Picture: Being a skillful learner at Deer Park, Sarnath India–Place where Sri Buddha first taught his Four Noble Truths. The grounds are filled with shanti-peace.

In Freud’s psychological model the super-ego is your conscience and the ideals you have imbibed from your parents and the world around you. For many, these ideals can be completely over-the-top, meaning you believe should already know things and be skilled at doing things that you cannot fulfill–acting as a bludgeon that constantly hammers you for not being more perfect. When in balance, these ideals can positively make you aspire for and achieve great things in life. Aspiration is an asset; bludgeoning is bad.

To find the sweet spot in which you are energized for higher achievements but avoid a self-beating, you must pay attention to when you cross that line into self-castigation. This sweet spot can be thought of as being a skillful learner in life. There are many areas in which you become skillful, and due to karma some come easier than others.

In an earlier time of life I was backpacking around Europe. I ended up in the Canary Islands living in a beach community. I was learning how to body surf, using the human body like a surfboard. Finding a likely wave, I used my arms to paddle and gain speed so that I could ride the wave into shore. The air and water were warm, and it was fun to catch a wave and ride it in. I thought I was gaining some skill when a wave taught me otherwise. It was a great wave, I was on top of it and it was really moving along. Suddenly the wave broke underneath me and I shot out past the wave into mid-air. I felt like a cartoon character that finds itself suspended in air, knowing that it is about to take a painful fall. And fall I did, down on the hardpacked sand as the wave crashed down on top of me. My nose and arms were quite scraped by the force of the wave driving me into the sandpaper beach. Clearly, I was in an outdoor classroom learning body surfing skills, and I was being taught a painful lesson by the wave.

Now, the super-ego could have beaten me up over making this mistake, or I could have blamed the wave for behaving as it did, or I could have fearfully never gone out again. The other alternative was to analyze what I did, consult with others, and learn to avoid such painful outcomes. I chose the latter and worked on identifying a wave that was about to break in the way mine had and pull back at the right time—to be a skillful learner.

This last option of being a skillful learner did not come naturally for me. Somehow, I came into this world with the idea that I should already know everything before I had a chance to learn it. It is a strange notion when you think about it, but it was strongly embedded in me. So, I would fake it until I made it, ashamed for anyone to see me taking learning steps. I could pick up many things quickly, which helped me maintain the illusion that I didn’t need learning steps. And, if something did not come easily, then I avoided it. Of course, none of this really served me well, and most of all it did not allow me the joy of beginning something new, making mistakes along the way, learning from the mistakes and gradually becoming more skillful.

It took me a lot of years to learn to be simple, to have child-like innocence when interacting with life. And the spiritual field is fraught with ideals for the super-ego to plaster up on the mind’s walls and hold up standards that do not allow for this process of learning. Again, it is wonderful and needful to have ideals to aspire to in order to grow. But, when those same ideals are used to bludgeon you for not living up to some perfection—they become harmful. To abandon your ideals is to stagnate, and to mentally self-flagellate yourself for not living up to those ideals is not only a waste of time and energy, but is also a destructive force.

The ideal is to be simple, sincere, to be dedicated and strive for your higher ideals; all the time being a learning machine—becoming more skillful in living up to those ideals with determination and a positive focus that allows you to grow in amazing ways.

Learn to identify that sweet spot where you hold up the highest and most transforming ideals, then be skillful in life—be right on the learning edge that yields the greatest benefit to you and those around you. Sure, you must demand more from yourself, strive to be more; this is absolutely necessary to make progress. But keep it positive, close to home, and take joy when you note progress, and when you fall short of your lofty goals take notes to learn from your experience. Learn with love and joy in your heart, and in doing so you will draw invisible forces to aid you in fulfilling the tasks you have assigned for yourself in this life. You cannot make yourself perfect through self-will, but through valiant and persistent spiritual effort you can touch the fabric of God’s Being, and in touching Perfection you are perfected; even as you Father in heaven is perfect (Matt. 5:48).  

Note: We are currently guests of Corliss at the campground she manages on the Skykomish River. I would say we are camping, but with marble floors and granite countertops in our coach it may give the wrong impression. The new term is called glamping, glamorous camping. Be assured, it is the coach that is glamorous.      

Ganesha: Image of a Divine Elephant

There is an unstudied phenomenon by modern science that, once its comes on the its radar will be one of those things that seems so obvious it’s a wonder there was no recognition of it before. This phenomenon is all around us, in fact it is fundamental to all existence; it is the life-force existing in all creation, what the yogis of India call prana.

