Source Seminars

The Blessings of Meditation and Right Action

Good Morning!

Our daughter came home from several months in Europe and our little family got together last evening.  Suddenly we realized it was quite late and none of us, all Kriyabans, had meditated.  I suggested a fully focused half-hour in the dome and we all trooped in.  I have never experienced 30 minutes of meditation near midnight speed along that fast in my life!  I really did go deep, fast, as the ministers recommend when time is of the essence.

I found myself so energized I had difficulty falling asleep.  Still, a few hours later I am here at the computer before leaving for the early Saturday meditation, Temple service, and my daily hatha yoga.

This blessing underscores what I have been feeling more and more.  If I do my best, under the circumstances, and entreat the aid of God and Guru, situations DO turn out well!  I am also becoming ever more aware of how much my energy flow, or lack of it, depends on meditation.  God contact is what keeps my being vibrant and bubbling, as this experience last night, and now, very early morning demonstrates.  I know the 3 hours at the Temple will recharge me.

I firmly believe our limitations are ego-imposed and the ego is always trying to circumvent those actions and thoughts that will lead us to freedom.  I also don't think we have to reinvent the wheel.  I observe in myself and others attempts to ignore the clear instructions of our Teachers to follow ego's will straight into more messes.  Why, when we KNOW from experience, the way that will lead us around the quicksand that will take us down once more?  Those Great Ones KNOW the quickest way out...and Their principles of Right Living are to save us from suffering and free us into eternal bliss as quickly as possible.  The ego seeks approval, permission, "advice" from anyone who might possibly give it such...yet INSIDE we already know our Beloved Great Ones have clearly given us the tenets of Right Behavior.

Around and around we dance forgetting what Krishna clearly stated to Arjuna, "Get away from my ocean of suffering!"  We cycle through the very same patterns of error and mis-step again and again.  Such is the treacherous power of bad habit.

One admonition has been assisting me to break this cycle, at least some of the time.  My Master said to STAY CALM.  When I am confronted with any situation that conflicts from my ego's desire, I remind myself to STAY CALM.  I call upon the assistance of God and Guru to hold onto my evenmindedness and trust!  I am not always successful AND I am giving it good effort.  Also, when I find myself thinking worrisome thoughts, I ask myself if these are producing calmness.  Often that question is enough to stop that track of thinking.

It's time for me to dress and get off to Temple.  We have a big Source day today with breathwork, meditation, and movie.  I am choosing to be as grounded in the ONE as I possibly can be.  Someone told me once, "Keep God in the Center of your life and all will be well."  Yes.

Loving you always, k

Happy Krishna's Birthday!

Good Morning!

I woke up in the Current and thought that was a great way to begin this holy day.  I took the I and my ONE are ONE affirmation into the Current as well. We then did our 6 hour meditation with some great chants to Krishna with our little Core IV Kirtan group. We will re-convene at 6PM for the Birthday service in Escondido.  For me, the most profound feature of today's meditation was the experience of FEELING God answering my prayers.  This solid knowingness enveloped me and made me feel strong and supported.

I intend to keep Krishna close throughout this day.  Calmness, love, JOY are the watchwords I choose to inform each of my activities.  I will soon leave for hatha yoga...I have not missed a day since I began a week from last Saturday.  I really can perceive the positive effect it has on my energy, especially when sitting for meditation.  It also seems to get the "rust" out of my pores and the self-discipline required in the demanding classes spills over into other aspects of my life requiring such discipline.  "Hot" yoga seems to be purifying me in so many ways!

I have made several wise choices since returning from the Divine week of SRF Convocation and these have enriched my life with peace and joy.  We have attended temple activities most nights.  On Friday AND Saturday nights we watched Brother Anandamoy's past Convocation talks on Kriya and the Bhagavad Gita.  You can imagine the positive and transforming effect they have in comparison to watching something at the local cinemaplex, haha.

Yesterday we went to early morning meditation, meditated right through until Sunday Service, which was spectacular, and then I came home and went over to yoga and a extremely demanding work-out.  I was just dripping with JOY!  I found myself laughing right out loud in class.

I went to visit Master's Hermitage and Gardens in the afternoon and returned to the Temple for the Gita meditation and class.  We retired early as we were up by 3AM for the long med.

Each of these spiritual choices built upon one another to create a life experience sparkling with Joy and Love!  Is it not amusing that we must use "discipline" to do such, when our worldly/sensory choices lead eventually into misery and disconnect?  Such is the power of HABIT!

