A Journal for Spiritual Living eknath Published by the Blue easwaran Blue Mountain has been called one of the fore- most teachers of medi ta tion Center of Meditation in our times. From his arrival & Nilgiri Press Mountain in the United States in on www.easwaran.org ESTABLISHED BY EKNATH EASWARAN the Fulbright ex change pro- Spring 2012 FOR PRESENTING HIS EIGHT-POINT gram until his passing in the fall of , he taught to mod- Volume 23, Number 1 PROGRAM OF PASSAGE MEDITATION ern men and women his eight- point program, based on his unique method of meditation Work & Family on memorized inspirational In ancient India, this loft y ideal was passages from the world’s The Stages embodied in forest ashrams where children great religions. Many thou- were sent to be educated in self-control and sands of people representing of Life meditation in addition to high intellectual the full range of cultural and and cultural attainments. Th en the sages religious backgrounds attest by Eknath Easwaran to the bene fi ts of his teaching. would send their young graduates home to He continues to teach through their community, telling them, “Now you his thirty books on spiri tual here is a beautiful side to the can contribute to life and leave the world a living – over a million cop- cycle of life when we understand it little better than you found it.” ies in print in twenty-seven from a deeply spiritual perspective. Th is is the purpose of the next stage of languages – and through the In India’s ancient civilization, life, that of the grihastha or “householder.” ongoing programs and publi- T ca tions of the organi zation he human life was divided into four stages – Th ese are the years in which young people founded in to carry on phases in a grand concept thousands of embark on a career and perhaps raise his work: the Blue Mountain years old. Sadly, the spirit of these ancient a family, ideally helping the Continued Center of Meditation and traditions has gradually been forgotten, so whole community to prosper on page 4 its publishing arm, Nilgiri Press. here I would like to talk about the inner From our archives: Eknath Easwaran, meaning of these four stages as a frame- work for life today. Childhood Th e fi rst stage in life starts before the baby is born. When the mother is pregnant, she is given a mantram – a sacred phrase or holy name – that she will repeat most of the time. It shows the genius of our ancient civiliza- tion: not only the mother’s diet but the mother’s thoughts and feelings infl uence the baby. If the mother repeats the mantram, the baby has a head start on the spiritual path. Th is stage of life is traditionally called brahmacharya, which is usually translated as “celibacy” because this is the period before marriage and family. But brahma– charya literally means “conduct that leads to awareness of Brahman,” or God, and the underlying meaning is not just self-control but a complete pattern of daily living that prepares us for the ultimate goal of Self- realization. Th e focus of this fi rst stage of life is really education: gaining the skills of victorious living and learning that life is meant for the service of God in all around us rather than the pursuit of personal profi t or pleasure. Spring2012-Feb12.indd 1 2/13/12 10:39 AM BLUE MOUNTAIN blue mountain 1 The Stages of Life Blue Mountain Center of Meditation The quarterly journal Indian tradition divides The Center offers instruction in meditation and life into four stages, laid allied living skills, following the eight-point program of the Blue Mountain out as steps in each per- of passage meditation developed by Sri Eknath Center of Meditation son’s journey toward Self- Easwaran. The approach is nondenominational, realization. In this brief nonsectarian, and free from dogma and ritual. It can Spring 2012 overview, Eknath be used within each person’s own cultural and reli- Easwaran gives a fresh perspective on this gious background to relieve stress, heal relation- ©2012 by The Blue ancient idea to show how it can bring ships, release deeper resources, and realize one’s Mountain Center of meaning and purpose to each stage of life. highest potential. Meditation, Inc. 5 What Do Children Need? Passage Meditation: An Eight-Point Program founder Easwaran focuses on 1. meditation on a passage Silent Sri Eknath Easwaran some key points in the repetition in the mind of memorized inspirational first stage of life, child- passages from the world’s great religions. Practiced for one-half hour each morning. board of trustees hood: the theme for this issue. In his presen- 2. repetition of a mantram Silent Christine Easwaran tation, the main pur- repetition in the mind of a Holy Name or