Introduction

Hello, I am Yogacharya Gowrishankarananda the Acharya & founder of the Atmalaya® Ashram, Atmalaya® Meditation Program, and the Yoga Sadhana Foundation. This Blog is established to post various activities of the Ashram & its students. Through this Blog we will allow comments and questions to occur as well as offer advice for Spiritual Sadhana.

Wednesday, October 20, 2010

Awaken Sweet Soul

I AM....

There is who I am and who I am not...
I am one with the divine for the divine sees through my eyes, hears through these ears and speaks to you through these words... you are the architect, I am the divine hand...

I am you and you are me, together we two are one...

I am love incarnate, for I know the truth of my love and as love loves love I am love!
I am one with truth, for I love truth and it is my nature.

I am consciousness embodied and yet I am beyond this body,
I am the source of all energy and one with all its expressions,
I am not this useless ego, nor am I these silly emotions.
Selfishness is the sickness created by the ego that keeps us apart.

You have created me and this moment; for all moments have led to this one.
This message is created by you for you!
I can speak to you in this way for we are one and our love is infinite... this message is for you at this time for reasons only you know of.

The divine calls to us, you call to us, we are one and we always have been.
To fight me is to fight yourself, to hate me is to hate yourself. Let go of all your imagined hurts, pains, sorrows. Release everyone from the grip of your resentment and anger. Do this and you will be free!

Healing from this disease of illusion occurs in an instant beyond space and time, for truly we are beyond space and time and all the illusions they create.

Know yourself and know all things.
I am everything and everything that is not. I am all things to all people.

As the Mother I am the source of selflessness; take refuge in me and be nurtured for I give you life; live now as you have always been meant to!

As the Father I am the source, I am the seed at the origin of everything... my kingdom is within you; I say rise up and accept your birthright...

As the lover I am the spark in your eye and the hand that soothes; know that I am with you always in all ways!

As the child I give you purpose , I propagate your legacy and bring you opportunity to come full circle in your divinity.

I will speak to you thus as I know you...for I am you.
Merge now... for you are the divine author, the reader, the words, and the meaning itself!

You are the experiencer, the experienced and the experience itself.
Simultaneously implode and explode your consciousness know that we are...all...
We are the lover, the loved , and love itself!
I am Shiva, Shakti, and the bliss of our union!!!

Know me for I am you...
We are the source, and the end all of all, the alpha and the omega....
there is no other truth!

Copyright © 2010

Wednesday, October 13, 2010

Vegetarian Lifestyle

For thousands of years the ancient Yogis of India espoused a vegetarian diet as a natural expression of their understanding of Ahimsa or non-violence. Realizing as they did that a violent life created disharmony within their minds and bodies thus preventing them from maintaining harmony with the universe. It is from the testimony of these ancient and modern Rishis that we embrace the vegetarian lifestyle firstly to find out for ourselves then finally as our own natural expression of peace and unity.

History
The word ‘vegetarian’ coined from the Latin word ‘vegetus’, which means active or vigorous was first used by Pythagoras who along with other famous Greeks such as Porphyry, Diogenes, Plato, Epicurus, and Plutarch encouraged a vegetarian diet as they believed that animals have souls. For several hundred years many parts of the world refered to a vegetarian diet as a Pythagorean diet.

“Can you really ask what reason Pythagoras had for abstaining from flesh? For my part I rather wonder both by what accident and in what state of soul or mind the first man did so, touched his mouth to gore and brought his lips to the flesh of a dead creature, he who set forth tables of dead, stale bodies and ventured to call food and nourishment the parts that had little before bellowed and cried, moved and lived. How could his eyes endure the slaughter when throats were slit and hides flayed and limbs torn from limb? How could his nose endure the stench? How was it that the pollution did not turn away his taste, which made contact with the sores of others and sucked juices and serums from mortal wounds? It is certainly not lions and wolves that we eat out of self-defense; on the contrary, we ignore these and slaughter harmless, tame creatures without stings or teeth to harm us, creatures that, I swear, Nature appears to have produced for the sake of their beauty and grace. But nothing abashed us, not the flower-like like tinting of the flesh, not the persuasiveness of the harmonious voice, not the cleanliness of their habits or the unusual intelligence that may be found in the poor wretches. No, for the sake of a little flesh we deprive them of sun, of light, of the duration of life to which they are entitled by birth and being.”
-Plutarch

