Next week an invaluable podcast series on the five Tanmatras [i.e. The Five Divine Currents] begins. Powerful, compelling, deeply personal yet universal. I encourage you to join us.
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not ego, not childhood wounds cloaked as one’s ‘truth’. not perspective, bias, or beliefs
Real ‘inner grit’ comes from the transcendent. the witness, the Shiva value. Yet positive attracts negative. Being that in kali yuga attracts negativity, judgement, resentment, projection, misunderstanding, jealousy, anger, etc. and that will come not just from strangers but from those closest to you. The other option is low profile, like the Mona Lisa smile. So, some choose to speak from that place openly while others prefer to hide it. The choice is theirs but the decision comes from a spontaneous place called their own true nature. Either way one has little choice in which they live… and the process of living it is not clear cut. It is awkward and difficult as one integrates the ‘house of mud’ of the superficial self, with the awakening process to one’s inner Divinity… the undefinable, ungraspable field of Perfection… The silent, unbiased, unopinionated Shiva value within. From there, commitment is infinitely solid, yet paradoxically not black and white.
Cultured life vs behavioral modification
Spiritual growth is not about outward appearance. it is an evolutionary process. though there are phase transitions along the way, it is essentially gradual with no surface displays of progress. It is natural, like the growth of a tree or the rising of the sun. So, it is common to put on ‘behavior airs’ to convince one’s self and others that they have spiritually ‘advanced’. Are the changes rooted in subconscious chit or genuinely from within a stronger connection with the transcendent? That is not so easy for one to tell for sure. Yet the desperation to want confirmation compels many to modify their behavior in an attempt to convince themselves and others of their progress.
The following is a lovely note from one of my long-term students reflecting the truth of the genuine process of spiritual development… humble, uncertain or even confused on the surface, yet life changing, solid and profound:
Dear Michaelji,
I could not write a good ‘about me’ page for my blog. Then yesterday I wrote one that [my husband] also liked. I was wondering if it sounds correct to you? It has been my experience.
About Me:
From a young age, I started to define myself through others. I would/and still do want others to validate me and my existence. While growing up, I could not find a clear mirror, not from my family, friends, or teachers. I didn’t always receive a positive reflection when I was myself. I learned that I was much more accepted if I mirrored others instead of them mirroring me. Although superficial, I finally had connections with people. However, over time, I forgot that I existed at all.
Then, in my early 30’s, I met my teacher. The first day of class I walked into the room to the cleanest mirror I had ever experienced. Because the reflection was so clear, I could barely hold back my tears. All day, I felt a burst of emotion move through my body. I was too embarrassed about crying around a bunch of strangers. Because of this, I ran to my car after class, drove home, ran inside my apartment while avoiding all my neighbors, and shut my door. I let out years and years of a false sense of myself. I did not stop crying until I woke up the next day.
Over time, I have realized that I have karma, and people look at me through this karma. Somehow, my teacher could see me outside of my karma, and in return, I developed a sense of myself. Not immediately, but over time, I developed a reference frame outside of the world reflection. I call this my inner grit. When I feel myself reaching out there for answers and validation, I return to this place of uncomfortableness and stay with it until it disappears. It is not fun or easy, so I call it “inner grit.”
This blog is about what I find during my explorations. In the past, I would have been too afraid of what others thought to speak out. But now, if what I say is ridiculed, questioned, or picked apart, I know I have a place to go that will transcend it all. Once I stop wanting to be heard, I will be heard. This is how I feel life works, and my inner grit will get me there.
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“If you don’t like your personality, you better change it now because after you are enlightened, you won’t care.’”
attributed to Swami Muktananda
“Failure will never stand in the way of success if you learn from it.”
HANK AARON
“graveyards are full of indispensable people”
anonymous
“Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail.”
RALPH WALDO EMERSON
“Never look back unless you are planning to go that way.”
HENRY DAVID THOREAU
To listen to the audio version, please click here.
Happy Easter, Christ Resurrection, What does Supernatural mean?
Jesus and the Veda
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Exquisite Structure of Vedic Knowledge:
How to Become Great
Upangas, Samskruthi, Sampradaya
How to remain sane in an insane world…
Samskruthi – Culture
Sampradaya- Tradition.
Upangas/Vedangas
Nyaya/Shiksha
Karma Mimansa/Chhandas
Vedanta/Jyotish
Embodiment/Sound
healthy value systems endangered:
buckaroo bonzai syndrome vs. staying in your lane
diet, exercise, play musical instrument, be good at a sport, social media, internet, make money, liberal/conservative, global warming, covid, nuclear war, sitting, judgements, easy money, sex, short attention spans, looking good, popular, nice body, pretty, smart, clever, street wise, spam mail, electric lives, comparing yourself to others, grass is always greener on the other side of the fence
YouTube, TikTok, social media pressures, wide receiver in half back body
dharma
focused yet unbounded awareness vs. narrow minded, oblivious
who are you?
“If it was easy, everyone would be doing it”
Anonymous
“Perseverance, secret of all triumphs.”
