What If It Cost Money to Meditate?

I was listening to a recording of one of Gautum Baiji's satsangs, and she seemed to suggest we should meditate as insurance against the tougher moments of life.

When I asked her about it later, she agreed.

Baiji reminds us that life is like an ocean, and many times there will be smooth sailing. But there will always be waves too. How we ride out the waves in our boat will determine the quality of our life.

So if we know the waves will come, shouldn't we prepare for them so we don't get thrown overboard?

We buy health insurance because we know we will need it at some point. We get home insurance and car insurance for similar protection.

Why don't we give ourselves meditation insurance that would provide well-being protection?

Do we think we're somehow done experiencing problems? Did we "win" at life already?

I wonder if meditation cost money, would we appreciate it more? If we had to run our debit card through a little machine and pay $40 for 10 minutes of meditation, or $125 for an hour (what a therapist charges), maybe we'd even be lining up for it.


Going within actually takes very little effort. The least amount of effort. So little effort, that our mind wants to fight us and keep us busy so we don't meditate.

But practice is all it takes.

Peace be with you.

If You Skip Meditation, You Skip Your Deepest Self - Satsang by Gautum Baiji

A few weeks ago, Gautum Baiji spoke about how we won't get the realization benefits in meditation if we don't commit to the practice in the first place:

"We all know God is within us, but when a problem comes, we never go inward.

Where do we go? We try to get help from outside.

Meditation is there, but where is the trust? If trust is not there, meditation is not going to help you.

So what do we have to do? How can we get that trust? We can't buy it from a store.

Sometimes we do meditation, but if we are not 'realizing' then we cannot get that kind of trust.

We sit around for 15 or 20 minutes and think, 'You told me you can see this or that, and I don't know why I can't realize these things when I meditate.'

We say, 'God is light,' 'God, you are within me...' but as long as we don't know, we won't achieve what we're looking for.

We have to know first.

So how can we know?

We already know about deep breathing, but sometimes when we sit, we have to check where our mind is. We are sitting for meditation, but is our mind there or not? The mind is thinking something else.

Someone was telling me, 'You know, in the early morning, we cannot do meditation.' Why? 'Because when we get up, our minds go immediately to our job. We have to take showers, we have to make breakfast, we have to do this, we have to do that...' The list is there. And you skip meditation.

Did you ever skip anything else? Do you ever skip breakfast? No, you always have breakfast. Did you ever skip your shower? No, because if you go without showering, other people will not sit around you. So you are very careful.

So if you make time for everything else, why not for meditation? For breakfast, for shower, you get up one hour earlier, right? So we can get up 15 minutes (or more) early for meditation.

(Once we cultivate that, we have a place to go when problems happen in our lives.)

If you think this is a very important practice, then you make it a rule. And if you are making a rule, you will carry it forward in your life."

"I Feel Enlightened" - Reasons People Come to the Ashram

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

Choudhuri: "I feel enlightened, number one. Number two: I get peace of mind. Number three: you help develop an institution that helps others, along with the baijis. Not for our self; for others. And even if I'm sick, if I don't get to play tabla (during satsang), I say 'Baiji, I have to come and play.' It's enlightening for me. When I play during the bhajans (devotional songs) I am wholly concentrated on it; I don't listen to anything else. I want to be totally engulfed in it, so the words they say in the bhajan... I want to realize them. And no matter how I feel, when Baiji smiles (from my playing) I feel really good." 

Kathmandu - One Year After the Nepal Earthquake

Before

Because our sister ashram is in Kathmandu, the center of last year's massive earthquake in Nepal, we know all too well that recovery has been slow. But there are some signs of progress... check out these Before-and-After photos:

"On April 25, 2015, a 7.8-magnitude earthquake struck Nepal. Massive aftershocks rumbled across the country for weeks, turning villages to dust and triggering deadly landslides. The losses were devastating — approximately 9,000 fatalities, 23,000 injuries, and thousands of homes destroyed, causing millions to be displaced. 

