Even-mindedness is the doorway to real enthusiasm and compassion; it’s our entryway to delight and to play.
~Yogacharya Ellen Grace O'Brian
We can experience our lives as delightful! In the teachings of the spiritual practice of yoga, we are told that there are four spiritual goals in life: to live our life in the highest and best way, to have pleasure in life, to have the prosperity that we need to live in the highest way and the fourth goal is to be free. Even-mindedness means we are not worried, angry, or expecting praise for work that we have done. It means we are content with our life and have faith that the choices we make and the actions we perform will bring us what we need and want and will ultimately serve the highest good. Our daily meditation practice, when practiced with intention and a smile, will bring even-mindedness and delight to our lives.
The season of failure is the best time for sowing the seeds of success.
Paramahansa Yogananda
The spiritual practice of nonattachment shows us that failure can be a blessing in disguise. It is satisfying when our useful efforts turn out as we would like them to, but it is perhaps even better to accept lessons from the universe when things do not turn out as planned. As a young man I struggled to earn a living in academia and then in banking, but eventually found joy doing what I love in the entirely different field of high tech. If you are struggling, perhaps it is time to let go and walk forward on a different path.
Be kind, truthful, and honest. Discipline your thoughts and actions. Concentrate on essentials and disregard nonessentials. Think about what is most important to you and focus your attention on those matters.
~Roy Eugene Davis
Personally I find that just paying attention to my choices as I make them helps me usually do a decent job of being kind, truthful, and honest. My daily meditation practice has made me more aware of my thoughts and actions. The real challenge for me is concentration on essentials. Outdated habits and desires can masquerade as essentials especially when I am tired. For me the question is what do I want to really accomplish in the rest of my life and what habits that don't serve this goal am I willing to drop? Radical honesty seems to be the only guide.
Discipleship
Mother
you have shown the doves
where and how to build their nests
in the temple eaves
I am the lost one
the generation
who did not learn to sew
the recipes of my grandmothers
are gone
I left that house.
Now you
must show me
the simple
weaving together
of the soul life.
Ellen Grace O'Brian from her book of poetry, The Moon Reminded Me
By the practice of meditation, you will find that you are carrying within your heart a portable paradise. – Paramahansa Yogananda
Our true inner nature is bliss as is reflected in the name given to this great spiritual teacher; ananda means bliss. At first we get brief glimpses of inner happiness during our daily meditation practice. As we continue and lengthen our time of meditation on a daily basis, this inner contentment is accessible during throughout the day. We come to realize that this bliss is our very nature and that it overshadows any outer source of happiness, but also enhances our joy with outer sources of happiness. Paradoxically, this makes it easier to be successful in a world we find increasingly supportive of our worthy goals. This is your portable paradise.
There is a great universal good now unfolding, and you are a part of it. Everyone is.
~Yogacharya Ellen Grace O'Brian
In this day and age when we are bombarded with bad news, divisive news and angry news we think that is all there is going on in this world. But there is so much more good in the world. We can each accept our responsibility to be a part of the universal good. We can each be attentive to small kindnesses that we receive and to offer those small kindnesses to others, each day. Our regular meditation practice calms our minds and opens our hearts to the good all around us.
Poet Danusha Lameris said "What if they (small kindnesses) are the true dwelling of the holy, these fleeting temples we make together when we say 'Here have my seat.' 'Go ahead, you first.' 'I like your hat."*
Be attentive. You are a part of the universal good.
Words reveal volition—the choice point of how and what we will create in our lives. Mindful speech is a key to mastery.
Yogacharya Ellen Grace O'Brian
When we first begin meditating, we become aware of the fascinating cacophony of desires, fears, images and wisps of thought churning through our minds. Little by little we learn to let most of them arise and fall away by themselves, lending energy to only those that seem useful. Next we learn the power of voice as we choose to speak aloud only those ideas that serve a real purpose. Then grace takes over and allows us to manifest in the world those words that serve a greater good. In Chapter II:36 of the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali states that "when one is firmly established in truthfulness, immediate and specific results of actions are experienced." Look back over your life for signs of these "specific results". You may be surprised at how much you can be grateful for. May awareness of the power of your speech bring healing and good will to all.
Have you imagined that meditation is stopping all thoughts? That is like trying to stop the wind. Let the wind be while you take shelter in the stillness of the Self. Thoughts may continue but they need not disturb you or interrupt your meditation. The wind doesn't blow all day. Eventually it quiets down. Give no regard to the thought activity and it will subside.
