One God, One Power

Yogacharya David

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Picture: American White Pelican swimming on placid Lake Cahuilla with a promise of sun.

We have returned from the open desert of Borrego Springs to placid Lake Cahuilla near Palm Springs. There has been more rain in California this winter than for many years, breaking the long drought here but also causing some problems in the north with flooding. After several days of cool, cloudy, rainy weather it shows promise this morning for the return of the sun. A morning thought came streaming through with the sun, hammering away the walls of darkness and separation; a powerful tool for breaking dualities hold on the mind.

God, being the sole power in all the three worlds, must be behind every thought, word and action we can conceive, and that which is beyond what we can comprehend. The good, the bad and the ugly must all be powered by a single source, for how can there be another when God created all there is?

“But,” you may say, “there is so much in me and in the world that is not of God, there must be two powers!” In a relative, human sense, that is true, duality is by definition bi-polar. However, in an absolute, divine reality there can be only one power, one creator. Even the power for sensual attractions, to do evil, to go against the light of God must be admitted to come from one ultimate source.

You look inside and you say, “I feel so weak, no life-energy or light at all,” and yet, that powerful feeling of weakness must come from the One. You say, “I am drawn to so many temptations, those things that take me further away from God,” and that too must come from God Himself, for there is no other.

On a human level we definitely experience being on the battleground between good and evil. Each day is a test of our attraction and love for God, versus our mind’s tendency for being seduced into a world of separation from the One. And here is a great secret, once you trace the power for separation back to God, really trace it (not just a half-hearted weak thought), you break the power of separateness–all that which is negative in every thought, word or action. Darkness hates the light, and cannot co-exist with it. Once you bring the light of God into the picture as the one, true source of all, darkness must depart.

Keep your mind on God means just that, keep your attention focused on Him no matter the content of your thoughts or feelings. There is only one power, keep affirming this fact, feeling that all comes from Him; you purify the mind even as you practice this and cure its addiction for separateness. God is the power behind every thought, word and action, this is the absolute truth; it cannot not be! Never let go of it and you will be brought into His holy Presence, where no darkness or evil abides. All is He, all is He; blessed Spirit, all is He!  

Master’s Delight

Yogacharya David

 

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Picture: Paramhansa: Supreme Swan-swims in worldly waters but is unaffected by delusion. Fresco near entrance to Encinites Hermitage.

We happy pilgrims set off from the desert wilds and motor over a 3,000 foot peak and wend out way to the beautiful Pacifica shores at Encinitas–home of Master’s seaside retreat. For a long time Master had taken trips up and down the coast of southern California looking for just the right spot for a hermitage. It was not until he left for India that Rajasi Janakananda discovered this excellent site for Master, purchased it and made the buildings ready for his beloved Guru’s return as a surprise gift.

And what a gift! acreage upon a bluff overlooking the Pacific Ocean, charming seaside housing, and delightful gardens complete with ponds filled with koi; a peaceful setting where Master eventually penned his spiritual classic, Autobiography of a Yogi. Master designed and built a lovely chapel on the cliffside, but nature broke under its weight and it had to be dismantled. God told Master that he was too attached to this beautiful ornament of worship and so took it away from him. Even on a human level a great master has a thin veil of ignorance in order to play his role upon earth.

We once again looked upon the bright golden lotuses on towers of the hermitage that face the street. Entering the grounds we are told that Master’s rooms, normally open on Sunday afternoons are closed due to renovations. The guard standing near the gate said that some devotees were escorted into those rooms, so we might ask for permission. I do so and a sweet natured lady enquired as to who we were, whether we were connected with the Seattle SRF Group, etc. and then went in to make enquiry for us. She came back to say that none could enter, “there are no exceptions.” This prevarication was not necessary; in total surrender I acknowledged to her that, “All is in Master’s keeping.”

We climbed the stairs through shadowy lush gardens and emerged into bright sunlit vistas of shore, waves and ocean. Below is  “Swami’s Beach” and is a favorite where dozens of surfers below are waiting to ride that perfect wave. The eye is naturally drawn out to the distant horizon where ocean meets sky–creating Nature’s altar for our infinite Creator. The intense sun made us seek out a bench under shade where we felt drawn to spend time with God alone.

My prayer to Master was that all in our group feel his presence as powerfully in his garden as we had in previous years experienced him in his rooms; now that those doors to that sacred site are shut. One sign of a spiritually charged environment is the ease for feeling God. Upon sitting down and closing my eyes, my spine straight, eyes pointed to the ajna, and instantly the inner and outer expansiveness merge into blissful awareness. Time is suspended and God and dear Param-Guru pervades the vast inner/outer experience. “Oh Master, your presence in your garden is equal to your powerfully charged rooms; your grace exceeds kindness and delivers us to your lotus feet.”