In human beings we sense this life-force, or the lack of it in one another. Someone walks in a room and they are like a spark plug that raises the level of life-energy in everyone. Then again, there are those who are like blackholes of energy, draining energy from those around them. Creativity, making things happen, bringing in new ideas, awakening the feeling of God and the sacredness of life, all these are products of life-energy and everyone has some gift of this life-force to offer this world; some to a wider extent, others in a quieter way; and we can feel that power both in ourselves and in others.

In the same way we can sense this in people, so we perceive it in nature. There are places in the world that stirs life-energy—next to rushing water we are invigorated, or next to fetid, unmoving water we sense its deadness. Walking through some forests we feel the upright strength of the trees growing all around us, and in other places the sickly rot or burned out hulks of a forest that is past its prime. Even in a sickly area there are microbes and insects that feed off death and are preparing the forest for a rebirth, and on that level there is a great deal of life-energy at work even in its destruction.

Mystics and yogis have long recognized the role of life-energy, while physical scientists have largely been focused on the many avenues that life-energy works through, such as studying the sub-atomic and atomic worlds, molecules, microbes, insects, sap, photosynthesis, cellular functions, body organs, and interactions between life-forms.  And while all these fields of studies are fascinating, there is an elephant in the room most do not see, and that is the life-energy that animates all the outward manifestations that can be seen under a microscope, a telescope or is what before our eyes. Those who have investigated the interiors of consciousness clearly see this elephant, and it is life-force.

Yogis have specialized for millennia in observation and conscious use of life-force prana. Master brought to the West a rational understanding of this force based on his own experience and drawing upon traditions explained to him by his great guru Sri Yukteswarji, who was in turn taught by Lahiri Mahasaya, who was in turn taught by Babaji. We learn that this life-force enters the body primarily through the base of the skull, from there it enters the brain and is distributed throughout the body by the spine and nervous system. These physical mechanisms are the conduits through which life-energy operates, but the underlying force and intelligence are not the conduits, but the prana itself.

In addition to the normal functions in man and in nature, prana plays an active role in the next evolutionary step in man: transforming the human to the Divine. In this area, yogis of India have made this a specialty. Master brought a refined technique called Kriya Yoga to the West. He writes: “By the special technique of Kriya Yoga, the ingoing breath of prana and the outgoing breath of apana are converted into cool and warm currents. In the beginning of the practice of Kriya Yoga, the devotee feels the cool prana current going up the spine and the warm apana current going down the spine…. When the Kriya Yogi learns to dissolve the ingoing and outgoing breath into a perception of the cool and warm currents going up and down the spine, he then feels his body as sustained by these inner currents of life force and not by their by-product of breath.”

This practice of Kriya Yoga awakens the practitioner to the reality that they are made up of this life-energy, and further, an even more refined understanding leads the practitioner to a subtler reality, all life-energy is Divine in nature, ringing out with qualities of bliss, peace, universal love and light. Fortunately, we do not need to wait for the snail-like pace of physical science to discover all of this. We can explore these frontiers today in the laboratories of our own experience. As a practitioner of this science, even now as I turn my attention within I am aware of the prana vitally vibrating throughout, and I experience that this body is not a physical being as much as a life-energy being—not defined by the physical limits, but it is vast in nature. Bliss fills this space, freedom, a knowingness that I am part of all, and all is part of me. It is a seamless transition that is like moving smoothly from a river to the river entering the ocean.

Now, you have been given a great gift, but you must fully employ the means given to you so freely. Make the most of this spiritual science for the realization of God and become living proof of what you have been taught. Know that you are truly made up of God-stuff, and then be a conduit through which the same power and intelligence that creates vast worlds is now fully operating in you. Help bring this world to its next evolutionary step and to discover its true underlying divinity–amazed that it somehow had been blind to this elephant in the room.

Naughty Krishna and his brother Balarama eating their fill with curd

After the good reports I had from the allopathic and the naturopathic worlds, I wanted to give you a report on a dietary experiment Carla and I have been conducting for the past seven weeks. I came across Dr. Steven Gundry online, and purchased his books: Plant Paradox Cookbook, then the Summary Plant Paradox. Since then we have been following Phase I and II and are now entering phase III of this program.

The reason for the title Plant Paradox is that while plants are oftentimes healthy food, not all plants or animal products are good for the gut—the stomach, intestines and the colon. This digestive track is an emphasis for the Dr. Gundry: what creates a healthy microbiome?[i] the inner workings and health of your gut-digestive system. If that goes wrong, then inflammatory disorders are created that can have serious health consequences. Our foods and eating habits have changed very quickly in the recent times, and Gundry traces these “recent” changes further back than the Paleolithic period. Many of our digestive systems simply have not evolved quickly enough to accommodate these many new foods. Even the addition of what are generally thought of as healthy foods, brown rice, corn and beans for instance, are not necessarily good for the gut.