I notice it is becoming easier and easier to do "the right thing" as my soul-supporting habits get stronger.  I am now eager to maintain a sense of even-minded calm throughout my day.  Perhaps I am getting lucky...and am reaching a Tipping Point!  One of these days the bad habits will finally lose their juice, and I can sail easily, smoothly, steadily toward the shores of Divine Fulfillment.  I choose you to accompany me!

Loving you always, k

Intending Breathlessness

Good Day!

I was about to say I wasn't sure why I haven't been blogging much...and then I remembered.  A few weeks back we were at a Gita class and the scriptural interpretation by Yogananda spoke of folks who endeavored to 'teach' when they were not qualified to do so.  It easily could have applied to my blog and it took me aback, I tell you.  I am no teacher, that's for sure.  Just another fellow traveler on the way HOME.  I always felt the blog was pretty clear about that...and my clay feet are often quite obvious.  Still, the impact put the brakes on my enthusiasm for writing.

So take this reminder to heart, and please know my clear intention is to assist myself, and you when possible, to just REMEMBER we are Pure, Perfect Souls caught in the amnesia of the sense world...and my only desire with this at all, is to attempt to pull the wool from our mutual eyes!

A profound suggestion was mentioned at the Convocation regarding the Hong Sau Technique of Concentration.  I know most you do have that technique via the SRF Lessons...whether you are currently using it or not.  The statement was: Have the INTENTION of going BREATHLESS when you do Hong Sau.

I have been doing HS for over forty years and I kind of forgot all about going breathless, even though it is probably the most important fruit of the practice.  It was mentioned that certain "fruits" of our practice will never be experienced unless we open ourselves to intending them, and consciously pulling them toward us.  I never knew that.

Long story short...when I put that advice to work, I had enormous results from doing so.  It does take a serious level of commitment in the intent...it doesn't work if it is merely a passing thought or brief nod at the beginning of one's med.  I just came in from the dome, which was really heating up from the sun, and I was there a lot longer than expected because of putting that intention to work.  That's precisely why I am sharing it with you at this moment!

My beloved Christian friend comes to mind...and I know she is not so keen on meditation, or the techniques.  Her devotion to Christ is immeasurable and she receives much joy from her Divine Relationship.  Still, I entreat her to go to the mat with Hong Sau, as I believe there are far deeper gifts awaiting her in the Interior Castle.  Those remarkable Christian Saints:Francesco, Chiara, Petite Therese, Anthony of the Desert, Paul, Elijah, and Yochanan (St. John, the Baptist) knew of what I speak.  They went "dead" to this world and were fully embraced by the Inner Light and taken over by the concommitant Ecstacy.  When one goes breathless, the heart eventually stops, and all of the Life Force becomes concentrated in the spine.  It travels up the spinal highway, out the gate of the Spiritual Eye, to merge into the ONE. 

This has not been my experience, of course.  I am just in the early stages of no breath, no heartbeat, yet i know where this is leading.  Even the preliminary effects bespeak of such peace!

I believe there are those of you that will take this direction and run with it.  I hope so, as we are racing to the most important "Finish Line" of all of our incarnations!

Loving you always, k

One Sun's Healing Rays

Los Angeles,

Good Morning!

Yesterday was an incredible day.  I woke early enough to do all my usual Prayers and Affirmations before going down to the Kriya Initiation/Kriyaban Ceremony.  We were being seated and for whatever reason the ushers changed their minds and moved us elsewhere.  I didn't really notice where we were and mentioned to my Guru that I didn't mind if He put us in the very back row. I happened to turn around well into the Ceremony and we WERE in the last row...haha.  Yet, I was able to meditate deeply and fully enjoyed the event, which I believe may have been the best one of those I have ever attended.  The minister just did such a good job.

Shortly after it was over I walked up to the Cathedral for mid-day Mass.  Something happened that has never happened to me before...I was given TWO Eucharists/Hosts which are metaphysically the Body of Christ.  They were not "stuck together"...I was deliberately given TWO.  There is incredible Grace and Power in ONE...I was bowled  over with that.

Later I took both a regular bath and a sunbath and we did our pre-meditation routine early.  Our intent was to have one of us go the the special meditation room while the other waited in the line building for Mrinalini Mata, the President of SRF, who was elected after Daya Mata passed.  She was to come welcome the Convocation audience that evening.  Babaji has said that only God-Realized beings will be President...which means she is fully liberated and definitely in Nirbalkalpa Samadhi.

We both got in line and then Dennis left for the meditation room.  I had an uneasy interaction with the woman just in front of us.  I thought about it for about a minute and said some conciliatory words to her to smooth things over.  I know there is no coincidence in who I was interacting with.  If the pot gets stirred it means it is so that I may notice what I must work on and change.  I also studied the first of the 26 Qualities of a Divine Life listed in the Bhagavad Gita, as Den and I have decided to work on one quality per week.  Fearlessness is up.  "The foundation of the spiritual life; having faith in God's protection, justice, wisdom, mercy, love and omnipresence." 

