My Words
"We Care with Underwear"
Behavioral & Spiritual Pyramid
Thinking...
We live in an age of experience – thinking only takes us so far. The capability and capacity of our mind and consciousness is far more than thinking.
Many aspects of life and consciousness cannot be described in words. And there are often not enough words or precise enough words to describe the experiences of life and of Yoga. Not everything is meant to be said, it’s meant to be experienced.
In Yoga, we have mantra. There is often no real way to express mantra or even Yoga in common language. The purpose of Sanskrit, Gurumukhi, etc. as languages is to give mantra, rather than conversation.
Just as like we may look back in time a few hundred years and think, “They lived like that? How barbaric!” the same may be said about how we live now by future generations on Earth. They will say, “They talked so much? How did they live like that? They spent so much time thinking and talking? They had so many conflicts!”
We are thinking too much and we have to compensate with so much talking, so many words to explain what we are thinking. It is basic human nature to communicate without speaking. The vocal chords are meant for vibratory frequency, to uplift yourself and others when you speak, not just to talk endlessly.
Telepathy is a natural way of communication. Animals and plants are communicating without words all the time. We are communicating without words as well, but we have to create a term for it, “telepathy” and we think it’s something special – it’s not; it’s the natural state of things.
The mind is meant to do more than simply compute. The brain has two sides and eighty-one facets. Thought comes to the mind in cycles of one thousand thoughts in a blink of an eye.
The old fashioned idea of polarity, yin and yang, male and female, up and down, right and wrong, has been enhanced. The twine of thought is now a trinity of positive, negative and neutral. This is a stronger mechanism, a more complete mindfulness, a fuller experience, a gift from the yogi's.
Life is a process, an experiment. Consciousness is a choice. Humans are a science. Life is a science. Human life is a science meant to be lived as an art.
Four Things.
You are not your problems.
Keep everything in perspective.
There is always a plan.
Show up and pay attention.
Notes, Rules, Laws, And Things To Think About
Wherever lies your suspicion, there lies your corruption
Money is never the issue/problem
Do not lie, cheat, steal, nag, exaggerate, judge, react, argue, or complain
Master the art of listening
God lives on the tip of your tongue
You don't have the right to speak unless you stop, look and listen first
Just because it's on your mind doesn't mean it's true or that it has to be said
Control your mind, not other people
Know your heart
Know your limits
What would it take not to speak (even when you feel the need to)
See where you are and where you want to be
Draw a picture of the past present and future
Visualize and record the steps need to achieve the future state.
Ask yourself: Am I betraying my inner guide in any way? Am I forgetting any of my own potential?
You have to know yourself
You have to love your weaknesses.
You have to be able to match anybody no matter where they are, to shift gears.
Whatever you don't like about yourself - you'll see in a teacher.
Whatever you do like about yourself - you'll see in a teacher.
Wherever you have a lack of trust or faith you feel limited.
Wherever you feel limited, you feel afraid.
Wherever you have fear, you will feel anger.
Anything you do out of fear creates guilt.
And guilt is always punished.
This law of spirituality governs many of our choices and circumstances in life.
AIDS Walk for Life
Posted on 2004/09/16
Introductory Remarks by MC: “Yogi Akal is an internationally known teacher, therapist, healer and corporate consultant. He is the founder of the International Centre for Yogic Arts and Sciences and the YogaVision Network. For the last thirty years he has traveled all over the world, working in many capacities, wherever called or needed, to uplift the human condition. He is here today with other representatives from the International Centre for Yogic Arts and Sciences to support the AIDS walk and be of service to all its participants and volunteers.”
Remarks made by Yogi Akal after Aids Walk, on main stage:
“We are the people, and we as people, the people of love, we are of one mind, one body and one spirit.
After a walk like this, where so much energy has been raised, it is a good time to calm down and then re-energize again.
We are the people of love. We understand that diseases of the immune system are from issues of self-esteem. Let us open up and correct the self-esteem and understand who we really are.
Since there are children in the crowd, let us do "the children's chant".
Open your arms, repeat after me:
I am good,
I am strong,
I am smart,
I am healthy,
I am bold,
I am brave.
It seems so simple. But self-esteem is the underlying network that promotes the immune system. Worldwide we want to make the immune system stronger. Let's do it again...I am happy, I am good, I am strong, I am smart, I am healthy, I am bold, I am brave. Now, what would you like to add? (added: I am excellent, excellent, excellent.)
We are the people of love. And as one people, of one mind, one body, one spirit, we work towards eradicating diseases of the immune system.
For all those who have passed before, who could not be here, cannot celebrate, we remember them in their strength, happy, bold, beautiful, brave, good...
We move forward in that same thought, that same enthusiasm - everywhere - worldwide - in England, Africa, India, China - where AIDS is not even acknowledged - we take a moment to remember them.
Yogically breath is everything. Take a deep breath in, and out. Breathing in and out, let negativity, stress and fatigue go. The best way to eliminate stress and build the immune system is to breathe deeply.
Inhale deeply.
Exhale powerfully.
(Bangara dance music)
If you want to deal with your immune system, bring your arms up above the shoulders and move them, any way you like, but don't let them fall under your shoulders. Keep your arms up. Your nerves are right here. If you do this every day, you can boost your immune system.