After

Before

After

But there was another loss that was less calculable — that of the country's rich cultural heritage. Some 600 historical structures, including several ancient temples and buildings recognized as World Heritage Sites, were damaged — if not completely leveled."

Before

After

The rebuilding and restoration efforts would be enormous. And, unfortunately, one year later, much of the country remains in shambles. Children are without schools, villagers are living in pop-up tents, and temples lean dangerously askew, if they stand at all. There don't seem to be any plans on the horizon, either; the government's reconstruction agency has approved zero projects, according to the Associated Press. 

Before

After

The country's proposed rebuilding budget is close to its goal, but its efforts have been stymied due to a severe lack of governmental organization and a tangle of red tape. Frustrated citizens are forced to just sit back and wait, or, as some have done, try to rebuild their lives on their own.

Before

After

In these photos we can compare World Heritage Sites and village street scenes around Nepal in photos taken days after the April 2015 earthquake as well as one year on and witness how far the country is from returning to normal." - From The Week http://theweek.com/captured/621107/rubble-nepal

Before

After

"I Feel Like I'm in the Care of Family" - Reasons People Come to the Ashram

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

Graciela: "This is a place where I feel really peaceful. I never see bad energies. I love the sisters (baijis) and I feel like I'm in the care of family. Also I come to yoga, and I like to have tea with them afterward and chat for a while. When you feel the peace you feel here, when you exercise doing yoga, your spiritual life gets expanded. Since I started coming here, I feel much better in the world."

"I Come for Meditation and Spiritual Realization" - Reasons People Come to the Ashram

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

Vijay: "I specifically come for meditation and spiritual realization. I have learned to keep my mind calm for any situation that comes up. It doesn't matter if you are rich or poor, that kind of knowledge is available to anyone. Full control of your mind gives you the ability to achieve whatever you want, whatever your goals are. It's difficult to explain this to people unless they come here - it has to be experienced, especially the baijis' satsang (spiritual discourses)."

"I Have Known Such Peace Since Finding This Ashram" - Reasons People Come to DAYC

 

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

Paula: "I have known such peace since finding this ashram. I'm just really happy to be here. It really helps me to be calm in my life. I'm dealing with something very stressful, and it's really helped me to see that I can't control the situation."

The Difference Between Belief and Faith - Satsang by Gautum Baiji

Gautum Baiji shared a story of Hanumanji and his great faith and devotion to Rama (God).

When Hanumanji was given a gift of a beautiful pearl necklace, he started breaking it apart. When someone asked why he was doing that to the precious necklace, he said he was trying to find Rama in the pieces. If Rama wasn’t there, why did he need the necklace?

People laughed at him and told him because he lived in the jungle, he didn’t know the value of the necklace.

Hanumanji was trying to show them that actually, Rama is everywhere; he is omnipresent. Rama is in my heart, in your heart, everywhere. At this point in the story, Hanuman opens his chest and shows that Rama is indeed inside his heart.

How can we get that kind of strength to have that kind of faith? That kind of bhakti and devotion? Hanumanji had no ego – how do you get that?

We all believe in God. But believing and faith are different. We believe there is oil underground, but is that enough to run our cars? No – we have to dig, look for it, pull it out, and then we can drive our cars.

So believing and faith are different. With Believing, we are not sure. With Faith, we are sure, 100%. We know. Hanumanji had that kind of faith.

To get that faith, that fruit from the tree (the kind you cannot buy in any stores), you have to put a seed in the ground. You nurture it by watering it, feeding it, cultivating it. This is the first thing to know.*

The second thing: If a stranger comes to your home, do you ever say, “Oh please stay at my house for free, we have so many rooms for you." We don’t do this because we don’t know anything about them. How can we have faith that they will be okay to stay in our home? You get to know them, you talk with them, you become friends, and then you have the faith to say, “You can stay in my home.” 

We would never invite a thief into our house, right? “I have so much gold jewelry, a diamond necklace – what time do you want to come, Thief?”

