For years, I have longed for many things: money, love, sex, housing, enlightenment, friendship and on and on and on. When the longing was strong, it sometime produced a bitter sweet sensation and with the pain of not possessing that which I longed for. Now I spend most of my longing romancing the repetition of Sat Nam. I simply long to repeat Sat Nam again and again. You may ask what kind of longing is that, to repeat Sat Nam over and over? What does it even mean? In its simplest form, Sat Nam means true name. Sat is truth, Nam is name. Nam can also translate as identity. My identity is true in the One Reality. I also believe that Sat Nam is the confirmation that God and Me, Me and God are one. That I have always been one with the Source, it is just an illusion that I have ever been separate. It is the possibility that I may live in constant Bliss, Happiness and Joy and that reality is beyond time and space. That this world is a dream and I will awaken from my sleep very soon, while in this lifetime. My real job is to first to awaken and then help others to recognize that they can wake up as well. Real people chant real mantras. And real people live eternally now and forever.
The darkman introduced himself to me recently. The Darkman is a name for is a part of my psyche, ego based, and a member of a tribe of characters you might find in the man cave mentality. Actually he spoke to me a few weeks back by telling me that he was interested in nurturing my inner child. Very clever, just the thought of this troll like being working his way into my consciousness as a nurturing dude show his potential for mischief. I realized that his primary home is in my stomach. He encourages me to eat and stack his larder with all kinds of food which expands his domain while my waist line grows. He keeps his home warm by fueling his cave with tremendous combinations of different types of nibbles. Darkman is all about survival, having his needs met, keeping a low profile, a kind of unevolved shrek character. He deplores exercise, efficient activity, in fact most types of ventures that take effort. He is the first of a series of characters which are making themselves known to me and will eventually need to evolve from darkness to light. They will form a deck of Tarot like beings each with their path to enlightenment, a transformation of frogs to princes. They will join a fellowship and quest for their grail.
5/07/10
Many mornings I wake up to a routine which feels like the best part of my day. It starts with a cold shower. That gift is so special I wish I could inspire many to this experience. After about three minutes of the water hitting different parts of my body, my knees start to work, my mind wakes up and I feel a sense of euphoria. From that moment it is a short hop to my car. Behind the wheel, I chant a special mantra for prosperity while covering the short distance to my studio. I arrive at my destination and set up my mat, surrounding myself with pillows and a blanket, fill my water bottle with cold water and launch into yogic postures for health and energy of the body. Then I settle into 62 minutes of meditation in the form of chanting.
I finish my chanting and leave driving back to my house while listening to beautiful spiritual music. I notice the explosion of Spring with a diversity of buds shooting towards the heavens. White pedals lifting up from the pear and Magnolia trees, pinky violet flowers of the crab tree next to the brilliant yellow forsythia shrubs; all as if answering the magical call of the infinite. Their branches waving at me in perfect unison with the music and I sense the smiles from their bark trunks. The earth dances with the unseen joy and newness while vibrating with jubilant life. Chanting has become such a joy to me. It is the kind of high that widens with each note, every phrase blossoming my heart and allowing me to open to infinite love. A place of gratitude and belonging, it is a moment of completeness. I arrive home and enjoy a blissful nap after 2 to 2 and ½ hrs of Yoga, chanting and meditation. I then arise for my work and teaching Yoga classes. Generally I feel very special after my sadhana(morning session). There is a sense of joy and happiness which comes from within. I have trust and faith that things will work out. My mind and body are relaxed and my spirit is high and my day rather than just working out magically arranges itself.
The universe is a vibration. If one can believe this idea, and there is plenty of evidence to support this concept, then creating a strong vibration can influence not only our feelings but also our environments. “Mantras start a powerful vibration which corresponds to both a specific spiritual energy and a state of consciousness in seed form. Overtime, the mantra process begins to override all of the smaller vibrations,(i.e. bad habits, negative thoughts, worries, patterns of failure, wounds etc.) which eventually become absorbed by the mantra. After a length of time… the great wave of the of the mantra stills all other vibrations….the mantra produces a state where the organism vibrates at the rate completely in tune with the energy and spiritual state represented by and contained within the mantra.” Wikipedia. definition of mantra.
Mantras are many, pick one, change your state and vibrate a happier, lighter and more fulfilled you!
Perception can determine our ability to happy, contented and residing in a state of bliss. There is a saying: before enlightenment chop wood and carry water, after enlightenment chop wood and carry water. Enlightenment doesn’t mean getting all your ducks in order so that we can be happy. It is more deeply related to finding joy in every circumstance whether our ducks are in order or not. Is the notion of accepting where ever you are is exactly where you are supposed to be and your path is perfect unto you. The real fulfillment is in understanding that this journey, this moment can be fully enjoyed and experienced in its’ perfection without us having to control events, people and situations.