Dr. Gundry was a world-class heart surgeon who had no training or interest in diet or supplements until he had a patient who, in six months, went from 100% blockages to his heart down to 50% blockages; this was an astounding turnabout. The only changes the patient had made, he lost weight and was taking supplements. It put Gundry on the trail to a scientific investigation of diet and supplements, which also led to a change in his own health habits; he lost 70 pounds and cured various ailments he had at the time. Since then the doctor has been a convert and now advocates dietary changes to effect good health and even recommends supplements, which he previously said only creates “expensive urine.”

My experiment started seven weeks ago. Even though I was gluten and dairy free (which from many years of experimentation I knew my body does not tolerate well), I was becoming stiff in my joints and waking up with headaches. When I read about Dr. Gundry’s ideas, I thought it merited a try. Now, the good doctor definitely has a marketing plan going on with his line of supplements, but I was impressed at the amount of information he gives on his website and in his books, and he even suggests brands of supplements other than his own (his plan does not require supplements, but they are suggested for use for various reasons). With his eating plan you limit the amount of lectins you ingest through your food—lectins are proteins occurring naturally in plants that act as their protection (a poison) from being eaten by bugs and animals. Some plants contain more lectins than others, and those high in lectins can harm your digestive system; that, along with the widespread use of antibiotics for humans and those used on animals, as well as various chemicals for plants–in all your digestive system can become quite damaged. This damage to the gut results in your immune system kicking into gear to fight off what comes into the blood stream that should not be there, and this can create autoimmune disorders. The stiffness and inflammation I had in my joints and congestion in my nasal passages were definitely an out of control immune response—the way of eating outlined by Dr. Gundry promised to correct this.

Gluten, which I long recognized as an agent that created stiffness in my joints, is one kind of lectin, but there are many more. In phase I we ate according to a simple list of yes foods and no foods for three days. After those first three days we entered phase II, six-weeks in which the list of yes foods grows a bit. Tomatoes and night shades were out (I knew I should not eat these based on the Blood Type Diet but I had grown lax in avoiding them), soy products were also out along with zucchini and yellow squash. However, there are many foods that are in the yes foods, and neither one of us have felt deprived with the new menu.

Results: the first week was quite easy for me, although it was definitely work—mostly for Carla to reorganize the kitchen and pantry and learn new recipes. It has also been fun to explore new ways of preparing food—the new recipes have been delicious (Dr. G. is obviously a “foodie”, so his recipes are actually quite good). In the second week I was having typical detoxing symptoms, sore muscles, periods of tiredness; having been on many ten day fasts and other cleansing programs I am familiar with these symptoms. On the other hand, I experienced increased flexibility, and at other times I had a definite increase in sustained energy. The morning headaches disappeared almost immediately and, significantly, so did food cravings. There has been about four and a half weeks of detoxing, a longer period than I anticipated, Carla has had these as well for almost the entire time. This past week there has been a noticeable lessening of detoxing symptoms and the addition of smooth energy, as well as a fluidic flexibility in the joints (Carla said she has such fluid movement in her joints it reminds her of when she took ballet). In addition, my nails are stronger and I have improved digestion, very nicely I have had a much-desired 6% drop in weight in the past seven weeks.

I look forward to even more improvements as we continue into phase III. Phase III includes adding new foods—one new food a week, then tracking its effect. If no negatives are observed with the new food, then it can be added to the yes food list. In this way you tailor the foods you eat to your immune system’s response. Dr. Gundry compares the work of healing the gut to gardening—you do not weed one day and expect a harvest the next. You weed out the bad bacteria in the gut by not feeding it with the foods it likes and demands (cravings such as sugar, even sugar from carbs and fruit), and fertilizing the good bacteria with the nutrients they thrive on, leafy greens and high quality fats and proteins. We are experimenting with some of Gundry’s supplements as well, a pre-biotic and Vital Reds.

There is nothing in this food program that anyone would say is bad for you or unbalanced, it is very healthy eating (it can be adapted to vegetarian only as well). The protests have mostly come from plant-based eaters who take exception to eliminating foods generally thought to be healthy. There might be others who may be skeptical of how damaging lectins really are, but this program has a track record now by a reputable surgeon who had a change of perspective triggered by real life patients. Dr. Gundry says that in his clinics, one in Palm Springs and one in Santa Barbara, that out of 800 patients with auto-immune disorders he has followed, all 800 have seen improvements by following this program. He does not expect this perfect score to continue as he does not think any plan can be 100%, but that is an impressive feat so far. I am not here to sell you on this program, but I wanted to share the results of this experiment with you and offer it for your consideration. I will give you further follow-ups as we continue this experiment and our quest for perfect health.

