Maetreyii Ma Teachings for Spiritual Awakening
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Yogic Wisdom Blog

Be Your Own Person

5/6/2019

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For most people, when the group goes one way, they go that way; they believe what the group believes. When the group goes another way, they go that way. Why? Because they have surrendered to the group psychology, as their instincts around power and submission tell them to do for their survival.  Human beings are not so strong; have compassion for them. Just as the wolf has an instinctual response within its society or the deer with its herd, or the horses, or the birds, so human beings are equally bound in their reactions. People in general have a profound mental pride that they do not see their responses to their own societies. They do not see how they are giving away their ability to make personal choices to the groups they identify with. 

Instinctual survival and group behaviors are in the genes but for the true yogi who has a personal association with God, in the process of meditation, as the higher layers of mind open, these genes lose their influence. As one grows toward an enlightened state, the genes that create these instincts and the survival needs that drive behaviors of dominance become less and less active and eventually turn off. Then love for the Supreme dominates. 

The yogi who wants to know truth must step apart from this biology, from the dominance of the body and the way the body structures the mind. To do this, begin to witness your own existence. As higher layers of the mind become accessible, the calm witness, knowledge and detachment from the animal instincts grows. Instincts are driven by fear and all that happens as a result of them is based in fear. The closer you are to the Divine, the more the instincts of survival turn off and the fear that drives them dissolves.  


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All those who teach about this problem give the same advice: Avoid group identification. Feel that the whole universe is your home; all living beings your children, your family. Stand apart from any side and take actions of loving kindness and compassion. Seeing the pain and the shortcomings of all people in this world, have compassion for the humanity, the difficulty, the struggle, the pain. Bring healing to humanity; approach all with compassion and love. 

If you want this change, follow Yama and Niyama, rather than the dynamics of power and look very closely at your own self. Find your own relationship with the eternal Self and with all beings. You can only do this as an individual. The sangha (spiritual community) can help to a degree but it is important to have your eyes open when relating to a group to bring your internal locus of surrender where you give your power freely to the God within. The true spiritual seeker turns within to the Divine and seeks guidance from that one and not any external force.  Standards of morality need to come from your relationship to the Divine. Then there is a certain detachment from all groups and all group-isms.

​To avoid group identity is much more difficult and involved than it appears but it is key to being able to follow Yama and Niyama. So have all the Masters taught. Essential morality does not lie within a group psychology. It lies within you as an individual and within your relationship to the God Self. And that relationship is personal and singular.  The true Sadvipra (developed spiritual person) is a part of all groups and a part of none. Being a person who stands for dharma, he or she lives by ethics, for the love of the Divine. Actions are governed by personal experience and by what has been revealed from the innermost being.  



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 Living Love the Yoga of Yama & Niyama at Amazon  $13.96
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Inner Engineering by Sadhguru at Amazon $12.10
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Loving Yourself

3/21/2019

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Loving yourself is essential because it is by loving your own self that you become able to love others. When you learn to view your own faults and failings with understanding and compassion, you become able to accept and love others, even when you know their imperfections. When you see divinity in your own being you become able to see the divine in others. The attitudes and approaches you develop toward others begin with the feelings you have about your own self.  

If you can love all parts of yourself and accept yourself fully, then you can have compassion for others. Love Divine does not discriminate, does not pick and choose. It is love unconditional. When love for your own self becomes unconditional, when you can forgive yourself for all the ways you have not lived up to how you think you should be, then you become able to touch Love Divine.

Your own personality as well as your body, mind and sense of self are all expressions of the one eternal Self. When you love yourself and all beings, you love the divine in manifest form. Within you are shadows and light, joys and pain. When you hold all parts of yourself equally with acceptance and love, you move into balance. From that balance comes the deep meditative harmony with divine Consciousness, divine Essence.

In that harmony, oneness exists. There, the love you have been seeking can be found. There, you find the wholeness that dissolves all suffering.  Know that each and every person, including you, is unconditionally loved, unconditionally cared for.

 That love is like a gently falling rain, a shower of grace. It is only when you are afraid, holding up the umbrella of ego, afraid to let it down, afraid to let love in that this love cannot be felt. When you let it down and let love in, the love that is there is vast and unconditioned. You are the dear child of the beloved One. When you feel that, you know you are never alone, and you will never again be alone, for the Divine is always with you.

