March
2008
Awakening to a New Earth
The human mind in combination with our consiousness is a powerful creator; however the mind in it’s normal state creates suffering. This suffering in larger terms stems mostly from Ignorance; otherwise the lack of true understanding and wisdom that suffering does not happen to us….we create suffering through our attachments and our aversions(dislikes). We create attachments to our material belongings, our image, physical appearance, needs and desires, people in our lives and our life; from constantly grasping and craving more, and trying desperatly to keep everthying just as it is.
Through aversion and fear we push our problems/issues, things, people, places and emotions away, instead of dealing with them directly and deepening our understanding of why we fear them in the first place. How do we “awaken” to this understanding? Through what means can we trully understand this wisdom? How does understanding “suffering” bring us true happiness? why has society as a whole, placed all it’s energy on convincing us to better ourselves through changing our external apearances? buying our way to happiness and wellbeing; that we are not “someone” unless we live up to a certain standard.How can we change this way of thinking? Do we want to?
I am interested in hereing what you have to say. Bring your point of view, your understandings and misunderstandings. do you agree with this wisdom teaching, or not? If you have gained the wisdom and understanding of this “truth”, what can you add to this teaching? What have you done to “awaken” to this understanding (meditation, Yoga, contemplation)?? If you want to understand the truth of Suffering, but don’t know how, let us know.
I will continue to add to this topic as comments come in.
Blessings to all.
Yolanda
“the mind in it’s normal state creates suffering”
It is my understanding that the “normal state” of our minds is to be that of our unconsiousness…
In order to detach for the suffering our mind creates we need to become more aware. More consious of our behaviour in our surroundings, towards those around us and most importantly of ourselves. By claiming this new awareness we can and will shift our normal state of mind from an unconsious human to a consious being. We will realize that we no longer need to form attachments with outside objects because our constant state of being internally will be in harmony with all that is.
Now it sounds easy enough, but as many who take on this task will discover it requires much self disipline. It is also a daily task. Don’t be discouraged though because the rewards flow in abundance. One of the many blessings I have experienced is the certain freedom & sheer joy that comes when you conquer self rather than be conquered by self!
Stay Blessed
Holly
In my opinion we should embrace suffering in order to understand ourselves better because it is us who create suffering. Now don’t misunderstand my statement, creating and fostering negative thoughts in general produces an imbalance between one’s sense of happiness and spirit. I’m talking about when they do come up. Suffering is a part of life, it is inevitable but it is all in how we view it. A monk in new york city who teaches kung fu has a high tolerance for pain because he embraces it and thus feels whole because he knows what suffering means to him. This is what I think, don’t detach yourself form suffering, accept it so you can better understand eventually accept yourself. Knowledge of self, if I may end this blog with one of my favorite quotes”to life is to suffer and to survive, well, is to find meaning in the suffering”
Take care.
Our brain is like a field where seeds (thoughts) are planted. Depending of what kind of seeds we plant, what kind of thoughts we decide to welcome into our conciousness, we will have to deal with the harvest that comes with it.
Positive and productive thoughts will have a beautiful impact on our life and will bring all kinds of blessings to us. Those same positive thoughts will multiply and breed more positive thoughts like a chain reaction.
But the opposite is true also. Letting negative thoughts enter our consciouness will lead to pain and suffuring. Desir, envy, jalousy, attachment, all these forms of energy will bring us to what I call hell. I believe we make our own heaven and hell on earth, depending on the thoughts we have in our conciousness. It’s up to us to control our thoughts and stay away from this egotistical kind of energy. What I mean by energy: we all have the need to do certain things, to acquire some stuff, to become someone, to go to different places and so on. Now, what are we going to choose? Are we going to put that energy into acquiring material things, into attaching ourselves to empty meaningless things, or are we going to devote ourselves to become the beautiful being we are deep underneath our egotistical armour? The beauty of this is that the answer does not depend on anyone else but ourself.
There’s a very profound, ancient school of experiential spirituality
called Kashmir shaiv darsana.The recorded revelations of this philosophy teach that
man is indeed God who has forgotten his own divine nature,
at the time of human birth,due to a self inflicted “spiritual concussion”, a primal ignorance
in order to facilitate a play .A play of not knowing one is god,thinking of oneself as a limited being,
despairing in one’s experiences in this world in the reduced state, looking for a higher power, god, :
and finally finding yourself out.
Its done by shruti ,yukti ,anubhava, thats hearing the revelations of the scriptures, rationalising it with one’s analysis, and finally experiencing it for oneself.
Meditation is a key tool in the process.Therefore, when the mind merges into SELF, which is its own pristine state before causation,
that being the state of everything, then the mind begins to aquire freedom .
There’s of course the sought after freedom “from” delusion,
but in the advanced stage there’s also freedom “to” , the freedom to actually create new realities..
The gist is that true happiness is within, the outside is never the cause, since your entire world emanates from the godhead within: and the actual nature of this godhead , is happiness.
All of life’s play, is to Re-cognize that Godhead , which never left us in the first place, it was only veiled .
It is true that suffering is a part of our lives from the moment of birth to our death.We will encounter suffering no matter who we are, where we live, what we do, etc; No matter if we think postivley or not, we will encounter various forms of suffering.Because our thoughts are energy however, by thinking positivley, sending out positive thoughts, speaking and doing positive things, there will be a shift in your consiousness and the greater source of wich we are part of. With this shift in thought patterns you will continue to be guided towards your needs and wants; and by practicing gratitude and contentment what you need WILL come in time.
Yet still we will encounter suffering.