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Ponds filled with colorful Koi

Sometime later my attention is once again drawn to the outer world. We stroll amongst the gardens, gaze at the large koi in the ponds, meditate under that tree that has a picture of St. Francis upon it, and although there are many people wandering through this Garden of Eden there is no hurry, all speak quietly and feel the reverential awe of being in Master’s kingdom.

Now we are taking our leave, gratitude fills our hearts for Master’s blessings. May this hermitage, built by Rajasi for Master with such loving thoughtfulness, fulfill its purpose, to be a refuge for devotees from a hectic world, and to always be a home for Master’s delight. Jai Gurus, Jai Master!

Picture: St. Francis upon a “cross” in Master’s Garden

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The Wind Blows Where it Wishes

Yogacharya David

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Picture: Fiery morning sky from desert floor

We continue “boondocking” near Borrego Springs. Rick and Judy, Jerry and Lois are all here nearby, as we are able to spread out on these federal lands that have rustic roads and primitive campsites (really you just pick a spot and set up camp within the defined acreage). Carla is going through some spiritual experiences in which her nervous system is highly electrified, so the desert expanse is perfect for us.  

Out under the desert sky a sudden breeze races through camp, blows for some time then just as quickly dies down. This repeats itself through the days and nights; it reminds me of a saying of Jesus’:

John 3:7 “Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ 8 The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit.”

Of course the wind has sudden surges in environments other than the desert, but on water or mountaintop it somehow seems more understandable as to where or why it comes. But here in open desert it has more the appearance of mystery to its comings and goings.

Jesus was a man of the desert, having gone through austerities in the wilderness he was on intimate terms with nature. In his conversation with Nicodemus, which the above quote is excerpted, Jesus is referring to the invisible sources and mysterious reasons for the habits of both wind and Spirit.

Science prides itself on observing phenomena, manufacturing theories about what it sees, designing an experiment or two and noting if the outcomes behave according to what the theory anticipates; an admirable process for physical and psychological phenomena. However, what about Spirit, that originates outside material creation? That the only “instrument” for measuring results is found through intuition and deep inner experience whose range is beyond that of a telescope or a microscope; what then can physical science say about it?

Even when dealing with unknowable origins we can yet say, “A true understanding is that, spirituality is a science.” We begin with a spiritual practice, and when the experiment is carried out exactly as prescribed the results are predictable. Perform Kriya Yoga and the spine will be spiritually charged, the light of God is seen, the sound of God is heard, the mind is purified and consciousness expands and becomes Self-realized. Or, Chant God’s name, think on His attributes, surrender yourself at His feet and your mind will be purified, you will live in bliss, consciousness will rise above the mundane and you will know God–merge with Him. Your heart, mind and soul are the experimental labs in which these procedures are carried out, the outcome predicted is the transformation of consciousness from the human to the Divine.

And yet, calling an area of study a “science” does not take away its deep sense of mystery. The astronomer may gaze upwards and identify constellations, “There is Orion’s Belt, and there Alpha Centauri, and that is the broad bright Milky Way.” However, that same astronomer may also have times of looking up at the night sky and simply be in awe, sense the immense depth of space from which those tiny lights have travelled, the overwhelming vastness and the incredible power of cosmic forces, both seen and unseen. In that moment of awe is the mystic any different than the fact driven scientist? Are we not joined in wonder, whether it is seeing a giant nebula, a tiny quark, or feeling the bliss of God?

It was ignorance and arrogance that made religious institutions square off against science, and, as perhaps was predictable, science then polarized itself against religion. In fact, both are explorers and seekers of truth; both should be joined in discovering physical and metaphysical realms. No matter the factual gains of science, there will always be mystery to this creation. On one level of experience, matter, like Spirit, will defy knowing from whence things come and whither they go.

Walking amongst desert sage we are in wonder at the sudden gust of wind as well as the surge of bliss that delivers us into a birth of new consciousness. This type of mystery is knowable, in the sense that you can have direct experience of it. However, in nature as in Spirit there will always be that which is unknowable–mind cannot hold know it all, it must simply be experienced. In this mystery of heaven and of earth we may be at ease, for it is all held in perfection by the one living God.    

