Echoes of Infinity

Yogacharya David

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Picture: Two Medicine Lake

Having a guru-lineage in this culture, day and age is a tremendous boon to all those who have accepted it into their lives. When I met Mother I had heard of a guru, having read a story of a man meeting his guru I had thought, “That is what I need, to meet someone who has gone the way and can show me how to achieve realization.”

It seemed a very long time in looking, but in reality it was less than five months since reading that story before I met Mother. My desire was very strong and the spiritual crises I found myself in was very deep. Mother was totally unexpected to me, an American woman with a universal message that included strong overtones of the story of Christ. However, her spiritual power and her ability to lift me up whenever I saw her was a wonder and convinced me to my bones that she was my guru.

With time I discovered, first through Mother’s stories and then through their own writings, her guru Paramhansa Yogananda, her param-guru Sri Yukteswarji, her param-para guru Lahiri Mahasaya, and the heads of this guru lineage—Babaji and Jesus Christ. I was in awe! It took time to slowly assimilate the profound meanings of my relationship with these personages. Then we also had the powerful spiritual personalities of Papa Ramdas, Mother Krishnabai and Swami Satchidananda—there seemed no limit to the spiritual riches that was simply handed to me, to us.

In writing about this now I melt in gratitude, knowing that I am a nothing in the light of these exalted beings. As I melt I merge in the oceanic bliss of cosmic Spirit. The mind drops to its knees in acknowledgement that it cannot possibly fathom such profundity. To one who has not come into real contact with this kind of relationship my experiences will simply sound incomprehensible, however to those who have known a true guru relationship, there is a kindredness of spirit in shared humility and powerful transformation.

When Mother asked me to teach she taught me to relay my inner experiences to the world. I felt shy in doing so for these experiences are what are most near and dear to me. It can be painful to relate what is most intimate to one’s heart and soul and have it not comprehended or misunderstood. That fear is now long past for me, for I know that those who have eyes to see and ears to hear will find truth in what I say; for others there is nothing lost because they will go on with their lives none the worse off and I will know joy in finding others, or even just one, who will be inspired by what I say. I know this transformation occurs because I feel the power of truth in me and I know truth has the ability to awaken itself in others.

In fact, words are too small to hold my meaning, however those who receive the spirit that inspires the words will receive both words and spirit and be lifted up into higher regions of thought and spiritual consciousness. When Reverend Bob Raymer first met Master, Sri Yoganandaji repeated the names of the gurus in his ear. Bob was unfamiliar with the sounds of these exotic names and had no idea of what he was saying, but he never forgot the whispers of the master.

I too hear those names whispered into my ear by some mystic means as Master repeats, “Sri Yukteswarji, Lahiri Mahasaya, supreme master Babaji.” In those words, I hear the echo of infinity. In saying this, is it madness to think others may hear endless, unfathomable bliss in this ecstatic Reality? Oh, I know there is ground prepared, and even new ground being prepared for these seeds to find rich soil in which shared visions of infinity merge us all into one Reality.

It is in this loving Spirit that I send out on etheric waves the untold blessings that come with inner attunement to our beloved param-para guru-lineage. We are blessed beyond comprehension through our deepened connection with these God-tuned beings—perfected in the fires of testing and blazing with the pure Light of Divine Consciousness.

Health Update: As we have been living in Nature’s Cathedrals this body has grown in strength and endurance. Hikes along lakesides with powerful glacier cut peaks above, vivid-colored alpine spring flowers at our feet, powerful waterfalls surging and pounding their way in freefall running past us, this has been just what the inner doctor ordered. Thank you for your positive, loving, prayerful thoughts; they truly make a difference. We are now making our way back from Glacier National Park. I highly recommend the experience to anyone who feels the inclination to go. A very happy observation has been the quality of young people working as park rangers. They have been universally positive, informative, and proud to wear the green and gray colors and distinctive hat of being a park ranger.

Superior Inner Nature

Yogacharya David

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Picture: Looking across the Great Divide to Hidden Lake at the top of trail.

The power of pristine nature is undeniable, however it should not be seen in lieu of the power of the life-force that is unleashed in the Son of man, the human form; rather nature may be seen as an adjunctive help. Spiritual forces within the spine and brain are of unparalleled dimensions.