What will make the difference in awakening to true happiness is how we perceive this suffering…contemplating why it came your way? Why are you reacting this way towards it? Are you pushing this suffering away or trying to ignore it, and convince yourself your happy. We see many people who are experiencing deep suffering but to others look “happy”; smiling, laughing and they even are thinking positivley; but when they are alone with all distractions gone (TV,music,books, computer and people) they can’t face theirselves, their mind and their thoughts. The reason for this is because they never embraced and truly understood their pain…look deep into it…with a quiet, open mind.When we do this we can look deep into the pain ans uffering and see where it is rooted from. Are we incountering the same pain again and again? What happens just before we suffer(pain,anger,fear,sadness,any form of suffering) or after??These are questions no matter how painfull we need to embrace. by doing so, we begin to understand where it came from and why, then we can start to go in another direction, reacting differently and even seeing what we thought was pain as just are perception and misunderstanding. We then can begin to open up and see the world with a new face a new awareness and understanding. with this understanding the the Light,the Love, the “Knowing” that was always there can truly shine. we can always connect with our true inner self by quieting the mind….simply spending time with ourselves.
The best part about spending time with your self(no distractions), is that since we are ALL interconnected and one living souirce of energy, we are never truly alone. when after some practice you can have what I call “Mini enlightment” moments where you feel truly part of a greater source of wich we are ONE. The Love ,compassion and overall experiences can never truly be discribed.
Have you ever looked deep into your pain and seeing it’s source?Let us know about it.Have you ever experienced a mini awakening?Do you ever notice that you walk away from pain that comfronts you? This can be a deep discussion lets bring it all out!!Lets get an ongoing discussion going.
peace Yolanda
From the beginning of time men have always been attracted to all sorts of attachments and most of the time, without even acknowledging it. I would say that I am sort of an example of this when it comes to certain things in my life especially when it comes to technology. I surround my self with the latest electronics even if more then often have no need for them. For some it can be attachments to other things like clothes, money spending, or simply food.
Some how we seem to find comfort in these things but never really find true comfort with is happiness. That’s why it is so hard and painful to get out of this comfort zone and comfront the pain, so that we can walk the path of true happiness.
Max
Hey guys I have something else we can wrap our minds around….Everyone has the time in their life where they are ready for spiritual advancement or change….Are you at the point in your life where you are looking for change? Are you seeking the answers to lifes meaning…the meaning of your lifes purpose?Have you already gone through that change and are still in the process? Why do YOU think it’s nessisary for a worldwide “awakening”? Many individuals,leaders and spiritual guides explain that we are in a time of “change”, we are at a pivitol point in history, that it’s NOW or Never…what do think of that statement??
I believe our suffering stems from the fact that we have forgotten to live in harmony - with ourselves, each other and nature. We try to conquer, achieve and alter instead of listen, observe and live.
Here’s one of my favorite quotes:
“We need to find God, and he cannot be found in noise and restlessness. God is the friend of silence. See how nature - trees, flowers, grass- grows in silence; see the stars, the moon and the sun, how they move in silence… We need silence to be able to touch souls.”
Mother Teresa
First, an excerpt from my book “The yogi and the snake”, which gives the background of why there is sorrow
in the scheme of creation:
“The ancient seers had observed, that man is born, he suffers, and he dies.
According to them,such impermanence of man’s existence, was designed to make him delve deep into the meaning of life;
and paved the way for discovery.They held that sorrow is a propellant, which redirects the purpose of an otherwise wasted life, of delusion.
Sorrow begins a great quest.”
So too, we have had great seekers like Siddharth Gautum prince of the sakyas, who, having seen death only once,
was sensitive enough to be reminded that something was amiss here, something he needed to know..
and he began on a great journey, first outward, and finally directed inwards.
When he did arrive at his awakening, we called him Buddha ‘the enlightened one” so great was the transformation, that its how we still remember
him ,by the state! Buddha is a state, not a man’s name!!
The great quest of the Self, culminates in self realisation. while that is a grand state of knowing, it , however, is not always the end of sorrow,
(great mystics have painfully shown us this in their life example, as jesus who was nailed to a cross, Rama who was banished for no fault of his,
joan of arc,who was burned at the stakes and yes, the buddha was poisoned too..)and so the travesty continued.
And as yolanda almost pointed out, that a personal state of equanimity,and peace however wonderful and respectworthy ,
is , however,not the grand finale…the trek goes on..and it seems Nature has a greater deal here..:)
Now, when we’re dealing with a world of numbers, the more enlightened beings we have among us , the more the dynamics of shift will be possible.
i too have heard a lot of new age mystics saying this is the great age of change.Given the fact that the world has actually shrunk not just to a global village,
but to all our table tops, with the marvelllous technology of computers, we’ve come a long long way from the printing press and the making of the Bible available..sharing our knowledge..
so, the truth is right here, for the pointers of previous treks, faithfully recorded , as far as literature goes.Of course, in the real perspective, its still your individual effort that counts the most to shift the hydrostatic balance ( which states that even a drop of water can change the oceans’ balance)
..this too fits with the mystic description of “the drop is but the ocean”
W
suffering is a part of life and is expected. suffering makes us stronger and it matters on how it can be contained.Furthermore, the harder we work our jobs to make ends meet in life, we reward ourselves with items such as clothes, cars, etc. to please ourselves. we try to also keep up with our neighbors in terms of prestige and status.
When I am challeged with pain and suffering, I bring myself closer to these word of Buddha “we are what we think. All that we araises with our thoughts. With our thoughts we make the world.” Meditating on these words, I truly start to unravel my feelings and conciousness to understand that my MIND is my creator. It gives me a choice to filter my thoughts carefully and be the creator of my situation. Well, this is not always easy because most of the time i get filled with anger, resentment and fear that only creates attached to my negative thoughts. Have you ever feel that all you want is to sit down and curse and cry? I have, this is my negative attachment I am talking about. It is very very challeging to erase suffering whether it is from loosing a loved one, betrayal from a friend,or just anger. Let me say something that awakened me, no matter of our race, wealth and poverty the pain is uniform to all of us; we all cry the same. This proves to me that the power of our mind is also uniform. With this power we can create, build, break, jump high, go low and sink deeper and at the end we choose with our thoughts which way to go.
