"walto"  wrote:
>
> I like this a lot, Bob.  Who is Hubert Benoit?
>
> W
>
Yo Sri W,

Hubert Benoit wrote what is considered by many to be
a Zen masterpiece titled The Supreme Doctrine.
In this case, he shares an "exercise" aimed at helping
One evolve in consciousness via a non-traditional to Zen
method. It's quite a "good trip" as the hippies of old would
have called it. Glad you liked it!

> --- In meditationsocietyofamerica@yahoogroups.com, medit8ionsociety  wrote:
> >
> > This work must be carried out as a practical exercise
> > undertaken at times when the subject can withdraw from
> > the immediate excitations of the outer world.
> >
> > The exercise: Alone, in a quiet place, muscularly relaxed
> > (lying down or comfortably seated), I watch the emergence
> > within myself of mental images, permitting my imagination
> > to produce whatever it likes. It is as though I were saying
> > to my image-making mind, 'Do what you please; but I am going
> > to watch you doing it.'
> >
> > As long as one maintains this attitude -- or, more exactly,
> > this relaxation of any kind of attitude -- the imagination
> > produces nothing and its screen remains blank, free of all
> > images. I am then in a state of pure voluntary attention,
> > without any image to capture it. I am not paying attention to anything in
particular; I am paying attention to anything
> > which might turn up, but which in fact does not turn up.
> > As soon as there is a weakening of my voluntary effort of
> > pure attention, thoughts (images) make their appearance. I do
> > not notice the fact immediately, for my attention is momentarily asleep; but
after a certain time I perceive what has happened.
> > I discover that I have started to think of this and that.
> > The moment I make this discovery, I say to my imagination,
> > 'So you want to talk to me about that. Go ahead; I'm listening.' Immediately
everything stops again, and I become conscious
> > of the stoppage. At first the moments of pure attention are short. (Little
by little, however, they tend to become longer.)
> > But, though brief, they are not mere infinitesimal instants;
> > they possess a certain duration and continuity.
> >
> > Persevering practice of the exercise gradually builds up
> > a mental automatism which acts as a curb on the natural
> > automatisms of the imagination. This curb is created consciously
> > and voluntarily; but to the extent that the habit has been built
> > up, it acts automatically.
> >
> > The principle of the liberative method is now clear.
> > Man triumphs over his imaginative automatisms, not by
> > pitting himself against them, but by consciously allowing
> > them free play; his attitude towards them is one of active neutrality. His
final triumph is the end-product of a struggle
> > in which his voluntary attention does not itself have to
> > take part. (Such participation, it may be added, is incompatible
> > with its pure, impartial nature.) Man rules by dividing; refusing
> > to take sides with any of his mental forces, he permits them to neutralize
one another. It is not for Divine Reason to overthrow nature, but to place
itself above nature; and when it succeeds
> > in taking this exalted position, nature will joyously submit.
> > (It should be noted that the curb which is imposed by the exercise
> > on the automatisms of the imagination is not imposed by the opposition of
Divine Reason to automatic nature, but by the opposition of one pole of our
dualistic nature to the other pole.)
> >
> > During the exercise the subject, insofar as he practices it successfully,
feels himself relieved from his fundamental
> > distress. After the exercise he falls back into this distress,
> > which may be momentarily greater than usual. The reason for
> > this is that he has fallen back into his ordinary state of inner passivity,
so that there is nothing to neutralize his distress;
> > at the same time his imagination, curbed for a moment, does not
> > at once recover its compensatory power. On the whole, however,
> > the longer the exercises are repeated, the more the subject
> > finds himself relieved of his basic distress.
> >
> >
> > - Hubert Benoit
> > -------------------------------------------------------------------
> > Fair Use Notice: This document may contain
> > copyrighted material whose use has not been specifically
> > authorized by the copyright owners. I believe that
> > this not-for-profit, educational use on the Web
> > constitutes a fair use of the copyrighted material
> > (as provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law).
> > If you wish to use this copyrighted material for purposes
> > of your own that go beyond fair use, you must obtain
> > permission from the copyright owner.
> >
>

Thank you Sri Sanjivji.
You've done the very best thing that can functionally
produce a beneficial effect from a meditation technique,
and that is to not just read or think or talk about it,
but to actually do it. I'm glad you enjoyed it.
Peace and blessings,
Bob
> Sanjiv Sahay  wrote:
>
> Hello Bob,
> Thanks a lot for sharing this.
> I tried this technique and found it very effective in quietening the
> multitude of thoughts that usually race through my mind when I try to
> meditate. Of course it didn't stop all thoughts - I noticed myself thinking
> of how effective this technique was and that I should thank the sender, but
> it was a huge step forward.
> Thanks again,
> Best regards,
>
> Sanjiv
>

"Whatever this is that I am, it is a little flesh
and breath, and the ruling part. Throw away thy books;
no longer distract thyself: it is not allowed; but as
if thou wast now dying, despise the flesh; it is blood
and bones and a network, a contexture of nerves, veins,
and arteries. See the breath also, what kind of a thing
it is, air, and not always the same, but every moment
sent out and again sucked in. The third then is the ruling part: consider thus:
Thou art an old man; no longer let this
be a slave, no longer be pulled by the strings like a
puppet to unsocial movements, no longer either be dissatisfied
with thy present lot, or shrink from the future...

Through not observing what is in the mind of another a man has
seldom been seen to be unhappy; but those who do not observe the movements of
their own minds must of necessity be unhappy."
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Fair Use Notice: This document may contain
copyrighted material whose use has not been specifically
authorized by the copyright owners. I believe that
this not-for-profit, educational use on the Web
constitutes a fair use of the copyrighted material
(as provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law).
If you wish to use this copyrighted material for purposes
of your own that go beyond fair use, you must obtain
permission from the copyright owner.

