In the sky of your mind you are the sun.

[yogibear]

Hi brushjw,

Nice quote. Thanks. Here is another good one along the same lines.

From the book Raja Yoga by Yesudian and Haich:

"Here lies the great error of the human race. The I, the SELF has no desire. Desires are always natural forces active in our physical being, and persons with a low degree of consciousness identify themselves wlith these natural forces. In this way we create various unreal selves, and through constantly gratifying our physical desires as a matter of habit we build up these unreal selves until they gain such power over us that we are no longer able to distinguish between the self-created false appearance and our own true divine being, our real and immortal SELF.

The sum total of these false selves makes up our person--our personality. We can observe these false selves arise and are constantly changing. One disappears and in its place we find another. Today we are fascinated by something and tomorrow our enthusiasm will have vanished. The weather may be different, or the electric tension in the air is changed--and we just cannot imagine how, only the day before, we could have wanted something that has no appeal for us at all today. Our today's ego cannot even understand our ego of yesterday, let alone our ego of past years. Under the influence of momentary impressions, new personalities are constantly being born within us. But down in the innermost depths of our being there dwells the eternal immutable SELF, and those of us who hold fast to it are not deceived by these changing appearances."

From the book, Self Inquiry by Yogani:

"Once we have cultivated the witness in this
manner, we have also developed the key ability
necessary for self-inquiry, which is being able to allow
thoughts and perceptions to pass by in favor of stillness.
We don’t have to cling to them anymore, or the
associated inner dramas we have created in the past, for
we have found our sense of self, our home, in
something more pleasing, more lasting, and more
present. Pure consciousness – our own Self."

[emc]

Yogibear, I can't help getting a feeling you're on a mission to copy the whole book of Yogani here! It's fine to quote, but... I would find it even more interesting to read about your own thoughts about what is quoted! What does that mean to YOU in your life? If I wanted to read what Yogani writes I already have the book, sort of... and this is a discussion forum... Just a thought that bubbles up everytime I open this topic.

[yogibear]

Hi emc,

 

quote:emc wrote:

Yogibear, I can't help getting a feeling you're on a mission to copy the whole book of Yogani here!  It's fine to quote, but... I would find it even more interesting to read about your own thoughts about what is quoted! What does that mean to YOU in your life? If I wanted to read what Yogani writes I already have the book, sort of... and this is a discussion forum... Just a thought that bubbles up everytime I open this topic.

OK, thanks for your feed back.

I skimmed thru and saw that I quoted the Self Inquiry book in 3 posts on the first page, 4 posts on the second and 8x on the third. I guess it got a way from me on the third page. I will have to pace myself.

Well, thanks for being interested in what it means to me. In general, it means alot. This is evident just by the fact that I like to write some of the quotes in my posts. I think I have spoken a lot about myself in this thread already and that info also explains my interest in this book especially.

I like the book especially because it recognizes the graduated evolution of desire and one's sense of self (to me, this is hugely important) and lays it out there in a very understandable way. I like the book because it has tied a lot of loose ends together in my mind.  

It has confirmed some things that I had figured out by myself. It has helped me to understand some things that I have been trying to figure out on my own for a long time and now they are clear to me. It has filled in some blank spaces with necessary info. And it has left me with some things that I have to ponder because I don't understand them yet very well both intellectually and thru direct experience.

Like the last little part about samyama. I may know it already in some small degree on both levels but I have a long way to go. Other parts I understand quite well. Some of it I don't understand yet because I have to translate it into terms I already know.

By that I mean sometimes I read something and it immediately makes me think of the same concept written with a different flavor by a different author. When I read it one way from one author, it illuminates something I have read previously by another author and I understand it in a new way. And vice versa.

That happened with brushjw very recently, with 3 quotes from Yogani, Buddha and Yesudian and Haich all saying essentially the same thing.

I think that is fascinating. I like to share that.

I note there are different threads of a similar nature with poetry or quotes as the major component of the thread. So I think I am in keeping with the spirit of the group. And I have quoted other authors as well as Yogani. And you can see that I have had several conversations with different group members, that were interesting, at least to me. Having one right now.

I basically put out whatever is interesting to me on a particular day and anybody is welcome to respond to it in whatever way they like, all the way from not even looking at the thread to taking the time to share their thoughts, whatever they may be.

Best, yb.

[emc]

Oh, thanks a lot for your clarification of what you're doing, Yogibear! I guess I just didn't understand what you were doing. It was so much *notchinotch* between the lines so I lost track of your aim and direction.

I'll keep following the topic!

[yogibear]

Hi emc,

Glad it makes more sense now.

Best, yb.



"Cast off every desire and what remains of yourself is God."

Meister Eckhart, the great German mystic of the Middle Ages.

[VIL]

Any advice about the jnana dispassion stage from yogani's book, (if he doesn't mind), or any other information appreciated.  I guess that's what I'm going through now and thought that I had already done this before and don't understand it really.  Maybe have to go through it a number of times or something? I don't know:



VIL

[emc]

Who is asking, VIL? Who is the only one that is able to be confused and can't understand?

[VIL]

quote:emc: Who is asking, VIL?  Who is the only one that is able to be confused and can't understand?

I'm drawing a blank:



VIL

[yogani]

Hi VIL:

The next stage after dispassion is outpouring divine love and unfolding unity. This is about going out and being active in the world. Then we find the rise of passionate dispassion.

The guru is in you.

[VIL]

Thanks yogani:



VIL

[Nancy]

Hello Everybody
I would like to share a story I was heard from one of my theological spiritual retreat programs.

There was this huge magnificent strong sturdy wave that had come in from the ocean, the wave formation had slowly broken apart, some water from the wave had fallen off in deeper parts of the ocean, some near the middle of the ocean, and some water endured the ride of the wave to the end, where it then completely broke and all remaining water from the wave settled upon the front part of the ocean shore. The part where you or I would be able to walk in, splash around, take the water and help us build sand castles and such.

One day a little water ripple from that wave said to another ripple, "WOW, did you hear there about the magnificent Wave? - It is so strong powerful, sturdy, & peaceful."
The little ripple replied:
"Oh my, it sounds like the the greatest way to live! I must go and find this wave and experience all it has to offer."
The little ripple went and rolled off ito this great big world to find the wave. Out in the world, the little ripple is overwhelmed, pushed, pulled, feeling so small. This little ripple begins to question if it will ever find or be worthy of finding this magnificent wave. The ripple doesnt understand why it feels like it must come to know the wave,k so the ripple perserveres, goes on many journeys here and there and asks - is this the wave?, are you the wave? -the ripple keeps searching for this wave. Then one day she is being carried away, not knowing who or what is carrying her, in fear of her life, she finds herself falling into this huge body of water, sad, feeling alone, lost & confused.
The ripple decides to stop searching for this wave. The energy and effort has just exhausted this ripple, and the ripple had just come to terms that it will have to learn to be content with what it currently is and find happiness within. The ripple adapted to really just being a ripple and was happy and content from within.
Then one day the little ripple is being pulled and drawn by a huge force, other little ripples are among this one, they are all squeezed together so tightly, more and more ripples join them, together all the little ripples are becoming so large. This little ripple hears other ripples screaming and feels their fear. The little ripple isnt fearful, and has a sense of belonging feeling. The ripple looks above & outside the formation this fore has had all of them together form, and exclaims ....I AM THE WAVE...
I HAVE ALWAYS BEEN THE WAVE... I HAVE ALWAYS BEEN MAGNIFICIENT - STRONG - STURDY - POWERFUL & PEACEFUL.
I AM THE WAVE - I HAVE FOUND MYSELF!