[i] Definition of microbiome:  Merriam Webster Dictionary

1 : a community of microorganisms (such as bacteria, fungi, and viruses) that inhabit a particular environment and especially the collection of microorganisms living in or on the human body

• Your body is home to about 100 trillion bacteria and other microbes, collectively known as your microbiome.—Carl Zimmer
• …what’s arguably become the hottest area of medicine: microbiome research, an emerging field that’s investigating how the bacteria that live in and on our bodies affect our health.—Sunny Sea Gold

2 : the collective genomes of microorganisms inhabiting a particular environment and especially the human body

• They form one community among the many that make up the human microbiome: the full genetic complement of bacteria and other organisms at home on your skin, gums, and teeth, in your genital tract, and especially in your gut.—Nathan Wolfe

Microbiome Note: You have more microorganisms than human cells in your body. These microorganisms perform innumerable beneficial functions, without which you literally could not live. This mutually beneficial relationship between human cells and microorganisms is considered healthy; whereas bad microorganisms inhibit healthy functioning of the body; they demand what they want without any beneficial return.

Sleeping Baby Shiva with Awakened Third Eye

From the moment you open your eyes in the morning your attention is drawn to what is “out there.” The world is engaging, even compelling. The survival of this body and the idea of your self is defined by your relationship with the material world. So, it is not surprising that one of your most basic defaults is to identify with the body and your interactions with this world.

However, there is a fundamental flaw to this identification. The first, most obvious fact is this body can be damaged, and it will eventually die—we are on an ocean in a sinking ship that sooner or later will disappear under the waves. The second lie, this is not who or what we truly are. In fact, who we are is so much greater than the body and the world; those who have discovered this superior reality have sought to awaken us from what they say is a material dream-reality.

To uncover this greater reality is your spiritual journey, for this higher truth is what is called spirituality. To do this, you must open new ways of perceiving yourself and this world. Master taught us to focus on the spiritual eye, the point between the eyebrows. Since time immemorial, the spiritual eye has been known about and represented in art and lore. Spiritual scientists discovered that this third eye point is the doorway to the kingdom of heaven, and that by focusing on it you might open up this portal—you ascend into that kingdom and it’s Light descends into you. Then you realize that this world really is a dream-reality, and the kingdom of heaven is your real home, the truth of your being.

Through focusing on the third eye and watching the breath, you suddenly feel uplifted, attuned to something higher than ordinary daily experience—in deepened meditation and all through the day you keep this focus. You cultivate the idea and feeling that the things of this world are passing phenomena—you definitely live in this world, but with this perception you are not touched to the inner core of your Self by this changeable dream-reality.

All things are like the passing of the seasons. We have had a cool spring coming into summer, now we have sunshine and it feels good. But, the cool of the spring and the heat of summer are just passing events—you note them, but they do not define you. Sometimes the world says you are doing well, and sometimes it finds fault with you; these too do not touch your core, it is simply information and passing phenomena. This body alternates from the enjoyable to the miserable; more transitional bits of information. You live in your core, from the inside-out—instead of like your past life from the outside-in—outside-in is when you are defined by the body and its relationship to the world.

In the beginning you focus on the third eye and cultivate dispassion for the things of the body and the world. Then you get glimpses into the actual experience where you are aware of this greater reality. Then you pass through the jnani phase where the world is continuously perceived as a dream, and the inner reality is far more real. As body and mind are purified you gradually enter into the universal vision in which you are aware of the Divine Nature both within and without. Oh, what a transformation this is! In one sense your life is outwardly just the same, but inwardly you are transformed. Life still happens, all of its ups and downs, and the body will still one day decay and die, but you are inwardly free–you are now established in your true Home.     

The Lion and the Lamb in Perfect Harmony

A revolution occurred in 1776, not simply a revolution of man against man, but a revolution of thoughts and of spirit. It was an idea that had been evolved thousands of years before, but had been forgotten or ignored. We were gradually coming out of the dark ages, where superstition was prevalent and despots, even occasionally somewhat benevolent ones, ruled the world. The newly evolving idea was a republic, a constitutional democracy that had a balance of power built in, and a bill of rights to protect the individual from the overreach of government. These were radical, revolutionary ideas that had never been tried before in the remembered past—and most in the world at the time thought it impractical.

This idea of a constitutional democracy, with protection from mob rule, has now spread across this world, India being the largest democracy and brought about by a non-violent revolution—although violence quickly ensued after their emancipation (it has been tough to escape the dark ages). Democracies by their very nature are noisome and messy—short-term efficiency comes from a dictatorship, but that comes with self-destructive results repeatedly proved over these many centuries.

