Men: How to Survive Mother's Day

Dear Fellow Men,

This article is for men only, please. So, before we begin one must use the ancient mudra, “tongue-in-cheek.” It requires entering the breathless state first wherein no critical remarks or sharp retorts are possible. So, now, let’s begin:

Yes, it’s Mother’s Day again and we’d be wise to stock up on flowers, chocolates, and thoughtfulness and be ready to dispense the stuff like, well, candy. It’s practically a cliche to say that this “new age” is becoming an age of women. The cliche further adds that “It’s about time!” And we don’t argue, do we? In fact, we remain silent in the great and long tradition of men everywhere and in all times, golden age or dark age, notwithstanding.(1)

You see our secret weapon is silence even as theirs is loquaciousness. A woman with a three-inch tongue can destroy a man over six-feet tall! As women free themselves from oppression by men, so we men must learn to free ourselves from the oppression of women. The latter takes of course a different form than ours over them.

It is commonly asserted that women are, by nature, more intelligent than men and I would be the last to argue with that, even if I would qualify it in certain ways. But why quibble? What the world needs today are people who want to relate to one another, to understand and appreciate one another, to respect each other, to cooperate harmoniously, and to create hope for a better world. And women are, for whatever reason or none at all, simply more inclined in that direction than men. The need for this is patently obvious and it is a better solution than war and ruthless competition or galloping consumption of resources. It is pointless and stupid to respond otherwise.

It doesn’t change the fact that I prefer doing tasks that I can complete myself and that don’t require me to depend upon, satisfy, communicate with, or otherwise need permission from anyone else. Which is why I am writing this dumb article. And I don’t think I am alone in this tendency. Sure it sounds egotistical and sure men are often described that way. But on this score I will stand my ground and say egotism is definitely 50:50. I simply find my own satisfaction and creativity and ability to get my ego out of the way enhanced in such circumstances. Working with others, especially in groups, for me, reinforces ego-active tendencies and brings out competition or criticism. From observing women, I would say, for them, it’s just the opposite, speaking of course (as I must), generally.

This new rising consciousness is a grass-roots movement. That is why in positions of worldly power the influence of women is less obvious. We don’t yet have, for example, a woman president in the United States. But it isn’t far off, I’m sure we would agree. But on the grass roots level I see around me that the change of status and roles are affecting both men and women.

Women are generally happy about their new found freedom and men are too, except when we are unemployed or earning less than our wives and lovers. House husbands are increasingly common and most are very happy with the opportunity. TIME Magazine ran a recent front-page lead article on how the earnings of women are outpacing those of men.

While we congratulate women on their rising status and freedom, we, as men, need to figure out where we go from here. No more bison to bring down, no more bread to bring home triumphantly at night to the admiring gaze of our womenfolk and dependent children! Ah, a sad day has dawned. Or, has it?

Our secret weapon, then, to return to our theme today, is silence. I don’t mean cold, aloof, indifference. I mean something far more elevated. Let me explain in a roundabout way (heck, I hate short articles, don’t you?).

With the freedom of self-expression that women have achieved, the initial benefit for men was a lot more available women who were eager to explore and experiment outside the dreaded commitment that used to be called marriage. It was, and remains, a candy store for some men and women. But this kind of so-called freedom comes at a high price for both men and women: whether emotionally or health-wise, or in terms of true satisfaction or happiness. Easy to enter a casual relationship but difficult to withdraw from one; then there’s those nasty and dreaded diseases. Well I could go on but in fact this part is pretty much outside my own lifestyle and life experience. But I am going somewhere, trust me.

The rising visibility of women is on all levels: from the obviously sexually titillating level to roles of leadership in business, politics and religion. This high level of activity and interaction has made women much more “in your face” for men. Gone are the armies of men-only, whether in the military, the club house, at the shop or factory, office, or corporate boardrooms.

So the first phase of this new reality can be seen in the two-steps forward, one step back evolution of rules of engagement (now called “etiquette”) in the workplace and in every place (since men and women commingle practically everywhere, even dorms and bathrooms in some places). Learning respect, professional conduct and how to be friendly without being too friendly, these are all new patterns for both men and women. But, not surprisingly, this is generally easier for women than for men. And this is where our secret weapon has to begin its hidden (from women) research and development, top-secret phase.

You see, no matter how much society and its rules insist upon equality in all matters we can never simply erase the primordial powers of magnetism and attraction between men and women. But, now, as much as in every other century or society, we have to find new ways to re-direct and circumscribe (or is it circumcise?) this powerful force. In the past these temptations, urges, and otherwise uncontrollable actions were limited by limiting contact between men and women. But that can no longer work.

Let me pause and say that I am not merely describing sexual urges, or even simply romantic ones. That would be downright silly. Studies have shown that even babies or toddlers may behave differently in the presence of the opposite sex.

No, what I mean is this: how do men avoid becoming, well, let’s say “effeminate” in this new world where men and women are equals? Forget the idea that being equals means anything literally. Yes, you might have the same title, position, pay, or rank as a woman who is your peer, but your influence and behavior around each other will, social myths about equality notwitstanding, will be marked by certain characteristic attributes (speaking, of course, generally).

Ok, now listen: during the last few decades of what is called Feminism, women tended to simply imitate the behavior and attitudes of men. Then it began to dawn on women, those who “made it” into the mens’ world, that such behavior is a betrayal of their own, innate tendencies and contributions to the workplace etc.

So, we, too, then, as men must seek to discover our own traits that are ours to contribute. That is the point of this article. But I’m not going to explore those traits because I still have another point to make.

We come back, then, to silence. As women may be quick witted, fluid, adaptable and good socially, men can learn to be adept at being non-reactive to what can only be called (at great expense to one’s life and limb, publicly) the more feeling and mood “rich” environment in which we live, work, and play. To be men, we need to be thoughtful, observant, reflective, and then, when we act, including making a decision, to do so decisively with quiet, firm conviction. We need to draw upon principles and ideals in our language and action; to behave according to what is right duty, not desire or mere feelings. To avoid being self-indulgent in word or action. We should keep our emotional distance from women, being considerate as duty and circumstances dictate, but avoiding familiarity, or “back-slapping” good ‘ol boy behavior when there are no longer any “good ‘ol boys” around.

We need distance and perspective taken with the sole intention of acting, thinking, and feeling according to the highest standards of principle that we can relate and aspire to. We need to be self-disciplined in habits of food, exercise, continuing education and improvement of our skills. We need to become good listeners. We should aspire to be wise and to understand that kindness and compassion are the wisest principles of all.

In sexual matters we need to be self-disciplined as well; appropriate, certainly; committed with integrity to a meaningful, mutually serviceful, respectful relationship. We should avoid making fools of ourselves in such matters. If we treat our wife and her body with respect and tenderness, she will respect us more, or if she prefers lascivious behavior, well, maybe that’s not the right relationship. We shouldn’t encourage our wife or girlfriend to dress in revealing ways, whether in private or public, for we sew the seeds for the cancer of familiarity, moods, and disrespect. Even at home, and yes, in bed, we should be modest in dress and comportment. The Achilles heel for men in respect to women is the eternal temptation of sex.  


Whereas women can be insatiable in their need for attention and interaction from men, men tend to be insatiable in their thoughts about and attraction to women sexually. Both benefit from being more secure in themselves and less in need of approval from one another.


As women come into their own in our society, men, too, should come into our own center of Being. The “real man” is self-contained and unemotional while yet possessing the deep commitment to and passion for truth and high ideals, including helping and protecting others.


