Prashant S. Iyengar
Interviewed by Christine Perre
(Prashant S. Iyengar is the son of B. K. S. Iyengar)
Christine Perre: How can we escape the negative effects of past karma?
Prashant S. Iyengar: You see, if you can escape, it is no destiny. There is no way to escape destiny. If it is escapable, it is no destiny. Why is there spiritualism, if you and me have to suffer, materialistic fellows have to suffer, unscrupulous fellows have to suffer, and saints have to suffer? What is the point in becoming a saint? This is an obvious question. If an unscrupulous materialistic fellow is going to face the fruits of his past actions, then the saint also has to face them. What is the point in taking all that, on going in spiritual path? The point is that, first of all, if it is escapable, it is not destiny. Know that. You can’t escape destiny. But the difference is that an unscrupulous materialistic fellow is going on his track of life, and the saint is also going on the track of life. Both are going on the track of life.
Now, a simple thing. Suppose you are all asked to travel from here to Bombay. There is only one road, you are all going to travel by the same road, but some of you are given bullock-carts and some of you are given Rolls Royce’s. What‘s the difference in the journey? Is there no difference? The track is the same. But one traveller is travelling on a bullock-cart and experiences lots of jerks and jolts, the sun, the heat, the rains, breeze, whatever; and this fellow goes in Rolls-Royce. He has all the windows shut, air conditioning working, super suspensions; he doesn’t feel even a pothole, no rumbles are felt on the road, because he has got super suspensions. Why? It is just because of the “vehicle.” The road is the same. Just because of the vehicle he has the difference. And will he appreciate the difference or no?
Do you say that both are on the same track and therefore both are in the same situation? Can you say that? Because they are travelling on the same track? The unscrupulous brute materialistic fellow and the spiritual saddhaka, the spiritually evolved person, they are all going on the track of life. So, understand the track of life as a road, as I told you, a good example is the Pune-Bombay road. But then the saint is going in a super suspension Rolls Royce, with all the facilities; they don’t even feel the sun, the heat, the rain or whatever. So, they are not escaping destiny, they are also getting the potholes, they are also getting the rains, they are also getting the sun, they are also getting the wind or whatever. But then, spiritualism gives them lots of suspensions, lots of cushions. Thereby, you do not feel the impact of destiny. A bull-cart gets every pothole; imagine his fate, he will break his spine. This Rolls Royce fellow doesn’t even notice, doesn’t even feel it. Why? Because he has got super-suspensions. He doesn’t feel the noise outside. So in spiritualism — the path of spiritualism and the path of yoga—all these things come to you, you’ve lots of protecting gears, you have lots of cushions. You have super-suspensions, shock absorbers, so you don’t have to bother about destiny. That is what spiritualism is, you see, what it has given to humanity. And naturally when your life becomes smoother and smoother, you can go on to higher hierarchies. If you are always getting hardship in your life, obstacles, if you are all the time getting potholes and jerks, well, then you know that you are uncomfortable in life. And you want to progress, but you can’t progress, for all those several reasons. But suppose you are given a Rolls Royce; you will say, “I will travel ten times! I will enjoy it!” Pune-Bombay. Bombay-Pune. Pune-Bombay. Bombay-Pune. The other fellow will say,“Not even once, it is enough!”
You can progress in spite of all the onslaughts that are inescapable, the onslaughts which you don’t escape. The escape is only possible at the highest point, because the vehicle is such that it will be altogether a different track. Until the liberation, you are going to face all those things but you will not suffer, because you will have a Rolls Royce and more than that. Imagine there is something greater than a Rolls Royce, then how is your journey? In spiritualism, you get all those things, the cushions. And ultimately, the last stage, “tatah klesa karma nivrttih”(Yoga Sutra IV, 30: “Then comes the end of afflictions and of karma.”) is the highest stage and you don’t have anything in destiny and even destiny itself is burnt out. Destiny is only destroyed at the highest point. Until then, it is not destroyed. You have to face it. So although I said that destiny is inescapable, it is in relation to all of us. It is only destroyed on the point of liberation(kaivalya). Until then, it is not destroyed; it has to be faced.
But apart from that, there are so many facilities in Karma-siddhanta. The Yoga Sutras say, “you can postpone,” “sometimes, your destiny can be postponed” or “your destiny can be suppressed.” And that’s a great advantage. That also doesn’t come to you and me. But yogis can keep the destiny suspended for some time. Now suppose that destiny is full of sufferings. And suppose you have to eat something very, very pungent. “What to do?” you say, and there are so many sweets you will call for, so that you will not burn your tongue. And there are many sweets: goulab jamoun, shrikhand, laddous, jalebis, and so on. All the sweets are of such a nature that you will also be able to taste pickles, which are hot and pungent and you will relish them. So there is a stage in life—when there are all jalebis and laddous in your life—where you will easily swallow that trauma. You will even call for it. When you are called for a party, you don’t just ask for sweets. You say, “give me some pepper, give me some chutney, give me some pickle. Why? Because you will relish it. But suppose you have whole a bowlful of pickles on your plate, a bowlful of chutney and just a salt pinch of shrikhand, will you appreciate that party?