You are always cherished. This guidance, this shower of grace, of unconditional love is always there, always. It is only when you are looking away and absorbed with all of the details of your life that the defensiveness of I and mine comes. Due to your distracted attention, divine love becomes invisible. It is always there, only you do not hear the sweet small voice within. You do not see the shower of grace. You become deaf; you become blind; all you see are separate forms that come and go. 

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When you awaken, then the eyes open. The true Guru is the one who applies the ointment of knowledge and removes the darkness from your eyes. By grace you may see, hear and know love, know truth. When you experience loneliness, take the shelter of your most Beloved and know that you are always loved, unconditionally. Feel that shower of grace surround you and know that you are not alone.

That loving consciousness, that infinite, caressing, caring intelligence permeates all that is. Everyone you have loved is an expression of that. You have seen the Beloved in the eyes of those you have loved, your children, your spouse, your lover. You have seen the Divine in their eyes.  See that One in your own heart. Feel the grace around you. Let go of the encasement around your heart.

​Let go of the duality of I and mine. Let go of your fear and your separation. Sink into the Beloved. Feel the grace. This is yours. It will always be yours. It never changes. The love of the Infinite is unconditional, always with you every moment of every day, with you when you came into this world, with you when you leave, with you in your hardest times, with you in your greatest joy. You are guided, protected and loved unconditionally. 

Know this love. It is in your own heart-cave. This love belongs to you. This One is the Self of yourself, your source, your home. The aching in every human heart is to end the experience of duality and to be united with the whole of being again, to return home to the sea of love from which all have come. This is your birthright. It is your natural state, sahaj. This is true self-love. 

Here are a few books we recommend

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Love for Nor Reason
Buy on Amazon

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The Heart of
Unconditional Love
Buy on Amazon

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What is Compassion?

1/31/2019

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"The result of facing your own suffering and working with it is that you become able to accept the suffering of others."
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When you live in appreciation of life and reverence for life, you become alive, vibrant in gratitude and joy then you move toward love and compassion. For the Divine is the source of compassion.

When you develop compassion, you put real love into practice. Seeing the pain and suffering of others, your heart goes out with compassion to help them. You are not thinking of what you can get out of the situation or even how it will impact you. Your concern is what is needed to help or heal and how you can make that happen.

Compassion involves empathy, an ability to relate to the pain of others, to feel it, to know it and to care that someone is experiencing it. Oftentimes, people who have been through a great deal of suffering themselves are the ones who develop this kind of empathy, an ability to really understand the suffering of others and truly care.

The result of facing your own suffering and working with it is that you become able to accept the suffering of others, understand their pain and care. This is compassion.

Compassion, as a practice, requires you to face your own pain and the pain and suffering that exists in this world without looking away. It requires you to be able to be with suffering, to see it and those who suffer with great love, great care.

Compassion is an attitude, a feeling, a reflection of all embracing, unconditional love. It holds nothing back and doesn’t run. The practice of compassion must start with yourself, with facing your own pain and having great kindness for the part of yourself that has suffered. Then you can take that same care and share your heart with all beings in the loving kindness of compassion. 

​Begin by treating others as you would be treated, with kindness. Do not covet what they have. Make efforts to care for their needs in a kind and compassionate way. This does not mean that you need to bow to the wishes of every person who wants something from you. This is not compassion.

Compassion is to be kind and to care about the needs of every living being. When in an attitude of compassion, all that you do is for the welfare of living beings. It is a kindness that you express in your daily life. If you live in this kindness you will find that there is a significant effect on other people and on yourself.

​When you learn to see everything as the manifestation of God and treat all people and all life with utmost respect, the world around you becomes the very expression of divinity. As you develop your awareness with the practice of Yama and Niyama, you begin to acquire positive qualities and characteristics within yourself, and the compassionate nature of the infinite 

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Here is a book on Compassion that you might also like.
Buy on Amazon

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A Call to Action

1/8/2019

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As we begin this year, we face some significant issues in the world and in the United States.