Before I leave, let me say that I enjoyed this site because as I read the commets above and jot my words below; it is here I feel connected with inner being. Peace to all Namaste!:)
namasthe dear yolanda, and to all who read further…
you have said that suffering stems from ignorance… you have also said that suffering comes from attachment… and you have written that through aversion and fear we shun interactive solutions…
this above understanding itself is wisdom to some extent. now you can take a step forward…
now that you have accepted that you are ignorant and you know that you dont know….accept your ignorance and seek wisdom in the path that you should choose for yourself based on your own acknowledgement of your own ignorance…
if you dont know how to stop being jealous and you have decided to learn overcoming being envious….you should do everything it takes to love your source of envy….
here’s the next beautiful step ahead…
once you start loving and liking the person you used to envy before….whats happening to you now….
you have miraculously freed yourself from the attachment to the very nature of jealousy that was eating you from within…. and then you are also experiencing a new feeling of love and liking and finding out how you can be as good and so on… which may lead to another kind of attachment…but thats another story….
the point here is to choose a path out of your own ignorance and thus free yourself from attachment - together giving you a wonderful new sense of being in the world without even a trace of suffering or pain of whatsover nature…
suffering is not a choice that you make… you are born into suffering by sheer natural laws….the very process of birth is painful to the baby as well as the mother…
thankfully our ancestors have compiled enough wisdom to give us directions to overcome suffering through internal cleansing of the mind and spirit… and silent meditation is the best process by which this can be achieved quickly…
meditation in actually a synonym for silence. if you are able to hold the stillness of your breath in the confluence of your mind body and spirit…and be alert awake and exist in oneness with the universe…………what suffering are you talking about……the world is so wondeful and full of joy and bliss…
no amount of studying books and vedas and bibles and hymns and mantras will give you even a fraction of a second’s immense power of silence that you can really achieve within you…
just go into your own silence…and in the very process - suffering disappears like darkness vanishing in the dawn of light…
all it needs is a little flip in your effort upwards…and a whole new world awaits you…
once you let go and overcome your own suffering… you are now capable of leading others and you can worry about how to eradicate the world’s suffering…if you are suffering yourself..all that you will spread is more suffering…
do not suffer…just meditate…and become still…
in your own silence is the answer to all your questions…
my salutations to all the masters and teachers of yore…
Thank you my fellow friends for sharing your thoughts and wisdom with each other…
There have been many great points discussed thus far, and even some different views; however all of these thoughts are aiming for one goal…the “Way” to true happiness. We are coming together with positive thoughts and energy to better understand ourselves, and in turn the nature of reality and life. We are part of a greater energy source of wich we are all inter-connected; so by making effort to better ourselves we better ALL that is part of the whole universal energy. Just as “shail” nicley put it, we are all drops of water of which is the ocean; and even one drop of water dramatically can change the balance of the ocean. This is one of my favorite ways to discribe how we are all one and interconnected into a greater whole….Every drop of water makes up the ocean(universe), the ocean would not exist without the individual drops of water that created it…and each drop of water would not exist without the ocean.
We all can make a difference in the overall state of our earth…but we need to start with ourselves…How do we better ourselves? where do we start? As “Natesh” mentioned the simplest way to find inner happiness and connect with “all that is”….is to quiet the mind and focus our awarness. How do we do this with all the distractions around us? How do we tame the mind with all it’s thoughts? I must ask…if you want to learn to play the piano, do you already know how to play mozart? The answer is no, Like anything else that is worth doing, we need to be patient, keep our minds open and non judgmental, and keep trying. When you first start trying to meditate it is not easy to find that openess and peace of which we can find ourselves and re-connect with reality. Lets all try to give advice and pointers on how to quiet the mind. How did you start, and what difficulties did you come across? Is there a different ways that we can quiet the mind other than meditation?
I personally can suggest Yoga or tai chi…some form of physical movement that focuses your awarness on the breath, by doing this you can learn to quiet the mind and then meditation is more easilly accesable. also a very easy way to find that space and openess and feeling of interconnectivness, is through sitting quietly with something that you find relaxing, beautiful, peaceful like a beautiful stone or crystal, a flower….simply watching a butterfly without naming it and thinking about it…with the eyes of a child….Let us know what makes you feel connected.
With all the knowledge and benefits we now know about yoga and meditation…why are there still so many that rather sit and watch TV instead??Could our ego be part of this equation? Is our ego standing in the way of finding inner peace and happiness??what do you think??
love and peace Yolanda
yolanda !
the words we see here surely come out of many years of being ‘drops in the ocean’…
i do wish that it triggers some inner instinct for people to jump out of the couch and gather momentum to search within….
we could move that trigger by posting this link on all our facebook pages…
is that possible…
immense love,
natesh.
There are some very interesting thoughts on this page…i’ve enjoyed browsing through them.
I agree with a lot of the stuff that has been said.
One thing i have to say is that suffering is essential to life, without it we would not understand what comfort and happiness is. I myself have experienced sufferering through the years and quite honestly, i would not change it…it has made me who i am today. I agree with Yolanda said about coming face to face with your hurt and suffering…it’s really not all that scary. For instance, after years and years of mulling over one particular issue i have been dealing with for a while, i am closer to understanding it than i have ever been. It’s as painful as it used to be, it’s refreshing to be able to understand myself more.
I don’t think there’s anything wrong with wanting something that someone else has…jealousy is a strong and negative word so i choose not to use it. If i see someone with something i would like to have, i use my feelings to send out positive energy. I recognize that this person probably worked hard to get it and that i would be willing to work just as hard. I think maturity has a lot to do with it. I am not perfect, and i don’t want to sound arrogant, but i’ve worked a long time to get to where i am today. I think things through a lot before reacting which although very human, can be extremely negative at times. Being human is not an easy task…we were given the gift of free will which is an amazing but dangerous gift. We can go either way, bad or good, negative or positive….because the world unfortunately needs both. Sometimes i feel myself turning the other way, feeling negative about something…but it’s all about self talk. It’s an ongoing journey.
I think the biggest problem today is that people hide their true self for fear of…what? I’m not sure…rejection? being laughed at? Who knows. All i know is that being a Tarot card reader, i get close to a lot of people…and unfortunately a lot of people i’ve read have very thick brick walls built around them. It’s sad, but it’s a very human way of surviving. I wish there was some way that we could be more human….to help ourselves and each other stop being so afraid.