We are one mind, one body, one spirit, one mind, one body, one spirit, people of love. (repeats several times)
May you be blessed, may you be healed, may you be loved, may you bless others, may you love others, may you heal everyone...” (walks off)
MC: “That was a positive message, a great show...”
When in Greece...
From the hotel Terrace on the island of Andros:
My host gave me a poetic introduction – I’m not sure what God had in mind when he sent Yogi Akal to Earth. He helps people to be efficient in their journey, to cut through the Karma.
In our story of Odysseus, as we imagine our roles, I think my host was the builder of the ships themselves.
Talk On War
Posted on 2001/09/15
Many people are asking me whether we will have war. I would like to address this?Years ago, I served as an NGO (non government organization) representative to the UN, belonging to the board of directors of a major Canadian peace organization. Aside from constituency development and research, I created and/or facilitated many educational programs. One of the things that we heard the most often was, "Well whatever we're doing, it seems to work. The world is at peace after all. Deterrence (and all the buzz words of the time) are working because there is no war today." But the reality was and still is that at any given time on the planet, there're hundreds of armed conflicts taking place. So when people talk about war, as if it's something new, as if times have changed... when they ask me, do you think we will be at war? I must say to them and to you - We are at war. We have been at war for a long time. We just haven't felt it here.
Imagine that you wake up in some other part of the world, and your children's bus blew up, your town was attacked, or your neighbors were taken away. It happens all over the world and it has been happening on a large scale, worldwide for years?especially during the decades many called peaceful.
What has happened in the last few days is a switch. Because America has come of age. America was a country that experienced its own inner turmoil, its civil war, its slavery, its poverty. It has served overseas and protected its interests elsewhere. But now it has joined the world community in sacrificing its own people, on its own land as the victims of a surprise attack by civilians, trained as terrorists.
Many other countries have experienced this, America has not. It has now joined the world in this experience. The beauty of it, is that America has had 200 years to get ready. It's a young country, and very bold. It has an opportunity to spiritually lead the rest of the world because it has the remarkable gift of its own spirit. And with its freedom, that pioneering republic may be able to lead in a new way.
That doesn't mean that all Americans will be oriented towards resolution in a way that profits the whole world. But it only takes 51%. And out of 270 million, that's 135 million people plus one - maybe you are that one.
The events that have just taken place have transformed the world. The psyche of the world has been changed. It's not just the planes that hit the buildings, and it's not just the terrorists. It's the psyche of the world.
Some may or may not like President Bush. And some may agree or disagree with American policy world wide, and even hold it accountable for some of its own errors on a very large scale. But this isn't just about America, and it's not just about terrorists. This is about the psyche of the world changing, and a fresh step in a new direction.
There will be big sacrifices in the USA and there will be small sacrifices to pay in travel worldwide. It'll make people feel strong because they are going to feel that we are doing something in terms of security. But there is no security. With the world of terrorism, the world of war the way that it is being waged now, there is no security. And nor should there be. Until misery is removed, there cannot be safety. I'm not giving you a political angle, I'm just giving you a spiritual reality. That so long as there is fear in the world, there will be anger, removing spirit, creating emptiness and hopelessness, building fanaticism and assuring more violence.
Now on the other side of this, I guarantee you that America will respond. And all of its allies will respond. And you will be called on to join that response, in your attitude and perhaps in some other way. And I encourage you not to back away from it. Because where there is insanity, there has to be compassion, an understanding, but there also needs to be a firm stand.
There is not one way to deal with the situation. There are layers here.
I've received a lot of communication in the last few days from well meaning spiritual organizations recommending that we all go back into ourselves. I would like to encourage you to do the exact opposite. Although it is very important to know who you are. (It's essential, that you spend time building who you are.) It's more important now to look outside. To pay attention. Because so long as somebody else is suffering, there's no way you'll be safe. And there is no way that you can be free.
Whatever you are experiencing in your own life, make it less than the whole. You are part of a larger self.
You will be encouraged to be fearful. It is part of the strategy of war, on all sides. Do not let this work on you. Keep your equilibrium and help others to do the same.
A Story Of Devotion, September 11th Memorial (2001)
Posted on 2001/09/15
Transcript of a talk by Yogi Akal at a workshop in Toronto (09/15/01):
I want to tell you the story of a man I know who is one of the reasons we've changed the format for this weekend. His name is Ron Bucca. He's a fire marshall, and he has done many other things in his life including being in the military and other services. The end result is that he was a fireman. He was a fire fighter for many years. A good-looking man, a little younger than me, an all American guy with a typical American family. A New York accent, two kids, a wife, a home...and a dog. And this is a man who has a very unusual quality. It's a quality that I not only admire, but I would like to use as a model for myself, and want to encourage other people to engage in. And this is that quality:
When there was something in front of him to do, he simply did it, without question. Now I'm not saying that he followed blindly. Trust me, he was not that kind of a guy. But when there was something to be done, he did it without reservation. No matter what it was. Whether he was fixing the plumbing, whether he was taking his dog for a walk, or whether he was fighting a fire. There was no question. This is a story of devotion.
