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.
by Michael Mamas | Monday, January 27, 2014 | Spirituality |
Well, the easy answer to that question would be a simple good feeling, “Yes.” And that is true and all should be well and good to just leave it at that. But it is not enough. Even more than that, it is misleading. Why? Because it implies, at least to me, some sort of emotional stupor you should feel as you experience God’s love for you. Also, because it holds God as other… at a distance… or at least a little separate from you. Nothing could be further from the truth.
The natural state of life is to have an ongoing inner sense of… what… how to say it…. peace? solidity? profundity? fullness? resonance? coherence? None of those words express it properly. You and God are one. Before you can really feel ‘God’s love for you’, you must first embody that state. But knowing that is not a concept or an idea to cling to. It is certainly not an emotion or attitude. When the physiology (I mean here the greater physiology… not just the physical) ‘clicks into’ that state, your consciousness awakens to it. Not as a thought but as a permanent state of being. You do not think about it… it just is. Just as you do not think about your arms all day long… they just are.
But this wakefulness is not just inside you. You see it in everything. It just is… there, there, and there… everywhere, always. You can call it God’s love if you like. But really, love implies some sort of separation, does it not? To love something, you in some sense or another, hold it apart from yourself so you can adore it. When the two merge, it is something other than (or a least a very different) love. Perhaps it is best to say that both are there simultaneously… You are one with God, and God is ‘other’ both at the same time. When God is only experienced as other, it is in a sense belittling of YOU. That is how many relate to the notion of God loving you.
Awaken to the Knowing that you and God are one. It is not just philosophy or spirituality. It includes the science of how the universe is constructed. It is just the way things are.
© Michael Mamas. All rights reserved.
by Michael Mamas | Thursday, January 23, 2014 | Personal Growth, Spirituality |
Regarding the ‘Strength” blog, I was asked the following question:
How can you distinguish for yourself what is a strong ‘grip’ versus a strong clinging to a belief or a perspective? How do you know you’ve rested into your essence/soul or just an overlay?
To which I respond:
This is a very good and important question. In a nutshell, the answer is that you don’t know. If you really knew you were clinging to something, you would be seeing beyond it. If you really saw beyond it, you would not be clinging to it.
I like to say that the exploration tills the soil that facilitates the natural self-correcting mechanism… i.e. evolution. That process is called discernment. It is cultivated through reflection, proper counseling, self-honesty, proper meditation, openness, etc. The art of discernment is a major portion of what I teach.
In extreme cases, it is obvious to others when a person is clinging to a belief… for example, radical fundamentalism or a digging in of the heels. But as you move forward, the process gets more and more elusive. As has been said, the only true knowing is knowing that you know nothing. Knowing nothing means knowing no-thing… knowing that which is beyond things, beyond beliefs and perspectives.
It is not about the thing so much as it is about your relationship with the thing. It is like learning to swim. If you cannot swim, you cling to the rubber ducky to keep you afloat. It is everything. Without it you feel that you would drown. Slowly, slowly you get comfortable in the water and in time no longer need the rubber ducky to stay afloat. Then you swim freely in the ocean of being. You may still enjoy the rubber ducky, but your relationship with it is completely different. See?
© Michael Mamas. All rights reserved.
by Michael Mamas | Wednesday, January 22, 2014 | Spirituality |
I was asked the following:
In more ways than one it is possible to determine by experiment how the spirit helps even the development of muscles. I do not speak of Hatha Yoga, in which physical exercise is emphasized primarily. In other Yogas, physical exercise has not such significance, but the spiritual development gives the muscles a special tone. Take two athletes let one develop along physical methods alone and the other realize the power of the spirit. How much more will the latter excel! This comes from a book fiery world, the last sentence you see what do you say about this, isn’t it beautiful?
To which I reply:
Yes it is beautiful. Spiritual Energy (life force) underlies all that is. It can be directed into any endeavor be it physical, intellectual, musical… anything, even the performance of what some would call miracles.
