be completely trapped in the mental noise, to have your identity in the mental noise.
Then your whole sense of self is derived from thought, which means an image forms in the head of "who I am," of "that’s me," and that image is always ill at ease, even in the people who look very confident.

In order to feel the present moment, I have to find a way to feel what I haven’t been feeling. I have to get beyond the pretense or the shield that’s over my heart, to somehow get through that to even get to the place of thinking about it.The moment you say yes to what is you’re no longer resisting life, because life is always now.

So, how can one drop into the Now?

Whenever you are observing what your mind emotions are doing, witnessing what is going on inside you, the state of presence is already arising. You can watch all of this, how noisy your mind is. When you’re suddenly aware of it, that ability to watch means you’ve dropped out of the time-bound state. Something has arisen that is very different. I call it the state of presence.

So, again, one could almost say there is no how. That state of consciousness, which I call the state of presence, being fully present in the Now, is the state of high alertness. Some people have experienced it in certain situations of great danger accidentally. That can be good if one remembers being in a state of intense aliveness where there was also absence of thinking and of mental noise, just a state of intense alert presence.
People who climb mountains or engage in other dangerous activities love that state. It’s the only time when they can be in that state. If they were in past or future climbing a steep wall they wouldn’t survive for very long. So, in some situations you’re forced into a state of presence and it’s so alive and fulfilling that the old state becomes very unsatisfying.

People keep wanting to go back and have more experiences so they can be in that state.
Yes, but it’s very limiting if the only place where you can be in that state is where you engage in dangerous activities. Ultimately the risk is very high that something will happen and you will drop off the mountain.
That state of consciousness that I call presence, the good news is that state is actually arising now almost by itself in many humans. So it’s not so much that we need to bring it about, "How can I make it happen?" We can’t. Rather it’s being open for it so it can happen with greater ease.

So hardly any of us are going to have some flashing moment of realization.
Some do, but that’s not necessary. Gradually a state arising that is inner stillness rather than noise, a state when mind activity becomes secondary. All the mental noise no longer has the power to grab you and to draw your attention in so completely that you’re totally identified with it. You begin to be able to see thinking as just thinking, not such a big deal, and you realize that all the problems that you and most humans are burdened with are mental noise.

There’s no reality to any problem. I’m not saying that challenges don’t exist in life. Challenges come, but the only way they can exist is in the Now and that’s the only place where you can face the challenge by taking action in the Now or surrendering to what is. In either case it’s not a problem.

You can verify this for yourself by asking, "What problem do I have at this moment?" When you ask that question the mind becomes still and you realize this moment is actually fine, because most moments are fine. Even when they don’t look fine on the surface, if you become still enough the present moment always has a deep goodness to it underneath the external appearance of what’s happening in it because the very power of your being is inseparable from what I call the Now.
Ultimately the Now is the power of your consciousness prior to thought, prior to forms arising out of it.

What you’re saying would sound quite familiar to someone studying Buddhist Vipassana meditation techniques, using the practice of watching the breath and just noticing what arises. Are you bringing a message that’s akin to that or is it different from what one would experience in practicing that technique?

The essence of the Buddha’s message was that, also. Meditation methods are aimed also at bringing about the state of presence, although he never used those words.

The whole of nature, the beauty of the flower, unfolds in complete silence.
Then your whole life can be an expression of no longer being Little Me trying to make it, trying to survive or succeed, always trying, trying, trying. Instead you become an expression of that consciousness, the very intelligence that runs the universe, realizing that you’re far greater than you could ever have imagined coming from the Little Me trying to become a Big Me.

That’s the state of just inhabiting the body. That becomes an anchor for staying present. It’s also the entry point into that state of beautiful inner stillness where the mental noise subsides and you’re then highly conscious with out noise. The amazing thing then is that intelligence operates noiselessly.

Humans think that intelligence is associated with thinking. Thinking is just a tiny aspect of intelligence, but most intelligence, the whole of nature, the trees, grow in complete silence. The embryo in the womb grows silently. It doesn’t make a noise. The whole of nature, the beauty of the flower, unfolds in complete silence.

The galaxies exist in total silence and stillness and yet there’s incredible activity there, so they’re all expressions of intelligence that is at work silently. It’s only in humans that intelligence, in its limited expression as the human mind, is very noisy. The far greater intelligence that is at work within yourself operates in silence. That is the state of presence which is inseparable from inner stillness.

That becomes your dwelling place, your home. You can still think when it’s needed. Thought will arise, but it will be in the service of that deeper field of stillness, of being, no longer self-serving thought. There’s no effort, no trying to make it happen. That would be the opposite of it. It’s simply being open for it to happen because it wants to happen.
From and interview with Eckhart Tolle by Michael Bertrand

 

Adapted from: The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying

THE WISE GUIDE

Two people have been living in you all your life. One is the mind, busy, demanding, calculating; the other is the heart, whose still voice of wisdom you have only rarely heard or attended to. As you listen more and more, and integrate your heart into your life, your inner voice, your innate wisdom of discernment, what we call in Buddhism "discriminating awareness guided by the heart," is awakened and strengthened, and you start to begin to distinguish between its guidance and the various clamorous and enthralling voices of mind. The memory of your real nature, with all its splendor and confidence, begins to return to you.

You will find, in fact, that you have uncovered in yourself your own wise guide. Because he or she knows you through and through, since he or she is you, your guide can help you, with increasing clarity and humor, negotiate all the difficulties of your thoughts and emotions. Your guide can also be a con­tinual, joyful, tender, sometimes teasing presence, who knows always what is best for you and will help you find more and more ways out of your obsession with your habitual responses and confused emotions. As the voice of your heart awarenessgrows stronger and clearer, you will start to distinguish between its truth and the various deceptions of the mind,and you will be able to listen to it with discernment and confidence.

The more often you listen to this wise guide, the more eas­ily you will be able to change your negative moods yourself, see through them, and even laugh at them for the absurd dramas and illusions that they are. Gradually you will find yourself able to free yourself more and more quickly from the dark emotions that may sometimes ruled your life, and this ability to do so is the greatest miracle of all. Terton Sogyal, the Tibetan mystic, said that he was not really impressed by someone who could turn the floor into the ceiling or fire into water. A real miracle, he said, was if someone could liberate just one negative emotion.

It has never been more difficult to hear the unflattering voice of the truth, and never more difficult, once having heard it, to follow it: because there is nothing in the world around us that supports ourchoice, and the entire society in which we live seems to negate every idea of sacredness or eternal meaning. So at the time of our most acute danger, when our very future is in doubt, we as human beings find ourselves at our most bewil­dered, and trapped in a trauma of our own creation.Yet there is one significant source of hope in this tragic situation, and that is that the spiritual teachings of all the great mystical traditions are still available.

So long as we haven't unmasked the mind it continues to hoodwink us, keep­ing up a stream of suave and emptily convincing chatter, which actually says nothing at all.

Lifetimes of ignorance have brought us to identify the whole of our being with mind. Its greatest triumph is to convince us into believing its best interests are our best interests, and even into identifying our very survival with its own. This is a savage irony, considering that mind and its thought activities are at the root of suffering. Yet mind is so convincing, and we have been its dupe for so long, that the thought that we might ever become mindless terrifies us. To be mindless, mind whispers to us, is to lose all the rich romance of beinghuman, to be reduced to a colorless robot or a brain-dead vegetable.

Mind plays brilliantly on our fundamental fear of losing control, and of the unknown. We might say to ourselves:"I should really let go of mind, I'm in such pain; but if I do,what's going to happen to me?"

Mind will chime in, sweetly. "I know I'm sometimes a nui­sance, and believe me, I quite understand if you want me to leave. But is that really what you want? Think: If I do go, what's going to happen to you? Who will look after you? Who will protect and care for you like I've done all theseyears?"

And even if we were to see through mind's lies, we are just too scared to abandon it; for without any true knowledge of the nature of our heart, or true identity, we simply have no other alternative. Again and again we cave in to its demands with the same sad self-hatred as the alcoholic feels reaching for the drink that he knows is destroying him, or the drug addict groping for the drug that she knows after a brief high will only leave her flat and desperate.

You begin to see also just how all-encompassing the sway of the mind has been over you, and in the space of freedom opened up by meditation, when you are momentarily released from grasp­ing, you glimpse the exhilarating spaciousness of your truenature. You realize that for years, your mind, like a crazy conartist, has been swindling you with schemes and plans and promises that have never been real and have only brought you to un-fulfillment. When, in the equanimity of this present moment,you see this, without any consolation or desire to cover up what you've discovered, all the plans and schemes reveal themselves as hollow and start to crumble.

Because you have learned through discipline to simplify -your life, and so reduced the opportunities for mind to seduce you; and because you have practiced the mindfulness of heart, and through it loosened the hold of aggression, clinging, and negativity on your whole being, the wisdom of insight can slowly dawn. And in the all-revealing clarity of its sunlight this insight can show you, distinctly and directly, both the subtlest workings of your own heart and the nature of reality.

by Sogyal Rimpoche

 

THE INTELLIGENT HEART

Over the past twenty years, scientists have discovered new information about the heart that makes us realize it is far more than we'd ever imag­ined. We now have scientific evidence that the heart sends us emotional and in­tuitive signals to help govern our lives. Instead of simply pumping blood, the heart links us to a higher intelligence through an intuitive domain where spirit and humanness merge. This intuitive domain is something much larger than the perceptual capability of the human race has yet been able to grasp. But we can develop that capacity as we learn to do what sages and philosophers have asked us to do for ages: listen to and follow the wisdom of the heart.

Yogic traditions recognize the heart as the seat of individual consciousness, the center of life. In Yogic practice, the physical heart is considered both literally and figuratively the guide or internal "Guru," and to this end, many Yogic practices cultivate an awareness of one's own heart.

In recent years, neuroscientists have made an exciting discovery. They've found that the heart has its own independent nervous system—a complex system referred to as "the brain in the heart." There are at least forty thousand neurons in the heart—as many as are found in various centers in the brain.The heart's intrinsic brain and nervous system relay it's intuitions to the brain.The heart also transmits information via an electromagnetic field.The heart's electromagnetic field is by far the most powerful pro­duced by the body; it's approximately five thousand times greater in strength than the field produced by the brain, for example.The heart's field not only permeates every cell in the body but also radiates outside of us; it can be measured up to eight to ten feet away with sensitive detectors called magnetometers.