The silence of which I speak is, ultimately, derived from the practice of meditation and prayer. To see our source of strength as coming from God, from a higher Power, brings both wisdom and perspective. To avoid one's strength (whether physical, mental or emotional) becoming the instrument of rank egotism, a man needs to be receptive to the Divine Will. It would be especially helpful for a man to approach God in the form of the Divine Mother. 


It would also be helpful to view women as mothers and sisters, even when their behavior or appearance is sexually alluring. Watch your thoughts and notice where the eyes (and mind) roam. A woman who flaunts her allure reveals only her own insecurity, debasing her own soul and inviting men to grovel in the mud of maya with her. See such, instead, as a mere child, ignorant and lost, but, of course, keep your distance mentally and otherwise. Silence. Distance. Wisdom. Self-restraint. Calm. Kind.


What we seek in our desire for companionship with a woman is to be only truly found within our own souls as children of God. To yoke our actions and intentions to the chariot of truth and to be obedient to the dictates of a compassionate, divinely inspired wisdom is to become channel of strength and grace to others: in your marriage, family, workplace and community.


So, men, deliver your flowers and candy with a smile and a gentle, respectful, and grateful kiss for Divine Mother who has given us life and love as One and the Same!


Aum! Nayaswami Hriman

[1] Withdrawing my tongue, momentarily, let me say that I, too, welcome the rising influence of women in the world today as not only beneficial to humanity at large but necessary for human survival (not to mention the world and its teeming life of plants and animals everywhere).

Meditation for Mountain Climbers

Meditation is like climbing a mountain. Long before you take your first step, there arises the desire and interest in mountaineering. You may very likely need or want to take mountaineering classes and build up your skills and stamina on local area hills and smaller mountains. The really big stuff is high above the tree line and high above the normal oxygen range and at the peak is sometimes described as the “death zone” (because of insufficient oxygen). Mountain climbing is not for wussies.

So in the beginning of one’s life of meditation you may read books and talk a lot about meditation and the philosophy of meditation. Many people read lots of books on Vedanta philosophy, eastern religions, karma, reincarnation, gurus and states of altered (higher) consciousness. Too many people, in fact, stay at this comfortable, arm-chair level, content to use their imagination and the thrill of contemplating realities far beyond their present (and possibly not very fulfilling) reality.

I’ve taught hundreds of people to meditate and my fellow teachers, together, perhaps several thousand. We know firsthand how difficult it is for students to finally take a step to learn to meditate; then actually do it themselves; and finally sustain their daily practice for extended periods, what to mention for their lifetime. It’s not easy.

And, what is their biggest complaint? Hands down, it’s the “monkey mind.” Our Darwinian impulse to remain focused on self-defense and self-interest, desires and ambitions and sensory satisfactions is overwhelming; more so in today’s electrostatic environment of over stimulation and electronic overload. 

Hence the popularity of yoga and meditation retreats both at home and at attractive destinations from resorts to the Himalayas. We are desperate, as it were, to get “out of our skin” (which is, to say, out of our heads).

Simple fact is: you have to genuinely want to calm down. And that’s just the negative incentive. And that’s not enough. The positive incentive is what has to be continually, repeatedly, and forever (well, ok, not forever) reinforced. And here’s another earthquake fault: the ways to describe that incentive are limitless. Finding God, achieving liberation, nirvana, cosmic consciousness, samadhi, inner peace, my higher Self……well, you get the picture. And all of those are so foreign and out of touch with the preoccupations of daily life, emotions, and thoughts that these concepts (all mental, merely — and hence you see the trap — the monkey mind still wins!) are rarely sufficient to suffice.

“All right all ready,” you say? “What am I supposed to do?” To become a doctor in today’s society requires intensive commitment. Very few are interested and among those who entertain the idea (with relish, that is), only a few actually attempt it; fewer accomplish it. So, in truth, there is no easy way out because, in the end, no one can meditate for you and no one can provide what amounts to the desire for what you perceive the goal of meditation to be. You have to want to meditate and to achieve the goal promised by it.

Now let my monkey mind reverse directions and remind you that “meditation is the most natural thing in the world.” For yogis, that is! No, I prefer to be real and honest. And that means this: yes it IS the most natural thing in the world when you want to do it! Pure and simple.

To want to meditate means also to understand how to do it and where it leads. Otherwise you may fall by the wayside out of false expectations and poor training. But as we turn back to our mountaineering theme, let us also acknowledge the fear factor: the ego is convinced that it is going to "die" up on that mountain. And, in fact, it, as such, is right. For what it doesn't know is that it has no true substance apart from the soul. And it is the soul that will come to live on the mountain heights. (Ask any real mountain climber why he or she climbs? It's to get into that zone where everything else falls away and the mind is completely in the Present moment.)

So let’s get back to mountaineering. There are mountaineers who are famous for climbing to rarified heights without oxygen. Calming the body-mind-spirit to sit in silence in the rarified atmosphere of what I like to call pre-thought consciousness takes serious brain training.

Ok, you are now sitting reading this stupid article. (Oops, did I say something wrong?) Stop, look at the screen, and place your mind in “listening mode.” (When we stop to listen intently and intensely, we automatically stop our thoughts. So try it — NOW — monkey-face!) From right now and throughout this day (or tomorrow if you are an insomniac), I want you to STOP, LOOK, LISTEN at least once an hour. Stare ahead, looking up slightly, open your mouth just slightly, and listen inside your right ear almost as if straining to hear a distant or soft voice or sound. Doesn’t your mind stop for a moment?

If you are slightly more “together,” you could add to this technique being simultaneously aware of the center of your body from the navel to the sternum (and not just the outside but more towards the inside and center). This additional tweak will help you feel grounded and avoid getting too mental or spacey.

If you want to add even more to this practice, inhale slowly first, and then do the above while gently and calmly holding your breath. As you exhale continue the practice and follow through at least one full, slow and calm breath cycle.

Ok, so that’s monkey-mind training. If in your actual meditation, sitting time you are to achieve a daily experience of the rarified heights of pre-thought consciousness, you need to take sips and allow the monkey-mind to get acquainted and comfortable with being a SEER, one who sees.

You can also periodically just turn your head and stare briefly out the window, as if (but in fact NOT) thinking about something. Don’t day-dream because then the subconscious flow of images and thoughts takes over and that means “losing our mind.”

You see when we “look” at objects we normally are constantly reacting, assessing, analysising, and comparing them to other mental images (memories and associations, likes and dislikes). Thus we create a psychic world of our own that substitutes for the actual images we are viewing and which stimulate this procreative imagining. So learn to practice “looking” without mental activity. Just simply look. No mental words or feelings.