So that facility is there, adyatma, that you can suppress your destiny, you can postpone it, keep it away for some time and invite it whenever you are in a convenient setting and finish it off. You have got to face the karmas. So, a yogi has an advantage, not you and me. It clearly comes in the second chapter of the Yoga Sutra, which is “karma siddhanta”; you can postpone, you can suppress, which is a great facility — but for you and me, we can’t do those things. But we definitely can have head gears, body gears, all sorts of sheaths, all sorts of bolsters, all sorts of suspensions and then, we can be facing destiny without suffering.
A simple example: Sri Ramana Maharshi had cancer but, to tell you, he did not have cancer; he had a tumour in the armpits, and Ramakrishna Paramahamsa had throat cancer. But suppose that you get a throat cancer, you say, “I have cancer.” Now, actually, cancer is a part of the body, too. But we say, “I have cancer.” Ramakrishna Paramahamsa did not suffer on account of his cancer, because he had the suspensions. As a matter of fact, even without cancer, you can suffer: the doctor comes and says he has diagnosed cancer in you — his diagnosis might be wrong, but still you will suffer. The doctor gives a wrong report, somebody’s report is given on your name, and he says you have got cancer. Now, even without having cancer you will suffer. So we are such people that we can suffer without a real cause of sufferance. It is our fate that we can be suffering without anything to suffer! On the other hand, Ramakrishna Paramahamsa definitely had cancer in the throat, but he did not suffer.
That you have to face your destiny is a fact; it is a reality. You can’t escape. But it doesn’t mean that you have to suffer. If you do yoga, in the authentic way, you’ll have lots of cushions, guards and suspensions. You can face destiny without any trauma, without any apprehension, without any fear, without any threat.
2007年1月7日星期日
2006年12月11日星期一
Mystic Yoga Perfections
Bhaktivedanta VedaBase: Śrīmad Bhāgavatam
Canto 11: General History Chapter 15:
Lord Krsna's Description of Mystic Yoga Perfections
SB 11.15.1: The Supreme Personality of Godhead said: My dear Uddhava, the mystic perfections of yoga are acquired by a yogī who has conquered his senses, steadied his mind, conquered the breathing process and fixed his mind on Me.
SB 11.15.2: Śrī Uddhava said: My dear Lord Acyuta, by what process can mystic perfection be achieved, and what is the nature of such perfection? How many mystic perfections are there? Please explain these things to me. Indeed, You are the bestower of all mystic perfections.
SB 11.15.3: The Supreme Personality of Godhead said: The masters of the yoga system have declared that there are eighteen types of mystic perfection and meditation, of which eight are primary, having their shelter in Me, and ten are secondary, appearing from the material mode of goodness.
SB 11.15.4-5: Among the eight primary mystic perfections, the three by which one transforms one's own body are aṇimā, becoming smaller than the smallest; mahimā, becoming greater than the greatest; and laghimā, becoming lighter than the lightest. Through the perfection of prāpti one acquires whatever one desires, and through prākāmya-siddhi one experiences any enjoyable object, either in this world or the next. Through iśitā-siddhi one can manipulate the subpotencies of māyā, and through the controlling potency called vaśitā-siddhi one is unimpeded by the three modes of nature. One who has acquired kāmāvasāyitā-siddhi can obtain anything from anywhere, to the highest possible limit. My dear gentle Uddhava, these eight mystic perfections are considered to be naturally existing and unexcelled within this world.
SB 11.15.6-7: The ten secondary mystic perfections arising from the modes of nature are the powers of freeing oneself from hunger and thirst and other bodily disturbances, hearing and seeing things far away, moving the body at the speed of the mind, assuming any form one desires, entering the bodies of others, dying when one desires, witnessing the pastimes between the demigods and the celestial girls called Apsarās, completely executing one's determination and giving orders whose fulfillment is unimpeded.
SB 11.15.8-9: The power to know past, present and future; tolerance of heat, cold and other dualities; knowing the minds of others; checking the influence of fire, sun, water, poison, and so on; and remaining unconquered by others — these constitute five perfections of the mystic process of yoga and meditation. I am simply listing these here according to their names and characteristics. Now please learn from Me how specific mystic perfections arise from specific meditations and also of the particular processes involved.
SB 11.15.10: One who worships Me in My atomic form pervading all subtle elements, fixing his mind on that alone, obtains the mystic perfection called aṇimā.
SB 11.15.11: One who absorbs his mind in the particular form of the mahat-tattva and thus meditates upon Me as the Supreme Soul of the total material existence achieves the mystic perfection called mahimā. By further absorbing the mind in the situation of each individual element such as the sky, air, fire, and so on, one progressively acquires the greatness of each material element.
SB 11.15.12: I exist within everything, and I am therefore the essence of the atomic constituents of material elements. By attaching his mind to Me in this form, the yogī may achieve the perfection called laghimā, by which he realizes the subtle atomic substance of time.
SB 11.15.13: Fixing his mind completely in Me within the element of false ego generated from the mode of goodness, the yogī obtains the power of mystic acquisition, by which he becomes the proprietor of the senses of all living entities. He obtains such perfection because his mind is absorbed in Me.
SB 11.15.14: One who concentrates all mental activities in Me as the Supersoul of that phase of the mahat-tattva which manifests the chain of fruitive activities obtains from Me, whose appearance is beyond material perception, the most excellent mystic perfection called prākāmya.