Several years ago he flew off a building in the line of duty. Everybody thought he was dead, but he wasn't. His back was broken. Doctors said he would never walk again. He willed himself back to life. He willed himself back to strength through constant, rigorous daily physical therapy, to be a renewed man, and went back at work.
This year (or next) he was supposed to retire from being a fireman and move on to the next stage of his life. And only a short while ago he told his wife "you know I've done everything that I've wanted to do. Everything on my list, I've done". And last Tuesday, on September the 11th, he was on the 74th floor being one of the first called in to the World Trade Center. He rescued a bunch of people, went back in, and now he's gone.
What I find so remarkable about this man. This friend of mine in New York. Is that I guarantee you he did it without question. Not to be brave, not just for duty. Not just for America. But as a task at hand. It had to be done and he did it without second thought, without reservation, without one second's shift in destiny. And to this, I hold great honor. For the simplicity and humility of it, and for that noble pursuit of life's fearless calling. This was a man of devotion. To his calling, to his training, and especially to his family. Devoted, but not attached.
I know his family well. They have such a wonderful attitude. I wanted to dedicate the beginning of our day today, to Ron and to his family. And to the many many thousands of people, they say there's 4700 dead in Manhattan. I'm sure it's 5 figures and not 4. And I'm sure all over the world right now other people are dying in other non related conflict. But I'm singling him out because I know him. There's a face here, a powerful relaxed face, a powerful, relaxed soul. And not because I have any sadness because I have none whatsoever in my heart for this man. Nor should you. I know he would not have wanted to die in a car. This is not a man who would want to be walking down the street and have a heart attack. This is a guy who wanted to go in a blaze, and he did it. And when he did it, it was clear to everyone. So it's to this spirit, and this kind of spirit that I want to dedicate our first process this morning.
Everyone has their little life heroes. I don't hold this man as a hero. I call him a hero because he is a legitimate one, among the others who have given their lives trying to save other people. But again, it's the simplicity and humility of his actions, that's the remarkable quality I want to bring to your attention.
The other aspect of this man is that, when I was the most insecure I have ever been in my life, and moved out of Manhattan and into the suburbs of New York; I lived in his house ?upstairs in a little tiny room that I used to call my tree house. And just worked at my computer all day long and got used to this next stage of my life. This guy was the first man to look at me with real respect. A very normal guy. Not a Sikh, not a yoga person. He just liked me for some reason. Which I didn't understand because at the time nobody else did. He just took a liking to me. And after I started doing programs in schools, he made me a t-shirt that said "Yogi Akal, the Yoga Guy". The first person to call me that. The first person to acknowledge it. And I just thought that was so cool for a guy who had no interest in that type of thing.
So this is a special character, a real man, in history, in my history. And I want to encourage you in your own life, to see how you would respondS Not just in the face of danger. Not just in the face of tragedy. Not just in the face of some great world event. But today, in response to your True Self, to events right here and now with each other. Without reservation. To connect and to care for. And when you feel reservation, to take note of it. And to ask yourself, "Do I really need this delay? Do I really need this doubt?"
This weekend is a time that you can use to change your life. And to do it in a really positive, simple, humble way. This is a weekend to take the training you have received from me and apply it directly. Take the darkness away from your life, and add the light. This light, don't misunderstand it; it's not a hippy light. This is not where you're walking around with flowers in your hair and saying that everything is lovely. This is a light; you have to get careful when you get too close to it. You have to hold it right... (goes into meditation exercises)
...And this is where cowardice comes from. This is where the anger comes from. This is where all this misery comes from. It's a fear of death. There's nothing to be afraid of. People who are afraid of dying, they become very angry people. People who love dying, they become fanatic. There is no special honor in death. The purpose of living is to die, to die well. To die with Grace. That doesn't mean to die in a ballet pose. It means that in your own consciousness, you are in a position to leave your life on earth, having done what you are supposed to do, and die with your spirit in tact. We lease time and space in a body with a name and a destiny and then we go home.
To be attached to death is not healthy. To be prepared for it is smart. And to have the attitude that when someone passes, they're just walking from one door in one room, to another room with another door in it. This is a more realistic approach.
When you have a fear of death, you are superstitious in your outlook. But when people have no fear of death, we consider them to be weird. We think they're not sad enough. And the fact is there's nothing to be afraid of. And Ron Bucca's wife is very clear on the subject. She's worked with a lot of people who die. She's seen a lot of it. And she's clear on the subject. Her process around it is very healthy, very profound and practical. She practices what she preached, and has dealt with this with great grace.
I've told this story before, and it's a difficult story but I'd like to tell it again. I once heard of a man who used to teach forgiveness workshops. His whole life had been dedicated to teaching people how to forgive. And my understanding, I didn't know him, but ?believe he had spent several decades teaching people one on one and in group workshops, to forgive forgive forgive forgive forgive. And he was murdered. And when I heard this, all I could do was say, "What a good teacher. What a thorough teacher. What a good man. And what a good student." He waited until his children were grown and everybody was comfortable and he had taught a lot. And then he got murdered by the guy next door who was mentally and emotionally unstable. So there's the ultimate workshop. The guy who teaches forgiveness gets murdered. His whole community has to forgive.