So, again, back to mountaineering. Here are the steps, the Eight-Fold Path of Meditation Mountaineering:

1. Get your “butt in gear.” Take meditation training somewhere, learn how to sit (floor, chair, ceiling, etc.). Don’t just buy some dumb CD or book just anywhere because you happen to see it or it’s cheap or free. Make sure you feel confidence and even inspiration from the source: the teacher, the technique, the philosophy behind each. Get the right equipment (gear): meditation pillow, shawl, headphone, ear plugs, meditation bench---whatever it takes, spend it, get it, do it.
2. Get your intention aligned. In your training (see 1. Above) understand and internalize the purpose and inspiration behind meditation. Make it your own. Begin seeing yourself and describing yourself, mentally and to others, as a meditator; as a yogi; as a seeker; etc. Understand, accept and integrate your goal as your self-identity. Get the right meditation clothes, even. Set up a meditation room or corner with all the trimmings: pictures, candle, flowers, the whole bit. Don’t hold back. (Yes, later you will shed all that but right now you are at the bottom of the mountain and you need to get your gear together. You will need a strong intention to guide you and sustain you in the tough climb ahead.)
3. Start your training. Meditate twice a day and kick your own butt when you don’t. No matter how often and with what lousy excuses (or good ones) you have for failing, get up and keep going. Meditate with other people if at all possible and no less than weekly, if at all possible. Don’t be a slob with whatever technique and routine you’ve committed to. Do it and do it right and do it how you were taught. It could save your “life” when you are up on the mountain. Don’t be a f___-up. No beginner climbs alone. Climb with others. Find a real teacher: one who gives not just canned training but personalized training. We call 'em moutaineer gurus.
4. Now, we begin the climb to base camp. With your basic training as your foundation, you are going to leave your comfortable and familiar environment and world of thoughts, feelings, and activities. Everything you’ve ever been is to be left behind. It will all be exposed and will die on the mountainside and will prove not only useless, but dangerous on the steep slopes ahead and above you. So drop it. This fourth stage involves immersing yourself in the determinedly focused rhythm of climbing steadily and living in the subtler region of calm, pure feelings: whether while meditating or during daily activities. You must get used to being non-reactive, even-minded, quietly cheerful UNDER ALL CIRCUMSTANCES. Your life depends on it for at any moment a crevasse of danger or a landslide of ego ambitions can kill you and end your climb. This region Patanjali calls “pranayama,” referring to refinement of feeling which is reflected in quieting the heart and breath towards their cessation in the higher states to come.
5. As you ascend into steeper, rougher, and higher terrain, you find it difficult to breathe deeply and the need to stay focused on every step. Every step is an effort. This stage, called pratyahara (shutting off the senses and our mind’s constant response to them), requires laser-like focus of the mind in the Present Moment. It means ignoring or transcending the body’s demands for rest and its complaints about aches, pains, and fatigue. You need to keep moving up and the secret lies in focusing the mind and turning away and ignoring random thoughts that will distract you and cause you to fall, perhaps thousands feet below to your death.
6. You are now getting frequent glimpses of the peak above you. It comes and it goes, but as you climb it is increasingly in your sights. It draws you like metal filings to a magnet. You are getting your “second wind” in this stage Patanjali calls dharana (concentration).
7. Now you are nearing the top and beginning to enter the “death zone” of ego. There is very little oxygen here and you are fueled by your identification with the goal. You are becoming the goal: the consciousness of peace, energy, love or vibrating and entering the cosmic sound of Aum or the eternal Light which creates, sustains, and withdraws all things in creation.
8. We have the peak itself. No words will describe this. You must fill in “the blank.”

Blessings,

Nayaswami Hriman

To What Should We Aspire?

In recent months I’ve shared links to my blog articles with internet discussion groups organized around the subjects of meditation and yoga. The groups are comprised of mostly yoga and meditation teachers, so I suppose I expected a higher level of consciousness than what I observed. So it wasn’t long before I withdrew for lack of interest and time.

[To view the Sunday Service talk in which aspects of this topic were given, go to Ustream.com and search on AnandaSeattle. Look for the date 4/22/12.]


For example, when the subject of the history of hatha yoga was floated, one teacher opined that yoga postures must have derived long ago during the days of cave men when, as hunters, they stood poised, waiting for their prey to appear or for the hunt to begin. At first I thought it was a tongue-in-cheek joke. Turns out it was not. Then I figured, well, he’s just giving his opinion  -- which he most certainly was. That he’s entitled to. But what was so disappointing is that the writer showed no interest in whether his speculation was true or not. It was enough that it was his opinion. No quotation of scholarly research or the insight of a wise guru. He seemed completely oblivious to the distinction between his opinion and reality. That was the real shock for me. And those who joined the conversation were no different. It was entirely speculation and opinion, with no interest whatsoever in discovering what might actually be the truth! I won’t bother to share my contribution but between scholarly research and the teaching of the rishis there’s plenty of more intelligently and elevated resources to draw upon!

Another conversation generated several hundred threads of commentary! A male yogi started it all by declaring that it was unspiritual to have an orgasm and yogis should avoid this sort of thing. Here, again, I don’t intend to weigh in on the declaration, but suffice to say the range of opinions on this one were not only all over the map but, well, how else to put it, except to say orgasmic!

On one side were the female tantra yoginis insisting upon their rights and the intrinsic spirituality, indeed, necessity, of such experiences and on the other side were the austerely dogmatic male yogis equally insistent upon the necessity of total abstinence. I couldn’t decide whether the debate was a comedy or a tragedy (though I confess it was a bit entertaining), but I suspect the reality behind the computer screens on both sides of the argument would have been, well, pardon the pun, revealing, to say the least. I thought to myself, “Don’t these people have a life, or better things to do?” (But, then, there I was reading this stuff!)

Another thread involved whether enlightened beings make mistakes. Someone stated that Yogananda’s selection of his successor (Rajarsi Janakananda, who died within two years of his becoming President of Yogananda’s organization) was just one example of a mistake that Yogananda obviously made! (I mean, couldn’t he have “seen” that his heir would not live very long and his mission would be thwarted?)

Well this was the straw that lead me to discontinue my interest in these conversations. But before I did, I had to weigh in. It was just too dumb and insulting. Even a  casual reading of Yogananda’s life story, “Autobiography of a Yogi,” reveals plenty of examples of the seeming de facto fallibility of great masters in mundane matters. Swami Sri Yukteswar, for example, having one day revealed an incredible telepathic power, the next day was nonplussed and suffused with merriment in having to report he had no idea where a kerosene lamp had been misplaced!
But that implication in the other writer’s statements was that the avatar’s fallibility just shows that they, too, are like us and not really all that enlightened! A great saint is a saint not because of his efficiency or human intelligence or material success in every venture he undertakes. You’d think Jesus was a failure for having been tried, convicted and crucified! What makes a saint or master great is his or her consciousness. This is true whether or not one has a public mission, disciples, or a formal teaching.Even the miracles they manifest (mostly to close disciples) are not the mark of their spiritual freedom.It is their God-given power to awaken souls to their divine destiny; to bestow the gift of soul freedom!

Yogananda endured a procession of teachers who left him and a few who, in leaving, attacked him. Against the counsel of his own guru, he encouraged and gave a position of authority to a man who later betrayed him. He attempted to start a school for children and later a householder community but in both cases he was, outwardly, unsuccessful. The time wasn’t right but his example inspired Swami Kriyananda to found the first (of many) communities and the first (of many) schools for children based on yogic precepts. The true guru works with the karma of those whom he comes to help. He respects the free will and courage of disciples to cooperate or reject his saving grace. So, was Yogananda’s decision to close down his experimental “world brotherhood colony” indicative of a failure? Or, was it a success because Swami Kriyananda, inspired by Yogananda’s dream for such communities, started the first of many?

Unseasoned yogis and devotees sometimes mistakenly believe that a spiritually advanced person must be in perfect health, perfect outward joy, constant bliss and have at his command the power of the universe. This is not the case. Instead, It is the willingness of such souls to live amidst the cosmic play of maya (delusion) that is one evidence of their greatness. Yogananda wore his wisdom like a comfortable old coat! To close disciples they may reveal their true nature (as Self-realized souls) but to the world, generally, they live as ordinary mortals, subject to the universal play of duality.