VICTOR HUGO
”I cannot teach anybody anything. I can only make them think.“SOCRATES
“Success is the sum of small efforts – repeated day in and day out.”ROBERT COLLIER
To listen to the audio version, please click here.
current ‘language’ of modern physics is too awkward
always an incarnation of Vishnu around… duality requires two poles to spin around
10 avatars of Vishnu
Imbalance is a vacuum
is life really bliss? or is it really suffering?
Body of glass or of mud?
UFOs AND THE VEDA
golden age just around the corner now… 2025
sustained commitment to attain real and lasting changes
“The Millionaire Next Door”
too much pressure from every angle… internet, friends, news, tv….
“who’ll stop the rain?” it is in the Veda but who is listening?
Should the US supreme court intervene if justice system/judges politicized?
The enlightened age will occur when all religions are recognized as dedicated to the same one thing,
while realizing that the integrity of each nation is determined by the laws of nature unique to that land,
while honoring those not of that land to remain dedicated to their heritage while respecting the integrity and traditions of the land in which they reside,
while also honoring the depth of understanding of the nature of life, existence, science, and spirituality from their and all angles of all approaches/ perspectives,
and knowing that all is unified in harmony and mutual respect when held insightfully and honorably yet remaining strong in the harmonious integrity of their own birthright.
“There is nothing in a caterpillar that tells you it’s going to be a butterfly.”R. BUCKMINSTER FULLER
“There is no doubt that it is around the family and the home that all the greatest virtues, the most dominating virtues of human, are created, strengthened and maintained.”WINSTON CHURCHILL
To listen to the audio version, please click here.
nurture people for what they have as opposed to judging them for what they don’t have. do your best to understand them and speak to them accordingly. not as easy as it sounds
the teacher can only suggest or point in a direction. the rest is up to the student.
yet it takes pressure to make a diamond. push but only so much.
at the same time:
someone said my podcasts are too deep and people have a hard time understanding them. my interest is not in popularity via superficiality but rather is for people who do want and need a deeper level of understanding. It is best to take not understanding as an invitation to pursue not a discouragement or criticism. My heart goes out to those who need and long for a deeper knowledge when it is not available. Relying on the knowledge I have been given integrated with my own experience, I offer to the best of my ability, whatever insights I have. There are great scholars out there and I rely upon their insights, but discernment as Adi Shandara said, is the path. We must discern the level of the people they are addressing at any given time. Even the greatest master can target the average level of consciousness. My goal is twofold: 1] build the enlightened city and 2] provide the deepest understanding I can… direct and undiluted.
He who has no name. Beyond perspective.
It’s not just about new thoughts, but rather a new way of thinking.
Two human needs: communion and privacy
It’s not about over thinking but perhaps just sitting with it. To be interested solely in technique would be a very superficial thing to me.”
ANDREW WYETH
someone sent this to me at just the right time:
“The future doesn’t belong to the fainthearted; it belongs to the brave.”
RONALD REAGAN
To listen to the audio version, please click here.
The year of Anger and how it plays out; also, Ancient Secret to Hatha Yoga flexibility and a few Vedic verses explored
Upcoming year predictions are self-evident from watching the news and taking a step back. [as well as jyotish]. 2024: Our planet’s year of Anger, chaos, and conflict in all areas of life will continue throughout the year and well into 2025 BUT it is a clearing out process for good times to follow. The world will then wake up to natural law, wisdom, and in-sight. It is amazing to witness the degree to which mass mentality is so easily manipulated. Yet the grassroots of humanity are always closer the Mother Nature. Wisdom will emerge. Just hang in there for now! Think if it as a tint in the color of the water of the ‘fish bowl’ that will clear. So, watch your anger!
Global events will be evaluated based upon one’s bias. Think about it. What happens in Ukraine, Israel, elections, climate change, borders, etc. etc.
Whatever happens, half the world will see it as great, the other half will see it as disaster. But the big picture is that we are in the phase transition. That is a time when things bubble up in chaos as we have been seeing. But after the chaos of 2024/2025, we will be on the right course. Time and Mother Nature will let us know what that right course is.
Hatha yoga secret to flexibility revealed.
Tight muscles are about the nervous system, not the muscles!
Check it out:
Panditji and Lakshmi will be attending a world peace havan in Varanasi, India in January. I was invited to attend but my Mount Soma duties require me to stay at home. ‘Would have loved to be able to attend.
"Take the time to reflect on what is said here. If you find yourself associating this material with things you have heard elsewhere, please take the time to diligently explore how they are different. This knowledge is elusive. I share it here because I have seen how much this knowledge helps people – the potential is enormous." – Michael Mamas
"True knowledge slips through the fingers of those not willing to ponder…" – Michael Mamas
"Take what I say and work with it to develop a deeper understanding of life, rather than taking what I say and forcing it into the mold of your current relationship with life." – Michael Mamas
"Evolution means change." – Michael Mamas
"Your disposition is the tone with which you hold yourself, your cells, your psyche, your beliefs. More than anything else, it determines your life." – Michael Mamas