There is a polarization of people, dire predictions about the soon to come impact of global warming, about immigration,  the migration of people from areas in the world impacted by violence and/or global warming, and a variety of other very significant issues.
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​There are those who want to bring change and compassionately try to ease the situation and those who want to keep going with fossil fuels usage and profit based decisions that have worked for them in the past.

 
In this backdrop of rising global struggles and polarities, how do we relate as spiritual beings? How can we help without getting caught up in hatred and ill will? What is each of our roles in life at this time in the world? The below intuitive new years message  from my spiritual guide gives insight into the situation this year. 

"Nothing is won in human life without struggle. The babe when first born struggles to breathe in order to survive, the child struggles to learn, to grow, to understand the world around them. Struggle is a part and parcel of human life.

Today there are struggles between the forces that bring the world towards peace and harmony, support the welfare of all human beings, and bring humanity in alignment with the planet on which we live, and the forces dominated by the personal greed of individuals and their desires for power and prestige.  These forces would move the planet in a different direction. They would place money and personal gain above the welfare of living beings; above the welfare of the planet.

These two forces are in battle at this time. This is a natural struggle that comes when there is movement in the human society. Today there is movement towards the light, towards the unification of society, towards the building of one unified planet. 

"Today the light of a new dawn grows brighter. It is the light of a new beginning in the world, one in which there is harmony between human beings and all the other living beings of the world. This light of human awareness and consciousness arises out of the ashes of ignorance, greed, and self-centeredness that have come to dominate many spheres of human life. 

Today's world is changing. It is not a time when you can sit on the sidelines and enjoy the bliss of ignorance and complacency. It is a time when the struggle for the very existence on this planet will demand your attention. It is a time to stand up for dharma. A time to stand for the rights of human beings and all living beings on this planet - to live with harmony for the collective good of all.

There is no time now to ignore this struggle. The time for complacency has come to an end. This is a struggle that will require each and every person to apply themselves in their own way, to their own capacity, to bring the light of a new dawn into this world.

That light rises. It grows bright. It is a new beginning which cannot be stopped, cannot be changed. The forces for change and the development of light in this world grow stronger. There is no diminishing of this movement. But as it grows, struggle comes - the struggle of the light to emerge from the darkness. The struggle to bring conscious awareness to living beings - that they might live in harmony with each other and with the natural world. 

This world is like a ship - a contained ecosystem. All who live aboard this spaceship earth are together in their destiny. The welfare of one cannot be separated from the welfare of another. This is an integrated system. The journey is one that all who live here make together. It cannot be made alone. It cannot be made single handedly.

And when some try to exploit others, the results and the consequences of that will become more evident much faster than in the past. It is not that there are darker forces in the world today than have existed previously, but it is that there is a brighter light in the world today and that light illumines the darkness. Where there is a bright light, darker shadows are cast. 


And so there is in the world today, a struggle. A struggle of those forces which would cling to their personal welfare and greed, and those forces which recognize that this planet is an integrated whole and that everyone--all creatures who live on it and the planet itself—are one life, one essence, one interwoven whole. From this whole, comes the welfare of all.

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It is the duty of each and every one to work for that welfare of all beings in whatever capacity, in whatever manner you have to express this dharma.

​ For movement towards unity and welfare of all beings is movement towards the Divinity which is the core and essence of life. That divine love, divine compassion, divine essence is at the core of all existence.


When human life flows in harmony with the intention of the Divine that there should be kindness and care for all beings; when love for the Supreme and love for all beings dominates the human psyche, then there is a harmony here on earth with humans, with animals, with plants, with the rocks, with the sea. This harmony seeks to be acknowledged, seeks to be expressed. 

As the light of a new dawn grows on this planet, this harmony arises as the central focus of human life. Without it, human beings cannot survive. And the challenges that face humanity today are the result of a lack of this harmony.

But now, as the light of a new dawn grows brighter, the potential for this harmony becomes greater and greater. It arises and it will not be stopped. But it brings with it the challenges that we face today;  the struggle to bring light into the world and to dissolve ignorance. It brings the struggle to all human beings to learn to work together and to recognize that our welfare is interwoven and interconnected with each other, with the animals, with the plants, with the earth, with the oceans. Harm to one brings harm to all. 

So it is time to rise up. It is time to meet the new dawn and to be a force of light and love in this world; to incorporate it in yourself and stand for dharma, stand for truth, stand for light, stand for the unity of life and the wholeness of being. Make your voice heard in the world. Make your intentions firm and clear. Do not be daunted. Do not be discouraged. 