In observing the life of our founder and teacher, Swami Kriyananda, I, and many of you, and many throughout the world, have been blessed to see seen the very human face of spiritual striving and growth. During the last twenty-five years or so of his life he has endured health challenges that would crush in most people the will, the equanimity, and the energy to be serviceful and creative. Yet, Kriyananda has never stopped his writing, speaking, counseling, traveling and his guidance to countless souls and to the Ananda communities worldwide! His bliss only grows even as his body wanes in strength and vitality. He is periodically brought to death’s door or to near incapacity by physical challenges, but he has just as often bounced back unfazed. He is like a fruit tree which, when shaken by storms, only showers its fragrant blossoms in greater abundance.

As the practice of meditation and yoga spreads to every town and city around the globe we cannot but help see and expect a certain dilution of its original power and purpose. Indeed, the health and fashion culture that surrounds hatha yoga has all but eclipsed its higher, more spiritual purposes. Some Yoga lineages such as Ananda continue, however, to uphold the triune purpose of yoga to unite body, mind, and soul into a harmonious whole.

One distinct disadvantage of the high spiritual teaching of liberation and return of our soul to cosmic consciousness is that the goal is seemingly so high and so distant that we become discouraged and may find ourselves defining our spirituality as a cup of morning tea sipped in quiet and comfort.

Indeed, Yogananda said Jesus Christ was crucified once but his teachings have been crucified daily ever since. But the same can be said of the high teachings of Vedanta and Yoga. Yoga is trivialized everyday not just in selling insurance or cars but in the yoga field itself where bright and beautiful teachers vie for popularity, fame and fortune.

To do good and to do what is right is our duty in life. The Bhagavad Gita says that we have no right to the fruit of our good works. Those belong to God who is the true Doer and are those very works. The soul seeks no credit. Remember no good deed goes unpunished. This means that all the good you do will fade away, outwardly. There will always some opposition, some “fly in the ointment,” of every good thing you attempt or accomplish. Every great and successful person knows defeat and failure in at least equal measure. But to strive for good is to climb the ladder of ascension towards transcendence. Pay your dues with joy for your victory is assured if you strive with joy and seek divine grace as your guide and sustenance.

Humility means to forget your ego demands and offer all at the feet of the Infinity of Love which has given us life and joy.

Lahiri Mahasaya, param guru to Yogananda, said the natural fragrance of God-realization will attract the honey bees of devotees to enter the hive of meditation and enjoy the nectar of divine awakening. He encouraged his disciples to forsake scriptural debate in favor of Self-realization.

Never think of your spiritual liberation as far away, distant either in time or space. Instead every day and as often as you can through the day, affirm by quietude of heart and mind the Infinite Beloved who resides in your heart, with each heart beat. He is the nearest of the near and dearest of the dear. He is your own Self.

Meditation, practiced with concentration and devotion, is our most creative act, for it puts us in touch with the cosmic creative vibration of Om, from which all things and ideas flow. Creativity is to create love and harmony which is OM, for OM unites all life in one harmonic chord of life and love.

Aum, Shanti, Amen,

Nayaswami Hriman

Tower of Babel - the Art of Communication

I am reading a book I can recommend to you: America Veda, by Phillip Goldberg. I haven't finished it so I may have a different opinion by the time I'm done, but I doubt it. It traces the history of Indian teachings in America. It's informative, well-written, and inspiring for the fact that the eastern teachings are so well suited to life in the 21st century and offer such promise of harmony and peace in our conflict-ridden world.

Reading about the various teachings and teachers I am struck with wonder of how many points of view and emphases there exist on what otherwise are basic key points: in this case around metaphysics and the idea that all creation is a manifestation of divinity. Now, I don't particularly want to talk about metaphysics here, but rather, the amazing diversity of points of view that can exist around what is generally perceive to be an experience of Oneness that, well, for lack of other words, one imagines would be the same for every One!

Again, putting aside whether Oneness is One for every One (a matter hardly worth debating!), the point remains. How is it we humans ever get anything done or haven't already destroyed ourselves given what seems to be an endless  variety of opinions on even the most mundane matters. (Does the mundane matter? Is the mundane matter? Well, see what I mean?)

Now that I've tricked you into thinking I'm not going to talk about metaphysics, guess what? I imagine that the only way we humans can survive ourselves is because of our Self. Beyond the endless stream of words and infinite varieties of human experience there does in fact, must in fact, exist a level of connection underyling the human experience. This underlayment, like the silence out which words come, like the evanescent sunlight and the crystal clear water which bring forth life, must surely give us a level of certitude, trust, and stability that encourages us to interact even when we are uncertain of the results or the dependability of those we cooperate with.

My teacher, Swami Kriyananda, wrote a book, Do it Now! It is out of print and was upgrade and replaced by a newer version called Living Wisely, Living Well. Both are excellent but the older version I had all but memorized by repetition (it had 365 wise sayings). Among my favorite groups of daily counsel was the advice to listen, feel, and notice the silence and the space between words; the space between activities; between breaths; and so on. Meditation essentially helps us find that "space between our thoughts." I have found that the more I contact and seek that space (whether in meditation or in outward activity) the more I can trust that the right outcome will follow. This brings to me calmness, confidence, and solution-oriented ideas when I need them.

The Tower of Babel is the Tower of Ego affirmation. It's the experience of being in a crowded room of people and everyone talking at the same time. That's the crowded marketplace of human egos competing, vying for supremacy, attention, survival, and fulfillment of seething desires; we see it on the oversized stage of politics: everyone shouting at each other, spinning and nuancing every word to their own advantage or to the disadvantage of the other "guy."

The secret of success and happiness begins with listening. Listening means to "feel," to "sense," to be aware, and to develop the art and habit of looking for reality by tuning into intuition which hovers in a silent space just "above" us. It means shunning or calming the tendency to react to words and appearances, to imaginings, to speculation, to fears and to countless "what if" scenarios. It means to be receptive to and to accept "what is" rather than to substitute one's mental machinations for reality.

To be a listener and to live intuitively means to live on a subtler plane of feeling, sensitivity, awareness and consciousness. There's no point getting overly metaphysical about it: just start by listening. And when no one's talking, listen to your own stream of thoughts. Don't buy into the marketplace of your own opinions, desires, and fears. The yogis say practice the inward response of "Neti, neti." "Not this, not that," translated literally. But this means "don't buy in." Remain aloof or a little apart from your own reactive tendencies. Hear yourself think or talk or watch how you behave.

Yes, I think the only way life is bearable is similar to how we need sleep every night lest daytime life become hopelessly burdensome. The soul needs the refreshment that comes from the "listening" and from the "spacious" mind which exists in the blue skies of quietude that exist all around us. The talking mind is the ego mind: dissecting, weighing, counting, measuring, computing the odds and placing bets.

I say to my Self, "You don't mind, do you?" I ask my Self this question as a "re-mind-er to "mind" my own "Self."

In order to develop this trait, it is best to start slowly, one mind at a time. Let the talking mind talk for a while and then ask it to "shut up" (whether your mouth or your talking mind) and "listen." Listen not just with your ears, but your body, your senses, your heart, and your higher Self. Together these act as a kind of crystal radio set, provided they are are synchronized with each other.

After some practice you can go the next level which is to be both mind-ful (listening) and talking or acting more or less at the same time. When I give a talk at a class, for example, I try to pay attention in a calm, inner feeling sort of way as I am speaking. I am not analyzing what I imagine are the listeners' response but I keep my "inner ear" attuned. In this way I will be more likely to say things that will be in tune with their needs and the whispered counsel of their own higher Self.