Where it is directed is a highly individual matter. As you evolve, you have greater access to it and you direct it more and more along the lines of your nature and what is appropriate for you at the given time. Your true nature is in harmony with Mother Nature.
It also happens that people develop in a manner that is not well integrated on all levels. Then they may have a great deal of spiritual energy, but it is not directed in a manner that is in harmony with their true nature… with Mother Nature… with Natural Law. This is an aspect of Kali Yuga, the Age of Ignorance.
Imagine a time when people have access to unlimited spiritual energy and spontaneously use it in harmony with nature. That is the time we are working to bring forth.
I do what i can to care for my body which is my ‘vehicle’, but I choose to direct most of my energy into assisting humanity to attain greater integration with the Spiritual Power that dwells within. It is clear to me that the best way to do this is to build Mount Soma… a Light of Life for all humanity.
© Michael Mamas. All rights reserved.
by Michael Mamas | Tuesday, January 21, 2014 | Spirituality |
“An instrument should be in tune with itself,” he says. “Everything else will then fall into place.” …John Monteleone
This is a lovely quote. In particular, a number of the old blues guitar players had little access to ‘properly tuned’ instruments or even intentionally down tuned their guitars for one reason or another.
Certainly with evolution you become more and more in tune within your own self. However, the Self is one with the Absolute, i.e. the underlying basis of all existence. So as you evolve, you automatically not only become independently in tune with your own self, but simultaneously with all of nature… with Mother Nature.
My daughters have recently resumed their music lessons (piano and guitar) and I am very happy about that. Science is of the intelligence of existence. Music is of its Heart. Yet the two are seamlessly intertwined. They dance together as one and the same, in perfect union… the King and Queen of the universe… the mind and heart… the mechanics and the spirit… the body and soul… the two facets of the one God out of which all emerges.
© Michael Mamas. All rights reserved.
by Michael Mamas | Saturday, January 18, 2014 | Personal Growth, Spirituality |
“If your grip is weak, YOU’LL be weak.”
This is another quote from the fitness world. I would like you to reflect upon how it maps on to your speedy spiritual evolution… and also how it could be twisted to compromise your spiritual evolution.
After you formulate you thoughts, you can click on “comments” to see mine.
© Michael Mamas. All rights reserved.
by Michael Mamas | Tuesday, January 14, 2014 | Favorites, Spirituality |
I am continuing to have a great deal of fun (fascination) with physical fitness. It serves as a wonderful mini-model for life, certainly including spiritual growth. The proper routines and diet are of course more tangible than in the spiritual arena where things are so profoundly illusive (the razors edge), yet they are subtle enough to draw some beautiful analogies.
My fitness journey has served as a reminder of how such principles apply to spiritual growth. How easy it is to drift off course without even knowing it… that is a fine example. You have a program. You know what to do. But if you take the time to reflect, it may shock you to realize how far you may have drifted without even knowing it. This is true with your meditation routine as well as with the Knowledge. The Knowledge is so delicate, so subtle. As Adi Shankara said, it must be re-enlivened and purified, generation after generation. This is so very true from day to day, month to month, and year to year for every individual. It is very easy for little compromises to creep in here or there.
This is one of the major roles of a teacher… to keep people on course. I have been struck through the years at how easily the teaching slips away from people, all the while still believing that they have it.
Stay focused. Go 110% for your enlightenment. Listen, ponder, and listen again. This is indeed the final frontier for every individual. It is the ultimate journey, the ultimate quest. Keep a steady hand on the rudder and continue to check and recheck the course you are on. Re-affirm your commitment again and again. Your reward will be the universe and beyond!
Success means never losing your enthusiasm. I have a fitness coach/trainer. I read his blogs regularly. They serve as great inspiration. I hope my blogs are doing the same for you.