We celebrated the 4th of July with a traverse up a large snowfield and narrow rocky ledges to the top of Logan’s Pass and the crown of the Great Divide. The vistas from the top are spectacular, mountain goats lazed next to the trail or scampered up vertical rock, beautifully coated marmots drew close giving us their darshan, and various climbers were festooned in patriotic red, white and blue. The wind was brisk, and the blue skies and floating white clouds made it a spectacular day.

It seems that I am on an every-other-day schedule; one day exploring nature’s wonders, the next indrawn into Spirit’s world. Following yesterday’s vigorous climb we are having a quiet day with shorter walks along the shoreline of St. Mary’s Lake. We thought of going for another climb today up to a waterfall, however God had other ideas. According to His whim powerful currents moved up the spine making physical activity null and void. With this spinal current heat built up in the cranium, bliss radiated from every cell that made for a deeply indrawn state. Rather than a Ram-adventure in nature, He has orchestrated a Ram-adventure in Spirit.

This life that I lead is a life of complete surrender. God has proved time and again that if something in this world is absolutely required then He makes it possible for me to do. However, this is not dictated by my preferences or desire nature, but strictly what He wills in any given moment. I am more than happy to surrender to His will, but it supersedes what I think, and sometimes what I think should happen for the sake of others.

This has made for a fascinating life and one that I cannot possibly predict. It has taken me on the most remarkable adventures in Spirit—following in Param-para Gurus light He has made me work in ways that defy description. As one who has worked at physical labor since a young age and mental labor years later, this God-work is far more demanding than anything I have known in the world, yet the world would be hard pressed to recognize it as labor.

There is no doubt that as stupendous as this material creation is—it being far beyond what any of us can know through these five senses—the inner spiritual nature is just that much more. The power of it, the intuitive perception it opens, the satisfaction it provides, the fulfillment of all the heart’s desires makes it vastly superior to anything this world, or numberless other world’s beyond can provide.

An invitation comes directly from the Infinite, “Come, come on this greatest of adventures, the exploration of your own Spiritual Nature.” Answering this invitation does require something from you, actually it requires everything from you. You must be completely dedicated and surrendered to Divine Will.

You may know Divine Will initially as the spiritual practice prescribed for you: meditate morning and night, chant His holy name, practice seeing Him as all in all, be in service to Him in all forms you meet, love Him more than you love the world, and always tell the truth. As you practice these ways with sincerity an inner life awakens inside of you. Sporadically at first, then continually you know the Divine guidance and Presence through your purified mind—a result of your spiritual practice and Grace.

Now an inner peace and a thrill of joyful bliss permeates your being; you live in total submission to Divine Will expressed through your innermost being. The fullness of this can only be known through direct experience. Do not be left with the regret of wondering why you did not answer God’s invitation. Choose it now, today, and every day as you move forward and you will never look back with regret of any kind. You will then know the superior virtue of your inner nature.

Picture: Ascending the ice field

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Sacred Land

Yogacharya David

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Picture: Divide Mountain: We look out on the mountain where we are staying–it is considered a very holy mountain by the Black Feet Indian Tribe.

Each culture brings unique contributions to the collective world consciousness. Here at Glacier National Park we are in the heart of what had been traditional Black Feet territory, to the north was the Kootenai and to the west were the Salish and Nez Perce.

One of the great strengths of the native population was the feeling that the land and its animals were sacred. Through oral traditions this feeling was instilled in children from a young age. Taking this single concept, we can all attune ourselves to the sacred nature of the land we are immersed in.

The emphasis in Western Culture has been to build a house of God—a church, temple, mosque or cathedral in which God is seen to exist and to be worshipped. One of the things I have written about in particular since going on pilgrimage around North America is finding Nature’s Cathedrals; those sacred sites in nature that have existed since its evolutionary beginnings. There are certainly special places that resonate with powerful spiritual vibrations in nature that are systemic to the area itself. Many times these places will have sacred buildings or associations connected to them created by those who have inner awareness, and then there are times when there is no particular history to a place, but one may feel it and know from being in its presence.

Indians certainly had their favored sacred places, but there was also the idea that the earth itself is sacred and that animals play a special role in this interplay between spirit, earth and man. Those early inhabitants lived close to earth’s elements and many were sensitively attuned souls to this connection, open to the transformative experiences that can come by being in untrammeled nature.

