It's an interesting juxtaposition to be taking an intensive yoga course from two excellent teachers and helping form a new initiative devoted to organic farming, preservation of local Gharwhali culture and education. On the one hand I am learning about the ancient Vedic philosophies and techniques of how to get to master the self, and on the other hand I am still deeply intrenched with the distractions and stimulation of the outer world and it's pleasures and illusions. I guess I am a chronic example of a western spiritual butterfly, addicted to the myth of personality and the dance appearances in the transient world of the senses. Still I am grateful to be involved with the Darbar Linving Museum. Doing what we believe in our outer lives is also helpful "on the mat". I accept that the mystical path and precise discipline of yoga entails lifetimes of serious training. Also I feel blessed to be human with all the bliss, the hell, the choices and the responsibility that entails. I guess that is the balance so many of us are trying to strike-how to kindle an inner practice that aligns the layers of the self in harmony with the layers of reality all around us.
My yoga teacher gave a beautiful metafor today for meditation: He said it is dissolving layers illusion that obscure the bright effulgent light of life that lives within us, shining like a flame that burns constantly and undying. The fuel and the wick are always new, but the flame is eternal. When we invest out attention in the outer world that limits our identity to our physical personal circumstances, the winds disturbing the flame are great. When we turn the lamp of awareness upon ourselves, we see that there is a witness silently there, always watching, never leaving us alone. The more we identify with this indweller, the more evenly we can face the ups and downs of life.
I have great respect for the teachings of the Vedas, for yogic philosophies and the many masters who have left records explaining how to activate the inner potentials of being human.
My yoga teacher gave a beautiful metafor today for meditation: He said it is dissolving layers illusion that obscure the bright effulgent light of life that lives within us, shining like a flame that burns constantly and undying. The fuel and the wick are always new, but the flame is eternal. When we invest out attention in the outer world that limits our identity to our physical personal circumstances, the winds disturbing the flame are great. When we turn the lamp of awareness upon ourselves, we see that there is a witness silently there, always watching, never leaving us alone. The more we identify with this indweller, the more evenly we can face the ups and downs of life.
Study the Ashtavakra Gita ( http://www.realization.org/page/doc0/doc0004.htm ) OR tHE Tripura Rahasya ( http://scriptures.ru/tripura1.htm). Both the highest Buddhist and Hindu teachings point to the fact that there is No Difference between thought (the inner world) and experience (the so called out world). So, in the advaitic, non-dualistic practices both personal experience, body, mind, emotion, and everything that we would stand subject-object relationship to is re-cognized, seen again from the Witness position.
ReplyDeleteIn other words without trying to sound like a know it all what you are confessing to here is a common 'fault' of beginners who believe the two worlds (inner and outer) to be separate. In fact they are one, arising in consciousness. The trick is to be the observer without disassociating from the world or going inward in search of Consciousness.
Bonne Chance! :() Brooks