Many of the world greatest minds have advocated a vegetarian lifestyle and while there have been many famous vegetarians throughout history such as Leo Tolstoy, Percy Bysshe Shelley, and Vincent Van Gogh, there are today more and more celebrities speaking out about consciously choosing vegetarianism for health and morality reasons. Many famous entertainers such as Richard Gere, Moby, Shania Twain, Alicia Silverstone, Josh Hartnett, Orlando Bloom, Oprah Winfrey, John Denver, Ali MacGraw, Paul McCartney, K.D. Lang, Kim Basinger, Dwight Yoakam, Clint Eastwood, Woody Harrelson promote the benefits of a vegetarian lifestyle.

“I have from an early age adjured the use of meat, and the time will come when men such as I will look upon the murder of animals as they now look uponthe murder of men.”
- Leonardo de Vinci

A human can be healthy without killing animals for food. Therefore if he eats meat he participates in taking animal life merely for the sake of his appetite.
-Leo Tolstoy

I have no doubt that it is a part of the destiny of the human race, in its gradual improvement, to leave off eating animals.
-Henry David Thoreau

If man is not to stifle his human feelings, he must practice kindness towards animals, for he who is cruel to animals becomes hard also in his dealings with men. We can judge the heart of a man by his treatment of animals.
-Immanuel Kant

Religious and Spiritual Aspects
A number of religions and spiritual beliefs have lent support to vegetarianism. Brahmanism, Buddhism, Jainism and Zoroastrianism all advocated an abstention from flesh foods. More recently, the Seventh Day Adventists and The Order of the Cross have advocated a vegetarian diet and many Hindus and some Roman Catholic groups adhere to a vegetarian diet. Vegetarianism is a way of life that ultimately facilitates greater consciousness leading to liberation, if we consider that a vegetarian lifestyle creates a more peaceful and centered emotional and mental state thereby supporting deeper levels of meditation, we can easily understand the benefits when pursuing the spiritual life.

To Become vegetarian is to step into the stream which leads to nirvana
-Buddha

One is dearest to God who has no enemies among the living beings,
who is nonviolent to all creatures.
-Bhagavad Gita

He that slayeth an ox is as he that killeth a human
-Isaiah

He who harms animals has not understood or renounced deeds of sin ...
Those whose minds are at peace and who are free from passions
do not desire to live at the expense of others.
-Acharanga Sutra

This is the sum of duty:
Do naught to others which if done to thee, would cause thee pain.
-Mahabharata

Health
In Yoga we consider the body to be our temple that we cleanse, purify, strengthen and master to pursue the spiritual life. As such, we respect our bodies cultivating physical, mental and emotional health which requires that we do no harm to others in the process.
A vegetarian diet, has been proven to decrease the risk of strokes, kidney stones, asthma, heart disease, cancer, and hypertension and promote peace of mind, vitality, endurance and general well-being. Studies have linked meat eating diets with a 3.6 times greater incidence of prostate cancer, a reduction in sperm count and an increase in sterility in males; and 3 times higher incidence of breast cancer and ovarian cancer in females, and of course the obvious - mad cow disease. Ingesting vegetables, fruits, grains, nuts, seeds, legumes, ensures plenty of vitamins A, C and E, beta-carotene, magnesium and fiber, and limits cholesterol and saturated fat intake. Many Hospitals advocate a vegetarian diet for heart attack survivors and for general weight loss. Many feel that performance in sports is limited for those maintaining a vegetarian diet, consider the following athletes and their remarkable achievements.
• Edwin Moses (undefeated in 8 years, 400 meter hurdles)
• Stan Price (World record-bench press)
• Robert Sweetgall (World's premier ultra-distance walker)
• Paavo Nurmi (20 World's records in distance running, 9 Olympic medals)
• Bill Pickering (World record - swimming English Channel)
• Murray Rose (World records - 400 and 1500 meter freestyles)
• Andreas Cahling (Winner - Mr. International body-building championships)
• Roy Hilligan (Winner - Mr. America body-building championships)
• Dave Scott (6 time Ironman Triathalon winner)
• Pierro Verot (World's record for downhill endurance skiing)
• Estelle Gray and Cheryl Marek (World's record for cross-country tandem cycling)
• James and Johnathon deDonato (World's record for distance butterfly stroke swimming)
• Ridgely Abele (Winner of 8 national championships in Karate, including U.S. Karate Association World Championships)