Hello everyone, Thank you for creating a space for discussion. I have noticed that this blog has many comments regarding suffering. However, at this moment i have no comment. but, i would like to like to a introduce another topic. Like that 13 year old girl who called Oprah with a question on the second class, I found myself interested in this topic from the time I was a teenager or earlier. I am grateful to have been brought up with eastern philosophies and an open mind to other religions. I have witnessed a shift in many people around me and I have read a few “new age”(for lack of a better term at this moment - it is not my opinion that it is new age) books. There are many things that I agree with and try to practice, but there are some things that I feel we need don’t address. I would like to know your thoughts on the following.
Oprah mentioned in the first class (around the 44min mark) that she was became guilt free went she realized that God was not contained in the church, she also carefully said that if the church is a place for you to free of service to use it for that.
Yesterday morning I received a quote from the oprah.com site. “Authentic spirituality awakens the soul, reconnects us with the sacred, and fills us with the passion of life. Spiritual development is not about religious rituals and practices; it is about waking up to the wonder of life.” — David N. Elkins”
I agreed with this quote for many years, until I knew I was going to get married to someone who was not Hindu. That was when I started thinking about the rituals related to my religion. Spiritual development is not about religious rituals; however religious ritual can lead to spiritual development. I don’t believe that we need to shun the rituals, but to understand them in a new light of awareness. For example walking around a fire in a Hindu ceremony is having fire (pure energy) witnessing the commitment between two individuals. Why do we light a candle when we offer pray? Why do people in many religions cover their heads or kneel when praying? There are great truths in ritual. Religion may be man made, but God inspired, therefore we should look at ritual as a boat to cross us over the seas of samsara to reach the bank of Nirvana.
Hello again my fellow friends,
I will respond to the last 2 posts.
shannon you are very right when you mention that people create a wall around them, projecting out what they only want people to see, fearing deeply what others will think of them. the reason for this is in time through our experiences in life we begin to define ourselves by other peoples reaction this unfortunatley starts in childhood. If we do what others think is “good” we get praised and if we don’t live up to the standards of others we are scolded and looked down apon as unequal. However when you look closer at this situation we can see that the “other” person is only praising or scolding what they think or preceive to be right or wrong…who defines right and wrong?? We know that in someone elses mind they may completley see the same scenario as wrong when you beleive it to be right. So as we continue to grow up we create an image in the eyes of others..this is our “ego”. We begin to define ourselves by it…what we do for a living, who we know, how famous we are, how pretty or ugly we are,etc…we get so attached to this ego we will do anything to protect it. We go to wars, kill for it, go under a knife for it,we get angry and defend it and we hate for it….and it is ALL just a state of mind a mask we put on…we seperate ourselves from others, because we see their ego as different or wrong or less important than mine, and this seperation in the end is what really causes us to fear others, ourselves, death and change.
So you mention you wish there was a way to help ourselves and others to stop being afraid…well there is. It has been said over and over again,by all the great masters and spiritual guides; and if everyone would practice it we would not be in the state we are today in the world. Simply said…work on ourselves. as I mentioned in my previous post the only place to start is inward. No one can trully help others if they have not understood themselves completley first. Yes we can help with nessities and exterior solutions, but those can only last so long. the problem with the “energy” or “life” of the earth is as a whole we are disconnecting from each other and nature faster and faster. By feeding our ego with material things, addictions, momentary desires our pride and the race to the “top”, we have forgotten who we REALLY are… The oneness that is all is interconnected and part of a whole that needs us to come together by looking inside our quiet mind and clearly seeing, knowing and feeling that we are all a part of the same source; and so the same.
now in reference to sara’s post…
I accually love that quote from elkins. It is simple and right on the button. he is not saying that rituals are not good and are not spiritual…he is simply explaining that spirituality does not have to be ABOUT rituals. Meaning we can be spiritual simply by finding ourselves and the meaning of life, living life to the fullest every moment at a time. Some people do not need strict guidelines and rituals to do this. however I do believe that rituals and ceremonies can certainly enhance and help us feel secure and safe to find the peace within. I personally do follow some rituals and find they bring light to my spiritual practice. However I am not fixed to a certain kind or belief, that they are the only way to happiness….this is where the ego created organized relegions can hinder ones spiritual practice. we see it ALL the time…people believe their way is the only way that can lead to happiness and in some relegious people even believe other peoples ways are “evil”. This kind of misunderstanding and ego driven beleifs are what causes wars, hatred, anger between others. I have always said…what ever “way” is the way for you, and brings you peace and opens your heart, then practice it, however don’t just practice these rituals and ceremonies because you always have, your parents told you to, people will judge you if you don’t, out of fear and repression. Spirituality is finding yourself and true happiness from the light within, and what ever feeds that light and nurishes your spirit then stick with it.
I will leave you with one of my favorite quotes from the Lord Buddha.
Do not believe in anything simply because you have heard it.
Do not believe in traditions because they have been handed down for many generations.
Do not believe in anything because it is spoken and rumored by many.
Do not believe in anything simply because it is found written in your religious books.
Do not believe in anything merely on the authority of your teacher and elders.
But after observation and analysis, when you find that anything agrees with reason, and is conducive to the good and benefit of one and all, then accept it and live up to it.
