Home (October 2022 Newsletter)

Home is that undefinable place where one feels complete. Large or small, luxurious or minimal, it is where one finds rest and comfort. It is where we can drop all pretenses. This is the nature of consciousness. The mind can let go and get to a state in meditation where all thoughts simply dissolve, like into a quicksand, and one meets up with that timeless, shapeless, formless seed out of which all thoughts and experiences arise. If it is so simple, how is it that our entire lives are spent chasing a dream that is rarely realized in anyone’s lifetime?

We are born complete. The invisible and indivisible primordial matter of which we are constructed needs nothing more. Anything and everything is derived from this. Simply by living constantly in a state of awareness of this moment keeps us home feeling happy and safe. That primordial seed, that home, is one we all share. To acknowledge that completeness, (Sa Aham - I am That) is to be HOME. It is to BE.

Namaste,

sipra

Meditation: You Need No One and Nothing (September 2022 Newsletter)

Image credit: Michael Reichelt from Pixabay

No matter how often we speak of it, and no matter in how many ways we address the topic, there is only this present moment where we can control our environment and move into silence and spirit. How can we do this? Read and follow this simple Sufi thought:

“The Sufi is he whose thought keeps pace with his foot.

He is entirely present:

His soul is where his body is,

And his body is where his soul is,

And his soul is where his foot is,

And his foot is where his soul is.

This is the sign of presence without absence.”

All distractions of the mind (chitta) are due to not being present. If our minds are somewhere else, we fragment ourselves, the mind is not where the body is, and the body and soul separate and are separated. All thoughts are based on our experiences from the past. How else would we have a thought if we know nothing of it? These thoughts (vritti) may be pleasing or not (klishta/aklishta), but they cause the mind to race and draw us away from our Soul Self -That which truly is! When our days and nights are suddenly filled with stress, it is too late to learn how to be present. Start your practice into silence and presence now.

Namaste,

sipra

Life is Forever (August 2022 Newsletter)

Irene was my friend for over 40 years. Fun, funny, intelligent, always exploring and learning about life, nature, people and places, Irene was interested in life and everything that made life worth living. She wanted to do everything and she did. A lot! A life well-lived. She passed away yesterday following complications due to diabetes. Rest in peace dear friend, Peace. (The name 'Irene' comes from Eirene, the Greek goddess of peace.)

Nirvanashatkam, or Six Stanzas on Nirvana – Swami Vivekananda

AUGUST 13, 2011 By VIVEKAVANI

(Translation of a poem by Shankarâchârya.)

I am neither the mind, nor the intellect, nor the ego, nor the mind-stuff;

I am neither the body, nor the changes of the body;

I am neither the senses of hearing, taste, smell, or sight,

Nor am I the ether, the earth, the fire, the air;

I am Existence Absolute, Knowledge Absolute, Bliss Absolute —

I am He, I am He. (Shivoham, Shivoham).

I am neither the Prâna, nor the five vital airs;

I am neither the materials of the body, nor the five sheaths;

Neither am I the organs of action, nor object of the senses;

I am Existence Absolute, Knowledge Absolute, Bliss Absolute —

I am He, I am He. (Shivoham, Shivoham).

I have neither aversion nor attachment, neither greed nor delusion;

Neither egotism nor envy, neither Dharma nor Moksha;

I am neither desire nor objects of desire;

I am Existence Absolute, Knowledge Absolute, Bliss Absolute —

I am He, I am He. (Shivoham, Shivoham).

I am neither sin nor virtue, neither pleasure nor pain;

Nor temple nor worship, nor pilgrimage nor scriptures,

Neither the act of enjoying, the enjoyable nor the enjoyer;

I am Existence Absolute, Knowledge Absolute, Bliss Absolute —

I am He, I am He. (Shivoham, Shivoham).

I have neither death nor fear of death, nor caste;

Nor was I ever born, nor had I parents, friends, and relations;

I have neither Guru, nor disciple;

I am Existence Absolute, Knowledge Absolute, Bliss Absolute —

I am He, I am He. (Shivoham, Shivoham).

I am untouched by the senses, I am neither Mukti nor knowable;

I am without form, without limit, beyond space, beyond time;

I am in everything; I am the basis of the universe; everywhere am I.

I am Existence Absolute, Knowledge Absolute, Bliss Absolute —

I am He, I am He. (Shivoham, Shivoham).

Namaste,

sipra

White Noise, Black Noise! Silence and Focus (July 2022 Newsletter)

Our daily stresses are all related to our rapid, constant, and meaningless thoughts. The process goes on and on and invades our days and nights. The words that linger are the negative ones that come through all the chatter.