SB 11.15.15: One who places his consciousness on Viṣṇu, the Supersoul, the prime mover and Supreme Lord of the external energy consisting of three modes, obtains the mystic perfection of controlling other conditioned souls, their material bodies and their bodily designations.
SB 11.15.16: The yogī who places his mind in My form of Nārāyaṇa, known as the fourth factor, full of all opulences, becomes endowed with My nature and thus obtains the mystic perfection called vaśitā.
SB 11.15.17: One who fixes his pure mind on Me in My manifestation as the impersonal Brahman obtains the greatest happiness, wherein all his desires are completely fulfilled.
SB 11.15.18: A human being who concentrates on Me as the upholder of religious principles, the personification of purity and the Lord of Śvetadvīpa obtains the pure existence in which he is freed from the six waves of material disturbance, namely hunger, thirst, decay, death, grief and illusion.
SB 11.15.19: That purified living entity who fixes his mind on the extraordinary sound vibrations occurring within Me as the personified sky and total life air is then able to perceive within the sky the speaking of all living entities.
SB 11.15.20: Merging one's sight into the sun planet and then the sun planet into one's eyes, one should meditate on Me as existing within the combination of sun and vision; thus one acquires the power to see any distant thing.
SB 11.15.21: The yogī who completely absorbs his mind in Me, and who then makes use of the wind that follows the mind to absorb the material body in Me, obtains through the potency of meditation on Me the mystic perfection by which his body immediately follows his mind wherever it goes.
SB 11.15.22: When the yogī, applying his mind in a certain way, desires to assume a particular form, that very form immediately appears. Such perfection is possible by absorbing the mind in the shelter of My inconceivable mystic potency, by which I assume innumerable forms.
SB 11.15.23: When a perfect yogī desires to enter another's body, he should meditate upon himself within the other body, and then, giving up his own gross body, he should enter the other's body through the pathways of air, as easily as a bee leaves one flower and flies into another.
SB 11.15.24: The yogī who has achieved the mystic perfection called svacchanda-mṛtyu blocks the anus with the heel of the foot and then lifts the soul from the heart to the chest, to the neck and finally to the head. Situated within the brahma-randhra, the yogī then gives up his material body and guides the spirit soul to the selected destination.
SB 11.15.25: The yogi who desires to enjoy in the pleasure gardens of the demigods should meditate on the purified mode of goodness, which is situated within Me, and then the heavenly women, generated from the mode of goodness, will approach him in airplanes.
SB 11.15.26: A yogi who has faith in Me, absorbing his mind in Me and knowing that My purpose is always fulfilled, will always achieve his purpose by the very means he has determined to follow.
SB 11.15.27: A person who perfectly meditates on Me acquires My nature of being the supreme ruler and controller. His order, like Mine, can never be frustrated by any means.
SB 11.15.28: A yogī who has purified his existence by devotion to Me and who thus expertly knows the process of meditation obtains knowledge of past, present and future. He can therefore see the birth and death of himself and others.
SB 11.15.29: Just as the bodies of aquatics cannot be injured by water, similarly, the body of a yogi whose consciousness is pacified by devotion to Me and who is fully developed in yoga science cannot be injured by fire, sun, water, poison, and so forth.
SB 11.15.30: My devotee becomes unconquerable by meditating on My opulent incarnations, which are decorated with Śrīvatsa and various weapons and are endowed with imperial paraphernalia such as flags, ornamental umbrellas and fans.
SB 11.15.31: A learned devotee who worships Me through yoga meditation certainly obtains in all respects the mystic perfections that I have described.
SB 11.15.32: For a sage who has conquered his senses, breathing and mind, who is self-controlled and always absorbed in meditation on Me, what mystic perfection could possibly be difficult to achieve?
SB 11.15.33: Learned experts in devotional service state that the mystic perfections of yoga that I have mentioned are actually impediments and are a waste of time for one who is practicing the supreme yoga, by which one achieves all perfection in life directly from Me.
SB 11.15.34: Whatever mystic perfections can be achieved by good birth, herbs, austerities and mantras can all be achieved by devotional service to Me; indeed, one cannot achieve the actual perfection of yoga by any other means.
SB 11.15.35: My dear Uddhava, I am the cause, the protector and the Lord of all mystic perfections, of the yoga system, of analytic knowledge, of pure activity and of the community of learned Vedic teachers.
SB 11.15.36: Just as the same material elements exist within and outside of all material bodies, similarly, I cannot be covered by anything else. I exist within everything as the Supersoul and outside of everything in My all-pervading feature.
Canto 11: General History Chapter 15:
Lord Krsna's Description of Mystic Yoga Perfections
SB 11.15.1: The Supreme Personality of Godhead said: My dear Uddhava, the mystic perfections of yoga are acquired by a yogī who has conquered his senses, steadied his mind, conquered the breathing process and fixed his mind on Me.
SB 11.15.2: Śrī Uddhava said: My dear Lord Acyuta, by what process can mystic perfection be achieved, and what is the nature of such perfection? How many mystic perfections are there? Please explain these things to me. Indeed, You are the bestower of all mystic perfections.