The Buddha
love the posts from you all by the way. My take on life is that the older we get the more we change and family at times friends will see this change and may feel distant or threatened by this change. It is a matter of fine tuning this growth and not observing how others around you feel about your growth from eating habits, joining a gym, fitness, change in spiritual beliefs, friends etc.Some don’t appreciate the new “you” and will call you names or even say negatives things about you.
do you have a minute please…
no… you actually dont have !!
because time is not what you see on the watch… nor is it a asset that you have purchased recently…
a minute of time in your measurement is the quickie cummulative plans that you have made for all your schedules of swift meetings and wants and fleeting actions and anxieties…
because the importance you attach to time is the illusion that creates pain and suffering…
and if you really had a minute which was really yours and really free and you could do whatever you really really wanted with it before you breathed your last breath……… what would you really do in that minute…
would you visualise suffering in that minute…
would you want a hospital bed of tubes and tablets and injections around…
all that you would want would be to love and be loved and feel fully free and donate and give away your precious stuff and make your people very happy and see joy in everybody around you and smile and dance and touch a realm of ecstasy that is timeless and priceless too…
once you step out of time - you have touched timelessness… you are now on the verge of immortality…. and you begin to feel yourself - your own self - as infinite….
do you want to feel like that in this minute itself…
just meditate and become silent…
and you have arrived into yourself…
i just thought being anonymous was good…but then i thought getting a sequence of insights is much better…
the timelessness of existence is indeed the silence that really exists within us…veiled by the mindsets of everchanging desires and delusions…
lets keep talking…
Very to the point “anonymous”. I like your point and very well put….
Yes that timeless space and freedom we find within, between the thoughts, is what really counts, has meaning and purpose in our lives. As the space between the thoughts expand and we connect deeply with our trueselves and the source of wich we are part of….time…a creation of man(ego) dispears and the infinite light and love within is present and free…a light that has always been there, yet we have veiled it with our ego thoughts and delusions.
True Freedom is always present, we simply have to turn off the tv,close the computer,stay home on a friday night…what ever it takes to pull out that cushion or chair and meditate; and quiet the mind, and raise our awarness to connect with our source.
Using our electronic toys and material belongings is fine, as long as we balance our lives with seeking inner happiness as well.
this was something I did everyday even twice a day for years…however recently I have been struggling to get myself back on the cushion…for reasons only my “ego self” knows….but lucky for me I clearly remeber how it feels to connect with that infinite everlasting light within, that is timeless and free. So after reading and writing this post I have a strong sense of connecting with myself…I am turning this computer off for now and plan to go sit and reconnect.
peace and blessings to all
keep on discussing and opening our minds!
hello everybody,
All of these are great discussions and wondeful ideas for us to ponder.
They give us great inspiration and direction but how to integrate them fully into our lives, to become them rather than keep talking about them, to be the peace we talk about so much and yearn for.
I think you give us the key when you write in your last post, turning the computer off to go sit and reconnect. We should make it our homework to sit at least as much if not double or triple the about of time we spend discussion or reading.
Don’t you think?
Perhaps a wonderful thing for to share are the different tools we use to come to our inner space, the different traditions or lineages that we follow, the great teachers that have come along our way.
namaste everyone,
Albert
Hello everyone,
My goal for this post is to encourage those who come here to open up and express their personal struggles and victories along their spiritial jorneys.
I already have expressed that I have been having problems with keeping a constant meditation practice, however this was not always the case.
I practiced formal seated meditation for atleast 30 minutes to 1hr every evening and morning for years.within the first few months of practicing…my mind was already becoming quiet and open for long enough to become one with myself and loose all aspects of time.
Now to make the story make sense I must step back to my early years of life as a child…
when I was between the ages of 6-8 yrs of age I was molested by my step-grandfather every weekend we went to their house. my familly would go to their country house every weekend and vactions. This tramatic experience turned a once open and loving child into a withdrawn angry child, who in time blamed almost everyone; my mother,the abuser and all men in general. This anger became depression in my teenage years, leading me to attempt to commit suicide twice.everytime a realationship would go bad, or I would see similar abuse stories on tv, my anger would always resurface; however when I reached my mid twenties I really wanted to connect with my true self, knowing that all external things will never bring me what I needed….I started on my spiritual journey.
Through all the great “Awakened ones” and spiritual leaders of the past, I started to understand where I need to look for spiritual guidance…instead of being toaght to look outside to some exterior source; I now knew the answers are to be found inside.
So one night while practicing simple one pointed meditation (focusing your awarness on one object or source,usually the breath) my mind began to quiet, the thoughts had become non existent and I no longer felt my body, it was one with the source of my true being…the feeling is undescribable. In this vast space, time did not exist. To my surprise I was with my deing step-grandfather. I felt the coldness of the room on my skin, the smell of fear and death; and to my surprise I felt LOVE for the man I thought I hated with a passion for many years. the shock of feeling love for him, forced my “ego” self to come out of my meditation, I cryed for awile, contemplated what it may of meant and went to sleep.
I continued with my practice everyday with an open mind, not trying to expect anything or return to that place in time.I say place in time because I know it was not thought that lead me to him, I went back in time months previous when my grandfather died a lonley death alone. Months previous I was happy to here he died a lonley cold death…
Days later practicing again…I found myself with him again. Now I felt sure this is where I should be. I knelt down next to him, I felt my knee on the floor…I was there 100%! I took his hand in mine while he was dieing and told him with my energy alone that “It will be ok, don’t be afraid”. I had feelings of emense love and compassion for this man, seeing the pain he expereinced in his life, that lead him to this point. I felt like I was with him for hours…I stayed until he passed and even closed his eye lids at the time of death.
I slowly broaght my awarness back to the present moment and my grounded self. I sat there and felt a tone of bricks that I carried for ALL those years gone! I cryed with tears of happiness and TRUE forgiveness. I no longer harboured feelings of guilt and anger for myself or anyone else. in that moment when I was with him…I knew we where all interconnected and love and compassion is who we REALLY are…Our reactions of fear, anger and depression is our “Ego’s” way of defending itself and creating more reasons to blame and complain about ourselves and others.
