Lifestyle
Human beings fall into various nations and cultures with greatly differing levels of lifestyle, education, religious beliefs, ethics and morals and philosophical views. Happiness, fulfillment, wisdom and love are rare. In our individually perceived but shared world, there are many popular trends and fashions. Status is very important to virtually everybody. Unfortunately, none of these really help us with deep, conscious living that has a base in inter-connection and interdependence. Both vitally needed aspects if we are to transcend today's extremely precarious and difficult global situation. The field of yoga encourages the qualities of kindness, empathy, truthfulness, tolerance, joy and fulfillment, caring and even abundance. As in Buddhism and other similar streams, non-attachment is such a vital key. The true and absolute way to align nonattachment in our lives is to up-root identification. Without identity, attachment collapses. Of course life carries on and on the surface nothing may change at all. However, the inner dynamics have done a 180 degree turn as we become free. The path of yoga lays out a path of exploration within our inner universe that by its nature includes a field of activity that has nothing to do with outer, collective human politics, social mores and other group or individual concerns. Ultimately the path of yoga is concerned with the base field of ‘Awareness’ and then our individual faculty of harnessing attention in the form of concentration for purposes of liberation. This is the path that promises to reveal to us the experience of ourselves as something very different to the deeply conditioned and therefore habitual one we are all so familiar with in the face value world. Fear and anxiety, jealousy and envy, material and social desire, boredom and virtually every other affliction and malady one can conceive of, can finally be laid to rest. I know that's a very bold claim, however I don't believe it far fetched at all. Once one deeply understands via experience, our perspective on life the universe and everything radically changes. Both Yoga and Vedanta point to the issue that the daily reality we all perceive is ‘not real’. Maya means ‘illusion’. An illusion is something that we interpret erroneously. We believe it to be something, then realize it is actually something else. A common example of an illusion is seeing a white bird in a tree when out for a walk. Upon getting closer you see the white bird is actually a plastic bag! Vedanta tells us that this un-real reality we all live in, is therefore an 'apparent reality' – only apparently real. So Yoga tells us we need to ‘dissolve’ all identifications – clear away the bondage's that tie us emotionally, physically and mentally to ideas, physical objects. To not do this means we are living in agreement and allegiance to things that are ‘not real’ in the sense that they are subject to change. In the final reduction the only thing that remains unchanging and is therefore ‘real’ is awareness. Someone once said that we ‘are’ the sum total of what we do every day. What, how and why we think, feel, say and do as our usual operating principle – in short, our habits! Researchers within the sprawling pantheon of sciences and politics tell us our conscious minds comprise an average of round 5% of our total mind capacity. That gives us 95% un-conscious mind activity. In other words our conscious decision making, assessment ability mind is just 5% percent. This factor alone should give us pause for thought as to how we employ our resources and energy on a daily basis. Once we begin to deeply examine the common driving motives of our fellow humans we soon realize the abject level of superficiality and destructive emotional and rational imperatives rampant around us as rationalistic science and big commerce cut a huge swathe into the absolute fabric of our lives. Most likely these are our own ‘adopted by default’ intents and purposes as well since we individually make up the collective. The vast ocean of ‘intents and purposes’ we all operate from, form the canvass upon which our life gradually unfolds in time. Each and every one of our thoughts, feelings, emotions and physical actions, are ‘weighted’ with an intent, a ‘coloring’ in yoga terms. (Kleshas) – Unless of course we are in the unlikely position of being a fully realized yoga master living in Kaivalya (continual state of liberation) These ‘intents’ with their ‘weights’, all build up the bigger picture. In short they build our lives and who we think we are. For example, are we buying a new dress because we actually need an item of clothing to wear or do we want to ‘keep up with our peers’? Is it a combination of both intentions? How does this little human attribute of consciousness ripple out into all areas of our lives as well as our brother’s lives? Some groups of humans take this process of consciousness deeply into religious and political fanaticism and will even engage in killing and violence and wars, all from the accumulation of ‘weights’ attached to their thoughts, feelings and actions. These are the small and large building blocks of human collective and personal human consciousness experience. Beliefs, like behaviors and thoughts, can