Yet why do we let negative thoughts come into our minds, to stay there and live? Why are we giving these negative thoughts a chance to steal our happiness? Steal our joy, our bliss? When we do this, we get depressed, tense, and worse.

What we want to bring into our life is up to us.

That’s why satsang is very necessary because it's a positive force for us. Listen to it as much as you can.

Rama asked one of the Rishi: show me the place where I can live so people will have joy and not have problems.

Rishi answered: Rama, you are everywhere. But still, if you are asking me, just live in those hearts of people whose ears are like oceans. Live in the hearts of those who love satsang, who listens to your glory. We can get all our questions answered only by satsang.

JIVANTA - Women's Empowerment Group at Divine Art of Yoga ashram

Every 3^rd Sunday of the month at Divine Art of Yoga ashram, a women’s empowerment group meets called JIVANTA (an ancient Sanskrit word originating from JIVAN, "to give life"—translated to "vibrant" in English).

Neelam Nega started JIVANTA, and she answered some questions about it.

Q: What’s JIVANTA all about?

Neelam: JIVANTA is an organization for women to support each other, lift each other, and help each other in whatever they want to do in their life. We’ve had five meetings so far and we’re getting to know each other but we’re already helping each other solve problems. Everyone is opening up, sharing their thoughts and concerns, and especially their experiences in how they dealt with difficult situations.

Q: What else do you do there?

Neelam: We inspire each other. We even motivate people so they can be more productive. We've also talked about our comfort zone and blind spots.

Q: How does everyone respond to this support?

Neelam: Many people are not used to it. It takes time to open up, sometimes, but people keep coming back!

Q: Why is it important for the group to be all women?

Neelam: As the name says (JIVANTA), it means "Jivan," and Jivan refers to giving life, or giving birth - only women can give life, and they are the core of the family. We want that core to be stable and strong, and that's what JIVANTA is all about.

Some people believe women are too emotional to make decisions, but they can frequently be stronger than men. From being the core of the household and being a mother, who usually takes more responsibilities in the home, to preparing they food, taking care of the kids to make sure they are good members of society. And sometimes women do all of this while working a job too. 

And now it’s great that women are raising their hands for their rights. They’re getting more support from other females. 

Q: What motivated you to start JIVANTA?  

Neelam: I made a major life change in the last year, and I was helped by other people. I was out of a job. Some people looked at me like, “What are you going to do?” I’d never earned money for myself. I even questioned myself! I was grateful that people in my life inspired me to do something on my own.

I knew I wanted to go out on my own. So I sought support: I attended seminars, mixers, networking events. I worked at staying positive, and I started building a new life, and that’s where I am now. Happy and evolving with my own business and several charitable projects going with my ashram, my church, my community, my family.

Once I broke free from the box I was in, I saw so many doors opening up, so many possibilities. That inspired me to help others get the same freedom in their life to go after their goals.

"You Become More Aware of Your Consciousness" - Reasons People Come to the Ashram

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

Manu: "To learn, to be with people, and share the common interests of bhajans (devotional songs) and satsang (spiritual discourse). This is a time you can reflect on your weekly affairs and identify how the satsangs relate to you personally. You also become more aware of your consciousness."

The Old Man and The Old Cottage - A Story

Once there was an old man who lived in a cottage in the forest. He had recently retired due to old age, and was bored and restless as a result. He missed going to work in the village every day.

His cottage was old. He built it when he was young, and they had both had seen better days. More cracks and leaks appeared every day.

One day, while noticing he could see sunlight streaming through one of the larger cracks, he thought, “Why not tear it all down and build a new one? I did it once before.”

He decided to start right away. He picked up his heaviest sledgehammer and – with some effort – hoisted it over his shoulder…

Then he stopped himself, lowering the hammer.

Something told him he should get some advice in case he was making a big mistake.

He heard there was an old guru who lived deep in the forest, so he decided to seek him out. He'd never had time before because he always worked long hours, but this was the perfect excuse. 

