Peace of Mind Ain't for Sale - A Poem

Peace of Mind Ain't For Sale

When life throws you lemons, and you just want to throw them back…

When the road splits in half, and demons leap out to attack…

When life pricks you, bleeds you, makes you tempted to cuss

When we’re too busy row-row-rowing-to-see life’s-but-a-dream-all-around-us…  

>And you’re feeling the squeeze…

In that dreamland we call reality there’s a temptation

To distract our self from life’s pain with medication

But if thousands of years of practice are any indication

The true alleviation for what ails us, is meditation    

>In lotus, if you please

Because the companies can’t bottle and sell soul rejuvenation!

So in desperation they push sedation on the population

To stop the contemplation that there’s a direct correlation between our agitation

from spiritual starvation that leads to a lack of liberation with no salvation  

>Possibly connected to all the new disease

Now I know there’s exceptions, just don’t let-em predominate 

Remember the goal, it’s for your soul-union I advocate...

So look around, you’ll see there’s no public indignation

People shrug and indulge their addictions with resignation

Big pharma media’s smoke and mirrors obfuscation

Ensures people will line up like sheep for slow-drip stimulation     

>Their reprise...

Is BRING DOWN YOUR HEART RATE

IMPROVE YOUR FLOW RATE

YOU’LL NEVER AGAIN GAIN WEIGHT

OPEN THE FLOODGATES     

>To your dis—ease

Causing us to say, “I got no time for self-realization

Don’t need to hear ‘bout karma and reincarnation

I reject meaningful conversation ‘bout sun salutation

Now let me go back to my inebriated hibernation    

>We’ve become whose devotees?

But… become the hero of your story and you’ll stay free through meditation

You’ll realize it’s nature’s most organic vaccination

Against life’s roughest and toughest tribulations  

And the only place you’ll hear this kind spiritual articulation   

>Is in rooms like these

But wait – society has other distractions to fill up our God hole

With things that steal the present moment and-I-think-you-know-exactly-what-I-mean - but our goal

Should be to look at ourselves with God’s eyes before we need real damage control

Nothing should divert us from hearing the voice of our soul       

>And that voice is saying please…

And even you Matrix escapees, spiritual devotees, spiritual sojourners who aren’t just sightseers

Can sometimes relapse and let in that insidious ego puppeteer

Let it distract us, extract us from our inner seer

And all that realization just… disappears     

>It gets better but, the challenge never ceases

So listen well, because it’s never too late

To get your real power back and set yourSelf straight

That’s Self with a capital S

Tap in often, you’ve got the access

No need to guess or get distressed

Just Keep practicing, don’t digress   

>And at the very least increase your peace

Meditate, don’t take their bait

Meditate, don’t play their game,

Your higher self will be your guide

Go inside, the truth won’t hide

Meditate and your life

Will be

Blessed.

>Peace.                                                              

                                                          

© Scott Ware, 2016 (to be featured in an upcoming DAYC publication)

"To Serve and To Love" - Reasons People Come to the Ashram

 

Divine Art of Yoga Center = DAYC Ashram = Gyan Yoga + Karma Yoga + Bhakti Yoga.

Fortunately, I have been associated with the Divine Art of Yoga Center (DAYC Ashram) and the Baijis for almost over 25 years. Nothing happens by accident; everything and everyone we encounter in life, the people and circumstances are opportunities for us to serve and to love. This ashram started with a handful of devotees seeking spiritual growth on this land of opportunities. Rakesh and I were blessed to serve the Ashram in the early 90’s and our daughter Suryanshi was born here as a miracle child. The Ashram is a spiritual hermitage where we perform yogas, music study or religious instructions. Baijis at the Ashram are living examples of Yoga in threefold. They both live a yogic lifestyle and inspire me to attain higher goals to be a Yogi in true sense. Suryanshi loves to come with me to the ashram and enjoys her stay with the baijis. Baijis connect with the youth with their unique perspective and love for the children. Their way of teaching inspires youth to be Yogis and attain focus and goals in their lives as well.

Peace of mind is difficult to attain because our minds are always changing. We restlessly pursue happiness outside of ourselves, preoccupied with our own self-interests, egoistic ambitions and opinions. Caught up in this cycle of seeking fulfillment everywhere but within, we fail to perceive or remember our true nature, which is already Blissful and Perfect. This human condition of striving to find peace externally is depicted in Vedanta philosophy as a condition of darkness and ignorance. Besides the theory of karma and reincarnation, which describes that we are here to learn from our mistakes and will repeat the same life lessons until we learn the correct way to think and to see ourselves, Vedanta philosophy, Yoga and Ayurveda offer us valuable guidance on how to progress towards peace of mind.

