Category Archives: PERSONAL
A Journey from Advaita to Buddhism: By Upasika Bach Lien
I remember when I used to do the exercise, “I Am”.
For years I did that exercise. I thought it would lead me to the discovery of who or what I was. There was “Who Am I?,” “I Am That” and “Thou Art That.” I did those exercises for a long time. I loved Ramana Maharshi and Nisargatta Maharaj and Ramesh Balsekar, the great non-dualists who propound those exercises. They certainly found out a lot about who they were. I read their books with a fervor and I adored the way I felt when I read them and I was propelled into a tremendous longing to find out what they found. And I was assured that this particular wanting was OK because it was about the one thing that matters; who “I” am. That wanting was real strong. And it made me happy because I felt like I could know. After all, those guys, they knew!
The Santa Claus Principle: By Michael Rosker
When I was a small child I was told that there was a big man in a red suit with a white beard who visited all the houses of good children on Dec. 24 to reward their behavior with toys. One year in early December, while playing in the attic I stumbled upon a bunch of wrapped boxes that looked exactly like those I found under the Christmas tree. Now this was a confusing situation for a small boy. I had no choice but to ask my mother about these boxes. As perceptive as most children are, I wasn’t satisfied with the fabrication of my mother’s reply. Needless to say, I continued my investigation, talking to schoolmates and older siblings until the whole story began to unravel. Eventually it led to the ultimate conclusion that there wasn’t really a Santa Claus in the North Pole, diligently working at this very moment with a large group of elves to produce massive amounts of toys for good children.
About Ramana — From One of Harsha’s E-mail Messages
One day on HarshaSatsangh, a very earnest and sincere devotee of Ramana Maharshi posted a message that there is only one way to realize the Truth — only through asking “Who Am I” as taught by Ramana. The following was Harsha’s encouraging reply. In this message Harsha shares how Ramana’s example and teachings were personally transformative for himself and encourages the process of self-inquiry in others.
–The Editors
A Special Message from Dr. Harsh K. Luthar on 9/11/2001
In America, especially on the East Coast, many of us have been personally touched by events that occurred on September 11, 2001. Thousands of people were killed or injured due to the attack on New York and Washington. The resulting suffering has been enormous and heartbreaking to watch.
On September 13, 2001, two days after the attack, we had an Interfaith candle light vigil for the two Bryant College alumni, Shawn Nassaney and Lynn Goodchild who were on flight 175 from Boston and lost their lives when it was forced to crash into the World Trade Center. Lynn was a former student of mine. Before the vigil, I was for some time looking at her printed name on my copy of the official grade roster and at the grade I had given her. With my fingers, I touched her name and then traced it to the grade she had received. She was a good student.
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Ruby Slippers: By Mace Mealer
When selfless love
is present
you have entered
the door of liberation.
This capacity
was your
first birthday present.
Like Dorothy’s ruby slippers,
home has never
been more
than three clicks
away.
Sunset: By Jan Barendrecht
The sun neither rises nor sets
Easily to be observed from outer space
Yet the picture is suggestive of a sunset
Phenomena arising and subsiding
Like the sun seems to rise from the ocean and to subside in it
Although that doesn’t really happen
Awareness neither rises nor sets
Everything seems to arise and to subside in it
Although that doesn’t really happen
Some Similarities between Jnana Yoga and Kundalini Yoga: by Vib “Vibri” Ribbon
Kundalini Yoga
Kundalini-Shakti is in traditional Indian spiritual sources described as the energy that propels man to liberation. Thus, awakening this energy in the body(mind) of the practitioner is central in some liberation teachings, most notably, the Kundalini Yoga systems and the Tantra Yoga systems. As the energy moves in the central channel in the body from its resting place and source in the Muladhara Chakra to the Sahasrara Chakra, and enlivens the passive element of the mind, liberation is said to ensue.
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Deep Listening As A Spiritual Path: By Holly Barrett, Ph.D.
Listening Instructions
In graduate school, we would-be psychotherapists were instructed in the various ways to listen to another person. This is a little like teaching love, but several suggestions were offered, including “hold evenly-suspended attention” (Freud), “practice the art of unknowing” (Kurtz), and, my personal favorite, “suspend memory and desire” (Bion). Readers will recognize the similarity of these instructions to teachings on meditation. As it turns out, I suspect that a few decades of this kind of listening had a lot to do with the arousal of kundalini in my body, and the subsequent upheaval that, ironically, led me to get out of the therapy business.
Shakti: Power of the Goddess: By Dr. Harsh K. Luthar
Gopi Krishna’s emphasis on Kundalini as a biological evolutionary force is a very limited view of the great Shakti.
Shakti is the fundamental Spiritual Principle and Force which has physical, mental, and psychic manifestations. These manifestations cannot indicate or capture the depth of this Great Power. Its ultimate nature is only realized when the Shakti completes its Journey to the end and reveals the deepest mystery of existence and the Self is Recognized.
Yes, the Shakti is Maha Sarswati, the Goddess of Wisdom. She makes one a poet, a scholar, and an orator. She bestows high intelligence. She is the teacher in both the earthly and subtle psychic realms.
Luthar.com 
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