The force of light, the force of grace and love is the strongest force, and it is rising in the world today. The welfare of all living beings today requires that all join together in a universal humanity, in a universal life, and stand for truth, stand for love, stand for the welfare of all beings. 


Darkness cannot hide this light. It will shine brighter and brighter and the deeper the struggle the greater the light will shine. So do not be afraid of struggle. Do not be afraid to let your light shine in the world. Do not be daunted by any resistances you feel. Go forward. Be bright. Shine bright."

" Let the light of truth, love, and Divine grace shine through you. Be courageous. It is time to stand in your light and let it shine. The world needs you now."

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What is Gratitude?

11/27/2018

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"Gratitude is not only in what you do
​ but how you approach what you do." 
There are some whose lives are filled with great blessings but still feel that they have nothing. And there are those who are truly poor, yet given even the slightest crumb will feel they are most fortunate. One may be as wealthy as a prince or princess and still feel impoverished or as poor as the poorest beggar and feel wealthy.

The feeling in the mind is not dictated by the external circumstances or environment but by the mental approach taken by the individual. When you want to be happy, to make the best of your life, it is best to take the approach of the person who feels that whatever they have, be it great or be it ever so humble is the blessing of God. It is better to feel that you are fortunate than to feel you are deprived. Either feeling might be there, be you rich or be you poor, be you overflowing with opportunities or be you lacking in direction. 

The practice of gratitude can take many forms. You may begin with simple exercises such as beginning and ending each day by remembering or even writing down all the things you are grateful for. They can be large or small, from a new job you are excited about to a flower you saw blooming by the side of the road, a beautiful sunset or a person who smiled at you warmly in a store. Part of the practice of gratitude is simply beginning to notice all the good things that go on around you each and every day. Sometimes we get conditioned only to notice what is wrong with the world and our lives and we overlook what is right.

Gratitude is turning that process around. Another helpful practice is to remember all the kind deeds done toward you by others. Think of someone you know and appreciate and express your gratitude. Write him a letter or email or even better tell him in person how much you appreciate him. Notice what others do well and express your appreciation. And don’t forget your animal friends grace of the Divine that is opening another direction that will lead you where you really need to go. For the Divine looks at your heart and seeing your heart will help you go where you must go to become all that you can be. So do not be unhappy with your life; do not be sad with your existence for your future is bright and the Divine looks after you with great love and affection.


If you take the view that whatever is given to you in life is a blessing, you will find that your life is filled with blessings throughout. You will find that you have much potential within that will evolve forward as time goes on. Never be disheartened; never allow yourself to be discouraged; know that you are guided. The same force that guides the stars guides you also. That which is in the depths of your heart is what you really need to find your way home to the ocean of love. The Source will come to you and guide you, for grace surrounds you. So live in gratitude. Live in reverence for life and transform your life in joyous appreciation.
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Understanding True Forgiveness

11/14/2018

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“Forgiveness is the scent released by a violet
Upon the heel that has just crushed it.”
Unknown Origin

The concept of forgiveness is spoken of in many spiritual traditions. In Biblical terms, it is said that we should turn the other cheek, have gentle behavior and practice nonviolence. To be able to do this, you must be able to forgive the one who has affronted you or who has harmed you.

How do you practice forgiveness? Does it mean that if somebody does an ill act to you, that you merely accept it? This is not exactly the meaning of forgiveness. To forgive someone is to understand his or her suffering not to take it into you. Deepen your insight so that you can see the pain of another and how out of his or her suffering and pain, harsh acts toward you arose. Seeing this, you may realize that perhaps the ill action is even a cry for help.

You see how different this is? Perhaps the person is crying for help like a little child screaming and throwing things because he or she doesn’t know how to deal with the pain. The person needs help so has attacked you out of ignorance and pain. If your mind goes deep enough, your empathy strong enough, you will see the very cause of the suffering.

Rather than take somebody’s actions personally, you might apply an attitude of compassion. Perhaps you even contemplate how you can help. Having compassion for living beings, their pain and the harsh actions that come from their pain, is the root of forgiveness. When you move into a place of completeness governed by love, compassion and knowledge, then no ill act of another will harm you, for you will not take it into yourself.

