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Alba Ga Brath!

18/9/2014

Today is the day that Scotland
votes to determine it's future - Independence, or continuance under the Crown of the United Kingdom...

Way back in 1320, the Declaration of Arbroath was the first Independence for Scotland... it's historic, heroic, and heraldic... and, parts and pieces are still invoked today; in pubs, at soccer pitches and in the quest for self-determination.

Here's the salient line, almost 700 years later....

"...for, as long as but a hundred of us remain alive, never will we on any conditions be brought under English rule.

It is in truth not for glory, nor riches, nor honours that we are fighting, but for freedom – for that alone, which no honest man gives up but with life itself."

Today, once again, the Scots vote for their own self-determination... I have no idea what the outcome will be, I have no real stake in the game. I do have a deep and abiding and endemic love for Alba, and the land as I experienced it. Yes, it's of my line, I am of Clan, and as a MacRae, I have fealty to the land.

let's see what they choose, and I will simply offer these glimpses into the land of my kin, and the way I saw and shared it...

give thanks and praise - agus is cóir sin! offered for your enjoyment, some snapshots of Hebrides.

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"These Are Not the 'Droids You're Looking For... or, was Obi Wan High?

9/9/2014

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Here are some thoughts on Yoga Sutra 4.1 - the majority of them are collected and transmitted wisdom, and then I humbly offer a perspective from that information.

The question is what of these powers, or 'siddhis' that are spoken of? Are they legit, and how are they gained? And, do we aim to gain for the purpose of acquisition, or the the purpose of transcendence and relinquishment?

Here is the fruit, here is the tree of that knowledge...
PYS 4.1
“JANMAUSHADHI MANTRA TAPAH SAMAADHI JAAH SIDDHAYAH”

Janma = birth

aushadhi = herb, elixir, medicinal plant, drug, incense

mantra = incantation, charm, spell

tapah = zeal, shining, brilliance, heat, consumption, an ascetic devotional practice, burning desire to reach perfection, that which burns all impurities

samadhi = profound meditation, total absorption

jah = born

siddhayah = perfections, accomplishments, fulfillments, attainments, psychic powers.

"Siddhis are born of practices performed in previous incarnations, by elixirs, through mantra repetition, asceticism, or by samadhi."

This Sutra states that yogic powers – “siddhis” – can be attained via "aushadha,” – elixirs/herbs/drugs/plants.

Some initial and essential queries on 4.1:

what does 'aushadhi' refer exactly – can we accept or preclude any of those translations?
What is the evidence for 'plant-based elixirs' contemporaneously? Since ganga and bhang are both figured so deeply in the traditions, are we to understand that cannabis is a doorway to powers and enlightenment?
to which of the yogic powers, siddhis, do these herbs, aushadha, give birth?
how, exactly, do aushadha give rise to siddhis? Via what processes - alchemical, mystical, practical - are we to attain siddhis?
are all methods of attaining siddhis - past lives, elixirs and herbs, mantra, tapas, and samadhi - to be considered equally virtuous or noble? If not, why?
what is the evidence that any of the methods or vehicles would be considered more or less refined or desirable?

these are fascinating, captivating questions, and worthy of query, examination and experimentation; and, not out of the course of the Vedas, for it is always bhang that Shakti is serving Shiva as her love offering.

Dr. David Frawley put it this way:

"Tantra is divided into the right handed and left handed Tantras. The right-handed or Dakshinachara adheres to the Yamas and Niyamas of the Yoga system, including following a vegetarian diet. The left handed or Vamachara system includes the use of intoxicants - alcohol and psychedelic or mind-altering drugs - and the eating of meat, when sanctified in a ritualistic context to make them spiritually beneficial. The Vamachara system uses the more overt sexual Yogas, though the Dakshinachara tradition is not opposed to sex in a sanctified relationship.

"Generally speaking, the right-handed Tantra is more for those in whom sattva guna predominates. The left-handed Tantra is for those in whom rajas and tamas predominate.

"There are some Tantric teachers today who do claim that a meat diet and other Vamachara practices are a better and quicker way to reach Self-realization. They may claim that the Dakshinachara or sattvic approaches are not possible for people to really do today and only result in repression. This tradition does exist for those who want to follow it. Yet while the Vamachara done sincerely can be a valid path, particularly in the modern cultural context, it is a stepping stone to Dakshinachara, not a substitute for it."

Dr. Robert Svoboda's teacher, Swami Vimalananda, likewise suggests that the goal of Vamachara Tantra is Sattva. In a section on the subject of intoxicants and the "Left Hand Path," Swami Vimalananda says:

"This is the true test of an Aghori: From full-blown tamas he must graduate to pure sattva, love for all."