As I walk along isolated trails through lush vegetation there is a vibrancy that God is moving throughout all of pristine nature. Birds calling, two bucks lazing next to me as I sit in my chair, a bear visiting at our door, eagles and hawks soaring overhead are all messengers of active spirit moving through its creatures. In this interplay there is a feeling that there are no accidental movements, these animals are part of an ocean of life-energy. People are not mere interlopers in this creation—but vital parts of it. By being mindful and keenly attuned to the spiritual dimension of creation new worlds of awareness opens to the soul.

The ideal of knowing that all creation is spirit is not known by all native people, nor is it barred to others, but the notion is interwoven into traditional culture and the invitation is there for all to become immersed into its deeper mysteries. One needs but a willing heart to go further into this awareness and know that universal Spirit really is all-pervading, including material creation as well as that which is beyond it. No one culture has every aspect of Truth or God in its pocket, but each brings a special view into its limitless variety.

In our time here in this glacially formed cathedral we have felt the healing power of nature when walking under its canopy of trees, observing a meadow carpeted with alpine flowers in full bloom, open to the many creatures that interplay with us as we visit their homes, and the deepening of inner spiritual qualities with the support of Mother Nature’s splendors as our souls sing out “Oh God beautiful” in spontaneous response. So, whether it is a walk in your garden, a local park, a water shore, mountain view or ancient giants of the forest, seek out the healing currents that run abundantly throughout nature and know the great benefits that God is constantly giving to us through this land that is sacred.

Picture: Alpine Flowers

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Nature’s Healing Power

Yogacharya David

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Picture: Glacier National Park–St. Mary’s Lake

I have sought out nature’s healing power to support me in recovery after a second major surgery in six months. Even though I live in a beautiful part of the country, there is a draw to go to alpine heights, deep forest and overarching mountains.

Our destination is a place I have not been to before, “The Crown of the Continent,” Glacier Park. We have found that it is deserving of its reputation for stunning beauty. Even more to the point, wandering through the woods, hiking along its lakes and casting an eye on surrounding snow capped peaks has brought a palpable healing current from surrounding nature.

While it is true that spiritual vibration is equally spread throughout creation and we may experience it in any circumstance, it has also been plain to me that God has wished me to be immersed in Nature’s Cathedrals of pristine settings, from desert expanse to lush forest.

I have felt the regenerational force pulsating all around me in our meandering through woods, sitting at the feet of pounding waterfalls, and peering up stark rocked cliffs covered in green, orange and red lichen.

Nature has indeed come close in the form of a black bear who came visiting to our doorstep. However the ranger felt it was safer to pepper spray him, of which we got our share of the dosage; making us sneeze, cough, and general irritation for some time afterwards! I think Mr. Bear definitely felt the welcome mat was rolled up and used to swat him on the head!

One of the interesting points up high is the hydrological apex; one of three in the world. Within inches a raindrop may land and end up in the Pacific Ocean, the Gulf of Mexico/Atlantic Ocean, or the Hudson’s Bay/Arctic Ocean. The chance of landing inches of this side of the Great Divide or the other, or whether water runs north or south on the east side makes all the difference as to where that droplet ends up. By chance or by design, depending on your view, it is remarkable to think of the vast differences of destination based on inches of origin of a plop. It brings to mind choices we make and where those currents of life take us based on even a small decision.

Today we took a boat ride up the stunningly aqua colored St. Mary Lake. The grinding of the glaciers upon the rock makes “rock flower,” a fine rock powder which in turn gives the lake its distinctive and remarkable color. We hiked over three miles to St. Mary and Virginia Falls, having a picnic lunch in the shade of an 80 degree day. A week ago I would not have been able to attempt such a walk up and down hills, but today I was satisfyingly tired at its end.

This test of endurance indicates that healing is on a good track. The smell of the trees, wildflowers such as blue lupines and bright orange/red Indian Paintbrush, the pranic flow of terrific waterfalls brings me strength, inner comfort and joy. We used the warning bear-bells to accompany our chant of Om Sri Ram, much in the style of the tinkling cymbals of Anandashram, as we moved around blind corners and up and down bear populated hills.

