Posted by: Jivani Lisa | November 6, 2011

Signs Seen and Unseen

Driving around Norfolk, I’ve come across the following messages on church signs:

1.  “Our God is an awesome God.”  John commented that this is the problem with many churches – they act like they’re the only ones with an awesome God while everyone else has some kind of silly, phony God.  I said, “Yeah but it depends on how you take the message.”  For me, “Our God,” means “everyone’s God” because there is really only one God.  Underneath the external beliefs and practices of all religions/churches, there is the same one, true God.  Even if the religions/churches themselves don’t believe or promote this, it’s still true.

2.  “If you are lost, come inside. We have the map to get you home.”  This sounds like the particular religion/church knows the way to heaven, our true home – so all we have to do is join them to get to heaven.  My reaction is, “Beware!”  Not because they don’t have the map to heaven, but because they seem to be selling the map.  And because there’s no single set of believers who make it to heaven while everyone else is condemned to something less.  I believe there are many authentic paths to heaven, liberation, salvation, enlightenment – whatever we may call it – but the difficulty is finding the authentic in the midst of the faulty and deceptive.  It takes great courage to “get out” (or more accurately, dig deep within) and seek the path. 

One of the things I love about Hindu-based spirituality is that it deliberately teaches there are many paths to God; it’s up to each individual to find the path that works best for him or her.  This requires an open mind and a desire to seek rather than become comfortable with “answers” that are given by individuals or institutions.  It requires each one of us to take responsibility for our own spiritual lives.

What every authentic religion includes as part of the path is some form of prayer and/or meditation.  So we can’t go wrong by beginning and continuing there.  May we persevere – and trust that God guides each of us through our intuitive understanding of the signs sent to us in our hearts.

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Posted by: Jivani Lisa | November 4, 2011

Obstacles

Driving anywhere, I’m almost always seriously annoyed by all the obstacles I encounter.  My home is within eight miles of nearly anywhere I need to go, so I expect my travels to be simple and easy.  However, as soon as I pull out onto the road, it’s one obstacle after another:  Road construction, detours, flooded roads, trains, school buses picking up children, cars turning left where I can’t get around them, four-way traffic lights that take forever to get back around to my side.

I’m a pretty calm, quiet, meditative-type person, so I always surprise myself when I allow myself to get worked up over these minor obstacles that everyone encounters.  What’s my problem?

Well, I realized these small obstacles are so irritating because they remind me of all the large obstacles in my life keeping me from living the kind of life I’d like to be living.  I do a good job of ignoring the big obstacles since I can’t do much about them (at least not at this point in my life) – but my suppressed anger surfaces in response to “the little things” that come up each day during my short commutes.

I suspect I’m not alone in this.  It’s probably the underlying cause for all forms of “road rage.”  I keep trying to return to my prayer-mantra:  “May the whole world be at peace.”  Myself included.

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Posted in Spiritual Life | Tags: , , ,

Posted by: John | October 20, 2011

Tidbits from Contemplation

A moment is right brain, a minute is left.  Why should we care if it’s the truth we can share?

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Sometimes when I’m sitting and trying to meditate, I feel like I Googled my mind.

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Isn’t it a shame?  Whenever we can’t explain, we give another god a name.

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What if there’s no burning bush, no writing on the wall?  Where do you go to avoid a fall?

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Sometimes when I get frustrated at the little annoyances of life, I think God or the Tao is playing games and laughing at me – like I might with a child or a pet. Then I think: if I were God or the Tao, why would I waste time fooling around with anyone so insignificant as myself?

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Seek ye first your soul inside.  Then all other things shall be added unto you.

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Let me melt into the moment, become one with the now.

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Posted by: Jivani Lisa | October 19, 2011

A Life of Service

This morning, while going about my work in the fitness center, I was overwhelmed with gratitude to be living a simple life of service.  My work involves greeting members, answering the phone, washing and folding towels, and tidying the locker rooms and workout areas.  Sometimes people walk in and inquire about joining the gym; sometimes people ask for help or advice with their workout routine.