In the book on the Yoga Sutras entitled Yoga, Power, and Spirit: Patanjali the Shaman, Alberto Villodo, Ph.D. maintains that according to Patanjali:

"the siddhis are essential to achieving samadhi, which is the true power … to deny them [the siddhis] is to deny your ultimate freedom. You can only step beyond these powers once you've acquired them. Renouncing them beforehand, as many practitioners of yoga do, mimics yet forestalls the true liberation… In addition, renouncing the siddhis, as some yoga teachers today advocate, keeps you powerless, and perpetuates your suffering as a victim."

This is a point well-taken, considering that the Yoga Sutras and other texts do describe a number of these siddhis, ranging from clairvoyance, knowledge of past and future events (including one's past lives), the power to make oneself minute or even invisible, superhuman strength, conquest of hunger and thirst, control through voice, and influence on time, space, water or fire, among others. Again, these all are said to be the result from the practice of 'Samyama.' But what of siddhis that arise through other means, such as use of aushadha — are they comparable?

This is a question deeply rooted in the Mystic tradition; not to be parsed and analyzed, but rather to be explored and experienced... I know that there are times I've felt coursed-through by siddhis for Akash - time and space - and also of the Vak - voice, command through direct words - especially in the yoga setting.

This is fertile ground to reap from, as the days grow shorter and the harvest quickens... Dive deep, feel what you feel more with less thought, and give thanks and praise!!

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God, Gods, Goddesses - The Sounds of Rolling Thunder.

4/9/2014

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It's auspicious that as I sit down to write this that the sky is cracking open,
the sharp taste of the ozone and then the roll of the thunder.

We'll take any rain we can get here - it's been too dry, too long. I know folks who are really doing the rain dances, so thanks and praise.

Why auspicious? Well, it is Thor's-day - and the Thunder is speaking, as I sit here to offer a perspective on Deities and Theism...

As I've been teaching in new venues and places and getting to meet new folks, and as I've been expanding on my perspectives on sensuality and intimacy, I realize I've been using that 'God' term, a lot... I usually am more reserved and conservative about the use of 'God' as an indicator of the Divine, in fact, i usually just use the term 'the Divine' since I find it more open to interpretation, and less full of triggers.

Full disclosure: I was born and raised in the Catholic church, where I stayed until I was confirmed - being smart enough to know that meant I was an 'adult' in the church, I also was able to argue that I was able to make my own decision, e.g., I quit going to church.

I loved the pomp and the circumstance, the hymns, the Latin, the Incense, all of the rites and mysteries. Honestly, the stories really bothered me - not inspiring as offered. I left that church having a pretty clear idea there was something, but that this wasn't my path of worship.

And, hey, I love science. And I love ritual, myth, mystery and magic. I'm a confusing one - kinda like the Walt Whitman quote: "Do I contradict myself? Very well, then I contradict myself, I am large, I contain multitudes."

Anyway, in the midst of it all, I'd have to describe myself primarily as an atheist... I simply don't believe in the concept of a personifiable god. I can see the wisdom in myths and in gods and goddesses, even in the tales of Gods and God. But, I simply can't believe that there is a Ganesh, or a Loki, or a Zeus, the same way I've not been convinced of the 'god' I was given.

I do believe. I believe there is more. I believe there are subtle, seemingly eternal energies at play... I believe in the cosmos as a model for life, as the progenitor of life and as life's fullest expression. Even the Sikhs get a little closer to this view point - to wit:

"Guru Nanak Dev states that the understanding of God is beyond human beings, but at the same time not wholly unknowable. God is omnipresent (sarav viāpak) in all creation and visible everywhere to the spiritually awakened.

Nanak stressed that God must be seen from "the inward eye", or the "heart", of a human being: devotees must meditate (via bhakti) and do simran (remembering) to progress towards enlightenment. Guru Nanak emphasized the revelation through meditation, as its rigorous application permits the existence of communication between God and human beings."

And, then there's the Trinity - not the one you might be used to, but rather, the Hindu Triune... it didn't catch on as well as the Christian Trinity, since it doesn't espouse a direct monotheism. Rather, its exactly how I like to relate to myth and religion - as metaphor, as story telling, so that we can each relate to greater forces and powers in our lives. It's a rather elegant way to instruct and prepare, as long as we don't buy all the dogma and start 'casting off our left sandals...'

Here, for your pleasure, and to my clarity, is how I reconcile the use of the shorthand term 'god' for the Divine...

The Hindu Trinity is composed of the following gods, Brahma the Creator, Vishnu the Maintainer or Preserver and Shiva the Destroyer or Transformer. Together, they represent the energies and entirety of the universe and all of creation. Here's a little more insight into each of them, and their roles.

Brahma: The Creator – Godhead, Source of All, Creative Power… the essence of Brahm is ‘to expand’, so from Brahma comes all generation, germination and growth. It is Brahm who allows a Genesis to arise from swirling Chaos.