In response to a request torepost
"the Popeye I Am affirmation"...Enjoy!

I AM

As Popeye said so often and so wisely, “I Am what I Am
and that’s all what I Am.”
Prepare yourself for meditation by emptying your body
of any tension, your mind of any commentary, and establish
an emotional calm. Witness the sensations your physical
senses present now.

As you witness what you see, consciously but silently state
“What I see constantly changes and only has a temporary
reality. This is not real and thus is not who I Am.
I Am unchangeable and eternal.”

As you witness what you hear, consciously but silently state
“What I hear constantly changes and only has a temporary
reality. This is not real and thus is not who I Am.
I Am unchangeable and eternal.”

As you witness what you smell and taste, consciously but
silently state “What I smell and taste constantly changes
and only has a temporary reality. This is not real and thus
is not who I Am. I Am unchangeable and eternal.”

As you witness the sensations your skin, muscles, bones,
and organs present, consciously but silently state
“What I feel physically constantly changes and only has
a temporary reality. This is not real and thus is not who I Am.
I Am unchangeable and eternal.”

As you witness your mind and emotions, consciously but
silently state “What I think and the emotions I feel constantly change and
only have a temporary reality. This is not real and
thus not who I Am. I Am unchangeable and eternal.”

Now, drop everything and witness yourself as I Am. Do this unchangabely and
eternally and live happily ever after.

By Bert Sharp -  Author of Sacred Geometry and the
Enneagram: The Adventures of a Solitary Soul

Sit in your usual meditation position and relax. Observe your breathing. As you
become aware of the thoughts of the day
intruding, turn back simply to watching your breathing.
Your body is breathing for you. When settled in this way,
begin the meditation.

Become conscious of the existence of the cells which form your planetary body;
become conscious of how they freely consented
to differentiate in order to go beyond themselves, their individuality, and
become specialist cells, part of a particular organ of your body. Did they do
this consciously or mechanically?

Go further and become conscious of how these individual organs
have given up their individuality in order to relate to one another and so form
the complex interactive assembly which is your
planetary body. Remember that it is only because of such sacrifices on the part
of the cells, the tissues formed from the cells and
the organs formed from the tissues, that it has been possible for
you to inhabit the body which you consider as your own.

Then go further and become conscious of you, the far in you, observing all this,
you and your body, your body the result of
the sacrifice of all these millions of individual cells. Then
begin to realise that you have a responsibility for your body,
for its organs, for each of its individual cells. For providing
them with all their natural essential requirements. Observe this profound
thought. Meditate upon it.

At this point you may experience a Divine Compassion coming with
the feeling of responsibility, of compassion for all the living
cells which make up your planetary body. Are you also able to sacrifice your
individuality in order to become no longer a human being but an infinitely small
cell in the totality of Humanity?

Hold as long as possible this feeling of the Divine Compassion flowing through
you. What is it that is aware of it? Real I?
Be aware of the very small, the very low, and at the same time
of the very large, the very high, and that you, Real I, is the intermediate
between the two, the whole assembly forming the
Eternal Totality.

If you want more, then consider the following `either or' of formatory thinking:

Is it that the "irresponsible" human fears God and so in the
ultimate expects help and forgiveness from Him?

Or by contrast, does the "responsible" human know that he or she cannot know God
who therefore may or may not exist, and as a
result has to accept that it is all up to him or her, that he
or she is responsible for the future of humanity and so must act
in the interests of humanity and not of himself or herself?
So to be a "responsible" human brings one face to face with the terror of the
situation. That one is simply a tool for the use
of the Divine. A tool that is not yet in proper order for its use
and so must be worked upon by YOU so as to become in better order
and so of more use to the Divine.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Fair Use Notice: This document may contain
copyrighted material whose use has not been specifically
authorized by the copyright owners. I believe that
this not-for-profit, educational use on the Web
constitutes a fair use of the copyrighted material
(as provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law).
If you wish to use this copyrighted material for purposes
of your own that go beyond fair use, you must obtain
permission from the copyright owner.

Who am I?

“Who am I? I search for the I, the real I. Without the I,
of course, the ego can call itself the I, but who is the
real I�"without connecting itself to anything�"just the pure
I alone? Ask, who am I? I am a woman. What makes me a woman?
Of course, if I don’t have this physical form, I can’t be
called a woman; I must be a man. So it is the body that makes
me a woman? Am I a mother? Yes, I am a mother. So, before the
child, what was I? I was not a mother then. I am named mother
because of the child. I am Mrs. So-and-So. Ah, and before the
wedding? I was a Miss. So, likewise, ask yourself, ‘Who am I?’
Go back, ask one question after another. That is the way to
find out whom you are. You can sit and meditate, ask this
question, again and again. Analyze yourself. Know your Self.

“God bless you. Om Shanti, Shanti, Shanti.”

Get Integral Yoga's first app for iPhone and iPad, available on iTunes.
Search for The Daily Guru.

I remember when I was going through one of my phases I would constantly ask why
do I fear and can we live and get a long be civil with out fear. I still don't
how to answer that question to myself but what I came up with is achieving
heaven in the mind is when we sincerely have love for other and ourselves. But
my question do u think. Once ever in time we had that love and just over time
lost or has this prob been one of our focus points to delveloping a higher state
or consiousness for years.

Hi,
I would like to know how do I incorporate this meditation into an actual
meditation? I like what i read but how does that help me in a meditation?
Thanks!