SB 11.15.3: The Supreme Personality of Godhead said: The masters of the yoga system have declared that there are eighteen types of mystic perfection and meditation, of which eight are primary, having their shelter in Me, and ten are secondary, appearing from the material mode of goodness.
SB 11.15.4-5: Among the eight primary mystic perfections, the three by which one transforms one's own body are aṇimā, becoming smaller than the smallest; mahimā, becoming greater than the greatest; and laghimā, becoming lighter than the lightest. Through the perfection of prāpti one acquires whatever one desires, and through prākāmya-siddhi one experiences any enjoyable object, either in this world or the next. Through iśitā-siddhi one can manipulate the subpotencies of māyā, and through the controlling potency called vaśitā-siddhi one is unimpeded by the three modes of nature. One who has acquired kāmāvasāyitā-siddhi can obtain anything from anywhere, to the highest possible limit. My dear gentle Uddhava, these eight mystic perfections are considered to be naturally existing and unexcelled within this world.
SB 11.15.6-7: The ten secondary mystic perfections arising from the modes of nature are the powers of freeing oneself from hunger and thirst and other bodily disturbances, hearing and seeing things far away, moving the body at the speed of the mind, assuming any form one desires, entering the bodies of others, dying when one desires, witnessing the pastimes between the demigods and the celestial girls called Apsarās, completely executing one's determination and giving orders whose fulfillment is unimpeded.
SB 11.15.8-9: The power to know past, present and future; tolerance of heat, cold and other dualities; knowing the minds of others; checking the influence of fire, sun, water, poison, and so on; and remaining unconquered by others — these constitute five perfections of the mystic process of yoga and meditation. I am simply listing these here according to their names and characteristics. Now please learn from Me how specific mystic perfections arise from specific meditations and also of the particular processes involved.
SB 11.15.10: One who worships Me in My atomic form pervading all subtle elements, fixing his mind on that alone, obtains the mystic perfection called aṇimā.
SB 11.15.11: One who absorbs his mind in the particular form of the mahat-tattva and thus meditates upon Me as the Supreme Soul of the total material existence achieves the mystic perfection called mahimā. By further absorbing the mind in the situation of each individual element such as the sky, air, fire, and so on, one progressively acquires the greatness of each material element.
SB 11.15.12: I exist within everything, and I am therefore the essence of the atomic constituents of material elements. By attaching his mind to Me in this form, the yogī may achieve the perfection called laghimā, by which he realizes the subtle atomic substance of time.
SB 11.15.13: Fixing his mind completely in Me within the element of false ego generated from the mode of goodness, the yogī obtains the power of mystic acquisition, by which he becomes the proprietor of the senses of all living entities. He obtains such perfection because his mind is absorbed in Me.
SB 11.15.14: One who concentrates all mental activities in Me as the Supersoul of that phase of the mahat-tattva which manifests the chain of fruitive activities obtains from Me, whose appearance is beyond material perception, the most excellent mystic perfection called prākāmya.
SB 11.15.15: One who places his consciousness on Viṣṇu, the Supersoul, the prime mover and Supreme Lord of the external energy consisting of three modes, obtains the mystic perfection of controlling other conditioned souls, their material bodies and their bodily designations.
SB 11.15.16: The yogī who places his mind in My form of Nārāyaṇa, known as the fourth factor, full of all opulences, becomes endowed with My nature and thus obtains the mystic perfection called vaśitā.
SB 11.15.17: One who fixes his pure mind on Me in My manifestation as the impersonal Brahman obtains the greatest happiness, wherein all his desires are completely fulfilled.
SB 11.15.18: A human being who concentrates on Me as the upholder of religious principles, the personification of purity and the Lord of Śvetadvīpa obtains the pure existence in which he is freed from the six waves of material disturbance, namely hunger, thirst, decay, death, grief and illusion.
SB 11.15.19: That purified living entity who fixes his mind on the extraordinary sound vibrations occurring within Me as the personified sky and total life air is then able to perceive within the sky the speaking of all living entities.
SB 11.15.20: Merging one's sight into the sun planet and then the sun planet into one's eyes, one should meditate on Me as existing within the combination of sun and vision; thus one acquires the power to see any distant thing.
SB 11.15.21: The yogī who completely absorbs his mind in Me, and who then makes use of the wind that follows the mind to absorb the material body in Me, obtains through the potency of meditation on Me the mystic perfection by which his body immediately follows his mind wherever it goes.
SB 11.15.22: When the yogī, applying his mind in a certain way, desires to assume a particular form, that very form immediately appears. Such perfection is possible by absorbing the mind in the shelter of My inconceivable mystic potency, by which I assume innumerable forms.
SB 11.15.23: When a perfect yogī desires to enter another's body, he should meditate upon himself within the other body, and then, giving up his own gross body, he should enter the other's body through the pathways of air, as easily as a bee leaves one flower and flies into another.
SB 11.15.24: The yogī who has achieved the mystic perfection called svacchanda-mṛtyu blocks the anus with the heel of the foot and then lifts the soul from the heart to the chest, to the neck and finally to the head. Situated within the brahma-randhra, the yogī then gives up his material body and guides the spirit soul to the selected destination.
