Layers of Observing
When we speak of awakening as the Self waking up to Itself by observing itself in this apparent form, it may be useful to unpack what this is to reduce some confusion. Some experiences can …
Category: Mind
What is Ignorance?
Back on the End of Suffering, I quoted the Yoga Sutra on ignorance. 2v5: Ignorance is perceiving the non-eternal as eternal, the impure as pure, suffering as happiness, and the non-Self as the Self. The …
The Second Stage
One of the fascinating things about the dawning age we’re in is that laws of nature are awakening from long dormancy. This means new (in recent times) abilities or gifts are awake and can be …
Fullness or Emptiness
In the literature, you hear descriptions by sages of the emptiness of existence or the fullness of being. These seem contradictory but actually describe the same thing, typically at different stages of depth and clarity. …
Ahimsa – Non-Violence
Ahimsa is one of the 5 Yamas or observances, the first limb of Yoga. It means non-injury or non-violence. Other Yamas include non-theft and truthfulness, so they’re sometimes confused with ethics. For example, I was …
What is a Dimension?
Dimension is a word often used in modern spiritual terminology to mean another place or level of existence. As in “angels live in another dimension.” However, that’s not a correct use of the word. It’s …
A Perfect Teacher
A discussion came up about a controversial teacher recently. I’ve written about teachers before. It’s worth making a few more comments on the subject. One thing you may run into is the Indian habit of …
The Stages of Witnessing
There’s a point I’ve touched on here before but it’s worth mentioning again. There are a number of nuances in the Gradations of Awakening that can vary from person to person. One of them is …
Brahmacharya & Sex
Brahmacharya is one of the Yamas of Yoga and key to many conceptions of spiritual practice. It is commonly translated to mean celibacy. Celibacy is thus deemed necessary for real spiritual progress. However, while a …
Jim Carrey gives Commencement Speech
Recently, the graduating class of a small Midwestern US university had comedienne Jim Carrey for their commencement address. The campus all meditates and some practice Ayurveda, hence a few of the “inside” jokes about head …
Yoga to Purify the Mind
Ah – one more article for the series. When we clear up the noise in the lower the koshas (the mental and emotional “bodies”), then the subtler ones and all their advantages come on line: …
On Angels and Other Subtle Beings – Part 2 of 2
<< Part 1 Light Beings Light beings function in hierarchies and live specific roles for much longer lives. There are workers, supervisors, managers, and royalty (the divine at the highest levels). They don’t experience this …