by Michael Mamas | Sunday, December 24, 2017 | Spirituality |
There are so many different understandings of Christ: who he is, what he is. As we refine our understanding of nature and existence, so too do we refine our understanding of everything. This includes our understanding of Christ. As we evolve, instead of rejecting our earlier notions of Christ, we do well to be open to a deeper understanding of Christ. I would think that even the most skeptical among us are open to the ideas of modern physics. Namely the idea that everything is born from the same one thing. We have only just begun to fathom the significance of that, and the insights it could provide to understand the spirituality of Oneness, the notion of the Christ.
Still, in a more humble sense, we can all embrace Christmas as a feeling of love, peace, and harmony we share. Whatever one’s level of understanding, the notion of Christmas offers us all a richer, more beautiful, and meaningful life. Regardless of our religion, intellectual understanding, or position, may we all feel into those values and come together during this holiday season to celebrate the tender beauty of life.
Merry Christmas!
© Michael Mamas. All rights reserved.
by Michael Mamas | Friday, December 22, 2017 | Health |
This is my new favorite beverage. I like to use it to prepare chai. I buy it on Amazon.
You can learn about it on the Nutrition Facts site or a Matcha site whose purpose is to make Matcha more accessible.
I understand that organic Macha from Japan is the best. The ‘ceremonial’ version is less bitter, but more expensive. Personally, I just use the culinary version and am very happy with it. I just add it to hot water, sweetener of choice, and the chai spices that are sold in the Mount Soma gift shop.
Unfortunately, some studies show that adding milk to tea (or cocoa) cancels the health benefits.
I am sure many of you are far more familiar with Matcha than I am. Comments are welcome.
Enjoy!
© Michael Mamas. All rights reserved.
by Michael Mamas | Thursday, December 21, 2017 | Mount Soma |
The last couple of holiday seasons have been challenging for me. Some of you have sent (some anonymously) little gifts (treats, etc.) that are most warmly and humbly received.
Today we had our Christmas dinner at Mount Soma. As I looked around the room, I felt the family of dear friends comprising our Surya Ram community. You are all so deeply appreciated.
Wherever you may be over the next days, I wish you a very Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays.
© Michael Mamas. All rights reserved.
by Michael Mamas | Monday, December 11, 2017 | Mount Soma |
The feeling at Mount Soma these days is so sweet. We often congregate at the Student Union for lunch. Personally, I rely on those lunches for my primary source of sustenance, bringing some extra home for my evening meal. Today after lunch, a few of us decorated the Christmas tree. It was delightful. The Christmas carols played as the festivity waxed in beauty. Community… so exquisite… feeding the body, mind, and spirit…
© Michael Mamas. All rights reserved.
by Michael Mamas | Sunday, December 10, 2017 | Meditation, Mount Soma |
I am getting so excited about teaching Phase 1 of the Advanced Techniques to more students next month and Phase 2 to the Ashram people and staff after that! The Advanced Techniques are an exponential leap forward for every individual’s evolution and super radiance of coherence for the world.
We had an interesting conversation at lunch in the Student Union yesterday. I was remembering how different things were 30 years ago. The Transcendent was, as if, dormant in people’s consciousness. People back then, when transcending, could not handle much… the purification was too intense. Now, our program has become so much more powerful and people do great with it! What is happening here at Mount Soma is so fabulous. Evolution is accelerating and beautiful to witness. More and more visitors are in awe of the profound influence Mount Soma has upon them.
It is so humbling to have the opportunity to offer these Advanced Techniques to the world. Phase 1 creates the foundation. Then, in Phase 2 and Phase 3, things really take off. Without question, the Advanced Techniques are by far the greatest teachings I have yet offered. It appears the Bhrigu Nadi was right that Mount Soma will become a beacon light for the world. The people living here will all attain Unity Consciousness… so humbling.
© Michael Mamas. All rights reserved.
by Michael Mamas | Friday, December 8, 2017 | Meditation, Personal Growth, Spirituality |
The laws of nature are very different on the surface of life as opposed to the depth. For example, on the surface, you are you, and I am me. We are separate. Whereas in the depth, we are all one. For that reason, behavior oriented around the surface of life can look very different than behavior oriented around the depth. It’s as if there are two different fronts that we are negotiating simultaneously. Proper behavior is a matter of the integration of the two.
When a person is disproportionally oriented toward one front or the other, imbalanced behavior is the result. For example, people may favor spiritual reflection with a love for the transcendental depth of existence. However, when they go out into the world, they cease to be practical or effective in the material world. On the other hand, when the imbalance is excessively toward the material world, behavior can become petty, selfish, cynical, and polarizing. Oftentimes, individuals may enjoy reflecting upon the spiritual, but when it comes down to living their lives, they disproportionally become superficially oriented. It is easy to be spiritual on the weekends, but how much do we retain as we live the rest of our lives? How wisely do we integrate the surface with the depth?
