Today: “Everyone wants to know the truth, but nobody wants to face it. Yogi Bhajan

Everyone wants to know the truth, but nobody wants to face it.” Yogi Bhajan

Meditation: NM190-19951031-Connect Yourself to the Reality

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“If you are right, and resistance to your efforts is wrong-headed, adopt a flexible approach. ” – a reading from the I Ching

If you are right, and resistance to your efforts is wrong-headed, adopt a flexible approach.  Don’t force the issue.  It only meets with more resistance. Your course will prevail in the end.

Meditation: The Neutral Mind

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Today: I Ching – Previous Readings

Read the text from Richard Wilhelm's and subsequent translations of the I Ching

#19, line 3, #36
You are in a position to help another.
This is a temporary situation, because your power is cyclical, seasonal.
Knowing this, you must perform your good deed without hope of reward.
You are not furthering your own process, but another’s.
Though you may cherish this other, you will never possess.
Touch without grasping.
Take comfort in becoming a fond memory.
Nurture, then let go.
Aggressive action meets inflexible resistance.
If regret leads to a softer approach, there will be no irreparable damage.
This time calls for a saintly effort to turn the other cheek.
You have been deliberately injured.
Going blow-for-blow will only escalate this war.
Abstain from vengeance.
Show all watching that you are above it.
Sidestep your aggressor’s headlong charge, giving him the opportunity to fall on his face.

Today: “A life with contentment is the life of an emperor.” Yogi Bhajan

“A life with contentment is the life of an emperor. A life of moderate desires is the life of a king. And a life of impatient desires is the life of a beggar.” Yogi Bhajan

Meditation: The Neutral Mind

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“…bonding and unity will happen once the perpetrators realize and atone for their own foolish behavior.” – a reading from the I Ching

There is such discord and estrangement among tribal interests that the common interest, along with good manners and agreed upon contracts, are  not just neglected but openly flouted by those who do not understand the necessity of union.  People are injured and are dying for a cause that arose from extreme greed and a lust for power.  Despite all that, bonding and unity will happen once the perpetrators realize and atone for their own foolish behavior.   We just have to wait.
To modify such foolish behavior  the compulsions of the powerful must be redirected.

Lecture and Meditation: Patience Pays – LA-19831020

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Today: I Ching – Previous Readings

Read the text from Richard Wilhelm's and subsequent translations of the I Ching

#38, line 3, #8
When people live in opposition and estrangement they cannot carry out a great undertaking in common; their points of view diverge too widely. In such circumstances one should above all not proceed brusquely, for that would only increase the existing opposition; instead, one should limit oneself to producing gradual effects in small matters. Here success can still be expected, because the situation is such that the opposition does not preclude all agreement.
In general, opposition appears as an obstruction, but when it represents polarity within a comprehensive whole, it has also its useful and important functions. The oppositions of heaven and earth, spirit and nature, man and woman, when reconciled, bring about the creation and reproduction of life. In the world of visible things, the principle of opposites makes possible the differentiation by categories through which order is brought into the world.
Above, fire; below, the lake.
The image of OPPOSITION.
Thus amid all fellowship
The superior man retains his individuality.

The two elements, fire and water, never mingle but even when in contact retain their own natures. So the cultured man is never led into baseness or vulgarity through intercourse or community of interests with persons of another sort; regardless of all commingling, he will always preserve his individuality.