The formula is simple and can be described as a way of working with the three gunas or qualities of nature: 

1) break through the tamas

2) calm down the rajas

3) nourish the sattwa. 

By practicing these three steps I can fill my life and the lives of those around me with peace, joy, contentment, harmony, and balance.

I come to DAYC to seek guidance in my spiritual path= Gyan Yoga = Meditation. Meditation helps me to reflect and take part in something meaningful, to empower myself with knowledge of the self and understand that what I do matters. I have a calling to seek knowledge of a higher way of being in this world. I want to give back to a community that is changing the lives of so many people who are also seeking. Coming to DAYC helps me to continue learning about disciplining the mind and strengthening my connection with the divine. What I hope to achieve during my stay is mindfulness, unconditional love for all things, and happiness as that is what we truly are and to get in touch with my higher self!

karma yoga=Selfless Seva

It is a service performed to bring one in union with God or their higher self. Personally, I feel there is no better way to burn the ego and have total appreciation and gratitude for one’s life, than to serve others. The practitioner forgets their finite self through their service for others and the universe. Yoga for me is freedom. When I come to DAYC and serve, I can continually open my heart, and connect to those around me, I am doing the selfless act of giving my complete self to whatever is in my immediate presence. I believe karma yoga to be a path towards true happiness. I learn more about karma yoga to figure out how I can be most useful in changing the world for the better. I seek every day to become selfless—that is, to lose myself, and to experience everything as it is, as One.

Selfishness arises from us failing to realize that we gain more from giving than from taking. Our mistaken belief that we are separate from others leads us to behave selfishly. We fail to consider the deep interconnectedness and oneness of all life, and act from the small perspective of our own egos or personalities, creating more separation. Yoga teaches us to open up our awareness beyond our small and limited perspectives, and to begin to recognize the divine Self that is in all. Yoga teaches us that we are far more than our ego and the stories we assemble about who we are and what we like or don't like.

It teaches that we are happier when we begin to move out of our egoism and away from these thoughts, beginning to serve others, regardless of whether the mind likes it at first. Through this service, one begins to experience an expansion of his or her sense of self, feeling the deep joy that comes from moving beyond separation.

In life we often strive to define ourselves through our personalities, seeking to stand out in an egoistic way; but this is a mistake that leads to suffering. We forget that the way to get love is to offer love, not to try to be loved based on the limited personality. The more love we give, the more our lives will fill up with love. At DAYC We perform various offerings to God like singing bhajans, preparing bhog, reading and understanding various scriptures. This is called Bhakti Yoga which imbibes inner stillness that I believe brings true peace and fills my entire being with love and compassion. We all know this great feeling when we manage to let go of our individuality and feel a sense of oneness with another person or a group, and we also know the feeling of separateness that leads us to feel of isolated, unsupported or unloved. Therefore, the secret to happiness is to love selflessly. This love in action that leads us beyond selfishness is called Karma-Bhakti Yoga, or the Yoga of Selfless Love in Service.

Every Sunday, I feel like I must go. The universe has been pulling me on this path for many years—to open up my full heart to give my offerings to God, expansion on the deepest level. The power and knowledge within me can serve a community. It only needs ignition. My reasons for wanting to come to the ashram are for personal growth, learning, and exploration into deeper waters than I have been exposed to thus far in life. I consider this a unique and welcome opportunity for a weekly tune-up” in mind, body, and spirit. I think the ashram provides the perfect space for reflection, renewal and a platform to lessen my ego while working with a smile and an open heart.

Jai Sat Chit Anand to you all. May Peace and Harmony Prevail.

Your Favorite Place(s) to Meditate

Whether we meditate every morning for ten minutes or an hour, we usually have a place at home that is quiet, dark and private.

We prefer no distractions, because the mind is distracting enough.

We may also have a place outside our home we like to visit where it is easy to meditate.

It could be a temple, a church, a park, a forest, the mountains, or the beach. There's something about being out in nature...

We can't get there as often as we'd like, but we can imagine it in a heartbeat, and remember the good feelings we have when we're there.

And then there are the places in between. Smaller, more accessible places that still manage to put us in a meditative mood.

It could be something in our own backyard, perhaps a fountain or a garden area near the patio.

