I deeply believe that it is vital to our spiritual practice that we become spiritually disciplined. Without spiritual discipline we are never going to wake up or advance on our journey through this life. But our discipline must be wedded to joy, and we must find pleasure in the myriad wonders that this life offers. - Joan Gattuso
Satguru Bodhinatha Veylanswami, publisher of Hinduism Today magazine, writes about the importance of having and being in the presence of spiritual friends. In fact, he reminds readers that "we are whom we meet. The company we keep affects our attitudes, speech and actions as profoundly as the foods we eat." So, he emphasizes the importance of spending time with people who have (or are seeking) higher consciousness such as in a yoga class or meditation group.
However, he knows that sometimes we are required to spend a great deal of time "with people who are strongly materialistic or even hedonistic." In this case, he strongly recommends strengthening our aura and offers this simple meditation visualization technique which was taught to hm by his guru: Sit quietly, breathe deeply and mentally get in touch with your pranic body, first by visualizing it and secondly by feeling it. The pranic body of most people extends out from the physical body about one or two inches, depending on the level of vitality. Of course, the pranic body also completely permeates the entire physical body. As you sit quietly, breathing deeply and slowly, become intimately aware of the vitality, the prana, running throughout the physical body. As you breathe in, feel the vitality of your body. Feel the magnetic energy within it. Feel its life. Then, as you breathe out, mentally and through feeling release some of this vitality, this prana, this life force, and send it out into your aura. Keep sending it out on the outbreath to the aura's outer edges all around your body, from your head to your feet. The outer edge of the human aura is about three or four feet away from the physical body. After you have charged your aura with vital prana in this way about nine times (nine breaths), you should begin to feel a magnetic shell being built around the outer edge of your aura. You will feel very secure and content as you sit within your own aura, which is charged with prana from your own pranic body. You are protected from all kinds of psychic influences, seen and unseen." Do not resist any thought, do not hang on to any thought, do not react emotionally to any thought. This is the proper response to all thoughts that come down the stream of consciousness. - Thomas Keating
One of the best advocates for animal rights is PETA - People For The Ethical Treatment of Animals. Because this organization speaks for voiceless, powerless creatures, PETA is too often the brunt of hostility.
Recently, PETA has been highlighting the use of 'anti-animal' phrases asking people to stop and switch. For example: Instead of - Kill two birds with one stone Say - Feed two birds with one scone. Instead of - Be a guinea pig Say - Be a test tube. Instead of - Beat a dead horse Say - Feed a fed horse. Instead of Bring home the bacon Say - Bring home a bagel. Instead of Take the bull by the horns Say - Take the flower by the thorns. Most of the news reports about this use of language are directed with either sarcasm or hostility toward PETA but they are right. The language used about animals is negative and violent. Our language always results in actions. If you change your mindset from” I’m sacrificing something” to “I’m choosing something,” you’re prioritizing your life. You are no longer looking at what you’re missing out on; instead, you look at what you’re getting out of your life. - Darius Foroux
Even if there is no life after death, those who are morally unwholesome in this life will be censored by the wise for their immoral behavior. If, on the other hand, there is life after death, they will suffer in the life after as well. Thus, they are bound to lose both worlds.
If they lead a morally wholesome life, even if there is no life after death, they will be praised by the wise in this very life for their moral behavior. And if there is life after death, they will be happy in the next life as well. Thus, they are bound to gain both worlds. —Buddha One of the basic ways to settle both body and mind in meditation is to focus upon the breath. Master Hsing Yun, offers this concise explanation: "Rapid and short breathing signifies a flustered and unstable mind, and smooth breathing is indicative of a harmonized mind. Hence, the practice of counting breaths has always been emphasized repeatedly during meditation instruction. "
There’s no switch that turns on enlightenment. You move toward it with your effort. It’s an effort that might be unrecognizable to those who think “effort” means trying hard. You have to try soft—to be curious and open to whatever it is that results. Effort doesn’t mean gritting your teeth and pushing through to the other side; it means sitting where you’re stuck and not running away. - Nancy Thompson
On his blog, gatesnotes.com, Microsoft founder Bill Gates recently wrote about meditation. It's something he and his wife do together, regularly. Here's what he says about his meditation practice and he he arrived at one:
Initially, meditation didn't interest him. "I knew that lots of other people were using meditation to achieve similar ends. But I wasn’t interested. I thought of meditation as a woo-woo thing tied somehow to reincarnation, and I didn’t buy into it." He took a second look at meditation. "Lately, though, I’ve gained a much better understanding of meditation. I’m certainly not an expert, but I now meditate two or three times a week, for about 10 minutes each time. Melinda meditates too. Sometimes we sit to meditate together." Sitting on a chair works best for his body. "We use comfortable chairs; there’s no way I could do the lotus position." Meditation help him look at his thoughts and gain perspective. "I now see that meditation is simply exercise for the mind, similar to the way we exercise our muscles when we play sports. For me, it has nothing to do with faith or mysticism. It’s about taking a few minutes out of my day, learning how to pay attention to the thoughts in my head, and gaining a little bit of distance from them." (read more at www.gatesnotes.com Why I'm Into Meditation) It is never too late to start the spiritual journey
or to start over, and it is worth starting over any number of times. - Thomas Keating |
Victor M. Parachin ...is aVedic educator, yoga instructor, Buddhist meditation teacher and author of a dozen books. Buy his books at amazon or your local bookstore. Archives
July 2024
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