The result of this experiment in democracy has resulted in a country with many personal freedoms, prosperity and an ability to adapt and change. It is a sad irony that some of the very ones who originally fought for their own freedom, justified enslaving others. With a costly civil war that injustice was reversed, and while having equal rights for all citizens has taken time and the sacrifice by many, still this form of government has shown the flexibility to adapt and change.

The key to any society surviving and thriving is for the vast majority of people to abide by the eternal truths that all religions have taught. The central commandments of Moses, and the yamas and niyamas of Patanjali are best summed up by Jesus (Matt 22):

³⁷ Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.

³⁸ This is the first and great commandment.

³⁹ And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.

⁴⁰ On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.

Upon this principle of love for God and for all those around you hang all the laws and the teachings of prophets—this is so very true. We try to make up for the lack of the observance of this most basic principle by writing more and more laws, wanting social justice, but often end up straining at gnats while swallowing camels! (Matt 23:24) With the result that laws upon laws oftentimes do little to help us and instead turn into burdens for the majority.

If we want justice, then we must treat others justly; if we want respect then we must begin by giving it. With every word and action we create, then we reap what we have set into motion. As Mother said, this world is made up of individuals, and as individuals change, so does the world. We should not look to some grand scheme of a savior from above, but to the universal Savior within. All the laws and all the prophets hang upon what are ultimately deeply held spiritual principles, and when a significant number of individuals act accordingly, this world will be a haven of peace, where the lion lies down with the lamb in total harmony.

Health Update: After the positive results of various scans by my allopathic doctor, I consulted with my new oncological naturopath, Dr. A. The naturopath seeks to create a healthy bio-environment that will produce perfect health in which such things as cancer cannot thrive. A primary diagnostic tool is taking specific blood tests to indicate imbalances in such categories as zinc and copper, vitamin D—some 50 different measurements; these were taken before my second visit to the doctor. In all tested categories I was in the desired range, and a few deserved a surprised “excellent” comment. He has subtracted a couple of supplements my previous naturopath had prescribed (he had studied with Dr. R. so they are on the same page in most things), and he added a few, such as green tea extract (filled with polyphenol antioxidants and reduces inflammation). Some of our goals are to reduce inflammation and oxidation. He was pleased with my weight loss and approved following my current food regimen. Onward with continued perfect health. He has extended the time I see him next to one year from now, meanwhile I will continue with my current supplements.

Two Saints met while on the Road to Rishikesh

I have had the great blessing to have been touched by saints in this life; I feel indescribable gratitude in thinking back on the grace that has flowed to me through these illumined ones. Memories streamed through my mind this morning, with several instances coming to mind from my first pilgrimage to India. The year was 1998, and Phyllis had made it possible for me to travel in pilgrimage and discover spiritual India. After a couple of initially disappointing days when first arriving in Delhi and then on up to Haridwar, I prayed to Babaji, in the form of the Ganges, while lighting a little flowered candle boat and setting it adrift in the flowing river, that Babaji should show me spiritual India. Immediately upon arriving back at the hotel Babaji arranged everything, beyond all expectation, to answer my prayer (you can read a more detailed account in my published diary, My Spiritual India).

As a result of Babaji’s unfolding grace, I had the opportunity to meet wonderful saints, many of them unknown to the general public; leading lives of quiet sadhana and radiating their grace to all. One saint that came to mind this morning who lived in a hut near a leper colony. Due to language barriers, I did not know his name, but came to understand that he was over 100 years old—he did not look even 60 years of age, and as he wore little more than a dhoti he was open to full inspection! He chanted Ram Nam, and he radiated such light and joy that I wanted to just stay with him in his hut. He came to mind this morning, and it would not surprise me that he continues living in that hut. In thinking of him, the touch of his grace came to me through just the thought of him and brought me great upliftment. Time and space are not barriers to such a one, and his grace oh so easily transmits itself here and now.

Then another two yogis I came into contact with while on the way from Haridwar to Rishikesh bubbled up in my memory. Anand, a generous soul who took it upon himself to guide us while at Haridwar, knew of these yogis living in a one room apartment that was their ashram. What a feeling of purity when meeting these two souls. Swami Puruananda Giri, a disciple of Swami Sadananda Giri, who was a disciple of Master’s, was the taller of the two—stately, withdrawn into himself, and radiating a beautiful presence. Then there was his brother disciple, though not a kriyaban. His name did not get recorded, but he chants Ram Nam, and oh what light and joy emanates from the core of his being. It seemed that Mother’s own path came in the form of these two yogis living together, one practicing Kriya Yoga meditation, and the other chanting Ram Nam. Anand translated an interesting comment by the Ram Nam yogi. He looked at me and said, “You must have done a lot of spiritual sadhana in past lives in order to chant Ram Nam and practice spiritual sadhana, especially being all the way from where you live (in America).” I had not told him I chanted Ram Nam, so how did he know? You know, saints really are wonderful.

