The Rich Man and the Poor Man and the Rain

From a Rammurti Baiji satsang ~

One day a rich man and and poor man were walking when it started to rain.

The rich man opened his umbrella so he could stay dry.

The poor man had no umbrella and got wet, but he had a smile on his face. He actually started to dance in the rain, having a joyful time of it.

The rich man thought, "That looks like fun" and started to close his umbrella to have some fun with him.

But he stopped himself. "I'm carrying a laptop, and it might get wet."

Then he thought, "My clothes are expensive, and so are my shoes. I don't want them to get ruined by the rain."

While the other man enjoyed the rain, the rich man thought, "Who is truly richer?!"

Tolerance - Now More Than Ever

Excerpts from a talk by Manubhai Patel ~

"Good afternoon everyone. Are you all getting ready for the big change next week? (a new president)

A few days ago, the baijis and I were talking about the new challenges I have in my own life, and the subject came up, how do I do what I have to face?

The answer was: tolerance.

I have learned tolerance from a very young age. Perhaps it's a part of my nature, of being shy and avoiding confrontation. But it has paid dividends.

Tolerance - a fair, objective, and permissive attitude toward those whose opinions, beliefs, practices, racial or ethnic, origins, etc. differ from one's own; capacity to endure pain or hardship; test of endurance, fortitude and stamina. This includes hardship and pain that comes from mother nature and events not in our control. 

There was a family who endured the Katrina disaster that is still in my memory. They asked the lady of the house, 'How do you feel? How do you cope with all of this?'

She said, 'We lost everything. But we did salvage a few things: our parents, our children. Some important documents and family photographs.' So you can see the value they placed on these things, as opposed to mourning what they had lost.

She also said they have an enormous peace and gratitude for the things that have come to them. This showed a great tolerance for hardship. This brought them strength, not weakness. They could have been angry, resentful, blaming everything on outside forces and suffering more. That was touching to me.

The practice of tolerance for the next four years will be important in the wake of the most contentious election campaign in modern history.

With seemingly every news article signalling a change from the status quo, tolerance will be coming up all the time. 

Helen Keller said: "The highest result of education is tolerance."

Timothy Keller said: "Tolerance isn't about not having beliefs. It's about how your beliefs lead you to tread people who disagree with you."

Gandhi was an excellent example of one who practiced tolerance when confronted with evil and injustice."

He said:

 and

"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.

The Spiritual Treasure Within You

Truth.

A Limerick

There was a man from a wreck on a gurney

Who wanted to sue, so he called his attorney

But as his heart monitor went crazy

And his vision grew hazy

He wondered, "Is it too late for my spiritual journey?" 

Scott Ware

How to Heal Your Self

They Really Are Nectar Drops

Nectar: ˈnektər/ noun

1. 1.

   a sugary fluid secreted by plants, especially within flowers to encourage pollination by insects and other animals. It is collected by bees to make into honey.
2. 2.

   (in Greek and Roman mythology) the drink of the gods.

    

    

   
   

    Go here for your daily spiritual nectar drops.

    

The Difference Between Prayer and Meditation

My Goal Is To Stop You From Reading This Blog*

First, here are the reasons I write this blog:

1. To express the amazing experiences I’ve had since starting yoga and meditation, not caring if even one person reads it (although I’d prefer a few readers...)
2. To process the profound changes in my life as a result of the practice
3. To help others find or create a similar type of community
4. To inspire others to start their own blog about their community

In other words, my goal is to have lots of people read this blog… until they don’t have the time because they’re too busy writing their own spiritual community newsletter/blog, or are too busy contributing to that community.

So if you do it right, your life will be too busy to read this blog!

And I’m not talking about the kind of busy that keeps you running like a hamster in a wheel.

I’m talking about the kind that fulfills you, feeds your soul, and maybe even makes the world a better place.

It’s the kind of busy the comes when you don’t want anything for yourself – which is a real gift to realize – and you now have the time and space to give to others who haven’t gotten that gift.**

For instance, the baijis at my Ashram have devoted their lives to service and are already very busy, and when we raise all the funds to build a bigger studio to allow more students, they would like me to lead some yoga classes so they’ll have more time for their ministering duties. There are also fundraising duties for the two old-age homes (the baiji’s sisters run those) and an orphanage in Nepal (all of which I plan to visit in the next year – busy-busy). There is also the wonderful Sunday afternoon satsang service followed by a delicious vegetarian meal.***

There are also tabla lessons, harmonium lessons, and vegetarian cooking lessons when they let me peek into the kitchen on Sunday afternoons. At our Ashram there’s even a Homeopathic specialist with years of study in natural healing you can occupy yourself with.

So I dedicate this post to the givers out there who are taking steps to make the most of their day. You might as well: it could be your last.

*Except for those at my Ashram. You better keep reading – I might mention you.

**Another name for that gift is “the present.”

***On that day I’m "busy" right through to dessert.

The Baijis

We’re lucky to have two wonderful baijis (nuns) running the Ashram. They are more spiritual than religious, and they welcome anyone’s input that is positive and empowering. They believe a good idea can come from anywhere.

They wear the saffron robes of those who have renounced the material life and are devoted to service to others. I am very humbled by that distinction, which ironically makes we want to do anything for them.

They are also Mahatmas, which are defined as people who are held in the highest esteem for wisdom and saintliness. I’m still learning how profound this is, and I feel privileged to be in their company.

They’re also a lot of fun. More on that later.

For more on the baijis, click here.

First Post - Joining an Ashram

Since I joined the Divine Art of Yoga Center and began practicing yoga and meditation on a regular basis, I have experienced a shift in my life that has astounded both me and the people close to me.

Am I more fit and flexible? Yes. Have I lost weight? Sure. Am I calmer in general? Much. Am I far less prone to get grouchy? My wife says yes. Has my blood pressure gone down? My doctor says yes.

Am I happier and more at peace than I've ever been?

Yes. A thousand times, yes.

I thought my experiences with my Ashram would be of interest to those seeking these types of benefits and more, who are considering yoga and meditation with a spiritual undercurrent.

If this is you, I recommend looking for an Ashram near you, or any yoga studio or non-profit yoga center, which ask for donations instead of charging fees for classes. Check it out to make sure you feel comfortable, then dive in. The best of them are a home away from home.