by Michael Mamas | Monday, August 17, 2015 | Spirituality |
The dropped pebble radiates wave rings on the pond.
Similarly, the cosmos, birthed from a point, radiates wave rings.
Every point, every thing, in creation radiates wave rings.
Every individual radiates wave rings.
A Vedic temple radiates powerful wave rings in harmony with the cosmos.
The temple walls, fence, etc. are constructed on the cosmic wave rings.
Thusly, the temple brings all wave rings in harmony with nature… the cosmos.
This is the technology of world peace, prosperity, and fulfillment.
© Michael Mamas. All rights reserved.
by Michael Mamas | Saturday, August 8, 2015 | Relationship |
I was asked to talk about respectful arguing. To start with, I must say that the phrase is a bit of an oxymoron. Isn’t there something inherently disrespectful about arguing? To have differences and to talk them out is one thing. To argue is quite another. To do so is to not only disrespect the other person, but also to disrespect yourself. How to deal with that is your decision. Personally, if someone will not speak respectfully, I choose to not speak with them at all. That carries a stronger message than reducing myself to the level of arguing. Now in some situations you may well have to make some important points. You cannot just let it go. However, if you think about it, arguing does not happen until AFTER your points are made. Feeling the need then, to argue the point goes back to disrespect. Disrespect for yourself, thinking you have not been valued, or disrespect for the other person, thinking they would not in their quiet moments give some thought to your perspective. More often than not, you are heard and honored far more than you know.
Also, once you have made your point, if the other person is not willing to sit and discuss the matter with you thoughtfully, it is a waste of time and may even be detrimental. Through arguing, people dig in their heels, paint themselves into a corner, and as a result find it even more difficult to be open to your perspective. Down deep, everyone knows that you do not win an argument by silencing the other person. You need to know that the other person really does know that. It is your job to, as best you can, stay centered in your own being, your own dignity and integrity. And rest assured they will see and respect that, even if in the moment, they were hoping to defeat you.
How do you respect another? And how do you respect yourself? By coming to rest in your own being. There you find wisdom. There you find understanding. There you come to see the dignity that lies deep within all people, regardless of how they may currently be behaving. To see that is to respect them. It certainly does not mandate giving up your own dignity by meeting them on their current behavior level, if it is not a respectful level.
Remember to give people the time and space they require. Understand that they as well as you will go out of balance at times. That is alright. But when you catch that happening, STOP. Find another proper time and space to revisit the discussion. This gives both of you the opportunity to reflect. If you agree with a person or not, you need to understand them… to understand their perspective. In so doing, you open the door to evolving not only their perspective, but also yours. Do not sell yourself or the other person short. Also remember that no one ever wins an argument. You both win by turning the matter into a reflective and respectful discussion.
Now all this must be held in the context of your own personality. How you employ these principles is something you have to find within your own self, your own mastery.
How did Bruce Lee put it? The art of fighting without fighting. Or we could say the art of arguing without arguing.
© Michael Mamas. All rights reserved.
by Michael Mamas | Tuesday, August 4, 2015 | Mount Soma |
We enjoyed an incredible retreat and Guru Purnima over the past couple of weeks. The feeling here would be difficult to describe. Every day the weather felt like those summer days of childhood… clean, fresh, … magical. The group dynamic was so very fine… allowing the knowledge to go very deep during lectures and classes. During the Sarvadevata and Guru Havans, the discussions with Panditji were profound and beautiful. I tried to paraphrase them for this blog, but words on a page could just not capture the feeling, so I felt like it was not proper to even try.
Evenings were cool and beautiful. As has become my Guru Purnima middle of the night tradition, I got out of bed, walked out in the back yard and gazed at the moon… an occasional cloud floated before it… the ground, sky, trees, and buildings softly glowing in the moonlight.
The sublime feeling of deep friendship and community permeated every moment of every day. On the last day, as we left the temple after the Ganesh Puja, the tender feelings of closure of that beautiful time permeated all our hearts. Upon arriving home, I could only sit, gaze out my window, and rest quietly with the fine feelings of what we all created together.