"Bobster999"  wrote:
>
> Hi,
> I would like to know how do I incorporate this meditation into an actual
meditation? I like what i read but how does that help me in a meditation?
Thanks!
>

Here's the technique from our site that is being referred to:

http://www.meditationsociety.com/week2.html

Not the Body, Not the Mind, Not the Emotions (#37)

Before we discuss who your Real Self is, we must understand
who you are not:

You are not your body

You are not your mind

You are not your emotions

Here's why: Your body was first simply one cell that began
dividing. Then you were a fetus, then a baby, a toddler,
a child, a teen, a young adult, middle-aged and finally old.
That means you have never been consistently in just one type
of body over the long term. But even in any given moment,
your atomic and sub-atomic composition is in a never-ending
changing mode. Every inhalation brings trillions of atoms
into your body and with every exhale, trillions leave. You have
never been your body. Your body has never been a stable thing
that you could call your own and possess for any given amount
of time and yet you have maintained an identification with your
body. When you think it looks good, you feel good. If someone
says your body doesn't look right in their eyes, you get
depressed. You constantly seek ways to stimulate the sense
receptors in your body in ways that you have judged to be
pleasant, but you have never found a lasting pleasurable
sensation from these sense sensations. For instance, you seek
to find pleasure from your taste buds and get and eat a chocolate
ice cream cone. The sensation seems wonderful but soon after,
you find you want another sense sensation and the chocolate
sensation was at best just a momentary good thing and at worst,
the cause of a stomach ache, a dripped-on or soiled garment,
or even a weight gain. So, why do you chase after visual,
tactile, sonar, odorous and tasty excitement and pleasure?
Because you have an inate subconscious understanding that bliss
is your eternal abode. But trying to experience bliss through
the body is a mistake, a misunderstanding, an act of ignorance
of your Real Identity.

When you have a stomach ache, you cannot enjoy anything in life.
But what happens when you fall asleep? Your pain and discomfort
are gone. As a matter of fact, you may even dream that you are
eating and enjoying chocolate ice cream and your stomach never
felt better. From this example, it is clear that we think we are
our body only when our mind is attached to it.

We are also not our mind or emotions. This can be demonstrated
by observing them for any amount of time. It will quickly become apparent that
they change constantly. One moment, we are thinking
of one subject and in a blink, we are thinking about something
else. This is true even when we are meditating and trying to be one-pointed.
Let's say we are meditating about water and are reviewing everything we know
about water. Our inner sound track
may go something like, "Water is fluid. It fills the objects that hold it. When
you freeze it, it turns to ice." Now here comes
a typical diversion -- "Ice is in ice cream. Boy, Ben and Jerry
make good chocolate ice cream. I know they sell it at the 7-11
down the street ... etc." And there you are -- well away from
your goal of meditating on water and in your car heading for the
7-11 to begin the process of acquiring another stomach ache.

Your emotions are changeable. One minute you're feeling quite
happy and the next you see a commercial on T.V. that implies that your will
stink if you don't use one particular brand of deodarant and then you get
depressed because you have been using another
brand and now fear everyone will reject you, etc.

So, because the body, mind, and emotions are constantly changing
and thus can't be said to be the permanent you, who are you? You
are the consciousness that can witness your body, mind, and
emotions in action. This is your Real Self. Please appreciate
what good news this is -- you are not limited to your sense perceptions, your
thoughts, or your feelings. You are the
infinite awareness. The more you identify yourself with the
Inner Witness, the freer you are and the more potential you have
to control your body, mind, and emotions. You can act instead of react. This
freedom is far greater a wealth than all the gold in
the world, for if you had all the gold in the world, you would instantly begin
worrying that you would lose it. By not attaching yourself to anything that can
be lost, like your body, mind, or emotions, you cease being a reactive slave and
begin being at
Peace, for your Real Self, your Witnessing Pure Consciousness
is infinite, eternal, blissful Peace.

Meditating on the reality of not being the body, mind, or
emotions has brought Truth, Consciousness, and Bliss to
practitioners for thousands of years. You need not sit in any particular pose or
breathe in any specific pattern. Any time
is the right time to do this illuminating meditation. Your heart
has been yearning for this Wisdom. Filling your mind with these transcendental
concepts is certainly more beneficial than
worrying about egotistical desires or rehashing the past or fantasizing about
the future. Try it, you'll love it and live
happily ever after.

--- In meditationsocietyofamerica@yahoogroups.com, "J.R."  wrote:
>
> Just repeating what i have already read does not help me in any way. Sorry, I
dont know how to be any more clear in my question.
>