I abhor vivisection. It should at least be curbed. Better, it should be abolished. I know of no achievement through vivisection, no scientific discovery, that could not have been obtained without such barbarism and cruelty. The whole thing is evil.
-Charles Mayo (founder of the Mayo Clinic)

Sustainability
A vegetarian diet minimizes the wasteful and inefficient use of natural resources for producing food. The breeding and slaughter of animals, and the processing and packaging of meat, requires a tremendous amount of land, water, energy and raw materials. By changing to a vegetarian diet one can make a personal contribution to the preservation of our fragile ecosystem.. The vegetarian way of life greatly minimizes the environmental impact we have on our planet and minimizes starvation and poverty. 60 million human deaths every year could be stopped if meat-consuming societies would limit (or end) their demand for meat and free-up grazing land for feeding people directly, global suffering from malnutrition would cease. 1. In 1994 it was approximated that 1% of North Americans were vegetarians, an interesting statistic given that the majority of the world is vegetarian. For both ethical and economic reasons, countless millions of people throughout the world live on a vegetarian diet. In 2003 a poll found that 2.8% of North Americans are now vegetarian. We have a long way to go!

Lets consider the following statistics;
Human population of United States: 243,000,000
Number of Human beings who could be fed by the grain and soybeans eaten by U. S. livestock: 1,300,000,000
Percentage of oats grown in United States eaten by livestock: 95
Percentage of protein wasted by cycling grain through livestock: 90
Percentage of carbohydrate wasted by cycling grain through livestock: 99
How frequently a child dies of starvation: Every 2 seconds
Pounds of potatoes that can be grown on 1 acre of land: 20,000
Pounds of beef that can be produced on 1 acre of land: 165
Percentage of U.S. agricultural land used to produce beef: 56
Pounds of grain and soybeans needed to produce 1 pound of feedlot beef: 16
Pounds of protein fed to chickens to produce 1 pound of protein as chicken flesh: 5 pounds
Pounds of protein fed to hogs to produce 1 pound of protein as hog flesh: 7.5 pounds
Number of children who starve to death every day: 40,000
Number of pure vegetarians who can be fed on the amount of land needed to feed 1 person consuming meat-based diet: 20
Number of people who will starve to death this year: 60,000,000
Number of people who could be adequately fed by the grain saved if Americans reduced their intake of meat by 10%: 60,000,000


The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged
by the way its animals are treated.
-Mohandas Gandhi

People often say that humans have always eaten animals, as if this is a justification for continuing the practice. According to this logic, we should not try to prevent people from murdering other people, since this has also been done since the earliest of times.
-Isaac Singer

In all the round world there is no meat. There used to be.
But now we cannot stand the thought of slaughterhouses.
-H.G. Wells from Utopia

Animals are my friends-and I don't eat my friends.
-George Bernard Shaw

References
1. www.bkwsu.com website; Author: Sunny S. Mathews
2. www.vrg.org/nutshell/faq.htm
3. "Diet for a New America" by John Robbins