Dennis and I stopped lining up for these special events years ago cuz the energy can get pretty weird.  Competition for the best spot, irritation toward line-crashers...you get the picture.  Anyway, I could feel myself revving up and it wasn't much fun.  I started focusing on Fearlessness, and also meditating, and it really mellowed me out.  I actually got to the space where I really appreciated the lady in front of me and told her so.

When Den returned from the meditation room, it was my turn to go.  It just didn't feel right though...I thought I should retain my "presence" in line.  Other liners don't much like people coming and going.  I followed my intuition and stayed on and kept meditating.  Finally it was time to go in.  I noticed people trying to crash the line, etc. but the ushers were having none of it.  It looked like some people got in via another way and I just kept focusing on Fearlessness.

Den found his way quickly down front but when he tried to get our seats the woman said they were saved. As we began to back out of the row the usher overheard and told the lady she couldn't save seats, it just wasn't FAIR.  There we were, in the 2nd row, right in front of the huge photo of Master!  I have never been that close to the speaker in my life!  I  just couldn't believe it!

The expectation was that the new President would say a few words, or maybe stay 15 minutes, and leave.  She stayed almost an hour and a half.  And I was right there! I knew that her aura was HUGE and that her Frequency was off the charts, and we were being bathed in it!  I thanked Master over and over because although we were in line, our seats were far better than we ever thought possible.  If I HAD gone to the meditation room, Den would not have been able to save me a seat either and it would probably have been the back row again, haha.

While I was listening to her, I remembered what Yogananda said about receiving the sun's healing rays during sunbathing.  He said if one concentrates and focuses on the healing coming in it is one hundred times more powerful.  I did that with Mrinalini Ma.  I knew her vibrations were healing us....and i kept framing it as her being a Sun that was showering healing rays upon me.  I was almost overcome with the power of her saintly presence.  Transfixed is probably the right word.  Several times I felt her gaze upon me as I kept praying to be changed, healed, transformed.

I have never been in close proximity of a saint for that long....and the fact that she was from my own spiritual  path as well made it even more profound.  Now I understood why I got the double Eucharist.  I received double huge blessings, that's for sure.

This Convocation has been the best one of my life.  You can bet I intend to keep coming year after year!  If you have something similar offered in your life, I sure hope you, too, pick up on it!

Loving you always, k

The fruit of Good Choices

Los Angeles

Good Day!

I was thinking about going "stand by" to the Lake Shrine Pilgrimage last evening.  I gave it to God, did NOT set my alarm, and thought I'd see what time I would wake up naturally...as an indice of my Highest Choice.  At 4:30AM I was wide awake.  I was choosing Guidance, although from a "reason" point of view attending sure seemed the best thing for me spiritually.  As I lay there doing my morning routine of Good Mornings, Affirmations, Samadhi, Peace and Harmony Prayer, and outpicturing my finest day, it felt more and more certain that I would be going to Lake Shrine.  I finally asked, and of course, that was the Highest Choice indicated.  I KNEW I would be spending more time God-focused if I put myself in that pilgrimage environment where all attendees were seeking that same upliftment from spending time on Holy Grounds.

Ironically, it was looking pretty dicey as I was, as a local, at the end of a long line of Stand-bys.  I kept surrendering the outcome although I knew I truly desired to go.  I got on the bus and into one of the last seats available and felt deep gratitude.  I had intended to meditate on the ride and was so lucky that my seatmate, a writer, was engrossed in composing a story.

I went directly into the temple for additional meditation upon arrival.  Directly after, I decided to have the Indian repast offered so I could be done with it and venture down to the lower Lake level.  Since I had fasted yesterday an early lunch was fine with me.  I just happened (haha) to run into a Source Grad who I had been unsuccessfully trying to meet with all week.  As we were going to lunch together she directed me outside as she had been told the new Self-Realization Vice-President often came and sat with the lunchees.  I walked to the tables and noticed a name-tag with the first 3 letters of his name.  I motioned her into the seat next to the tag and sat in the seat next to hers.  Within moments, the esteemed Minister sat down right next to us.  This was particularly amazing as I had held the desire to see him this week as the line to connect with him at the Open House was too long to get up to him before the event ended on Sunday.

He sat there for over two hours in informal satsang, answering any questions we proffered.  Since I was so close, I was able to field mine easily and quickly. WOW!  I got answers to queries about the spiritual path and specific aspects of it that I have had for YEARS!  The huge extra bonus was his Frequency, which, as pouring from someone who has at least reached the state of sabikalpa (some say nirbikalpa) samadhi, was penetrating and immensely uplifting.  Just looking deeply into his eyes the times I was blessed with his gaze drew me into a Consciousness of my Guru and deep gratitude!  I know this was an incredible gift and I am still pinching myself.