Well JR, I thought that posting the actual technique/meditation
you were referring to would allow the members of this forum to
easily know what specific technique you were inquiring about.
Just putting the #37 up possibly/probably wasn't informative
enough. Also, perhaps if you read it again, you may "get IT".
In any event, I wish you well.
Peace and blessings,
Bob
> ________________________________
>  From: medit8ionsociety
> To: meditationsocietyofamerica@yahoogroups.com
> Sent: Thursday, February 7, 2013 6:20 PM
> Subject: [Meditation Society of America] Re: Meditation #37
>
>
>  
> "Bobster999"  wrote:
> >
> > Hi,
> > I would like to know how do I incorporate this meditation into an actual
meditation? I like what i read but how does that help me in a meditation?
Thanks!
> >
>
> Here's the technique from our site that is being referred to:
>
> http://www.meditationsociety.com/week2.html
>
> Not the Body, Not the Mind, Not the Emotions (#37)
>
> Before we discuss who your Real Self is, we must understand
> who you are not:
>
> You are not your body
>
> You are not your mind
>
> You are not your emotions
>
> Here's why: Your body was first simply one cell that began
> dividing. Then you were a fetus, then a baby, a toddler,
> a child, a teen, a young adult, middle-aged and finally old.
> That means you have never been consistently in just one type
> of body over the long term. But even in any given moment,
> your atomic and sub-atomic composition is in a never-ending
> changing mode. Every inhalation brings trillions of atoms
> into your body and with every exhale, trillions leave. You have
> never been your body. Your body has never been a stable thing
> that you could call your own and possess for any given amount
> of time and yet you have maintained an identification with your
> body. When you think it looks good, you feel good. If someone
> says your body doesn't look right in their eyes, you get
> depressed. You constantly seek ways to stimulate the sense
> receptors in your body in ways that you have judged to be
> pleasant, but you have never found a lasting pleasurable
> sensation from these sense sensations. For instance, you seek
> to find pleasure from your taste buds and get and eat a chocolate
> ice cream cone. The sensation seems wonderful but soon after,
> you find you want another sense sensation and the chocolate
> sensation was at best just a momentary good thing and at worst,
> the cause of a stomach ache, a dripped-on or soiled garment,
> or even a weight gain. So, why do you chase after visual,
> tactile, sonar, odorous and tasty excitement and pleasure?
> Because you have an inate subconscious understanding that bliss
> is your eternal abode. But trying to experience bliss through
> the body is a mistake, a misunderstanding, an act of ignorance
> of your Real Identity.
>
> When you have a stomach ache, you cannot enjoy anything in life.
> But what happens when you fall asleep? Your pain and discomfort
> are gone. As a matter of fact, you may even dream that you are
> eating and enjoying chocolate ice cream and your stomach never
> felt better. From this example, it is clear that we think we are
> our body only when our mind is attached to it.
>
> We are also not our mind or emotions. This can be demonstrated
> by observing them for any amount of time. It will quickly become apparent that
they change constantly. One moment, we are thinking
> of one subject and in a blink, we are thinking about something
> else. This is true even when we are meditating and trying to be one-pointed.
Let's say we are meditating about water and are reviewing everything we know
about water. Our inner sound track
> may go something like, "Water is fluid. It fills the objects that hold it.
When you freeze it, it turns to ice." Now here comes
> a typical diversion -- "Ice is in ice cream. Boy, Ben and Jerry
> make good chocolate ice cream. I know they sell it at the 7-11
> down the street ... etc." And there you are -- well away from
> your goal of meditating on water and in your car heading for the
> 7-11 to begin the process of acquiring another stomach ache.
>
> Your emotions are changeable. One minute you're feeling quite
> happy and the next you see a commercial on T.V. that implies that your will
stink if you don't use one particular brand of deodarant and then you get
depressed because you have been using another
> brand and now fear everyone will reject you, etc.
>
> So, because the body, mind, and emotions are constantly changing
> and thus can't be said to be the permanent you, who are you? You
> are the consciousness that can witness your body, mind, and
> emotions in action. This is your Real Self. Please appreciate
> what good news this is -- you are not limited to your sense perceptions, your
thoughts, or your feelings. You are the
> infinite awareness. The more you identify yourself with the
> Inner Witness, the freer you are and the more potential you have
> to control your body, mind, and emotions. You can act instead of react. This
freedom is far greater a wealth than all the gold in
> the world, for if you had all the gold in the world, you would instantly begin
worrying that you would lose it. By not attaching yourself to anything that can
be lost, like your body, mind, or emotions, you cease being a reactive slave and
begin being at
> Peace, for your Real Self, your Witnessing Pure Consciousness
> is infinite, eternal, blissful Peace.
>
> Meditating on the reality of not being the body, mind, or
> emotions has brought Truth, Consciousness, and Bliss to
> practitioners for thousands of years. You need not sit in any particular pose
or breathe in any specific pattern. Any time
> is the right time to do this illuminating meditation. Your heart
> has been yearning for this Wisdom. Filling your mind with these transcendental
concepts is certainly more beneficial than
> worrying about egotistical desires or rehashing the past or fantasizing about
the future. Try it, you'll love it and live
> happily ever after.
>

"Aideen Mckenna"  wrote:
>
> Maybe if you go online & search neti, neti�, you may find something that suits
you.  Neti� translates (roughly) as not this�.  You sit in meditation asking
yourself,  For example Am I my body?� (You will be aware that you're not).  Am I
my mind?� No, you aren't. One can keep this up indefinitely reinforcing your
awareness that you aren't form, nor are you any of the life roles that you play,
nor are you your conditioning .. & so on.  It encourages awareness that you are
anatta� (Pali), anatman� (Sanskrit) that there is no you� at all.  It can help
toward the realization that Reality is not what appears to be.  (I haven't the
words to explain it very well).
>
> Aideen
>

Yes, you do have the words...Thanks for sharing them Aideen!