a hallowed Nick Harvey pose of this stage is phrase from one of the world’s great religions. Sultana Harvey learning: not merely the three Rs, but Practiced whenever possible throughout the day essentially how to live and what life is for, or night. Diana Lightman the service of God in all around us. 3. slowing down Setting priorities and Terry Morrison re ducin g the stress and friction caused by hurry. Beth Ann O’Connell 8 Protecting Innocence 4. one-pointed attention Giving full Modern civilization, concentration to the matter at hand. blue mountain Easwaran observes, is 5. training the senses Overcoming executive editor increasingly depriving conditioned habits and learning to enjoy what is beneficial. Christine Easwaran children of their child- hood. An ancient Sanskrit 6. putting others first Gaining freedom saying gives a framework from selfishness and separateness; finding joy in Post Office Box 256 for understanding how parents who med- helping others. Tomales, 94971 itate can protect their children’s native ca 7. spiritual fellowship Spending Telephone 707 878 2369 innocence from birth through the turbu- time regularly with other passage meditators for lent teens, giving them “a flying start on mutual inspiration and support. Facsimile 707 878 2375 life.” Email [email protected] Easwaran’s comments are accompa- 8. spiritual reading Drawing inspiration from writings by and about the world’s great Web www.easwaran.org nied by comments from parents in our international eSatsang and some photo- spiritual figures and from the scriptures of all Printed on recycled paper graphs from our family retreats, showing religions. just a few of the many families where The Blue Mountain Center children are growing up protected by Eknath Easwaran depends on donations to their parents’ meditation and the Schooled in both Eastern and Western traditions, carry on its work. Every mantram. Eknath Easwaran took to the spiritual life amidst a gift, large or small, is successful career in India as a professor of English much appreciated and The Blue Mountain journal is free. Postage literature, a writer, and a lecturer. After coming to put to good use. The the University of California, Berkeley, on the costs apply for delivery outside the US. Blue Mountain Center of Fulbright exchange program, he established the For a two-year subscription to Canada or Meditation is a 501(c)(3) Blue Mountain Center of Meditation in Northern Mexico, the cost is $15. California nonprofit California in 1961. His 1968 Berkeley class is believed For all other countries, the two-year corporation. Contributions to be the first accredited course in meditation at any subscription cost is $25. Please visit our to the Center are deduct- Western uni versity. His deep personal experience website, www.easwaran.org, to sign up to ible from state and federal and his love for his students have made the ancient receive the journal. income tax. art of meditation accessible to those who hold jobs and lead active lives among friends and family. 2 Spring2012-Feb12.indd 2 2/13/12 10:39 AM PUBLISHER’S PAGE his lines. By helping us find a spiritual at home and work. Who would want a focus in each of these stages, he hoped child to grow up with a burden like to lay a foundation for a spiritual this? That is why Easwaran says he is A Spiritual renaissance that could provide “unas- grateful that his grandmother did suming leadership” to a world in crisis. everything possible to block his self- Perspective This issue of Blue Mountain focuses will while he was growing up. on the first of these four stages. We The ultimate reason for saying no on Childhood have chosen two short pieces in which like this is lofty beyond words. Chil- Easwaran gives key messages for a dren have to learn to obey their par- spiritual perspective on childhood. ents, Easwaran explains, “so that they “What Do Children Need?” (p. 5) can learn to obey the Self in them, the stresses the importance of uncondi- Atman, later on. In their daily life, the tional love, which requires not senti- parents have to approximate them- selves to the image of the Atman. This Christine Easwaran is why parenthood is an extremely valuable aid to meditation.” n famous lines, William Finally, in “Protecting Innocence” Shakespeare compares our lives (p. 8), Easwaran elaborates on an old to a play in seven acts that runs Sanskrit proverb that tells us how our Ifrom infancy through old age: relationships with children should shift as they grow up. Children today, All the world’s a stage, he pleads, are losing their childhood And all the men and women very early, in part because we treat merely players; them as adults rather than as children.