In short, this rambling narrative is to give you an idea of the physical surroundings and the spiritual vibrancy that has come alive for us here. As I write this I sit looking out over a meadow that in a distance drastically rises up thousands of feet where trees give way to steep rock culminating in a peak pointing to the blue heavens. The birds sing, the sun sets behind the opposite mountains and my heart expands out in universal love; the distinct knowledge that God is sending His blessings to you.

Post Note: As we drove 30 miles into Browning to get internet to send out this posting we saw on the smartphone that a young man who worked for the forest service was killed by a Grizzly bear while out mountain biking with a friend near the west gate of Glacier National Park. Please say a prayer for him and his family and loved ones.

 

Superior Character

Yogacharya David

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Picture: Sacagawea & baby

I have been reading a historical novel about the life of Sacagawea, the Native Agaidika Shoshone woman who was an unlikely member of the Lewis and Clark Expedition to explore the North American continent.

Sacagawea was taken as a slave when the Shoshone were raided by another tribal nation. She was passed from owner to owner many times, usually she was lost by her owner when he was gambling. Eventually she became the property of a metis, a french Canadian trader; he already owned two other wives.

Sacagawea’s life was very hard, however wherever she went her character shone through. She was born the daughter of a chief of the Shoshone and she displayed in her many life’s roles bravery, industry, intelligence and resilience.

When Lewis and Clark hired her husband as a translator they met Sacagawea and recognized her intelligence and her usefulness in dealing with the Shoshone when they went up river and would abandon their canoes and need horses. Also, as a woman part of the expedition she was a symbol of peace to new Nations.  

Time and again Sacagawea proved her usefulness and bravery. Today this girl/woman (she was just thirteen years old with a newborn when they took her on) is known far and wide for her role in the expedition.

She is such an unlikely heroine to be known about today. She was treated as property, was oftentimes abused and mistreated, a person of no account. Yet there are places named after her, she is written about and Sacajawea has become a symbol for the superior virtues of a woman.

There are many who live lives of quiet integrity. Perhaps no books will be written about them, they will not have statues in their image and they will not have places named after them, yet Sacagawea remains a symbol for the fact that forming a character of good qualities will win out in the end.

When we leave this life our character, those traits we have built through a lifetime of repeated effort and decision-making is what we take with us. Our position in life, wealth or lack of it, all of those things that seem so important to this world are all left behind when we leave this body. What we do take with us are those habits that make up our character. In that we may take inspiration from one small Shoshone woman whose character shone through difficult life experiences and is known far and wide for the vital role she played in exploring a vast continent.   

Seclusion and Recharging

Yogacharya David

 

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North Cascades Pass–“North American Alps”

There are times when the body is in need of recharging. Jesus used to go not only into the mountaintop of his own being, but he also retreated into seclusion on mountaintops and into the wilderness. Master too retired to the desert and seclusion. In our regulated schedule of work it is oftentimes difficult to make for times of seclusion, as even holidays tend to be packed with activity.

The additional challenge is that it is not always easy to make the transition to seclusion when we have been active. We tend to take busyness of the body as a matter of fact, and when we do take time out the mind continues to wear us out with reviewing the past or rehearsing the future. How difficult, and how valuable to spend time in the here and now, in quiet and seclusion; yet how rare are the times when we actually do this.

After this past hospitalization and continued recovery, and the many other demands God puts me through, this body is in need of restoration. It is interesting to note that life-energy flows fully through and around this body, but the physical body can feel as a limp rag. It is clear, it needs a rest.

Nature is one of the great restorative agents for the body. Carla too needs a break after her one hundred percent attention to the needs of this body before, during and after the stay in the hospital and all the other demands on her time and energy. This is not only a long way of saying we have escaped to the wilderness, but also a reminder that we all benefit from times of quiet seclusion.

We have set our sights on Glacier National Park, reputed to be one of the scenic wonders of the world. Already we have camped next to the Skagit River near New Halem and are travelling over the North Cascades Pass, known as the “Alps of North America.”

I will keep in touch through these postings and you are invited to come along in Spirit as we travel these hiways and biways in further pilgrimage to Nature’s Cathedrals. As I write these words my spirit spreads out and floods all-space, and in this spirit I feel the great Spirit in me in touch with you. Love is the hallmark of this spirit, the love that is God; a love that knows no bounds.