So, let's come down from the Tower of Babel where everyone is shouting all at once. Walk calmly amidst the crowd of your thoughts or the cacaphony of outer sounds and listen. Don't judge just BE. In that space you will be everyone's Friend and your own best Friend. You'll be amazed how much better you communicate even in difficult situations.

Like the railroad crossings used to say: "Stop, look, listen!"

Blessings,

Nayaswami Hriman

A New Tomorrow Dawns Today! Easter 2012

Today, Easter Sunday, 2012, we honor and celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ and his relevance to our lives. As Easter and springtime signal a renewal of life and hope, so too we stand in the midst of the dawn of a new age, a new tomorrow.

Paramhansa Yogananda unhesitatingly affirmed the birth, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. He boldly claimed to have had many visions of Jesus Christ. In his autobiography he spoke of the resurrection of his own guru, Swami Sri Yukteswar who appeared to him in the flesh in a hotel room in Bombay some three months after his guru’s body was buried in the sands of Puri, on the eastern coast of India.

He came from the east as, in fact, did Jesus Christ, not “to destroy, but to fulfill the law and the prophets.” But he faced the dawn and spoke to the future of humanity of hope for a better world. That hope, which was vibrant in the first years of twentieth century was soon shattered by the "war to end all wars," which heralded only more and greater and unceasing  conflict ever since. That century saw two world wars and the deaths of untold millions of people, combatants and civilians alike amidst the appearance of a new and terrible weapon of death: the nuclear bomb. And yet in the hearts of millions, hope remains, progress is being made.

Jesus Christ, by contrast, was born amidst the dark age of ignorance, known as the Age of Kali. He spoke therefore only in parables. His disciples expressed their frustration but in time were instructed privately in matters direct and esoteric. The deeper teachings of Jesus were hidden from public view. His journey to the east as a young man was erased from the accounts of his life. His references to reincarnation were purposefully oblique because the consciousness of humanity could not see beyond the reality of physical form. In the centuries that followed his life humanity was to see the destruction of civilization and knowledge as it was known in his time. His teachings alone, though hopelessly crucified daily by ignorant self-styled representatives of it, to the extent embodied in the lives of his true disciples, were nonetheless the only light of civilization for centuries to come. Hope for a better world would await the future coming of another “son of God” for an age with “ears to hear.”

But the new age would not dawn peacefully because the institutions and consciousness of Kali Yuga are far from surrendering their claims willingly. During Yogananda’s life, the British empire which once ruled the waves (and Yogananda’s homeland of India) and upon which the sun never set was destroyed. Yogananda taught that the divine purpose behind that empire was to unite the world in preparation for the new age and to introduce the principle of rule of law, individual liberties, and even the English language as the future “lingua franca” of the world. This new era of consciousness, which we call the Age of Dwapara (meaning “second age”) was born, however inauspiciously, at the beginning of the twentieth century.

The pace of change ever since has been both exhilarating and frightening: both hopeful and fearful. Almost immediately at the dawn of the twentieth century came a lightning bolt of scientific (and philosophic) discovery: Einstein’s declaration that all matter is a form of energy. Thus Dwapara Yuga is an age of energy awareness and energy consciousness.

Thus we have seen in our lifetimes:

1. 1.      an explosion in the search for and consumption of energy resources to power a whole new way of life and civilization; this is matched with a crises and concern for sustaining cheap energy resources and mitigating or eliminating the negative impact of our energy consumption;
2. 2.      we see a rising and urgent interest in alternative medicine and energy healing as holistic illnesses surface in tandem with our awareness of our body as energy; we have become aware that health is the product of the quantity and quality of our energy;
3. 3.      the vitality and cleanliness of food, water and air is of urgent concern; the need for locally based and sustainable food sources is spawning an entire new industry and inspiring a new generation of Dwapara pioneers;
4. 4.      energy consciousness in society, business, and politics translates into the pressing need for cooperation rather than competition and exploitation on a global as well as local scale;
5. 5.      in religion, strident sectarianism threatens the very foundation, source and value to humanity that religion should offer; the need to see the underlying harmony and unity among all faith traditions is as vital a concern as any environmental or political issue; the nonsectarian practice of meditation is steadily replacing dogmatic attachment to outward forms and beliefs into the expansive and joyful direct perception of one's higher Self, the Self of All.
6. 6.      in behavior, morals and ethics, all is fair and all is game in the frenetic whirlpools of dissolving traditions and cultures; the expansion of consciousness of Dwapara Yuga is destroying the rigid boundaries of Kali Yuga; at first there seems unleashed not only freedom but license and licentiousness; the self-centeredness that seems to be emerging in Dwapara will be balanced by an expansion of self-awareness  and sympathies for the greater good of  all. 
7. 7.   personal freedom of Dwapara will unleash the energy of self-initiative, creativity, and individual conscience. These will gradually overtake the power and dependence upon the centralized authority of tribe, culture, government or religion.

Fear of the rapid pace and consequences of change and the direction of civilization has halted the otherwise necessary and natural expansion of sympathies that Dwapara Yuga invites. In every country in the world, during the last ten or twenty years, two steps backward toward authoritarianism and violence is evident.

But the march of Dwapara continues. The internet, whose freedom and openness is under assault, nonetheless is spreading awareness like the light of dawn to all nations and all people. Nothing can stop the halt of progress through education and greater awareness of ourselves, our neighbors, our planet and our universe that is streaming toward us like a flood.

Hope for a Better World comes to us to with the rays of light from the new dawn of Dwapara. But Dwapara is an age of rapid change and unceasing instability. Its vitality can threaten destruction but those souls of goodwill can harness Dwapara's rising power for good by going within, to the calm and wise center of intuition. 

Individual liberties and freedoms are the outer form and leading edge of Dwapara. But its invisible inner counsel reminds us that true freedom is not doing merely what we want, but having the wisdom and courage to do what is right. No outward ruler or authority can contain the energy of Dwapara. Only individual conscience can do that now. Only conscience can stem the tide of misuse of personal, economic, military, or political power.

Thus it is that the overarching Intelligence of the One from whom the many have come has sent its sons, its children to be wayshowers: Jesus Christ said it even in the midst of Kali Yuga: the kingdom of heaven is within you! Jesus, in cooperation and communion with the rishis of India, and in attunement with the divine will, has sent to the West and to the world the sacred keys of awakening through yoga-union: the science of meditation and the technique of kriya yoga.

Kriya yoga is the energy medicine of the soul. As we learn to awaken and unite with the subtle but powerfully intelligent currents of energy and consciousness that create and sustain the human body, we are baptized in the river of life that brings to us the intuition, wisdom, vitality, and creativity with which to flow and adapt to the outward currents of Dwapara Yuga. 

Finding the unalloyed happiness of the soul within, we can shine and share the light of wisdom upon the earth as it is reborn into Dwapara Yuga. Ours is not only the privilege, not only the opportunity, but the obligation, for while the victory of Dwapara is assured, the extent of suffering which is resulting from the clash of consciousness between old forms and new energy can only be mitigated by soldiers of peace and messengers of mercy.

May this Easter resurrect in your heart the commitment to simple living and high ideals, of living in harmony and cooperation and in dedicated service to the flow of divine grace that can guide the boundless energies of a new age. Seek divine contact through the scientific techniques of meditation and express the divine will, wisdom, and love through selfless service to all. Be the hope for a better world that you seek for yourself, your family and for all.