Six in the third place means:
One sees the wagon dragged back,
The oxen halted,
A man’s hair and nose cut off.
Not a good beginning, but a good end.
Often it seems to a man as though everything were conspiring against him. He sees himself checked and hindered in his progress, insulted and dishonored.1 However, he must not let himself be misled; despite this opposition, he must cleave to the man with whom he knows he belongs. Thus, notwithstanding the bad beginning, the matter will end well.
WHAT IS required is that we unite with others, in order that all may complement and aid one another through holding together. But such holding together calls for a central figure around whom other persons may unite. To become a centre of influence holding people together is a grave matter and fraught with great responsibility. It requires greatness of spirit, consistency, and strength. Therefore let him who wishes to gather others about him ask himself whether he is equal to the undertaking, for anyone attempting the task without a real calling for it only makes confusion worse than if no union at all had taken place.
But when there is a real rallying point, those who at first are hesitant or uncertain gradually come in of their own accord. Late-comers must suffer the consequences, for in holding together the question of the right time is also important. Relationships are formed and firmly established according to definite inner laws. Common experiences strengthen these ties, and he who comes too late to share in these basic experiences must suffer for it if, as a straggler, he finds the door locked.
If a man has recognized the necessity for union and does not feel strong enough to function as the centre, it is his duty to become a member of some other organic fellowship.
On the earth is water:
The image of holding together.
Thus the kings of antiquity
Bestowed the different states as fiefs
And cultivated friendly relations
With the feudal lords.

WATER FILLS UP all the empty places on the earth and clings fast to it. The social organisation of ancient China was based on this principle of the holding together of dependents and rulers. Water flows to unite with water, because all parts of it are subject to the same laws. So too should human society hold together through a community of interests that allows each individual to feel himself a member of a whole. The central power of a social organisation must see to it that every member finds that his true interest lies in holding together with it, as was the case in the paternal relationship between king and vassals in ancient China.

Today: “If you want to rule the world, there is only one law: the law of compassion and the sweet tongue.” Yogi Bhajan

“If you want to rule the world, there is only one law: the law of compassion and the sweet tongue.” Yogi Bhajan

Meditation: NM0163 – Feel God Within You, The Kindness in You

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Recap: Healing and Meditation Workshop at Yoga West with Hari Nam Singh 2019-05-03 – The Projective Meditative Mind Part 2

The Projective Meditative Mind part 2

We held a workshop at Yoga West on May 3, 2019.  In this class, we stabilized and developed the projective meditative mind.

In our healing tradition, healing begins when we can adjust our awareness to a specific aspect that we call the projective meditative mind.  Other names for this are shuniya and the sacred space.  Once we stabilize that position of awareness, we begin to relate with the patient (event) in a way that produces healing in the event.  We call the aspect projective because in that position of awareness our intention becomes projective, in that it manifests in our relation with the event.  Our intention to heal impacts the relation.

Literally, shuniya describes an aspect of mind that is empty.  Not void as in nothing, as there is always activity in the mind, rather empty of any tendency to move or direct the experience.  Sitting in shuniya, our mind  allows the flow of our experience without interfering with it or imposing any bias or preconception onto the experience.  See Milarepa’s Song to Lady Palderboom.  Shuniya is a most profound state of being.  It is most effective for healing.

Arriving at this awareness is not an accident.  Nor is it likely that we should recognize it without preparing the mind with certain exercises, or kriyas.  Of the many kriyas that come from the tradition of Kundalini Yoga, many deal directly with the development of shuniya.

If we could arrive at shuniya by thinking it or by verbal instruction, we would.  Instead, we allow our practice of the kriyas to instruct our mind subtly.  The kriya tricks our mind into moving our awareness toward shuniya, giving us a direct experience of being empty.  With the repetition of kriyas, we practice accessing that place in our awareness, ultimately allowing us to stabilize it at will.

In this workshop, we performed two meditations.
Meditation: LA950 A00214 20000214 Develop Self-Reliance
and
Meditation: KYB117-19860822 – Achieve an Experience of God

Instability in the meditative mind comes from several sources, among them doubt, fear, unconfidence, insecurity and preconceived beliefs and prejudices about the forms of perception that are presented to us by our sensory experience.  Our sensory field includes everything we feel, physical, emotional and otherwise, all ideas and thoughts.

Practicing the first meditation offers us a chance to rely on our perceptions without question or judgment, as they are.  It connects us with the sacred energy known as prikirti.  Prikirti helps us to transcend any struggle with accepting our perception as reality without adding anything to it.  We can direct our attention to the flow of perception without agitation, anxiety, or  distraction.  We can then abandon tendencies for interrupting the flow and any other self-motivated movement of awareness.  We can sit in shuniya.