Eve Bucca: The ultimate for a woman who helps people to die, is to deal with it with real and practical grace. That doesn't mean there is no sorrow, of course there is. It doesn't mean there is no loss, of course there is. But the nobility around it, the same principle that her husband held which was, do what you have to do and do it without reservation. She applies this now as well.
I ask you to look at your own life and see when disappointment or disarray comes to you. When you experience loss, or let down. Whether or not you can deal with it, as well as this.
May you, Ron and Eve Bucca, their family and colleagues - be blessed, loved and healed and by the Grace Of God, may we learn from their actions.
The Pollination of Communication
How do men and women communicate? What makes them different? If you are expecting a man to react like a woman, and vice versa, you're in for a surprise. It can't happen.
Let's start off with one basic principle: women can do two things at the same time and a man cannot. A man does one thing at a time. He is like the energy of the sun, a straight ray, a constant beam. That's what he's like. Not because he's better or worse, not because he has some extra attribute or less of a quality, but because his psyche is built that way.
A woman, on the other hand, is symbolized by the moon because she not only has her own life and light but she can also reflect. She can do more than one thing at one time. For example she can have two heart beats, her own and another one growing inside of her. Perhaps she's pregnant with triplets, so she has four heartbeats. And during a conversation with her by telephone, she's also thinking about tomorrow's business agenda, cooking tonight's dinner, reacting to yesterday's events, all while talking with you, nursing a child, and playing with the dog. That's the quality of the psyche of a woman. She does it all at the same time.
Emotions are also experienced and expressed differently. A woman will have a feeling, while talking about it, perhaps laughing about it with her girlfriend and analysing it internally at the same moment in time. Not so for a man. He has the feeling, then realizes it. He experiences an emotion and then says I had a feeling. Let's say a man cries. First he tears up, then he says "I was crying". A woman would have been crying and talking about how happy she was to feel sad.
A woman has the realm, frequency and sphere of communication known as panorama. She processes and acts on more than one thing at one time. That's how she works with her feelings, and her communication. A man will do and be one thing at one moment, and another thing only when he switches over.
Now comes the remarkable part: Every man, no matter how big he is (John Wayne, General Schwartzkopf, the President, Rocky, some Big Tall Guy, any man who is really big in your eyes) always has a Little Man inside. And no matter how small he is, no matter how tiny, meek, weak, or young, there's a Big Man inside. These are the two natures, the two spheres, the two facets of the psyche of a man in his understanding, interaction and communication. He's Big Man, or Little Man, not both at one time.
Big Man, Little Man:
When a man is in his Big Man mode and is not addressed properly, he does not forgive. When his Little Man is not addressed appropriately, he gets insecure. Here's a sexual example: When a man is hard and excited, when he's "big", that's not the time to offer nurturing, saying things like "would you like a cup of hot cocoa?" Not at that moment. On the other hand, when he is soft, when he's unexcited, when he's small, that's not the time to be saying to him "I wish you were bigger and harder right now and why aren't you?" No matter who he is, no matter how great he is, no matter how powerful and potent he is, he'll be a little insecure. Even a newborn baby boy will have two cries. One cry, says "I'm hungry". That's Little Man . Another cry says "Feed me now, I said now". That's Big Man . Address a man in the mode that he is in and you'll save a lot of time and trouble. He will be in one or the other and he can switch back and forth quickly, but you've got to get it right. Because a man will react to you and not know he's reacting until after he's finished reacting. Remember he only does one thing at a time.
Some women don't like big men. They're uncomfortable around them. "men are all brutes, they're all monsters, they're all horrible." There may be a good reason for this, given an individual's private history. But this is a woman who will have a hard time with the side of a man known as Big Man . Some women on the other hand, have no patience at all for Little Man . These are women who will be saying "men are all slobs, they're just all babies, they're just all so immature". And it's true. That's the other side of a man, in a negative context.
A woman who has a hard time with Little Man will not be able to raise a son. In order to assist a male child, she must appreciate and elevate the Big Man and the Little Man . Big Man as a leader, Little Man being nurtured. It is the Little Man that will connect with women as he grows up. Decency is learned in Big Man mode. Manhood is learned in Little Man mode. That's what makes a man innocent, pure and radiant. On the other hand if you try and capture a boy and try to mould him with only one side, he will act out the other to an exaggerated degree.
Men are not as simple as just up and down, big and small. But to have these helpful clues will save a tremendous amount of time and help to be create more effective and conscious communication.
One of the greatest mistakes that women make is that they always want to marry their girlfriends. They want someone just like them. It doesn't work. His job as a man is to be as flexible as possible within himself to address the women in his life as Inner Woman and Outer Woman.
Inner Woman, Outer Woman:
Inside every woman there is something deep and profound and infinite. Inner Woman . But there is another side to a woman as well. And that's the side that reaches out, that touches you and gets your attention. That's Outer Woman . When the Inner Woman is not attended to, is not communicated with, she will try to obliterate you. On the other hand, when the Outer Woman is not attended to, when she doesn't receive the attention that she believes she deserves at that moment in time, she will do anything to continue to get your attention until you respond to her. Is this an insult to women? No, it's one of the little tips you can use to be more polite to the women in your life whether you are a woman or a man.