A blessed Easter to you,

Nayaswami Hriman

[If you enjoyed this article, you will find more insights and wisdom for a new age in Swami Kriyananda's collection of essays, "Religion in the Age." See http://www.crystalclarity.com/product.php?code=BRINA Available at Ananda in Bothell, WA or at your local East West Bookshop.

God: personal or impersonal?

This week is “Holy Week” in the Christian calendar. Coincident as both Easter and Passover is to the beginning of Spring, these religious celebrations express the Spring themes of hope and renewal.

My topic today would seem unrelated to Holy Week but the renewal promised by the great saints and scriptures, and echoed by Mother Nature in springtime, is a renewal of and in the Spirit. The question of whether to approach God as Spirit (impersonal) or as incarnate (personal) is raised in every tradition, every generation, every faith and in every soul seeking inner communion and inner renewal.

Great debates have raged through the millennia on this issue: some sects espousing the impersonal, others the personal. Swami Kriyananda, direct disciple of the renowned yogi, Paramhansa Yogananda (author of “Autobiography of a Yogi”), and my teacher (and founder of the worldwide network of Ananda communities) has taught that “infinity includes infinitesimal.”

“Why, then,” he is effectively saying, “should there a conflict?” God is the essence of everything and everybody! Armed with the expansive vista given to us by science and confronted with the narrowness of view of sectarian faiths, many educated people reject all religion and specifically any expression of devotion towards a person, alive or otherwise. Who can blame them?  “Idolatry,” Swami Kriyananda writes in his classic text, “Art and Science of Raja Yoga,” “is the bane of religion.”

And then there are those who worship God in the form of their “guru,” such as Jesus Christ, Krishna, Buddha, Rama and so many others. Such devotees may scoff at those pretentious enough to imagine they can approach the Infinite Spirit on their own terms, which is to say, from the insignificant soap box of the human ego. There are those who reject any form and insist that God is Spirit and no representation whatsoever can be made.

We humans all too often mistake the form for the spirit behind the form. We are hypnotized by our reaction to what we feel is the attractiveness (or repulsiveness) of external objects, including mental constructs such as theology or philosophy. We miss the point, in other words. We also cling desperately to our own ideas of what is right. Our insistence betrays only our uncertainty, however.

To the woman at the well in Samaria, Jesus taught that “God is Spirit and seeketh those to worship Him in spirit and in truth.” To worship God in spirit is to commune with the divine Presence in inner silence. To worship God in truth is to seek true wisdom and to walk the path of righteousness (dharma) in daily life.

Try these experiments in prayer and meditation  for yourself. First: sit in meditation and visualize the image of one of the great saints or masters, such as Jesus Christ, Buddha, Yogananda, or any other. For as long as you can calmly concentrate and while dismissing as often as necessary passing thoughts, hold that image behind closed eyes. As you do so feel that your heart is open. You may wish to visualize your heart as an open lotus, rose, or an upturned chalice. The fragrance of the flowers waft upward in adoration, or, in the latter image, let the crystal clear waters of peace flowing from the “master” fill your cup. When you feel complete, then sit still, in the silence and absorb the after-effects of your visualization.

As a second experiment, visualize a golden light behind closed eyes. See that light entering the brain and flowing down into the body and then encircling the body in a halo or sphere of Light. Rest in the gentle but vibrant healing balm of that Light. Now, expand that Light outward in all directions: to your home, your family, your neighbors, your city, country and encircling the earth, bathing all life in the peace-light of your heart. Now send this Light out into the universe and feel this Light is the great Light of God, your Father. Mentally affirm, “I and my Father are One!” When finished sit in the silence and just BE STILL and KNOW that I AM.

You can combine both of these starting from the personal and moving to the impersonal. St. John the evangelist describes Jesus as that Light that cometh into the world, that lighteth every man, and which is God and has created all things since the beginning of time. “Before Abraham was, I AM.” Paramhansa Yogananda taught that Jesus as a person wasn’t a divine creation so much as Jesus, the unique soul, had become wholly identified with the Father-Spirit. The difference between a Jesus Christ and most people isn’t one of kind, but of degree. We need only to come to the same Self-realization that the great masters have achieved through the combination of self-effort and divine grace.

Think, then, of yourself as a spark of that great Light. There is no conflict between you and the great Light of God. So long as we hold the candlelight of our own ego close to our eyes we do not notice the great Light that surrounds us. It’s a matter of attention and direction of our focus. God has descended into flesh to become the creation, and to become YOU. But as the wave cannot call itself the entire ocean, so we must shift our attention from the particular form Spirit has taken (in ourselves, others, and in the creation) to the formless, nameless overarching Spirit which is found in the vibrationless sphere of inner silence. This doesn’t happen in a day, but as Krishna promises in the “Bhagavad Gita,” “Even a little practice (of this) will free you.....”

A blessed and holy celebration of the great Light that rises in the East(er).

Nayaswami Hriman

Yoga, Sex, & Spiritual Teachers

It is disappointing to read of esteemed yoga teachers having sex with their students, to hear of titillating nude yoga videos and calendars, and even to see the photos of sexy yoga teachers, both male and female, selling everything from themselves to cars. Fame, fortune and beauty, promoted by yoga magazines and advertisers and enjoyed by their readers, infiltrate even the rarified pure heights of yoga.

For clarity purposes, let me begin by explaining that I use the term “yoga” not just to refer to the physical postures known as “hatha yoga,” but to yoga’s true and original reference (which has a double meaning): first, to those disciplines of body and mind intended to refine and elevate one’s consciousness above identification with body and personality, and second, to the state of oneness with pure Consciousness which is the goal of such practices.

To those who share spiritual-truth teachings, including the ancient and sacred art and science of yoga, Jesus Christ gave this warning: (paraphrasing) “all those who go before me are thieves and robbers.” Paramhansa Yogananda (author of the now classic, Autobiography of a Yogi) explained that Jesus’ words refer to those teachers who draw the attention of their students to themselves – rather than to the pursuit of Self-realization.

In one book review I scanned, the author claimed that the origins of hatha yoga came from certain sexual tantric practices. I am not versed enough in the history of hatha yoga to offer any factual rebuttal except to respond with dismay and disdain. That author’s analysis is as shallow and transparent as his motivation seems to be, but his assertion, however ignorant, poses a question that I feel ought to be addressed squarely: is there some hidden or intrinsic connection between the practice of yoga and sexual stimulation?

According to both modern research and local tradition, yoga practice (whether physical or mental) comes to us from at least five thousand years ago. It is widely believed that yoga precepts and disciplines originated in an age of higher consciousness. That some debase these practices (indeed any and all spiritual practices, not just yoga) for ego gratification is not a new story — this has happened in religion and spirituality since time immemorial. History provides ample proof that a religious vocation as teacher or priest is no guarantee of freedom from sexual desire or temptation. In most traditional and orthodox religious practices, the taboo barring sexual contact between teachers (including priests etc.) and students (members, parishioners, etc.) is fixed and absolute. Given human shortcomings, it is no wonder that some renunciates resort to suppression, and no wonder, as we know all too well, that sometimes even tragic consequences can result.

Yoga, by contrast, is, in certain respects, just the opposite. Rather than reject the body and the material world, yoga guides us toward greater awareness of the powerful and intelligent energies of the body. The purpose of this stimulation, however, is not sensual indulgence. The risk of temptation to do so, however, is the nub of the issue here today.