The second meditation purifies our limited awareness, allowing it to extend infinitely within to achieve an experience of God.  We merge with infinity.

Listen to the workshop audio, which picks up after the second meditation.  The group performs healing exercises with their partners.

See a recap of other workshops,
posts related to the meditative mind
and posts related to shuniya

“We just have to wait.” – a reading from the I Ching

We just have to wait.

Lecture and Meditation: Patience Pays – LA-19831020

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Today: I Ching – Previous Readings

Read the text from Richard Wilhelm's and subsequent translations of the I Ching

#5
WAITING is not mere empty hoping. It has the inner certainty of reaching the goal. Such certainty alone gives that light which leads to success. This leads to the perseverance that brings good fortune and bestows power to cross the great water. One is faced with a danger that has to be overcome. Weakness and impatience can do nothing. Only a strong man can stand up to his fate, for his inner security enables him to endure to the end. This strength shows itself in uncompromising truthfulness [with himself]. It is only when we have the courage to face things exactly as they are, without any sort of self- deception or illusion, that a light will develop out of events, by which the path to success may be recognized. This recognition must be followed by resolute and persevering action. For only the man who goes to meet his fate resolutely is equipped to deal with it adequately. Then he will be able to cross the great water – that is to say, he will be capable of making the necessary decision and of surmounting the danger. Clouds rise up to heaven:
The image of [calculated] waiting.
Thus the superior man eats and drinks,
Is joyous and of good cheer.


WHEN CLOUDS rise in the sky, it is a sign that it will rain. There is nothing to do but to wait till after the rain falls. It is the same in life when destiny is at work. We should not worry and seek to shape the future by interfering in things before the time is ripe. We should quietly fortify the body with food and drink and the mind with gladness and good cheer. Fate comes when it will, and thus we’re ready. 

Today: “The strength of the man does not lie in what he has. The strength of the man lies only in what he can give.” Yogi Bhajan

“The strength of the man does not lie in what he has. The strength of the man lies only in what he can give. Only those can give who have the capacity to tap into the universe. If the universe is not in your mind, your heart cannot give.” Yogi Bhajan

Meditation: NM142 19940615 – Bless the Planet Earth and Let the Heavens Descend in You

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You must overcome fear and doubt and a lack of confidence.” – a reading from the I Ching

You must overcome fear and doubt and a lack of confidence.  They lead to inaction and paralysis and bring harm to you and your family.  Do not lunge forward blindly, however.  Use your intuition.

Meditation: LA950 A00214 20000214 Develop Self-Reliance

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Today: I Ching – Previous Readings

Read the text from Richard Wilhelm's and subsequent translations of the I Ching

#4, line 4, #10
This is a time of interchange between a mentor and pupil.
Whether you are the teacher or the student, it is a time of companionship along a mutual path.
This hexagram also emphasizes the eternal, cyclical nature of the mentor/student relationship — a mentor is merely a more seasoned pupil, further along on the journey.
A pupil holds within himself the seed of a future Master.
You are so terrified of being wrong, you leave no room for learning what is right.
You have reached a perilous point in your journey.
This is a real gamble — not a maneuver, not a calculated risk.
The outcome is uncertain.
If it goes as you hope, you will gain — but if it turns against you it will cause serious injury, at least to your plans.
The best tack is extreme caution and a healthy respect for the danger involved..

Today: “A man of God should develop a reliance on truth, on self, on higher self, on wisdom, on spirit, on mind, on physical abilities and capacities.” Yogi Bhajan

“A man of God should develop a reliance on truth, on self, on higher self, on wisdom, on spirit, on mind, on physical abilities and capacities. And a man of God should develop and guide this reliance so that when he walks out and faces the world, he is wise.” Yogi Bhajan

Meditation: LA950 A00214 20000214 Develop Self-Reliance

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Recap: Healing and Meditation Class at Yoga West with Hari Nam Singh 2019-05-01 – The Projective Meditative Mind

The Projective Meditative Mind

We held a workshop at Yoga West on May 1, 2019.  In this class, we stabilized and developed the projective meditative mind.