~Yogacharya Ellen Grace O'Brian, from her book Living for the Sake of the Soul
When I was beginning to meditate I had this idea that I should have no thoughts during meditation. Many people have that idea and stop practicing because of it. I was continually frustrated, which stirred up my mind even more. I'd look at the others around me who were sitting quietly and in what I thought was a thought-less meditation, but not for me. By the grace of God, I continued to sit and at some point let go of the expectation of a certain experience during my meditation practice. I started to see how my life was changing. I was experiencing more calmness in my life, more awareness of and trust in my intuition and a clearer mind. I was also experiencing more awareness of grace that carried me through difficult times. Once I let go of the expectation of what I thought meditation should be, I began to look forward to this time in silence each day. Now I still have times when I go on a "think-a-thon" during my time of sitting, but I just gently notice it and am grateful for the noticing. I bring my self back to my technique and slip into peace again. "Let the wind be while you take shelter in the stillness of the Self."
Meditate more and more deeply, until calmness and joy become second
nature to you. It is thinking that it is difficult that holds you apart from it. Never
think of joy as distant from you, and it will be with you always.
~Paramahansa Yogananda
The key to meditation is simply to meditate every day, to use those techniques like following the breath that still the mind, and to lengthen our time of meditation as the weeks and months go by. One day we fall into a well of joy that is our own true nature and we begin to share this inner joy with all those around us. The renewal of spring and the promise of Easter open our consciousness to this possibility of boundless joy.
It is on the inward condition that the outer reality depends.
~Roy Eugene Davis
This weekend we are celebrating the life of the great Kriya Yoga master, Roy Eugene Davis and commemorating the anniversary of his passing on March 27th, 2019. Roy is the guru of our guru, Yogacharya Ellen Grace O'Brian. Guru means the dispeller of darkness or teacher. We were fortunate to know this master teacher in our lifetime.
This quote from Mr. Davis is a reminder that in order to live a life where we are content, happy and experiencing abundance in all ways, it is important to cultivate our inner life. My regular, steady practice of meditation, prayer and living an ethical, God-centered life is what sustains me and supports me when I experience the rough seas that are inevitable. I may initially feel panic, fear or anger when the boat rocks, but being anchored in my soul nature always brings me back to that steady, calm place of peace that is who I am at the core of my being. I am able to witness myself, honor my feelings and discern how best to steady the boat. Instead of staying in that anger or fear, I can change my mind and dwell in that place of peace. It is a much more pleasant place to be.
True contentment is revealed through a quiet mind.
~Yogacharya Ellen Grace O'Brian
A strong contentment practice can shield us from the suffering of life's challenges. We can begin with simple gratitude for the many gifts we may tend to ignore: the sweetness of mere existence, the beauty of the gentle daily cycle of morning, afternoon evening and night, the powerful gift of our conscious awareness of consciousness itself. Contentment is its own reward. Yogic teachings say that through contentment, unlimited joy is realized. Try beginning the day with meditation and then follow it with contentment practice. This virtuous cycle can lead to an end of suffering in which the mind is quiet and suffused with joy.
Mental and physical health are natural when your body-mind constitution is balanced and you live in harmony with the laws of nature and rhythms of life.
Affirm: "I do what is necessary to always experience radiant health."
~Roy Eugene Davis
Our bodies and minds naturally want to function at the optimal level. Our modern day and age has brought us many ways to decrease our level of health. What many of us find as the easiest ways to eat and entertain ourselves, with processed foods and sedentary life styles, damages our health and makes it difficult for our body and minds to heal. The amazing thing is that once we decide to prioritize our health, we can find it quite simple and we can heal quickly. Take the time to pay attention to what you put into your body as food. Enjoy the abundance of delicious flavors that nature brings us without the extra processing and sugar. Notice how your body feels and how your mind is clearer when you eat cleanly. Notice how you feel when you take a walk in nature—even if it is just around the block noticing the gardens in your neighborhood. Notice how you feel more at peace, less stressed and your emotions are calmer when you meditate regularly. Simple actions are all that are needed to bring balance to your body and mind. Remember that you are an integral aspect of divine nature that you see all around you. Live in harmony with that and experience radiant health.
Strong mental chains are forged from desire and habit. Each time action is taken to fulfill desire, another link is added. Use discernment and self-discipline and break the chain
~Yogacharya Ellen Grace O'Brian
Every one of us comes into this world with a unique gift to offer others, but we also seem to have a deeply ingrained habit or obstacle that may get in the way of fully offering that gift. Meditation allows us to develop the witness consciousness that makes us aware of this core obstacle, and as we continue to deepen our daily practice, we gain the strength and insight to embrace the joyous self-discipline that frees us from it. The wonderful promise is that meditation can eventually burn away all traces of such obstacles and grant us complete freedom.
Images of earth from space show us a planet free of boundaries. What will it be like for us to live as one—the truth that we have seen and know in our hearts? When a new vision arises, the old way fights to maintain the status quo. See through appearances to embrace the highest truth.