The touch of these saints did not come through physical touch, nor was it their words, as these exchanges were not laced with much conversation, rather it was the touch of their beings, the touch of God in them that transmitted itself, and continues to transmit its eternal message of purity, love and joy that is God. I bow at the feet of these luminaries. They are not famous or known because they attract large crowds, but they know God, and give what they know freely, without constraint or thought of what saint or organization you belong to, but only because they see God in you.

Eternal Soul–The Great I AM–Found Within

Health Report: Dr. S., my saintly surgeon confirmed that all is well. Blood tests, PET scan, CT scan and MRI—the best diagnostic tools modern medicine has to offer—confirm that I am tumor free and overall health is excellent. It has been two years now since I had a liver resection to remove a tumor, and two and a half years since I had tumors removed from my small intestines. These operations saved the life of this body, and there has been no sign of tumors since.

While health of the body is not the absolute arbiter of fulfillment, it certainly is an important ingredient to our abilities and our pleasures for day to day activities. A malfunctioning body and physical pain can dominate the mind and affect our mood. To a greater or lesser degree sensations from the body and our ability to move and breathe will have its demands on our attention. However, to be master of ourselves we must be the gatekeepers of how much energy we give to the body.

In the same way that Swami Vivekananda said, “Do not make a religion of the kitchen,” do not make food and eating a fetish, even more so we should not put the body on the altar and worship it. The body is our instrument for operating on this physical plane, and like any instrument, a vehicle or a computer or phone, we want to keep it in good operating condition so that it performs its functions well and gives pleasure to its operator. We should cultivate the practice of knowing that the operator of the machine and the machine are not one and the same thing. In deepened meditation we have a growing awareness of the great I AM within, beyond the body, even superior to the mind and the individual soul.

Living in the body there are commonsense things we can do to keep the body-machine in good order: exercise and stretching, eating healthy foods (as Mother said, “Do not treat the body like a garbage can”), and thinking healthy, positive God-thoughts. I have experimented with different food regimens over the years with good results. In these past twenty plus years it became obvious both gluten and dairy had deleterious effects on this body, so I gave them up.

Recently I have been experimenting with Dr. Steven Gundry’s ideas on focusing on the health of the gut and its relationship with autoimmune diseases—in particular the role of dietary lectins and their negative effects on our digestive system. I am in phase 2 of a 3 phase program and will report back in a few weeks with more details in a posting at yogacharyadavid.com when I complete the second phase.

To have the right relationship with the body, then remain mindful of keeping the body healthy and doing what is best for its smooth functioning. There is line though, where you do not let the body and its relationship with the world take control of your life. Affirm, “I have a body, but I am not this body,” and give it its due, but no more. Practice finding that awareness that knows you existed before you took residence in this body, and knows you will exist long after this body has returned to dust. That while the body is important for accomplishing what you have come here to do, it is just an instrument for your use—a remarkable instrument it is true, but just an instrument.

I am pleased to have this excellent report from my medical team as it gives me the time and freedom to accomplish what God has me here to do. And every day I pray for your perfect health, so that you too may enjoy that same freedom and ability to do all that your Soul has intended for you in this lifetime. Use the gift of this marvelous machine to manifest your highest nature, and to bring the Light of the Divine to this world through the instruments of your body, mind and soul.

The summer solstice is upon us, and we feel the powerful vibrations of this hallmark event. Sri Yukteswarji made this an event each year, with chanting, feasting, and a talk he gave under the stars. What a lovely picture that makes in our minds as we think of sitting at the Master’s feet, absorbing the vibrant atmosphere of this spiritually charged occasion.

It is a fascinating idea that we are so strongly connected with all creation that distant constellations of stars should be influencing us here on earth. We all certainly feel the effects of lunar cycles, and we all know that there are mysterious rhythms in our lives in which things either go uncommonly smoothly, or it seems that we are fighting invisible currents of opposition all the way. The warp and woof of these events can be chalked up to chance, but isn’t it possible there are lawfully governed undercurrents in life that we can sometimes trace, even anticipate?

 In our perception of these outer influences, it is important to know that you have a power deep in you that supersedes all outer influences. Whether you come into contact with a negative personality, situation or contrary stellar influence, you are reminded that the power of God within you is greater. This does not mean that you will not have to contend with outer forces, but that you should not give it preeminence in your mind. The light, intelligence, love and joy of God is superior to creation, and tapping into that internal power is your best weapon for combating negative influences.