The difference between a woman and a man in these two gears or these two spheres of activity in communication, is that a woman does both at the same time but in ratio. A man doesn't function that way. A woman will perhaps be 50% inner / 50% outer, 80% inner / 20% outer, and it shifts on a dime. When a woman is alone, she always starts within.
Linda bought herself a new blouse. She was about to do what all men fear the most - show it off for her husband, the one thing that makes a man's blood pressure rise because he never knows what to say.
How should he respond? Part of him that wants to compliment his wife and say something flattering like "looks wonderful, wow". Wrong. Because at that moment just as her husband walked in the room and Linda was about to turn around she glimpsed at her wedding band, and your ring reminded her that she was married, and that her mother was married to her father. And at that particular moment, for that split second in time she thought of her father, who liked the colour she was wearing but was no longer alive to see her, and at that moment when her husband walked in she was no longer in outer mode, she was in inner mode and he was talking about what she LOOKED like? Ouch. That was the moment when he needed to address the inside, first.
The secret to talking with a woman, for a man, is to say everything twice. You can't go wrong. Address inner and then address outer. One of the two will work. And since you can't do both at the same time, and you can't tell which one is working anyway and since both are working at the same time you are always going to get it wrong, so you may as well do both. You may as well say "honey, you are the most wonderful woman in the world, and you look beautiful."
In communication there are always two egos, and one always has to give. It's between you and the TV set. Who's going to change the channels. The TV set is not moving. You're the one who has to switch. Who has the remote? One person has the ability to make the change. The ego that gives in is the one that wins.
There is a third dimension to a woman. It's called purgatory. This is the in-between stage. The part that makes women the most uncomfortable. A woman is vast on the inside. She can grow to any extent on the outside. But when she feels stuck in the middle because of someone's communication with her , be it father, a friend, a betrayal of some sort, and she's stuck in the middle of the two, all she does is "take notes". She can do it for years, remaining in that mode until someone looks into her eyes or her heart or her soul and sees her grace, her infinity, her nobility.
No woman can tolerate sympathy. It increases pain. That doesn't mean you can't be sympathetic, but when the communication begins with sympathy a woman can't allow it. Because her inside is not touched. A man does one thing at a time. If he doesn't feel like he wins, he automatically feels like he loses. If he doesn't feel successful, he automatically feels like a failure. Whereas a woman can do both at the same time. She may not choose to win or lose, but she can balance them out.
What a woman goes through in the course of a day a man cannot experience. She has what's known as a panorama. She picks up everything all day long. If during the day she doesn't have some period of zero, nothing, grace, balance, she will feel physical pain in her own body. She needs from one minute to thirty minutes on her back or sitting up straight, tuning into her breath and her heart beat. Eleven minutes is a good period because it corresponds to brain wave activity. If a woman does not attend to herself in this way, then either that day or sometime during the month she will hurt. And when it accumulates, as ages, and it becomes a disease or arthritic pain of some kind. That inner self must find the zero point once a day. If it doesn't, she feels empty, she feels pain, and expresses it in her body, now or later. She has no other place to put it.
Every man or woman, no matter what age, ought go to sleep knowing that they are safe and should wake up in the morning knowing that the day belongs to them. Were you taught this way? I wasn't . I had to learn it. Now, I teach it: "when you wake up in the morning, the day belongs to you. When you go to sleep at night, no matter what kind of a day you've had, know that you had courage."
The thing we learn the least about is communication. Instead we learn how to get what we want. That's not the key. Success is reaching the other person where they are at. Nothing begins until that's accomplished. This is the job of the new age. This is the job of the age of peace. This is the job of the twenty-first century. We will have unlimited access to all knowledge and information. But the precious part of life, the most important part of living will be the one on one contact with other human beings at their frequency, sphere, language, activity and dimension.
A Meditation Story
Once upon a time, there was a young man. He was very successful, with his own business, a beautiful family, a lovely home - all in all, a great life. But he felt that something was missing. One day, he heard of a great master who lived in the Far East. The young man decided to leave everything he had - his home, his business, even his family - to visit this exotic teacher. It took him a long time and it was a hard trip, but when he reached his destination, high on a mountain peak, he called out, "O Wise And Holy One, I have come here from far away to learn the secrets of life, of happiness, of greatness beyond and within. Please show me." The master looked at the young man and said, "I don't think so. You're not going to do what I tell you anyway. Go home, my dear son. I bless you, be well, be at peace, continue your success, relax with your wife and family." The young man became very irritated. He said, "I don't think you understand. I sold everything I had. I have travelled very far under truly adverse circumstances. I have climbed up the mountainside to this very site to be at your feet and learn from you. Why won't you teach me? I want to know the secrets. I want to know how to uplift myself, raise my soul, clear my mind, how to live well, beyond the emptiness. I want the power." The elder looked at him, and said, "O young one, please be still, and then be on your way. Again, I bless you. You will be successful. I promise this. Go now." The young man became more and more annoyed. And the more perturbed he felt, the stiller the Wise One became. The master simply looked ahead, closed his eyes, and sat perfectly still. The young man grew more and more angry. Every emotion raged in, around and through him. It took hours, as he played each one out. Then he tried a new approach, "Oh Great One, I am only your servant. I have come here just to touch your holy feet. Look, I am bowing deeply before you." The teacher did not move. The young man pleaded, "I have gifts for you. Flowers, for now. Gold later." The master sat still. "Is it my soul you want?" cried the young man. "Fine, I surrender, Take what you want. Just please show me the secrets of The Universe." That didn't work either. The master continued to sit rock still, eyes closed, breathing deeply. After awhile the young man did give up, and with a great sigh, exhausted, he whispered, "Why are you just sitting so still, with your eyes closed?" The master opened his eyes, looked at the young man and said, "These are your instructions. This is what I am telling you to do. Close your eyes and sit still. Do it now." And the journey was fulfilled.
