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Comings and Goings
“If it comes, accept it. If it doesn’t come, trust that it’s all for good. You may lose anything and everything in the world, but don’t lose your peace.
“God bless you. Om Shanti, Shanti, Shanti.” —Sri Swami Satchidananda
(photo: Swami Satchidananda in Zinal, Switzerland, late-1970s.)
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Karma, according to the Sanskrit terminology, has two meanings: Any action is called karma and the reaction of the action is also called karma. So a karma will bring a karma—meaning, an action has its own reaction. Cause and effect, action and reaction, they’re inseparable. This is nature’s law. If there is a positive there must be a negative. If there is a good, there must be a bad. What we sow, we reap. What we do, we must face. If we are facing some difficulties now, and if we do not know why, and we have not done anything good or bad to face such a situation, there is only one explanation: We must have done something before.... If we just come into this life without any previous action, without any karma, why are there all the differences in taste, in temperament, in our different capacities? So it goes without saying, that we were living before. This is the reincarnation theory. Without the reincarnation theory, we can’t even talk about karma; they go hand in hand. We sowed something, and we are reaping now. But, it need not always be that what we are reaping now is what we sowed long before. Even in this very life if we sowed something yesterday, we may reap today, or tomorrow. But, if we don’t see the fruit, or the result in this life, we might be seeing it in another life. It will be waiting for us. Whatever it may be, we can never avoid it. Even after ten births, the reaction will be waiting there for us. So that is why, think well before you act. MORE
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Rev. Jaganath, Integral Yoga Minister and Raja Yoga master teacher, has spent a lifetime delving into the deepest layers of meaning in Patanjali’s words within the Yoga Sutras. Our series continues with the 23rd sutra of Chapter 1 in which Patanjali offers another pathway to attaining samadhi: īśvara-praṇidhānā, devotion to God. But how does Patanjali define “īśvara?”
Ishvara is a term found in many sacred texts of India, including the Upanishads and the Bhagavad Gita. A good general understanding of Ishvara is that it is the reflection of the Absolute (Brahman) on the purest aspect of prakriti (sattva, that which has the nature of pure beingness), like the sun reflecting on a perfect mirror. We see the sun. We can benefit from its light and even feel some of its heat. The mirror allows us to experience several real characteristics of the sun.... Ishvara serves as a role model for seekers who strive to manifest within themselves Ishvara’s innate freedom from ignorance, obstacles, karma, and subconscious impressions. Devotion to Ishvara harnesses the power of a loving, devoted heart to one’s spiritual quest. Devotion and dedication directed to Ishvara have the power to awaken selfless love, the perfect inner environment for attaining self-mastery and which is also a natural counterforce to all vices and limitations. Selfless love generates a force that brings the devotee to liberation. Look ahead to sutra 2.45: By wholehearted dedication to Ishvara, perfection in samadhi is attained. MORE
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Swami Satchidananda often spoke about Ramalinga Swamigal (Vallalar), the South Indian saint who simply dissolved his body and disappeared: "He just went into a room and disappeared. He was a great siddha. His body got completely changed into light. It's like alchemy, when you turn base metal into gold." This article sheds further light on spiritual transformation from a Tibetan Buddhist perspective. (photo: Vallalar)
In Vajrayana traditions of Tibetan Buddhism, tangible matter is considered to be made up of five elements: space, air, fire, water, and earth. As described in Tibetan literary sources, including The Tibetan Book of the Dead, the elemental energies that make up the cosmos are understood to be undifferentiated from those that make up the human body. Therefore, the body is simultaneously an individual person and the cosmic whole. Certain Buddhist meditation practices are meant to alter the gravitational field of these five elements that constitute the body, transforming them into the five radiant lights of the color spectrum. The Tibetan name given to this physical fluorescence is jalu, literally meaning, “rainbow body.” Rainbow body is also the name given to the transformation of the ordinary physical body as a result of years of specific disciplined practices. MORE
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In this video, Nalanie Chellaram (Director of the Gibraltar and Sotogrande Integral Yoga Centres) guides listeners through a beautiful Integral Yoga deep relaxation and meditation for healing, releasing tension, and sleeping. (Caution: Do not listen to while driving or operating equipment.)