This ability comes from maturity of mind. The idea of forgiveness is a little glimpse, the beginning of a state of mind where compassion dominates you. This is a state where you are complete in your Self, complete in your divine nature, where nothing and no one can harm you. You see only the need and you act accordingly.

If you or those you love have been badly harmed by the actions of another, forgiveness may be difficult to achieve. You may struggle with desires for revenge, for justice, for the situation to be made right somehow. Yet this does not always happen and injustices do occur in the world. When all is said and done and the dust settles, we are left with how we can best cope with the hurt, the pain and the sense of injustice that remains when harm has been done. Feelings of helplessness, despair, anger and rage can occur.

The problem then is not the aggressor or oppressor, but how to heal ourselves and find our peace and happiness again. This is where forgiveness comes into play. It is a kind of letting go, making ourselves large enough to embrace even that which is so intolerable and find our joy and the brightness of love again. To do this we need to let go of our enmeshment with the perpetrator of the harm.

Forgiveness is giving space through acceptance of what
we cannot change.

Forgiveness is the way we loosen his or her hold on us. Forgiveness is giving space through acceptance of what we cannot change and compassion for even the darker aspects of human experience until again the light of the inner Self shines bright in the mind and love returns. Then slowly, slowly light fills the darkness and we let go of our mental entanglement with the one who has done the harm. Seeing the pain of the perpetrator, having compassion and letting go, we begin to rebuild. We find love, awaken spirit and begin to realize how strong the human heart really is. This process starts with forgiveness, letting go and being with what is. This practice of compassion for all those who have hurt us so deeply allows us to heal.

If someone is offering an affront or doing harm to you, when you do not take the individual’s actions personally and practice forgiveness, then you tend not to hold on to the experience. However, when the hurtful action or the affront is taken personally, you will react with anger, you will react with hurt. You will be wounded. If you take it to heart, it will harm you. If instead, you do not take it to heart, it will roll off like water off a duck’s back.

Forgiveness comes when you are able not to take to heart the affronts or wrongdoings of others toward you. When you begin to see that they are in reaction to their own pain and suffering and that their affront or actions against you were not meant personally toward you, it becomes easier to have a little distance. You become able to be unreactive, untouched by the behavior of others and thus maintain your equanimity of mind.


You can let go because you are untouched by the ill action. However, the question then comes, what if the person continues to do the affront or the harm to you? What if his or her actions are even harming other people? Then what to do? If someone continues to do ill actions toward you or toward others, then action may be needed to stop him or her, not out of anger, not out of reaction, but in practical steps to contain the damage that will be done or is being done by the individual’s actions. Forgiveness is not simply to accept and allow all type of negative behaviors but is the ability to let go of your own reactivity, your own tendency to take the actions of others personally.

Samskaras, your subconscious reactions to different experiences you have had, form when the reactive mind is activated. When you stay in balance and you do not take the hurts and ill actions of others toward you to heart, then the reactions of mind become minimal. The impact on you is not there. You maintain yourself in loving kindness and compassion. This, like all of the ethical understandings of spiritual life, leads to a certain equanimity of mind, a peacefulness of mind that allows for knowledge of the Divine.

Forgiveness comes when you are able not to take to heart the affronts or wrongdoings of others toward you.

Practicing forgiveness helps you clear away distress. This enables you to have the calm needed to focus your mind and sink into your meditation practice without difficulty. Having forgiveness and compassion, selfless acts of kindness arise. When you are seeing the Divine everywhere, detachment emerges. These bring you the ability to maneuver the weals and woes of the world with minimal distress and find your way to love.
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Understanding the Nature of Love

10/16/2018

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Love is a many-faceted topic. There is love between people, love for nature, love for animals and plants and love for the Divine. What is important in all of these different experiences of love is that you love purely. To know infinite love, you need not live up to anyone’s expectations but only take the time to turn your mind and heart toward the Divine and think of the qualities and characteristics of that divine Beloved.