© Michael Mamas. All rights reserved.
by Michael Mamas | Monday, January 6, 2014 | Favorites, Spirituality |
I have been working with a fitness coach/trainer for a while now. It has been a lot of fun. He is excellent. I have noticed that I am quite sensitive to how he responds to me. I sometimes wonder how he feels about a question I have… if he feels like he has already answered it or it is silly, etc. I recall, years ago, feeling similarly with my spiritual teach, professors, etc. The image of me that they held was important to me.
These recollections and current experiences with my coach/trainer have been good. It has brought to light (again) the sensitivity I am sure a number of you have with respect to your interactions with me. I think this is particularly true in the spiritual area when the path is often viewed as one of Neti, Neti, Neti… not that, not that, not that. It could feel like everything you say is wrong. I know that such a response, even from my coach/trainer would be difficult for me.
I want to make it very clear to you all, that the path to enlightenment leaves one with nothing, NO-THING, to cling to. The transcendent is an abstraction, not a concrete concept or ‘thing’. Though infinitely solid and stable, it is also infinitely boundless and without edge or handle to cling to. Any ‘thing’ is not it… not that… neti, neti, neti. You rest into it, rest upon it, like a sort of cosmic cushion. It lies beyond relativity. So it is out of my love and devotion for you, that I keep pointing you in the direction of that which lies beyond all relativity. I love all your questions. I never judge you for them. I am your devoted helper.
Remember that every point has a counter point. Every notion has an equally valid yet contradictory notion. My job is to free you. Anything you cling to is Not That. Please do not forget, that my corrections or introduction of contradictory points to what you may be holding on to is not a judgment of you. Please do not feel that I have made you wrong. It is only to keep you moving forward… to keep your vision looking beyond the horizon and not locked on to a fixed notion, position, or principle. You are the transcendent, the divine, the absolute. My purpose is to awaken you to that. Enlightenment is not about adding anything, it is only about taking away reliance upon that which is Neti, Neti, Neti.
© Michael Mamas. All rights reserved.
by Michael Mamas | Sunday, December 29, 2013 | Favorites, Spirituality |
“So long as you have faith in your Guru, nothing will be able to obstruct your way.” — Vivekananda, 1896
This quote (that Marty provided) is one of the most beautiful things I have recently seen. It immediately made me think of my teacher. Through his presence and his words, he touched a place within me. It is as if he somehow lit a candle deep within me that once lit, could never go out. The guru lights the way. It has struck me over the years to see people who have read and studied Vedic knowledge without the influence of a true, real, and living guru. It underscores for me the understanding that real spiritual knowledge can not be attained from books. It is too subtle. Such knowledge succumbs to the ‘I get it syndrome’. People think they ‘get it’, but they do not. The words may be there, but the understanding is not. As it is said, knowledge exists in the gaps between the words. It is the guru that clarifies the knowledge.
The spiritual tragedy of our time is that so many think of themselves as spiritually knowledgeable, when they are not. Then many of them go out and teach, leading so many well intended people astray.
Finding a real guru is far more challenging and precious than many understand. All too often people are swayed by the drama or presentation: flowing robes, an appealing accent, a trip abroad, an awe inspiring moment and they are convinced they found a real living guru. Real gurus are far rarer than most spiritual seekers can even imagine.
The truth is, finding a real guru has more to do with the depth of their being and knowledge than any superficial criterion you may be holding on to. And depth of knowledge does not mean volume of facts memorized. More is not better. Better is better.
Now why would Vivekananda say ‘so long as you have faith in your Guru…?” Isn’t faith in your guru a given? Well, not always. I have seen people walk away from a real teacher for the most ridiculous reasons. Maybe they projected on to the guru that he did not like them. Maybe the guru’s correction of the person’s behavior or thinking pushed the ego too much. Some people cannot tolerate the idea that they were wrong or behaved in a not ideal manner. When you are too vested in the ego, it can seem intolerable at times to even have a guru.