After a long day of traveling into the deepest part of the forest, he found the bearded guru sitting on a rock contemplating a bird on the branch of a tree. After he explained his situation to the guru, he asked, “Should I tear down my cottage and rebuild it, or just let it waste away?”

The guru stroked his beard and said, “There is only one important voice you should listen to, yes? When you hear it, come back and tell me what it says.”

The old man said he would and thanked him.

On the way back home, he stopped in the village to chat with some villagers. He told them what he was thinking of doing.

Immediately everyone started giving him opinions on what he should do. This surprised and confused him.

Suddenly the crowd parted, and the richest man in the village strutted through. He spoke louder than the rest:

“Your cottage is old and falling apart. But so are you, old man, so just sit in your rocking chair and wait till your next life to build a new one.”

This saddened the old man. As he left, he even heard some of the villagers laugh at him.

He went back to the guru and told him what happened. "...so therefore, I think it's best I leave my cottage alone.”

“Because of what the man said, yes?”

“You said to listen for the most important voice. He’s very rich and successful, so I knew his voice was the most important one.”

The guru clasped his hands and spoke in a low tone. “Go deeper, yes? Because the most important voice is within you."

"I don't hear it."

"With time and patience, you will hear it constantly. You just have to work at it."

The old man nodded and left.

As he stepped over some large roots on the way back, he tried in vain to hear some voice inside himself. But all he could hear were the villagers’ taunts and the rich man’s insults.

This made him angry. “They didn’t care about me, or what was best for me. I’ll show them!”

When he got home he immediately picked up the sledgehammer. It was very heavy and he grunted as he swung it...

But he stopped himself again. Something told him he should see the guru one more time, even at this late hour. Plus, his back hurt from swinging the sledgehammer.

The guru was sitting by a small campfire when the old man emerged from the trees, limping from  his back pain.

“Did your inner voice show you the way?” the guru asked.

“Yes! It said 'I'll show them and tear it down even if it kills me!'” the man said.

The guru poked the small fire with a stick. A glowing ember fluttered up into the night sky.

“That voice was your ego talking with pride, yes?”

“But it’s the only voice I hear!”

“If you go deeper in your meditation, I promise you will hear your divine voice, from your purest, truest Self. It will guide you every time. You just need to work at it.”

“Is it talking to me now?”

“Every second of the day. You just have to work at it.”

“The other voices are so strong! I don’t think I can do it, Master. Something must be broken inside of me.”

The guru smiled. “Then we would repair it, yes? But you can’t be too broken because you already hear the voice. Don’t you see? It’s the one that told you to come to me for help.”

The old man was suddenly enlightened by this – nothing else needed to be said.

He had a nice, quiet walk home.

At home, he meditated on all the guru said and knew it to be true. He started listening.

He started hearing.

And he was no longer restless.

So now that he hears his divine voice consistently, what did it tell him to do with his cottage and all of its cracks and leaks?

Maybe it wasn’t too broken. Maybe he just needed to work at it. 

by Scott Ware

"I Love the Baijis!" - Reasons People Come to the Ashram

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

Abha: I come because I love the baijis (nuns)! And I come for myself, actually. To make me a better person. Ever since I was a child, I've always wanted to do for others. I've always believed in karma. I want to do more than go to the temple and listen to aarti and all, I'd rather do something with my life, and that's why I'm here, where I can do more for other people. The baijis encourage me. 

I feel better coming here. I'm able to control my mind a little bit better and make myself a better person. Coming here and listening to the baijis means I help a lot more people in my life. Sharing with people about what a good life looks like - how you can do it, why you should do it. The baijis always encourage us to help others."

Cultivate Your Trust - Satsang by Mahatma Gautum Baiji

 

Mahatma Gautum Baiji told this story at satsang on Sunday:

Many years ago, a devotee and his wife went traveling by boat. They had just gotten married a few months ago and this was their first trip together.

It was a nice journey until suddenly, a storm struck. The boat rocked violently, and there were screams from the other passengers and the sounds of people crying.

