India, a universe on its own.
he, who tries to know it from the far, can not know it.
Everything we try to know from the far is not knowing.
lets call it assumption and prejudgement.
This will lead us nowhere, not even to the state of not knowing.
We will simply have an illusion of knowledge.
How can we know something we have not lived and how do we live without knowing why?
What do we really know which is not from outside...
and comes only from our true little self.
(this is gathered knowledge)
Kerala, South India
Swami was asked one day what he can say about substance abuse and addictions. He replied:
„This is not a real issue and it is just a game people playing with themselves. The real addiction is a mental phenomenon. Our minds are so much addicted to their own patterns and habits. That is the real issue. Drugs are actually just a method to hide what lays beneath in the depth of our souls.“
I invite you to start seeing all your possibilties in life and not getting upset with unusual situations.
I don't have this or that, I can't do this or that...these are just a few examples of our daily thinking patterns.
It is ok to think that at some points in our lives and then coming back to what really matters.
My dear friends. I hope you are all well, no matter where you are at the moment. I assure you that I am living and making the best out of it.
Today is already my last day in India. So I am enjoying one more time Indian "Idly" for breakfast, chai masala, "no problem", questionable air quality, crowed places and so on. Somehow I got really used to this environment here. I wonder how Germany will be? But before I got here my travels brought me to south India and I have been quite lazy informing you what has happened. Indeed many things! Though I will not go into details. I do not share my food and accommodation with you, as I am going already to Germany tonight at 02>00 am.
What I write might be confusing sometimes. Though my letters, words and sentences are different. They address you and are not only to show you what I am doing so you can like or whatever. I write to open you up to something more, to stir you up and to engage you!
We jump right into it...
While I was just practicing Yoga at MathatituYogaAshram. Suddenly I was asked to teach yoga and I saw the possibility to get more teaching experience. So I took on a few students and as they continued their journey I was happy to have shared my practice with them. But somehow the owner, his name is URI, of the Yoga Shala was confusing me more than the situation would bring peace to my mind and so I decided to focus on my personal practice once again. My daily yoga practice varies depending mostly on my environment and the possibilities around.
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But even if there is only a small space where I can sit, concentrate on my breath and meditate, this is fine.
For those of you that have no regular pactice in silent meditation due to whatever reason. I would love to explain you some basic steps. The whole preparation is easier than most people think. Making it a habit is the key to your success in the long run.
1. Sit comfortable on the ground, cross your legs, sit on a pillow or block if necessary
2. Spine erect, palms resting on your knees facing up, tip of thumb touches tip of index finger, other fingers together and relaxed
3. Close your eyes and focus on your in- and exhalation
4. If your mind wonders, bring it back to your breath,
let your thoughts be thoughts, let them come and go (like a big wheel that never stops)
Continue with this practice (daily) for 20 -3 0 min
the main focus is on concentration,
without concentration there is no real meditation,
meditation mostly happens spontaneously and is the product of deep concentration and contemplation.
This is actually more a concentration practice than actual meditation. That is where we all start. There are many different approaches to meditation. The one I just explained is very traditional and classical so to say.
Is is also mediation if you are fully engaged in your daily duty, work, art, chanting, cooking, walking...or whatever it is (Except watching TV).
If you fully concentrate on what you are doing meditation is more likely to happen.
This practice helps us to see life in a different way. Do we not all strive to peace and harmony deep within, or am I am making an assumption about your inner world? Do our inner worlds really differ that much?
Start seeing all our possibilities in life and focus on what our true self is. I am talking about the true self or your soul which has a body.
Maybe it helps you to see the small boy or girl in you that always had the dream to become a pilot, doctor, teacher, painter, musician or wanted to travel the world. Clear? Good, now we’re talking.
Honesty can help us to get more clear about us and our lives. Or have you ever tried to lie to your soul. Sure you have lied to others in order to protect your self out of fear. But what have you protected? You have protected something you knew is true, but you denied it.
Who am I to judge you. I have lied many times.
People could reject you and turn away from you. So the lie helped you to keep a balance on the outside. At the same time you have created an imbalance on the inside. So ask your self what weighs more?
I have to admit life is more than words. It is action and yoga means also action. Act with responsibility for your self. Do not misunderstand this. I don’t mean to be egoistic. I mean, try and work to be the self and live it.
The last 11 days I have spent some time in the Sivananda Ashram Dhanwantari in South India and the traditional yoga teachings always underline the „law of karma“. Karma basically means action and reaction. According to the scriptures (Vedas) every action is followed by the same reaction. For example you do something bad to someone. Then somone will do something bad to you in the future (or future life).
Only if we succeed to act without the desire for the result or fruit of action we are not going to create any new karma for us. This means we will be free from this law of karma.
For example, work in devotion for the sake of the work. Well, honestly... they can’t explain where this Karma has started and they compare it with the question: „was the chicken or the egg first“?
Their answer: „Nobody knows what was first.“
Another answer: „Climb down the ladder of evolution and then you know what kind of chicken and what kind of egg was there first.“
KARMA is another concept made by humans to explain things that can’t be explained to calm the mind and give people something to believe (blindly) in. Suddenly we have made the step into religion. Belief systems and concepts are a limitation of our conciousness. So I’d rather trust in what I have seen, experienced, achieved and realized.
There are many more points about the Vedas I find hard to believe. They also have great truths about our innermost being, the self!
The Vedas are the basis of Hinduism and traditoinal vedantic yoga schools.
Anyway, the time here at the ashram is good to strengthen ones own discipline for physical and mental practices like yoga asanans, concentration and then, when the mind is focused enough, comes ...meditation.
Twice a day we celebrated food. It wasn’t like a food party as we konw it. No, it was a normal ritual to sing before we would eat all together. Singing is a vibration and if you sing something before you eat your body knows automatically what is going to happen.
Surely, we were sitting on the floor and eating silently with our (washed) fingers, The reasons are obvious. Nerves in our fingers are connected to our brain, the endocrine system, stomach and intestine. To touch food with our hands is a clear signal for our body to get ready. It means not just to see the food, not just smelling the food. But also touching it. Like children would do naturally. But we force them to use spoons and eat the way adults eat... What for?
(I would love to hear your comments on this topic)
In my own life I used to let my mind wonder wherever it wanted to go, fly and whatever it wanted to dream of. (I still do it)
But since I am more aware of the power of our mind. I feel that focus and strong concetration are incredible skills to have, which will also bring clarity and peace to our lives.
That is actually everything. Nevertheless I want to tell you a bit more about my current situation. You might have noticed. The last year I have progessed on my path of yoga and now I want to create everything around this. Not reverse. I do not want to have a regular job and then adapt my life and dreams around this and I want it completely. This is not easy, but I have the feeling it is the path to peace and joy.
Thank you for your energy reading and thinking about those topics. I am not sure if I sound like someone crazy to you who is preaching. This is something which I definitely don't want. Whatever you take out of it is up to you. This is not a spiritual advice.
Love Adrian
Places to visit in India:
Haridwar (Aurovalley Ashram)
Delhi
Allahabad (Kumbh Mela)
Agra
Bangalore
Coimbatore
Pondicherry
Auroville (City of dawn)
Varkala (MathatituYogaAshram)
Nyeer Damn (Sivananda Ashram)