All journeys begin and end with a decision. Meditation is a concentrated form of resolve, to achieve particular and precise results. And it begins with sitting still.
Less than a century ago, many Europeans felt that taking baths and showers would make them deathly ill. They invented perfume, wore powdered wigs and heavy, multi-layered garments to cover their stench. Now we know that bathing is a good thing. In the Far East, for centuries, many people would hide when the wind blew, because they assumed that bad luck, therefore disease, was carried by the air currents. Folks back then didn't believe in bathing and feared the wind just as we don't believe in meditation. Some think of it as an Eastern thing, a New Age "trip", a religion, an unholy allegiance with forces of mind control, and so on. But meditation is not a belief system. It is a science, an art and a technology. In a hundred years from now people will look back and wonder how we managed our lives without this science. They will ponder our superstitions, our predilection to war, misery and selfishness, and more than anything, our need to talk so much out loud.
Some masters says that meditation is like doing your laundry. It is not more exciting and is just as essential. Meditation is not a way of clearing one's mind. It's not a way to stop thinking. It doesn't empty your brain. And it's not a magic spell. It is a discipline of consciousness, a filtering process, a bit of mental muscle building.
Meditation has a lot in common with weightlifting. Have you been to the gym? People sitting in a variety of positions, wearing very little, sweating profusely, doing the same thing over and over and over again. It's hard work. Out of context it can even seem pretty boring both to the observer and participant. But weight lifting provides results. It guarantees at least four things: One - It can feel so good. There's a rush in those muscles that is just so fine. Two - You face your perceived limits. And when you succeed the victory is concrete and satisfying . Three - it can sculpt your body, you look real good. And four - keep up and you will be able to lift heavier things. Meditation is just like that. Sets and reps, over and over. And the same four results apply. It can feel very good. You do face your limits and surpass your expectations. You sculpt yourself, you look better. People around you will say you look more radiant. You'll notice a difference. And most importantly, you can lift heavier things, mentally, emotionally and spiritually.
When you conquer your own mind, you conquer the world. When you filter your own mind, you have achieved your own state of liberation.
According to Yogic technology, the mind receives ten thousand thoughts from the intellect every second. Each thought is gauged by a negative, positive and neutral lens. In addition, you have a conscious, a sub-conscious, an unconscious, a super conscious, and a parallel conscious mind. All of these things intertwine and interact with you through your willpower. Meditation gives you control over this process and a clear link to subtler aspects of your mind, body and spirit.
When you learn to meditate, you have more control over the way you react and respond. This lends itself to a healthier, happier and a more refined existence. To live an emotional life is to live in turmoil, up and down, emotions and commotions running hand and hand. When you meditate all your thoughts are free. It's like a merry-go-round. What you don't want to think about will be right there in front of you. The itchiness as you sit still will grow larger and longer and more irritating. With ten thousand thoughts per second, four levels of consciousness and three minds, many ideas, feature films and memories will come to mind. Your job is to remain constant.
The young man approached the teacher again, "O Wise One, I have been sitting still, but how do I protect myself, how do I prepare , what is my link with this chain of consciousness that moves through and round and before me?" The teacher looked deeply into the eyes of the young man, "Now you must learn to merge your upper and lower selves without judgment , to choose actions from your higher consciousness - and to be true to Your Self." The young man appeared anxious. "What is the center, where do I come from, how do I begin? The teacher said, "We shall tune in. But first, learn to listen." He continued, without shifting his gaze away from the young man, "In your heart you have four rooms or chambers. In the first chamber of your heart is your soul. It is bright. It moves. It is made of many many colours and it is beaming. It is your Self, looking in a mirror. You are alone in this first room of your heart. And you are vast. "
"In the second chamber of your heart sits The Infinite, The Very Creator merged with you at work."
"In the third chamber of your heart is love. All those you have ever loved or love now or shall ever love and those who have ever loved you, love you now or may yet arrive to love you in the future."
"And now in this fourth chamber of your heart are all of your teachers. Your third grade reading instructor. The creep who never repaid you. The woman who gave you compassion. The man who brought out your pain. The family who taught you sacrifice. Those who betrayed and confused you. Those who prepared and uplifted you. All the teachings, all the guides and signposts, all that is true and enriches you, touches you, and shows you the way. It is here where you are sculpted."
"In the center of your heart is the core of the seeker. Like a temple with four doors open to all. It is here that you have equilibrium and stillness. It is from this very precious and sacred place that you start."