Of course, these outer influences are not negative only—there are powerful external forces that help lift you up as well. The proximity of highly developed souls in your life, salubrious situations that support your spiritual aspirations, and the turning of the celestial clock; such times as the Summer Solstice. Sri Yukteswarji and experience tell us this is a special time, and by spreading our meditational wings we benefit from the powerful upward drafts that are present at this time.  

Let us join together in Spirit and feel the rising currents—the power and bliss of our Infinite Beloved. Let Sri Yukteswarji’s blessings shower Grace upon us all, renewing our world during this longest day, the Summer Solstice.

Today we celebrate fathers, for the vital role you play in the human drama of family. Indeed, when fathers are absent, families and communities suffer, so you are an essential part of both family and community.

One of the great changes that has occurred in the past twenty or thirty years is the positive involvement of fathers raising children. Many in my father’s generation, and generations before observed role distinctions where mothers raised the children, and fathers provided for and protected the family. Machines, technology and changing role definitions have freed fathers to have the time and energy to devote to family. The trend toward a more involved father has been a huge shift, one in which the father is more intimately connected with his children—this is a win-win for a father and his children.

There was a woman sociologist who looked at the voluntary role a father plays for his family, in comparison to living only for himself. To financially provide for himself only would require far less effort on his part, without the need for a family home, and food, clothes, and education for his children. Her point was that the father puts forward a tremendous effort to provide for his family, often without much acknowledgement—it is done quietly, expectedly, and without much fanfare. How grateful we are for those fathers who make sacrifices for family; often playing a more invisible but essential role to those he loves.

In many of the great Western traditions the father archetype came to symbolize God, or the chief god, such a Zeus. With the great master Jesus, we get the most touching, intimate connection with Father as God, or Abba in Jesus’ Aramaic. Now, to some it may sound heretical to give God a gender, but the truth is metaphors are powerful symbols that bring out certain positive qualities in us. Clearly for Jesus, Father was an endearing term for God that touched his heart, made him feel close and intimate with the Divine Presence that existed both in his own soul, and as the creative power and intelligence that has manifested as this entire universe. Far from the fiery rule-making God of Moses, Jesus’ Father is loving, understanding and giving—He doesn’t even mind a little rule breaking if it preserves the spirit of the law!

So, today I give honor to my father and grandfathers, and our beloved Father in heaven. To my father and grandfathers, I feel such gratitude for all your hard work that conveyed your love for family far more eloquently than you ever expressed in words. And, for my Father in heaven, may we all feel the same intimacy that Jesus felt in relationship with You—such love, care and closeness. And for all of you fathers today, who work and strive to make your families safe, secure and loved, I give you thanks.

God has me working more in the world lately, as we are doing some remodeling on this house. Planning, arranging and following up with contractors, making sure everything ready and they have what they need—He has me fully enabled and fully engaged. There is a wonderful feeling to the switch turned on that allows me to participate in this world; I always enjoyed working in this world, as I have done since an early age to the time He drew me more inwardly to Himself.

As spiritual aspirants, the crux of living in this world is for us to fully participate in it and not be separated from our true Self as a result. Events can come rapid fire, demands to make decisions, to make the body and mind function even when they are resistant to doing so, and success brings its own challenges tempting you to think that you are the doer. So, in challenging times or in smooth sailings these worldly occupations make it a necessity to have a highly focused sadhana-practice.

A devotee wrote to me: “Things will go along and I’ll make one decision to do something and then things are all out of whack. My decisions are not made from the heart often, because of this or that. Things just seem to come at me so fast, I cannot even stop to connect to light before making a decision.”  To one degree or another, isn’t this our dilemma of living in this world?

The key to maintaining our balance is the intensity of our practice—it has to meet or exceed the intensity of worldly demands. Now someone (not you of course) may say, “I have barely enough energy to keep things going in this world as it is, never mind adding another thing to my plate like having to remember God!” And if you think of it as only another task on your to do list, added to those things you are already not getting done, then that might be right.

However, God-remembrance is not simply another task—it is our primary task. Not only that, but just as importantly staying connected with God, your real Self, brings important benefits that will actually help you in your worldly life. These benefits are the real secret in life so that you can have both a full and a fulfilling life.  

The first benefit is that in God-awareness you remain in a calm center. Like a skilled athlete you operate in “the zone” where there is a natural flow in body and mind.  From that calm center you are in a prime position to use the reasoning mind as well as the intuitional mind. Like a general observing the field of combat, you see the movement of forces and calculate what needs to be done, not overwhelmed by the noise and confusion of war. This calm reason adds and subtracts based on experience and learning. The intuitional mind does not add or subtract, at least not consciously—it knows through direct perception what is true. Intuition comes, not through reasoning, but as a flash of insight. Both reason and intuition are invaluable aids for you to operate in this world.