© Michael Mamas. All rights reserved.
by Michael Mamas | Sunday, July 19, 2015 | Announcements, Mount Soma |
A message from the ashram and students at Mount Soma:
Are you curious about ways to connect with Michael Mamas? There are many options!
Blog
Michael Mamas’ blog provides a wealth of knowledge, inspiration, and words to reflect on. We invite you to join in the conversation by commenting on blogs. You can also ask a question.
Sign up to receive an email when he posts a new blog.
Daily Posts on Social Media
Now you can stay connected to Michael Mamas and the Knowledge via social media!
Over recent months, new social media pages for Michael Mamas, Mount Soma and Sri Somesvara Temple have been created. Daily, you can find posts that include Dr. Mamas’ quotes on the Knowledge, new videos, links to articles and resources, pictures, news of events and life at Mount Soma, and more!
Thank you to everyone who has been “Following” these pages, and also interacting with individual posts via “Likes”, “Shares”, and comments. Your engagement significantly helps increase our online presence and helps spread the Knowledge.
New to social media? No problem! Our Social Media Help document offers simple instructions on how to create accounts, ways to connect to Michael Mamas, and privacy settings.
Thank you, and we look forward to connecting with you online!
Michael Mamas’ Social Media Pages
Facebook
Facebook is the largest social media network, and it offers many ways to connect with family and friends.
Google+
Google+ is similar to Facebook, but is less complex.
YouTube
YouTube is a popular video-sharing site.
Twitter
On Twitter, people share short messages or “tweets” that can include text, images, links, and videos.
Instagram
Instagram is a simple way to share and view photos (for smart-phones).
Likes, Comments, and Shares on social media posts all have significant impact. Join us and have fun!
View Social Media Help for instructions on the above.
Other Social Media Pages
Pinterest
LinkedIn
© Michael Mamas. All rights reserved.
by Michael Mamas | Monday, July 13, 2015 | Personal Growth, Spirituality |
We speak of the ‘family of humanity’. We speak of love. We speak of world peace. We speak of open-mindedness. Yet these things are not so easy to accomplish.
Some have a strong bias against spirituality as irrational. Others find solace in embracing the heartfelt aspect of spirituality, even as a reprieve from having to think. Cultures have their differences. One religion judges another. One political group despises the other. Many ‘open-minded’ people condemn those who do not think the way they do. One cultural or sub-cultural group is uncomfortable with another. Cultural Integrity so easily crosses the line into the biases of bigotry and racism.
My work honors the unique integrity of each culture while inviting you to see past the bias. In so doing, we can create a true family of humanity that honors the uniqueness of each culture – that respects diversity, not just tolerates it.
In my attempts to create a family of humanity, I often trigger a knee-jerk controversy. When I speak of God, ‘rationalists’ immediately reject my words. When I ask people to take a step back and see the rationality hidden beneath any spiritual superstition, I am accused of being too ‘heady’. When I wear Indian attire as a sign of respect to that tradition, I am judged as ‘another white guy trying to do the guru thing’. When I wear western clothes, I am not respecting the ancient traditions of spiritual knowledge. Casual observers so quickly cast my hat into the ring of their impulsive choosing.
Prejudice reigns. We are so quickly pigeon-holed, judged, and rejected or accepted based on the prejudices of every individual in this 30-second sound bite world. It happens in the blink of an eye, even by the most “open minded” individuals.
So where is the learning? How can people see beyond their biases?
I strive to move humanity forward. I encourage everyone to look deeper to live better. In so doing, the world will come together in harmony. In so doing, world peace can become a reality. I invite you to take a step back and reflect with me. Look more deeply into my words and actions than just a first glance may provide. We can heal this planet. We can have a loving family of humanity. It is within our grasp.
Be willing to reach beyond the limitations of your current mentality.
© Michael Mamas. All rights reserved.