Once someone said to my guru, “I love you so much, but what if you asked me to go jump off a cliff? Should I do it?” My guru responded with a shaking of his head “no”, as he said, “You know me by my teachings.” Faith in the guru means knowing him by his teachings… knowing him by what he touches deep within you through those teachings. There will be times when a glance or action of the guru may not sit completely right with you. That may be more about you than him. He is a being that is acting in this world… a world of imperfection. To live better, you must look deeper. By all means, be discerning. Any real guru would insist upon that. But be clear on who and what he really is and do not judge him by inane criterion that you have, in reality, come to him to help you overcome.
More than a few times throughout the years I have been told I live in accord with my teachings and never contradict myself or those teachings. My teacher was that way. It resonated with the divinity within me and has guided my life all these years. Divinity is within you. It IS you. The guru just more fully awakens you to it. Stay with that and “nothing will be able to obstruct your way.”
© Michael Mamas. All rights reserved.
by Michael Mamas | Sunday, December 22, 2013 | Spirituality |
In the USA, the television show called ‘Duck Dynasty’ has become very popular. Though I have never watched the show, I understand that an interview of its main patriarch triggered a great deal of controversy when he talked about what he saw as sin and the path to salvation.
To fathom all this, we must first understand that there is an underlying essence to all of life and existence. Modern science calls it the Unified Field. Theologians call it God. Everything in essence, is that unified field. It is the source of all that is… the source of all the intelligence and harmony that birth all of existence. It is nature, Mother Nature. Your own true nature is one with Mother Nature. You are, in essence, the unified field, i.e. one with God.
So what is sin? You could say that it quite simply is not living in harmony with your own true nature. That is the same as not living in harmony with Nature, Mother Nature, God, the Unified Field, etc. Clearly then, there are varying degrees of sin. Though simplistic, it is good that humanity has been provided with certain rules or laws to help people live in harmony with Nature. But where do you draw the line? When do these guidelines cease to be supportive and become oppressive? And who says the rules are really all correct or correctly understood? And are there exceptions to them? For example, with regard to ‘thou shalt not kill’ is there ever an exception? These matters can and are debated ad nausea. Opinions abound. But in the final analysis, the answers cannot be derived intellectually. Even as times change, the laws of nature change. Techniques and rules that work in one age (such as holding your hands over your head indefinitely to gain powers) may not be right for another.
How then does one not sin? Well, starting with basic rules can be helpful, but they are only training wheels. Ultimately, to not sin is to spontaneously live in harmony with nature. And that is a physiological state. It is not a rulebook. Rules may assist in the process of attaining that state, but that state goes far beyond the reach of those rules. Furthermore, rules quickly deteriorate into a quagmire of dogma. What is the way out? Evolve. Grow toward enlightenment. Do not be simplistic in your understanding of what that means. Be discerning.
So what is salvation? Like everything in existence, there are many levels to it. Superficially, salvation is any sort of awakening or commitment to a deeper or wiser truth. For example, New Years resolutions are a sort of salvation or commitment to becoming a better you. Being ‘Born Again’ too is such a commitment or some level or degree of awakening. But there are an infinite number of awakenings. Some things that are viewed as awakenings may even be steps backward. Of course, the highest form of salvation is enlightenment… spontaneously living in harmony with Nature. But just get ready. When you see beyond the horizon, all who have their gaze fixed upon rules and laws will judge you in terms of what they are capable of seeing. It has been said that the enlightened, in this age of ignorance, are kicked around like a football. For now, no matter who you are, no matter how knowledgeable you may be in your studies of spirituality, know that you are in for new awakenings. Also know that when the great awakening comes, your understanding of everything, of all you think you know, will be turned over on its head… like a sock that was inside out being turned right side out. Discernment is the path to ultimate salvation. Wisdom is the path of discernment. Humility is the flip side of wisdom.
© Michael Mamas. All rights reserved.