change. We can choose to make changes and actualize them. We also have the amazing ability, if we so choose, of ‘witnessing’. We can observe ourselves on every level. As we observe we can gather information about ourselves and when guided by the precepts and information of our path, gain knowledge and wisdom. Helter skelter, unfocused living without clarity and purpose is a recipe for discontent and anxiety. Without knowledge of the mechanics of spiritual evolution we have no reference as to our own progress and development. Without the timeless qualities of spirituality such as genuine kindness, honesty, empathy and appropriate humility we are simply destined to fulfill the already realized potentials of humans as barbaric, tyrannical, vicious, warmongering predators, destroying all that doesn’t conform to the relevant collective ‘weighted’ wills! We all have the option to choose. From the tiniest daily thought to major life-changing decisions, will we opt for the identification of the ‘weight’ or go for a new path, renouncing this identification via pure understanding? To gain genuine freedom, yoga texts tell us we need to eventually forfeit all forms of identification. This does not mean we do not have desires or enjoy life but simply that we are no longer shackled by the heavy chains of identification. Strangely enough, we all have a marvelous friend, mentor and guiding light within our own heart. This is not the conditioned feelings and emotions rising within us but the ‘still small voice’ little heeded if even heard at all by most. The site of the soul lies within our own heart. In eastern philosophy the mind is in the heart not the head, not rationalism and logic. So this then is the central goal of yoga, to align our intents and motives with this ‘Atman’ within. To dry up and therefore bypass the myriads of identifications within our inner landscape. This is the traditional un-coloring of the deep impressions within our sub-conscious minds, the Samskaras. And then once this is achieved, to witness first-hand, have direct experience, our unity and ‘oneness’ with this universal reality, energy and principle. Living with true tranquillity and inner peace requires of us that we begin to ‘live’ the paradox of acquiescence to a higher principle or reality (Ishvara Pranidhana) and in so doing, assume full personal responsibility for all our thoughts, feelings and physical actions. That 5% of conscious mind mentioned above is all we have. So let’s make sure we take up the challenge of wielding our discriminative conscious minds (buddhi) with impeccable intent and true purpose on our daily path. Namsate
Human beings fall into various nations and cultures with greatly differing levels of lifestyle, education, religious beliefs, ethics and morals and philosophical views. Happiness, fulfillment, wisdom and love are rare. In our individually perceived but shared world, there are many popular trends and fashions. Status is very important to virtually everybody. Unfortunately, none of these really help us with deep, conscious living that has a base in inter-connection and interdependence. Both vitally needed aspects if we are to transcend today's extremely precarious and difficult global situation. The field of yoga encourages the qualities of kindness, empathy, truthfulness, tolerance, joy and fulfillment, caring and even abundance. As in Buddhism and other similar streams, non-attachment is such a vital key. The true and absolute way to align nonattachment in our lives is to up-root identification. Without identity, attachment collapses. Of course life carries on and on the surface nothing may change at all. However, the inner dynamics have done a 180 degree turn as we become free. The path of yoga lays out a path of exploration within our inner universe that by its nature includes a field of activity that has nothing to do with outer, collective human politics, social mores and other group or individual concerns. Ultimately the path of yoga is concerned with the base field of ‘Awareness’ and then our individual faculty of harnessing attention in the form of concentration for purposes of liberation. This is the path that promises to reveal to us the experience of ourselves as something very different to the deeply conditioned and therefore habitual one we are all so familiar with in the face value world. Fear and anxiety, jealousy and envy, material and social desire, boredom and virtually every other affliction and malady one can conceive of, can finally be laid to rest. I know that's a very bold claim, however I don't believe it far fetched at all. Once one deeply understands via experience, our perspective on life the universe and everything radically changes. Both Yoga and Vedanta point to the issue that the daily reality we all perceive is ‘not real’. Maya means ‘illusion’. An illusion is something that we interpret erroneously. We believe it to be something, then realize it is actually something else. A common example of an illusion is seeing a white bird in a tree when out for a walk. Upon getting closer you see the white bird is actually a plastic bag! Vedanta tells us that this un-real reality we all live in, is therefore an 'apparent reality' – only apparently real. So Yoga tells