The heart awareness involves discerning the difference between the head and the heart and observing how differently we perceive the world around us when we're in contact with heart intelligence. The mind operates in a linear, logical manner that serves us well in many situations but is primarily using past information to influence present situations. For example when you meet someone they may have a characteristic that reminds us of someone from our past. The mind immediately prejudices us about that person unreasonably. When heart intelligence is engaged, we experience of the feelings and qualities of love, compassion, non-judgment, tolerance, patience, and forgiveness. These qualities are often accompanied by a peaceful, clear state of awareness. When we are engaged with our hearts, the mind slows down and our thoughts become more rational and focused. We feel more in control,and we perceive life from a more hopeful, optimistic perspective. As people practice the tools and techniques that harness heart intelligence, they begin to notice that they feel less caught up in their problems and in the hectic pace of daily activity. Results ofthe heart awareness training showed significant decreases in anger (20%), depression (26%), sadness (22%), and fatigue (24%)—and significant increases in peacefulness (23%) and vitality (10%).

Wait a minute," you might say. "I've followed my heart before and gotten hurt, stepped on." That's certainly a common experience.You trust someone, believing that they care for you, only to discover that they are out for themselves at your expense. People often look back on early painful events with a bitterness that's toxic and self-destructive. Believing that their vulnerability and care got them hurt, they cut themselves off from spontaneous expression of the heart. They become guarded and slow to love again. "My heart got me into this," they think.

The ability to protect ourselves from pain is an important survival mecha­nism. But cutting off the heart is a misguided defensiveness grounded in the belief that following the heart means following our emotions—a belief that's just not true. The fact that when we react to something strongly—anger or fear or attraction— doesn't mean that it is driven by the heart.When we're first learning to make the distinction between the head and the heart, it's easy to be fooled. But it is easier than you might think to listen to the signals and messages of the heart. We're naturally wired for this communication. Right down to the biological level, the components for the ultimate partnership already exist.

The Five Steps of Heart Awareness Exercises.

1.Recognize the reaction and feel it in the heart before it becomes a story in the brain. Take a time-out.

2. Make a sincere effort to shift your focus away from the racing mind ordisturbed emotions that are stimulated by the reaction to the area around your heart. Pretend you're
breathing through your heart to help focus your energy in this area. Keep your focus there for ten seconds or more.

3. Relax.

4.Now, using your intuition, common sense, and sincerity, ask your heart, what would be a more efficient response to the situation, one that would minimize future stress and bring the most positive outcome?

5. Listen to what your heart says in answer to your question. It is an effec­tive way to put your reactive mind and emotions in check and an in-house source of common sense solutions!

An interesting thing we've noticed is that when people practice heart awareness exercises, they often tend to want to let the expansive feeling go into the head. So many techniques—creative visualization and some forms of meditation, for example—teach people to create a feeling of expanded consciousness in the head. This can be stimulating, but it can also leave you feeling ungrounded. The purpose of a heart awareness exercises is to stay focused in the heart, not the head, So you stay balanced and grounded.

Going to the head can be a habit that's hard to break. After all, when you close your eyes and start to tune out day-to-day thoughts, you may feel a sense of detachment and an enjoyable widening of the mind. This expanded sense can roduce grand thoughts and creative ideas. One idea just leads to another.\

Kuing has been a devoted meditator for years. He developed his own routine around meditation and by now can experience deep relaxation after a few minutes. The trouble is that if the phone rings or somebody knocks on his door, he has a hard time getting back from what he's been experiencing in his inner-world. He finds it very jarring to try to reorient himself to the real world and deal with the interruption, because he's not grounded.

The goal of heart awareness practice is to try to go deep into the heart first From there, you can experience an expanded awareness while staying poised and balanced. If something interrupts you, you may require a little adjustment certainly; but since you're not spaced out, you can be flexible and adjust fast to take careof whatever needs to be done and coming back to your heart awareness practice afterwards. The idea is to be present, grounded, and expanded all at the same time.

If you're like most people when you're doing a heart awareness practice, you'll have wide, inspiring thoughts and ideas. This can be enjoyable, entertaining, and at times illuminating. There's nothing wrong with that, but try not to get lost in such thoughts. The trick is to acknowledge the thoughts or images when they arise, enjoy them for a moment, then gently return your attention to the core feelings of the heart.You don't want to get caught up in concepts about the heart; you want to stay in the feeling qualities of the heart (the physical sensations around your heart and chest center). This helps to keep the mind and heart in balance.

By staying deep and expansive, you energize your mental, emotional, and physical systems more than if you float off into the mind. In surrendering the mind to the heart, you won't be giving up anything. Going deep won't take the fun out of heart awareness practice. All of your plans, creative ideas, and insights will still be there when you get through. After your heart awareness practice is over, you'll find that you have a connection to the heart that you can carry forward into the rest of your day. You'll be "present" with more of your faculties and be able to in­creasingly sustain a state of flow in your activities.

Don't underestimate the depth of what goes on when you do aheart awareness practice. It develops the most important relationship of all—the relationship between you and your Self.

We know that music can shift our feelings and attitudes. Have you ever been at a party with fast-paced dance music playing in the background when somebody suddenly decided to put on an old blues album? The exciting nervous rhythm in the room is abruptly replaced by a slow, moody rhythm.What happens in the room? The dance steps change to accommodate the new music, but the feeling all around you changes too.

Music can excite you, relax you, make you happy or nostalgic. It can even evoke a dramatic story. Think about a movie soundtrack, for example. We can use music as an "atmospheric conditioner," creating an environment that makes it easier to feel the heart.

Doing heart awareness exercises with music is one of the best ways to increase the effectiveness of your experience. Find music that feels right for you. We suggest using instrumental music that falls somewhere between stimulating and peaceful. Use music that you feel helps open your heart and promote internal balance but doesn't space you out or make you drowsy. Remember, heart awareness exercisesare designed to give you a relaxed but highly aware experience.

Heart awareness exercises are like vitamins for your immune system. One of the Institute's research studies focused on changes in an immune antibody known as secretory IgA, as subjects did heart awareness exerciseswith and without music. Secretory IgA is found throughout the mucous linings of the body, and is the body's first line of defense against invading pathogens. It is an important measurement of immune system health.

In the first phase of this experiment, study participants' IgA levels were measured before and after doing a fifteen-minute heart awareness exercise while attempt to feel sincere appreciation. After the heart awareness exercise, average IgA levels in the group increased by 50 percent, a significant increase in this important immune system marker. A second phase of the experiment was conducted several days later. This time, participants were instructed to do a fifteen-minute heart awareness exercise attempting to feel appreciation while listening to the music, which was scientifically designed to facilitate internal coherence.Amazingly, the group showed a 141 percent increase in IgA levels.

During both phases of the experiment, researchers monitored the auto immune nervous system of each participant. An increase in total autonomic activity was observed in all of the subjects. The study demonstrated that the heart awareness exercise technique produced an immune-enhancing effect,and this immune-enhancing effect was increased when subjects practiced the technique while listening to music.

Whether you do heart awareness exercise with or without music, taking that five to fifteen minutes as often as you can to lock into deeper heart feelings, is a sincere act of self-care. With the right music, heart awareness exercise may become your favorite practice, but don't feel that you need music to make it work for you, The heart stands on its own.

Adapted from "HeartMath" by Doc Childre and Howard Martin

SILENCE
The Infinite, the Eternal, cannot be ex­plained but by deep silence. God consciousness or Brahman is Supreme Silence. Soul is Silence. Peace is Silence. Atma is Silence.Silence is the language of the heart. Silence is the language of the sage. Silence is immense strength. Silence is great elo­quence.Silence is God. Silence is the substratum for this body, mind, Prana, and senses. Silence is the background for this sense-universe. Silence is power.Silence is a living force. Silence is the only reality. The peace that passeth all understanding is Silence. The goal of your life is Silence. The aim of life is Silence. The purpose of your existence is Silence. Behind all noises and sounds is Silence—thy inner­most Soul. Silence is thy real name. Silence is in­tuitive experience. Silence helps the intuitional Self to express Itself. To go into Silence is to become God, The message of the desert Sahara is silence. The message of the Himalayas is silence.

When the heart is full there is silence. Who can describe the glory of this silence?

There is no healing balm better than silence for those persons who have a wounded heart from failures, disappointments, and losses. There is no soothing panacea better than silence for those who have wounded nerves from the turmoil of life.

What is really wanted is silence of the bubbling mind. You can observe the vow of silence, but the mind will be building images.Sankalpa will be crop­ ping up. Chitta will be developing memories. Imagi­nation, reasoning, reflection, and various other functioning’s of the mind will be going on continuously. How can you have real peace or silence now? Intel­lect should cease functioning.All the waves of the mind should completely subside. The mind should rest in the Ocean of Silence or Brahman. Then only you can enjoy real, everlasting silence purify the mind and meditate. Be still, and know that you are God. Calm the mind. Silence the bubbling thoughts and surging emotions. Plunge deep into the innermost recess of your heart and enjoy the magnanimous Silence. Mysterious is this Silence. Enter into Silence. Know that Silence. Become Silence Itself.
Bliss Divine, Swami Sivananda

With longing in thine eyes enter thou within from without. I would request you to gaze with longing in your heart, with silence in your soul and with no thought of this world or the next. The grace of God consciousness will descend on you and the gaze will grow into a glimpse and the experience of God consciousness will be realized you will find, nay see God consciousness within your self.Enter into the “Super-conscious” through intoxication of Love. In such intoxication of love, one wishes to kiss the very ground, love all creation and all humankind and breathe peace into all the world over.

SPIRITUAL ELIXILIR By Kirpal Singh

MEDITATION AND NATURE

Meditation and time meditating in nature.Meditation in Nature is powerful and exquisitely beautiful, a perfect reflection.Being alone with nature is a time to discover what our expression of life is.

“In order to embrace the simple essence, it is necessary to return to nature because it is the cast shadow of reality.Nature is a product of the simple essence in its different forms, its most basic manifestation.”

“For thousands of years nature has offered the space and time to plunge deep into new insights, face doubts and fears, and find healing and serenity.”

“The great teachers through history traverse a varied landscape of culture and tradition - but nearly all have passed through and been strengthened by alone time in nature...”