Yoga has, since ancient times, affirmed a truth that modern science has only recently validated: that matter is a form of energy. Yogis go further to say that energy, in its turn, is a manifestation of consciousness. The deeper purpose of yoga is to redirect our identification with the physical body (and its senses) into, first, an awareness of and identification with the energy of life force that animates the body, and, then, more deeply still, into an awareness and self-identity with the consciousness that intelligently guides that energy.

This process, admittedly esoteric for most westerners, is the explanation for the process through which the soul rediscovers its innate divinity, its true nature as a child of God. The ultimate goal of this realization of our higher and true Self is to achieve Oneness with the Godhead.

People are drawn to yoga for its many benefits: physical, mental, and spiritual. In the physical practices of hatha yoga the body is, superficially, the object of one’s interest and attention. In modern yoga classes, men and women mix together and the clothing worn during such classes for the practice of hatha yoga generally tends to reveal male and female physiques. While this might be distracting, for most students it is of no more than a passing interest.

As the yoga student progresses, he or she becomes more inwardly self-aware, and discovers the innate intelligence, joyful vitality, and latent powers which animate the physical body and its senses. In time (or for some even initially), the focus may shift from physical health to the goal of achieving lasting and consistent contact with the suprasensory states of higher (and blissful) consciousness.

In yogic terminology, one learns how to withdraw his consciousness from the physical senses inward to the “tree (or river) of life” (one’s “center”) where the fruits of the (Holy) Spirit are tasted: joy, calmness, peace, love, and healing vitality, to name a few. In time and with deeper practice the yogi offers his energies, consciousness, and life upward to God in the spirit of devotion and self-offering.

Not surprisingly, therefore, wise yoga teachers warn us that yogic practices will enhance the power of the senses and one must be careful to not lose sight of the longer-term goal. Yoga devotees are schooled in the need for devotion and humility and are taught that self-effort alone is not enough to achieve salvation. Grace, too, is needed. The liberating power of divine grace comes in response to the intensity of our effort and the purity of our intention. (Some fundamentalist Christians, in fact, accuse yoga as denying the power of grace, relying, instead, upon ego-motivated self-will. But this is not a correct understanding of yoga.)

There is yet another spiritual trap that awaits the aspiring yogi: one that is even more deeply embedded into our psyche: the ego! The ego is necessarily energized as our intelligent life force ascends through yoga practice towards the brain on its journey to the highest spiritual energy center at the point between the eyebrows. It would be a detour to launch into further explanation of these energy centers (known as “chakras”). Suffice to say that the gift of free will and individual self-awareness is ours to keep lifetime after lifetime until we willingly offer ourselves into the transforming and liberating power of the divinity. In the end we give up nothing and in return we gain infinity itself. But the long-entrenched vitality of our mortal delusion resists mightily, fearing its own dissolution.

Advanced stages of yoga practice bring with them both expanded consciousness and powers even over objective reality. Patanjali , the Indian sage who wrote the “bible” of yoga (the Yoga Sutras), enumerates these powers that come as the soul advances toward freedom, and, by implication, the temptations. As Jesus Christ was tempted by Satan with dominion over all creation, so, too, Patanjali warns us, will we when we, too, stand on the brink of Infinity. Do we not face a similar choice every day, when we are tempted to act selfishly instead of nobly?

As “pride goeth before the fall,” ego is the first and last hurdle of the soul to overcome. Greater than sensory temptation is this foe who is also our greatest friend on our prodigal soul’s journey back to God.

Not surprisingly, and not unlike spiritual and religious traditions everywhere, celibacy (or at least moderation) and ethical behavior are among the prerequisites for receiving the knowledge of the yoga science. “Blessed are the pure of heart, for they shall see God.” Patanjali details the “rules” in his description of the Eight-Fold Path in its first two steps: the “yamas” and “niyamas.”

Unfortunately, the practice of yoga in the West is too often presented on the basis of health (which is easily turned in the direction of bodily glorification) and thus finds itself stripped of its foundation in devotion, self-control, and openness to the transforming power of divine grace.

Further, we in the West emphasize self-effort and personal liberties. We expect, perhaps even demand, that all knowledge should be ours with the only barrier to it being, at most, a monetary one. Viewing yoga as health culture, we aren’t inclined to consider the importance of right spiritual attitudes.

We in the west still think of our bodies as mechanisms. The successes of allopathic medicine in fact derive in part from the detailed analysis of illness using a mechanistic model. Thus much of hatha yoga practice centers on physical safety, spinal alignment and strength. Our culture is only beginning to see the connection between health and consciousness, between body and mind. (Thus Ananda Yoga employs the use of affirmations to help direct a student’s awareness towards higher consciousness.)

Traditionally the relationship between teacher and student was formal and conducted with reverence, respect, and openness. By contrast, our society treats teachers as equals and inclines towards familiarity between teacher and student. (As a child, I could never have addressed my grade school teacher by her first name; to encounter her in the grocery store as a normal human being would have been almost traumatic. How much our culture has changed!) While the American attitude in this regard has its refreshing side, it also removes a veil of protection from the teacher and student relationship.

Western culture, moreover, is bereft of any philosophical or cultural handle for the concept of enlightenment. We imagine that a teacher who is articulate, magnetic, attractive, charming and popular must be spiritually advanced.  My teacher, Swami Kriyananda, once visited a temple in India and was approached by a “sadhu” (so called holy man) dressed in orange robes, long beard, and looking like something out of picture book. This man said said to Swamiji, “Picture? Five rupees!”

With our genius for organization we tend to equate leadership in an organization with wisdom. How often has the wearing of a robe or clerical collar proved itself no protection from egotism, anger, or lust.

We in the west do not realize how few spiritual teachers are God-realized. Claiming to be enlightened does not make it so. I don’t mean to denigrate those who are both sincere and wise. But only one who is Self-realized can truthfully recognize another. Millions of followers do not a true guru make! When Jesus asked, “Who do men say I am?” only Peter drew upon soul-inspired intuition to recognize Jesus as a true christ and master, more than a charismatic teacher with spiritual powers. By the end of Jesus’ ministry, “many walked with him no more.”

Because our Christian heritage is ignorant or in denial of the concept of reincarnation, we have yet to adjust our vision of the purpose and journey of human life to the vast span of time it takes for the soul to achieve freedom in God. A soul can be saintly but not yet free. A powerful intellect, magnetism, or wisdom can be used in the service of God and humanity, but are no guarantee of inner freedom. Until the soul achieves permanent emancipation in God-consciousness, it can still fall spiritually.

The road is long and the temptations and pitfalls remain until the end. Therefore, condemn no one and be, as Jesus counseled us, “Wise as serpents and harmless as doves.” If I have no personal knowledge of the facts of another person’s sexual misdeeds, I try to remain apart from the chorus of outraged voices. Walk the spiritual path yourself first and long enough and be sure, as Jesus said (paraphrasing) that you are without sin before you throw the first stone.

Allegations of sexual misconduct are notoriously difficult to prove, being, by nature, intimate and apt to incite intense emotions. Such cases sell newspapers and make for sensationalist courtroom drama. Some continue to claim that Jesus Christ had an affair or marriage with Mary Magdalene. It’s not my business and I wouldn’t condemn him if he did. Without the intuition of a Peter, how would I know?