In our healing tradition, healing begins when we can adjust our awareness to a specific aspect that we call the projective meditative mind.  Other names for this are shuniya and the sacred space.  Once we stabilize that position of awareness, we begin to relate with the patient (event) in a way that produces healing in the event.  We call the aspect projective because in that position of awareness our intention becomes projective, in that it manifests in our relation with the event.  Our intention to heal impacts the relation.

Literally, shuniya describes an aspect of mind that is empty.  Not void as in nothing, as there is always activity in the mind, rather empty of any tendency to move or direct the experience.  Sitting in shuniya, our mind  allows the flow of our experience without interfering with it or imposing any bias or preconception on the experience.  See Milarepa’s Song to Lady Palderboom.  Shuniya is a most profound state of being.  It is most effective for healing.

Arriving at this awareness is not an accident.  Nor is it likely that we should recognize it without preparing the mind with certain exercises, or kriyas.  Of the many kriyas that come from the tradition of Kundalini Yoga, many deal directly with the development of shuniya.

If we could arrive at shuniya by thinking it or by verbal instruction, we would.  Instead, we allow our practice of the kriyas to instruct our mind subtly.  The kriya tricks our mind into moving our awareness toward shuniya, giving us a direct experience of being empty.  With the repetition of kriyas, we practice accessing that place in our awareness, ultimately allowing us to stabilize it at will.

In this workshop, we performed a shuniya meditation.  This particular one is the first in a series of four that Yogi Bhajan gave to us when he visited Los Angeles in the Fall of 1994:
Meditation: Shuniya Meditations as Taught by Yogi Bhajan, Yoga West, 1994.

Then we practiced some healing exercises with partners.  After a couple of rounds, we performed the meditation:
Meditation: LA004 780109 Innocent Thumbs.

As we sit in shuniya, our perceptive field tends to “crank up the volume”, so we begin to become aware of minute sensations in a big way.  They can be distracting to us if we become caught up with them.  This kriya helps us not to engage, judge, or otherwise interfere with the flow of experience.  As  result, we become completely neutral as an observer of our experience.  Then, the experience is allowed to flow freely as we simply observe sitting in shuniya.  The healing intensifies as we increase the projective power of our intention.

After the healing exercises, we considered a next step to refining our projection.  Just as we are able to train ourselves to develop and stabilize shuniya at will, we are able to merge that awareness with our radiant body.  The radiant body impacts all who stand in our presence.  Its effects are instant, so we can quickly heal people with our presence.  The homework for this practice is:
Meditation: NM345- Strengthen and enhance the radiant body.

The class audio begins after the first meditation.  It continues through the healing exercises through the end of class.

See a recap of other workshops,
posts related to the meditative mind
and posts related to shuniya

Today: “Recognize your family as it extends through the entire social structure.” – a reading from the I Ching

Recognize your family as it extends through the entire social structure.  Take care of them all according to your capacity.

Meditation: LA051-780907 – Tune the Vagus Nerve to Cosmic Consciousness

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Today: I Ching – Previous Readings

Read the text from Richard Wilhelm's and subsequent translations of the I Ching

#37, line 5, #27
One in this situation must be keenly aware of his influence on others.
Maintain a healthy respect for the ripple effect of your words and deeds.
To some you serve as a role model.
You can either help shape their world or tilt them into chaos.
Show temperance and consideration to all.
A good ruler tempers justice with mercy.
This is best for a household as well.
Endure and good fortune will come.
Nurture others in need, as if you were feeding yourself.
Take care not to provide sustenance for those who feed off others.
Stay as high as possible on the food chain.
You are a conduit in this instance, able to provide the sustenance needed by others.  Position yourself to nourish the truly needy and worthy.
Avoid situations where you might be coerced into supporting the parasites and vermin who deprive your true charges.
Your own nourishment is an issue here, too.  Remember Lao Tzu’s three Great Treasures:  Only the person possessed of Compassion, Modesty and Frugality can remain fit enough to stay free of desperation and keep control of the situation.