 

Slipping the Bonds

Yogacharya David

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I am called to meditate; the messenger is a thrill up the spine, a rarified tingling sensation all around the cranium. I sit and joy bubbles up from deep within; a smile creases itself across my face and love pours out through the eyes. The eyes close—life is lifted up in the spine to the point between the eyebrows. Then, sliding through the ajna like moving through a super soft silken fabric. A tiny fragment of awareness feels Divine Light unfolding in the brain like so many petals of a rounded lotus. That too recedes and awareness is beyond the body, merging into all-space. No thought encroaches into that realm sublime. Pure awareness, slipping the bonds of heaven and earth where only resplendent Self exists. Oh Master, Oh Mother, saints of all religions, this is what you have come to awaken in us. All else is simply stuff of the mind. Oh Lord, You are the moving and motionless Spirit, the author of all that is and so much more. I melt in gratitude. Om Gurus, Om Sri Ram.

Ridding World Addiction

Yogacharya David

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Picture: Master with flower bouquet sent by Rose and Bob

It has been interesting to observe how God continues to use this form for His purposes both in the physical body and in the subtle bodies. We sometimes think that we exist only in one form, for instance this physical body, to the exclusion of any other at any one time. The truth is we simultaneously have all bodies available to us at all times; it is just that usually we are focused on the physical form and remain oblivious of the more subtle forms.

In the creation story of the Bible, as many of the myths from around the world, those first expressions of souls in physical forms were warned not to eat of certain fruits in the midst of the garden. Why, we might ask, would God create forbidden fruits in the first place, knowing the dire consequences for its indulgence? We are told in other phases of creation that God looked upon all creation and found it all good, so how could there be evil lurking?

We can look to everyday examples of food reactions to see how this can work. In Genesis God is quoted as saying, “I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat.” (Genesis 1:29)

But mankind was not satisfied with just gathering seeds and fruits, he chopped pounded and ground the seeds and then baked them; making bread and other creations out of the seeds. He concentrated some forms, combined them and made new creations. So far, we see no great evil. We know some like the taste of sweetness very much. So concoctions concentrated the taste of sugar and those who liked this lost their taste for other foods and wanted only that. Now enters in a lack of balance in the diet which can lead to weight gain and diabetes; health risks. But sugar is found in the cane and the beet, how can it betray the body?

The reason of course is that sugar produces such a powerful pleasure impulse that for some people it so dominates desire nature that balance is thrown out the window and becomes a compulsion or addiction. We can expand our search and find other compulsions and addictions to the human brain that create a blind search for experiences in life that ends up destroying what is good.

Sex impulse must certainly be on that list. The consequences of ungoverned sex impulse are many, from selecting poor partners, social diseases, unwanted pregnancies, rape, jealous murder, addiction to porn or prostitutes. Scantily clad women, sometimes men, are used to sell everything from cars to cigarettes; odd that the form of a woman would have anything to do with the performance of an automobile. These dominant pleasure impulses in the brain are powerful, and for some, it so dominates the brain that all other healthy considerations lose their appeal.

Enter in the addiction of this physical world itself. You are born to this world as a baby. You initially spend perhaps twenty hours a day asleep, reconnecting with the astral world while you gradually adapt to this physical world. As toddlers and small children there can be awareness of subtler realms, but little encouragement is given for these experiences. As the massive sense input of this world rewards and punishes you, you come fully under its grip, forgetting relations, freedom, and awareness from what you were before coming into this world.

There is nothing wrong with this world per se, rather it is the powerful and dominant force it becomes for your attention that makes you forget the better, purer, and soul awakening forces inside of you; it narrows your attention to such a miniscule aspect of who you really are that makes for the mischief.

You meditate, chant, practice the Presence of God, and read uplifting words that reminds you of your greater nature. You must do this again and again to draw the attention away from this world and give you God-experience. Now you experience the joy, love and light of God as a continuous enlightenment that makes you know your body is but a very small expression of the vast Being, that in truth, you really are. Your body and this world is brought into proper perspective and you excrete the toxins of world-addiction from the pores of your being, leaving you a free soul.