The power of sex force is second only to self-preservation. It is essential to life in countless ways. It brings to us vitality and creativity. It is sacred, for it is life itself. It shouldn’t be condemned, nor, of course misused. The ego, and indeed our present society at large, revels in celebrating sex for its pleasure alone and, not surprisingly — to balance the psychological scales — is quick to condemn those who fall for its false allure!

The same life force that gives us sexual energy can also be redirected into serving a greater good. In yoga and in ancient tradition we are taught how to transmute sex force through exercise, right diet, noble deeds, creative pursuits, meditation, and devotion. It is not to be suppressed but offered upward into a higher octave of egoless, unconditional love and service. This force has given us life itself and is therefore the basis of energy for our spiritual salvation if we use it rightly. The fact that yoga can be helpful in this effort doesn’t diminish the hold sex and romance possesses upon human consciousness. (Yogananda added his testimony to that of the ages when he commented that the three great ills of humanity are misuse of “sex, wine, and money.” Their magnetism and power holds in delusion and suffering a significant percentage of humanity.)

Unfortunately the profound and sacred reality of the creative life force is too often mistaken for permission to pretend that sexual indulgence is somehow a path to enlightenment. This convenient dogma will persist through the centuries for the simple fact that the ego is so clever in its delusion. Books, workshops and videos abound promising enlightenment through enjoyment of sex. This false teaching will always be with us and its devotees will, no doubt, protest indignantly at my effrontery.

But for those who are sincerely seeking enlightenment yet while also in a committed love relationship, it is, nonetheless, spiritually right to bring sacredness and mindfulness into the expression of love through sexuality. Yogis even teach couples how to prepare themselves to conceive a spiritually minded child.

But until the soul achieves final liberation, this life force can and will tempt us. St. Francis once warned a woman disciple (who was getting too attached to him personally), “I can still father children!” Lord Buddha was tempted by sexually alluring female forms at the very moment of his liberation at which point, free from temptation, he cried: “Mara, Mara, I have conquered thee!” Jesus, when tempted with dominion over all nature commanded: “Satan, get thee behind me!”

This is not to lay fault at the feet of the woman student who has had an affair or inappropriate contact with her teacher. We are souls first; bodies only temporarily. The woman may have indeed been betrayed by the teacher who used his position and magnetism for selfish ends. But she too betrays her higher Self in yielding to the lure of any number of human desires and dead-end delusions. The Lord’s prayer which says “Lead us not into temptation” suggests that while we may be “led” it is we who consent.

What may have begun with admiration and inspiration was perhaps sidetracked into a moral and egoic cul-de-sac by forces as old as Adam and Eve. I add my belief to that of many others who view the rising influence of women in the world as the hope for a better world. In the Ananda communities where I live and serve, it has been customary for couples to share the spiritual leadership. This has worked well, spiritually, both for them and for the communities they serve.

And let us not forget that men and women, serving together, can accomplish great things. In business, science, the arts, academia, humanitarianism, in public service, and in spirituality, men and women can and do inspire in one another creativity, high energy, and the practical manifestation of high ideals. Is not friendship and mutual service the ideal to which even marriage should aspire?

And what of the teacher? In this society of ours where intimate relationships are easy and common, are men not vulnerable, too? Have you never observed even small boys responding brightly to the presence of a pretty teenage girl? In my counseling of men, many admit being bothered by the compulsion to gaze longingly at attractive women. (Are women any different, this way? I doubt it!) What more magnetic power is there between a man and a woman than she who admires his success, and he who is attracted by her winsome intelligence?

For a teacher “caught in the act,” maybe it’s time to take a break, or, even, a hike! Either way, one who is sincere should strengthen his resolve, make amends as he can, and find the support he needs for protection and for self-discipline. (There are of course legal and organizational considerations. These are, however, outside the scope of my own interest.)

From the soul’s perspective our failings are fertile ground for introspection and growth. From the standpoint of karma and reincarnation what yogi wouldn’t opine that the teacher and student must have had some “karma to work out?” Our spiritual lessons are never easy but always potentially liberating if we will remain even-minded, calm, compassionate, forgiving, and always seeking the divine will and lesson. Blaming others and claiming to be a victim are not the hallmarks of a refined consciousness, certainly not those of a true yogi.

Ultimately, it is God alone, speaking through our refined and sensitive conscience, who must be satisfied, not the dictates of the fickle mob crying, “Crucify him!” For one who is seeking soul freedom, whether teacher or student, the ultimate “foe” is ego. The temptation of sex, the allure of popularity, money, possessions, and fame are ultimately secondary manifestations of ego affirmation. From the point of view of the soul, is it any greater “sin” to have not yet overcome sexual desire than to seek popularity or approval, or money and influence through one’s successful teaching of yoga?

One could argue that sex, at least, represents the impulse to love and be loved; it is compelled by the desire for companionship and intimacy. Do not some saints seek God as their Beloved? Indian scriptures say that God created this universe that “He might share his Bliss with many.” The Bible says “God so loved the world that he sent his only begotten son” that we might see Spirit everywhere and in everyone. Sex is closer to our existential consciousness and essential feeling nature than money or fame, which are, by comparison, sterile because abstract.

We live in a fish bowl where celebrities are concerned. We expect to know every intimate detail of their lives. We see leadership as power over others rather than an opportunity to serve them. We don’t see the personal sacrifice that is required and too often view leadership as an opportunity for self-indulgence. No wonder we are quick to judge, for wouldn’t this justify our own lack of dedication to serving a greater good?

Yoga practice brings rewards and risks, no doubt about it. In the Bhagavad Gita, Krishna warns his disciple Arjuna that “suppression avails nothing. Even sages must act according to their nature.” Yoga is a form of universal and scientific spiritual awakening. It is powerful and effective. Patanjali describes the great powers that come on the spiritual path but warns against seeking (and misusing) those powers.

So, yes, yoga teachers, on the path to freedom, will be tempted and will slip. But yoga affirms our true Self as the only reality. It therefore emphasizes directional progress rather than condemnation. Yoga precepts acknowledge the power of delusion as the very fabric of the universe. Thus the soul, as described in the Bhagavad Gita must, as a warrior-devotee, do battle with the powerful energies which rise, like demons, as we advance towards transcendence.

My teacher, Swami Kriyananda (direct disciple of Paramhansa Yogananda, and founder of the worldwide network of Ananda communities) experienced the trials and tribulations of such accusations. To his credit, he did not deny his actions. Instead, he courageously disclosed the facts heedless of the consequences. Ananda members and communities, knowing his true nature, did not turn away from him but offered to him the support and loyalty due to one who, with divine attunement and deep sincerity, has shared and lived wisdom through self-sacrifice and divine grace. By so doing, we affirmed and lived the truth of our own higher Self, as well. As Paramhansa Yogananda put it, “it is a sin to call yourself a sinner. A saint is a sinner who never gave up!” To be a true “swami” is to live sincerely and courageously, walking one’s path toward perfection in the Self (“Swa”).

For the soul, there is no eternal hellfire and there are no victims, only opportunities to learn and grow. This isn’t to say that one should necessarily remain silent in the face of wrong doing. Helping others is part of helping our Self. Our motto should always be the second stanza (and the most important) of the Yoga Sutras: “yoga comes from the steadfast poise of even-mindedness and centeredness in the Self within.” 

Avoid the intensity of emotions such as condemnation, pride, self-loathing or shame, for a slip is not a fall.

Bless all those who have ever harmed you that they too find their way to freedom. Be free in yourself. Let us walk the path of yoga with our eyes clear, our hearts open, and our posture strong and tall.

Blessings,

Nayaswami Hriman