While I tend to feel that my work is inconsequential, today I sensed my work making the world a better place.  The members who work out always leave the gym in a good mood – ready to share positive energy with strangers as well as coworkers, friends and family.  When I teach yoga, I know my students are taking good care of themselves mentally and spiritually as well as physically.  This helps them go back out into “the world” with inspiration to be their best in every situation.

I feel infinitely grateful to God for giving me the strength to work and support myself.  (I think I’d still feel grateful if and when the time comes when I must stop working for some reason.)  Although I don’t have much money, I have enough to survive – and I trust that if I’m in real need in any way, God will provide.

There are times when I wish I could be stronger and do “great things” in the world to help people in more significant ways.  Yet who’s to say that what I’m already doing isn’t significant?  I’m honored to love and serve people every day in the ways available to me. 

How about you?  In what ways are you blessed to share love and service in the world?

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Posted by: Jivani Lisa | October 3, 2011

The Meaning of Yoga

“Yoga is the art of doing everything with the consciousness of God.”  –Paramahansa Yogananda

Like most people in the United States, I came to yoga by way of the physical practice of asanas, yoga poses.  My first experiences were through classes taught in a gym setting.  I thought of yoga primarily as a system for exercising the body – although I was also open to learning about breathing techniques and meditation.

The first definition of “yoga” I learned was:  Yoga means union of body and mind.  In gyms, yoga – along with Pilates – is classified as a mind/body practice.  Later, my understanding of yoga expanded to:  Yoga is the union of body, mind and spirit via the breath.  I could easily see the connection of breath and spirit.  My current concept of yoga is this:  Yoga means union with God.

The neat thing is that all these definitions are correct; they’re not mutually exclusive.  Yoga meets us wherever we happen to be on our life journey.  If we want only a physical practice, then yoga can satisfy us in that way.  If we want to heal mental/emotional issues by working with the body/mind connection, yoga shows us the path.  If we desire a deep, personal relationship with the world of Spirit (God), yoga takes us that far as well.  Yoga can enhance our religious beliefs – regardless of what they are – and develop our experience of God as Love.

I love the above quotation from Paramahansa Yogananda because it reminds me that all of my life, every moment, can be yoga if I choose to see it that way.  Yoga is not confined to the times when I’m practicing poses and breath awareness – or sitting in meditation.  It includes brushing my teeth, driving to work, teaching, talking to people, doing chores, sending email, etc.  No matter what we’re doing, if we do it with awareness of God, that’s yoga. 

I see yet another meaning in the above quotation:  Eastern religions teach that all of creation exists for God’s consciousness to manifest in every part of it.  (Christians confine God’s consciousness in creation to the person of Jesus Christ.)  So – yoga can mean letting my consciousness become God’s consciousness, letting God experience His creation through me.  What an amazing and humbling thought!  God, in us, experiences even the most minute details of existence in creation.  Amen.  Aum….

 

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Posted by: Jivani Lisa | September 13, 2011

Prayers for Terrorists

What emotion do you feel when you hear the word, “terrorists?”  My guess is most people feel either anger or fear (or both).  Personally, I tend to feel sadness – a deep sadness that hurts my heart.  I feel sad for all the pain caused by terrorists but I also can’t help feeling sad for the terrorists themselves.

It’s hard for me to fathom the depths of pain, insecurity and isolation that lead people to become terrorists – and to persist on that path.

The truth is that terrorists are human beings, children of God, like everyone else.  They are eternal souls, sparks of divinity, like everyone else.  Somewhere in their human development, something went terribly wrong.  Was it their genes or their environment?  Probably both, but most definitely environment.

How many of us might have turned into terrorists if we’d been indoctrinated with hatred, fear and intolerance from infancy?  How many of us would glorify violence and revenge if that’s what our little world forced upon us?  Hatred, violence and war will not cease by more hatred, violence and war – but only through compassion.

I’m not suggesting that we do not defend ourselves when necessary.  Of course, we do!  But there’s a limit to self-defense and it’s done with deep reverence for life – including the lives of those who seek to harm us.  We should be sorrowful rather than proud and jubilant when it’s necessary to defend ourselves.

Every major religion (yes, even Islam) teaches that God is Light and Love, that humans are created in God’s image.  Therefore, let us be bearers of light and love.  One way to do this is to pray for our “enemies” including terrorists.

