Wisdom

What is Wisdom? Are we wise when we finally get a college degree? I’ve often heard the saying “Wisdom comes with age.” Does that mean when you age you automatically become wise? I think not.

I happened to open the Yoga Sutras today to the topic of Wisdom. Here, Patanjali defines Wisdom as seven levels of consciousness.

1. Wisdom isn’t found outside of us. In order to gain wisdom, we must look within and get to know ourselves. Turning inside means turning the senses within, hearing sounds within us, seeing light within us, smelling scents within us. This is done through meditation.
2. Understand that all experiences of pleasure and pain don’t come from outside of us but are our own mind interpreting that pleasure and pain.
3. Once you understand your mind completely and have a neutral mind, cosmic understanding comes. This understanding comes from within us, not through books.
4. Understand nature and it’s workings. We understand that whatever we do is part of the cosmic plan. We are not the doer. The Infinite is the doer.
5. The after-effect of the fourth level of consciousness once we know we are not the doer, the mind is free of impressions.
6. The mind gets dissolved.
7. The highest state of Samadhi is attained. The Bhagavad Gita describes it as “Beholding the Self by the Self, one is satisfied in the Self.”

I tried to take the words I was reading into my heart and write a sentence that intuitively made sense to me. I do not profess to be a scholar, so if this interpretation is different that someone else, I bow to your wisdom. I continue to work on going within to know myself. But the reason for this discourse on Wisdom is to understand the goal of the Yogic path. We may say we are One, but are we really at that stage of consciousness to experience the Oneness?

My yoga teacher, Tom Kelly, sings a wonderful song with the answer to that question. “And one day soon I will melt again into ever-new, ever-new, ever-new, Joy.” One day we will merge with the Infinite. That is the ultimate goal of the Yogic path.

Namaste

Spiritual Growth is Like a Rose

It’s amazing what nature can teach us. I was gazing at a long stemmed Red Rose today and began thinking of my Spiritual Growth. When I began my journey, I was nothing more than a tight ball, unable or unwilling to open to the fullness of life. A yoga practice gave me the opportunity to grow.

I began my yoga practice with asana classes. The classes allowed me to stretch my body in ways I hadn’t before. I was fortunate to have yoga teachers who themselves led spiritual lives. Their yoga classes embodied the first four steps of Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras: Yamas, Niyamas, asana and pranayama. A short discourse on non-violence, truthfulness, non-stealing, abstinence, non-greed, purity, contentment, not causing pain, spiritual study and surrender opened each class. It amazed me that no matter what class I attended, it seemed that the teacher was speaking directly to me. Yes, I needed to practice truthfulness, open my heart to loving what is and let go of expectations. How did he know?

As the months and years rolled by, that tight rose bud began to open, petal by petal. As the vibrant red of the rose became visible, my true self began to emerge. I began to attend yoga workshops and retreats, sipping the nectar of awareness. Mantra and chanting took the place of rock, jazz and pop music. Years later, I attended my first yoga teacher training. I began to smell the scent of the rose. Asana and meditation became a daily practice. I began reading the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali and the Bhagavad Gita. The words of these Holy Scriptures were difficult to understand, but with each reading, the truth began to reveal itself. I continued attending retreats and additional yoga teacher training.

Throughout this time I’d feel as if I was accomplishing a deeper awareness of my true self. At other times, events swirling around me plunged me to despair. I continued to let go of things that no longer served my true self. As time went on, I noticed that outside influences didn’t have as much of an affect on me. I changed yoga teachers, practiced different meditation and pranayama. Now the outside petals of the rose are turning back. The inner petals are awakening to the sun.

As I gaze at those inner petals, I realize that I remain a child in my spiritual growth. Yes, in some ways I may have traveled far, but there is so much more to experience, so much more to surrender, so much more to be grateful for, so much more to love.

I invite everyone reading these words to take a moment and reflect on your own spiritual journey.

Namaste

Ego Self vs. True Self

The first chapter of the Bhagavad Gita focuses on the inner psychological and spiritual battle that we go through by trying to control our senses.  While the Gita is written as an allegory, the story describes two opposing forces: our Ego Self and our True Self.

I’ve recently come to another ah-ha moment – how to identify when I am in my ego vs. living in my heart and allowing my true self to shine.  I’ve always had an emotional personality.  When I was younger, I expressed my emotions openly.  As I’ve aged, I’ve learned to control my outward expression of emotions a bit more.

My ah-ha moment came when I began to notice some negative emotions surfacing in my gut that in turn got my mind replaying a past conversation like an old vinyl record that keeps skipping.  I am sure we’ve all been there and done that.  Suddenly a thought arose – ah, this is my ego self.  I’m no longer in the present moment.  I’m rehashing the past, the past that’s already gone and I can’t do a darn thing about.  Once that realization occurred, I focused my mind on cooking.  Preparing a meal with love, knowing I am going to share it with another person opens my heart to love.  After a while, my mind let go of the broken recording and I found myself smiling and feeling joyful.  Ah-ha, this is my True Self.

Each of use has an Ego Self and a True Self.  The question to continually ask ourselves is – What Self am I today?  What Self am I in this moment?

Namaste