by Michael Mamas | Saturday, April 18, 2015 | Mount Soma |
It is important to be clear on just what these blogs are and what they are not. Blogs are great for sharing concepts and ideas. However, some topics are just too delicate to be addressed in blogs or emails. Some topics require face-to-face interaction. The written word is too easily misconstrued or insufficiently communicated. Recently, for example, I received a number of requests to address the rights of passage, which is obviously a very delicate subject. I’ve also been asked to discuss seva/service and the issues that come up for people regarding that topic. In general, topics that involve people’s personal issues are much better addressed in person face to face. Otherwise, any little miscommunication can trigger the reader. Once a person is triggered, it is difficult to move past that, particularly if the interaction is not face-to-face.
When you do read the blogs, if something is not sitting right, please give it some space. Ask yourself if the words on the page could have another meaning… another intent… another context. For example, a subtle point, when given too much emphasis or weight, can be distorted when the bigger picture is ignored.
Oftentimes, it is easier to tell if a person is triggered by the tone of their words, as opposed to the literal meaning of their words. For example, the simple phrase, “I don’t understand,” can be said with a humble, reflective, and sincerely inquisitive tone, or it can be thrust out as a wall or declaration, that they flat out don’t agree. It is all in the tone. When the interaction is not face-to-face, the inferred tone of the words can be quite different than the original intent. That can create problems that can feel irreconcilable, particularly if the face-to-face meeting never happens.
As the years go by, I am receiving more and more emails, blog questions, and blog requests that are really not proper blog material. They are questions that the person would need to deal with in private sessions (usually with Barbara) or in class with me. When I do try to address them through email, I usually find it unsatisfying for myself and, I suspect, for the person receiving the response.
In short, the blogs are no substitute for class or personal process sessions. I am reaching out to everyone with all of my heart and soul. At some point, you do need to take it upon yourself to take that extra step. I trust this blog is understood and received in the spirit with which it is intended.
© Michael Mamas. All rights reserved.
by Michael Mamas | Wednesday, March 25, 2015 | Mount Soma, Personal Growth, Spirituality |
A beloved member of the Mount Soma community recently passed away. At such emotional, delicate and tender times, one naturally wonders why. How could such a thing have happened? What are we to do with our grief? Why would a person with so much to live for be taken away? What is the nature of life and death?
To honestly speak of such a thing, I can only come from a place deep within myself. To do so is not so simple in such a sensitive time. I hope my words are understood and well received.
To ask why someone passes when they do, it is best to remember Lord Krishna’s words from the Bhagavad Gita, “The course of action is unfathomable”. It is not even so simple as to claim it is karmic. The are times when one can be ‘called’ upon to do some work on some other level that gives them the opportunity to move more rapidly forward with their evolution. We are not to second-guess such things or even pretend to know the answer. We can only remain humble with respect to the possibilities. From our side, of course, life is always precious. It is natural and appropriate to protect all life. We do our best to support the lives of one and other always. However, to understand the mechanics of incarnations, I feel offers great comfort in such times. To view the matter from a worldly perspective is natural and appropriate, but humility regarding the cosmic scheme of such things is wise and does, I believe, also offer comfort to the grieving who are willing to be with that understanding.
For myself, the loss of a dear friend or loved one is an inward time. It is a time when I feel their soul deeply. It is a time when I desire to be with them in my silence. It is a time when I feel I have some sense of how they are doing and can offer my love and assistance during their time of transition.
Traditionally, it is a time when the grieving come together to mourn. I do understand that, but it is not my way. For me, it is a time properly spent in relative silence with the deceased, not with the living. I understand this may even offend some, but for me it is not proper to attend a funeral. Or perhaps better said, a funeral is a quiet inward and alone time. That is just how I am, and I feel it is important for the deceased that I do so.
It is important to understand also that only the physical body dies. The soul lives on. There is much anecdotal evidence of this, but for me that understanding came another way. As I child, I remembered. But I did not understand how I could remember. But it was a memory. Only in later life when I first heard of reincarnation did I then understand how I could be remembering. So for me, the notion of reincarnation is self evident and unquestionable.
Many wonder what happens after death. I can best say that the possibilities are endless and depend largely upon the ‘angle of entry’. It is said that when one is meditating regularly, they naturally go to the transcendental level, to the highest heaven. I have no doubt that is true. Of course, there can certainly be a brief time of confusion. However, that would be sorted out rather quickly and quite naturally.
I know there are many questions about reincarnation, life after death, and so on. However, I feel now is the time for me to be with our beloved friend. So if you have questions, please feel free to post them, but also please understand if I, for now, choose not to respond to some or all. This is a delicate and heartfelt time. Please forgive anything that may seem improper or unclear. At this time, I can only speak of such things from deep within myself, from a level that is difficult to express in writing. I trust these words will offer some comfort and understanding.