SB 11.15.25: The yogi who desires to enjoy in the pleasure gardens of the demigods should meditate on the purified mode of goodness, which is situated within Me, and then the heavenly women, generated from the mode of goodness, will approach him in airplanes.
SB 11.15.26: A yogi who has faith in Me, absorbing his mind in Me and knowing that My purpose is always fulfilled, will always achieve his purpose by the very means he has determined to follow.
SB 11.15.27: A person who perfectly meditates on Me acquires My nature of being the supreme ruler and controller. His order, like Mine, can never be frustrated by any means.
SB 11.15.28: A yogī who has purified his existence by devotion to Me and who thus expertly knows the process of meditation obtains knowledge of past, present and future. He can therefore see the birth and death of himself and others.
SB 11.15.29: Just as the bodies of aquatics cannot be injured by water, similarly, the body of a yogi whose consciousness is pacified by devotion to Me and who is fully developed in yoga science cannot be injured by fire, sun, water, poison, and so forth.
SB 11.15.30: My devotee becomes unconquerable by meditating on My opulent incarnations, which are decorated with Śrīvatsa and various weapons and are endowed with imperial paraphernalia such as flags, ornamental umbrellas and fans.
SB 11.15.31: A learned devotee who worships Me through yoga meditation certainly obtains in all respects the mystic perfections that I have described.
SB 11.15.32: For a sage who has conquered his senses, breathing and mind, who is self-controlled and always absorbed in meditation on Me, what mystic perfection could possibly be difficult to achieve?
SB 11.15.33: Learned experts in devotional service state that the mystic perfections of yoga that I have mentioned are actually impediments and are a waste of time for one who is practicing the supreme yoga, by which one achieves all perfection in life directly from Me.
SB 11.15.34: Whatever mystic perfections can be achieved by good birth, herbs, austerities and mantras can all be achieved by devotional service to Me; indeed, one cannot achieve the actual perfection of yoga by any other means.
SB 11.15.35: My dear Uddhava, I am the cause, the protector and the Lord of all mystic perfections, of the yoga system, of analytic knowledge, of pure activity and of the community of learned Vedic teachers.
SB 11.15.36: Just as the same material elements exist within and outside of all material bodies, similarly, I cannot be covered by anything else. I exist within everything as the Supersoul and outside of everything in My all-pervading feature.
2006年12月6日星期三
What is our difficulties?
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Our difficulties of the moment must always be dealt with somehow, but our permanent difficulties are difficulties of every moment.
----T.S. Eliot
Our permanent difficulties are birth, death, old age and disease. We are living and yet dying at same time every moment, most of us, however, are only dealing with the difficulties of the moment of the living part, so the difficulties of the moment of the dying part are forgotten or neglected, and they become the permanent difficulties of the living part, too.
Yoga is actually the art of dealing with living and dying at same time. We are not just dealing with the body, breath, energy and mind for the sake of keeping them fit so they stay forever, but to understand all the physical emotional mental problems and difficulties are due to our forgetfulness of our eternal divine nature. This is the permanent difficulties. Yoga practice is to purify ourself to such an extend that our spiritual identity is revealed. (tadaa drashtuh svaroope avasthaanam, Yoga Sutra 1. 3) As long as we remain ignorant of our spiritual nature and identify with the temorary body and mind, we will suffer and never solve their problems.
Our difficulties of the moment must always be dealt with somehow, but our permanent difficulties are difficulties of every moment.
----T.S. Eliot
Our permanent difficulties are birth, death, old age and disease. We are living and yet dying at same time every moment, most of us, however, are only dealing with the difficulties of the moment of the living part, so the difficulties of the moment of the dying part are forgotten or neglected, and they become the permanent difficulties of the living part, too.
Yoga is actually the art of dealing with living and dying at same time. We are not just dealing with the body, breath, energy and mind for the sake of keeping them fit so they stay forever, but to understand all the physical emotional mental problems and difficulties are due to our forgetfulness of our eternal divine nature. This is the permanent difficulties. Yoga practice is to purify ourself to such an extend that our spiritual identity is revealed. (tadaa drashtuh svaroope avasthaanam, Yoga Sutra 1. 3) As long as we remain ignorant of our spiritual nature and identify with the temorary body and mind, we will suffer and never solve their problems.
2006年12月5日星期二
Die Before Dying
Just as there is life, there is death. Someone or something takes birth, grows, stays for some time, deteriorates, and then dies. Another name for birth is death. One cannot live without the other, meaning that when someone is born, some will soon die (as most species do not live very long); and when someone dies, someone is soon born. Everyone and everything in its normal state wants to live as long as possible—eternally. Eternality, however, is not associated with matter, but is a spiritual affair. Death to matter and to our material bodies is inevitable, but if we master the science of dying before dying, we will connect with that which is eternal—our soul and its home in the spiritual world. After all, death is to remove everything false and secondary.
My mother often used to say; “Give me my flowers while I can still see them.” As a child, I thought of it as strange, but as an adult, I saw it as a sign of wisdom. My mother understood the body to be transient and she celebrated life—the “now”—realizing one must show their love and affection for life at every moment. Our life or the lives of others will be taken away in the near future. If we live with proper preparation and detachment, we will master the science of dying before dying to connect with the soul and its home—the spiritual world. After all, death is to remove everything false and secondary.