> From: meditationsocietyofamerica@yahoogroups.com
[mailto:meditationsocietyofamerica@yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of J.R.
> Sent: February-07-13 4:12 PM
> To: meditationsocietyofamerica@yahoogroups.com
> Subject: Re: [Meditation Society of America] Re: Meditation #37
>
>
>
>
>
> Just repeating what i have already read does not help me in any way. Sorry, I
dont know how to be any more clear in my question.
>
>
>
>
>
>   _____
>
> From: medit8ionsociety
> To: meditationsocietyofamerica@yahoogroups.com
> Sent: Thursday, February 7, 2013 6:20 PM
> Subject: [Meditation Society of America] Re: Meditation #37
>
>
>
>
>
> "Bobster999" wrote:
> >
> > Hi,
> > I would like to know how do I incorporate this meditation into an actual
meditation? I like what i read but how does that help me in a meditation?
Thanks!
> >
>
> Here's the technique from our site that is being referred to:
>
> http://www.meditationsociety.com/week2.html
>
> Not the Body, Not the Mind, Not the Emotions (#37)
>
> Before we discuss who your Real Self is, we must understand
> who you are not:
>
> You are not your body
>
> You are not your mind
>
> You are not your emotions
>
> Here's why: Your body was first simply one cell that began
> dividing. Then you were a fetus, then a baby, a toddler,
> a child, a teen, a young adult, middle-aged and finally old.
> That means you have never been consistently in just one type
> of body over the long term. But even in any given moment,
> your atomic and sub-atomic composition is in a never-ending
> changing mode. Every inhalation brings trillions of atoms
> into your body and with every exhale, trillions leave. You have
> never been your body. Your body has never been a stable thing
> that you could call your own and possess for any given amount
> of time and yet you have maintained an identification with your
> body. When you think it looks good, you feel good. If someone
> says your body doesn't look right in their eyes, you get
> depressed. You constantly seek ways to stimulate the sense
> receptors in your body in ways that you have judged to be
> pleasant, but you have never found a lasting pleasurable
> sensation from these sense sensations. For instance, you seek
> to find pleasure from your taste buds and get and eat a chocolate
> ice cream cone. The sensation seems wonderful but soon after,
> you find you want another sense sensation and the chocolate
> sensation was at best just a momentary good thing and at worst,
> the cause of a stomach ache, a dripped-on or soiled garment,
> or even a weight gain. So, why do you chase after visual,
> tactile, sonar, odorous and tasty excitement and pleasure?
> Because you have an inate subconscious understanding that bliss
> is your eternal abode. But trying to experience bliss through
> the body is a mistake, a misunderstanding, an act of ignorance
> of your Real Identity.
>
> When you have a stomach ache, you cannot enjoy anything in life.
> But what happens when you fall asleep? Your pain and discomfort
> are gone. As a matter of fact, you may even dream that you are
> eating and enjoying chocolate ice cream and your stomach never
> felt better. From this example, it is clear that we think we are
> our body only when our mind is attached to it.
>
> We are also not our mind or emotions. This can be demonstrated
> by observing them for any amount of time. It will quickly become apparent that
they change constantly. One moment, we are thinking
> of one subject and in a blink, we are thinking about something
> else. This is true even when we are meditating and trying to be one-pointed.
Let's say we are meditating about water and are reviewing everything we know
about water. Our inner sound track
> may go something like, "Water is fluid. It fills the objects that hold it.
When you freeze it, it turns to ice." Now here comes
> a typical diversion -- "Ice is in ice cream. Boy, Ben and Jerry
> make good chocolate ice cream. I know they sell it at the 7-11
> down the street ... etc." And there you are -- well away from
> your goal of meditating on water and in your car heading for the
> 7-11 to begin the process of acquiring another stomach ache.
>
> Your emotions are changeable. One minute you're feeling quite
> happy and the next you see a commercial on T.V. that implies that your will
stink if you don't use one particular brand of deodarant and then you get
depressed because you have been using another
> brand and now fear everyone will reject you, etc.
>
> So, because the body, mind, and emotions are constantly changing
> and thus can't be said to be the permanent you, who are you? You
> are the consciousness that can witness your body, mind, and
> emotions in action. This is your Real Self. Please appreciate
> what good news this is -- you are not limited to your sense perceptions, your
thoughts, or your feelings. You are the
> infinite awareness. The more you identify yourself with the
> Inner Witness, the freer you are and the more potential you have
> to control your body, mind, and emotions. You can act instead of react. This
freedom is far greater a wealth than all the gold in
> the world, for if you had all the gold in the world, you would instantly begin
worrying that you would lose it. By not attaching yourself to anything that can
be lost, like your body, mind, or emotions, you cease being a reactive slave and
begin being at
> Peace, for your Real Self, your Witnessing Pure Consciousness
> is infinite, eternal, blissful Peace.
>
> Meditating on the reality of not being the body, mind, or
> emotions has brought Truth, Consciousness, and Bliss to
> practitioners for thousands of years. You need not sit in any particular pose
or breathe in any specific pattern. Any time
> is the right time to do this illuminating meditation. Your heart
> has been yearning for this Wisdom. Filling your mind with these transcendental
concepts is certainly more beneficial than
> worrying about egotistical desires or rehashing the past or fantasizing about
the future. Try it, you'll love it and live
> happily ever after.
>

"The important thing is not to stop questioning.
Curiosity has its own reason for existing. One cannot
help but be in awe when he contemplates the mysteries
of eternity, of life, of the marvelous structure of
reality. It is enough if one tries merely to comprehend
a little of this mystery every day. Never lose a holy curiosity."

Albert Einstein

Compassion and humility are the most significant
values that evolve us in consciousness. Meditating
on our real place of importance in the scheme of things
is an ancient method of gaining both of these divine
qualities. Here's a 21st century way to put us in our
place...IE: at one with all and not a "big deal" at all!
Enjoy!
http://htwins.net/scale2/

By rRequest, a repost of:

The Stone Cutter

There was once a stone cutter who was dissatisfied with
himself and with his position in life.

One day he passed a wealthy merchant's house. Through the
open gateway, he saw many fine possessions and important
visitors. "How powerful that merchant must be!" thought
the stone cutter. He became very envious and wished that
he could be like the merchant.

To his great surprise, he suddenly became the merchant,
enjoying more luxuries and power than he had ever imagined,
but envied and detested by those less wealthy than himself.
Soon a high official passed by, carried in a sedan chair,
accompanied by attendants and escorted by soldiers beating
gongs. Everyone, no matter how wealthy, had to bow low before
the procession. "How powerful that official is!" he thought.
"I wish that I could be a high official!"