Now you function with full awareness of the various levels of your Being. The world exists for you, but you know it is the result of larger, more perfect forces. The astral/electrical worlds are with you now, operating in your subtle body and giving expression to finer feelings and perceptions. The Causal/idea body is also with you, even more powerful, expanded, vast beyond knowing with ideas streaming straight from pure Consciousness. And there is Spirit itself that is at the center of all these other expressions, a Light of intense beauty that has no comparison and no opposite, no beginning and no end; the Light of your own Being. You are aware of any or all of these expressions at any time, but even while you operate in the lower worlds you never forget who really you are in the greater reality. Thus, you once again become your true Self!

Health Update: Recovery continues to proceed very well. On this day eight I am off all prescribed medications except a daily injection I give myself as a blood thinner, and I am now taking all the supplements from the naturopath temporarily suspended before and after surgery. I walk outdoors three times a day, and up to 15 minutes on the rebounder, and I have had no difficulty with digesting anything eaten. I rest quite a few hours during the day, but feel stronger day by day. I will see the surgeon again on Tuesday, hopefully have the staples removed at that time.

A hearty thank you for your prayers, flowers, cards and notes. It means so much to me to receive your love in all these ways and I know it adds to the rapidity of my recovery.

In Perfect Service

Yogacharya David

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Picture: Jesus In Perfect Service

Being a patient in a hospital reminds one of the importance of the ideal of service. There are perhaps few situations in life in which you are least able to do for yourself as post-op. Supine in a bed, hooked up to various IVs and electrodes, reliant upon nurses and other healthcare providers for everything the body needs.

I have now had four such hospital experiences in the past eight months. It has been interesting to observe the effects of health care staff upon patients, including myself. Overall, it has been impressive to see the care and expertise that has been evident, however it has not all been equally excellent.

Those nursing staff, the primary caregivers in hospitals, who are positive, friendly, caring, and conscientious have, by far, the best effects. Those who carry into their work the toxicity of their own lives, negative and sharp edged, are a detriment to their patients. Like the famed driving of Mr. Magoo who drives his car when he is almost blind–causing mayhem wherever he goes and is seemingly oblivious of it–these servants of health also seem to be unaware or uncaring of the health effects they deliver with tainted attitudes. Those in this category are relatively few in number, but they leave an impression that lingers far after their interactions.

It is a brisk reminder of the importance of right service in all stations of life. Wherever God has delivered you, you are in His service. It may be the work that you do, the family you raise, the conversations you have with others, or lending an extra helping hand when needed. We have thousands of opportunities for service all through the day. Even if you do not go out at all, your very thoughts act as prayers and are in service to the Infinite.

When I was in the waiting rooms, when I went into surgery, in post-op recovery, I prayed for those around me and all through the hospital. It was a service I could do for Him. In conversation with staff and other patients when walking the corridors I always made it a point to be positive and uplifting, injecting humor when I could to keep things light.   

Master said, “Be a smile millionaire,” Papa said, “See God in everyone you meet,” Mother Hamilton said, “Keep your mind on God,” Mother Teresa said, “Do something beautiful for God,” Swami Satchidananda said, “Expand your circle of love daily,” Jesus said, “What you have done to the least of these, you have done to me.” These great one’s in God remind us that every day we can directly do something to improve this world.

In life everyone has cares that can load them down. Living a life of service carries with it built-in Grace; you feel unburdened through your right attitude. Now love and joy glow at the heart of your service and you are sustained by an all-pervading power. In perfect service you discover one of the great secrets in living a truly successful life.

Health Update: On Friday I had a successful operation that removed a tumor on my liver and the gall bladder. The tumor was self contained and so less of the liver was removed than originally planned. The gall bladder had many more gallstones than thought and emphasised the need to have it removed.

Day zero is operation day; Carla asked if I might be released by day 2, Sunday. The head nurse looked at Carla and said skeptically, “We’ll see.” Sure enough by Sunday I had met all the criteria the doctor has set out for release and blessedly went home. The discharge nurse said she had never seen anyone released that early after such an operation. A result, I am sure, in response to your continued prayers.

Recovery is continuing on very well. I thank those who have brought meals and sent flowers and sent messages–I receive all the love that is behind them. It is an unusual sensation to have 10 inches of staples charting a course under my right ribcage, but lends a compliment to the 8 inch vertical line from the previous surgery (that surgeon used super glue, not staples to keep my insides inside!).  I am walking daily and doing some exercises so that I will be fit and fine for performing the wedding for Phyllis and John that I am so looking forward to in a week and a half. Pronams, my deepest love and blessings to you.    