Taking the time to suspend your mind and dissolve your self-hood into that eternal Self of yourself, you will discover the love of which all human love is only a dim reflection. One of the primary characteristics of cosmic love is abundant compassion for all living beings. That cosmic Self loves everyone and everything and sees everyone and everything as a part of its own Self. That Self has infinite love for living beings, infinite love for you. When you emulate this infinite love, this compassionate attitude of cosmic love in your own approach to life, you gain proximity to the Divine.

One of the primary characteristics of cosmic love is abundant compassion for all living beings.True love, the deepest form of love, the unconditional love, does not define and is not confined. Experiencing this love, you have care for all beings, including your own self, for you too are the child of the Divine. You are the son or the daughter of the divine One. If anyone should want to harm you, diminish you, hurt you, or tell you that you are less than others, do not listen to them. For all are the children of the Divine, including you, and all are important to that beloved Divinity.

The love of the one Beloved, who is the source of all love, is a shower of grace that falls eternally on all living beings. This love rejects no one. All are precious to that divine Beloved. You cannot earn the love of the Divine. It is not for sale. Instead it is freely given to all who take the time to notice it. To the Divine, those who are praised and those who go unnoticed by others, those who are capable of great deeds and those who give in small ways are all the same. All are parts of one interwoven, interconnected whole. There is not more love for one and less for the other.
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If you want to know the Infinite, love for all is the best approach. Even for those who do you harm, love and compassion given freely is the best approach. It doesn't mean you must sanctify their actions or that you need to tolerate hurtful actions. Only ignite the kindness, compassion and caring in your own heart. If you care for others and spend your time in acts of kindness to others, even though you yourself may carry a deep burden of pain, your pain will become less. You will see that in loving and caring for others resides the real reward in this life.
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If you want to know the Divinity that is the source of all love, do good deeds throughout your day and throughout your life. Make a point, each and every day, to intentionally do at least one act of kindness for another. This way you develop a kind heart. Developing a kind heart is the key step to the development of great compassion. To know great compassion is to know love unconditional. To know love unconditional is to know your supreme Father, your divine Mother, for the very nature of this universe is love, unconditional love.


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Ishvara Pranidhana ~Surrender to God

9/3/2018

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Ishvara Pranidhana is a practice of self-surrender in deep contemplation of the eternal source of all. Ishvara connotes God, Brahma, Lord of this universe. Historically, people have given it slightly different meanings but they all point to a higher power, a consciousness greater than our individual sense of self. Pranidhana also has multiple connotations but primarily means fixing attention on the Divine through meditation or prayer and generally implies self-surrender. This practice is one of surrendering your ideas, beliefs, constructs, control and most importantly your sense of self to the one Self, to pure essential being, to the Lord, God, the infinite Brahma, however you express it for yourself, your Source.

Inherent in this practice is knowledge of something greater than your small ego existence. If you let go and surrender, you just might get over yourself enough to perceive the immense shower of grace flowing from the eternal Divinity. And if you really let go, you just might melt into that ocean of love.
It is through surrendering to this infinite Self in the practice of Ishvara Pranidhana that the deep Selfknowledge of Svadhyaya arises and that all of the practices of Yama and Niyama really come into focus. Without Ishvara Pranidhana, it is not possible really to do the other practices.

​Ishvara Pranidhana is the base of all practices of Yama and Niyama. If you are to know Divine Consciousness, you must come in direct contact with that consciousness. With direct contact, harmlessness, truth, integrity, purity of heart and mind, equanimity, and Self-knowledge become more accessible. Divine connection and the cultivation of the wisdom of Yama and Niyama go hand-in-hand. When you do the practices of Yama and Niyama, you purify the mind. At the same time when you ideate upon the Infinite in meditation, there is direction and focus for the mind. Without focus, your efforts become scattered and unproductive.

Through meditation and self-surrender in Ishvara Pranidhana, you come in direct contact with divine Presence. Ishvara Pranidhana allows you to focus all of your concentration upon the controlling point of this entire universe, often called Ishvara. This sublime Cosmic Consciousness, manifesting as the nexus of the entire manifest universe, is the Soul of your soul, the heart of your heart. When in your meditation you focus your mind in full surrender to the divine God Self, the nucleus of existence, then, by grace, it may become known.

