Life 42 (Feb 22 - May 22)

[winston]

Loving Through Attention

You could describe the whole process [of mindful attention] as love.

You could say, “I’m giving attention to my breath,” or “I’m giving attention to painting the windows.”

But it’s equally, “I’m learning how to love this in-breath, learning how to love this brushstroke.” The spareness drops away.

- Martin Aylward in conversation with James Shaheen and Sharon Salzberg, “Coming Back to Embodiment”

[winston]

What are the various attitudes with which people take on meditation and which is the ideal approach?

There are three ways by which aspirants try to enter the path of meditation:

1. On the pure and serene satwic path, one considers repetition of the Name and meditation as a duty and suffers any amount of trouble for its sake;

2. One is fully convinced that all this is just an illusion, so one does only good under all conditions and at all times. One desires only the good of all and is always loving towards all;

3. One spends time uninterruptedly in the remembrance and meditation of the Divine. One does not crave even the fruit of repeating the name and meditation; one leaves it all to Him.

In the passionate, restless (rajasic) path, one craves the fruit of one’s actions at every step. If the fruit is not available, then, gradually, laxity and disgust overpower the spiritual aspirant and repetition of the Name and meditation slowly dry up.

The ignorant (tamasic) path is even worse. The Divine will come into the memory only in times of danger or acute suffering or when one is the victim of loss or pain!

- Dhyana Vahini, Ch 2.

Why ask for this or that? Have faith in Him, the Giver of All, the only Treasure you need; He will fill you with contentment.

Source: radiosai.org

[winston]

It’s All Good

When you encounter a difficulty in your life, an impasse, solve it.

If you can solve it, it’s good.

If you can’t solve it, it’s still good, as it’s no longer your problem if you can’t solve it.

It’s only a problem when you solve it. So when you encounter challenges in life—it’s all good!

- Guo Gu, “The Sound of a Bell, the Seven-Piece Robe”

[winston]

Patience and Progress

Self-help might be like writing, or marriage—you might go through long stretches of not trying, but that doesn’t mean you haven’t learned from your past efforts and failures.

- Clancy Martin, “It’s All for the Better”

[winston]

What is the ultimate purpose of repeating the divine name and doing meditation?

Most people now follow only the passionate, restless (rajasic) and dull, ignorant (tamasic) paths in repeating the Divine Name and meditation.

However, the very intention of repeating the Divine Name and meditation, is to purify the mind and the intellect.

In order to achieve this, the first path of pure and serene (satwic) meditation is best.

When the mind and the intellect become pure, they will shine with the splendour of the understanding of the Atma (Inner-Self).

He in whom this understanding shines fully is called a sage (rishi). The knower of Atma becomes the Atma itself.

The goal of life, that which makes life worthwhile, is the understanding of the Atma or, in other words, the basis of the individual soul (jiva).

- Dhyana Vahini, Ch 2.

The Divine alone is the giver of life, the guardian of life, and the goal of life.

Source: radiosai.org

[behappyalways]

Chinese migrant worker father watches son go to school from 267km away
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ZXcI-kYjhHY

[winston]

The Illusion of Separation

There is no being and no non-being.

We are here to awaken from the illusion of our separateness.

- Wendy Johnson, “A Floating Sangha Takes Root”

[winston]

As good parents and aspiring leaders, what is the one key lesson we must keep in mind?

When you win the Love of the Divine, His compassion will flow unto you.

Love gives and forgives. Ego gets and forgets.

When your son steals some money from the house, you do not hand him over to the police; but, when your servant steals a spoon, you have no such qualms. For, you have no love for the servant.

Live without hating others, condemning others, and seeking faults in others.

"Doing good to others is the only meritorious act; doing evil is the most heinous sin."

When you feel you cannot do good, at least desist from doing evil. That itself is meritorious service!

Do not try to discover differences; discover unity.

Understand that the purpose of life is to know the Embodiment of Love, namely, the Divine, through love, and demonstrate through your own Love that you have known Him.

- Divine Discourse, Apr 04, 1975.

The best way to gain happiness is to choose Him as the leader and guide. Then, He will guide and guard, from within your heart.

Source: radiosai.org

[winston]

A Caring Foundation

We can’t live ethically without caring about ourselves as well as others.

And we can’t be mindful without caring about what is happening here and now.

Care underpins the radical attention that dharma practice accentuates.

- Winton Higgins, “Treading the Path with Care”

[winston]

Why should we pay attention to our posture during worship or meditation?

There is a close mutual relationship between the attitude of the body and the attitude of our mind.

So, people’s inner feelings will be evident from their physical body.

The stance and the appearance of the body help us to discover these feelings.

Take one example. With the loins girded, the sleeves of the shirt rolled, and the palms rounded into fists, it is not possible to exhibit love or devotion.

With bent knees, the eyes half-closed, and the hands raised up over the head with the palms joined, is it possible to show one’s anger or hatred or cruelty?

That is why the ancient sages guided the spiritual aspirant that it is necessary during prayer and meditation to adopt the appropriate bodily pose.

They saw that it is possible to control the waywardness of the mind by this means.

- Dhyana Vahini, Ch 02.

Life must be sanctified by making proper use of the body and engaging it in sacred actions.

Source: radiosai.org