Borrego Springs

Yogacharya David

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Picture: Full Moon rises over desert mountains just outside our door

The desert has been beckoning to me for some time now–finally it is here. It is easy to see why those who want to know God have sought out desert retreats: expanse, clean vibrations, quiet, and a slow changing backdrop to support inner stillness.

I remember during my silence and solitude that we had some group gatherings during the year. One participant kept saying how she yearned to be in a place of silence, but even though the rule was total silence, she kept a whispering conversation going toward me (as if a whisper qualified as silence!). Beyond the humor of it, she demonstrated how we can abstractly yearn for something, but in reality find it quite difficult.   

Inner and outer silence does a couple of things. True silence makes the consciousness expand. Whether you are viewing life across open expanse of desert, from a high mountain top, over a vast body of water, or from your “yogi’s cave” in your home, stillness makes it is easy for your mind to loose it bounds and seek out vastness. Master Mahasaya said his great guru, Sri Ramakrishna, told him to always meditate when he was next to a body of water in order to go beyond body consciousness.

Once remembered, Spirit’s domain in eternity does not easily accommodate the small confines of a human body or ego-consciousness. When we seek out the attributes of God we yearn for freedom, peace, joy, love, knowing who and what we truly are–pristine nature can help us realize this impulse.

There is an additional blessing to being in the desert near Borrego Springs–we are in the neighborhood where householder-yogis Rajasi and Dr. Lewis had homes. We feel our kinship with these two highly realized beings in our stay here–asking their blessings for full immersion in our Infinite Beloved.

As we reside in this place of stillness, please join me in spirit and experience the expanding purity that we feel here. Be quiet in your bi-daily sojourn of meditational bliss, and feel our gathering oneness in the blessed Divine.

God’s Promise

Yogacharya David

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Picture: Sri Yukteswarji and Sri Yoganandaji: like God’s promise, a true guru and disciple is a bond of love and divine friendship–always.

A spiritual life comes with a promise for a better life, Lahiri Mahasaya said if we make spiritual effort now, our future is bound to improve. So we head off into life full of enthusiasm and high hopes.

Then something untoward happens: financial problems, relationship issues, illness and even death. In those moments we may feel let down, a crises of faith that all we held to be true was a lie. The devotee may reason, “I do my part: I proceed in faith, I meditate daily, eat the right food, love God, and now this!

Sri Yukteswar found practical, methodical people admirable. Mother Hamilton gave people practical advice on everything from grooming, keeping an orderly house, to being business-wise. Master wrote Mother a letter in which he added some wise counsel for a devotee who was an inventor, saying that he needs to be practical and have a job. Practicality and daily wisdom easily mixed with esoteric wisdom of the highest order for these realized Beings.

Yet, even applying all the wisest and wordly-wise principles, there is the long arm of the law of cause and effect. Babaji said that in a previous life, while attaining high spiritual consciousness, still Lahiri Mahasaya’s karma had swept him away (he died) and that Babaji lovingly followed him in his astral life between physical death to his re-birth. Life and death still happens to highly realized souls. And, I do not know a business owner, even those following a spiritual path, who has not faced downturns, perhaps selling off assets, including prized personal items to keep the business afloat. Even with the healthiest diet and exercise regimen one may become ill. If you think that leading a spiritual life makes you immune to any of life’s hardships, then you may find yourself disappointed.

The only sure result of knowing God is that you will be in His presence in thick and thin. Like marriage vows–for better, for worse, in sickness and in health–you are married to the Beloved, and in all situations your Heavenly Father, Divine Mother promises to be at your side through it all. It is only God who is with you from your first breath to your last, it is only God who will be with you in your astral journey in between lives here on earth, and for all time.

Our simple love and faith forms a bond with God that cannot be broken, and while it is true that all souls have God with them, it is only His awakened ones who are conscious of this omniscient Presence–and this makes all the difference. What is it that causes the greatest suffering in this world? More than physical pain, financial downturns, or even death, it is the feeling of isolation, that no one knows or cares about our life. With God we have an eternal friend, well-wisher, beloved, and confidant.

There is no doubt that God also provides a route to miracles, extraordinary events both large and small; healings, clearing the way for financial success, and every sort of amazing occurrences. I have seen them with my own eyes. A small miracle once happened to me that to this day is inexplicable. I had made a math mistake and overdrawn my checking account by over a hundred dollars. By the time I discovered my error I knew I did not have the funds to cover the shortfall. It would result in a bounced check and further banking fees; oh dear! On that same day I received a check from a company in New York that I had never heard of, for the amount of money I was overdrawn plus five dollars! I never did know why that check arrived, but it saved me much embarrassed anxiousness that day, as well as the additonal fees.  

