by Michael Mamas | Sunday, March 4, 2012 | Spirituality |
This is not the same world as it use to be. People think quite differently than they did even just a few decades ago, not to mention a few hundred years ago.
Religion faces decline today for one simple reason. It no longer speaks in the language of the time.
The truth is that it cannot, because its leaders do not understand the scientific rationale of spirituality, and the language of this time is rationality.
By understanding the seamless interface between science and spirituality, we can express spiritual knowledge in a manner that not only makes sense to the people, but also purifies the knowledge of spirituality.
As Adi Shankara said, “The knowledge is easily lost and the understanding must be purified throughout time.” By doing so, we will change the world.
As Nelson Mandela said: “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.”
There are some incredible spiritual scholars in the world. I respect them greatly and love to listen to them speak. At the same time, discussions regarding the taste of a strawberry by those who have never tasted one are of limited value.
Spiritual education may start with the intellect but culminates in the heart. I do not here mean the emotional heart, I mean the heart of ones soul, ones being… the absolute.
© Michael Mamas. All rights reserved.
by Michael Mamas | Saturday, March 3, 2012 | Spirituality |
Spirituality is simply another word for the depth of your being.
I have been savoring that notion. Spiritual evolution is simply seeing and living from that place within with greater and greater clarity.
Yet it is not a ‘clarity trip’. It is not simplistic. It is profound.
It is a physiological state, like the harmony of the branches tips flowing in the breezes of life while firmly rooting in the trunk of the tree. Like smoke from an incense stick. Like water tumbling over the rocks of a mountain stream.
It is unencumbered by conditioned beliefs or emotional upheavals. It is quiet. It is deep. Yet it is dynamic and can cut with uncompromised conviction, while also is balm on the wound of limited thoughts and emotions.
It sees beyond the horizon, yet flows with what is.
© Michael Mamas. All rights reserved.
by Michael Mamas | Thursday, March 1, 2012 | Personal Growth, Spirituality |
What makes a flower beautiful? A healthy root.
What makes a person happy? A healthy essence.
Tend to the depth of your being first. Then the surface will be fed. Just as a healthy root is the source of a beautiful flower, a healthy essence is the source of a happy life.
By tending excessively to the surface of life without sufficient attention paid to the depth, life is starved of the very source of happiness.
Tend to the depth. If the soul is strong, life will prosper. It is in the depth that you find the strength, creativity, flexibility, wisdom, and intelligence to cultivate a happy life.
In this world today, the surface of life is the primary focus. That is upside down.
Spirituality is really just another word for the depth of life. It is not a philosophy or belief system. It is a state of physiology.
© Michael Mamas. All rights reserved.
by Michael Mamas | Thursday, February 23, 2012 | Personal Growth
Throughout the years I have encouraged people to work with their psychodynamic issues. Impressions (samskaras) from past experiences, when left unresolved, can disrupt your behavior throughout your life. It is important to work with that. I spent years developing the techniques of Transgradient Counseling to help you with those issues in your personal process.
Through personal process, you can heal your inner hurts, resentments, angers, and fears. When properly done, this helps to clear those impressions. That is, of course, a good thing.
It is not an uncommon error, however, to bring those attitudes into your daily interactions with people. That is not a good thing.
There is personal process, and then there is just plain bad manners. Such behavior is not acceptable.
I understand full well that the position I am in sets me up for a great deal of transference. I become the authority figure, and heaven knows how many issues people have with authority.
We are forever entering new levels and phases in the evolution of our world and our community. As per the Vedic Tradition, there is no room for acting out with bad manners as it applies to your relationship with me, or people representing me. Please afford us at least as much respect as you would a college professor, a judge in the courtroom, or a senior family member.
I do invite and encourage relaxed, warm, and friendly relationships between my students and me. However, that must not be interpreted as a right to act out. When you speak to me, as per the Vedic Tradition, do not forget with whom you are speaking.
There is one fundamental rule of thumb for your relationship with others: Just basic respect.
We live in irreverent times. But that cannot and will not spill over into what we are doing here. We’ve been forgiving with these matters in the past but that will not continue. Please reflect on these words and act accordingly.
© Michael Mamas. All rights reserved.
by Michael Mamas | Friday, February 17, 2012 | Spirituality |
The Absolute is infinite, unbounded, and eternal. Through meditation you rest into that level every day. “Coming back” into relativity can feel quite confining. In relativity there are laws of nature to respect. There are limitations, rules, and regulations. However, by going back and forth between meditation and activity, over time, unboundedness and boundedness become seamlessly integrated. Unboundedness flows through relativity.
The inclination may be to feel negative toward the world and other people. You do not want to have to ‘paint within the lines’ or conform to policies or regulations. These can be experienced as that which is in your way – imposing limitation upon your otherwise exquisite life.
If allowed to do so, relativity is avoided to the point that rarification takes over. You may feel like you are right, above all else, and nearly enlightened. But enlightenment means integration. I have seen people who have gone that route. It is not a pretty sight. They are clearly disconnected from the world and reality. Their head is in the clouds.
The more you meditate, the more you need to engage in activity to integrate it. That is why we structure activity into the ashram program. You cannot meditate your way to enlightenment. You need to integrate existence within you. I do understand that there is a common tendency to sit around and rarify between meditations. But to go that direction would be most unwise.
© Michael Mamas. All rights reserved.