Here is a list of prayers I offer for terrorists (seriously).  Notice that these prayers are applicable to everyone.  We can begin by praying them for ourselves, then for our loved ones, then for people in general, and finally – if our heart is open enough – for terrorists (or anyone who inflicts harm on others):

  • May you cease thinking of anyone as your enemy.
  • May your basic needs for food/water, clothing, shelter and medicine be met.
  • May you choose to end the cycles of hatred, violence and intolerance.
  • May your heart be opened.
  • May you realize that all people are your brothers and sisters, a part of you.
  • May all your anger, fear and insecurity evaporate.
  • May you know that your God is everyone else’s God, too.
  • May you be the recipient of acts of true compassion – and then pass that compassion on to others.
  • May you know that you are valued as a human being.
  • May you strive to understand and respect people who seem different from you.
  • May you experience deep peace in body and soul.
  • May you cultivate love, truthfulness, generosity and peacefulness toward everyone.
  • May you cultivate (rather than stifle) your children’s innate curiosity, innocence and goodness.

Let us make the world a peaceful place with our compassionate thoughts, words and deeds.

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Posted by: Jivani Lisa | September 10, 2011

My Reflections on 9/11

I was living in Hawaii on September 11, 2001.  That morning, I woke at 7:00 to these words blaring from my radio alarm:  “The World Trade Center has collapsed.”  I bolted out of bed and turned on the TV which greeted me with images of the burning Twin Towers.  Since Hawaii is six hours behind the east coast, the Towers had already fallen and everything was “over” in a weird way.

I stood there thinking,  “This is it.  This is the end of the world.”  I wondered why the heck I was living in Hawaii so far from my loved ones.

Then, I noticed the silence.  My apartment was located on a hill overlooking the Honolulu International Airport where there were normally always planes coming and going.  On this morning, nothing – no sounds of jet engines.  It was eerie.

I was scheduled to teach a Step aerobics class at 9:00am which was the last thing in the world I wanted to do at that moment.  I called the gym to see if they still wanted me to come in for class.  They said yes.  As I drove to the gym, I wondered where I would ever get the energy and motivation to teach.  My class usually numbered about twenty people.  On this day, there were seven – the folks who didn’t live on any of the military bases which were all locked down.  Not knowing what else to do, I began class with a moment of silence for all who had lost their lives.

The images of the collapsing Towers remain seared in my brain.  I am still also moved to tears by the heroism of the passengers on Flight 93 who, despite knowing their own death was at hand, ensured that their plane went down in an unpopulated area.

On the 1st anniversary of 9/11, I was stunned by the beauty of the two powerful beams of light emanating from Ground Zero into the nighttime sky.  It seemed to be the perfect tribute to those who’d lost their lives; it also reminded me of the transcendence of our human souls – of our union with God who is Light.

Today, on television, I saw (for the first time) the beautiful fountains built into the foundations of the Towers.  Since childhood, I’ve always been attracted to fountains.  Some people may not like the image of anything “falling” at Ground Zero – but for me, the water (like the beams of light) is a perfect image.  Where once there was falling debris, smoke, ash (and yes, human bodies), there is now falling water – an image of purity, new life, Spirit (God).

No matter what pain or tragedies we endure, there is always hope for new beginnings.  The seed dies in the earth but it is nourished by water and light to become a tall, resilient tree.  May each of us, our nation, and our world grow together in Light and Love.

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Posted by: Jivani Lisa | September 7, 2011

Follow Your Bliss

Okay, this is really weird – and this has happened to me several times recently:  I’ve written blog posts about topics that are important to me, and then shortly afterward, found nearly the same thing written in books/articles.

The most recent incident involves a book that John has been reading called The Power of Myth by Joseph Campbell with Bill Moyers (1988) – and my blog post titled, Meaningful Education.

Campbell talks about how people should “follow their bliss” – which means they should do what they love, what brings them great joy and happiness.  He says:

“. . . if you’re talking on about the things that students ought to be reading, and suddenly you hit on something that the student really responds to, you can see the eyes open and the complexion change. The life possibility has opened there. All you can say to yourself is, ‘I hope this child hangs on to that.'”