"Nature can never be completely described, for such a description of nature would have to duplicate nature. No name can fully express what it represents. It is nature itself, and not any part abstracted from nature, which is the ultimate source of all that happens, all that comes and goes, begins and ends, is and is not. But to describe nature as the 'ultimate source of all' is still only a description, and such a description is not nature
itself. Yet since, in order to speak of it, we must use words, we shall have to describe it as 'the ultimate source of all.’“

By Lao Tze

In a world such as this, wilderness has tremendous importance.Every year, millions of people flock to mountains, woods, and beaches to find renewal in nature.Others flock to backyards and city parks.For many of us, such retreats fulfill a yearning almost as basic as hunger.But the shackles of modern society are not easily thrown off.Even when removed from fast-paced environments, very few of us are able to slow down enough to appreciate the full splendor of nature.We often go to the woods burdened with so much anxiety and with senses so battered and dull that we can absorb only a fraction of the message awaiting us beyond the asphalt and concrete.Galaxies around us go unnoticed and unexplored because we have lost our feeling of connection with the earth.

Yet that connection can be reestablished—in large part simply by awakening and nourishing our innate awareness.With a few simple skills and some dedicated practice, any person can open his or her senses to the full richness of nature, regardless of what he or she seeks there.I have seen it happen many times.

The souls of most average lay people are just not in tune with the fundamental spirit emanating from Nature herself.

By Tom Brown Jr.

TIME ALONE WITH NATURE:

The Vision Quest is a physical and spiritual journey.You travel with a group to a place away from home, family, friends and job to a safe place in the nature.The base camp is a home base.For the next few days the group lives together in a small, family-like community and feels the bonds of humanness, love and trust that connect us all. During this time the guide will give instruction in nature and awareness skills.

Then, for one to three days and nights, you will live alone.Your only responsibility will be to walk each day to a pre-arranged place to leave a sign of your well-being for your buddy, a fellow vision-quester.

The Vision Quest gives you the time and a natural, quiet place to look within and see again who you are, what you think and feel, where you are going.No one is there to tell you what to do, think or be.You can discover a personal connection and relationship with all things, and see clearly what you have to contribute to your world.The vision quest is as much a celebration of who we are as of what we seek to become.Just by slowing down, sitting, and absorbing nature in a quiet place, you can make room in your soul for the healing qualities of the nature to provide a sense of connectedness to a greater whole.

“Slow down, look deeply, you are in for a journey of wonders.” Ralph Steiner, VISIONS OF WILDERNESS

Quotes from individual questers:

“...everything seems more miraculous now...”

“...a power was at work within me...”

“...a simple, yet extraordinary experience.”

WALKING IN HARMONY WITH NATURE

Many of the great composers, poets, and writers drew their inspiration from nature.Ludwig van Beethoven epitomized this in music and Ernest Hemingway did it in great literature.When Beethoven wandered off into the woods to meditate, he would very often come back with a masterpiece in mind.Many of his greatest symphonies were, quite simply, born under a tree, beside a flowing stream, or on a flowered country lane.

During the Romantic era of music, Nature was not merely a subject to be depicted.A very closely knit kinship was formed between the inner life of the artist himself and the life of Nature, so that the latter became not only a refuge but also a source of great strength, wonderful inspiration, and exhilarating revelation as well.This mystic sense of kinship with Nature, counterbalancing the artificiality of city existence, is as prevalent in the music of the last century as it is in the contemporary literature and art.Thus, listening to classical music of the 19th centurywill put a person more in touch with Nature than any other music that I know of, save for the simple, bhajans or chants of India and Native American healing songs.

By John Heinerman

2. YOGA (ASANA) PRACTICE:

Sutra 2.46 The posture (asana) for Yoga meditation should be steady, stable, and motionless, as well as comfortable, and this is the third of the eight rungs of Yoga.

Sutra 2.47 The means of perfecting the posture is that of relaxing or loosening of effort, and allowing attention to merge with endlessness, or the infinite.

Sutra 2.48 From the attainment of that perfected posture, there arises an unassailable, unimpeded freedom from suffering due to the pairs of opposites (such as heat and cold, good and bad, or pain and pleasure).

Sutra 1.34 The mind is also calmed by regulating the breath, particularly attending to exhalation and the natural stilling of breath that comes from such practice.

Asana

When there is perfect harmony between body and mind, we achieve self-realization. Yoga teaches us that the obstacles in the path of our self-realization show themselves in a physical or mental indisposition. When our physical state is not perfect it causes an imbalance in our mental state, the practice of yoga helps us overcome that imbalance. Yogic asanas redress unsteadiness in the body.Uneven respiration an indication of stress is alleviated by the practice of yoga. Asanas tone the whole body. They strengthen bones and muscles, correct posture, improve breathing, and increase energy.This physical well-being strengthens and calms the mind.

Practicing asanas cleanses the body. Asanas, by increasing the circulation of fresh blood through the body, purge it of the diseases and toxins which are the consequences of an irregular lifestyle, unhealthy habits,and poor posture. Regular practice of the stretches, twists, bends, and inversions, which are the basic movements of asanas, restores strength and stamina to the body.Asanas, together with pranayama, or the control of breath, rectify physical,physiological, and psychological disorders.They have a positive impact on effects of stress and disease.

The impact of yoga is never purely physical. Asanas correctly practiced, bridge the divide between the physical and the mental spheres. Yoga stems the feelings of pain, fatigue, doubt, confusion, indifference, laziness, self-delusion, and despair that assail us from timeto time.

The body and the mind are in a state of constant interaction. Yogic science does not demarcate where the body ends and the mind begins, but approaches both as a single, integrated entity. The turmoil of daily life brings stress to the body and the mind.This creates anxiety, depression, restlessness, and rage. Yoga asanas, while appearing to deal with the physical body alone,actually influence the chemical balance of the brain, which in turn improves one's mental state of being.By B.K.S. Iyengar

Yoga - Yoga Flow

There is a natural self full of power and gracefulness within you which is the key to your well-being.

Ancient cultures developed techniques to bring their people to the heights of their individual awareness, power and creativity.Sources of power our science does not yet admit exist were tapped in those times, enhancing the health and strength of the population.This is not merely legend, for some of those techniques exist today.Yoga Flow is a series of techniques designed to tap into and channel the powers of nature, both within and around us.

We love to watch clouds drifting in the sky or a puff of smoke gently swirling in the still air.The gentle soaring of a seagull fills us with a calm feeling.If only we could feel so calm within ourselves all the time.Yoga Flow is a slow relaxing series of movements designed to develop calmness, peace and gentleness within us.

Slow, flowing movements of the body create an internal environment conducive to good health.Your mind relaxes as your muscles relax, and the emotions soon follow suit.And yet the senses are still crisp and clear.

As you develop the smoothness of motion, your body begins to feel more liquid than solid.Feelings of rigidity fade away and you experience yourself in a new way.No longer does tension trap and harass you.

Yoga Flow develops gracefulness and a feeling of peace. It frees your attention from the jerky movements of the thinking process and allows it to operate in a smooth, graceful manner. By slowly and carefully releasing the body from its cage of repression and integrating it with the mind, Yoga Flow ends one of the basic conflicts of our lives. By allowing creativity to flourish, it develops the energy of enthusiasm and makes life worth living.

When practicing Yoga Flow our attention is focused on the present moment.Often in life, we are so caught up in concentrating on the past and future that we miss the present.And truly, the present is all that exists for us.In the present, we have power.

Adapted from Movements of Magic, by Bob Klien

 

YOGA AS SPIRITUAL ALCHEMY:

THE PHILOSOPHY AND PRACTICE OF HATHA-YOGA

Utilizing the body as a vehicle for expressing Divine Love

THE ENLIGHTENMENT OF THE BODY—THE ORIGINS OF HATHA-YOGA

The human body-mind is not what it appears to be: a limited, mobile digestive tube. We only need to relate or meditate to discover that this popular materialistic stereotype is untrue, for it is then that we begin to discover the energy dimension of the body and the "deep space" of consciousness. As the hard boundaries that we normally draw around ourselves dissolve, we feel more alive and enter a world of greater experiential intensity. Relaxation and meditation replace our ordinary body image with an experience of ourselves as a fluid process that is connected with the larger, vibrant whole. In this experience, the boundaries of the ego lose their rigidity. Quantum physics tells us that everything is interconnected and that the idea that "I" am a separate physical entity is an illusion. It tells us, moreover, that the so-called objective world is a "hallucination," a projection of that imaginary point of subjectivity within us. We are slow in acknowledging the profound practical implications of the quantum-physical view, obviously because it requires us to make far-reaching and demanding changes in the way we think of ourselves and our universe. The quantum-physical perspective is not as new as we would like to believe. It underlies the entire yogic tradition, notably the schools of Hatha-Yoga.

The first to draw attention to it was Fritjof Capra in his widely read book The Tao of Physics:

The ideas of rhythm and dance naturally come to mind when one tries to imagine the flow of energy going through the patterns that make up the particle world. Modern physics has shown us that movement and rhythm are essential properties of matter; that all matter, whether here on earth or in outer space, is involved in a continual cosmic dance. The Eastern mystics have a dynamic view of the universe similar to that of modern physics, and consequently it is not surprising that they, too, have used the image of the dance to convey their intuition of nature.

It was the adepts of Yoga who pioneered this dynamic view of the universe, and it was also they who inaugurated a new attitude toward the human body and bodily existence in general. In pre-hatha yogic times, the body was often looked upon, in Gnostic fashion, as a source of defilement, as the enemy of the spirit.We may find the pessimistic tone of this passage strange and exaggerated, and yet it expresses our own (religious) culture’s materialistic point of view very well. As long as we consider the body to be a walking alimentary canal, there is little solace in the pursuit (of body culture).The yogic revolution led away from the model of the body as an "inflated bladder of skin." "In yoga," observed historian of religion Marcia Eliade, "the human body acquires an importance it had never before attained in the spiritual history of India." This new attitude is pithily expressed in the Kula-Arnava, an important Hindu Yogic work, thus:
“Without the body, how can the [highest] human goal be realized? Therefore, having acquired a bodily abode, one should perform meritorious (punya) actions.
the knowledge of Reality cannot be acquired except through a human [body].”

What the Yogic masters aspired to was to create a transubstantiated body, which they called "adamantine" (ajar) or "divine" (David) — a body not made of flesh but of immortal substance, of Light. Instead of regarding the body as a meat tube doomed to fall prey to sickness and death, they viewed it as a dwelling place of theDivine, and as the cauldron for accomplishing spiritual perfection.

By Georg Feuertein P.H.D.

The Heart of Ideality

We often succeed—and I have done this with a certain artistry—in following a spiritual path without this path transforming our daily reality. We become interested, we listen to the teachings, we adhere, become Buddhist,Sufi, whatever. This simple change soothes us into a pleasant state but does not always lead us back to the everyday.