By Yogacharya Gowrishankarananda, Copyright© 2006

Friday, October 8, 2010

Yogic Lifestyle

Yoga is one of the world’s oldest and most complete systems of health. Yoga assumes a wholistic and multifaceted approach to maximizing the human experience. Many of the worlds various systems of mind body medicine grew from the spread of Yoga throughout Asia. For example, In Yoga what we call Prana (Life Force) other systems call Chi or Qi and the channels in which that energy flows we call Nadis (rivers of energy) and others call meridians. A mere 20 years ago “Modern” science denied the existence of these energy channels, as they had not developed an external tool to measure and tell them they existed. A common story for most humans today has become this external need for validation rather than going within and experiencing truth for ourselves; the failings of our modern mindset. In Ancient times the Rishis (Yogic seers) delved deep into the true nature of our selves and of everything in existence. It is these Rishis to whom we are indebted who pioneered a systematic, progressive, and practical, disciplined spiritual path (Sadhana) to attain for ourselves this highest awareness and knowledge of being, what can be called Life Mastery. This ancient tradition continues to exist today through the authentic and unbroken 7000 year old Brighu Rishi Paramparai (lineage). Brighu Rishi was one of the original Sapta (seven) Rishis who through his example propagated the Maha Yoga Marga (great Yoga path), of active Yogic living. Today this “Rishiculture”, as our Gurus have called it, Yogic lifestyle is alive as a complete way of life practiced by many students and teachers who through their example continue to pass on this powerful way of life cultivating energy and facilitating consciousness.

“Optimum health is simply a balanced state of conscious energy”

This multifaceted Yogic approach to health is viewed through our lifestyle in so many ways and affirms that who we really are is indeed the master of our experience, and that we can, if we choose, gain conscious control of our lives. In fact it is not just something we can do if we choose; it is our mission, our birthright! In Yoga we strive to live the ultimate life…the divine life! To be at one with the universe and express ourselves as divine beings demands that what we put into our bodies and minds be clean and filled with nutritive energy to provide us with the enormous amount of energy required for evolutionary transformation. Cultivating energy and facilitating consciousness requires that we maintain a healthy lifestyle, which includes nutritive activities, foods, environments, relationships, work, and even the thoughts we think.

“Within our lifestyle lies the clues to achieve a balanced state of health.
If we are to live fulfilled loving lives we must be willing to empower ourselves.”


If our actions or thoughts are not in harmony with the universe then we cannot have health. Though the manifestations of dis-ease are legion they are always the result of fragmentation, illusion, and an egoic life ruled by selfish desires. We must make conscious choices to eliminate those things, habits, or patterns that deplete us of energy, and then cultivate higher energy to benefit ourselves and others (which always benefits us). What we do, the way we do it, when we do it, how we do it, how much we do, what we are thinking when we do it, and the environment we are in when we do it will determine whether it will give us energy or deplete us of energy. This statement is true for all activities in life, and is key to manifesting our experience in the world and our role in the cosmos.

Evolutionary transformation occurs through empowerment,
the level of that transformation into consciousness is determined
by the amount of energy one has available to them.

While the Yogic path to Self Mastery and Spiritual Enlightenment will involve
devotion and adherence to Yogic precepts it is important to understand that
in the beginning it is not mandatory that one adopt all aspects of Yogic living,
rather one accepts them as natural expressions of their being after exploring
them through their own personal Sadhana.

CLEANSING
The first order of business when embarking on any program of mastery is to cleanse our bodies, minds, emotions, and lifestyles of those things that dis-empower us. In the Classical system of Yoga practiced by the Rishis there are many specific techniques that have been secretly practiced through the ages that powerfully cleanse us of our limiting Karmas at every level of our being, physically, mentally, emotionally, and even psychically. Through the systematic practice of these cleansing techniques that have been authentically handed down to us through our Paramparai so that we, (you and us) are empowered to effectuate powerful life changing transformation that will accelerate you on your own spiritual path. These traditional practices are offered as an Introduction to the Shat Karmas with special permission or with 6 mo of preliminary study.

Every choice we make will either empower us or dis-empower us. Evolutionary transformation requires successful implementation of choices that empower us and the successful removal of barriers (choices) that dis-empower us.


RIGHT LIVING: A MORAL CODE - THE YAMAS & NIYAMAS
We cannot have peace and live free from mental, physical, or emotional dis-ease without applying a basic moral code in our lives. The Yamas (moral restraints) help us to stop tearing ourselves away from our natural Yogic state of existence and the Niyamas (moral observances) help us to move freely within that state. The Yogic concept of right living has been handed down to us to consciously explore and adopt as our own once we realize their truths. While delivered as the introductory limbs of Ashtanga (ashta=8 Anga=limbs) Yoga the Yamas, and Niyamas, are in actuality foundational to attaining the higher states of Yogic being and once realized are the natural gifts from our Self to our self to maintain a life of Anandum (bliss). The Yamas and Niyamas.