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A few mornings ago the surf was rising, so I drove down to one of my favorite spots at sunrise with the vision of catching some sweet waves before the world woke up and the water got crowded. Apparently I wasn’t the only one with this idea. As the first rays lit up the ocean, I paddled out to find about 30 other surfers already out there. Instantly I felt behind, like I’d missed something. So I hit the water with a sense of urgency, trying to make up for lost time—paddling this way and that to dodge people, ducking under big waves, navigating currents and looking for my groove. But every wave I paddled for seemed to have someone else on it, or it broke too soon or too late for me to catch. The harder I tried, the more difficult it seemed to find my flow with the ocean. Until eventually I got so tired I couldn’t keep paddling—so I stopped for a moment, sat up on my board and just let the current take me....Wu Wei is a Chinese concept central to Taoism and a core theme of Lao Tzu’s Tao Te Ching. Translated literally as ‘non-doing,’ Wu Wei is not so much about ‘doing nothing’ as it is about aligning our movement with the greater flow of life. Often referred to as ‘natural action,’ Wu Wei does not involve excessive effort or struggle, but a kind of ‘going with the flow’ where we are able to move with the energy of the moment and respond freely to whatever situation that arises. MORE
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Nurse.com just reported that survey results published by the National Institutes of Health found the number of American adults and children practicing Yoga and meditation has risen significantly over the past five years. According to an NIH news release on the survey, 10% of adults questioned in 2012 said they did Yoga, with the number jumping to 14% by 2017. For meditation just 4% of adults said they used the method in 2012, with 14% of adults using meditation in the 2017 survey. The survey was part of a complementary health questionnaire developed by the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, part of the National Institutes of Health, and by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Center for Health Statistics. David Shurtleff, PhD, acting director of the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, said in the news release: “The survey data suggest that more people are turning to mind and body approaches than ever before, and the research we support at National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health is helping to determine the impact of those approaches on health.” MORE
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Snatam Kaur, who has received her first Grammy nomination in the New Age category for her album Beloved in this year's 61st Grammy Awards, will be performing at the 2019 GRAMMY Awards Premiere Ceremony. You can watch from anywhere, as The GRAMMY Awards Premiere Ceremony will be streamed live internationally. The show will be webcasted live internationally on Grammy. com from 12:30pm to 3:30pm (Pacific) on Sunday, February 10th. To watch with Snatam Kaur's fans around the globe, tune in to Bright Star Events on Sunday starting at 12:30 p.m. PT. MORE
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Integral Yoga Magazine (IYM): How does chanting permeate the Sikh way of life?
Snatam Kaur (SK): The whole tradition is based around music because the spiritual technology for awakening to our inner divinity, according to Sikh Dharma, is to recite and sing from the Siri Guru Granth Sahib (1432 pages of sacred songs and experiences which we as Sikhs bow to as our Guru, or Divine Teacher). When a person sings these sacred songs, it begins a healing process on the physical, mental and spiritual levels. The way Yogi Bhajan explained it is that Gurmukhi, the language of these prayer songs, was developed to cause a transference of energy and, if we recite them in a state of pure consciousness and humility, we will be able to tap into that same ecstasy and consciousness of their enlightenment.... Guru Arjan compiled the Siri Guru Granth Sahib by collecting the sacred writings of the four previous Gurus, as well as many of his own. He also added writings from enlightened Hindu, Muslim and Sufi saints of the time. Each enlightened Master had a particular experience, a feeling of which was communicated through sacred words. This vibration became known as Shabad Guru (the vibration or frequency of the consciousness of enlightenment). The Masters received these visions of sound and put them into words. MORE
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The Integral Yoga center, SIS Swindon, will be running a Yoga retreat in St Columb Major Cornwall on the weekend of March 22–24, 2019. The retreat also features Laura Sewell, from Oxford, coming to share her beautiful kirtan. Early booking—via email to Alison—is advised as spaces are limited. Congrats to the recent Pre-natal Teacher Training graduates. The SIS Swindon team was so happy that Daya Dewfall was able to come from Gibraltar to share the Pre-Natal Teacher Training. Nine students completed the course and enjoyed the deep exploration of Hatha Yoga for the pregnant mum to be!
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On Jauary 30th, in the bitter cold, Yogaville celebrated the power of the sun, as Hari Barker cut the ribbon on the new solar energy system at the LOTUS. After triumphant applause, the hardy attendees relocated to the backside of the LOTUS where Siva Moore completed the celebration with a dramatic flipping of the switch, transferring power from the new system to the LOTUS. Pictured from left to right are: Snehan Desachy, Swami Dayananda, Siva Moore, Hari Barker, Madeleine Ray (representing Sigora Solar, our project partner), Harry Bryant (our County supervisor), and Jeeva Abbate. This solar field will power the LOTUS and the two fountains in front of it, saving the ashram about $600 a month or $7200 a year. What's the plan for solar in your community? Learn more here.
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Inspiring Meme of the Week
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