We got up to leave after he stood up, turned and left.  I glanced back to see a huge crowd around him, with him shaking their hands or pronaming.  I felt a bit wistful...i had also hoped I might have such an interchange.  As we both adjourned to the "Necessary Room" before the long ride back, my wonderful companion said something like, "If its meant to work out it will...and it probably will".

When we returned to get on the bus, there he was, with a short line left.  We did get our parting exchange!  As the bus pulled away she noticed that he had disappeared.  "See," she said gleefully, "that was supposed to happen too!"

I feel incredibly grateful for this day...and it's only mid-afternoon!  Methinks, Tuesday's six-hour,  yesterday's fasting which also fueled extra meditation time in the special meditation room, and this morning's early Affirmation Ritual all prepared me for this.  Good Choices lead to GREAT experiences.  That's something I intend to remember!

Loving you always, k

Soul choosing; ego losing

Los Angeles

Good Day!

It's been awhile and a few blogs never got written.  Now we are at the SRF Convocation in Los Angeles and the schedule has been a bit hectic.  Noticing a bit of a respite I sat down at the computer.

The first thing I choose to say: if your spiritual path of choice has a gathering of thousands of followers, don’t miss it!  When you assemble that many souls with a shared commitment to your spiritual compass, the energy is phenomenal.  Each spiritual effort made is SOOOO much easier.  We had our in-room 6 hour meditation for Core IV yesterday and it was, simply put, ease and grace.  I could FEEL the intense presence of the Masters mentioned when I did the Opening Prayer.  The whole hotel is permeated with it.  It is just not an everyday event to associate with legions of people who are each Awake, holding a shared understanding of God as FIRST priority, and a love of meditation and God-Communion.

Smiling faces abound each place I go as if it is a Light-of-Smiles-fest.  Today Den and I are fasting so we are avoiding the multitude of vegetarian watering holes right in the hotel.  This morning was the first long meditation (3 hours) ever offered (since I have started coming in 1971).  After yesterday's 6, I was definitely up for it.  In fact, I am headed to the unstructured meditation room provided for anyone so desiring as soon as I finish this blog.  That room is like a magic carpet!  Without much effort at all, you find yourself flying.

I say to myself, as much as to you, be aware of how the ego will avoid what we KNOW is the best thing for us.  Even after forty-plus years on my path, I still find ego resisting certain spiritual endeavors I absolutely KNOW will make me happy and give me lasting contentment.  I guess that sucker will do that till its bitter end. So be it.  The important thing is to REMEMBER that's what it does, and don't pay it any mind!  Even the 6 hour...I organized it because I knew it was the "right" thing to do....we have been having that one Tuesday morning for years.  Habit made the resistance considerably less...actually it was barely there.  STILL, I had no idea that meditation would be as sweet as it was.  The amnesia from year-to-year is amazing.

Each of us must make a Habit of the various aspects of our spiritual sadhana.  Meditation, prayer, reading, affirmations, fasting, whatever is important in your particular spiritual focus.  The Habit will kick in automatically before the ego can get in many con arguments.  You just kind of roll right into the wise thing to do without the mind being that engaged.  I have become used to fasting one day weekly again.  (I did this for years, and then let the habit fall away.)  This is such a positive for me physically, emotionally, mentally, spiritually.  I intend to do it going straight through to my departure from the planet.  Sometimes it morphs a bit...if I do a week fast I may skip the one day for a couple of weeks...yet fasting always has a presence in my life now.

We have taken to using our Vitamix for making whole-food delicious raw meals.  Did you know you can make a great soup in 6 minutes with that blender-on-steroids?  Not to mention healthy "ice cream" and really delicious smoothies with far more interesting and healthy ingredients than you can buy out.  We brought it with us and I can tell the difference in how I am physically.

I "got" very strongly the importance of diet and exercise-stretching during my long meditation.  I KNOW they each have a major influence on depth and length of one's meditation.  I am going home to already-scheduled daily yoga classes.  I intend to keep these up for a few months and hopefully get enough direction, habit, and will to continue hatha on my own at home.

The easily perceptible JOY on the faces of those here is incredibly inspirational and motivational.  I choose to cultivate and expand on this holy week throughout the upcoming months.  I choose to LIVE the Light-of-Smiles!

Hoping you are also inspired to join me in pursuit of the Ultimate Fulfillment and Unceasing Happiness!

Loving you always, k