Positive thinking is so often seen as a good thing. We get messages all the time that we should look at life as full of possibilities that can all be fulfilled if we only believe. The tendency is that if we look at things realistically, we are told we are being negative and closing off possibilities. The fact is, whether …
Understanding Grace and Right Effort….
Baba used to say that the bird of paradise has two wings, Grace and self-effort. First, we need the right self-effort to earn Grace. And then, if we fail to continue the right effort, we will squander that Grace. Right effort ultimately means resting the will in the Heart. This may sound easy, but it is extremely difficult. The Heart …
The Authoritarian Disciplinarian….
It is a truism that what we don’t want to face in ourselves we will deny and instead attribute to other people. People in positions of authority bear the brunt of this projection, so the Guru in human form is a gigantic target for it. People see the Guru as an authoritarian, a disciplinarian, even a tyrant, who has to …
Humoring Our Humorlessness….
Humor is so necessary for spiritual practice. In order to have humor—genuine humor, not caustic wit—we have to be disentangled. We have to be able to laugh at ourselves, not just in a superficial way but from the depths of our being. When we have no sense of humor, we demonstrate that we are attached to and identified with the …
Making the Choice….
Each of us is a microcosm of the world as it is. Only when we recognize and accept this reality can we move forward in our practice. But we can’t just change; we have to be conscious and take responsibility for our transformation. Human beings have choice, and we do choose. Over the past year, I have seen a divide—in …
On the 35th Anniversary of Muktananda’s Mahasamadhi….
Only because of Muktananda do I exist. Baba left his physical body, but I will not let him leave me. I am a stubborn child who demands he stay with me. He may want me to be independent, but I hold onto his feet and won’t let go. He must stay close so that I do not cause him any …
Consciously Deeper….
In this past Saturday’s Lessons and Questions, I read aloud a passage from Devatma Shakti by Swami Vishnu Tirtha in which he lays out two ways of using the mind when addressing a problem: In the first case it grapples with a problem, sticks to it and follows the details by steps in logical sequence, and finds the conclusion, but …
How To Get Back On Track….
In my last blog post, I wrote about how we can know we are off track in our practice. Once we realize we have wandered from the path, though, we then have to know how to return. Knowing how to return begins with knowing where we are. If we want to get to Boston but believe we are in Philadelphia …
How To Know You’re Off Track….
Baba always said to be vigilant, because we can go off track spiritually in a heartbeat. And we do. We so easily slip into habitual consciousness, which is really unconscious consciousness. There is no way to pursue spiritual practice without sometimes going off track; the challenge is being able to get back on track once we have wandered off. To …
Willing To Feel….
We cannot read a situation clearly unless we can feel. But we have to know what feeling actually is. If we are truly feeling, there are no thought forms. Otherwise we only think we are feeling. Then we can fool ourselves into thinking we are feeling people. People mistake, by choice, what it means to be with their experience. They …