Those overly entrenched in the superficial front tend to become overly materialistic and cynical. Those overly entrenched in the spiritual tend to become impractical and unrealistic. Those living a life that integrates the two are often not recognized by those living a less integrated state. That usually is a matter of projection. People tend to project their value system, based upon their level of integration, upon others, and judge them accordingly. For example, the cynical and materialistic scrutinize the behavior of others, assuming they too must be equally cynical, materialistic, and not to be trusted. They spontaneously assume ulterior and selfish motives are at the root of others’ behavior. This is what we face as a society these days. Those immaturely spiritually-oriented judge pragmatic behavior as being superficial and not deep.
However, a life integrating the two is subtle. Attempting to integrate the two in an unsophisticated way becomes a matter of cross-realm projection (i.e., trying to impose the laws of nature of one front onto the other front). For example, just because we are all one doesn’t mean you give away all your money and abandon all pragmatics.
Proper integration of the two is a sublime and exquisite dynamic. It is a state of physiology, a state of being. The majesty of an artful navigation of life integrating those two fronts of life is not easily recognized or appreciated by those living a less balanced state. An imbalanced relationship between those two fronts precludes wisdom, maturity, and artful living. Such imbalance is the source of negativity (e.g., suspicion, mistrust, misunderstanding, hatred, resentment, judgment, polarization, and conflict).
Through meditation, as well as reflecting upon the nature of life and the nature of our own personal psychodynamics, we can cultivate a healthy, wise, and mature relationship with life (i.e., the integration of the surface with the depth). When feeling challenged in life, reflect upon the subtle nature of life. Aspire to understand the sublime relationship and harmonization between the surface and the depth. Aspire to wisdom. Aspire to a pragmatic relationship with the material world integrated with an unending adherence to the Divine.
© Michael Mamas. All rights reserved.
by Michael Mamas | Monday, November 27, 2017 | Personal Growth |
Video #1 – About Alma Deutscher
Video #2 – Watch a Prodigy Create – from Four Notes in a Hat
I imagine that many people who watch these videos about Alma Deutscher will impulsively jump to the idea that she is the reincarnation of Mozart or some other great composer and musician. I have to admit that I’m in that camp. I think that some people may also go to a place where they feel bad about themselves for not having any such great talent. Of course, we all marvel over her great abilities.
In the past, I’ve spoken of how we share the one same humanity. Such uniquely talented individuals stand as a celebration of the grandeur of what it means to be human. They are shining representatives of the greatness of the humanity that we are all a part of. To say it another way, there is one great humanity and we all are that. Prodigies are an expression of the grandeur of our shared humanity.
Be they a musician, athlete, scientist, or genius in any other form, they inspire us to look forward to the future to see how they progress and what other flowers emerge in the garden of life, the garden of humanity that we are unified through. There is but one unified field, one Self.
© Michael Mamas. All rights reserved.
by Michael Mamas | Thursday, November 16, 2017 | Meditation, Personal Growth
Some years ago, I was watching an interview of a spiritual leader’s son. He was describing how his parents lived in harmony with nature—they lived in a log cabin with no electricity, walked around barefoot, and grew their own food. I mean no disrespect, but that has nothing to do with living in harmony with nature…
Read more.
© Michael Mamas. All rights reserved.
by Michael Mamas | Monday, November 13, 2017 | Personal Growth |
When you climb a mountain, commitment and dedication are required. You need to stay one-pointedly focused on the goal, with a ‘steady hand on the rudder’. In fact, when people ask me what more they can do for their evolution, I almost always respond by saying, “‘Keep a steady hand on the rudder’ through time.”
The thing about climbing a mountain is that it’s easy to slip. Once you slip, momentum can take over until you slide, tumble, and fall all the way to the bottom. That’s called Karma. As I’ve always said, most of your Karma is between your ears and in your heart (i.e., your emotions). So, in a nutshell, to evolve, stay on the path. If you catch yourself slipping, regroup and continue the journey to the top.
© Michael Mamas. All rights reserved.
by Michael Mamas | Friday, November 10, 2017 | Announcements, Mount Soma |
At Mount Soma, in the past, we have seen rocket launches such as the below in the eastern sky:
“People across the mid-Atlantic may see a rocket fly through the sky on Saturday morning as it blasts off from Wallops Island, Virginia.
“An Antares rocket is set to launch from the Wallops Island Flight Facility at 7:37 a.m. EST Saturday, 11/11/17 in a mission to deliver supplies to the International Space Station (ISS).” – Accuweather
© Michael Mamas. All rights reserved.