God creates us, He sustains us, and when it is His will, He withdraws us back into His Being. He is our well-wisher, yet there may be certain things we have to go through. It may be the result of our own doing in the moment, something from a distant, unremembered past, or from the collective karma of the world we live in. The one thing that we, as devotees and aspirants, may depend upon, that through our oneness with Him, God will be ever-present with us. We may feel His peace, love, joy, inner-direction, wisdom-thoughts, comfort–all that is His. For reasons known and unknown we may have certain things we must go through, but in our faithfulness God will never abandon nor forsake us. This is His promise.

Glints of Light-Mother’s Mahasamadhi

Yogacharya David

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Picture: The great joy and fun of Mother Hamilton

It is the very early morning hours of the anniversary of Mother Hamilton’s Mahasamadhi; my heart and soul are feeling the inspiration of what this day means. To some it may seem an incongruity to celebrate the death of an individual, much less the passing of a beloved teacher, a Satguru. However, when we understand the true nature of what we call death, and even more a mahasamadhi, then we truly celebrate not only the life of a great spiritual master, but her actual leaving of the body as well.

In my journey to God, He has given me direct spontaneous memories of previous lives, fully reliving them just as they occurred. One such life memory included dying and what happened immediately after. In that moment of separation from the body, which came as an immense relief, I found myself in the presence of a wonderful Being of Light. Mother explained that this was my own Christ-Self, God within me made manifest in this seemingly outer form. Together we reviewed my life with an eye for learning, this Light-form, communicating through thought-transference, conveyed insight, wisdom and compassion.

In this review I realized that I had lost sight of my true purpose in taking incarnation; I had become lost in the details and demands of life and did not make the spiritual progress as I had originally intended when coming into that life. So many live in fear of judgement of what God or others might think. The truth is that we each know what true success looks like, and when connected with the deepest part of ourselves, we judge ourselves with clarity and discernment. In that moment of insight I had  great self-disappointment; I had fallen short of my own goal. Right there and then I made an adamantine resolution to never waste a lifetime, ever again!

Great spiritual masters, such as Mother, have already learned that lesson down to the very cells of their beings. Depending on the nature of their lila, the play of their lives when they choose to take incarnation, they may live a portion of their lives in ignorance. But, when the awakening comes, there is no stopping them, a force to be reckoned with! Mother came into this incarnation with no karma of her own, nothing that bound her from the past, a completely freed being. However, she took on the life of an ordinary person, went through so many experiences of living a human life. As Mother said of herself, she had experienced what any woman could go through, and therefore had understanding of the difficulties of living in this world.

When Mother spoke, she gave of her wisdom with the power of God burning brightly in her. She not only spoke of the highest esoteric truths, but she also brought everyday human experience into spiritual perspective. She did not fear or shun this world, having totally surrendered her life at the feet of God and Guru, she had gone through the death of the ego, the little self–she then embraced all creation as God’s expression of Himself. This was one of the many gifts of wisdom Mother gave to us; a modern-day Western woman who had ascended the highest peaks of realization, and never lost sight of the human roots of her existence.

Mother used to joke about when she would leave her body–she had such a wonderful sense of fun. She said that since people were always asking her questions, she could imagine herself on her deathbed, and someone would say, “Oh Mother, before you go, I have just one more question for you!” She also once said that sometimes her sense of humor “got the best of her,” and she could imagine getting to the pearly gates and St. Peter would say, “I’m sorry, I cannot find your name on the list of those who are to come into heaven.” And then a deep voice, from some distance away, would say, “Is that Mildred? It’s alright, you can let her in, she made Me laugh a time or two!”

Mother lived a Christ-like life, and even as Jesus’ disciples were not present when he left the body, Mother was alone when she died. In one of those moments that I would love to have back, I was driving home from work when I thought of stopping in to see Mother at the hospital. Then the thought came that my wife might like to come with me, so I went home. Soon after I received the call that told me that Mother had left the body. Tears came, and I wondered at the strange play of God. I could have so easily been with her at the time of transition, but she had not wished it so.

Mother had said that at the time of death of a great soul a spiritual ambiance goes out all over this world; a blessing of the light and power of God. In that moment the master consciously releases themselves from the confines of the body, no longer carrying their heavy cross, they are now free, and the world is the recipient of his or her grace without limit.  