Being Self-centered means you adhere to the highest standards. Abiding by right action, according to your reason, helps purify your mind that will then give you access to truth from intuition. Through intuition you know what is true, not only for yourself but in others as well. Honing this skill for knowing what is right action saves you from disastrous mistakes. Right action, or dharma, is the most efficient means forward both in this world and spiritually. While wrong action can look more expedient in the moment, it inevitably builds resistant karma that immediately, or eventually, causes you suffering and undermines your success.

Your spiritual practice bears the fruit of bliss, light and universal love on your tree of consciousness. All humanity seeks happiness, but so many seek it in this world only. A deeper analysis reveals that this world can never yield the kind of happiness we truly seek. Some will say our “reward” comes in an after-life—do not seek it here. Mystics and yogis have asserted we have access to that “reward” right here and now, but not through worldly means. Spiritual happiness is bliss and is to be found within and in the present—and while it is latent in most, nevertheless it is available to all.

Having your happiness already in place makes you enabled to give perfect service to this world, for with your happiness in place it is easy to detach from outcomes. It is your internal joy that now fuels your participation in life, not some hoped for outcome or afterlife. Of course you have goals for what to do and what you want to have as a result, but your happiness is not dependent on such outward rewards. As a result you are centered in your Self, not identified with the things of the world. This detachment gives you balance and a perspective that makes you more proficient in your activities.

And the price of entry for discovering this here and now reward of spiritual attributes? It is, of course, to keep you mind on God: to breathe, be a mindful witness to all that you experience, to keep your attention at the ajna (point between the eyebrows), chant His name, and meditate deeply upon Him. Love is the most powerful attractor in this world and beyond. Love of God automatically brings about detachment. Love of God is you most powerful asset for living in the world, but not of it.

Practice, practice, practice—until you are living in the “spiritual zone” and feeling God’s joyful Presence within you, until you are centered in your deeper Self no matter your outer circumstances, and your inborn dharma spontaneously guides you to right action. By enacting this practice you receive life-giving energy (supplying you with far more than you give in your practice). It is not simply another task to add to your “To do list,” it the one indispensable thing you do when fulfilling you daily duties in this world  and in serving your Infinite Beloved.    

Upon waking this morning thoughts streamed from the Superconscious mind that included the phrase, “These are the times that try men’s souls.” Then followed the stream of thought: there are times in life when great trials come, and other times when life has a happier nature; these two alternating experiences can be graphed like a sine wave or a financial chart of rolling stock, as they move up and down—an inevitable movement in a life.

It was Thomas Paine who wrote these words about trying times entitled The Crises. It was toward the beginning of the American Revolution when a small number of militia, farmers and silver smiths untrained in war, took up arms against what at that time was the greatest army and navy in the world—and things were not going well. Not only do such crises occur on fields of military action, but in family life, professional life, and very importantly in our spiritual pursuit. From the first paragraph of Paine’s inspired writing we may borrow its wisdom and strength to meet our own crises when it comes:

“THESE are the times that try men’s souls. The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of their country; but he that stands by it now, deserves the love and thanks of man and woman. Tyranny, like hell, is not easily conquered; yet we have this consolation with us, that the harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph. What we obtain too cheap, we esteem too lightly: it is dearness only that gives every thing its value. Heaven knows how to put a proper price upon its goods; and it would be strange indeed if so celestial an article as FREEDOM should not be highly rated”

Is it not true, “What we obtain too cheap, we esteem too lightly?” My thoughts were then guided to Mother Hamilton and the life she lived, enduring one trial and difficulty after another. It was destined that she would chart a new course largely on her own, unaided by organization and often not understood by those around her. Yet, her determination, the will of steel under her velvet-love for God, guru and humanity never wavered.

We can draw so many lessons of loyalty and strength of resolve from Mother’s life. Life can challenge us to the core, and if the goal is high (And what is higher than God-realization?), then the price must be steep. To paraphrase Krishna in the Gita: fight the good fight with all your strength and be ever focused on God. Whether you win or lose in the outer sense is not in your control, that is up to Me (God). But, whether you win or lose, by staying focused on Me you win the spiritual battle by being aligned with truth and ever advancing in Self-realization.

“Tyranny, like hell, is not easily conquered; yet we have this consolation with us, that the harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph.” When you conquer hell by realizing God, the glory of triumph is not a tickertape parade or your picture in the paper, but it is the bliss that wells up from deep within, it is the Light of your eternal Being blazing, and it is the revelations of inspired wisdom from the Infinite. Anchor yourself in this thought in times of crises and in times of ease, God and gurus and all the saints and spiritual masters who have ever tread this path of realization are with me. Awareness of the fact that I never standalone means that when I touch the fabric of God’s Being through remembrance of Him, I touch the glory of all that He is!