I hope people don’t think this is wierd….well maybe you do, but it is all true and real. Now this type of experience does not always happen, most of the time meditation simply calms the mind enough to become connected with your source of energy that is ALL life in the universe. sometime however if you harbour issues left un resolved the answer comes to you in unexpected ways….
please express your stories as simple or as profound as wanted. You may Inspire others to begin to open up and let be….become one with themselves.
blessings Yolanda domazet
It was a few days after I had watched Oprah’s web cast with my boss and as we were closing up I was talking to someone about the episode that I had watched and how Tolle’s explanations were to out there to take seriously. The example I used was the “don’t call it an oak tree, say it’s an Oak tree” one because it challenged reasonable thinking)of course considering that Mr. Tolle’s way of thinking is a contradiction to the analytical mind it would only make sense, that’s not to say that I am, but I’m a philosopher and we ask more questions than we have answers). My boss overheard our conversation, and started to explain it to me. She basically said: when you look at something just look as it devoid of any outside influence because when you do that you’re then able to see it for what it is, you can see it’s essence it would never happen if you were told about the object in person because your impression would’ve been made for you. After that I got what he and she were saying but I understood it when she mentioned that that’s how she feels the mind of an artist works because no sooner that she said that I laughed because I’m a poet and my method of writing comes from “just” writing, in other words I don’t have a concept of what I’ll put down, my work don’t even have titles to them and based on the method I’ve created the most beautiful pieces . “The universal truth” as I call it is also in one of my principles in life”never go in a situation with expectations” because then you’re open to anything because you’ll never know what will happen. That was a profound moment for me because it reinforced the other universal truth that we’re all connected, I, like many others have practiced in different ways in Mr. Tolle’s Philosophies for years vbut never new that they were shared by others, but that’s why I call them universal truths, because it’s a realty of the universe that transcends the nuances our lives but is waiting to be discovered by one more human being.
Here is an article on me that was published in Yesterdays Korea Herald (www.koreaherald.co.kr). This is just the text I’d love to share the PDF, but I’m not sure how (it has a couple of pictures of me).
Bilingual yoga for Koreans and foreigners
By Paul Kerry
Unlike many expats, Michael Egan didn’t come to Korea to work
— he came here to get married and raise a family.
He met his wife in 2003, while he was managing a yoga center in
New York, where he also owned a massage therapy business. While
they were planning to open their own center together in the States,
she had a car accident.
“I dropped everything, closed my business and moved to Korea,”
Egan explains.
Now married and settled into Korea, they set up the All for All
Yoga and Dance Center in Ansan, just southwest of Seoul. Their
daughter, Peace, has her first birthday this month.
“‘All for All’ means that we are here to provide exercise, health and
relaxation to all people,” says Egan, explaining the center’s name.
“Everyone can dance or do yoga regardless of age or body type.”
He says yoga is great all-round exercise. “Yoga gives you everything
you need,” he explains. “A lot of people think that
they know what they need to be
healthy so they go to the
gym or they run or
swim. All exercise
is good for us,
but yoga includes stretching, strengthening, breathing and relaxation
— incorporating all of those things together in different postures and
breathing exercises.
“It helps to reduce stress, strengthen your body, increase flexibility
and helps relaxation overall.”
And while other exercise might leave you bent out of shape, yoga
is gentler and you need not worry about overexertion. What is similar,
though, is that regular practice is best.
“You should try to do it at least three times a week, if you have
time, five times is great. You won’t overdo it like you might in a gym,”
says Egan.
He’s flexible about his methods too. Rather than stick to one type
of yoga he combines three forms — astanga, hatha and vinyasa.
“The reason I do that is that I think it gives the most complete and
the most interesting class at the same time,” says Egan. “It’s more
enjoyable and that also leads to more attendance to class … so it’s
better for you.”
And it’s stress-relieving, enjoyable exercise that Michael
Egan hopes to provide to the overstretched workers of Korea.
Classes are in English and Korean, so expats too can find solace
from bosses who demand they bend over backwards for them.
“One of the reasons I wanted to teach yoga in Korea is to provide
foreigners a place where they can go to feel comfortable,
get in or stay in shape, and feel part of a family,” explains
Egan.
He teaches both Koreans and expats in the same class, alternating
between English and Korean. “I don’t find they mind the language
changes at all.”
“I have a lot of knowledge and experience of Korea, its culture and
people, so I always try to make foreign students feel comfortable and
have a better experience during their time here.”
In July, Michael is planning to lead a Korean group to the Asia
Yoga Conference in Hong Kong. Where he says he’ll be sweating it
up with some of the best yoga teachers in the world.
“I really want to get a big Korean contingent going,” he says.
Information on the event is available at http://www.asiayogaconference.
com/2008_new/
The center offers yoga classes at all levels, including prenatal
yoga, and teacher training courses that last for 3 months to a
year. Children can get stuck in with English yoga classes,
which use activity and movement to help stimulate learning.
The center also offers jazz and belly dance classes, which his
wife teaches.
Egan says he has no plans to leave Korea. “I’m a permanent
resident here,” he says. “So I hope to provide a
haven for expats for years to come.”
The All for All Yoga and Dance Center is near
Hanyang University at Ansan Station, on Seoul
Subway line 4. The studio is opposite exit 2 above
Sumo Sushi. To contact the center phone, call
Michael at 010-4479-5545 or email maruhealing@
hotmail.com
There is also a Facebook group, “Yoga in
Korea,” which has details of his
gym and other yoga organizations.
(paulkerry@heraldm.com)
Well.. you said to let it fly… so here we go!!
The challenge of my life has always been to step into divinity; to fully express the natural love, wisdom and joy the emanates from my being.
I say challenge because joy is not always welcome, love is sometimes refused and wisdom is often scoffed at. The past few years, I’ve done my best to hide them; protect them. But this kept me hunched over my light– preventing it from shining brightly and fully.
The past few years have been been quite disappointing. After returning from England with a Masters in marketings Communications, I was called to take care of two sick parents and find a job quickly before my student loans had my hide. It felt so strange to come back from living my dream to being smacked with a increasingly scary and consuming exsistence.
It seemed bizarre and stifling. I couldn’t find a job in my small hometown that matched a MA in Marketing. So I settled; taking a job at my old high school coaching basketball, serving as a dorm parent and working in the alum office. I was grateful, but it felt like a far cry from what I had imagined for myself.