~Yogacharya Ellen Grace O'Brian
Many of the astronauts who saw the earth for the first time from space came back to say that it was a life changing experience for them. When we see those images we are reminded that the boundaries that have been created are really just an illusion. In this day and age we are constantly reminded of the perceived boundaries between us—boundaries of race, of nationality, of gender, of politics, of religion, we could go on and on. As John Lennon said "Imagine all the people living life in peace." We can live as one. While honoring each other's differences we can live our lives in the continual remembrance that we are One. Our intentional meditation practice supports us in that remembrance.
Every tomorrow is determined by every today.
~Paramahansa Yogananda.
As meditators we learn to let thoughts arise and fall away that do not seem useful. When we look at our daily experience, we can see that thoughts morph into words and finally into action. The spiritual principle of karma informs us that all our actions have consequences. So why not make the very best of today knowing that it will bring a brighter tomorrow not just for ourselves but for all those around us? It is wonderful to realize how empowered we are.
To meditate is to be
like the flower at dawn
turning toward the sun.
Doing what it is naturally
inclined to do, the flower is
energized into opening.
This flower opening
is the fulfillment of life's
intention. Its beauty
is effortless.
The flower fulfills its destiny;
its beauty speaks to those
who pass by, saying:
Creator! Love! Possibility!
Each day, turn within
to the Source of life.
Be energized, be fulfilled,
let your life open in beauty.
The successful practice of meditation requires balance and focus — qualities that are essential to a happy, successful life. Cultivate balance today.
~Yogacharya Ellen Grace O'Brian
Just think about how most broadly successful days start even in these stressful times. For many of us, our days can begin with meditation and gentle exercise. That affects our entire day in a positive way. Life can be a blissful dance when we balance work, satisfying and supportive relationships, moderate healthy eating, and uplifting play. We all know what it feels like when we lose this balance, so why not make wise choices that benefit us and all those around us? We cannot honestly blame circumstances for the choices we make so why not choose balance?
Gratitude is not a feeling; it is an attitude. We can practice it regardless of how we feel in any given moment. When we cultivate a grateful attitude regardless of external conditions, we magnetize our awareness for good and contribute to peace. Gratitude turns us towards truth and frees us from self-preoccupation and worry.
~Yogacharya Ellen Grace O'Brian
We hear a lot about gratitude but there are times when it feels difficult to find something to be grateful for. We can have our moments when all we see around makes us feel angry, worried or fearful. This attitude of gratitude is something that we need to practice all the time, but how? When we practice gratitude when times are good it is easier to find things to be grateful for when times are hard. When we have a regular practice of gratitude, as Yogacharya O'Brian says "...regardless of external conditions we magnetize our awareness for good...". What is a regular practice of gratitude? Dr. Rick Hanson has written several books about developing resilience to overcome difficulties in our lives. He says, "Each day is like a path strewn with many little jewels...that are easy to overlook...The jewels are already there. Why not pick some of them up?" For example, noticing the taste of the glass of water that we drink, how we feel refreshed after drinking that water and then having gratitude for even being able to drink that water, that is a jewel that we are picking up. It takes some effort to pay attention and appreciate the many small good things we encounter each day. When we do that regularly, we are creating an habit of gratitude. That attitude of gratitude is what will carry us through the difficult times.
Gratitude is not a feeling; it is an attitude. We can practice it regardless of how we feel in any given moment. When we cultivate a grateful attitude regardless of external conditions, we magnetize our awareness for good and contribute to peace. Gratitude turns us towards truth and frees us from self-preoccupation and worry.
~Yogacharya Ellen Grace O'Brian
We hear a lot about gratitude but there are times when it feels difficult to find something to be grateful for. We can have our moments when all we see around makes us feel angry, worried or fearful. This attitude of gratitude is something that we need to practice all the time, but how? When we practice gratitude when times are good it is easier to find things to be grateful for when times are hard. When we have a regular practice of gratitude, as Yogacharya O'Brian says "...regardless of external conditions we magnetize our awareness for good...". What is a regular practice of gratitude? Dr. Rick Hanson has written several books about developing resilience to overcome difficulties in our lives. He says, "Each day is like a path strewn with many little jewels...that are easy to overlook...The jewels are already there. Why not pick some of them up?" For example, noticing the taste of the glass of water that we drink, how we feel refreshed after drinking that water and then having gratitude for even being able to drink that water, that is a jewel that we are picking up. It takes some effort to pay attention and appreciate the many small good things we encounter each day. When we do that regularly, we are creating an habit of gratitude. That attitude of gratitude is what will carry us through the difficult times.