When we die before dying, we put first things first. The activities that nourish our souls and help us detach from the illusion and confusion of material culture are our priorities. Since we know that life is meant to prepare for a glorious death, we can live each day as if it is our last. There is no time to waste on irrelevant, superfluous activities. Even when we must give time to somewhat superficial things, it must be done in a way that enhances the primary, significant involvements. If we live with proper preparation and detachment, we will master the science of dying before dying to connect with the soul and its home—the spiritual world. After all, death is to remove everything false and secondary.
People have cheated, disappointed, lied to, manipulated, and even abused us. When we reflect on each experience, it is as it we relive it again. Such experiences have shaped us in various ways. Many of these abusers and c heaters have traumatized us. In some cases, they have scarred us for life. The normal position is for the hurt or abused to seek revenge and severely punish the offender. It is easy to do, but will not fully resolve the problem. What is important is to address such problems with forgiveness. If we live with proper preparation and detachment, we will master the science of dying before dying to connect with the soul and its home-- the spiritual world. After all, death is to remove everything false and secondary.
Most people have special people they would like to meet, places they would like to visit, and experiences they would like to have. When we associate with important people, it makes us more important, at least in the eyes of others. When we can travel to many exciting places, life seems to be more adventurous. Most important, when we can have many exciting experiences, life seems more meaningful. We are all pleasure seekers and are always eager to experience pleasure, but the true spiritualist does not get overwhelmed by these concerns, for he understand the temporary and even illusory nature of the world. If we live with proper preparation and detachment, we will master the science of dying before dying to connect with the soul and its home-- the spiritual world. After all, death is to remove everything false and secondary.
Sometimes we are so busy doing things for those we love that we don't have time to be with them, show them, or tell them how much we love them. Sometimes others are so busy doing things for us that they also have no time to be with us, show us, or tell us how much they love us. However, if we truly understand how this life is a preparation for death, we will always make time to give and receive love.
When someone dies, much of the sadness comes from a lack of sufficient closure in the relationships. There is something we wanted to tell them or do with them, and there is something they wanted to tell us or do with us. Each of us had a tendency to procrastinate on the important opportunities and moments. Especially when a person lives solely for eating, sleeping, mating and defending, or when the person is captured by a very strong false ego, there is a tendency to miss opportunities to be fully present. The person misses the chance to say or do what will best honor other people’s highest needs and blocks the chance for others to honor his or her needs.
Quality association is most important. Where there is quality association, we are always learning something or teaching something. Such association is based on being with those who also are determined to end the cycle of birth, disease, old age and death. With quality association, we understand that just as there is life, there is death. We act with the knowledge that life is for self-realization, and that death, which is inevitable for matter and the material body, is not associated with the soul. We must die to live! That comes as we accept the inevitability of destruction and elimination of all matter. We can then honor the deaths that have happened and those that are manifesting, knowing that they can prepare the way for eternal life.
The true spiritualist profoundly appreciates my mother’s statement, “Give me my flowers while I can see them” Once they body is gone, the soul departs for its new encounter; therefore, it is important to say and do whatever is best for everyone now! Where we have made offenses, we must stop and ask for forgiveness now! While we have people to meet, places to visit, and experiences to have, we must put first things first, understanding the differences between what is temporary and what is eternal now! We must allow every day of our lives to represent healthy closure now! We are most natural when we live for love because all of our associations will be quality associations in which we share our compassion, determination and realizations, and receive the same from others.
This is the technology of how to celebrate life now and live with proper preparation and detachment, so that we will master the science of dying before dying to connect with the soul and its home—the spiritual world! After all, death is to remove everything false and secondary.
I am that lowly beggar who is desperately trying to die before dying.
H H Bhakti Tirth Swami Maharaj
My mother often used to say; “Give me my flowers while I can still see them.” As a child, I thought of it as strange, but as an adult, I saw it as a sign of wisdom. My mother understood the body to be transient and she celebrated life—the “now”—realizing one must show their love and affection for life at every moment. Our life or the lives of others will be taken away in the near future. If we live with proper preparation and detachment, we will master the science of dying before dying to connect with the soul and its home—the spiritual world. After all, death is to remove everything false and secondary.
When we die before dying, we put first things first. The activities that nourish our souls and help us detach from the illusion and confusion of material culture are our priorities. Since we know that life is meant to prepare for a glorious death, we can live each day as if it is our last. There is no time to waste on irrelevant, superfluous activities. Even when we must give time to somewhat superficial things, it must be done in a way that enhances the primary, significant involvements. If we live with proper preparation and detachment, we will master the science of dying before dying to connect with the soul and its home—the spiritual world. After all, death is to remove everything false and secondary.
People have cheated, disappointed, lied to, manipulated, and even abused us. When we reflect on each experience, it is as it we relive it again. Such experiences have shaped us in various ways. Many of these abusers and c heaters have traumatized us. In some cases, they have scarred us for life. The normal position is for the hurt or abused to seek revenge and severely punish the offender. It is easy to do, but will not fully resolve the problem. What is important is to address such problems with forgiveness. If we live with proper preparation and detachment, we will master the science of dying before dying to connect with the soul and its home-- the spiritual world. After all, death is to remove everything false and secondary.
