Satsang is Where We Express It

The Times of India reported an article on Sunday that quoted a young man saying, “If I were to diagram my spiritual life, it would look something like this: A continual series of ups and downs, through all of my life, moving in a slow upward direction, although some of the lows would seem lower than before and some of the highs would seem higher than before.”

The article continued in the vain, ”When I picture this graph, it is not encouraging at first, because the longer I live, the further away the end of the graph appears. It is very much like the elusive end of the rainbow - the closer I get, the further away it seems.”

The article then turned it up a notch and began, “And yet there is something you cannot see on a one-dimensional diagram, something you cannot express with lines and words. There is a hidden excitement that begins to surface, a tingling of the soul that quickens my consciousness as i gaze at this trail of God in my life. I suddenly realise a great truth-the up-and-down syndrome of my life is the fingerprint of God on my soul! It is the remains of my struggle of faith, the ups and downs of my ongoing dialogue with the God. It is the way growth looks.”

Thoughts like these are difficult at times to express, but in Satsang it is the natural way.

Satsang in India - Sometimes

The following three paragraphs were taken off the Internet and are shared as a way of showing that the word Satsang has many meanings and that sometimes people get it right and other times they fall short.

In the middle they wrote, "Some people are now using the satsang style of worship and trying to contextualize more so that they can maintain their culture while forsaking the false beliefs," Wayne said. "Satsang style uses music similar to the Sikh singing. The leader would likely sit rather than stand, and some people are using contextualized terms like 'Sat Guru' (True Teacher) for Jesus."

Satsang, which literally means "true company," is a congregationally led worship. Often one teacher will sit and read a passage from the Bible, and the congregation will meditate on it and discuss it.

In this way, Sikh-background Christians can match their style of worship to the culture to which they are accustomed, while remaining devoted to following and sharing Christ.

Vedic Science

The Washington Post writes that in Hinduism, science and religion go hand in hand. The relationship between Hinduism and science goes back to the Indus Valley civilization, as old as 2500 BCE. The Washington Post writes that Vedic science appears to have included components of astronomy, biology, mathematics, chemistry, medicine, metallurgy, etc. The notion of atomic/molecular world was integrated into Vaiseshika school (between around 250 BCE to 100 CE) of Hindu philosophy.

The Washington Post writes that Yoga included some remarkable methods of breath/respiration control. Ancient sages were said to be acquainted with radar, microbiology, radioactivity, television, etc according to the Vedic reports. Epic heroes of Hinduism flew first aircrafts, as hard as this is to believe. In Hinduism, there is theory of Seven Worlds, Doctrine of the Ages of the World, religious categories of Space in Veda, reference to quantum mechanics in scriptures, as well as mysteries of Vedic/Puranic aeronautics and Tantrik biochemistry, etc, according to the all wise teachers.

There is too much to talk about in one column; come to Satsang and let us discuss it all.

Satsang and Festival

In India there was a major occasion with speakers and ceromonies and such, but before it all began, there was Satsang.

Hundreds of people participated in 'Stand up, speak out,' a pledge taking ceremony organised by the Art of Living Community in Mangalore in association with United Nations Millennium Campaign against poverty and for the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals. The Millennium campaign that kicked off at the UN's Millennium Summit in September, 2000 aims at a prosperous, safer and equitable world by year 2015.

The 'Stand up, Speak Out' campaign adopted by Art of Living attempts to impart the sense of responsibility to all citizens towards this goal. As part of this campaign, the pledge taking ceremony was organised in more than 194 countries across the globe on Tuesday and Wednesday.

In Mangalore, the members of AoL community assembled at Canara Girls High School grounds in Dongerkery on Wednesday evening to make their pledge for a better world. They held their hands together, leaving out none and repeated the pledge dictated by Mr B N R Rao. Former district-in-charge minister B Nagaraj Shetty made his presence during the ceremony. The ceremony was preceded by a satsang which took a peppy turn after the pledge.

