Liberation is freedom from the finite (1 of 2)

Good morning friends.  Liberation is freedom.  Yes this is true.  It’s the kind of action of freeing from control or domination.  Whatever we want to do, we can do it as we have a freedom for ourselves.  

Form is a wave perceived by the ocean of consciousness in an attempt to understand its own formlessness. This duality is imagined and the sense of am-ness crystallizes as a discrete entity that thrives on other forms or cognizing entities to assert its own form. 

It seeks cognizance from other forms to recognize its own transient form. What is eternal is the formlessness that is the precursor of form.

Form is obsessed with tangibility. The sense organs are mere instruments to reinforce this belief in form as the true self. The form continues to believe it is a discrete independent entity. It has total conviction in these deceptive sensory modalities of perception.

Relativity is based on the fact that perception changes as the observer’s state changes. One form cannot understand the precise nature of another form. Heisenberg’s Uncertainty Principle also underlines the shortcomings of our sensory perceptive modalities, where the senses cannot determine the precise position and velocity of a particle simultaneously.

Sensory modalities can never fathom formlessness. Formlessness transcends the senses. When form has to decipher the formless it must first abandon the conviction of its own form. The brain has various centers which serve as destinations for perceptive inputs. It therefore has a strong discriminatory ability to separate the subject from the object. This discrimination is mediated via the sense organs and is the most powerful tool for effecting duality. Comprehension is totally a derivative of the sense organs.

There are many ‘silent areas’ in the brain whose exact function is not known. These areas could be mediating supra-sensory cognition, cognition that is not based on a subject-object dichotomy, cognition that uses itself to recognize itself.

 

Absorb the change (2 of 3)

Today’s children watch parental behavior closely. Leading by example is the only mantra that can work. Children increasingly tend to question authority and this change must be accepted — and handled — by parents and teachers.

A child may mock one’s “old-fashioned values” because they may not fit into his/ her way of thinking, or interfere with his/her plans, but it is only possible to impart values to children if the parents’ lives are governed by the same principles.

Parents have to exemplify what they want their child to be. Children don’t respect and believe their parents just because they are their parents. In our modern times, the authoritarian parent has had to move into the role of friend. The openness that comes with such sharing is an advantage, but it can also result in an overly casual attitude towards parents. It is very different from times gone by when the parent’s wish was the child’s command and the parent’s authority was unquestioned. Wise parenting means practicing one’s beliefs, keeping one’s your values strong and voicing them in context even as one accepts positive changes in a child’s so long as his/her basic values are intact. 

It is not necessarily a problem if today’s child want to be independent in views and behavior from a very early age. For instance, even the motivation to “make money” need not be seen as against family values so long as he/she tries to get rich using methods that remain within the framework of fundamental values. It is only by accepting that times change that parents can perceive this as a forward movement by a young and dynamic generation. But there is a lot to frighten the older generation.

For instance, young people’s tendency to live life luxuriously without a thought for tomorrow or any apparent appreciation of all that it took to create wealth and opportunity. It is frightening to see the easy arrogance that comes with the next generation’s easy access to money and consumer goods.

Ethical Dilemma – 2

Exploitation of any kind in yoga couldn’t be farther from the intended goals of the practice.  Yet unsavory headlines calling attention to teachers’ moral lapses have prompted yogis and students alike to question where things went wrong.  Whatever the causes, one thing is certain:  The thought of yoga heading down anything less than a spiritual path has stirred the winds of change in the community.  Yoga associations are revisiting the topic of ethics in earnest, clearly defining their beliefs and emphasizing ethical training of instructors.  National organizations, schools, and studio owners have begun drafting behavioral codes, compiling structured grievance procedures, and soliciting the help of legal advisers to factor in the applicable laws.

 

Amid all of this activity, a larger question has surfaced:  If ethical violations are really to be reduced,  has the time come for all yoga teachers in the United States to abide by a single code of ethics?  And if it has, can everyone agree on one (or even the idea of one), or would creating such a code cause more problems than it would solve?  How the community ultimately works through these issues will have a profound impact on the future of yoga in America.

 

Ref:  Stuart Bradford

Vision Quest – 6

Good morning friends.  I just left my part 6 of my Vision Quest last 2008, so let me continue the last part here now.

 

 

The Quest

 

For some people, a quest may be encased in a religious experience—for others, it might be a crisis or a dramatic change in person al circumstances, such as a birth or death.  And while religion is the spark that lights the fire within some individuals, it can also imposed a limiting structure with rules and belief systems that interfere with true personal growth—especially  when the distinctions between religion and spirituality become blurred.

 

We believe that our purpose in being here is to grow spiritually.  We do this in a variety of ways—none of which are better or lesser than others; but, rather, are chosen by us because we are at various stages of spiritual unfoldment.  The goals of peace, integrity, clarity, compassion and in particular, the balance between mind and body through personal and spiritual development are essential to spiritual development, regardless of the particular path one chooses to follow.  Spirit [God] is equally present in the job as in the remote mountainside.”

 

In the end, setting out on a spiritual quest—may be less a choice than it is a necessity.  What often makes people begin a quest, is a feeling restlessness, and that something beyond is coming through to us, says Andrews.  Begin by seeing your intentions.  Set your intention to live a happier or fulfilling life.  Speaking strictly to that intention will lead us to being aware of guides or teachers around us,  someone who can help on the path.  Again, it’s essential to set your intention to reclaim your own happiness and connection with life.  I feel that the spiritual path to greater consciousness has been –part of the human experience forever, and always will be.

 

 

Ref: fityoga