Compensation

Yogacharya David

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Picture: Ralph Waldo Emerson

Mother Hamilton once said that America produced two great God-realized souls, Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882) and Walt Whitman (1819-1892). Emerson wrote a very interesting article entitled “Compensation.” Emerson studied the texts of India as well as the Bible and makes reference to both as he discusses the law of compensation, which includes the law of karma, that every action has an equal and opposite reaction. Another topic in the writing is that the whole is embedded in every part. If a part does not exhibit the whole, then it is implied and will eventually be manifest.

He writes, “This law writes the laws of cities and nations. It is in vain to build or plot to combine against it. Things refuse to be mismanaged for long…Though no checks to a new evil appear, the checks exist, and will appear. If the government is cruel, the governor’s life is not safe. If you tax too high, the revenue will yield nothing. If you make the criminal code sanguinary, juries will not convict. If the law is too mild, private vengeance comes in…These appearances indicate the fact that the universe is represented in every one of its particles. Every thing in nature contains all the powers of nature. Every thing is made of hidden stuff…The world globes itself in a drop of dew…The true doctrine of omnipresence is that God reappears with all his parts in every moss and cobweb. The value of the universe contrives to throw itself into every point. If the good is there, so is the evil; if the affinity, so the repulsion; if the force, so the limitation.

“Thus is the universe alive. All things are moral. The soul which within us is a sentiment, outside of us is the law. We feel its inspiration; out there in history we can see its fatal strength. ‘It is in the world, and the world was made by it.’  Justice is not postponed. A perfect equity adjusts its balance in all parts of life. The dice of God are always loaded. The world looks like a multiplication table, or a mathematical equation, which, turn it how you will, balances itself. Take what figure you will, its exact value, nor more nor less, still returns to you. Every secret is told, every crime punished, every virtue rewarded, every wrong redressed, in silence and certainty. What we call retribution is the universal necessity by which the whole appears wherever a part appears. If you see smoke, there must be fire. If you see a hand or limb, you know that the trunk to which it belongs is there behind. Every act rewards itself, or, in other words integrates itself…”

Hidden within any part is the whole. No matter the appearance of things the balance is implied. We look about us at the terrible things that happen in this world and we can despair. However, the evil that Adolf Hitler perpetrated must be balanced by the same amount of good. The good that St. Francis enacted will have been preceded by some great calamity. Those we know in this world who seem devoid of wisdom or goodness must have that within them, and the time will come when virtue comes forward; it is the law of creation.

However, this world is not just about balance scales. The dark density of matter is but a shadow of the transcendent Light. In creation light cannot exist without shadow, but the pure Light of God needs no opposite; it is Self-existent. Our eternal, true nature exists outside of dual forces. The dissatisfaction that ignorance creates must then propel us to enlightenment. Papa Ramdas tells us that the worse things look in this world, the greater will be the impetus to return to God.

There is no doubt that it is much better to stand up straight and walk to the door of Divine Consciousness in wisdom rather than get dragged to that same door with bleeding hands and knees. But return to it we will—for the Divine is part and parcel of our nature and it cannot be forever hidden. It is true for ourselves and for all creation. So, take heart for this world; within each part is the whole of creation, and also that which is beyond creation—the supreme and infinite Creator. We may affirm the song’s lyrics with all of our hearts, “We all come from God, and in Him we all return. Like a drop of rain, returning to the ocean. Like a ray of light, returning to the sun. Yes, we all come from God.”

Health Update: Friday I go in for surgery to remove a tumor and part of the liver, as well as the gall bladder. The surgery will be at 7:30 a.m. and will take three to four hours. The surgeon estimates that I will be in the hospital for three to five days and more complete recovery will require five to six weeks. I continue to feel the power of your prayers, and you are in mine as well. God has given us the great privilege to go to Him together. For that unique opportunity my heart is filled with loving gratitude.   

The Inner Sound

Yogacharya David

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I sit next to a rushing river, freshly melted snows feeding the frenzy of snow white rapids as the water rolls and thunders to an unseen end. As I take in this scene of nature that repeats itself yearly, I also listen to the inner sound of Aum/Amen. There are some distinct parallels between the two sounds, one I hear auricularly with the physical ears, the second comes from a hidden source and is heard with a more subtle receptor.