Weeks at home became months and high school broke for the summer. The salary they offered didn’t pay my bills, so there was no reason to stay and I had forgotten to dream. Life demanded action right now! There’s no time for pondering moving to California or thinking about London, you have student loans, a car that needs gas and, a mother who wants you out of the house. (Not in a bad way– even baby chicks are pushed out the nest to fly!!)
So, I eventually moved to a suburb of Washington, DC with a college friend. Despite the MA it took six months to find a job, and the job was still quite below what expectations I had for myself, or what I was capable of. Eventually they fired me.
And every other job I’ve had since then has been like that. Only, I’ve learned to sense my impending disappointment. When something that doesn’t line up with my sense of integrity or personal goals, I get antsy self sabotage or just quit. It seemed strange to be stuck in a cycle of jobs that constantly grate against your inner values, no matter how service oriented they seemed. I’ve worked at non profits, schools, mental health community integration programs, and development disability day programs. They all left me empty and pained. There is so much more than viewing each other from a space of limitation and pity. We all are so much more than that. In each job I’ve always felt there is so much more to do and give. Whenever I began to give, to do more, I was always blocked stifled or… fired ;). Oddly enough I never gave up giving though.
Light emerged in the form of yoga. My practice began at a gym in England and always stayed with me. I took teacher training, and began teaching around Washington, DC. The light within me found a window, and I could no longer hide it.
Teaching yoga opened up other avenues of expression. I connected deeply with a holistic health counselor who changed the way I view food, and studied Mahatama Reiki. Recently I was guided to establish an online business combining astrology, yoga and reiki to assist others in stepping completely into their divinity. The website is http://www.Jeannetteastrosoul.com.
I have soooo much more work to do!! And there is so much to learn!! But for the first time since I’ve been back to the United States I don’t feel like I’m hiding my light. I’m letting it shine and encouraging others to do the same.
Thanks for the forum to share!! Hope this fed someone!
Infinite Blessings
Jeannette Jackson
Your Cosmic Doula
http://www.Jeannetteastrosoul.com
Recently on our For the Love of Yoga & Meditation message board I have read several postings on the topic of “suffering” and I am inspired to share…
I will make a very long story as short as possible, and be very honest and to the point. For various emotional reasons, and essentially to numb my pain I become a suicidal, alcoholic, drug addict. When I was at my lowest point a couple of events were pivotal in me making a conscious decision to change directions and try to salvage my life, I reasoned, “at this point, it’s worth a try, my life can’t get any worse.” So I embarked on a radical 180 degree pendulum swing in the opposite direction. I began eating a very strict macrobiotic diet. A difficult withdrawal and detoxification period ensued but once this passed I began feeling better and better with each passing week. As well as an organic natural foods diet I was devoted to a regular regime of exercise: aerobics, weight training, jogging, yoga, meditation and chanting. The books I was consulting promoted a lifestyle in harmony with nature, and all living beings, and taught how to achieve healthy loving relationships - all this is the key to ours and our planet’s healthy future.
Looking back it’s hard to imagine how much suffering I was in back in the mid 1980’s, as this is so far from my current state of heart and mind. I did manage to turn my life around, and I guess I can be proud of myself. Now as a teacher of yoga, cooking, massage and therapy I am helping others my life improvements and transformation.
Love and blessings,
Karen Heaven Claffey
Reading all your stories of spiritual inspiration makes me acknowledge once again that everyone has a story and it is how we use our painful stories that matters in the end.
I was born in a Christian family in Africa (Kenya) where I was taught that “God” is my heavenly father who will provides me with everything I want, all I have to do is ask him. While growing up I experienced lots of love and suffering simultaneously; there were stories about AIDS everywhere around me. Even though I was not sure what HIV/AIDS was really, all I remember is seeing my relatives, friends, neighbors’ and the rest dying bony almost scary and rumors would spread that they died of AIDS. Of course no one was talking about it openly because of the stigma. I was scared of catching AIDS, so I started attending church with a passion prying hard begging God to protect me from this disease. There is no day that passed that my mind was not thinking about this disease, it was a disaster and is still is. During my prayers I promised God that I will continue to abstain from sex until I get married. My worries was not getting a man to marry but rather getting a man who is HIV/AIDS free and always faithful, but where was I going to meet such a man when AIDS was killing everyone around me like flies. I remember this man telling me “what are you trying to protect woman? AIDS is like catching cold nowadays.” The future seemed bleak in a place where marriage is not only for intimacy but also for financial support since most women do not have the opportunity to support themselves. My only option was to turn to God deeply begging him every single day to protect me from HIV/AIDS.
After completing my high school, I met this man who I thought was my dream man. I was thrilled, I even gave testimony in church that God is indeed faithful little did I know that my greatest fear was about to blow in front of my face. One evening, this man confessed to me that he has been HIV positive since I met him and all through our 14 months relationship. My whole body froze I did not want to believe it, I felt like the whole planet was rumbling down on me. I was angry with God, I cried many times; how could he betray me? When I regained my courage I went for HIV test wondering what I was going to do. I had just lost my job and I had no money at all, the man who was my support and lover seemed like a monster in front of me. Anyways, when I got my result back it showed negative, I did not believe it so I went for three more tests just incase together with this man. My result were negative his were positive. Do you think God protected me? Were my prayers answered?
Since then my relationship with this “God up in heaven” changed; I started to question, seeking deeper within me. I struggle with my faith until one day I decided to take classes in eastern religion I wanted to find out what other God existed. Mean while my friend Yolanda encouraged to meditate; this is when I truly experienced something beyond me. One day while meditating I literally experienced my inner being separated from my body, I got so scared and opened my eyes; wow! This was a glimpse of the truth; for weeks my body and spirit were calm everything around was beautiful. I wanted to share my story with others but I thought no one will believe me; I questioned myself if this was normal. I read more books about meditation and spoke to Yolanda. This ended up to be a one time experience that I would love to have again, but ONE THING I KNOW FOR SURE is that God is within me, in one with me and exists with me. I know there is more than what I know and I am still soul searching. Meditation is powerful!