Instead, we follow our chosen spiritual path, discover its mysteries, have moments of beautiful depth when we are in the company of our peers or when we spend time with our master. We read passionately, we take in a new philosophy, we devote some time each day to meditation and other practices. A little altar with a little image of Shiva or the Buddha along with a photo of our master reminds us of this new life.Every day we offer flowers and incense—all without undergoing any radical transformation of our ordinary life.

This duality comes from the fact that we are pursuing a spiritual fantasy—however refined it may be—without engaging ourselves totally in the quest. We are surprised, then,that our reactions are the same, that our actions reveal not a trace of our meditation that our vows, the precepts that we observe, are simple safety nets incapable of transforming us. In fact we do not want to communicate deeply with the reality of what we are; we prefer to develop a little island of devotion to which we can take escape from time to time.

Devi would say that a single instant of total presence was worth the reading of all the texts, all the poets, all the philosophers. Devi was a very spontaneous, awakened being.

At first this insistence was unpleasant for me because it was an affront to my spiritual dream.

I would have preferred to have to practice a ritual, recite mantras, concentrate on mandalas, do prostrations, meditate for hours on end like I had done while practicing Vipassana in Thailand. However, Devi was not there to give me what I expected; she was there to help me liberate myself within the ordinariness of the everyday, and this was the revolution of my life.

With Devi, nothing happened. We would draw water, prepare our frugal meals, remain seated in silence; she would give me the teachings; we would walk, enjoy the sun, have fun in a relaxed way—but with presence.

Christianity, Judaism, Islam, and Hinduism all teach us that we must abandon or sublimate desires and passions in order to carry out a spiritual quest. This puritan position has historically been accompanied by the partial or total exclusion of women from the highest level, that of transmission and teaching.

Far from paving a way that extols the egoistic search for pleasure, the masters of these schools encourage us, through a refined yet playful discipline, not to cut off anything that makes us human, so that we may find a profound way to live our desires and passions by taking them to their ultimate point of incandescence. Attachment and suffering disappear.

Reintegrating desire, the senses, and passion with spirituality is the only serious antidote to religious mad­ness or to generalized materialism, because nothing terrifies their adherents as much as these words and the incandescence they point to. These people have a holy horror of anythingthat cannot be controlled, taken over, or subjugated. In addition, today our desire, our passion, is to find absolute freedom, love, and plenitude without being bound hand and foot. We- want to leave behind our ancestral guilt and accept the body wholly:It is our only door into infinite reality. Without the body, we would be nothing. With it, we can be everything.

It is also said that Yoga's attachment to reality rather than to the concept of illusion shared by the Vedantins is due, in part, to women's vision. For yoginis,there is absolutely no philosophy that cannot be understood and presented clearly to all people. No rituals, dogmas, beliefs, or biases isolate their followers from the rest of the world.

If presence to sensations, emotions, and thoughts is to reach plenitude, everything must start with awareness of the heart.Nothing is done in yoga to obtain some future gratification; on the contrary, it offers "practices" whose fruits are im­mediately present in "the practice" itself. In this way, we live solely to experience the profound harmonyn nothing else.

It is much more important to become conscious of the heart many times a day for five, ten, or thirty seconds followed by a conscious return to the habitual manner of living or doing things. This pulling back or withdrawing of attention is crucial, because it allows us not to get lost in automatic activity while believing we are doing our practice.

At first, I try to be present to my heart ten to twenty times a day. Little by little, to the degree that this awareness brings me pleasure, I let the number of times I become aware of the heart increase to a hundred times a day and more.Pleasure is an essential element of Yogic practice, because once we find pleasure in presence, we have a natural tendency to return to it. It is thus no longer a practice but a way in which to savor life and our sensorality more fully, and this is the basis of all the subsequent practices. Once consciousness of the heart replaces automatic mental activity, you will feel a complete change in your way of perceiving the world. Fears and anxieties about relationships with others will disappear; you will have a profound feeling of being connected.

One of the great discoveries of presence is that we can have total trust in the heart/ body. It knows. It is marvelously ca­pable of providing us with an immediate response to most situations in which a choice is required. Unfortunately, we do not recognize this ability of the body; very often our re­flections trouble us and push us to make decisions that go against the body. When this happens, we often say, "I knew"which means, "My body knew." The more we learn to trust our body totally, the more we will discover that it naturally guides us to a joyous spontaneity.

A day lived in consciousness of the heart and of the sensation of the body is a day which tends more and more toward plenitude and toward the deep satisfaction of our longings, in proportion to the development of this consciousness.

Desire is one of our life forces. To deny desire or to want to cut it off is to deprive ourselves of an incomparable dynamic; it is to head toward becoming dried up and drained of life,the mark of so many of the "religious." Religiousmeans "bound." What better bond than desire? The Kashmiri masters recognized this power, and their questioning was not concerned with desire in and of itself, indispensable, but with the bonds between desire and its object.

If everything proceeds from consciousness, then no one action is more worthy than any other. The desire for God is a desire; the desire to renounce desire is itself a desire. It is therefore impossible to follow a spiritual or mystical path while eradicating desire. For yogis, desire is the mark of the endless creativity of consciousness. In cutting it off, we cut off an important part of our consciousness.

Stanza 105 of the Vijnanabhairava  one of the most ancient texts and the source of all non-postural yoga, describes this choice position: "Desire exists in you as in everything. Realize that it also resides in objects and in all that the mind can grasp. Then, in discovering the universality of desire, enter its radiant space."

For yogis, desire is the very movement, the very na­ture, of the universe itself. In order not to have to cut it off,they considered it in its absolute form and asked themselves the question: "What do we really desire?" We can readily believe—and this corresponds in general to our fragmented experience of the world—that we desire to possess people or objects. Hence, we go through the world as predators, seekng to appropriate for ourselves everything our desire can touch. After a short time, we realize that we are dissatisfied, and this mechanism of truncated desire pushes us unceasingly to desire more objects, in an endless cycle that eventu­ally gives way to frustration.

"What if desire were to desire came from the heart instead of the mind?" the Yogic masters then wondered. If desire were simply the incandescence that gives us the feeling of being alive,were intensity, were the tremoring vibration that carries us, then it would be absurd to allow it to be consumed by mental reactions to objects and to lose it once we possess the object or realize we cannot attain it. This profound movement is life itself, and this tremoring is the one that all yoginis and yogis experience,precisely because they remain in the incandescence of desire that come from the heart without rendering it dependent upon the mental reactions. In this instant, objects are seen as maintaining incandescence and not as reducing it.

This marvelous incandescence, this passion, is the particular mark of all the yogis. In order to find it, the adept must seize things in their very first tremorings, before differentiating thought intervenes. It is at this instant that the difference is made between a hedonist, whose worldly search is tied to the mind, and the yogi, who is in search of the most profound spontaneity through the heart.

There exist other passions and other desires, like power and money. Can there be something positive in these forces that take us over, or do they have to be eradicated if we are thinking seriously about following a spiritual path?

Nothing has to be eradicated. The classic trilogy—sex, power, money—requires a great deal of determination, a great deal of energy from its adepts. You have to be ready to suffer until the time comes when you have become desensitized. If this force becomes conscious of itself, of its real and deep desire,it will realize that these three passions are only masks, merely distorted translations of a deeper need, the need to be loved and recognized.

We imagine that we need to be loved and recognized as a totally unique being, as an entity separate from the common mortal by our greatness, and this also is a distorted transla­tion of an essential need, the need to be recognized as non-separate from the world, as a stream of love independent of an elevated ego.

The ego is the part of the human body-mind most susceptible to elevation. We need to be recognized and loved far beyond the ego. This unconditional love alone liberates people. When this essential need is understood, power, sex, and money hold no more interest than masks abandoned at the end of a carnival.

The positive force of all the passions is that it can allow us to return to the essential source of the Self. Passions then become the passion. This passionate impulse can only be satisfied by the discovery of the incandescent core of the Self.This is the reason the Yogic masters have a predilection for passionate people, because only they have the force and the courage to go all the way to the source. All the great saints, in all the traditions, are beings who live absolute passion.

PRANA

Yoga: the science of cultivating Prana.

Prana is verily the life of beings.Therefore it is called the universal life or the life of all.Whatever moves or works or has life, is but an expression or manifestation of Prana.It is Prana that shines in your eyes.It is through the power of Prana the ear hears, the eyes see, the skin feels, the tongue tastes, the nose smells, the brain and the intellect functions.The smile of a person, the melody in the music, the power in the emphatic words of an orator, the charm in the speech of one’s beloved, are all due to Prana.A healthy, strong person has abundance of Prana or vitality.

BLISS DIVINE by Swami Sivananda

Prana is the some total of all energy that is manifest in the universe, the sum total of all the forces of nature. When prana departs from the body, all organs cease to function, for in the body there is no greater force than bio-energy (prana)

The CROWN OF LIFE, Kirpal Singh

The more Prana we have the more Love we are able to have in our hearts.

The Prana is supplied by food, water, air, solar energy, etc.The supply of Prana is taken up by the nervous system.The Prana is absorbed by breathing.The excess of Prana is stored in the brain and nerve centers.When the vital energy is sublimated or transformed, it supplies abundance of Prana to the system.It is stored up in the brain in the form of Ojas.Ojas is nothing but Prana.

The Yogi stores an abundance of Prana by regular practice of Pranayama just as the storage battery stores electricity.That Yogi who has stored up a large supply of Prana radiates strength and vitality all around.He is a big power-house.Those who come in close contact with him imbibe Prana from him, and get strength, vigor, vitality, and exhilaration of spirits.Just as water flows from one vessel to another, Prana actually flows like a steady current from a developed Yogi towards weak persons.

The Yogin who becomes an expert in the knowledge of this secret will have no fear.Some persons are more successful in life, more influential and fascinating than others.It is all due to the power of this Prana. Become a Yogi and radiate joy, light, and power all around you!
BLISS DIVINE by Swami Sivananda

3. SATSANG

A. Group study of inspiring writings: yoga sutras of Patanjalis and other yoga texts.

B. Music - Chanting, Bhajans, Kirtan:Listening to and singing bhajans allows us to access our feelings and places of inspiration within ourselves.

C. Group meditation.

Music and Kirtan

Sutra 1.27 The sacred word designating this creative source is the sound OM, called pranava.

Sutra 1.28 This sound is remembered with deep feeling for the meaning of what it represents.

MUSIC: by Swami Sivananda

Music (chanting, bhajans, kirtan,) is the most direct, universal and immediate mode of lifting us into higher awareness.Through vibration, harmony, tone, melody and meaning, music stimulates within us direct experience of expanded reality.