Why doe we have such a love/ hate relationship with change? Some people want things to stay the same while others desperately crave every aspect of their lives to change. And what power do we have over our environments to really change? Environments change when our minds shift. We then experience less grinding and smoother sailing at higher speeds.
The real question is what is changeable in life and what remains permanent? When we shift our focus to the real versus the unreal, the balance with change corrects itself. We break our resistance to change and accept it as a natural part of our path through life. We welcome change and love the stability of that which stays the same. Our armor comes down and is replaced by a gentleness of heart and spirit. In this state the sometimes delicate energy of opportunity becomes more available to us. Life is viewed as fresh and subtle like the fragrance of a flower in full bloom. There is a willingness to attempt intentions and desires that once appeared impossible to obtain. We then experience more flow with change and solidity with that which is permanent.
10/24/2007
Last night my wife and I went out to dinner. After we thoroughly indulged ourselves, I paid with credit card and headed for a gas station to fuel up. I went to pump the gas and reached in for my wallet, which to my horror wasn’t there. I panicked and began thrashing around attempting to find the missing wallet. I jumped back in the car returning to the restaurant bolting into the eatery asking whether anyone had reported a found my billfold. No was the response from the busboy and our waitress as was from the manager.
Back to the gas station we drove again, our attempts were met with no success. We again got back in the car to return to the restaurant only to meet with the same result. We returned home where I called the bank as well as the credit card companies to report lost or stolen cards. I went to sleep feeling violated and foolish for having my wallet stolen. In the early morning I dreamed that I was driving a friend’s new electric car. I was not allowed to drive so I sat in the back of the vehicle. I looked in the back of the passenger’s seat and discovered my wallet. When I awoke I remembered that we had recently purchased a new Prius which supplements the gas powered engine with electrical power. I told my wife about the dream and she went directly to the car and found the missing wallet. I then realized that in the state of my panic, I was incapable of thinking clearly, I literally couldn’t see the missing object right in front of my very eyes! For me this became an example to remember when I feel stressed out, relax, take a deep breath, slow everything down and then proceed with the task at hand.
People are angry. We have every right to be angry. Look at the governments. Look at the environment. Watch the news or check out the economy.
Although we have the right to be angry, anger has an effect on the human psyche as well as the physical body. Anger constricts the energy bodies as well. What are the energy bodies? We humans have 10 bodies; 3 mental bodies, 4 subtle bodies and 3 positive ego bodies. These bodies vibrate and hold positive and negative emotions such as anger. We can sense when anger is present in another. We carry anger with us everywhere we go, even when we are on vacation.
I use Yoga to help myself; clients and students release anger from all levels of the psyche. Repetitious exercises combined with powerful breath work stimulate our system to help release tension and anger stored in all our bodies. When this kind of work is combined with mantra, especially sound current for removing blocks and barriers, the practitioner has a strong synergistic tool to free him/her from anger and negative energy cists. The result is a lighter, freer and more present being.
Life is always giving me opportunities to grow. When one door closes another one opens. I have heard this saying but how can I employ this concept to my life? By knowing that every situation good or bad (judged by my limited standard) is a growth opportunity to expand my vision and extend consciousness. If Ican suspend my judgment by having faith that the right situation is just down the road, then I live more fully in the present. By living in the present, I see more beauty and joy than I could have possibly imagined.
The 4th of July 2007 turned out to be an exciting event. While in Fort Lauderdale on vacation in Florida, we watched the fireworks from our balcony. The restaurant manager in the hotel we were staying was eager to tell us of the location of a renowned staging of fireworks, he even drew us a map stating that the event was close by. We thought on it and decided to take a chance on seeing it from room. As we headed up to our 2nd floor abode just as the show began, and what a show! Looking at a panoramic view of 170 degrees, colors and explosions jumped all along the horizon as my wife and I looked out over the manicured lawn of the golf course and water hazard now shrouded in a cloak of purple darkness. Up from the trees shot the white snaking fish lights that cried like the sound of young boys delighted in play. The shrubs looked like faces and bodies of circus animals lying on their backs and moving with opened mouths gazing with wonder. The imaginary animals stared into the heavens as cracking flashing lights appeared to fall on their bellies. High above the quickly changing light show were other lights, moving slowly as if to bring steadiness to the flashing variety. They were planes descending on the Fort Lauderdale airport. The entire horizon was alive with the energy of celebration, emerging from different depths but seemingly guided by an unseen Conductor. To our far right fireworks shot up from tall hotel buildings, looking as if unseen persons stood on their top floors lighting endless arrays of rockets and bombs. As we looked directly below our feet, reflections of the varying flashing colors and dancing rhythms stimulated visions of creation at its early stages. The big bang theory in miniature, doing its thing before our very eyes. The 4th of July represents many things to many people; enjoy this one with a fresh eye and a creative experience!
