|
|
Mental Adjustment
“All experiences in the world, good or bad, pleasurable or painful, are a matter of mental adjustment. Also, most of our physical problems come from the mind. Change your mind, you also change your body. So, remember: You are your own friend, and your own enemy.
“God bless you. Om Shanti, Shanti, Shanti.” —Sri Swami Satchidananda
|
|
|
|
Cosmic Love
By Swami Satchidananda
Cosmic love is devotion. It is completely free from any selfishness. When you love just for the sake of loving, you call it devotion. If you love to get something in return, it’s just a kind of pleasure or passion. A child can be devoted to its parents and the parents can be devoted to their child. A student can be devoted to the teacher and vice-versa. In devotion, the affection is free from any selfishness. A sincere spiritual seeker is devoted to God or to the spiritual teacher, and to their spiritual practice. A devoted student doesn’t expect any personal benefit from their practice. You can have personal growth, because when you grow into a better person, everyone is going to be benefitted by that. Personal spiritual growth is not a selfish act. It is a perfect act because it doesn’t bring any harm to anybody, and at the same time, it brings some benefit to somebody. Always question yourself: Do I have any personal interest—just for me and not for others? Let your love be a cosmic love full of selflessness.
|
|
|
|
In Memoriam: President Herbert Walker Bush
This past week, the world paid tribute to the 41st president of the United States. Among his many humanitarian contributions, there are several we highlight here that deeply reflect the spirit of Integral Yoga: selfless service, ahimsa, and interfaith understanding. During his inaugural address, Pres. Bush talked about the importance of the spirit of volunteerism, noting, "I have spoken of a thousand points of light, of all the community organizations that are spread like stars throughout the Nation, doing good. We will work hand in hand, encouraging, sometimes leading, sometimes being led, rewarding..." And while the annual Thanksgiving Day proclamation was established by George Washington in 1789, two hundred years later, Pres. Bush officially pardoned an unnamed, turkey, sparing its life and firmly establishing that tradition that is followed to this day. The very next year, in 1990, he invited to the Oval Office an interfaith delegation (organized by Temple of Understanding founder Juliet Hollister, 2nd from right)—that included Swami Satchidananda—to witness the signing of that year's proclamation. May his legacy continue to inspire us all.
|
|
|
|
We decided to practice simplicity for the month of December to counteract the culture of consumerism that is so prevalent during the holidays. Simplicity can be applied to every aspect of our lives, appreciating what we have instead of dwelling on what we might have. It doesn’t mean denying our basic needs, but to distinguish between our needs and our desires, which are quite different. There’s a whole industry we call marketing whose sole purpose is to convince us that we’ll be healthier, safer, happier, and/or enjoy our lives more if we have this or that product. Of course there is nothing wrong with having and enjoying things. But when we depend on acquisitions as the source of our happiness, we end up in a relentless effort to acquire things that bring only temporary satisfaction, and leave us looking for more. On the other hand, we can experience an innate source of contentment within that arises from a meditative practice that quiets all the desires in the mind. We can feel a natural joy from opening our hearts when we serve others... MORE
|
|
|
|
When a European Integral Yogi who was visiting Yogaville sat down at dinner next to resident Amba Taye, he had no idea the story that would unfold. A filmmaker, he asked if he could record her incredible story the next day. She kindly agreed. In this very candid sit down with Amba, she discussed the path that led her to Yoga—a stroke at a shockingly young age—and her move to Yogaville to regain her health and begin a new journey.
© 2019 Alta Vida Productions — Les Anand Roberts
|
|
|
|
How to Deal with Our Emotions
By Elyanne Youssef
Swami Satchidananda's and the Buddha's teachings on how to work with the mind and emotions are very similar in nature. Sometimes, hearing the same insights in slightly different ways can open the door to a new perspective on this often challenging subject. We hope you find this article illuminating.