From the Bhagavad Gita:

“Thought, that ingenious device

By which all boundaries are set at naught,

Commanded by the thinker

To span the struts of days and distance,

Constructs bridges of brush strokes

And promenades with words for cobblestones,

Lanterning them with meaning.

Thus is time paved

And space bestridden

By mind the conqueror.”

How do we control this wayward mind? By staying on task. By taking the moment seriously. Focus on what you are doing. Do it. Nothing else matters at this moment. Be silent. Listen instead of speaking. Don’t just jabber with words that have no content. Well, of course there is content to all our speech, but is it worthwhile? What did it change? Who did it affect? Above all, was it true and tested? What we believe is true is not necessarily so. If we thought through what we were going to say and chose our words carefully we would hurt each other less, and there would be less misunderstanding and pain in the world. Best of all is silence. Listen carefully instead. The best conversations are consequential and clear, and when you listen in silence, the words you utter are likely to be wise and compassionate

Namaste,

sipra

Nature of the Divine (June 2022 Newsletter)

May we follow our true path, whatever it is.

What is the definition of 'Divine'? A power or energy that is beyond the scope and potential of man or any sentient being to comprehend or touch in any way. It is by nature vast and without bounds, permanent, unchanging, and undefinable. Come death or birth, whether we are visible or invisible, you and I continue in a flowing stream, with all its ups and downs. We create each moment from the way we have lived till now. We are where we are by the way we live each moment. It is not about the physical attributes that make up one's life. When our purpose in this present existence is accomplished we move on to wherever we have brought ourselves.

Namaste,

sipra

Service with a Smile (May 2022 Newsletter)

Here’s a simple thought, easy to live with and execute if you can only do it all the time. Treat all your duties, chores, tasks like a walk in the park.

Each day and every moment, all the time offer every thought and action as a service. Offer service with a smile. Try it. Perform happily and be happy. It is the attitude of sattva (the attitude of calmness, balance, and harmony), as opposed to rajas (the energy of competitiveness, selfishness, and constant movement), or tamas (the tendency to behave negatively, unwillingly, acting or not in pain and sorrow).

Is your life a walk in the park? Can you make it so?

Namaste,

sipra

Alignment (April 2022 Newsletter)

Alignment in poses is essential for deriving the best benefits from a yoga class. After all, why do we practice yoga? For a good stretch, balance, strength, calm mind, good health, and well-being.

What is alignment in yoga? Alignment is the arrangement of the body into a pose where it feels comfortable, stable and at ease, but still working hard. It consists of fully using the entire body and the breath to execute each pose. Most poses should feel just a little beyond one’s comfort zone. How then is the pose comfortable and at ease? In Chapter 1, verses 10 to 15 of the Yoga Sutras, Patanjali states that yoga should consist of sustained practice without wanting or attachment till it becomes so firmly rooted in the psyche, physiology and morale that the conscious mind grows silent, non-reactive, and unattached to anything at all. This is alignment in the supreme cosmic sense! The feeling should linger long after class. It should last all the time.

Interestingly, when through regular practice one begins to align with the spirit, there is a sudden resistance and boredom with it all, and we drift away from the practice. Back to square one! Enlightenment isn't so easily forthcoming!

The photo makes this point clear. The grassy edge of the sidewalk is steady and unmoving (you might say it represents Purusha - That which is true and real, permanent and steady). The shadow of the fence (prakriti - you and I, who are always changeable and always changing,) slowly aligning and then drifting away. Oh, so close to the finishing line! Enlightenment is not so easily forthcoming!

Practice often, be consistent, and stick with it. Even if not enlightened, we can at the least live our lives in true freedom.

Namaste,

sipra

True Knowledge is Self Knowledge (March 2022 Newsletter)

Spring is fast approaching and is the season for windy days and nights that affect our respiratory tract and digestion. Take a teaspoon of honey each day. It's a good thing.

Most yoga classes address the oneness of all things and the non-separation of the subject that is me, from an object which is the other. In Yoga philosophy (Raja Yoga) all the ancient texts say there is only the One, unchanging and infinite. There is nothing apart from that which is the Ultimate or Brahman. All the things we see, hear, feel, experience is part of a changing and impermanent world that is not real. How can we know that this is so, and why should we believe it?

Advaita (non-duality) philosophy as this is called, is based on ancient classical texts, and argues that each person must discover this truth for themselves. It assumes nothing. It teaches you nothing. It expects you to follow no one, nor accept anything because you have been so directed.

The Nyaya school accepted four legitimate ways of obtaining valid knowledge. Six natural ways of knowing are accepted as valid means of knowledge (pramāṅa): perception (pratyakṣa), inference (anumāna), verbal testimony (śabda), comparison (upamana), postulates (arthapatti) and non-apprehension (anupalabdhi).

(See Patanjali's Yoga Sutra 1.7.)