Then he became the high official, carried everywhere in
his embroidered sedan chair, feared and hated by the people
all around. It was a hot summer day, so the official felt
very uncomfortable in the sticky sedan chair. He looked up
at the sun. It shone proudly in the sky, unaffected by his
presence. "How powerful the sun is!" he thought. "I wish that
I could be the sun!"

Then he became the sun, shining fiercely down on everyone,
scorching the fields, cursed by the farmers and laborers.
But a huge black cloud moved between him and the earth, so
that his light could no longer shine on everything below.
"How powerful that storm cloud is!" he thought. "I wish that
I could be a cloud!"

Then he became the cloud, flooding the fields and villages,
shouted at by everyone. But soon he found that he was being
pushed away by some great force, and realized that it was
the wind. "How powerful it is!" he thought. "I wish that
I could be the wind!"

Then he became the wind, blowing tiles off the roofs of
houses, uprooting trees, feared and hated by all below him.
But after a while, he ran up against something that would
not move, no matter how forcefully he blew against it -
a huge, towering rock. "How powerful that rock is!" he thought.
"I wish that I could be a rock!"

Then he became the rock, more powerful than anything else
on earth. But as he stood there, he heard the sound of a
hammer pounding a chisel into the hard surface, and felt
himself being changed. "What could be more powerful than I,
the rock?" he thought.

He looked down and saw far below him the figure of a
stone cutter.
-------------------------------------------------------------------
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constitutes a fair use of the copyrighted material
(as provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law).
If you wish to use this copyrighted material for purposes
of your own that go beyond fair use, you must obtain
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"You never know how strong you are until
being strong is the only choice you have."

(from Boston Metro on-line)

***********************

A WAY TO BE HAPPIER--Justin Dowd

In a 2004 TED lecture, Harvard psychologist Dan Gilbert described a shocking
study, saying a year after losing the use of their legs and a year after winning
the lotto, lottery winners and paraplegics are equally happy with their lives. 
Studies find that three months after a perceived life-changing event, with few
exceptions. Happiness remains unchanged.

Most assumptions of what will make us happy are wrong. Shawn Achor, CEO of Good
Think Inc., summarizes a nearly universal business and parenting strategy: "If I
work harder, I'll be more successful. And if I become more successful, then I'll
be happier.  But here's the catch:-every time your brain has a success. You’ll
change the goalpost of what success looked like. You got a good job--now you
have to get a better job. If happiness is on the opposite side of success, your
brain never gets there.  However. Achor's studies found a happy brain is 31
percent more productive than a negative, neutral or stressed brain. Therefore,
happiness causes success, not the other way around. One powerful path to a
positive state comes from something called the Tetris effect. When a person
plays Tetris too long, his or her brain unintentionally and habitually scans for
shapes in the surrounding world. Achor's method applies the same concept to
train your brain to automatically recognize positive patterns. First, write down
three new things you are grateful for from the last 24 hours.  Second, record a
current positive experience. This will Cause your pre-frontal cortex to relive
it. Good observations and memories automatically release dopamine to activate
learning centers and increase productivity.

After 21 days, your brain will habitually recognize positive patterns, similar
to the way a Tetris addict sees shapes. MRIs reveal this habit literally grows
positive emotion-processing areas while shrinking negative processing areas in
the brain

Nobody understands the endless complex• of happiness, but if you try this
two-minute trick even once, your dopamine receptors will thank you and you could
potentially experience more long-term happiness than from winning the lottery.

*******************

Sort of reminiscent of Irving Berlin's "Counting My Blessings", no?

W

Thanks for posting this. "Happiness causes success" is quite a
claim, but I feel proves itself over and over when recognized,
and if the criteria for success is "brings greater peace".
Peace and blessings,
Bob

"walto" <calhorn@...> wrote:
>
> (from Boston Metro on-line)
>
> ***********************
>
> A WAY TO BE HAPPIER--Justin Dowd
>
> In a 2004 TED lecture, Harvard psychologist Dan Gilbert described a shocking
study, saying a year after losing the use of their legs and a year after winning
the lotto, lottery winners and paraplegics are equally happy with their lives. 
Studies find that three months after a perceived life-changing event, with few
exceptions. Happiness remains unchanged.
>
> Most assumptions of what will make us happy are wrong. Shawn Achor, CEO of
Good Think Inc., summarizes a nearly universal business and parenting strategy:
"If I work harder, I'll be more successful. And if I become more successful,
then I'll be happier.  But here's the catch:-every time your brain has a
success. You’ll change the goalpost of what success looked like. You got a
good job--now you have to get a better job. If happiness is on the opposite side
of success, your brain never gets there.  However. Achor's studies found a happy
brain is 31 percent more productive than a negative, neutral or stressed brain.
Therefore, happiness causes success, not the other way around. One powerful path
to a positive state comes from something called the Tetris effect. When a person
plays Tetris too long, his or her brain unintentionally and habitually scans for
shapes in the surrounding world. Achor's method applies the same concept to
train your brain to automatically recognize positive patterns. First, write down
three new things you are grateful for from the last 24 hours.  Second, record a
current positive experience. This will Cause your pre-frontal cortex to relive
it. Good observations and memories automatically release dopamine to activate
learning centers and increase productivity.
>
> After 21 days, your brain will habitually recognize positive patterns, similar
to the way a Tetris addict sees shapes. MRIs reveal this habit literally grows
positive emotion-processing areas while shrinking negative processing areas in
the brain
>
> Nobody understands the endless complex• of happiness, but if you try this
two-minute trick even once, your dopamine receptors will thank you and you could
potentially experience more long-term happiness than from winning the lottery.
>
> *******************
>
> Sort of reminiscent of Irving Berlin's "Counting My Blessings", no?
>
> W
>

Ah, how good and pleasant the 21st Century can be.
My wife and I used to travel for 8 hours to attend
this Saturday night satsang and now with today's technology,
we can enjoy it from home. The 1st 1/2 to 1 hour is
usually chanting and then a speaker or 2 and a DVD
presentation of Swami Satchidananda answering questions.
Just as when we would attend in person, we consistently
find it more enjoyable (and "high") than we expected.
And of course the experience of seeing a truly enlightened
person in action is a rare blessing. Fun too! Anyway,
as they say, try it, you may just like it. Enjoy!
Peace and blessings,
Bob

Join Satchidananda Ashram's Satsang every Saturday evening

and share the archive with friends.