The young man was still impatient. "What can I do right now?" The teacher answered softly, "Breathe."
"Just breathe?" said the young man.
"All attention starts here," the teacher explained. "Be grateful for each inhale and exhale. Control your breath and you control your mind. Let us experiment: Inhale deeply through your nostrils and as you breathe in, say to yourself, silently, internally 'I am'. As you exhale say to yourself 'truth'. Do it slowly and breathe deeply. I am going to count it with you. We'll do it eleven times, eleven long deep breaths. Are you ready?" The young man nodded. "Inhale deeply. 'I am', exhale very slowly, 'truth'. Inhale, 'I am', exhale, 'truth'. Please continue with these long, deep slow breaths."
The young man sat still, with his eyes closed, and his back very straight. "Whatever else comes to mind," said the teacher. "let it come and let it go. And pay attention. Concentrate. 'I am, truth. I am inhaling, I am exhaling. I am, truth.' Keep up. The longer and deeper the breath, the better you'll feel. Don't worry if you feel like yawning. This is a good sign. 'I am, truth. I am inhaling, I am exhaling, I am, truth.' After eleven repetitions, the teacher concluded, "Now please inhale deeply, as deeply as you can and hold your breath, inhale some more, inhale some more, inhale until your shoulders are lifted up. Now exhale completely. Shake out your hands. Relax your breath. Open up your eyes, and sit still for a moment." They had begun.
Simple Affirmations
Repeat This Affirmation Out Loud, Like A Vow, 11 Times Per Day (Try It In Front Of A Mirror):
"I Am Who I Am
I Am What I Am
Yes
I Love Myself
I Heal Myself
I Forgive Myself
Yes
I Show My Strength
I Grow My Strength
I Manifest My Strength
I Relax And Stand Tall
Yes
I Am Loved
I Am Healed
I Am Forgiven
I Am Light And Rich And Real
Yes
Good And Bad I Am Thine
Good And Bad I Am Thine
Yes
I Am Loving
I Am Healing
I Am Forgiving
I Am Beautiful, Powerful, Radiant, And Clear
Yes
I Am Who I Am
I Am What I Am
I Am, I Am
That's That."
Musings from New York
Vignette ONE:
It's after midnight. Now the honking begins. . .The detour on the 59th Street Bridge resulted in gridlock on my street. Guess how all those vehicles, stuck four floors below me, chose to deal with the situation? If you're from New York, this is a "no-brainer". If you're new in town, go buy earplugs right away. Those big burly trucks, cute little cars, unmuffled hip motorcycles, and long legged limos of all races, denominations and orientation honked and blasted and blew their horns in a symphony of irritation. Not for the customary few minutes. But for three hours, from midnight until 3:00am! I wondered why there weren't veterans of 61st Street hanging out their windows throwing things and yelling back. But no, everyone seemed to be taking it in stride. In fact the fellow below me was downright stimulated. He simply turned up his stereo. Again. My apartment shook. I wasn't writing anymore. In fact, I was putting my little computer to sleep. It has been very sensitive since we moved here. I drift back to my conversation with the lady who sublet her apartment to me about two months ago. She was pointing out the window, around midday, "See how quiet it is. And for such a busy street." Mental note: improve research skills. Getting used to noise in New York City may take a little longer than I thought. Tolerance is what I am practicing, whether I like it or not. But I wonder if there is any way to make a commission from citizen's arrests. After all, the sign half a block away from my front door definitely says "$220 fine for honking". But I know it's just a sarcastic reminder, an "in-joke". I can see the red letters on the little steel plaque winking at drivers as they crawl past, "Don't forget to blow your horn. There are people sleeping and writing here."
Vignette TWO:
This week, I took a bus & landed back at home room, in high school. . .
I was uptown, around 4:30pm. The parade was over. I was running late. Cabs were not stopping for me. So, I decided to take a bus across town. I had been admiring the buses, their confidence, their trumpeting, how they moved everything aside, like elephants. I mounted the 31. I half expected the driver to greet me by name, hand me a survival bag & send me to a tent. But he was in a trance of some kind & apparently I was not of enough rank or merit, because he ignored me. I took my seat & then it happened. The P. A. system called out. It wasn't the bus driver. It was an authority much higher than him & that's what took me back in time. I haven't even used the expression P. A. since high school. It's like the old mimeograph machine. Haven't been down that road for a very long time. But here it was. A voice, like a principal, declaring that due to the parade, there would be delays. Some routes would be shortened. Some classes would be canceled. There was to be a substitute teacher in French class. I was just about ready for the Pledge of Allegiance, when I realized that there was some central system communicating on this mystical bus. No one else seemed to be phased by this remarkable technology & no one seemed to notice that I was about fifteen, concerned about my homework & in awful but familiar pain.
The Ten-Body System
A poem by Yogi Akal, presented on January 23rd, 1993 to Yogi Bhajan to honor the passing forward of these teachings and to commemorate the founding of Yogi Akal's Akar Jantri Educational System in the modern world.
O dear child of this new age, beyond time and space, know your soul of souls, your heart of hearts, your light of lights:
From your first body, you were born. Here you touch your soul. You are awake. Your heart is open. You are the energy of the sun.