The practice of Ishvara Pranidhana focuses upon this cosmic Self. When you first begin meditative practice, you may find you are spending all your time trying to concentrate. However, as you begin the practices of Yama and Niyama, you will find that your concentration in meditation grows better and better. When your lifestyle is made subtle with these practices, concentration is enhanced. As concentration is enhanced, a deeper knowledge of the Infinite arises. The noises about you when you meditate cease to bother you. The internal chatter of the mind, like the noise around you, does not bother you because you are focusing on something much more profound. As you focus your awareness on the profound consciousness that underlies all manifestation, you find that you begin to have a resonance with that infinite Divine Consciousness.

 There are certain basic qualities that everyone’s mind possesses. The first is that mind is not static; it is in a perpetual process of movement. The second basic characteristic of mind is that it is malleable; whatever it moves toward, it takes the likeness of. Whatever you focus on, you tend to become absorbed in. When you frequently think of a material object and have a strong desire for it, then it will fill your awareness. As you continue to focus on the object of interest, the mind becomes more and more absorbed in the object until the image of it is fixed in the mind and your thoughts and feelings begin to revolve around it.

In the practice of Ishvara Pranidhana, the characteristic movement and malleability of the mind is utilized to gain vision of the Infinite. The infinite cosmic Source, the controlling point of the entire manifest universe and of the unmanifest universe becomes the focus of your attention. When ideation upon infinite consciousness becomes your focus, then the first characteristic of the mind, mental movement, is set in motion toward the divine Self. As you continue to concentrate your attention in meditation upon the Divine, the second characteristic of mind, malleability, comes into play and the mind begins to take on the qualities and characteristics of that infinite Self. The practice of Ishvara Pranidhana gives us opportunity for knowing the depths in our meditation, in our contemplations and in our prayers. 


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Svadhyaya, Reflection Upon the Nature of the Soul

2/1/2018

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Dear friends,
​
            I must apologize for my extended absence from this blog. My attention went elsewhere for a time, but I am back and now my intention is to write regularly on this blog. We have two more aspects of Yama and Niyama to cover, Svadhyaya (self reflection) and Ishvara Pranidhana ( surrender to God).
 
When we have completed these two aspects we will move on to discussion of other aspects of yogic teachings such as karma, samskara, the five elements, Ayurveda and the doshas, prana, meditation, Samadhi, Brahmachakra, and other relevant topics to our inner journeys. Please let me know what topics interest you the most to discuss. Also I invite you to share your personal experience and insights on each topic as we go along. We all have personal experiences and insights that can be enriching for everyone when shared. So please share your thoughts.
 
Svadhyaya the next aspect of the Niyamas, the practices to be cultivated, is self inquiry, or study and contemplation of the nature of Self. Svadhyaya is the search for knowledge and the practice of understanding truth. The word comes from the root sva (soul or self) and dhyaya, rooted in the word dhyia (to meditate, reflect upon, study or contemplate). Thus, Svadhyaya connotes self-study or reflection upon the nature of the soul or Atman.
 
It starts like most of the practices of Yama and Niyama with basic activities like reading books on spiritual life, articles on the internet on yoga and meditation, reading sacred texts, watching webinars or videos and going to relevant lectures, seminars and presentation. In other words, learning from other people’s personal experience and insights.
 
It can also involve studying with a Guru, a man or woman of wisdom who knows the way and can guide you. There is great benefit from being in the presence of spiritual masters and holy men and women. Many radiate a presence that has a direct influence on your mind, bringing it to a more subtle awareness.
 
Knowledge is not only for the mind. It is also for the heart, which is often wiser than the mind. Learning about devotion, singing the names of the gods and goddesses, chanting, doing kirtan, listening to stories of the lives and experiences of spiritual women and men open the heart. This is another form in which knowledge can come to you. Even myths and stories bring spiritual inspiration and hold the wisdom of the ages. Also, poetry that speaks the language of the heart holds truths only the heart can recognize; it gives wisdom and opens a doorway. The heart knows truth, recognizes it. Let these sources of divine knowledge and wisdom awaken your heart and inspire you to Self-knowledge.
 
Once you have explored what others have to say and their experiences, then comes the inner practice of self-inquiry. This involves asking your self who am I?  It involves contemplating your own nature and trying to understand the nature of Self. What is consciousness? How do you become Self aware?
 
