Volume XXII, No. 1, February 2013 At a Certain Level You Can See Both Sides By Sri Swami Satchidananda Question: Everything comes from God, and thus everything is God. Therefore, how can it be said that there is a true Self and not true Self; or that, “I am not the body, not the mind.” It’s like saying, “God is everything except the body, mind, etc.” Sri Gurudev: Very true. When you know that everything is God and when you are experiencing everything as God, then you don’t even say, “I am not the body, I am not the mind.” The person who says, “I am not the body, I am not the mind,” is not experiencing everything as God. So, there are different levels. When you are at the lower level you say, “This is Self and this is non-Self.” The duality comes. That’s how you begin. But as you go further and further, everything becomes the Self including body and mind, right and wrong. There is no wrong then. Even the so-called “wrong” is also right. In one of his prayers the great sage Acharya Shankara praises God in this way: There is a Hindu form of worship called archana in which you offer flowers and repeat the name of God and God’s attributes. At one point he says, “O God, in the form of anger, my salutations to You. O God, in the form of lust, I am saluting You.” How could that be? One should not have lust. At the same time he is saying, “God, in the form of lust, my salutations to You.” It looks like a contradiction, does it not? (Continued on Page 3) Inside You Can See Both Sides by Sri Swami Satchidananda p. 1 Teachers’ Notebook: Tips for Teaching Classes p. 10 Letter from the Editor by Bharata Wingham p. 2 Yoga in Society: Police Yoga & World’s Oldest Teacher p. 11 Hints for the Modern Man by Sri Swami Sivananda p. 3 Introduction to To Know Your Self by P. Mandelkorn p. 12 Bhagavad Gita Study by Swami Asokananda p. 4 Life Currents by Kalyani Neuman p. 14 My Faith Journey by Swami Ramananda p. 4 Yoga as a Universal Science by Swami Krishnananda p. 15 The Mandala of Time—Part 2 by Bharata Wingham p. 6 The IYTA Column by Brahmi Milliman p. 17 Accessible Yoga by Rev. Jivana Heyman p. 8 Senior Speakers’ Schedules p. 18 Giving the Gift of Our Attention by Jnani Chapman p. 9 Calendar of Upcoming Programs at Yogaville p. 19 The Goal of Integral Yoga® Integral Yoga Teachers Association The goal of Integral Yoga, and the birthright of every The Integral Yoga Teachers Association is a membership individual is to realize the spiritual unity behind all the association open to all Integral Yoga teachers. Its mission is diversities in the entire creation and to live harmoniously as to provide mutual support and spiritual fellowship, to share members of one universal family. information, to provide inspiration, and to conduct ongoing training and guidance. This goal is achieved by maintaining our natural condition of a body of optimum health and strength, senses under Director: Gopal Watkins total control, a mind well-disciplined, clear and calm, an Newsletter Editor: Bharata Wingham intellect as sharp as a razor, a will as strong and pliable as Graphic Design: Anand Shiva Hervé steel, a heart full of unconditional love and compassion, Photos: Madhavan Aubert an ego as pure as a crystal, and a life filled with Supreme Archives Peace and Joy. Copy Editors: Lilavati Eberle, Jeff Curry, Brahmi Milliman Membership Coordinator: Brahmi Milliman Attain this through asanas, pranayama, chanting of Holy Names, self-discipline, selfless action, mantra japa, Integral Yoga Teachers Association meditation, study and reflection. Satchidananda Ashram–Yogaville 108 Yogaville Way, Buckingham, VA 23921 USA Om Shanti, Shanti, Shanti. Tel: 434.969.3121, ext. 177 Fax: 434.969.1303 Ever yours in Yoga, E-mail (Newsletter): [email protected] E-mail (Membership): [email protected] E-mail (Director): [email protected] Website: www.iyta.org Letter From The Editor Namaste and Greetings from Yogaville! To my mind, Jnani Chapman’s article about “attention” goes to the core of spiritual Once in a while a book will so engross me that I have to find life and living. It seems to me more and a way to share it with others. One such book is, To Know more that our attention is possibly the Yourself by Swami Satchidanada. It is so rich with practical most valuable gift we have. And as the teachings and examples that it really stands out for me in the digital revolution speeds on at its ever-accelerating pace, growing constellation of printed