Over the many years since Mother’s Mahasamadhi, her life and teachings have taken on so many hues, colors, and subtleties–like a multi-faceted diamond that manifests glints of light with unending variation and beauty. New truths, understanding, wisdom-thoughts, Divine Mother’s love, joy, humor, the everythingness of God is constantly revealing itself to the attuned mind. Each revelation of Mother’s immense Spirit adds to our comprehension what a truly extraordinary God-being our Mother was, and is.

Elisabeth Haich had said to Mother, Why do you go around thinking you are the littlest one? Do you not realize, you are greater than any master you have met, or will ever meet! Mother was not so sure of that statement, but it speaks to what a rare a magnificent soul Mother was. Even amongst the greatest of spiritual Masters, Mother stands among them–each one a shining jewel on God’s necklace of spiritual splendor.   

In deepest reverence I bow at the feet of my beloved Guru. My prayer for you: that you might also receive glints of Mother’s pure God-light, and thereby be lifted higher and higher, until you, like she, merge into our Infinite Beloved and ever know that you and your Heavenly Father-Divine Mother are ever one.

Hitting Curveballs Out of the Park

Yogacharya David

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Picture: Magnificent sunrise over Lake Cahuilla    

Having arrived here at Lake Cahuilla near La Quinta, southern California, our North American Pilgrimage continues. I received a text from a family whose little one was being taken to the hospital emergency room; life can throw you some real curveballs. There are few things in life that can make us feel so helpless as a very sick child. “Oh Lord, You must see to it that this be taken care of for this child, family, and for the highest good of all.” They returned later that night from the hosptial, our little one was on the road to recovery.  

One of the “defaults” I now have is that in the face of difficulty my mind immediately turns to God. “Oh Lord, You are the creator of this universe, You are of unlimited intelligence and unparalleled power, change this situation, make it right, in accordance with the highest principles of wisdom, light and love.”

How many times in life do we have a sinking feeling in our stomach, in which we think that one too many things have gone wrong? That through our own doing or simply the way life has arranged circumstances we are in trouble–that we feel alone, unable to reach out for help?  

This sense of isolation is one of the great sufferings we experience in our separation from God. Each one of us has an “Achilles heel,” that place of weakness that can bring us down like no other. However, there is but one panacea for all troubles, that is to surrender to the one, infinite Lord.

Faith in God brings about solutions to the most vexing exigencies in unexpected ways. Today, I listened to a woman describe an incident when her husband had a diabetic blackout while he was driving. He was unconscious as they were careening down the road, no sign of the car slowing. She reached over and turned the keys to off and pulled them out. I protested, saying, “This is impossible to do on modern cars, they require you to bring the car to a stop, put it in park, then you can turn the engine off. She agreed, “Yes, that is right, but God did it!” And so He did. And so He did. She was then able to steer the car over and repeatedly run it into the curb to bring it to a safe stop.

Lahiri Mahasaya said, although man’s ingenuity for getting himself into trouble seems unending, fortunately Divine succor is more than equally inventive for his rescue. In baseball good batters can make contact with a curveball and turn it into a home run. No doubt curveballs in life present challenges, however it need not spell defeat. Only that you fully concentrate on using all of your resources to rise above a situation and demonstrate the power of divine will and grace on earth. To manifest God-consciousness is the reason you are here. Remain devoted to your infinite Beloved, and your Heavenly Father, Divine Mother, will make all things possible.

Stay tuned, our pilgirmage in God continues!

Southward Ho-Finding the Elixir of Joy!

Yogacharya David

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Picture: Dominating the view south is the maginificent Mt. Shasta; gateway to California in our renewed pilgrimage.

Our Journey south began with a stop in Ashland to be with devotees. Such times with sincere aspirants is truly an elixir of joy. Without a spiritual orientation in life I find that it offers little in the way of lasting happiness. However when God-experience enters the picture, then all relationships, all experiences in life opens new dimensions of deeper meaning and fulfillment.

I gave a talk to the Group there and read from Papa Ramdas:

“The path to the source of your and the world’s being, is not without. You have to go within yourself. You must go past your senses, mind, and intellect; you must traverse beyond all your ideas and ideals; you must transcend all limits, conditions, and tastes, and then alone will you have the fullest vision and realization of your immortal root. This immortal root is also the root of all that exists–the visible and the invisible worlds and all beings and creatures in them.

Religion is a matter of experience. Merely by becoming a member of a church, creed, or sect, a person cannot be entitled to this experience. By reading any amount of scriptures and sacred books he cannot obtain this experience. By the observance of rites, ceremonies, or worship a man cannot come by this experience. Spiritual realization is a question of individual effort and struggle…The man of true religion when he is on the path, is mainly concerned with his own internal struggle for liberation and peace.