Through my pain came the greatest gift to learn to lift other. I promised myself that I will help other women back home in Kenya so that they never go through an experience of depending on a man again. I learn to count my blessings I am still HIV negative, I am now in university here in Canada and through friends I managed to start African Girls Education Fund visit http://www.agefeducationfund.org to serve girls in need who would otherwise go through painful journey like mine. I know that I will not be able to uplift every girl but the ones I am serving now are my greatest gift. I hope that my story does not bring sympathy but inspiration. Namaste!
My name is Melanie, I’m 29 years old, and this is my story.
When I finished my University degree, I entered what has been termed “the quarter life crisis”. I went from being an ‘A’ student, popular with my peers to being a coffee shop employee. My ego took a huge hit and I didn’t know how to identify myself anymore.
So, I decided to go after my childhood dream of becoming an actress but my desire to succeed had hardly anything to do with my love for acting and everything to do with a desperate need to prove myself, and my place in the world. I needed external approval and validation so badly and all I got was rejection, hitting up against brick wall after brick wall.
Through this unstable time, I took up Bikram Yoga because I heard it would help me get the long, lean look sought after by female actresses. My agent had told me I would never get a lead role because “the anorexic look” was in, and I didn’t have it. My sense of self and self-esteem were taking a proper beating.
Meanwhile, from Bikram Yoga I went on to discover other more meditative styles of yoga like, Ashtanga, Hatha and Kundalini. On the mat, I discovered a connection with myself that I had never experienced before. A Self emerged that was untouched by external influences. One day, after 2 years of practicing yoga regularly, I woke up from my final relaxation with a huge weight lifted from my shoulders. I quit acting. Not because I was bitter but because I no longer needed Casting Directors and Agents to confirm my place in the world. I knew I belonged because I experienced God within me.
Once awakened to this new consciousness, all suffering seemed so obviously self-inflicted. I saw people suffering all around me and felt a compelling drive to help them find this deep and freeing connection with the Self. I wanted to help raise the consciousness of the planet. That’s when I decided to become a yoga teacher and open a yoga studio.
This is the part of the story that gives me chills to this day: As soon as I set the intention to open a studio, the Universe started to provide. Where I was met with brick walls on my ego-driven path, doors were swinging wide open at every turn on my new path.
The synchronicity was astounding. I didn’t have to look for investment money; it found me in the form of a very kind and intelligent mentor and business partner. Two yoga studios closed down in the exact neighborhood I wanted to open mine and both owners came on board as mentors, offering up their client bases for free. The perfect location manifested itself on a walk one afternoon as I let my gut feeling guide me. The list goes on and on.
Since November 2007, I am the proud owner of HappyTree Yoga Studio in the heart of Downtown Montreal and I couldn’t be happier or surrounded by more wonderful and inspiring people. My heart is full and my faith is stronger than ever that we will overcome our collective state of dis-ease and enter into the most beautiful age the world has ever known.
Thank you everyone for your heartfelt wonderful inspiring stories!! Brings chills to my spine and a smile to my face…and I’m sure you are all inspiring those who read them…
at this point if you think of other times in your life and spiritual path, that you had elightened moments, even little ones that changed your thought patterns or direction in life, please continue to share…
Aswell let everyone you know come and share their experiences with us…
A question I would like to see the answers for….Many of us here have come full circle in our lives by letting go of our “ego” thoughts and ways…Why do you think that everything seems to fall into place, and allign with your life after connecting with your trueself; and letting go of the wall you created for yourself??
love and peace to all
keep spreading your happiness
yolanda
Yolanda
for me I am still learning and overcoming my fears or anxiety, career decisions, keeping up with socities demands but when I take a step back and reflect and realize just how appreciating the basics is important rewarding yourself. Rewarding yourself after a tough day from work, you reward yourself by buying a healthy snack, a warm bubble bath. Writing things down help align what you have achieved and set meaningful goals.
Anxiety has been an issue with me most of my life. Since learning meditation, and staying with it,I’m finding relief from the power that fear has had over me. Roger Walsh, in his book, Essential Spirituality, gives meditative exercises in dealing with emotions such as fear,anger, jealosy and others. After becoming relaxed, and then staying with the emotion, I’m finding that it either changes into something else or dissipates. I think this is what is meant by embracing difficult emotions. It’s becoming nice to be able to go through the day without being fearful of whether,for example, I will get my work done on time or will accomplish all I want to in other areas. I’m beginning to see how turning our concerns to the spirit that life is , can be liberating.
I had really bad anxiety, also. Opening and running a business would have seemed an impossible task when I was still fully identified with my anxious thoughts.
I love the quote that Ekhart explains in his book: “This too will pass”. It helped me through some really rough patches but most recently it has helped me be fully present in the good times, as well. Instead of obsessing about when a wonderful moment will end or fretting about a feared moment in the future while in the presence of people I love or a beautiful sunny day, I allow my Self to be present. Fully. And the laughter and joy I get from being present in those moments is totally elevating. It literally makes me stronger and healthier. That strength helps me deal with the inevitable rough times. It’s liberating to know that nothing is permanent.
Thank you, Yolanda for facilitating such an interesting and important discussion!
I’ve been through some humble experiments in meditation, yoga, macrobiotics, vegetarianism looking for a way to get over suffering. I found out two main obstacles preventing people from being happy. 1: lack of awareness that the body and mind are one, and this “one” is a part of the whole universe. We think we are independant creatures who have the superiority over all other creatures and Earth but this is completely ignorant.2: as everything is divided into female and male (yin-yang) extreme leads to extreme reaction,ie:drugs provides extreme momentary happiness that leads to extreme depression afterwards. So, awareness of the order of the universe (understanding of nature) along daily practices of physical (eating and exercising)brings along moderation and harmony between mind and spirit, the self and the environment.
Freedom in the end, is when one is able to enjoy every single thing in life, without being attached to anything at all.. It worked for me.. not perfectly I admit, because I felt happy but lonely and I decided willingly to return to the world of pain..maybe needing doubts to believe again..
Love to all,
Mich
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