Toltec Warriors

There is a discussion going on about the mounds where visitors to Toltec Mounds Archeological State Park would be able to view the ancient American Indian complex from one of its highest points under a proposal being considered by the park superintendent.

“When you stand up on top of Mound B, you sort of get it,” Superintendent James Wilborn said, referring to the mound that rises 39 feet from the ground. “This is pretty impressive. You gain a new appreciation for the construction of the mound. If we can protect the site and give visitors the opportunity to do that, why not pursue it ?”

Imagine if you and I could get into the Warrior way of thinking that created such a wonderful thing? Satsang is where we can discuss and learn the Way of the Warrior.

Hesse & Gibran

This year 2007 marks the 125th anniversary of Gibran Kahlil Gibran, a Lebanese-American poet and visual artist who many associate with enlightenment, and the 130th anniversary of Hermann Hesse, a German and Swiss novelist and thinker who became a great favorite of colleage students in the 1960's. The universal appeal of both Gibran and Hesse is very clear in their work, and more particularly in Hesse's novel "Siddhartha" and in Gibran's "The Prophet" which has great appeal to young people looking for the answers to questions.

Remember, Satsang is always a place of exploration and truth!

Spiritual Enlightenment Journey to Drugs

It was reported today by a drug researcher that DRUG users will move from ecstasy towards hallucinogenic drugs in search of "spiritual enlightenment", Adelaide drug researcher David Caldicott says.
Dr Caldicott said people use drugs for specific "self-medicating" reasons and those reasons are changing, as in the search for enlightenment.

He said while more research into shifting drug trends needed to be done, Australian users tended to follow European trends, as in the search for enlightenment.
In Europe, they are turning off "pills" and tuning in to more "mystical" highs, he said.

People use such "hug drugs" as ecstasy – known as entactogenic drugs – to get a feeling of love and intimacy with others, he said, “as in the search for enlightenment.”

Now, more people are looking for a spiritual enlightenment and/or religious experiences and are turning to such hallucinogenic drugs as LSD or others derived from plants – cacti and mushrooms – which are known as entheogenic drugs.
Many are legal and available in the wild, in gardens and online.
Some, when they are ready, come to Satsang.

Action.

The time has come for all to be the person they desire to be.
It takes a decisive action to begin.
Action is always required.

You may or may not agree.
Come to Satsang and let us discuss the issue.

Buddhists & Tibetan Monks

Because Buddhists revere the Dalai Lama as the reincarnation of the bodhisattva of infinite compassion and as the spiritual and governmental leader of Tibet, a large portion of our reading and discussion in class has been focused on understanding him, wrote Brittany Messenger, an intern of Ithaca College.

Seated on his ornate pedestal surrounded by a dozen Tibetan monks, the Dalai Lama floored both myself and my 22 classmates with his humility and irrepressible joy.

His Holiness explained the approach to enlightenment through the practice of deep compassion, wisdom, and skill. His teachings urged the rejection of self-cherishing, in order to find release from greed, jealousy, and anger.

Explore, read, and see the many facets of discovery and then visit with Yudhishtara and talk and listen and interact at Satsang.

We Must Be Warriors

Gilda Cordero-Fernando wrote from the Phillippines today that though she is a senior woman she prefers the company of young people, in part because she finds them smarter, bigger, handsomer specimens than ever before and less fearful of breaking boundaries set by past generations. She believes there are those among them who could slay the dragons that besiege us within and without?

She believes the shadow self, the feared, unclaimed self, is our dragon within and that of other people. Since June of 2007, spiritual warriors, age 22 to 40, have been manifesting one by one in her life. She believes they are descended from the native Babylon of pre-colonial Philippines who were suppressed by the Spanish friars and driven underground.

We all must be strong, unafraid to embrace life and we must be warriors – not fighters, but vigilant in moving towards our goals.