Music is the most ancient of arts.

Music is the medium for expressing emotion.Music kindles love and infuses hope.It has countless voices and instruments.Music is in the hearts of all men and women.Music is on their tongues.

The Power of Music

Sound is the first manifestation of the Absolute.Supercharged with transcendent soul-force, sound is, in all creation, the one powerful principle that widely influences and effectively brings under control all other manifestations.Many examples can be quoted to bear testimony to this claim of sound with reference to both the individual and the cosmos.

There are, certain accounts relating to the Tibetan Lamas, which tell us how the Lamas drove away and dispersed rain-bearing clouds, or gathered the clouds and made them rain, by blowing the horns and the trumpets and beating the drums.

Music has charms to soothe a ferocious tiger.It melts rocks and bends the banyan tree.It enraptures, lulls, and energizes.It elevates, inspires, strengthens, and invigorates.It vibrates in the memory.It cures incurable diseases.

Music fills the mind with Sattva.Music generates harmony in the heart.Music melts the hardest heart.Music softens the brutal nature of man.

Music comforts, soothes, and cheers up people when they are afflicted. It comforts the lonely and the distressed.Music removes worries, cares, and anxieties.

Music helps the devotee to commune with the Lord.It makes the mind one-pointed quickly.Music brings Bhava Samadhi.Thyagaraja, Purandhara Das, Mira, and Tukaram have all realized God consciousness through Music.

Music Is Spiritual

Music is not an instrument for titillation of the nerves or satisfaction of the senses; it is a Yoga Sadhana which enables you to attain Atma-sakshatkara.It is the foremost duty of all musicians, and institutions interested in the promotion of music, to preserve this grand ideal and this pristine purity that belongs to music.

Music is Nada Yoga.The various musical notes have their own corresponding Nadis or subtle channels in the Kundalini Chakras; and music vibrates these Nadis, purifies them, and awakens the psychic and spiritual power dormant in them. Observe the power of gentle, sweet sounds: Sa, Ri, Ga, Ma, Pa, Da, Ni, Sa. Purification of Nadis not only ensures peace and happiness of mind, but goes a long way in Yoga Sadhana and helps the aspirant to reach the goal of life very easily.

Influence of Music over Mind and Body

Sweet melody exercises a powerful influence on the mind and physical nature of every living being.

Music is an aid to treatment of diseases.Sages affirm that many diseases can be cured by the melodious sound of a flute or a violin, a Veena or a Sarangi. They maintain that there is, in music, and extraordinary power over diseases.Music relaxes nervous tension, and makes parts of the body affected by tension to resume their normal functions.In America, doctors are treating patients who are suffering from nervous diseases through music.In ancient Egypt, music was used in temples in healing diseases of the nervous class.

Sangita or Kirtan is the best medicine and tonic when all other systems of medicine have failed to cure a disease.Kirtan will work wonders.Kirtan is the sole refuge and sheet-anchor in the treatment of chronic incurable disease.Try this unique medicine and realize its marvelous benefits

Kirtana Bhakti

Kirtan is singing God’s Name with feeling, love, and faith.In Sankirtan, people join together and sing God’s Name collectively in a common place.There is accompaniment of musical instruments such as harmonium, violin, cymbals, Mridanga or Khol, etc. Kirtan is one of the nine modes of Bhakti.Sankirtan is an exact science.

The Psychology behind Kirtana Bhakti

Kirtana is a very effective method of devotion.Music melts the heart of even the stone-hearted person.If at all there is anything in this world which can change the heart of any one in a very quick time, that is music and dance.This very method is made use of in Kirtana Bhakti.Man’s emotion of erotism is directed towards Divinity.Kirtana is sweet and pleasant, and easily changes the heart.

Do Sankirtan daily.Disseminate Sankirtan Bhakti far and wide.

Swami Sivananda

MUSIC AND MIRACLES

Sound, music and the continuation of life go hand-in-hand.The physical body reflects the sounds we perceive, down to the biochemical level.

The reviewing of three hundred and fifty files of individuals seen over five years at three centers for communication and learning skills in the U.S. led to the compilation of a list of positive changes as the result of music therapy.Some of these changes are:

Increased alertness and awareness

Improved concentration and on-task behavior

Spontaneous expression of sincere affection

Increased independence

Improved recognition and consideration of others’ feelings

By Don Campbell

4. SATYA - TRUTHFULNESS

Sutra 1.50 This type of knowledge that is filled with truth creates latent impressions in the mind-field, and those new impressions tend to reduce the formation of other less useful forms of habitual latent impressions.

Sutra 1.51 When even these latent impressions from truth filled knowledge recede along with the other impressions, then there is objectless concentration.

Sutra 2.36 For one who increasingly practices honesty or truthfulness in actions, speech, and thoughts, his or her will is naturally fulfilled. 

Sutra 4.31 Then, by the removal of those veils of imperfection, there comes the experience of the infinite, and the realization that there is almost nothing to be known.

CROWN OF LIFE: Raja Yoga (The truth of who we are)
The royal road to re-integration
A Raja yogin is not expected to take things for granted or to blindly accept an authority, scriptural or otherwise.There’s is essentially a path of self-experiment.Humankind, according to Raja yoga is a layered entity and is clothed in so many folds one within the other all of which form koshas or veils covering the Atman or true self.Within these lies the crest jewel of being itself the ever abiding self underneath the phenomenal personality.Thus complete liberation (mukti) consists in complete release from the countless finitizing processes enveloping the infinite ocean of creative life principle so as to have all power, all life, all wisdom, all joy, all bliss and everything else in its fullness.In other words it means tearing down the personality or mask which an actor dons when he comes on the stage to play his roll.The job of a Raja yogin then, is to unmask the reality within them by removing the numberless masks or false identifications, and thereby to separate the great self from the enshrouded sheaths by which it is encumbered.
Ashtang Yoga or the eightfold path of Patanjali leads to what is commonly known as Raja Yoga.
By Kirpal Singh

“Truthfulness is the first pillar in the temple of God-realization. Truth is the Gateway to the Kingdom of God consciousness. Truth is like a ladder. It leads you to the Kingdom of Immortal Bliss”

BLISS DIVINE by Swami Sivananda

Fearlessness

One of the first characteristics of the soul as described by the saints is fearlessness. The soul has no fear. The soul is truth. The soul istotally conscious. Being absolute truth means there is no fear. Thus, there is no fear in the soul. Fear arises in a human being because of doubts, because of having done the wrong thing and trying to hide it, because of being weak,and because of one's inability to understand or recognize the truth. Our soul, which is totally conscious, is a part of God and, therefore, is without any fear.

If we examine our lives we find that we are fearful of many things. As a student we live in fear of whether or not we are going to pass our examinations. As a parent, we fear whether or not our child is going to be medically fit or whether or not he or she will grow up prop­erly to be a good person. As a child we are fearful and worried about how long our parents are going to be there to support us. As a business person we are always worried about whether our competitors are getting the better of us.We are all fearful of death. We all know that one day we are all going to die. We consider that the annihilation of ourselves is the end of our very existence. That fear is always trying to eat us up in one manner or another. The saints tell us that what dies is the physical body, which is made of matter. Being made of matter, it deteriorates, it decays and is finally destroyed. But our true self, which is our spirit or soul, is eternal. It lives on and on and on. What we call death in this world of ours is only a physical death. For the soul, it is just the changing of a vesture. Therefore, the first thing to understand is that our soul is everlasting. It was there in the beginning, it is there now, and it will always be there. It is always going to live. There is no question of the destruction of the soul. So the first thing we need to know as we start our spiritual journey is that we are eternal. Thus, we should be far away from the fear of death or the fear of anything else.

SELF INTROSPECTION THROUGH TRUTHFULNESS - ACESSING OUR TRUE NATURE

The following is brief description of the stages that one goes through (tearing down the personality or mask) to reach our true state.

Stage 1. Superficiality, socially appropriate politeness, guarded, separate, mental, adherence to blind belief, stoic, busy mind.

Stage 2. Feelings, confrontational, honest, truthful, crying, laughing, intense, anger, hostility, argumentative, impulsive, direct, expressive, emotional.

Stage 3. Emptiness, lack of structure, seeming meaninglessness, no belief to hang on to, openness, vulnerability. letting go.

Stage 4. Oneness, upliftment, love, awareness, knowing, intuitive, creative, ecstatic, caring, abundant, a falling in love with yourself and the whole world.

 

The practice of truthfulness (satya).

1.Refrain from generalizations—each of us experiences everything in our own unique way.Generalizing or “telling a story” can serve to deny and repress individual expression.
Most of us communicate superficially. It is an unconscious, gentle process whereby people who want to be accepted attempt to be so by telling little white lies, by withholding some of the truth about themselves and their feelings in order to avoid conflicts and alienation.People are so accustomed to being well mannered that they are able to deploy their good manners without even thinking about what they are doing.It is as if every individual member is operating according to the same book of etiquette.It is easy to see how these rules make for workable interaction.But these crush individuality, intimacy and honesty.It leaves one empty; a one way trip to nowhere.

2.Speak personally—I am the only person for whom I can speak with authority.All I can truly share with you is who I am, what I think, feel, and experience.

3.Be vulnerable—By sharing my weakness as well as my strength, I invite others to also feel safe enough to be their whole selves with me and respond to me.

4.Speak to reveal, not to convince—When we attempt to convert each other we believe we are being loving and we are truly surprised at the hostility that sometimes arises.After all, isn’t it the loving thing to do to relieve others of their suffering or help them see the light?

Actually, however, almost all these attempts to convert are not only naive and ineffective but quite self centered and self servingMy most basic motive when I strive to convert or improve someone is to feel good myself. Often when we offer our unsolicited solution to someone’s problems our unconscious motive is to build our self esteem. It makes us feel good to know the solution, “the right way”. We build ourselves up at another’s expense. The person you’re trying to improve, subconsciously or consciously, is hurt by being used, is resentful and hostile.

The most loving thing we can do when a friend is in pain is just to be there and listen.