The only one we need to consider is pramāṅa. Pramāṅas or the sources of true knowledge do not contradict each other and each of them presents a distinct kind of knowledge. Explore on your own the philosophies of the world and you will find they all agree on basic truths.

Inference and the other means of knowledge cannot reveal the truth of Brahman on their own. How can ‘inference’ be logical or scientific

Advaita recognizes that in addition to Śruti (revelation) it requires yukti (reason) and anubhava (personal experience) to perceive true knowledge and actualize knowledge of Brahman.

The reason for this serious article is to make you see that meditation is not simply closing your eyes and listening to nature sounds or having someone guide you through a meditation. It is work that needs to happen each day on one’s own. We invite you to check out two workshops on Transcendental Meditation or Mantra/Japa meditation. The term ‘Transcendental Meditation’ was popularized by the Beetles. Why don’t you try it too? It’s simple, focused and calming even if the yogic concepts are too esoteric.

Namaste,

sipra

Now and Beyond This is THAT (February 2022 Newsletter)

I was invited to teach a term-long weekly yoga class at a local middle school in the Hilltop area several years ago. It was an illuminating, reassuring and enlightening time. The first time I entered the classroom one of the boys jumped up on his desk, crossed his legs, rested his hands on his knees, closed his eyes and loudly chanted a long ‘OOOOMMM’. It was a promising start in a community where yoga is the least of their concerns.

Image credit: KittenBroEeev, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

In my classes I suggest a variety of ways to focus one’s attention, hoping that one of the many ways will resonate with each student. However, in the back of my mind is always the thought that perhaps we should stick to the simplest and most profound of mantras, chants, vibrations and what have you! The sound ‘Om’.

Om is the sound of silence. Om is the sound of the one hand clapping. Om is the vibration of the living Universe as it breathes. It is a steady pulsation just like a breath… on and on and on. Correctly pronounced it is exactly as it is written, ‘OM’. Known as anahat nada in Sanskrit, it means that it is a flow, vibration or sound (nada) produced without two objects being struck together as in a percussion instrument (anahat).

The sound is the combination of three sounds, A.U.M. ‘A’ represents one’s waking state and the physical body. It also represents the birth of sound, since sound and vibration are primary to all experience, as explained in 'First there was the Word'. It is the beginning or waking. ‘U’ represents the subtle body and the dreamless state of existence and represents life and living. ‘M’ is the ending drawn out sound which represents the causal body in a state of deep sleep, death, and other states beyond consciousness.

Note the crescent on top of the OM symbol, and pay special attention to the tiny dot that floats above it. The dot is known as turiya, literally meaning the 4th. The crescent divides this world of things that the senses can experience. All of this is maya or illusion. The 4th means it is beyond life and is true. It is the eternal Self, indescribable and beyond comprehension. There are no words for it!

How should it be sounded? Who knows? If we could describe it, it would be within the ambit of our senses, but it is not. We cannot describe what is beyond. But we can each experience it differently in color, light, echo and sound. Try it, stick with it. In yogic terms, it should be sounded all the time, and also as one takes their last breath so that they may gain enlightenment.

OM

Namaste,

sipra

Sale and Sail on... (January 2022 Newsletter)

It has been a year of being anchored in one place. Often stuck where we don't want to be. Moored without being able to move leaves us with muddled and muddied plans.

Have you created real action-oriented plans? Perhaps you don't have the final details, given the uncertainty that we still face due to COVID and its persistence and insidiousness. But it is not just the plans for the New Year that we need to have ready so that we can sail forward into the world of matter. We have another world we need to move forward into – that of the Spirit.

What I am saying today is generally repeated each month in my newsletter in some form. To me that is all we know and all we need to know. Grow the spirit, transform yourself into the Being full of loving kindness that you truly are. Give without thought of recompense, accept what others offer you with gratitude, a smile, and a bow. Morning, evening, and all day long pay attention to what you do, what you see, what you hear, what you feel and what you taste. Keep all your senses sharpened and honed. You are the kings and queens of your world, be worthy of that title. Be in a state of constant gratitude. Learn from varied sources that are wise, but don’t depend on them. We are fortunate to live at a time when all knowledge and wisdom can be easily accessed through technology and travel (when possible). Learn as much as as you can but don’t get caught up in one source/app or personality that seems to fulfill your needs at this moment. Don’t stunt your growth. Sail on…

New Year resolutions? So, what about them? After all those 30-day challenges that you have stressed over in the past, or felt elated on completing, has it really changed anything for you in the long run? If it has, good for you; if not, don’t go for it again. You want a new year free of stress. Don't try to sail upstream. You won't go anywhere, except perhaps backwards!

Happy New Year! It’s just another day if you really think about it. But it’s always good to have an occasion to get together and share a laugh or two.

Namaste,

sipra