There was only one calm passenger: the devotee. He was sitting very peacefully amidst all the chaos.

His wife was one of the frantic passengers, and she looked at her husband with surprise.

"How can you just sit there like that? Aren't you scared?"

He said, "No."

"But in a few moments we could all die. You're not worried about that?!"

"No."

"But why? What is the secret, please tell me!"

He slowly got up and pulled out a sharp knife.

"Are you scared of this?" he asked, as he put it near her neck.

"Of course not!" she said.

"Why?"

"Because I know you! Yes, the knife is very sharp and dangerous, but the person holding it loves me so much! You can never harm me - that's why I'm not scared. "

He put the knife away and said, "Exactly. And I know the storm is very dangerous, but I'm not looking at the storm, I'm looking behind it at the person who is there: God. I have the kind of trust in Him that you have in me. You know the knife is dangerous, but you have faith in me, and that's the kind of faith I have in God."

So many problems and calamities come into our lives, and what do we do? We start running here and there. God is within us, but we try to get relief through outward means.

We run to the temple or church and we give an offering. "If you help me this time and solve my problem, next time I will donate even more money." The bigger the problem, maybe we will donate more money as if that will help. 

That is not unconditional love. "If you do this, I will do that" is conditional love. 

For the unconditional love we need to get self-realization. To get that, we need to practice meditation."

-Mahatma Gautum Baiji 

It's "A Place That is Peaceful" - Reasons People Come to the Ashram

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

Danielle: It's a treat at the beginning of my week. I'm sure everyone has busy lives, as do I: a family with three kids, a job, a commute. It's refreshing to just come and practice (yoga) in a place that is peaceful and authentic and where the people are very friendly." 

Go To The Source - Gautum Baiji Satsang

A spiritual lady started thinking about all the people who go to temple and perform empty rituals without any regard for their meaning. She wondered how she could help them experience a closer relationship with God instead. 

One day, she got her chance. 

Her mother-in-law came to her and said, "Come with me to temple today and pray with me."

The lady never felt the need to go to temple because she knows God is within, but she cannot deny her mother-in-law, so she agreed.

Later, when they approached the large temple, they saw two large statues of lions in front.

The lady said, “Oh, Mom, I don’t want to go inside.”

“Why?”

“Look at the lions, they’re going to eat me!”

So to prove the lions were harmless, the mother-in-law walked over and put her hand on a lion’s head.

“These lions are fake! They can’t hurt anyone, so don’t worry.”

She finally agreed, and they went inside.

Then they saw a statue of Hanuman, and the lady said, “I’m not going in there, he will attack me.”

The mother-in-law went up to the statue and again touched it to show it was harmless.

“See? Only stone. It can’t do anything to you.”

“Are you sure Mom?”

“Yes, I’m sure, let’s go.”

Then they saw Durga, and all the weapons she holds: the sword, the axe, a trident...

“I came this far, but no, I cannot go inside. She has so many weapons and I’m afraid.”

Again the mother-in-law ran to the goddess statue and showed her that everything is fake. “Listen to me: the lions are fake, Hanuman is fake, these weapons are fake, everything is fake.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes.”

Finally, they settled down, and the mother-in-law said, “Okay, dear, now pray to the mother goddess for whatever you wish, and she will fulfill your desire.”

“Mom, you told me these are all fake. So how can I ask anything from the fake things and expect to get it? Instead, can you bring me to the real mother? You told me there are not going to do anything, so how can I even get a blessing?”

“What kind of thoughts are these you are having?" the mother-in-law said.

“I know that if we want anything, we don't have to go anywhere to access the real source.”

"My Focus is Better" - Reasons People Come to the Ashram

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

Xavier: "It's a way to offset the busy-ness during the week and pull myself together. There's the relaxation component, dealing with stress. I find that my focus is better, and I'm less distracted by the "noise" that we have in the big city. (Through yoga) my flexibility has improved, and I'm more focused on contributing to the things that make me happy."