Most people have special people they would like to meet, places they would like to visit, and experiences they would like to have. When we associate with important people, it makes us more important, at least in the eyes of others. When we can travel to many exciting places, life seems to be more adventurous. Most important, when we can have many exciting experiences, life seems more meaningful. We are all pleasure seekers and are always eager to experience pleasure, but the true spiritualist does not get overwhelmed by these concerns, for he understand the temporary and even illusory nature of the world. If we live with proper preparation and detachment, we will master the science of dying before dying to connect with the soul and its home-- the spiritual world. After all, death is to remove everything false and secondary.
Sometimes we are so busy doing things for those we love that we don't have time to be with them, show them, or tell them how much we love them. Sometimes others are so busy doing things for us that they also have no time to be with us, show us, or tell us how much they love us. However, if we truly understand how this life is a preparation for death, we will always make time to give and receive love.
When someone dies, much of the sadness comes from a lack of sufficient closure in the relationships. There is something we wanted to tell them or do with them, and there is something they wanted to tell us or do with us. Each of us had a tendency to procrastinate on the important opportunities and moments. Especially when a person lives solely for eating, sleeping, mating and defending, or when the person is captured by a very strong false ego, there is a tendency to miss opportunities to be fully present. The person misses the chance to say or do what will best honor other people’s highest needs and blocks the chance for others to honor his or her needs.
Quality association is most important. Where there is quality association, we are always learning something or teaching something. Such association is based on being with those who also are determined to end the cycle of birth, disease, old age and death. With quality association, we understand that just as there is life, there is death. We act with the knowledge that life is for self-realization, and that death, which is inevitable for matter and the material body, is not associated with the soul. We must die to live! That comes as we accept the inevitability of destruction and elimination of all matter. We can then honor the deaths that have happened and those that are manifesting, knowing that they can prepare the way for eternal life.
The true spiritualist profoundly appreciates my mother’s statement, “Give me my flowers while I can see them” Once they body is gone, the soul departs for its new encounter; therefore, it is important to say and do whatever is best for everyone now! Where we have made offenses, we must stop and ask for forgiveness now! While we have people to meet, places to visit, and experiences to have, we must put first things first, understanding the differences between what is temporary and what is eternal now! We must allow every day of our lives to represent healthy closure now! We are most natural when we live for love because all of our associations will be quality associations in which we share our compassion, determination and realizations, and receive the same from others.
This is the technology of how to celebrate life now and live with proper preparation and detachment, so that we will master the science of dying before dying to connect with the soul and its home—the spiritual world! After all, death is to remove everything false and secondary.
I am that lowly beggar who is desperately trying to die before dying.
H H Bhakti Tirth Swami Maharaj
The Spirit of Kirtan
There is no right or wrong way to sing kirtan. Kirtan can be
breathtakingly beautiful, the music can be stunning and masterful; and
it can be cacophonous, dissonant, and almost painful to the ears.
Aesthetics don't matter. All that matters is the spirit, the
feeling. Don't worry about what you sound like, feel whatever you feel,
have no expectations, no inhibitions. Kirtan is an oil well
digging deeper and deeper into the heart. A power tool of love and
longing. A train carrying us home. Make these kirtans your own prayers
and use their power to set fire to your own soul. We sing together
and each person has a totally unique, individual experience. Yet by
singing together we give strength, safety and passion to each
other, and give ourselves permission to sing and dance freely,
releasing and expressing through our voices and bodies, the emotions
tightly locked in our hearts. The pain of separation is one with the
bliss of Union.
Kirtan is a vessel that can hold love, longing, union, separation,
lust, despair, mourning, anger, hate, sadness, ecstasy, and oneness.
Powered by the fire of these emotions, the chants of Bhakti become
like a ship, singing us to the other shore. In lightness, in
darkness, in despair, in joy we sing the names-- The Name -- and turn
our human hearts toward the One, who is closer to us than our own
breath. Kirtan is food for the spirit, a life raft of song.
Source unknown
breathtakingly beautiful, the music can be stunning and masterful; and
it can be cacophonous, dissonant, and almost painful to the ears.
Aesthetics don't matter. All that matters is the spirit, the
feeling. Don't worry about what you sound like, feel whatever you feel,
have no expectations, no inhibitions. Kirtan is an oil well
digging deeper and deeper into the heart. A power tool of love and
longing. A train carrying us home. Make these kirtans your own prayers
and use their power to set fire to your own soul. We sing together
and each person has a totally unique, individual experience. Yet by
singing together we give strength, safety and passion to each
other, and give ourselves permission to sing and dance freely,
releasing and expressing through our voices and bodies, the emotions
tightly locked in our hearts. The pain of separation is one with the
bliss of Union.
Kirtan is a vessel that can hold love, longing, union, separation,
lust, despair, mourning, anger, hate, sadness, ecstasy, and oneness.
Powered by the fire of these emotions, the chants of Bhakti become
like a ship, singing us to the other shore. In lightness, in
darkness, in despair, in joy we sing the names-- The Name -- and turn
our human hearts toward the One, who is closer to us than our own
breath. Kirtan is food for the spirit, a life raft of song.
Source unknown
The Circus of Yoga 瑜伽和杂耍（英）
Throughout my years of practicing yoga, when people found out about my practice, their first question usually was if I “can put my foot around my neck”.