A steady, persevering, and concentrated effort and struggle alone can lead the aspirant to the realization of God.”

This kind of aspiration that Papa speaks of is the key to having God-experience. The need to know God is a gift of Grace combined with a keen desire by the individual. There is a simple equation that formulates a clarifying question we should ask ourselves, “Do I want God more than this world?” I may assess this during the day as to whether I feel a greater pull to God than the things of the senses, outer accomplishments, and what others think of me.

Jesus gave us the great commandment to put God first, then everything else (according to His will) will be added to my life. However, the human ego does this in reverse, it seeks out the world, and then gives burnt offerings (used up life-force) to God, if anything at all.

Do you feel a passion to know God? Do you put Him first in your thoughts and desires? The equation is simple, your mind is a constant creator, and what you place your powerful mind upon is the direction your life is steered toward. It is why you get uncertain results, you swerve in this direction, then that. A steady, determined mind gets more results than a brilliant mind that cannot hold any particular course.

True genius is going straight to the Goal of goals without deviation. Make God-experience as important as breathing the air, seeking out comfort, accomplishing whatever outer journey you have embarked upon; make Him at least as important, nay more important in your day-to-day life and you will make rapid progress to Self-realization and find the fount of unending bliss and radiant light right within your own being. Be it so!   

Clarity of Will

Yogacharya David

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Picture: Durga Ma fearlessly riding her tiger with a sword for cutting away delusion, a bow for shooting forth will-arrows straight and true, and a hand held in blessing–among other implements of truth and clarity.

Master spoke a great deal about will, both the development of it through use of affirmations and maintaining focus throughout a project, as well as uniting individual will with God’s will. We do ourselves great good to pay attention to these lessons.

Many of us undermine positive intentions by not acting with clarity, purpose and bringing to them to conclusions. All success depends upon being able to maintain focus on our goals. Self doubt, obstacles encountered, and competing thoughts and desires rob us of initiative.

We are now headed south to Ashland, and it has been one obstacle after another. However, there has been clarity of purpose from the start–it has been God’s direction to make this journey. With each problem He has provided the means for solutions we have needed. At every turn it has been obvious that circumstances could have been far worse. This is His play and He has tested us, our clarity of purpose.

Think of will as a muscle group that needs to be exercised. If you start a physical exercise program that is too difficult for where you are now you will not keep up with it. Dreaming of climbing Mt. Everest and not even going for daily walks will not get you there. You start with getting off the couch and going for walks. Then climb hills, go on to master lower mountain peaks, and eventually you prepare yourself for the big climb. Sitting on the couch and dreaming will not get it done!

So, start with everyday goals on which to focus your will. Determine that the sun will not set without your achieving a  particular goal; no matter what. Make this your daily practice and you will build will-muscle through repeated effort and the lessons you learn.

One great lesson is that when you make a determination and keep with it,especially when you invoke Divine Providence from the beginning, you attract invisible support for accomplishing your positive intention. Feel that you are not alone–God, the Masters, angels and invisible forces respond to your clarity and uplifting purpose. In this sense, there are no large or small goals, but only one goal, and that is the one in front of you now.

Declare with all the power of God in you that you are determined to succeed. Feel the invisible forces in and around you as supports, and when you meet obstacles, as you surely will with any worthwhile goal, those invisible forces aid and abet you in overcoming. When self-doubt assails you, as may happen to anyone doing something great, check inside for the rightness of your cause. Do not seek to have God on your side, but rather know that you are on God’s side through deepened meditation and intuition. Then proceed forward and be His instrument with true purpose in all things.  

 

Attachment Is Being Shackled to An Idea

Yogacharya David

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Picture: Bald eagle in flight by my brother, Mark

We learn detachment in large and small ways throughout our days. Attachment is the ultimate cause of suffering for all mankind, thus says Buddha, Krishna and in so many words the great spiritual giants throughout time.

Today we were packed and driving down the road, a large bald eagle flew along with us when driving off the island; a good omen. Later sprinkles on the windshield turned to rain and called for turning on the wipers; they did not go on. It is a small thing in life, being delayed, a change of venue for the day; instead of driving south it became a matter of making arrangements for repair when a new fuse did not fix the problem.

A small instance with a lesson. Attachment is being shackled to an idea of what should happen. Such a simple notion; and how anxious, fearful, lustful, angry, needy and greedy we can become based on an idea—delusion’s grip that keeps us in ignorance and suffering. The idea of leaving on a trip, days of solid preparation that evaporate into mist in an instant.

