On Maha Shivaratri, “The Great Night of Shiva,” yogis stay awake all night chanting in order to invoke and evoke divine compassion. We have honored Shivaratri for 25 years at our Kailash Ashram in Vermont. One time, several years ago, around 3:00 am, I hit my wall. I was tired, tired, tired. I no longer […]
The Nature of Karma Karma is a term that has entered the modern vocabulary but is frequently misunderstood as a simplistic, mechanical law of cause and effect. Many presentations of karma make it sound as though it operates in a manner similar to the classic billiard balls example used to explain Newtonian physics. There, ball
Ram (rhymes with “mom”) is a classic mantra. Mantra means that which nurtures the mind. Mind, in this context, is the activity of the individual consciousness. When the mind wanders, its tendency is toward negativity and fear. Then the natural, spontaneous flow of conscious energy becomes contracted, and the individual feels himself an isolated being
Ram Upanishad (Excerpted from an upcoming book) Read More »
A guy goes to a psychiatrist to help him deal with some emotional problems. The doctor shows the patient several Rorschach prints, splotches of ink with no discernible form, designed to help reveal the workings of a person’s mind. After being shown the first blot and asked what he sees, the man replies, “I see
“Discipline Isn’t Enough” Read More »
The king called the yogi to his court and asked for a blessing. The yogi said, “What have I to do with blessings? I teach people how to end their own suffering so they can bless themselves. Regardless, since you asked, here is my blessing: May your father die, then may you die, and then
“No One, Someone, Everyone” Read More »
It was easy to be friends with Jack and Kathy. Just married, they had recently moved to Vermont, along with their two playful dogs. They were healthy and young, strong, meditators, and worked with people with developmental disabilities They were all-around good folks and fine neighbors. Their future looked bright and sunny. Just before Christmas,
Arise, Awake, Walk the Authentic Path Read More »
Joe was walking along the street when he saw his friend, Nasruddin, on his hands and knees. Joe asked, “Hey, Nasruddin, what are you doing?” Nasruddin replied, “I’m looking for my lost iPod.” “Let me help you,” said Joe, and he also got down on his hands and knees to search. After some time with
The Integrity of Stupidity Read More »
Surpassing Understanding When I sit for meditation, I generally light a candle and an incense stick. It’s a common way that yogis create a pleasant atmosphere for sadhana, spiritual practice. One time, I lit my customary incense stick, but when I opened my eyes after meditation there were two incense sticks burning. I thought that
When my first book was about to be published, I was very excited. I fancied myself a successful author and a soon-to-be popular yoga teacher. Even more exhilarating, Yoga Journal was dedicating a two-page spread to the book, complete with an enthusiastic review. Not only was I destined to become famous, but I might also
Yoga Will Ruin Your Life Read More »
In one of the classic yoga stories, it is written that several thousand years ago the people in the Earth world had gotten themselves into a mess. The forces of selfishness and fear had taken over, with epidemics of stress and self-doubt infecting much of humanity. To heal the situation, God incarnated as Krishna, a
Skinny Dipping with God Read More »