Daily Star Writes Durga Puja

The Daily Star of India writes that the supreme Durga Puja 'worship of Divine Mother' the festival of pomp and power -- is the greatest socio-religious extravaganza of the Bengali Hindus and by now it has become a global celebration witnessed in almost all the major cities of the world, from supreme New York to Los Angles, from London to Belfast, from Durban to Tokyo from Caracas to Bombay. It is a mixture of spiritual sublimity and enlivened sociability that gives it a multi-dimensional excellence of spiritual truth and justice. The exquisite beauty of the Pratima (supreme idol), splendidly decorated by supreme artistic skill and supreme colorful devotional outfit adds additional grandeur to the whole spectrum of supreme jubilation and enlightenment. Bengali culture and Bengali literature indeed owe a lot to this prodigious socio-cultural fanfare and nostalgic articulations.

Satsang is Doctor's Order

The Indian times wrote today that there was a friend going through depression who was advised by her family physician to join satsang. She flared up: "Why satsang?" The physician thought for a moment and said: "Because satsang will give you a community. It will give you a sense of belonging. Two, it will draw you out of your limited self and will help you bond with your higher self".

Satsang helps build up a magnetic centre of spiritual life according to the Times of India; from such a centre flows energy which purifies and stabilizes our emotions. Traditionally satsang is associated with the singing of Naam kirtan, invoking the Supreme one or The Beloved, as Yudhishtara refers to the Unspeakable. This is only one aspect. Satsang has many dimen-sions. It may mean a gathering of like-minded people who pray together or discuss and debate issues which are of concern to humanity. Just as any good work is worship, similarly fruitful exchange of ideas which would benefit self and society is also satsang.

Satsang Structure for Enlightenment

Yudhishtara asked of us to do one thing of a structural nature in order to combat the structure of society.

Upon waking in the morning look around and acknowledge that the room is much the same as it was when you went to sleep and "Thank Your Beloved" for giving you the opportunity to live another day.

Before going to sleep, "Thank you my Beloved for this Day. I will rest in you tonight and if it happens I will awake tomorrow. If not, I will rest in you."

Satsang is Enlightenment - Tomorrow Night

There is a book review that concerns the second volume of The Great Treatise On The Stages Of The Path To Enlightenment continues the three-volume classic treatise of Tibetan Buddhism, first completed in 1402 – if you can imagine reading a book that is only 1402 years old. The author is Tsong-kha-pa (1357-1419), who was careful to base his insights upon Indian Buddhist literature, using citations as well as sayings from the masters to clarify his points of enlightenment and other opinions of the day.

It was considered a Great Treatise On The Stages Of The Path To Enlightenment in his day and is especially true for any student or follower of Buddhist teachings searching for means to put the wisdom and generosity of a divine being to practical application for comparison with Yudhishtara’s writings found on his website at www.yudhishtara.com.

For example, tenets of how to give unselfishly and for universal benefit are discussed at length in the book, but one such tenet cautions against storing unneeded goods rather than freely giving them, as the guilt to disburse the goods will eventually cause one to impulsively give to those who may not be in need, rather than see that the goods are given to those who need them most. One really has to look at the belief systems of the writer and reader to know if one is going to change one’s life based on the writings of a Tibetan Master who died over 500 years ago.

Satsang is tomorrow night at the Bhodi Tree.

Joy - Happiness - Satsang is Tomorrow

There is a time when you hear, “How often do you hear people say, "Erica is so full of joy"? It's more like, "Erica seems so happy"”. That's because happiness and joy are two different things, and more often we see people temporarily happy, rather than consistently filled with joy or is this all nonsense. Happiness is more like a mood, meaning it can change at any given moment or is it our fleshly nature that we are happy when things are going our way and if they aren't, then our flesh will surely show it or is this all nonsense talk. It's temporary says one or all of you. Joy is much more than just a feeling or is this a crock of talk. It is possessing great delight and gladness or so we say. I want internal joy, not external happiness is that the answer for all?

Satsang is tomorrow. Come share your ideas on joy and happiness or find a chapter from Yudhishtara’s free online book.

Satsang is Tomorrow!