This a photo I found that I'd like to recreate one day. It's been a very nice screensaver.

Do you have favorite places you like to go?

Finding Onions When You Expect Oranges

Satsang by Mahatma Gautumbaiji

When we pray, we say:

"Oh God, please lead us from darkness to light.
Lead us from untruth to truth.
Lead us from mortal to immortality."

But we never think about that.
We only sing it (in our bhajans) - we never try to walk on that path.
We cannot get anywhere just be reading about it

But if we practice, we can get whatever we want.

Someone asked Buddha, "What do you get from meditation?"

"Nothing," was his reply. "But if you ask me what I lost, I will tell you I lost my anger. I lost my desire. I lost depression, anxiety, fear of old age and death." 

When a person starts doing meditation, he or she starts moving into reality.

Life is a dream, and dream and reality are very different.

One girl loves a boy. They are very happy. But when they get married, they notice they change. Same person, different perspectives.  

One says, "When we met, you were a totally different person. Why the change?" 

Change should come, especially if you are sowing any seeds. 
Are the seeds changing, or not?

Why don't we accept that change?

The seed is changing slowly, slowly. 
You nurture the plant to help it along
You make a nice planter, you water it every day. 
But after a certain time, you don't need to water it every day. (change)
Then maybe you transfer it into the ground because it needs more room to put down roots.
And it grows into a big tree.

Sometimes in this world, we forget to face this reality.
Everyone wants the truth in their life, but we don't want to face the reality.
We want it our way, a way that causes no pain or sorrow.

We want to change the onion into an orange.
That's our problem - we are trying to change it.

We may think we didn't want the onion, but what goes better in soup?
The onion. It will make your soup more tasty.

Why are we coming here (to satsang at the ashram)?
What is our goal?

We are using our time, sitting here for two hours.
Our time is precious, it's hard to do.

But we know we are coming here for our goal: peace.

But how will we get it?

A new person came here, and I said, "This place is unique. You will get everything here. Everything means everything. But always remember and don't forget your goal. What is my goal?"

Just like shopping at the mall. You never forget why you are there. Are you buying a nice dress? You do that right away, especially if you have a time limit, and then if you have extra time, you do other things. You achieved your goal.

The same way we came to this planet. We must remember our goal.
It's a big mall, everything is here, but always keep in your mind your goal.
If you remember that, then you will achieve it. You will fill your bag with what you want and be able to enjoy your life deeply.
But if you fill your bag with other things...

Your "glass" will be full, and you'll run out of time to get anything else...

So we must practice.

Can I play tabla like Dada? Not without practice.
Can I sing like Baiji? Not without practice.

No time? We always make time to feed our belly. We just open the refrigerator and eat.

Why don't we make it a priority to feed our soul?

You Will Be the Happiest Person on the Earth if You Do This One Thing

Satsang from Mahesh Shastri

You will be the happiest person on Earth if you can keep your thoughts, words, and actions aligned.

If you're thinking one way, and doing something else, you're going to get tangled.

As Gandhi said:

Who's In Control?

A satsang by Gautam Baiji

"One person had a beautiful house. It was the most beautiful house in town.

One day the owner travelled to another town. On his return, he saw that his house was on fire.

As we know, when a person builds a house, so many dreams are wrapped up in it, and there are so many personal belongings inside that we are attached to.

So the man started crying. "Oh my God! All the hard work I put into my house, and now it's burning down."

So many people in the town had gathered to watch it burn - there was nothing they could do.

His son approached him and said, "Dad, you don't need to cry. I already sold the house!"

"What?"

"Yes, I got an offer that was three times what it's worth, and I accepted it. I'm very sorry, I couldn't ask you because you were out of town."

"Oh yeah, you sold it?" He was suddenly a very happy man.

Now he turned to watch the house burn with the others, but this time he was a silent watcher, completely detached. Same fire; same house; same person. But now his feeling has changed.

His second son approached. "Dad, why are you smiling? Your house is burning and you're just watching?!"

"Don't worry, son, your brother already sold the house for three times its worth. We got a very good price."

"No, Dad! The buyer only gave us a small amount down! He didn't pay it fully. When he sees it's burned down, he won't pay us the balance!"

The man was suddenly sad again, and he continued crying. "My house is burning!" (Same fire, same house, same person, but the feeling changed.)

His third son approached. "Dad, don't cry. I just came from the buyer, and even though he knows the house is burning, he is a good man and agreed to honor the original price. He said no one knew the house would catch fire, so he will still pay you in full."