5. Be straight forward—Often we don’t tell someone how we feel about them because we don’t want to hurt their feelings. But in fact what actually happens is we hurt them more by not telling them how we feel. Subconsciously or consciously, we all sense when someone is not being straight with us and we also sense when someone is hostile towards us. By not communicating our feelings we are telling that person they are not worthy or not able to handle how we feel about them. This adds insult to injury. By not communicating verbally, we confuse and prolong the discomfort. There are ways of expressing the truth without hurting anyone’s feelings. An example: “I think you are a jerk”.A more truthful way to express this would be: “I feel uncomfortable or un-attracted to you when you say certain things”. Using the excuse of not wanting to hurt someone’s feelings as a reason for not telling the truth causes a great deal of separation and illusion for ourselves and others. Learning to tell the truth without hurting feelings is the part of the practice of satya

6. Listen wholeheartedly—Listening with full, open-hearted attention can be very effortful.It can also be powerful and beneficial for both the speaker and the listener.

7.Embrace the painful as well as the pleasant—There seems to be a strong human tendency to avoid pain.This tendency can isolate us by forcing us to hide our pain from each other.Be willing to listen to and express that which is painful, that which is joyful, and any reality in between.

8.Empty ourselves of preconceptions and expectations of what the experience will be like... until such time as we can empty ourselves and stop trying to fit others and our relationships with them into a preconceived mold we cannot listen, hear or experience.

9.Drop your prejudice—That is, the judgments we make about people with little or no experience of them.Not a workshop goes by when most of us quickly conclude that some person is a real “nerd,” only to discover later that person has enormous gifts.

10. Ideology, theology and solutions should be put on hold and discard any idea that assumes the status of “the only and right way.”

When we follows these guidelines for a period of time the personality veils fall away, we become open and empty, an upliftment occurs.It is a kind of peace.The room is bathed in peace.When someone talks about themselves they are being very vulnerable.They are speaking of the deepest part of themselves.The listeners hang on each word.No one realized that person was capable of such eloquence.When others share it is a gift to the whole group.

And then something almost singular happens.The most dominant mood is one of a deep joy.It is like falling in love.In a very real sense it is falling in love with one another, en masse.They feel like hugging everyone all at once.During the highest moments, the energy level is supernatural.It is an ecstatic sharing, caring, a Oneness.

ADAPTED FROM “A DIFFERENT DRUM” by M. Scott Peck.

Expressing Ourselves

When we were young, we were cautioned to speak softly and never to express anger or other “undesirable” emotions with our voices.Even our expressions of joy were often stifled.We were told that such “outbursts” were unacceptable.Many of us were denied the ecstatic pleasure of singing because our tone quality or pitch-matching ability did not measure up to our teacher’s or choir master’s standards.We began to learn that our spontaneous expression was unacceptable.We learned to lie, not only with our words, but also with our sounds.We learned that there was safety in silence and invisibility.When we no longer voiced our true sounds and feelings, we began to forget them. Parts of us began to wither, and our connection with our personal power began to fade.

Years of unvoiced feelings and self-censorship, often accompanied by a sense of powerlessness, manifest as dissonance and fragmentation in our lives.This dissonance may appear in the form of physical illness, emotional anguish, or a pervasive sense that “something is wrong.”Physical and emotional pain are often the catalyst that urge us to break the silence, but many of us have forgotten how to access our own sound.

As we begin to explore the inner landscape, the primitive sound of uncensored emotion rise up from the depths of our bodies.We might ask:Is this sound really coming from me? Is it a part of me I want to look at? Will I be overwhelmed, consumed by this sound? Do I deserve to express this much joy? Can I accept being alive? As we continue to release our sounds, we feel the stirring of our own power reawakening.

RECLAIMING THE POWER WITHIN Laurie Rugenstein

5.SEVA - SERVICE: KARMA YOGA , AHIMSA

Sutra 1.33 In relationships, the mind becomes purified by cultivating feelings of friendliness towards those who are happy, compassion for those who are suffering, goodwill towards those who are virtuous, and indifference or neutrality towards those we perceive as wicked.

True Religion is the expression of Divinity already existing in us. It is not rites or ceremonies, creeds or forms. It is Life. It is the mingling of the soul with the Great Life. It is not shut up in temples, but in love for all. Love knows service and sacrifice. There is no place where God consciousness is not. You will not find it in the gorgeous temples made of marble and stone. You will find God in the tears of the poor and the lost. True happiness lies in giving to others, not in self seeking.

If you want to experience God consciousness in the most practical way, it is love our fellow beings; feel for others in the same way as we feel for our dear ones; instead of seeing faults in others, we look within ourselves; suffer in the suffering of others and feel happiness in the happiness of others, endure all what comes cheerfully accepting as Divine will.

Kirpal Singh 1961 Delhi India

”What is the object in Seva or service? Why do you serve poor people and the suffering humanity at large?By doing service, you purify your heart.Egoism, hatred, and jealousy vanish. Humility, pure love and sympathy and mercy are developed.Sense of separateness is annihilated.Selfishness eradicated.You get a broad outlook on life.You develop a broad heart, generous views.Eventually, you get Knowledge of the Self.You realize the all-in-One and all-in-One. You feel unbounded joy.”

BLISS DIVINE by Swami Sivananda

Yama Ahimsa

The first of these behavior patterns is called ahimsa.The word himsa means "injustice" or "cruelty," but ahimsa is more than simply the absence of himsa, which the prefix a suggests. Ahimsa is more than just lack of violence. It means kindness, friendliness, and thoughtful consideration of other people and things.

A TIME FOR CARING

The ability to care for others is not an intellectual or calculated exercise. It is a spontaneous abundance of heart.When you get in contact with that inspired self, caring is simply an unconscious way of being.

Arguments about the true nature of humans have raged for centuries. Are people capable of pure altruism? Or are acts of helping, kindness and generosity always based on necessity or fear or expectation of reward?

But if a person is by nature hedonistic, why will they help another? Why do something not in their own self-interest? Cynics assign an ulterior motive to all pro-social behavior; some even go so far as to view altruism as a sign of neurosis, a refusal to cope with the realities of life.

The human infant, unlike the young of many species, literally cannot survive without care. Babies who are not held and properly nurtured often die; of those who survive, many become autistic or turn criminal later in life.

In pursuit of the life well lived many people have ridden rough-shod over their own better nature.They have all but trampled their need to care and be cared for.Yet caring for each other—and for ourselves—is an integral part of what we need to feel at peace with ourselves and the world we live in.By neglecting and trivializing our caring nature, we are betraying our own best interests.

Caring for and about others is caring for ourselves.Caring for others accrues great benefits to us. It increases our self-esteem, attracts the care and concern of others, improves the environment, and enhances the quality of life.

The decision to care requires assertiveness and a sense of self-worth that many people just don’t have.

Fear, then—of rejection, of being misunderstood, of being laughed at or thought foolish, of being taken advantage of—inhibits caring actions.People refrain from doing anything rash or spontaneous. The risks seem formidable.So they play it cool and keep up their aristocratic, above-it-all facade.

The caring capacity has been weakened by disuse, lack of reinforcement, and misunderstanding of its potential for growth. Putting it back in working order is a matter of recognizing caring feelings and improving skills.

Caring has impact. We feel productive and worthy of others’ care and attention.We see ourselves in a positive light.

People are naturally attracted to those who care.They have an alluring energy and radiance.

By George Bach

THE GOOD THAT COMES FROM DOING GOOD

People who voluntarily help others—no matter how demanding the work they take on—are happier and healthier than the rest of us.

Altruism basically means helping others voluntarily with no expectation of external rewards; the help may even be at great personal risk or cost.

Altruists do not limit caring to family and friends; they extend it to others. We’re talking about a kind of activity that is a natural and spontaneous expression of well-being and wholeness, not deficiency or neurotic needs. Altruism is a sign of mental health because people who are healthy aren’t worried about themselves.Concern for the world is what’s left over after concern for yourself.

The most “fully human” person is someone who is compassionate out of the understanding that all of life is interconnected and is to be lived not in isolation, trying to satisfy only one’s own ego, but rather in service to the community.Altruism, compassion, love, and friendship are the flowering of seeds with which we’re all born.

When we voluntarily enter into service even in seemingly stressful activities, we actually relax. In fact, what happens is the opposite of the stress or arousal response—we relax.Metabolism, blood pressure, heart rate and breathing decrease.And we experience a reduction in anxiety, depression, and anger. It’s pretty hard to feel depressed when you see a smile that you helped to create.

The act of giving selflessly can also be as effective as exercise in energizing ourselves.Of 3,300 volunteers surveyed in 1989, those who helped regularly were ten times more likely to report better health than those who volunteered only once a year.Personal contact is critical, however; giving money or donating clothes doesn’t have the same benefits.”

Recent research reveals how dramatic the positive experience of giving voluntarily may be.A study of 2,700 people for more than a decade showed people engaged in regular volunteer work were two and a half times less likely to die during the research project than those who didn’t volunteer.

But altruists do not enter into helping others because they’ve calculated all the benefits to be reaped. There is an inner hunger on the part of a lot of people who feel that the kind of individualistic psychologies that have shaped our lives in the West—together with families breaking down and communities fragmenting—have left them disconnected and alienated, without a sense that their lives or work have greater meaning. But when they decide “I’m going to do something to make a difference,” they find that they experience a sense of fulfillment and joy that they were lacking.

By Mirka Knaster

6. BHAKTI YOGA – LOVE – DEVOTION

Sutra 1.23 From a special process of devotion and letting go into the creative source from which we emerged, the coming of samadhi is imminent.

Through Meditation and Satya practice (verbally describing the introspective process) we identify and remove our ego veils and come in contact with our compassionate self, we experience love. Through Satsang (the association with those on a path of love) we strengthen this Love. Through Bhakti (Devotion) we deepen this Love.

Bhakti - from the book Yoga Traditions
Love (bhakti) is a key element in Krishna's teaching. On the finite plane, it is the surest mechanism by which voga-devotees bond themselves to the Divine Person (within) and (thereby achieve Divine Grace.) On theultimate level, love is the very nature of the liberated condition.

How may we understand the transcendental love in which the liberated yogin participates?

The Gitta's teaching of the eternal love that flows (from one Beloved to another) and to all creation is one of the most momentous innovations in the history of Indian religiosity. The Yoga taught by Krishna infused Hinduism with a rare emotionality that had until then been absent from the largely ascetic efforts of the Hindu seers and sages.Suddenly the spiritual seeker was empowered to relate to the Divine in personal terms, from the heart and not merely through the exercise of the will. This had in fact been the teaching of the ancient Vedic rishis, but it became gradually eclipsed by the tradition of fierce asceticism (tapas) both within and outside the orthodox brahmanical priesthood. The Gita, in fact, introduces Krishna not so much as an innovator but as a reviver of ancient teachings that had been lost. With the Gita the gospel of theistic (Divine)devotion became a vehicle for the simple spiritual aspirations.
By Georg Feuerstein

SPIRITUAL ELIXIR <

What is this love of which all mystics, Easter and Western, have spoken so insistently? Is it like the love that we know, involved in a more or less strong drive for possession? The Love of which the mystics speak is a one that must be completely purified of the self. The love of the mystics is one in which one completely and unreservedly surrenders one’s self to one’s love.

