Practice requires us to actually practice. And because this practice is internal, there is no place where practice is not appropriate. And yet, we decide when and where and how to practice. More insidious than this willfulness is our tendency to misunderstand what practice is. From the standpoint of the three gunas, our understanding of sādhana is determined by which …
The Guru Manifests Personally for Us….
Not everyone wants a personal relationship with the Guru. I did. I loved Baba personally and as the Guru, and I still do. Most people want the Guru without any personal relationship. When people see a Guru in human form, instead of being excited by the wonder of this manifestation and his accessibility, they diminish the Guru. This is like …
Subjectivity Is the Wedge….
Subjectivity is the wedge we must use to get rid of the wedge of subjectivity. By subjectivity I mean “subject” in the grammatical sense. We have to accept our agency as the individual subject in order to let go of our limited subjectivity and get to the Absolute Subjectivity of God. We need agency to move from dualism to nondualism. …
Monkey See, Monkey Don’t….
I feel like such an idiot. I thought that if I did my best to live an exemplary life, others would see it and want to follow that life. For many years I have openly modeled a life that is informed by the yamas and the niyamas, the restraints and observances in all religious traditions that lead a person down …
True Guru….
Baba left his body 33 years ago, on October 2nd, 1982. At the time, I was seven months pregnant with Ian, my first son. Ganeshpuri had been swirling with conflict and controversy. Because of my pregnancy and my job as librarian of Baba’s closed library, I did not have much contact with all that was being said. Also, people tended …
Patience.…
Baba was incredibly patient. Over and over again he addressed an issue from every possible angle for the sake of the disciple. He was always changing and adjusting his approach, so that the student could grasp what he needed to understand. By his very being Baba modeled that patience is not putting up with what should not be tolerated. For …
Guru Pūrnimā….
The Guru’s moon. While Baba was in his body, Guru Pūrnimā, the full moon in July, was celebrated with thousands of people paying their respects to Baba. At this time of year, Ganeshpuri experiences the monsoon. We would hear the rain coming and run under the overhangs on the buildings. The weather may have been brutal, but it did not …
Love: the True and the False….
Baba used to say “Thank God for false gurus.” Why? Because they serve as foils by which we can recognize the true. I never questioned this. Baba had me take care of the false gurus that came to see him. He taught me to discern the difference between these false guides and Baba. These people had trappings, disciples, protocols, rituals, …
The Risk of Love….
“If you don’t love, you’re dead. If you do, they’ll kill you.” -Herbert McCabe Love is everyone’s goal whether they know it or not. Love comes with a risk because until we actively choose this goal we will be only moving toward twisted love which is always tainted with hate. The people who Love are willing to Love no matter …
Guest Blog by Ian Ralby: Living in the Zone….
For ten years, I was a competitive springboard diver. In fact, it was competition that got me into diving, rather than a desire to be a diver. When I was little, I used to compete all the time – even when my fellow competitors didn’t know they were in a race. “I win,” I would declare to my rather confused …