The emotions that we feel—fear, anxiety, hatred, sorrow, jealousy, happiness—are often the result of an outward action. Nonetheless, their nature is ephemeral. If we put aside our mental interference and investigate emotions the first moments they arise, we’ll realize that they slowly dissipate and get destroyed on their own. According to Buddhist teachings, all sorts of emotions can be harmful—even the good ones. We might think that we become attached to people or objects, but the truth is that we get attached to the emotions they stir up in us (whether they be pleasurable or painful). That said, the desire to feel certain emotions is the reason we get attached and suffer. The solution isn’t really about whether we should eliminate certain emotions or not. Emotions are part of our human experience, and we can’t stop ourselves from feeling them. However, what the Buddha was concerned about was how to get to a point where our emotions no longer overwhelm us. Whether it’s happiness or hatred, how do we prevent it from controlling us? MORE
|
|
|
Rev. Jaganath, Integral Yoga Minister and Raja Yoga master teacher, has spent a lifetime delving into the deepest layers of meaning in Patanjali's words within the Yoga Sutras. Our series continues with the third and key sutra of Chapter 1— Tada drastuh svarupe’vasthanam. Then the Seer (Self) abides in Its own nature—in which Rev. Jaganath hones in on the term "avasthanam."
Avasthanam in this context can have many shades of meaning, all appropriate to the sutra. Many translations read something like: Then the Seer rests (or abides) in its true nature. This seems to suggest that our essential Self is fatigued or subject to change. This is not the case. What this word is indicating is that as a seeker progresses on the spiritual path, glimpses of a Self that transcends all former notions of self-identity begin to emerge. In the beginning they come and go. With continued practice, they increase in depth, breadth, and length until a direct, ever-stable experience of the Self that is always present, always infinite, beyond space and time is realized. In other words, the experience of the Self becomes stable—it rests. This leads us to a subtler understanding of what is meant by the Seer standing apart. MORE
|
|
|
Last week was the thirteenth meeting of Group of Twenty (G20) world leaders and the first G20 summit to be hosted in South America. But there was something else notable about this summit: In the middle of the summit, a "Yoga for Peace" mass rally was held at the city's fairgrounds, where Narendra Modi, India's prime minister and a well-known advocate of Yoga, gave a message of unity and harmony to the world society. The gathering—attended by over 8,00 people—included Yoga, meditation, and kirtan. Jai!
|
|
|
Wondering how vegetarians compare with non-vegetarians in endurance? In this video, Dr. Michael Greger gives us a lesson in the history of research regarding meat-eating vs. vegetarians athletes. This is part of Dr. Greger's series on "The Gladiator Diet: How Vegetarian Athletes Stack Up."
|
|
|
From its opening in 1893, the Parliament of the World's Religions has been recognized as the birth of formal interreligious dialogue worldwide. During this Parliament, Swami Vivekananda addressed 5,000 assembled delegates, greeting them with the words, “Sisters and brothers of America!” His declaration introduced Hinduism to America. Buddhist, Jain, and Muslim speakers were also present. An unprecedented number of 19 women spoke. 100 years later, the 1993 Parliament was convened in Chicago and 5 more have followed. Swami Satchidananda participated in the 1993 Parliament and the Assembly of Religious and Spiritual Leaders held the last 3 days of the Parliament (photo: conferring with Dalai Lama at the Assemby) and was deeply supportive of the Parliament's mission: to cultivate harmony among the world's religious and spiritual communities and foster their engagement with the world and its guiding institutions in order to achieve a just, peaceful, and sustainable world. In honor of Swami Satchidananda, please consider donating to support the Parliament's mission so as to ensure the future of this important organization! Thank you!
|
|
|
The season's first snow enveloped Yogaville and the Light Of Truth Universal Shrine—seen in this beautiful photo by Yogaville community member Renee Hudgins. By midday, the snow had melted and disappeared, leaving not a trace of its beauty but for glistening drops of water on the once-frosted trees...
|
|
|
Inspiring Meme of the Week
|
|
|
|
|