Both sounds have multiple tones and frequencies. The river initially comes as a roar, then I pick out many high and low tones; like a symphonic orchestra when the sound of all the instruments play at once making for a loud crescendo, but with practice one can selectively pick out the sounds of individual instruments even when all are playing at once. The inner sound comes as a high pitched sound, and has every other sound embedded in it; highs, lows, tiny variations and wide ranges.

The first sound comes from the river, a physical source. The second sound, the Aum/Amen has quite a different source. The Aum emanates from the creative principle from which all manifestation comes. The Amen originates from the Divine Consciousness, the Source of all that is. Listening to the Aum takes the mind back to its Source when deeply meditated upon. This Aum/Amen is the Word, the Name of God. It is said that the Name of God and God are one. That is, by meditating upon this Name/Word, this inner sound, the mind dissolves and merges into the Divine Consciousness. Thus, it is worthy to meditate upon the Word of Aum/Amen, the Name of God.

Note: When I was physically weakened with anemia, then in recovery from an operation God continued to flow through this form, however the overwhelming power of His Word was gracefully reduced during this time. Since my physical recovery He has poured the Name once again through this form. The way that He works through this form is that He fills me to overflowing and He directs the uplifting power out to all creation, or to certain people or situations; He definitely directs my mind as to what it should be focused on. If I think on something He is not willing, He makes it impossible to go further with it. He demands complete and total surrender for this Work—the surrender which I gave to Him long ago. In this way, many times I cannot be with you physically in the way I would like to be, for He has me working for Him in this inner fashion. Know always, I am with you in Spirit. Concentrate on the heart center or the ajna, and we may commune in that beatific Spirit.

Inner Prayag

Yogacharya David

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Picture: Pilgrim making an offering at the Allahabad Prayag

Pilgrimage spots are wonderful for traveling to and becoming immersed in the uplifting vibrations to be found there; such as where sacred rivers join together. However, in truth everything we need to have the highest God-experience is to be found within.

The mountain of uplifted consciousness can be known through mystical experience; the ocean of expansive, unending Spirit you may have in deepened meditation; the purity of the clean desert vibration already exists for those who have eyes to see and ears to hear; and the prayag of two rivers becoming one happens right within you.

Allahabad India is where there is a confluence of two rivers, the Ganga and the Yamuna, along with the mythical river Saraswati. This confluence (Sangam), since ancient times has been called Prayag (a place of offerings). There is an exact correspondence of these physical features found right within your subtle body which reveals the inner kingdom of heaven.

Yoga tradition posits that on either side of the spinal column there are two intertwining currents of life-energy. These currents start at the base of the spinal column, the tail bone area, and travels up to the base of the skull, from there it runs through the brain and ends at the point between your eyebrows, at the ajna or third eye point.

The two channels of energy represents the pairs of opposites, heat and cool, positive and negative, etc. A third current is singular and runs up the middle of the spinal column and is called the sushumna. In Kriya Yoga we work with these two energies to bring them into total balance and raise the kundalini or vital spiritual power through the central channel from the base of the spine to the third eye point.

These three currents, the ida, pingala and the sushumna correspond to their physical counterparts as the Ganga, Yamuna and the Sarasvati rivers. When these three currents merge at the third eye point your full attention is riveted to the ajna, just then you see a brilliant shining Light. The power of this confluence makes one sail through the triumvirate colors of the third eye and individual consciousness merges with the Infinite.

Prayag means place of offering, it is the place at the ajna where you offer yourself and all that you call your own at the feet of God. In this complete surrender you qualify to become one with pure Divinity. It is here that your entire spiritual practice and pilgrimage in life finds fulfillment, by repeatedly subsuming all that you are into the oceanic bliss of God you are purified of every limitation. It is God Himself who takes you by the hand and makes you a fit offering for this rite of total transformation.

Your life is no longer your own as God expresses Himself through you. For the true devotee there is nothing else he or she wants in life but to be God’s, and God’s alone. Every moment of your life you feel His power, bliss and intelligence flowing through every part of your Being. The river of individual consciousness originates from the Source of everything that is, and is ever running to the sea of All-consciousness! Such is the mystery when man is in God, and God is in man. Achieving this Goal of goals is the result of the confluence and the merging prayag within you.

 

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