© Michael Mamas. All rights reserved.
by Michael Mamas | Tuesday, January 20, 2015 | Mount Soma |
Michael Mamas spoke about yesterday’s blog in his talk yesterday. Here is a little clip of that talk.
© Michael Mamas. All rights reserved.
by Michael Mamas | Monday, December 29, 2014 | Mount Soma, Spirituality |
As Dr. Todd once put it, “I love weather.” That is a quote I often fondly remember. It beautifully captures so much about life… so much about ‘relationship with’. It is so simple, yet so profound.
You may want to go to the homepage and scroll to the live webcam view of the temple. Even though I live here, I do that several times a day. The fog comes in and goes out… the snow falls as do the leaves… the wind blows and is then still… the sun rises and sets… people come and go… the seasons change… every hour of every day is unique… one year follows the next. He Who Has No Name is the silent witness to it all.
The view from the webcam is, in and of itself, poetry…
© Michael Mamas. All rights reserved.
by Michael Mamas | Thursday, July 31, 2014 | Mount Soma |
If you were at the last Surya Ram Class at Mount Soma, you know that our Guruji gave an outstanding Free Lecture. For those of you who were unable to be there, you may download the mp3 file for this lecture. Enjoy!
DOWNLOAD FREE LECTURE
© Michael Mamas. All rights reserved.
by Michael Mamas | Friday, July 4, 2014 | Mount Soma
INGREDIENTS
Cream cheese
Ricotta cheese
Sour cream
(approximately equal parts of each… to taste)
lemon juice
sweetener
DIRECTIONS
Mix with a little lemon juice and sweetener of your choice (sugar or stevia).
No baking… ready to eat.
Top with fruit if you wish.
Have a wonderful Fourth of July!
© Michael Mamas. All rights reserved.
by Michael Mamas | Monday, May 26, 2014 | Mount Soma |
On a lighter note: We planted sod recently. It needs lots of water. i got up this morning and checked the yard…. it did not rain all night in spite of the forecast. i looked to the sky… not a cloud.. i checked the weather forecast and NC region radar… nothing. So I figured I had only one chance of getting it to rain: go out and water the yard. It worked GREAT. That is one Siddhi (supernatural power) I have FOR SURE!!
© Michael Mamas. All rights reserved.
by Michael Mamas | Thursday, April 24, 2014 | Mount Soma |
The Mount Soma web camera is now operational 24 hours a day. To view, go the the Mount Soma or Sri Somesvara home page.
© Michael Mamas. All rights reserved.
by Michael Mamas | Monday, March 24, 2014 | Announcements, Mount Soma
We are in the process of finding a suitable video camera for the online live video of the temple at Mount Soma. It should be up and running before too long. Thanks for your patience.
© Michael Mamas. All rights reserved.
by Michael Mamas | Wednesday, January 29, 2014 | Mount Soma, Spirituality |
The Deep Dive Meditation Retreat, going on at Mount Soma now, has permeated the atmosphere with a magnificent feeling of sweet stability, peace, and sustenance. In searching for a word to describe it, “normal” comes to mind. It feels normal to me. In this day and age, “normal” is something very rare and precious. It is very different from “average” or “typical”. Normal means natural. Normal means the way life was designed to be… how life was designed to feel.
During my years of ashram living, “normal” was a daily living reality. After leaving the ashram, “normal” was something I profoundly missed. But I felt compelled, even obligated, to recreate that state of normal for the entire world… for all of humanity. The atmosphere is so very important to life. A fish out of water is not a happy fish. The typical atmosphere humanity has created in this world of ours is far from normal.
With the retreat going on, I feel like I am on vacation. Mount Soma has been growing in this direction for some time, but it is even more tangible now. I remember decades ago in India there was a large assembly of saints and meditators that created a feeling like this. I did not fully realize how much I missed it until we recreated it here at Mount Soma, particularly during this retreat. It is a beautiful ‘welcome home’ sort of feeling.
This underscored the nature of our purpose. We do not need to directly abolish war or pollution or starvation or disharmony among people. We have only to create this atmosphere in the world. Once done, it is only a matter of time before “unnatural behavior” bubbles out and is cast aside and all of life returns to normal. Normal means natural. Natural means fulfilled, happy, harmonious, prosperous, content, joyful, healthy… abundant. The true nature of life is bliss. All else is unnatural. All we need to do is create the proper atmosphere. Then, quite simply… over time, everything will self correct.
© Michael Mamas. All rights reserved.