RIGHT EXERCISE
Modern science, through thousands of research papers now reaffirms what Yoga has espoused for thousands of years. In order to live life to its fullest we need to maintain a regular program of exercise. Science and Yogis agree this exercise should be moderate in nature, regular and consistently practiced, it should encourage all aspects of physical health, ie, muscular strength & endurance, cardiovascular, flexibility. Our exercise should be pursued with a healthy frame of mind without unhealthy goals or expectations. We should approach the training of our physical body as the upkeep of our temple in which we as spiritual beings are empowered to live and fulfill our missions. We should respect and use it, not abuse or dis-use it. Yoga realizes that within our body lies the keys to unlocking our potential and it is through the classical system of yogic training and facilitation that we guide you to your own empowerment.

RIGHT NUTRITION
The Yogic perspective on nutrition is to ingest foods that are nutritive and empowering for us. Many of us, due to our desire to satisfy our senses, habitually eat foods that rob of energy. What we eat, the way we eat it, when we eat it, how we eat it, how much we eat, what we are thinking when we prepare and eat it, and the environment we eat it in will determine whether it will give us energy or deplete us of energy. Vegetarian lifestyles are promoted within Yoga circles as a far more healthy option and as a natural extension of non-violence (Ahimsa) being apart of or true nature. In Yoga we propose solutions for the students to explore and to discover for themselves the intrinsic merit of any suggested concepts. The ideal for all humans is to be able to tap into their own inner guru and follow what we would call “Intuition Nutrition” where we always choose that which will empower us.

“ Nothing will benefit human health and increase the chances for survival
of life on earth as much as the evolution to a vegetarian diet.”
- Albert Einstein

DEVOTION: BHAKTI
There is no path worth traveling and no goal worth achieving that does not require a whole hearted and single minded devotion to its attainment. The goal of Yoga, Self Realization, is the highest of goals we can aim for in our human life. A Yogic life is dry and empty without the critical component of Bhakti (devotion). It can be said that all other paths serve to develop Bhakti in the Sadhak (one who performs Sadhana), and once appropriate Jnanam (wisdom) has been attained one cannot help but to feel devotion to God.

“As the waters of the Ganges flow incessantly toward the ocean,
so do the minds of the bhakta move constantly toward me, the Atma,
the supreme person residing in every heart, when they hear about my qualities”
- Bhagavata Purana

SEVA
Seva is the spiritual practice of selfless service and is vital to living a spiritualized life. Through the various programs and services offered through the Rishi Yoga Mandir and the Yoga Sadhana Foundation our highest aim is to facilitate Self realization through selfless service. The highest form of Seva is that which facilitates the spiritual growth and well being of others; it is for this reason alone that we offer our lives to this most worthy of causes. To understand the implications of Seva and to master the amazing energy that can be derived from Seva Shakti we offer the Mystical Aspects of Seva Shakti Sadhana course that we feel is foundational to the spiritual life and the true key to Self realization.

“One whose legs rush to offer help, whose lips utter comforting words of love,
and whose eyes shed tears of compassion on hearing the cry of the distressed,
such a person I would call a true disciple."
- Mata Amritanandamayi Devi

MEDITATION: DHYANA
To live a spiritualized life we must include a personal program of meditation to cultivate consciousness and master ourselves. Meditation has been proven as a panacea for many physical and mental states of dis-ease and is the key to a divine life. True meditation is Yoga, it is that state of cosmic consciousness; like Yoga it is that state of being and the path to that state. Many practice what they call meditation, and while they may taste it momentarily, very few actually achieve that state. Every tradition without exception and every teacher/Acharya/Guru who has achieved that state will unequivocally agree that we will need to follow a systematic and progressive approach led by a qualified guide who has personally walked the path and can authentically lead us safely around the many pitfalls that await us on our spiritual journey. The Rishi Yoga Mandir and its Acharya facilitates The Atmalaya Meditation System™ as a key aspect of Yogic Sadhana.