7:30pm Eastern, with Livestream

new.livestream.com/yogaville

In the cave of the body is eternally set the one unborn.
The earth is His body. (Though) moving within the earth,
the earth knows Him not.
The water is His body. (Though) moving within the water,
the water knows Him not.
The fire is His body. (Though) moving within the fire,
the fire knows Him not.
The air is His body. (Though) moving within the air,
the air knows Him not.
The ether is His body. (Though) moving within the ether,
the ether knows Him not.
The mind is His body. (Though) moving within the mind,
the mind knows Him not.
The intellect is His body. (Though) moving within the intellect,
the intellect knows Him not.
The ego is His body. (Though) moving within the ego,
the ego knows Him not.
The mind-stuff is His body. (Though) moving within the mind-stuff, the
mind-stuff knows Him not.
The unmanifest is His body. (Though) moving within the unmanifest, the
unmanifest knows Him not.
The imperishable is His body. Though) moving within the imperishable,
the imperishable knows Him not.
The Death is His body. (Though) moving within Death,
Death knows Him not.
He, then, is the inner-self of all beings, sinless, heaven-born, luminous, the
sole Narayana.

From the Adhyatma Upanishad
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A merchant sent his son to learn the Secret of Happiness
from the wisest of men. The young man wandered through the
desert for forty days until he reached a beautiful castle at
the top of a mountain. There lived the sage that the young man
was looking for.

However, instead of finding a holy man, our hero entered a
room and saw a great deal of activity; merchants coming and
going, people chatting in the corners, a small orchestra
playing sweet melodies, and there was a table laden with
the most delectable dishes of that part of the world.

The wise man talked to everybody, and the young man had to
wait for two hours until it was time for his audience.

The Sage listened attentively to the reason for the boy's
visit, but told him that at that moment he did not have the
time to explain to him the Secret of Happiness.

He suggested that the young man take a stroll around his
palace and come back in two hours' time.

"However, I want to ask you a favor," he added, handling the
boy a teaspoon, in which he poured two drops of oil.
"While you walk, carry this spoon and don't let the oil spill."

The young man began to climb up and down the palace
staircases, always keeping his eyes fixed on the spoon.
At the end of two hours he returned to the presence of
the wise man.

"So," asked the sage, "did you see the Persian tapestries
hanging in my dining room? Did you see the garden that the
Master of Gardeners took ten years to create? Did you notice
the beautiful parchments in my library?"

Embarrassed, the young man confessed that he had seen nothing.
His only concern was not to spill the drops of oil that the
wise man had entrusted to him.

"So, go back and see the wonders of my world," said the wise man. "You can't
trust a man if you don't know his house."

Now more at ease, the young man took the spoon and strolled
again through the palace, this time paying attention to all
the works of art that hung from the ceiling and walls.
He saw the gardens, the mountains all around the palace, the
delicacy of the flowers, the taste with which each work of
art was placed in its niche. Returning to the sage, he reported
in detail all that he had seen.

"But where are the two drops of oil that I entrusted to you?"
asked the sage.

Looking down at the spoon, the young man realized that he had
spilled the oil.

"Well, that is the only advice I have to give you," said the
sage of sages.
"The Secret of Happiness lies in looking at all the wonders of
the world and never forgetting the two drops of oil in the spoon."


from the book "The Alchemist"

Once a renowned philosopher and moralist was traveling
through Nasrudin's village when he asked him where there
was a good place to eat. He suggested a place and the
scholar, hungry for conversation, invited Mullah Nasrudin
to join him. Much obliged, Mullah Nasrudin accompanied the
scholar to a nearby restaurant, where they asked the waiter
about the special of the day.

- Fish! Fresh Fish! replied the waiter.

- Bring us two, they answered.

A few minutes later, the waiter brought out a large platter
with two cooked fish on it, one of which was quite a bit
smaller than the other. Without hesitating, Mullah Nasrudin
cooked the larger of the fish and put in on his plate.
The scholar, giving Mullah Nasrudin a look of intense
disbelief, proceed to tell him that what he did was not
only blatantly selfish, but that it violated the principles
of almost every known moral, religious, and ethical system.
Mullah Nasrudin calmly listened to the philosopher's
extempore lecture patiently, and when he had finally
exhausted his resources, Mullah Nasruddin said,

- Well, Sir, what would you have done?

- I, being a conscientious human, would have taken the smaller
fish for myself.

- Well, here you are, Mullah Nasrudin said, and placed the
smaller fish on the gentleman's plate.
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this not-for-profit, educational use on the Web
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(as provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law).
If you wish to use this copyrighted material for purposes
of your own that go beyond fair use, you must obtain
permission from the copyright owner.