Fifteen months ago a similar hoped-for venture was interrupted, beginning in Utah and culminating in an emergency trip home from Nevada when anemia due to a cancerous infection brought all travel plans to an abrupt halt (it now seems another lifetime ago). It can be anything that goes other than how we plan: loss, death, trauma, disappointment, failure, poverty, hunger, illness–so many lessons in detachment.

And how are we to be detached? We live in the world, we make plans, we have expectations, we strive to do better, to be better, to be organized and work hard–how are we to do all of that and not be attached? It is not an easy thing, it is one reason yogis, mystics and monks seek out seclusion; to make it easier to be simple, to leave behind expectations.

But even that is not a guarantee; ashrams, monasteries and religious organizations are oftentimes battlegrounds for competing egos, filled with even higher expectations of how things are supposed to be–creating even more attachment. There is a saying that helps describes this, “Wherever you go, there you are!”

The easiest way to detachment is by keeping your attention on God—surrendering everything at His feet. Cultivate the notion that God is in control of everything, including your thoughts and the world around you. Feel that God is the sole reality, and if He wills it, nothing can stop a thing from happening, and if He does not, no amount of energy will change it; all is in His Keeping.

In the beginning you base this faith on what spiritual masters tell you. Later, through direct experience you come to the realization that God’s omnipotence is a precise description of the highest reality. As you surrender all that you are to God, even positive plans and desires, and you accept that His will reigns supreme, then you are at peace.

This does not mean you do not strive, work, and fight for a good idea God has given you. But when you face frustration and disappointment—you surrender yourself to Him. This gives you the courage and strength to carry on in the face of obstacles, or the ability to accept something new if that is what God wishes for you. You are God’s faithful servant, and whether it all goes your way or not, you are focused on fulfilling His will, listening to His direction, being a perfect instrument in His hands. This gives you perfect equanimity in good times and bad, in victory or defeat, in health or sickness—it is all He, it is all He!

Tomorrow we will hear from the repair folks and plan to be on our way south once again. Will that plan align with tomorrow’s reality? We will know by day’s end. In the meantime we plan, we work, we strive and move toward to an ideal given to us by the Infinite, and we balance this movement with total surrender to what He chooses for us—each and every moment.

 

Listening & Learning

Yogacharya David

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Picture: Centenary Hall. Swamiji held of my hand and I was lifted into bliss, love would overwhelm my heart. Truly, blessed times.

Note: I am being called to the desert to write, so we will be leaving soon to travel south. I will maintain contact with you through regular posts, as well as Skype/YouTube Services, and I will still communicate by email and text, although there may be periods of time when we are out of reach. I take you with me, and send you all love and blessings.

Yogacharya David

 This is an email from Rebecca who has currently taken residence at our beloved Anandashram. I think that you, like me, will find inspiration and interest in her experiences. This email is used with permission. Following are some of my comments to her.  

 Hari Om, Dear Guruji!

Days here are each snapshots of incredible beauty and Joy. How blessed I am that God has allowed me to have this time now to be intensely absorbed in communion with Him, within and without.

Some days ago, I asked Him, “Lord, what would you like me to do today?” He replied, “To listen and to learn.”

So, I have taken this as my theme not for that one day only, but for this whole time here. To “listen” I am paying close attention with my “third ear”; that being the medulla. I am using the technique you gave me which is to imagine it as a receptor the size of a dinner plate. One effect which has been most delightful from this exercise is that as long as I am “listening” (conscious attention at the medulla) I am not thinking….Can’t “talk” and listen at the same time! 

And as far as learning, this place is overflowing with the highest wisdom just ripe for the picking and tasting. So much to learn, so many humbling and empowering lessons; each day is a new unfolding of His training and teaching.

 On another note, I was excited this morning to have had Darshan of a scorpion…From a respectful distance!…as he was crossing the courtyard in the early morning. A handsome creature in his own way.

And do you remember seeing giant bats in the trees? They’re wonderful animals! They swoop around and make screeching sounds like monkeys do. They are fruit bats I’m told- they especially love mangos when they’re in season. At first I thought they were birds. I watch them every morning as I wait outside Centenary Hall for Swami Sannyasananda to unlock the door at 5am. He never speaks to me but when he is finished opening Swamiji’s room and comes out, he gestures for me to enter and smiles in such a way that if feels like it’s Papa Himself who is smiling! 

 Thank you for your constant blessings which are being received. So necessary for me to use this golden opportunity for growth into complete and permanent Oneness with Him.