You may well ask why there is this insistent stress on complete self surrender on the mystic path. The answer is simple: with this absolute surrender of the last vestiges of ego and selfhood and without such complete absorption in the object of one’s love; one cannot attain that unwavering concentration of all one’s faculties which is the prerequisite of all inner progress.

By Kirpal Singh

LOVE IS A SECRET

The mystic emphatically states that all love at whatever level, is a reflection of God consciousness.A “spiritual love” is understood to exist when both lover and beloved transcend the limitations of merely physical or personal satisfaction.The troubadours (traveling mystic minstrels of the middle ages) flatly stated that they were seeking entrance to the inner worlds through their love.In most instances, they hoped to achieve spiritual beatitude.Passion, whether for a human or a divine Beloved, gave them a foretaste of the ecstasy and yearning of the world to come.Romantic love was for them an initiation, a stepping stone to a higher, more glorious vision.In this respect their view of courtly human love paralleled the medieval view of spirituality.

If we look into the true meaning of the word “romantic,” we find that it means one who has empathy or respect for the inwardness of others.It was precisely this inwardness with which the romantic lover strove to identify; when he was successful, he did indeed achieve a state of transcendence of himself and his limited world.The person he loved was idealized into the symbol of all beauty and perfection.The lover was transfigured and transformed into the image of the beloved.

The whole tradition of romantic love is greatly different today.Today we fail to see our search for human love in this noble context, and yet all of us long for human love in a relationship that will fulfill us completely.Robert Johnson suggests that we are all on this quest, whether we see it consciously or whether it remains an unconscious archetype directing our lives.The difference for us today is that most of us have failed to consciously initiate this quest for our highest potential.Rather, it is initiated for us by our latent, unconscious needs for completion and lasting happiness.We do this by projecting all our ideals of perfection onto our mate.

In the West, we are used to “falling in love.”This initial attraction is so strong precisely because it reminds us of an ideal of perfection.In time, realizing the impossibility of this ideal in the shortcomings of our partner, we become bitterly disappointed.As Robert Johnson so artfully puts it, “we follow our projections about; always searching for the one who will match the impossible ideal and will magically give us transformation.”If we don’t find the divine world in our loved one, we suffer and fall into despair.

For the mystic, love is about service.The great fifteenth-century teacher and poet Kabir said, “Love is giving, giving, and still more giving.”Mother Teresa of Calcutta was once asked, “Mother, how does it happen you are able to do so much, and why are you in this state of joy?”“My dear,” she said, “it is because I am so deeply in love.”“But Mother, you’re a nun.” “Precisely,” she said.“I am married to Jesus.”

“Yes, I understand, you’re married to Jesus. All nuns are.”
“No, you don’t understand,” she countered. “I really am so in a state of love that I see the face of my beloved in the face of the dying man in the streets of Calcutta. I see my Beloved in the leper whose flesh is decaying, and I can’t do enough for my beloved.”

The mystic’s message through the ages has been a call to awaken to the deepest levels of love within ourselves. When love is awakened within our being, our perception of the universe undergoes a vast change. From this vantage point, the mystic sees everything as endowed with love. Even the stars, sun and moon are seen to move and orbit out of love.

Mystics have stated that love is not only the driving energy behind all creation but the purpose for its existence. It is the force within humankind that has sought unity with God consciousness since the dawn of creation.

By Andrew Vidich (a disciple of Kirpal Singh)

THE DIVINE ROMANCE by Paramahansa Yoganada

Self-Realization Fellowship Temple, Hollywood, California, October 10, 1943

The world as a whole has forgotten the real meaning of the word love. Love has been so abused and crucified by man that very few people know what true love is. Just as oil is present in every part of the olive, so love permeates every part of creation. But to define love is very difficult, for the same reason that words cannot fully describe the flavor of an orange. You have to taste the fruit to know its flavor. So with love. All of you have tasted love in some form in your hearts; therefore you know a little about what it is. But you have not understood how to develop love, how to purify and expand it into divine love. A spark of this divine love exists in most hearts in the beginning of life, but is usually lost, because man does not know how to cultivate it. Many people wouldn't think it even necessary to analyze what love is. They recognize love as the feeling they have for their relatives, friends, and others to whom they are strongly attracted. But there is much more to it than that. The only way I can describe real love to you is to tell you its effect. If you could feel even a particle of divine love, so great would be your joy — so overpowering — you could not contain it.

The Universal Nature of Love

In the universal sense, love is the divine power of attrac­tion in creation that harmonizes, unites, and binds together. It is opposed by the force of repulsion, which is the outgoing cos­mic energy that materializes creation from the cosmic con­sciousness of God. Repulsion keeps all forms in the manifested state through maya, the power of delusion that divides, differentiates, and disharmonizes. The attractive force of love counteracts cosmic repulsion to harmonize all creation and ulti­mately draw it back to God consciousness. Those who live in tune with the attractive force of love achieve harmony with nature and their fellow beings, and are attracted to blissful reunion with God consciousness. In this world, love presupposes duality; it springs from a mutual exchange or suggestion of feeling between two or more forms.

In men and women, love expresses itself in various ways. We find love between man and wife, parent and child, brother and sister, friend and friend. Love is a universal emotion; - its expressions are distinguished by the nature of the thought through which it moves. Hence, when love passes through the heart of the father, fatherly con­sciousness translates it into fatherly love. When it passes through the heart of the mother, motherly consciousness translates it into motherly love. When it passes through the heart of the lover, the consciousness of the lover gives that universal love still another quality. It is not the physical instrument, but the consciousness through which the love moves that determines the quality of love expressed. Thus a father may express motherly love, a mother may express friendly love, a lover may express divine love.

Every reflection of love comes from the one Cosmic Love, but when expressed as human love in its various forms, there is always some taint in it. The mother doesn't know why she loves the child; the child knows not why he loves the mother. They do not know whence comes this love they feel for one an­other. It is the manifestation in them of God's love;and when it is pure and unselfish, it reflects divine love. Thus, by in­vestigating human love, we can learn something of divine love, for in human love we have glimpses of that “Divine love”.

At its most idealistic, “romantic love” can be one of the great­est expressions of human love.When man and woman genuinely and purely love one another, there is complete harmony between them in body, mind, and soul. When their love is expressed in its highest form, it results in a perfect unity. But this love, too, has its flaw; it can be tainted by the abuse of sex, which eclipses di­vine love. Nature has made the sex impulse very strong so that creation might go on; - therefore, sex has its place in the marital relationship between man and woman. But if it becomes the supreme factor in that relationship, love flies out the door and disappears completely; in its place come possessiveness and the abuse and loss of friendship and understand­ing. Though sexual attraction is one of the conditions under which love is born, sex in itself is not love. It is only when the transmuting quality of true love is uppermost in the relationship that sex be­comes a means of expressing love.

When two people feel an unconditional attraction for each other, and are ready to sacrifice for one an­other, they are truly in love. Then only are they ready for an in­timate relationship in marriage. Mere possessiveness won't do. When one marriage partner tries to control the other, it shows a lack of real love. Another wrong attitude is fear of the opposite sex; abnormal aversion, like abnormal attraction, is an unhealthy attitude.But when they express their love in continual thoughtfulness for the true happiness of the other, it becomes di­vine love. In such a relationship we have a glimpse of the Divine, which is pure and grand and wonderful.

Love gives without expecting anything in return. Love cannot be had for the asking; it comes only as a gift from the heart of another. Be certain of your feeling before you say to anyone, "I love you." Once you give your love, it must be forever. Not because you want to be near that person, but because you want perfection for that soul. To wish for perfec­tion for the loved one, and to feel pure joy in thinking of that soul, is divine love; and that is the love of true friendship. The greatest love you can experience is in communion with “Divine love” in meditation. The love between the soul and Spirit is the perfect love, the love you are all seeking. When you meditate, love grows. Millions of thrills pass through your heart.

Divine love is the only perfect love. It is Divine love that is play­ing hide-and-seek in the corridors of hearts, that perchance be­hind lesser human loves you may find Divine all-satisfying love. If you meditate deeply, a love will come over you such as no human tongue can describe; you will know Di­vine Love, and you will be able to give that pure love to others.

That divine love came over me last night. I had only a wink of sleep, so overwhelming it was. In that great flame of love I am beholding you all. Such is the love I feel for you! In your faces I see what is in your hearts.

In the consciousness of one who is immersed in the divine, there is no deception, no narrowness of caste or creed, no boundaries of any kind. When you experience that divine love, you will see no difference between flower and beast, between one human being and another. You will commune with all nature, and you will love equally all mankind. I am part of the vast family of human beings. I love them, for they are all mine. I love, too, my brother sun and my sister moon, and all creatures my Father has created and in whom Divine life flows."

True love is divine, and divine love is joy. The more you meditate, seeking Divine love with a burning desire, the more you will feel that love in your heart.

A Scripture of Love

I sought love in many lives.I shed bitter tears of separation and repentance to know what love is.I sacrificed everything, all attachment and delusion, to learn at last that I am in love with Love—with God consciousness—alone.

Many souls wonder, wistfully, helplessly, why love flees from one heart to another; awakened souls realize that the heart is not fickle in loving different ones, but is loving the one God-Love that is present in all hearts.

As father I drink reverential love from the spring of my child’s heart.As mother I drink the nectar of unconditional love from the soul-cup of the tiny baby.As child I imbibe the protecting love of the father’s righteous reason.As infant I drink causeless love from the holy grail of maternal attraction.

I am in love with Love alone, but I allow myself to be deluded when as father or mother I think and feel only for the child; when as lover I care only for the beloved.But because I love alone, I ultimately break this delusion of My myriad human Selves.It is for this reason that I transfer the father into the astral land (death) when he forgets that it is My love, not his, that protects the child.I lift the babe from the mother’s breast, that she might learn it is My love she adored in him.I spirit away the beloved from the lover who imagines it is she whom he loves, rather than My love responding to her.

So My love is playing hide-and-seek in all human hearts, that each might learn to discover and worship, not the temporal human receptacles of My love, but My love itself, dancing from one heart to another.