Awakeness is an innate quality of who you are. What we call "awakening" is
recognizing not only that there is awakeness
present but that that is who you are. At some point, you
recognize the immense limitless perfection and innate awakeness
of your true self. This happens on its own with no effort on
your part. Spiritual awakening is similar to the recognition
that you are awake in the morning after sleeping. All of a sudden
you realize that you are awake, the sun is up, and it is time
to get up. In the morning you do not do anything to awaken.
When the time is right, it just happens. Spiritual awakening
also just happens when the time is right.

One of the dilemmas that many find themselves in is that they
want to awaken more than life itself and yet they can do
absolutely nothing to make that happen. The desire to awaken
and the fact that you can do nothing about it are two immovable truths, which
crush "you" between them. When you just rest in
the place where you admit both of these truths, something indescribable can
happen. When you just stay there and don't
turn away just because the situation is impossible, then these
two truths can wear away all of your mistaken ideas and illusions. What remains
is an empty spaciousness that allows the truth of
your being to become obvious. You still haven't done anything,
but everything else has fallen away, leaving a clear space for
the truth.

There is a difference between awakening, which is recognizing
the truth of who you are, and Freedom, which is the end of
suffering. Awakening is a gift of grace. That's the part that
you can do nothing about. You can't do anything to make awakening happen. It
just arrives, and it's not up to you when. However, Freedom comes as soon as you
stop resisting what is happening
or grasping after what is not happening. When you do that, the
end of suffering is instantaneous. Freedom does not depend on awakening. What it
depends on is wanting Freedom more than anything else�more than you want to
maintain the illusion of a separate self.

After awakening, there is a natural reduction in the tendency to grasp or resist
and therefore a reduction in suffering. However,
even after awakening, the tendency to grasp can still arise,
usually in more subtle ways, such as trying to hold on to the experience of
awakening or longing for that experience to return. When that happens, suffering
reappears. The good news is that
Freedom is available in every moment�before, during, and after
awakening�whenever you surrender your grasping and resistance.
By surrendering your futile efforts to change what is, you can
be free. This choice to surrender is, in fact, the only true
choice you have, since you can't choose to awaken. Then, as
always, awakening will take care of itself.

~Nirmala
Nothing Personal: Seeing Beyond the Illusion of a Separate Self
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If you wish to use this copyrighted material for purposes
of your own that go beyond fair use, you must obtain
permission from the copyright owner.

A Conducive Atmosphere

"If a group of happy, easy-going, joyous people come
together, even a person with a morose mind in that group
feels happy. That means that, when the majority of minds
gathered together in one place have the same idea, it
creates a powerful thought vibration in that atmosphere.
When people get together in the name of meditation, they
come for a purpose, so that thought is predominant in
every mind. Even if there are a few people who are able
to do the meditation well, they create a proper atmosphere,
a conducive atmosphere for others to be benefited. Even the
mind that is restless, that finds it difficult to meditate,
can have the benefit of that atmosphere. It was for this
reason that places of prayer, worship and meditation were
created. Otherwise, the divine can be found anywhere and everywhere.

"God bless you. Om Shanti, Shanti, Shanti."

Join Satchidananda Ashram's Satsang every Saturday evening

and share the archive with friends.

7:30pm Eastern, with Livestream

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MEANING OF AHIMSA

Ahimsa or non-injury, of course, implies non-killing.
But, non-injury is not merely non-killing. In its
comprehensive meaning, Ahimsa or non-injury means entire
abstinence from causing any pain or harm whatsoever to
any living creature, either by thought, word, or deed.
Non-injury requires a harmless mind, mouth, and hand.

Ahimsa is not mere negative non-injury. It is positive,
cosmic love. It is the development of a mental attitude
in which hatred is replaced by love. Ahimsa is true sacrifice.
Ahimsa is forgiveness. Ahimsa is Sakti (power). Ahimsa is
true strength.

SUBTLE FORMS OF HIMSA

Only the ordinary people think that Ahimsa is not to hurt
any living being physically. This is but the gross form
of Ahimsa. The vow of Ahimsa is broken even by showing
contempt towards another man, by entertaining unreasonable
dislike for or prejudice towards anybody, by frowning at
another man, by hating another man, by abusing another
man, by speaking ill of others, by backbiting or vilifying,
by harbouring thoughts of hatred, by uttering lies, or
by ruining another man in any way whatsoever.

All harsh and rude speech is Himsa (violence or injury).
Using harsh words to beggars, servants or inferiors is Himsa. Wounding the
feelings of others by gesture, expression,
tone of voice and unkind words is also Himsa. Slighting
or showing deliberate discourtesy to a person before others
is wanton Himsa. To approve of another's harsh actions is
indirect Himsa. To fail to relieve another's pain, or even
to neglect to go to the person in distress is a sort of Himsa.
It is the sin of omission. Avoid strictly all forms of
harshness, direct or indirect, positive or negative, immediate
or delayed. Practice Ahimsa in its purest form and become
divine. Ahimsa and Divinity are one.

AHIMSA, A QUALITY OF THE STRONG

If you practice Ahimsa, you should put up with insults,
rebukes, criticisms and assaults also. You should never
retaliate nor wish to offend anybody even under extreme
provocation. You should not entertain any evil thought
against anybody. You should not harbour anger. You should
not curse. You should be prepared to lose joyfully even
your life in the cause of Truth. The Ultimate Truth can be
attained only through Ahimsa.

Ahimsa is the acme of bravery. Ahimsa is not possible
without fearlessness. Non-violence cannot be practiced by
weak persons. Ahimsa cannot be practiced by a man who is
terribly afraid of death and has no power of resistance and endurance. It is a
shield, not of the effeminate, but of
the potent. Ahimsa is a quality of the strong. It is a weapon
of the strong. When a man beats you with a stick, you should
not entertain any thought of retaliation or any unkind feeling towards the
tormentor. Ahimsa is the perfection of forgiveness.