us we need to ‘dissolve’ all identifications – clear away the bondage's that tie us emotionally, physically and mentally to ideas, physical objects. To not do this means we are living in agreement and allegiance to things that are ‘not real’ in the sense that they are subject to change. In the final reduction the only thing that remains unchanging and is therefore ‘real’ is awareness. Someone once said that we ‘are’ the sum total of what we do every day. What, how and why we think, feel, say and do as our usual operating principle – in short, our habits! Researchers within the sprawling pantheon of sciences and politics tell us our conscious minds comprise an average of round 5% of our total mind capacity. That gives us 95% un-conscious mind activity. In other words our conscious decision making, assessment ability mind is just 5% percent. This factor alone should give us pause for thought as to how we employ our resources and energy on a daily basis. Once we begin to deeply examine the common driving motives of our fellow humans we soon realize the abject level of superficiality and destructive emotional and rational imperatives rampant around us as rationalistic science and big commerce cut a huge swathe into the absolute fabric of our lives. Most likely these are our own ‘adopted by default’ intents and purposes as well since we individually make up the collective. The vast ocean of ‘intents and purposes’ we all operate from, form the canvass upon which our life gradually unfolds in time. Each and every one of our thoughts, feelings, emotions and physical actions, are ‘weighted’ with an intent, a ‘coloring’ in yoga terms. (Kleshas) – Unless of course we are in the unlikely position of being a fully realized yoga master living in Kaivalya (continual state of liberation) These ‘intents’ with their ‘weights’, all build up the bigger picture. In short they build our lives and who we think we are. For example, are we buying a new dress because we actually need an item of clothing to wear or do we want to ‘keep up with our peers’? Is it a combination of both intentions? How does this little human attribute of consciousness ripple out into all areas of our lives as well as our brother’s lives? Some groups of humans take this process of consciousness deeply into religious and political fanaticism and will even engage in killing and violence and wars, all from the accumulation of ‘weights’ attached to their thoughts, feelings and actions. These are the small and large building blocks of human collective and personal human consciousness experience. Beliefs, like behaviors and thoughts, can change. We can choose to make changes and actualize them. We also have the amazing ability, if we so choose, of ‘witnessing’. We can observe ourselves on every level. As we observe we can gather information about ourselves and when guided by the precepts and information of our path, gain knowledge and wisdom. Helter skelter, unfocused living without clarity and purpose is a recipe for discontent and anxiety. Without knowledge of the mechanics of spiritual evolution we have no reference as to our own progress and development. Without the timeless qualities of spirituality such as genuine kindness, honesty, empathy and appropriate humility we are simply destined to fulfill the already realized potentials of humans as barbaric, tyrannical, vicious, warmongering predators, destroying all that doesn’t conform to the relevant collective ‘weighted’ wills! We all have the option to choose. From the tiniest daily thought to major life-changing decisions, will we opt for the identification of the ‘weight’ or go for a new path, renouncing this identification via pure understanding? To gain genuine freedom, yoga texts tell us we need to eventually forfeit all forms of identification. This does not mean we do not have desires or enjoy life but simply that we are no longer shackled by the heavy chains of identification. Strangely enough, we all have a marvelous friend, mentor and guiding light within our own heart. This is not the conditioned feelings and emotions rising within us but the ‘still small voice’ little heeded if even heard at all by most. The site of the soul lies within our own heart. In eastern philosophy the mind is in the heart not the head, not rationalism and logic. So this then is the central goal of yoga, to align our intents and motives with this ‘Atman’ within. To dry up and therefore bypass the myriads of identifications within our inner landscape. This is the traditional un-coloring of the deep impressions within our sub-conscious minds, the Samskaras. And then once this is achieved, to witness first-hand, have direct experience, our unity and ‘oneness’ with this universal reality, energy and principle. Living with true tranquillity and inner peace requires of us that we begin to ‘live’ the paradox of acquiescence to a higher principle or reality (Ishvara Pranidhana) and in so doing, assume full personal responsibility for all our thoughts, feelings and physical actions. That 5% of conscious mind mentioned above is all we have. So let’s make sure we take up the challenge of wielding our discriminative conscious minds (buddhi) with impeccable intent and true purpose on our daily path. Namsate