“. . . I used to talk to the boys who were trying to make up their minds as to what their careers were going to be. A boy would come to me and ask, ‘Do you think I can do this?. .  Do you think I can be a writer?’. . .  Then Dad would come along and say, ‘No, you ought to study law because there is more money in that, you know.’. . .  Are you going to think of fortune, or are you going to think of your bliss?”

“. . . if you do follow your bliss, you put yourself on a kind of track that has been there all the while, waiting for you, and the life that you ought to be living is the one you are living. When you can see that, you begin to meet people who are in the field of your bliss, and they open the doors to you. I say, follow your bliss and don’t be afraid, and doors will open where you didn’t know they were going to be.”  (pp. 118-120)

It seems almost eerie, but I guess I’m following my bliss!  It’s kinda fun; it makes life feel like an adventure.

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Posted by: Jivani Lisa | September 6, 2011

Climate Controlled Self-Storage

When my first husband and I moved from Michigan to Hawaii in 1989, we decided to put a bunch of furniture and other items into a storage unit rather than dragging them with us.  We used one of the smaller units and paid the rental fee once a year.

Six years later when we went to retrieve our stuff, I can honestly say I was surprised by the items I found there.  I thought:  Why did we ever save these things?  We lived all these years without these items – so why do we need them now?

Lately, around the Norfolk area, I’ve noticed a proliferation of very large buildings advertising “climate controlled self-storage” units.  I understand they are “climate controlled” because extremes of temperature and humidity can ruin many stored items over time.  However….

The thing that makes no sense to me now is why we Americans have so much stuff that we need to rent space to store all of it.  While some people are spending money to store stuff (most of which ends up being useless junk if the owners are honest), there are many men and women who can’t even afford to have a roof over their own heads.

Why do cities allow contractors to build more storage units instead of building affordable housing?  I admit I don’t understand the politics or the economics of such topics – all I know it that it’s wrong to deny anybody the basics of life, including food and shelter.

The presence of climate controlled self-storage units speaks clearly:  Our society values material goods more than it values human beings, even to the point of controlling temperature and humidity for inanimate objects while many people are homeless or can’t afford heat in the winter and air-conditioning in the summer.

I pray our society gets its priorities straight before it’s too late.  This once-great nation is in decline and, I fear, headed for a serious fall.  May we open our eyes, minds and hearts to the real issues (rather than ones presented by politicians) we are facing.

May each of us curb our own tendencies toward greed, envy, grasping and hoarding so we can see the plight of our brothers and sisters.  This is not about pitying anyone or debating the merits of social programs and political agendas.  It’s about developing compassion, the hope of humanity.

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Posted by: Jivani Lisa | September 5, 2011

Meaningful Education

John recently received an email from a co-worker that started off with:  “I’ve never met anyone who pursued a college degree just for the fun of it.”  I immediately thought, “Isn’t that sad?”

Our society sees college as a means to an end – as a requirement for finding a good job/career.  I wonder:  Does anyone see how narrow-minded that is?  Life is more than earning money or working at some kind of prestigious career. 

It’s sad to me when I see young people being forced into college majors that they don’t really care about – for the possibility of a lucrative future.  Notice I said, “possibility.”  There are no guarantees that a decent, well-paying job will be found after spending many thousands of dollars on a university education.

What if people were told it’s okay to study something they love?  What if people were allowed to be themselves and expand their minds in ways that were meaningful to themselves rather than to other people or society in general?  Imagine how our entire culture could be uplifted by people doing what they love to do!

Our YMCA recently put out a little, informal voting box asking people to vote for one of two options:  Would you prefer to (1) work at a job you hate that earns a lot of money, or (2) work at a job you love that makes just a little money.  I was pleasantly surprised to see MANY more people had voted for option #2.  This gives me a sense of hope that people are waking up to the importance of being themselves and doing what they love.

In my opinion, a college education should help students learn about a wide variety of topics and hone their own personal skills and values.  Students should enjoy learning for the sake of learning – and just see where that takes them.  New doors will open – including doors no one even saw before.  It just takes a bit (or maybe a lot!) of patience and trust.  I know we all have it in us to encourage each other on this journey.

To all the students out there:  Enjoy this new school year!

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