The internal practice of Svadhyaya is deeply contemplative. It involves truthful (Satya) self-observation and self-reflection. This may take the form of impartially observing your thoughts, words and behaviors or sitting in silent meditation and studying the Self within. This internal practice of Svadhyaya awakens when you take the knowledge that you acquire through your study and research and integrate it into your own experience.
 
When this internal practice of Svadhyaya is deeply cultivated, you become able attain direct access to the infinite knowledge that lies within the minds of all beings. You develop your intuition and you become able to access intuitional knowledge. When this happens, you will automatically know what is real and what is illusion.
 
So this aspect of spiritual practice is extremely important.  I would encourage each of you to move forward in cultivating this aspect of your practice.
 
Blessings.
Maetreyii Ma
 
 
 
 
 


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TAPAS

8/26/2017

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Dear Friends,
 
Today lets discuss the relationship we have to ideas like selflessness, self-sacrifice or selfless service. Ideas like self-sacrifice or selflessness have become associated for many people with letting yourself be stepped on or over run by others, of being a kind of dish rag, moping up others messes and not taking care of yourself.  Being selfless for many has become a way of saying you’re the kind of person who doesn’t take care of yourself.
 
However being self-effacing and self-destructive is, in reality, not the same as being selfless and self-sacrificing. To do acts of service to another without wanting something for your self in return is to engage is selflessness. If you have to go out of your way a little to do this, or perhaps even a lot, you are engaging in self-sacrifice.
 
Most acts of self-sacrifice are a choice, a very powerful choice to give freely without expecting any return. These choices are not a result of being self-effacing and weak but, on the contrary, represent a powerful capacity to notice what is needed and give freely. People who on Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs ego development stages have healthy ego development become ‘self actualizing’ and gain the ability to dedicate themselves to something greater than their personal wants and needs.
 
The yogic practice of Tapas, the third principle of the Niyamas, literally means fire. It involves burning away our small since of self in the fire of selfless love. This teaching burns the ego on the fires of selfless love and liberates us from identity with the small ego self. It helps us to see all beings as part of our own Self. When we care for the welfare of other beings and engage in selfless service, seva, and random acts of kindness, with no expectation of getting something in return, then we become self actualizing.
Our ego development expands from focus on I and mine, to focus on the well being of all. Selfishness fades from us, and many of the sorrows and fears that often accompany self-absorption in our personal problems diminish. We find instead that we are carried on the power of our dedication to the welfare of all beings and whatever form of service that manifests as. It becomes more important and rewarding to know that we have done something good that has helped the world than to indulge in personal pleasures.
 
The practice of Tapas brings meaning and an expanded since of self. The seeds of selfishness are burnt on the fires of selfless love. Then you grow, you become more. By surrendering and letting go, doing something kind for someone despite your personal pain, you become a part of something larger. You expand towards the limitless, towards the one unconditional love of the Divine. It is amazing the healing impact of getting over yourself and taking the time to notice and care for others. It is a big world, and each of us is only a small presence in a vast, cosmic garden. But when we get over ourselves and connect in selfless love to the whole of life and live in seva, we in fact heal our own being and become whole.  Tapasis an important practice of Niyama that is stressed for moving into alignment with your Divine Self.  
 
As a point of note, some people over the centuries have gotten a bit confused on this particular point and thought that Tapas meant to somehow impose some harsh discipline on your body, like whipping yourself or starving yourself to burn out impure thoughts. These kinds of self-effacing and self-destructive behaviors represent a misunderstanding of Tapas. Tapas does involve discipline, but not self destruction. If you harm your body or mind, you do harm to the sacred vehicles that have been given to your care. You violate Ahimsa. This is not Tapas.  
 
Tapas is instead the discipline of selfless love, the cultivation of the ability to look beyond the small ego self and live a life in service to the greater Self of all beings. It’s cultivation is an essential part of moving towards Moksha, liberation.
 
The practices of cultivating purity of heart and mind, contentment and well being, and selfless service to the One Eternal Self in the many forms of living beings on this earth, are all part of developing an expanding awareness.
 
Next time we will explore Svadhyaya, the practice of study of the Self, Self-inquiry and Self-reflection. If you want to explore all of this in more depth, please read my book Living Love, the yoga and Yama and Niyama.
 
Blessings, 
Maetreyii Ma
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