material that He has written our attention may become the world’s newest “scarce has or been transcribed over the years. In this issue you will commodity.” find an excerpt from the book. In our Teacher’s Notebook the topic of anxiety is discussed, It begins with an Introduction by Prahaladan Mandelkorn, with some tips on overcoming it. The agreements in Don and is itself an example of the inspiration that can be found Ruiz Miguel’s book, The Four Agreements give us a working in this book. I hope you will add it to your library of spiritual structure for easing our concerns and being prepared for classics if you don’t already have it. And to find the time to whatever may arise in our classes. read the entire book as well. Often, I am intrigued at the impact that Yoga has on our Swami Sivananda has written hundreds of “hints” for our society. We have included a couple of short reports on the spiritual development and some of which we have highlighted way Yoga shows up in our world with, Yoga Police?, and The in this issue. And be sure to check out: http://www.dlshq. World’s Oldest Yoga Teacher. org/bookdes.htm to download his books for free. Yoga as a Universal Science by Swami Krishnananda, gives us Swami Asokananda continues with his illuminating a compact summary of the scientific aspects of Yoga. This is commentary on the Bhagavad Gita, “We practice samatva— a useful article for giving someone a very clear and succinct keepin our mind steady throughout the ups and downs of overview of why mind control is essential in living a happy life. our life—to achieve samatva—the unshakeable steadiness of mind that is established in the state of Yoga.” Thank you for your membership in the Integral Yoga Teachers Association and for taking the time to look over this issue of Swami Ramananda shares with us how we answered his the Newsletter. “call” to the path of Yoga, and some major decision points on the way. In Peace and Joy, Bharata IYTA Newsletter • February 2013 • Page 2 Continued From Page 1: It is not a contradiction if you put them all. At that point you say “O lust, my salutations. O jealousy, all on the same level. On one level even lust becomes God. my salutations, because you’re a quality of God. There’s But at another level, when you don’t know how to use it, nothing other than God. Without God, nothing is possible.” it becomes a terrible thing. When you don’t understand it, So it depends upon your level of growth. Both are correct at when you are looking at it in the wrong way it becomes their levels. We should not condemn any philosophy; people something undesirable. After all, there is only God. At a look at things from various sides. To them, it’s right. If you put certain level you are able to see it from both sides. Then you yourself in their position, you will know they are right. Allow see that they are one and the same. There’s no difference at them to continue that way. Hints for the Modern Man By Sri Swami Sivananda 82. Raja Yoga is the king of all Yogas. Concentration is one of the limbs. The other limbs of this Yoga have to be practiced before you can successfully concentrate. Till then, you may have small failures. Taking into consideration the several difficulties that are in your way of doing rigorous sadhana, I wish to suggest to you the easiest way. Do japa. Take any name of the Lord. Repeat it mentally or verbally. Write it in a note book. This is likhita japa. Sing it slowly. This is kirtan. 83. Jiva is independent. He gets himself bound by the meshes of past samskaras; he does wrong actions. Old samskaras are the cause of such actions. That is why the shastras prevail upon man to cut down the samskaras through Vichara. It is intelligence that rules buddhi or mind. When the subtle, pure, intellect penetrates through the veil of ignorance and understands the good from the evil, the right from the wrong, and acts according to the promptings of pure intellect, then the Jiva shines in his pristine glory of independence unruffled by the waves of buddhi or samskaras or thoughts. 84. Sit less. Serve more. Hate none. Love all. Clothe less. Bathe more. Take less. Give more. Talk less. Think more. Eat It is a temple of awakened silence in the shrine of the soul. less. Masticate more. Preach less, practice more. Worry less, Realize God first in the temple of your heart. Then realize laugh more. Indulge less, restrain more. Rest less, work more. Him in the temple of universe.