Awareness of Death

There was once a dervish who embarked upon a sea journey.  As the other passengers in the ship came aboard one by one, they saw him and – as is the custom – asked him for a piece of advice.  What he advised was: ‘Try to be aware of death, until you know what death is.’  Few of the travelers felt particularly attracted to this admonition.

While at sea a terrible storm blew up.  The crew and the passengers alike fell upon their knees, imploring God to save the ship.  They alternately screamed in terror, gave themselves up for lost, hoped wildly for deliverance.  The dervish sat quietly, reflective, not reacting.

Eventually the buffeting stopped, the sea and sky were calm, and the passengers remembered how serene the dervish had been throughout the episode.  One of them asked him: ‘ Did you not realize that during this frightful tempest that there was nothing more solid than a plank between us all and death?’

‘Oh, yes, indeed,’ answered the dervish. ‘I knew that it is like that at sea.  I also realize, however, that in living day to day there is even less between us and death.  In that moment of dread you were aware of death because you thought it was immanent.  Will you hold that awareness as you live this day?

Meditation: Summaries from Perugia 2012 – Courtesy of Sandro

Meditation: LA769-19930415 – Development of Self Control

LA769 930415 Self Control

Pranayama(3 minutes): breath of the dog’s breath
Eyes: the tip of the nose
Mudra: open and close with powerful fists, twisting wrists from outside
inside:
“Open your mouth and look at this breath (start breathing quickly in and
out through the mouth) the breath of the dog, as dogs do. You do not
have to go to a doctor tonight, you should care for yourself. Eyes at the
tip of the nose. This is the reason why dogs never get sick. Breathe fast
and powerful, with all your strength. If you have cancer, do it, see what
happens. You can, use the power. Pull your fingers in hard. Keep your
mouth like an “O”. When you are in a hospital and you feel miserable, that one ‘becomes’ O’ and when you feel even more miserable, it becomes “Q”, your tongue comes out, remember? So, only “O”.
Finally breathe and tighten and squeeze, squeeze, the whole body like steel. Like a cannon, exhale. 3 times.

Pranayama (3 minutes) : breath of the dog’s mouth to O
Eyes: closed
Mudra: Push to turn your arms forward with the palms flat facing
outwards. (When an arm is to go as fast as strength to push off with
your blocks. Others instead returns to his chest and back). This
exercise and very unique, and a bit ‘difficult because will work on your
block and you know we’re all stuck. Same “O”. the breath begins in the
same way the previous one. Quick, quick alternately push out his arms.
Push, Push the dirt off of you hit strong, strong, swim, swim go push,
stronger stronger, whatever you release will be gone for good, you will
not have any new sense around you, stronger than most strong push, push, the hair will grow, push, push, push, push, push all that there is’ killing, push, stronger, with the “O” breath.
continue ……. Finally Breathe? Stay where you are …….. stretch, shake your body shake your whole body…shake … exhale. (3 times by changing the position of the hands) If you do these exercises, you can not have bleeding, you can not have an attack (cardiac), because you are a stress test, this is a stress test.

Pranayama (3 minutes): breathing dog’s mouth in an O
Eyes: the tip of the nose
Mudra: hands open as shown and rotate the palms of your hands
quickly. You see now look, there is an absolute angle of the hand, look
at this. You have to do it exactly that way because the prana must
pass, and and this. (Start breathing of the dog), you see I’m dancing,
the whole thing moves
Come on, come on, move people, you should be at least 20 cm. above
the floor with every move, move, move.
Finally inspired!, And stick out your tongue, and squeeze, squeeze, tongue out, do it like iron and hammer. Squeeze your entire body, exhale. 3 times

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Put the tape (Punjabi drum music) and dance with your hands above your head (3 minutes)
Get up and continue dancing with arms up (3 minutes).

LA769-930415-SelfControl