Human beings importune one another, “Love me alone,” and so I make cold their lips and seal them forever, that they utter this untruth no more.Because they are all My children, I want them to learn to speak the ultimate truth: “Love the One Love in all of us.” To tell another, “I love you,” is false until you realize the truth: “God consciousness as the love in me is in love with His love in you.”

The moon laughs at millions of well-meaning lovers who have unknowingly lied to their beloved ones:“I love you forever.”Their skulls are strewn over the windswept sands of eternity.They can no longer use their breath to say, “I love you.”They can neither remember nor redeem their promise to love each other forever.

Without speaking a word, I have loved you always.I alone can truly say, “I love you”; for I loved you before you were born; My love gives you life and sustains you even at this moment and I alone can love you after the gates of death imprison you where none, not even your greatest human lover, can reach you.

I am the love that dances human puppets on strings of emotions and instincts, to play the drama of love on the stage of life.My love is beautiful and endlessly enjoyable when you love it alone; but the lifeline of your peace and joy is cut when instead you become entangled in human emotion and attachment.Realize, My children, it is My love for which you yearn!

Those who love Me as only one person, or who imperfectly love Me in one person, do not know what Love is.Only they can know Love who love Me wisely, faultlessly, completely, all-surrenderingly—who love Me perfectly and equally ‘in’ all, and who love Me perfectly and equally ‘as’ all.

By Paramahansa Yoganada

SANDY

My spiritual journey was influenced by a very valuable experience, learning “passionate compassion” from a young woman named Sandy.

Before I met Sandy, I saw relationships and life as the fulfillment of emotional and physical needs.I saw this as the socially accepted way of being.I had no idea that anything else was possible.Then an experience occurred that took me out of this way of thinking.

I was nineteen living with a small group of people on an isolated beach near Vancouver, Canada.It was a very beautiful time.The sunset and sunrise were our visual entertainment.Heart-felt communication and music were the basis of our social activity.It was real and fulfilling.

Often new people came to see what was going on. At first cautious and reserved, they opened up, as they responded to the caring and warmth of the group.It felt good to be a part of something that was changing people’s lives for the better.The fresh air, the sunshine, the water, the closeness, it was all so simple and yet so naturally intoxicating. We didn’t need any artificial intoxicants.

Trips to the city were shocking.The difference between our robust glow and the stress and pallor of those living in the city was clear.It was easy to see that the way we were living at the beach was what life was all about.

Sandy and I were studying Tibetan Yoga, compassion, deep caring and humility as taught by the Tibetans had power. There was also time alone just being with nature, watching the day pass. Most of us had led lives where we were so busy between work and school that we had no awareness of the depth that nature gave.

This environment set the ground work for a totally new kind of relationship and way of life. This experience was a catalyst for getting in touch with my true nature, my caring nature.

For reasons I didn’t understand at the time, my relationship with Sandy was unlike anything I had ever previously seen or experienced.Sandy intuitively guided our relationship. She knew what to do. We were very close but the relationship was neither possessive nor sexual.Mostly we talked, enjoyed water and sky. Our love was a warm contentment. We did not consume each other.

It was awkward when we first started sharing. Painful feelings surfaced as we explored the unsettled events that had shaped our lives.When we had talked through these things, we discovered that these previous events no longer had such an influence on our lives. There was a sense of freedom.Each time we’d get together, our mutual love allowed our emotional blocks to be replaced with greater love.It was magical, a joyous closeness.

One morning we walked a long way out on the beach when the tide was at its lowest ebb.We sat in the morning mist talking.Although we sat apart we felt as one. I was overwhelmed with the intensity of our caring for each other. I felt I would give up my life for her. I felt as if we were merging into each other.At a point when we felt we could not be closer or more in love, everything changed.We entered another state of awareness. The beauty became totally fulfilling.Everything became an intoxicating, beautiful glow. The glow was the respect and trust we had for each other. We saw in each other the reflection of pure love.

I felt like a change had occurred in me on a molecular level. When I saw my friends in the next few days they reacted in astonishment and approval at the change they saw in me. I felt loving and abundant.

I learned from Sandy that this experience was not about her and me. It was not about emotional neediness or sexual gratification or even companionship. It was a deep caring within ourselves. This deep caring is, for me, the essence of the spiritual experience.”

By Craig Perkins

Beloved

The Buddha says in one of the teachings: "Of all the buddhas who have ever attained enlightenment, not a single one accomplished this without divine love, and of all the thousand buddhas that will appear in this eon, none of them will attain enlightenment without love; a deep feeling of

Many people in the West are suspicious of divine love—often, unfortunately, for good reasons. I do not have to catalogue here the many disappointing cases ofthat have occurred in the modernworld. And so what the world needs urgently now is as clear as possible an understanding of what a real beloved is, and what a divine love relationship is, and what is the true nature of the transformation that takes place through devotion to the beloved, what you might call "the alchemy of love."

When we have prayed and aspired and hungered for the truth for a long time, for many, many lives, and when our karma has become sufficiently purified, a kind of miracle takes place. This miracle, if we can understand and use it, can lead to the ending of ignorance forever. The inner love, that has been with us always, manifests in the form of the "outer love," whom, almost as if by magic, we actually encounter. This encounter is the most important of any lifetime.

Who is this outer beloved? None other than the embodiment and voice and representative of our inner being. The beloved whose human shape and human voice and wisdom we come to love with a love deeper than any other in our lives is none other than the external manifestation of themystery of our own inner truth. What else could explain why we feel so strongly connected to him or her?

At the deepest and highest level, the beloved and the lover are not and cannot ever be in any way separate; for the beloved's task is to teach us to give and receive, without any obscuration of any kind, the clear message of our own inner being, and to bring us to realize the continual presence of this ultimate teacher within us. I pray that all of you may taste, in this life, the joy of this most perfect kind of friendship.

From the blossoming lotus of devotion, at the center of my heart,

Rise up, O compassionate beloved, my only refuge!

I am plagued by fast actions and turbulent emotions:To protect me in my misfortune

Remain as the jewel-ornament on the crown of my head, the mandala of great bliss,\

Arousing all my mindfulness and awareness, I pray!

THE ALCHEMY OF DEVOTION

Just as Buddha said that of all the buddhas who attained enlightenment, not one accomplished this without the beloved, he also said: "It is only through compassion, understanding and love, that you will realize the absolute truth."

The absolute truth cannot be realized within the domain of the ordinary mind. And the path beyond the ordinary mind, all the great wisdom traditions have told us, is through the heart. This path of the heart is love.

When the beloved is able to open your innermost heart, and offers you an undeniably powerful glimpse of the nature of your heart, a wave of joyful gratitude surges up in you toward the one who helped you to see, and the truth that you now realize the beloved embodies in his or her being, teach­ings and wisdom. That uncontrived, genuine feeling is always rooted in repeated, undeniable, inner experience a repeated clarity of direct recognition and this, and this only,is what we call divine love, mo gu in Tibetan. Mo gu means "longing and respect"; respect for the beloved, which grows deeper and deeper as you understand more and more who he or she really is. And longing for what he or she can introducein you, because you have come to know the beloved is your heart link with the absolute truth and the embodiment of the true nature of your mind.

At first this love may not be natural or spontaneous, so we must employ a variety of techniques to help us to achieve this. Chiefly we must always remember that everyone is striving to do their best considering their life 's experience. And that all are worthy of our respect, compassion, understanding and love. By repeatedly generating these feelings we will stop all our ordinary perceptions, and we will see him or her as the Buddha.

To see the beloved not as a human being, but as the Buddha himself, is the source of the highest blessing. For as Padma-sambhava says: "Complete love brings complete blessing; absence of doubts brings complete success." the complete unfolding of its glory, you must try and unfold in yourself the richest possible kind of love. The more I come to reflect on love and its place and it's role in the overall vision of the teachings, the more deeply I realize that it is essentially a skillful and powerful means of making us more receptive to the truth of the inner teaching. When your heart is fully open in joy and wonder and recognition and gratitude to the mystery of the living presence of enlightenment in the beloved, then,

transmission from the beloved's wisdom heart to yours can take place, revealing to you the full splendor of your own buddha nature, and with it the perfect splendor of the universe itself. As these perceptions become more and more stable and actual, the inner miracle you have longed for over so many lives can gradually take place. You begin to see natu­rally that they, the universe, and all beings without exception are spontaneously pure and perfect. They are looking at last at reality with its own eyes. The beloved, then, is the path, the magical touchstone for a total transformation of your every perception.

Compassion, understanding; divine love, becomes the purest, quickest, and simplest way to realize the nature of our heart and all things. As we progress in it, the process reveals itself as wonderfully interdependent: We, from our side, try continually to generate love and compassion, the love we arouse itself generates glimpses of our true nature, and these glimpses only enhance and deepen our love for the beloved who is inspiring us. So in the end love springs out of wisdom: love and the living experience of the nature of heart become inseparable, and inspire one another.

Adapted from The Tibetan book of Living and Dying by Sogyal Rimpoche

True Beloved Relationship

Imagine the physical, emotional and spiritual benefits of having the perfect beloved. The "beloved" is the secretthat is kept so well hidden but without it we are lost.

Western psychology overlooks the concept of the beloved because it is so difficult to achieve.It is beyond the materialistic scientific model of the western mind. The Christian religion is based on the beloved, thepersonal relationship with Christ, but often this istoo abstract and imaginary and often leads to idolatry and abuse.Eastern spiritual tradition knows the value of the beloved relationship but has kept it hidden because they know the dangers associated with the it; the vulnerability required to be in love can leave one easy prey.As a safe guard Eastern tradition sets up the beloved asBuddha, Krishna, the Guru as the only vehicle. But how many of us have intimate access the guru, it is too removed too unreal to have the effect required. (Complete letting go of the mind into the heart.)

Imagine a beloved that would hold you with their heart when you want to be held but does not smother you. Some one who brings more than just emotional fulfillment, a healing, growth and upliftment.

You know you can always go to the beloved and there is a safe, warm, caring place if the world becomes too much. A place where you don’t wonder; whatlife about? You know and feel so much love in your being that the question is mute.

It is as if the beloved sees into your heart and into your past and understands you. Perhaps more than you understand your self. It the warm glow of you realizing your own strength of love that the beloved is after. It is the smile that that one brings to another that causes lasting happiness within us.

Imagine if you realized how much the beloved loved and understand you. Even with imperfections, faults and needs of the beloved the beloved can put those a side and create that perfect place for you to come to. You have known the beloved exists all along, but past traumas held you back; a fear of being hurt or smothered or used.