 Om Sri Ram Jai Ram Jai Jai Ram

 Your Own, 

With Love and reverence,

Rebecca

 My Reply: Subject: RE: Listening & Learning

Hari Om my dearest One, 

To listen and learn, a most perfect message. Ah, learning to listen to God, what a day that is when you open the door and really attune yourself to what God is speaking to you. And, what an attentive friend and lover God is: infinite in knowledge and wisdom, full of fun and joy, a constant life-stream coming through the medulla, a guiding light at the ajna, unfolding into infinite reaches from the crown chakra–there is nothing in the world that can compare! My heart thrills at your expansion into this heavenly realm, of which there are countless mansions of experience. You may sit in simple silence with your Friend, enjoying the fullness of the moment, or He may be a volcano of inner awakening, yet you are unafraid and trusting. All is He, all is He. 

 I do not think I had the darshan of a scorpion, but I very much remember the fruit bats. They would swoop through the covered porches of Krishnabai and Arunachala blocks in the dark, black shapes with perfect guidance systems. They are fascinating creatures that seem to harken us back to prehistoric times. 

 Many, many blessings my dear child, for fulfilling all your soul’s desires while there, to be in the joy of listening and learning. 

With loving pronams, 

Gurudev

 

Be an Expression of What God Wants

Yogacharya David

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Picture: Various stages rising to the pure Self

A unique feature of water is that you can find it in everyday conditions in liquid, solid and gaseous states.  This triune character of water can be compared to the nature of God’s creation on three different planes: solid being the material elements of this world, liquid references the fluid nature of life-energy, and gaseous is the subtle causal/idea realm.

 The vast majority of people are focused on the solid-material nature of this world, some see the fluid-like movement of life-energy in and around things and people, and a few have the vision to see what cannot be seen by others, the thought-trons (Master’s terminology) behind all that is—a causal realm that is much larger and more profound than all other aspects of creation. We look about us and see crystalized life-energy of this world, but there is so much more that is not visible to the naked eye.

 The three aspects of creation can be polluted just like water. Today the residents of large cities in China carry opened umbrellas when it snows; the snow as well as the rain is so toxic that it is a health risk to the uncovered. The material, energetic and idea realms can also become toxic and manifests as disease and darkness of every description: an energy of darkness may form around someone depressed, the mind may become filled with wicked thoughts, or the body may suffer due to past wrong actions.

 The materially minded scientist says the brain manufactures the mind and consciousness—that what we think and even who we are is a result of firing synapses. However, the spiritual scientist sees it quite differently. While it is true that a malfunctioning brain interferes with thought process, such as a stroke destroys memory and blocks anatomical functions, the conclusion that the brain is the source of thought and awareness is a fallacy.

 Think of a computer programmer creating an operational system. If the hardware stops working due to a malfunctioning circuit the computer will no longer be able to carry out its purpose. However, though the programmer may be frustrated by this lapse in his computer, he is in no substantive way harmed by the glitch. Similarly, the soul operates through the physical form of a human body, and when disease makes the body unresponsive, the consciousness of the soul remains unchanged, although it cannot continue to fully operate in the body as before.

 The truth of this was demonstrated to me by my Guru. Although she was deeply affected by multiple strokes, heart attacks and a severe case of shingles in one half of her face, and she was not able to function in the body as she had before, she was still all that she had ever been in soul and Spirit. Being disturbed by what I saw as she sat in a wheelchair, paralyzed on one side and open sores on the other, I went home to meditate and I demanded that God explain what was happening to my beloved teacher. For some time I focused on the breath and the ajna in deepening meditation—suddenly I saw Mother with inner sight; she was beaming and more beautiful than I had ever seen her before. A radiant light went out from her in every direction as far as I could see. Through thought transference she said, “Do you not know, I am now in my Light-body.” And, indeed she was, and is, a brilliant shining Light.

 After that experience I never again mistook Mother for her physical body; I knew she was so much more. She lived many years after that and through sheer will she regained so much of what she had lost during this terrible time. Mother, and every one of us, is not limited to the body. We have an eternal soul, our part of God that is not born nor does it die, it cannot be burnt, drowned, or in any way changed or corrupted. No matter the choices we make, the bad things we may have done (against ourselves or others), this pure element of divinity resides above the physical, energetic and idea realms.

 Life, as we think of it, is the soul manifesting through the three bodies, physical, energetic, and causal. The purified body and mind are perfect instruments for the transcendent Divine Mind, and are a blessing to ourselves and to this world. Go beyond the three realms, seek out contact with the ever-pure, eternal Self—not so you can get God to do what you want, but that you may be an expression of what God wants you to be.  

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