The man was suddenly happy again. Same house; same fire; same person; different feeling. No more tears.

This is the situation in our life. Whenever we say, "This is mine" we start thinking we are in control and set ourselves up for suffering.

My wife. My husband. My kids. My things.."

The ego wants to own and control. The soul only loves.

The Answers to Life - A Conversation between Krishna and Today's Arjun

Here’s a rare conversation between Krishna & Today’s Arjun:

1. Arjun :- I can’t find free time. Life has become hectic.

Krishna:- Activity gets you busy. But productivity gets you free.

2. Arjun :- Why has life become complicated now?

Krishna :- Stop analyzing life… It makes it complicated. Just live it.

3. Arjun :- Why are we then constantly unhappy?

Krishna :- Worrying has become your habit. That’s why you are not happy.

4. Arjun :- Why do good people always suffer?

Krishna :- Diamond cannot be polished without friction. Gold cannot be purified without fire. Good people go through trials, but don’t suffer.
With that experience their life becomes better, not bitter.

5. Arjun :- You mean to say such experience is useful?

Krishna :- Yes. In every term, Experience is a hard teacher. She gives the test first and the lessons later.

6. Arjun :- Because of so many problems, we don’t know where we are heading…

Krishna:- If you look outside you will not know where you are heading. Look inside. Eyes provide sight. Heart provides the way.

7. Arjun :- Does failure hurt more than moving in the right direction?

Krishna:- Success is a measure as decided by others. Satisfaction is a measure as decided by you.

8. Arjun :- In tough times, how do you stay motivated?

Krishna :- Always look at how far you have come rather than how far you have to go. Always count your blessing, not what you are missing.

9. Arjun :- What surprises you about people?

Krishna :- When they suffer they ask, “why me?” When they prosper, they never ask “Why me?”

10. Arjun :- How can I get the best out of life?

Krishna:- Face your past without regret. Handle your present with confidence. Prepare for the future without fear.

11. Arjun :- One last question. Sometimes I feel my prayers are not answered.

Krishna:- There are no unanswered prayers. Keep the faith and drop the fear. Life is a mystery to solve, not a problem to resolve. Trust me. Life is wonderful if you know how to live.

What is Om?

OM is the most often chanted sound among all the sacred sounds on earth. This sound is considered as the sound of the existence.

It is believed that the whole universe, in its fundamental form, is made up of vibrating, pulsating energy. Om is considered as the humming sound of this cosmic energy.

 

Om is an incredibly resonant sound that naturally draws us into its warm, vast, absorbing and embracing sound. 

Continuous Om Chanting generates and stabilizes our prana, cleanses us both physiologically and psychically, clears and steadies the mind, opens the heart and allows us to rest into consciousness itself.

“Om” is said to be the primordial sound born with the universe. As we exhale the A-U-M, its vibration links us to the original source of creation. When done properly, the sound reverberates from the pelvic floor upward through the crown of the head, filling the body with pulsating energy that simultaneously empowers and radiates tranquility.

OM is said to be the original primordial creative sound from which the entire universe have  manifested. It is also known as the ‘Anahat Nada’, the “Unstruck Sound.” This means the sound that is not made by two things striking together.

If you observe the nature of sound you’ll find that all ordinary audible sound are produced by the striking of two objects: bow and strings, drum and stick, two vocal cords, waves against the shore, winds against the leaves, bat against the ball, tires against the road etc. In short all sounds within our range of listening are produces by things visible or invisible, striking each other or vibrating together, resulting in pulsating waves of air molecules which we interprets as sound.

In contrast to the above, OM is the sound which is not the result of the striking of two objects. It, rather emanates on its own. It is the primal sound of the universe that contains all sounds in itself.

This single word produces the sound and vibration which allows you to feel at one with the universe. 

The Ten Symptoms of Dharma Indicate Our Place in the Spiritual Journey

Satsang by Gautam Baiji 

Did you ever ask yourself how far along you are in your spiritual journey?

Is it the same when you are traveling, maybe going to San Diego, and the person is calling you wondering where you are, then you will say, "Oh, I am in Irvine, or Mission Viejo."

So a person asked me where I was in my spiritual journey.
I said I know where I am, but I don't know what to tell you.

You know why? The same reason someone asks me to describe something I'm eating that is so sweet, and so delicious, but how can I tell you about the sweetness?

For that, you have to taste it yourself.

A doctor may say, I can take a patient's temperature. Or ask what their pain level is: 2? 7?