In your second body, you are righteous. Alert with your mental intuitive ray, you protect and correct yourself.
In your third body, truth is your name. You assess yourself. You are hope - positive, penetrating and creative.
Your fourth body speaks: "I shall not pursue." You are practical, determined and secure. This is your inner consciousness. You reach your equilibrium and live it.
In your fifth body, you have ever-flowing strength and absolute will. You are balanced. You have no animosity.
Your sixth body is your shield, running your destiny. You are clear, bright and beautiful. You carry the two swords of life, spiritual and temporal, manifold and simple, undying and humble.
There is a castle around you. This is your seventh luminous body, your habits and attitudes, your protection, your total character aura, where your intelligence shines and your spirit elevates.
Eight is the most fun and the most serious. This is your very life force, your inhale and exhale, the rhythm and power of your strength. You are young, innocent, raw, and rich.
Your best friend is your ninth body of light. Here you are subtle, refined, graceful, and cool. This body never dies. It will carry you. It is the guardian of your spirit, your health and your life.
With your tenth body you can cut through anything. God is in every limb and cell of your body. You are noble and radiant and excellent. With your hair long and your nerves strong, you will shine like steel and glow like gold.
Eleven is your lantern, your true guide. It never changes. It is each aspect of all your ten bodies and even more than the power of your word, because it multiplies by infinity. You can express your energy in any of your ten bodies. But eleven is the blessing you can show others, so that they look inside too.
O dear child of this new age, beyond time and space, know yourself. In ten bodies and one consciousness, we are merged in truth.
An Ancient Parable - My House Is Too Small
There was once a man and his wife. They lived in a very small house on a farm. The man was always complaining about how small his house was. He kept saying over and over again: "My house is too small, my house is too small," and it got on his wife's nerves. After a while she said to him, " I've had enough. You're always complaining! " And he said, "Yes, I know. But I can't help it...our house is sooo small." She said, "That's enough, that's enough!! I want you to go to see the teacher in the next Village. Whatever he says, you do! I can't stand listening to you complain anymore." Well, the man did what his wife said. The very next day he went off to see this master in the next Village. When he approached the teacher, he said, "Oh, sir, my house is too small. And my wife has said that she won't let me back in unless I tell you this, but I don't know what you can do for me,... my house is sooo small."
The teacher looked at the man and said, "I'll tell you what to do, I don't think you'll do it, but I have the answer, for sure...take all the animals on your farm, every one of them, and bring them in your house. Then come and see me in forty days. Six weeks from now, come and see me, but make sure that all the animals are in your house."
Well, the man went back home to see his wife and he said, "You won't believe this!" He told her what the teacher had said, and the wife said, "I told you we would do whatever the master said. We shall do it!" So that day they put all the animals, and I mean ALL the sheep and cows and horses and dogs and birds... all of the animals - in the house! Forty days later, not smelling very good, the man and his wife both went to see the teacher.
"We've done as you said, Sir,... we've put all the animals in the house... and our house smells terrible... and our house is sooo, sooo very small!"
The teacher said, "Yes, I can tell that your house smells terrible. So please, go home, take all the animals out of your house, right now, and come back and see me tomorrow."
Exactly one day later, when the couple came back, they were clean, their house was clean, and all they could both say was, "Oh, Sir, our house is so BIG !!!"
Parable - Wait One Day
There was once a young prince who wanted to marry a beautiful woman. He approached a wise man, known to be an adept advisor to the royal court. "I am full of desire for this woman. I want to marry her this very day", cried out the prince. The elder asked the young man what he really wanted. "The love of my life", responded the prince. "Aaahh", said the advisor, "Then you must wait one day." With that, the wise man simply turned and walked away. The prince was very angry at this action. He was anxious to pursue his immediate relationship and thought what a silly old man the advisor must be.
Fifty years later, the prince met this same advisor, who was now very old. The prince had also matured. He welcomed the elder. "I have much to tell you", he said, smiling. "I have been in and out of many battles - and many with my own wives," he laughed. "I have had nine wives! But I have always wondered, why did you tell me, many years ago, to wait one day?" The wise man looked at the prince, "You have had a good life. Why question it now?" The prince insisted, "But what was your point? Why one day?" The advisor turned to the prince, "Do you remember what you asked me?." "I wanted to marry my first beautiful bride," answered the prince. "No," said the advisor, "What did you say you really wanted?" "Aaahh, I remember", said the prince. "I said that I wanted to meet the love of my life. I have had so many relationships, but it is true, I cannot say that I have truly met the love of my life. Please tell me, sir. What was your point? Why one day? I am sorry that I was rude. It has been on mind ever since." "You are curious," said the advisor. "Have no fear. There is no secret. I can answer you simply. Five decades ago, the love of your life was on her way to the court. She was on horseback, only one day away ." The prince reflected deeply and the asked, "What will happen now?" The elder replied, "You shall meet her. That is so destined. But she will live for only one day." The prince was confused. He felt angry, sad, excited and joyous at the same moment.
The teacher reminded the prince that he had a choice now, to be grateful for the opportunity he might still have or to be aggrieved and ill from the loss. This is a choice we make every day in our lives.