Andrew Cohen has a magazine with this title. He claimed that he was enlightened but said that he had doubts about it all the time. So his definition of it included having doubts about himself. I am certain that I am not enlightened and have no doubts about it. But I am also certain about what enlightenment is. It is available to practically every person, but it is optional. This article could also be called East Meets West.

You can read the article or show up tomorrow at Satsang - Bhodi Tree - 7:30PM.
http://www.articlesbase.com/self-help-articles/what-is-enlightenment-119184.html

The Warrior Way

Roy E. Klienwachter writes in his article that from his experience, he has noticed that many of us are just too wimpy with our expectations of what we want from the universe. For most of us on this planet Earth, we just take what is handed out.

Klienwachter writes that knowing you have what you want is the fastest way to experience what you desire. Roy defines an expectation as confirmation of what you want. In other words, he writes, if you want a brand new, red, A280z Fast Mobile, why would you expect anything less? You expect to get the car that you want - and if you expected something less, why not ask for something less?

This type of thinking is called by Yudhishtara – being a warrior. One needs to be vigilant and active, not passive and unattentive.

Satsang is Wednesday, October 17, 2007.

Haley is Born Today!

My grand daughter Haley Roman came into the world today and it was a blessed event. To see her so peaceful was something to behold and I wondered how often we have had this moment.

Children are love and there is no greater reminder that it is the one constant that we have in our world at all times.

Satsang - October 17, 2007

Pay close attention to the coincidence in life and notice that it is expected.

Find a thought form that is troubling you and watch it manifest.

The phone is ringing with the person you are thinking about.

How does anyone know anything about anything.

Satsang is October 17, 2007 at the Bhodi Tree at 7:30PM.

Another Point of View

In a world full of stress, deadlines, needs, and scarcity, it is sometimes hard to determine that you have any power. Helping yourself can feel like an overwhelming and unattainable mission. However, we also live in a world full of new information and understandings. Ideas of self-empowerment and the feelings that these truths bring is testimony for a new way of thinking.

The universe is unlimited, and, if you choose to explore it, you will awaken to a whole new way of knowing---a whole new way of being. Spirit is available to all people at equal levels; there is no "better than," or "more deserving." The choice to raise your consciousness means to broaden your awareness, open up to new possibilities, step out of your comfort zone, and allow information other than what you already "know."

www.janenglesmith.com

Who is asking the Question?

Energy follows thought.

32 to 5 is a direct channel for communication?

Who is going to Satsang in October.

Questions, questions, questions.

Who is asking the questions?

Come to satsang and find out.

Rumi - Persian Sufi 800 Years Ago

Dzulkifli Abdul Razak is the vice-chancellor of Universiti Sains Malaysia and he writes today that “I am neither of the East nor of the West; no boundaries exist in my breast,” and this wonderfully open line belongs to the renowned Jalal al-Din Muhammad Balkhi, better known as Rumi, the widely acclaimed poet-cum- scholar Rumi was born on Sept 30, 1207, in Balkh in Central Asia, now part of Afghanistan.
His father, Baha’ al-DinWalad (Bahauddin), a religious scholar and a Sufi (Islamic mystic), had tremendous impact on him.
And Rumi, who later became a force in jurisprudence and religious matters, like his father, was made a university professor. Some even said it was Rumi who transformed the history of Persian literature.
Despite the fact that 800 years have since passed, Rumi’s legacy remains timeless and is still an interesting read today.
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (Unesco) saw it fit to designate this year as the International Year of Rumi with the underlying message of global peace.
Indeed, some of the themes in Rumi’swork focus on tolerance and the love and the remembrance of the divine as a way to achieve peace.
When writing about Moses, Jesus and Muhammad, he transcends the barriers between the East and West.
He constructed a religious-cultural bridge of deep understanding where “no boundaries exist in my breast”.

Energy Follows Thought - All The Time!

Energy Follows Thought.

It's all in your head.

Time to think about it.

Who knows the way?

Satsang is coming!