But a patient cannot describe the pain. A doctor cannot experience the pain.

But for the spiritual journey, we can do a self-examination.

We're doing bhakti, we are doing devotion, we are listening to satsang for a long time, we get knowledge...

We don't need to tell others - they will see our actions.

There is a scripture from Manu Smriti about 10 Symptoms of Dharma (Law of Cosmos, spiritual duty and righteousness, upholds and sustains positive order):

1. Dhrati - patience or fortitude (Especially needed when life is most difficult)
2. Kshama - ability to forgive (Otherwise we are a slave to our emotions)
3. Damah - control over desires (Like when Arjuna told Krishna to take the reins and lead)
4. Asteyam - honesty and integrity (Take only what you earn through hard work)
5. Shouch - purity (We clean our mind through meditation)
6. Indriya nigrah - control of sensory organs (Enjoy your life but control your senses - yoga and meditation help with this)
7. Dhi - wisdom (Despite difficulties and temptations, we choose the right path)
8. Vidya - knowledge (Spiritual and practical knowledge with humility) 
9. Satyam - truthfulness (Always seek truth and follow it for more peace and strength)
10. Akrodho - absence of anger (Not angered at all despite provocations, helped by meditation - how fast it comes! Don't give your remote to others!)

So where are you in your spiritual journey? In San Diego? Irvine? Brea? Mission Viejo? Oceanside?

Check often...

Why Should We Be Like a Non-Stick Pan?

Satsang by Gautam Baiji 

Problems result from ego.
Our saints remind us, Know thyself. What is my goal?
Sometimes we think, "I will get detached from things."
Only by saying that, can you get detached?
Ask your mind.
You are SO attached - that's why you're suffering.
When you cook, you have two kinds of pans.
One is steel, and one is non-stick.
And you are very clever - when you want to make pudla, you use the non-stick pan it doesn't stick and it's easier to clean.
Do we say, "Let's not make it at all?" No, we love pudla. We love pancakes. We know it will get dirty and we will wash it, and non-stick makes it all easier.

So why are we not using it (non-stick) in our daily life?"

Then Baiji talks about how we can't avoid getting tempted by attachments because we have to be involved with people and situations - we must risk attachment and then make sure we stay ultimately unattached.

In this world, we have to live together.
At the ashram, you all come here.
Should I say, No, don't come here, I will get more attached with you guys, that's not good for a saddhu (holy person).

If the farmer thinks, I will get dirty by the soil, maybe I shouldn't farm at all." "I want to get the nice fruits and vegetables and flowers, but I don't want to touch the mud."

Will he get fruits? Not even in his dreams.

"This Place is Like Shangri-La" - Reasons People Come to the Ashram

Why do you come to Divine Art of Yoga Center ashram?

Dr. Kanti: I had never been a devotee or associated with any kind of house of worship for decades. Not because I was agnostic or atheistic but because I had my own place of worship in my heart and mind, and I was looking to find that physical place for all those years where I can go to for worship and become a devotee or become associated with the place of my dream.

A long time back I had read Prophet Kahlil Gibran’s masterpiece, and one of the topics was the Temple. Not the ordinary Temple but “The Temple in the Garden of Paradise” - it was like an ancient time Ashram. I made a picture of such a Temple in my mind, then I re-read it many times, and every time The Temple in the Garden of Paradise gave me so much joy and tranquility.

I thought I would never find such a place in my lifetime in the city of Los Angeles where I live. But one wise man told me that one can find the beautiful flower of a Lotus among the dirty muddy water of the crowded Metropolitan city, so I hoped...

My dream came true when I found “Divine Art of Yoga Center." It's an even better place with extra value. Garden without gardener, like the famous Poet Rabindranath Tagore’s popular poem “The Gardener” refers to. The soul of the Temple. For the good fortune of the devotees of D.A.Y.C., there are not one, but two ‘Gardeners,’ two DIVINE souls of the temple.

Why I say Divine Souls: when anyone comes and listens to their SATSANG/BHAJAN, everyone would agree with me because when Heart-to-Heart Satsang is done it consists of latent spiritual energy that uplifts the energy of the devotees.

What some of my clients have said about this Temple in the Garden of Paradise (D.A.Y.C.):

"This place is like ‘SHANGRI-LA.'

"This place is ‘Rural in the Urban'" (countryside in the Metropolitan area)

"Anybody can go into meditative mind status easily in this spiritual environment."

Please come and join us.