Today: “Man is basically unlimited because the soul is unlimited. Man is basically unlimited because his mind is unlimited. Only the physical… ” Yogi Bhajan

“Man is basically unlimited because the soul is unlimited. Man is basically unlimited because his mind is unlimited. Only the physical structure is limited, but the structure is priceless. Nobody can manufacture it.” Yogi Bhajan

Meditation:LA822-950201-Healing the Physical

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Today: “It is a time to rise from obscurity to a place of prominence among your peers.” – a reading from the I Ching

It is a time to rise from obscurity to a place of prominence among your peers.  Show your radiance and trust your intuition.  You will find success and bring peace to the world.

See yesterday’s reading.

Meditation: TCH20 02 960722 – Increase the Power of the Infinite Within

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Today: I Ching – Previous Readings

Read the text from Richard Wilhelm's and subsequent translations of the I Ching

#46, line 1, #11
pushing upward is associated with effort, just as a plant needs energy for pushing upward through the earth. That is why this hexagram, although it is connected with success, is associated with effort of the will. In PROGRESS the emphasis is on expansion; PUSHING UPWARD indicates rather a vertical ascent-direct rise from obscurity and lowliness to power and influence.

PUSHING UPWARD has supreme success.
One must see the great man.
Fear not.
Departure toward the south
Brings good fortune.

The pushing upward of the good elements encounters no obstruction and is therefore accompanied by great success. The pushing upward is made possible not by violence but by modesty and adaptability. Since the individual is borne along by the propitiousness of the time, he advances. He must go to see authoritative people. He need not be afraid to do this, because success is assured. But he must set to work, for activity (this is the meaning of “the south”) brings good fortune.
This is the situation at the beginning of ascent. Just as wood draws strength for its upward push from the root, which in itself is in the lowest place, so the power to rise comes from this low and obscure station. But there is a spiritual affinity with the rulers above, and this solidarity creates the confidence needed to accomplish something.
This hexagram denotes a time in nature when heaven seems to be on earth. Heaven has placed itself beneath the earth, and so their powers unite in deep harmony. Then peace and blessing descend upon all living things.
In the world of man it is a time of social harmony; those in high places show favor to the lowly, and the lowly and inferior in their turn are well disposed toward the highly placed. There is an end to all feuds.
Inside, at the centre, in the key position, is the light principle; the dark principle is outside. Thus the light has a powerful influence, while the dark is submissive. In this way each receives its due. When the good elements of society occupy a central position and are in control, the evil elements come under their influence and change for the better. When the spirit of heaven rules in man, his animal nature also comes under its influence and takes its appropriate place.
The individual lines enter the hexagram from below and leave it again at the top. Here the small, weak, and evil elements are about to take their departure, while the great, strong, and good elements are moving up. This brings good fortune and success.

Heaven and earth unite: the image of PEACE.
Thus the ruler
Divides and completes the course of heaven and earth;
He furthers and regulates the gifts of heaven and earth,
And so aids the people.

Heaven and earth are in contact and combine their influences, producing a time of universal flowering and prosperity. This stream of energy must be regulated by the ruler of men. It is done by a process of division. Thus men divide the uniform flow of time into the seasons, according to the succession of natural phenomena, and mark off infinite space by the points of the compass. In this way nature in its overwhelming profusion of phenomena is bounded and controlled. On the other hand, nature must be furthered in her productiveness. This is done by adjusting the products to the right time and the right place, which increases the natural yield. This controlling and furthering activity of man in his relation to nature is the work on nature that rewards him.

Today: “When you become light and you radiate, there is no darkness. ” Yogi Bhajan

“When you become light and you radiate, there is no darkness. A candle has one future, to spread the light. How does the candle spread the light? By burning itself, the candle spreads light and consequently knows the future. If you burn yourself, you will radiate and will spread light. The job of the human being is to radiate through the finite self the infinite light.” Yogi Bhajan

Meditation:NM345- Strengthen and enhance the radiant body

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