One easily can get the idea by looking at the yoga magazines, studio brochures, the endless yoga-themed commercials or through surfing the web, that the ultimate aim of yoga is in fact to bring your leg around your neck. It’s about getting the rubber body.
In the old days the most prominent feature of a yogi who immersed himself in the higher practice of yoga was his powerful eyes; looking through you, drawing your attention to existence which may be experienced beyond the form of the body.
Today you meet endless images of lovely yogis and yoginis from all ages, cultures and styles, with their legs rapped around their neck as their smiling eyes seem to say “I reached the Everest of yoga”. In many ways it is a process very similar to that of getting to the top of the Everest.
You go through long practice and training which starts with the ambitions of the ego. As you climb the mountain of Yoga towards the goal of achieving the most obscure body postures you face a high risk of getting injured. Knees, hips, sciatica, compressed spine etc and ending with over loose joints. There is always a risk of never achieving the goal (because of skeletal structure, scar tissue etc) what may lead to a great disappointment and a feeling of being a failure.
The question is “When finally we fulfill the desire of the mind, and our foot is hanging around our neck….. then what?” Has the leg around the neck freed us from suffering? Is it helping us to master our mind? Are we acting with no reacting? Is the wrapping of the leg around the neck engaging us with our higher self to become the ultimate observer who knows that we are not this body? Is the heel close enough to our brain free us from the fear of death?
What are the reasons for the western yoga teachers identifying their abilities with the performance of the body? Is it because we have nothing wise to say from our an authentic experience? So instead, we show off our physical form as we often do outside the yoga studio setting. Is it because we are so programmed to identify with our body as who we are, that we apply it to our spiritual practice instead of applying the wisdom of the spiritual path to our life?
Or maybe after we started our yoga practice, our ego got so mesmerized by the body performance, that we forgot why we started the practice from the beginning.
The practice of the yoga asanas (posters) is for the purpose of maintenance our body so it is in a good health, is free of toxins and blockages so prana energy can flow through and widen our perception towards life and existence. The body is a great vehicle for us to use through the spiritual journey.
When people buy a car to take them to different destinations, they take care of the car so it is stays in a good shape and it is safe to travel in. Some people get obsessed with their car, blurring the definition between the object and themselves. Fully identified with the car’s look and performance, they start buying gadgets for it, investing time into it, while the car becomes a source of their pride, worries, attachments and suffering. The body is the vehicle for the self do not confuse it with the self.
In closing, think about it, “If an extremely flexible body is in fact the aim of the ancient yoga then we should all be worshipping the teenage contortionists in Cirque de Soleil.
shakti mhi
One easily can get the idea by looking at the yoga magazines, studio brochures, the endless yoga-themed commercials or through surfing the web, that the ultimate aim of yoga is in fact to bring your leg around your neck. It’s about getting the rubber body.
In the old days the most prominent feature of a yogi who immersed himself in the higher practice of yoga was his powerful eyes; looking through you, drawing your attention to existence which may be experienced beyond the form of the body.
Today you meet endless images of lovely yogis and yoginis from all ages, cultures and styles, with their legs rapped around their neck as their smiling eyes seem to say “I reached the Everest of yoga”. In many ways it is a process very similar to that of getting to the top of the Everest.
You go through long practice and training which starts with the ambitions of the ego. As you climb the mountain of Yoga towards the goal of achieving the most obscure body postures you face a high risk of getting injured. Knees, hips, sciatica, compressed spine etc and ending with over loose joints. There is always a risk of never achieving the goal (because of skeletal structure, scar tissue etc) what may lead to a great disappointment and a feeling of being a failure.
The question is “When finally we fulfill the desire of the mind, and our foot is hanging around our neck….. then what?” Has the leg around the neck freed us from suffering? Is it helping us to master our mind? Are we acting with no reacting? Is the wrapping of the leg around the neck engaging us with our higher self to become the ultimate observer who knows that we are not this body? Is the heel close enough to our brain free us from the fear of death?
What are the reasons for the western yoga teachers identifying their abilities with the performance of the body? Is it because we have nothing wise to say from our an authentic experience? So instead, we show off our physical form as we often do outside the yoga studio setting. Is it because we are so programmed to identify with our body as who we are, that we apply it to our spiritual practice instead of applying the wisdom of the spiritual path to our life?
Or maybe after we started our yoga practice, our ego got so mesmerized by the body performance, that we forgot why we started the practice from the beginning.
The practice of the yoga asanas (posters) is for the purpose of maintenance our body so it is in a good health, is free of toxins and blockages so prana energy can flow through and widen our perception towards life and existence. The body is a great vehicle for us to use through the spiritual journey.
When people buy a car to take them to different destinations, they take care of the car so it is stays in a good shape and it is safe to travel in. Some people get obsessed with their car, blurring the definition between the object and themselves. Fully identified with the car’s look and performance, they start buying gadgets for it, investing time into it, while the car becomes a source of their pride, worries, attachments and suffering. The body is the vehicle for the self do not confuse it with the self.
In closing, think about it, “If an extremely flexible body is in fact the aim of the ancient yoga then we should all be worshipping the teenage contortionists in Cirque de Soleil.
shakti mhi
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