Vishnu: The Maintainer – The One Who Enters Everywhere… the essence of Vishnu is organization, ‘dancing Creation into existence,’ so from Vishnu comes all order, obligation and optimization. It is the Maintainer who allows an Order to arise from raw Genesis.

Shiva: The Destroyer – The Auspicious One… the essence of Shiva is destruction, he is specifically cast as the Destroyer who transforms creation’ and his transformation is dissipate, dissolve, and ultimately allow everything that has lived to die. It is the Transformer who allows Chaos to follow from created Order.

Brahma, Vishnu, Shiva
Generative, Organizational, Destructive
G.O.D.

I offer this simple, yet elegant shorthand, so that we might all meet at Source and find the refreshment, rather than worry about how we express our connection. I find these forces in every action, in every reaction, in all of the cosmos and creations. I find them to be full of awe, and wonder, and the subtlest yet most magnificent power. I find this worthy of worship. I find this venerable, and consecrated.

Offered as a perspective, given with thanks and praise.

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The Divine as the Beloved, or Making Love to the World.

1/9/2014

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I spent the weekend in Floyd, Virginia, at the Floyd Yoga Jam - what a great time. Way out in rural Virginia, on a beautiful farm with lovely meadows, a flowing stream, and thousands of great folks!

I was there to teach a Chakra Meditation class and a fun and rocking Flow class, and they were both really well received. I'm pretty comfortable in each of those areas, and I've been on this kick recently to examine those levels of comfort. Actually, to even get into finding ways to move with intention into the discomfort - that's where the good stuff happens.

I feel like I'm ready to be uncomfortable and gain some new perspectives, maybe reach some new potential, or even loose a little more of some of that baggage we can all drag. So, for each of the two classes, I reached a little deeper, and rather than simply going to the place of comfort, I added in some new perspective, incorporated some feelings and some strong intentional energetics, and moved both of these classes into a more ecstatic and devotional state. Towards a state of intentional and purposeful sensuality and intimacy - a Bhakti bhava.

I'd love to rap on and on about Bhakti and the Bhavas here (and I will, soon), but suffice it to say, rather than simple 'devotion', we're looking for expressions of devotion that encompass being in relationship. There are many levels of Bhakti that are relational, the one I'm focusing on is the classic Radha and Krishna expression.

For months now within me, there's been an upwelling of this energetic. I've been consumed with thinking about the both most mundane and the most ethereal levels of sensuality - to live fully with our senses engaged - and intimacy - to be 'not afraid', to be vulnerable - and how each of those are incredible expressions of love.

The more sensually and intimately I can see, hear, feel, taste and experience the simple and mundane moments as, the more easily I can begin to manifest the sacred in every instance, action, deed, being and thing. As someone asked me this weekend, "where isn't god?".

This has been in my consciousness for a while, I've been seeking a discernment, and a level of understanding, so I can be intentional, and not 'sensational'; and so that I can inspire a transformation or conversation, rather than being a trigger. It's a very interesting space, and I think I'm just uncomfortable enough now to be thoughtful about it. I hope and will endeavor.

It's just this easy - I want to see the Divine as the Beloved, and I want to be in a Love with the Divine. I know what love, being in love and being a lover are, so I can find this joy and this space with the entirety of creation, and perhaps in doing so, taste a little of the Rasa and be stained by the Grace.

Radha and Krishna

"The transcendental goddess Srimati Radharani is the direct counterpart of Lord Sri Krishna. She is the central figure for all the goddesses of fortune. She possesses all attractiveness to attract the all-attractive Personality of Godhead. She is the primeval internal potency of the Lord."

Brihad-gautamiya-tantra

"Among all persons, it is Sri Radha in whose company Lord Madhava is especially glorious, as She is especially glorious in His."

Rig-parisishta

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Alba Ga Brath!

"These Are Not the 'Droids You're Looking For... or, was Obi Wan High?

God, Gods, Goddesses - The Sounds of Rolling Thunder.

The Divine as the Beloved, or Making Love to the World.

Chrispy - Bhagat Singh

Connect with me:
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RockStarYoga
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Email:
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Alba Ga Brath!

"These Are Not the 'Droids You're Looking For... or, was Obi Wan High?

God, Gods, Goddesses - The Sounds of Rolling Thunder.

The Divine as the Beloved, or Making Love to the World.

Chrispy - Bhagat Singh

Connect with me:Facebook: chrispy bhagat singh Facebook:RockStarYogaFacebook:RaSaYana YouTube:chrispy bhagat singhInstagram:petrastellaTwitter: petrastellaEmail: rockstar@rockstaryoga.us

Archives

Categories

Connect with me:
Facebook:
chrispy bhagat singh
Facebook:
RockStarYoga
Facebook:
RaSaYana
YouTube:
chrispy bhagat singh
Instagram:
petrastella
Twitter:
petrastella
Email:
rockstar@rockstaryoga.us