ART OF LIVING

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Comment by Tayira on October 4, 2009 at 3:56am

Places of Power
Vladimir Antonov
Ecopsychology
Significant acceleration of the meditative development of the consciousness can be achieved at special places of power.
This term was introduced by Mexican Indian Juan Matus (don Juan), whose experience was described by Carlos Castaneda. This term denotes special places whose energy characteristics substantially differ from the background level (for human beings).
Places of power can be classified into positive and negative ones, according to the effect they produce on people.
Negative places of power can induce anger, depression, terror, anxiety, sensation of strange discomfort or drunken “knock-out”, etc. Staying at these places can cause diseases, coarsening of the consciousness, and even death, especially if one makes one’s home at such a place.
I particularly remember one large place like this, located to the west of Magnitogorsk city, near the Ural mountain range. Once, I was driving across this place on a rather flat highway. Along both sides of it there were numerous tomb crosses — this is how they traditionally mark the places of automotive accidents with lethal outcomes in this area. My companions, who lived in Magnitogorsk, explained that this had always been a mystery for everyone why so many drivers and passengers died there, on a smooth section of the road, and not somewhere in the mountain area.
This place induced the state that occurs if one has drunk too much alcohol and smokes a cigarette in addition to this. Those who know how it feels can easily imagine what happens to a tired driver there, especially during the night snow or rainstorm.
There was also a village on that place of power; it looked gray and depressed, with no people or animals in sight. I detected the “epicenter” even before we approached it. It turned out to be right in the center of that village. When we drove closer to it, we saw several abandoned half-ruined houses: apparently, all the people dyed in them; nobody could live there…
Surely, I wanted to help all those poor fellows. But how could I say anything about that? Who would believe me?
Places of power are not necessarily that big. They can be as large as several kilometers, or just hundreds of meters or even one meter in diameter. Sometimes one can encounter an energy column one meter wide through all floors of a high-rise building.
Sometimes I managed to destroy small negative places of power in houses forever, sometimes not.
Locating places of power with the help of “tools” like dowsing rods or pendulums is not effective. One can determine all features of places of power — including their qualitative and quantitative characteristics — only by feeling them personally: with oneself as a consciousness. But one can learn this method only on the spiritual Path — through refinement of the consciousness and by acquiring fluidity in moving along the entire scale of coarseness-subtlety.
The above said also relates to positive places of power. And they can be so wonderful!
They can provide us with standards of subtlety or shape the consciousness in various ways, filling this shape with their energy.
They can heal various diseases by washing the bodies through with fountains of healing energy or just by infusing the excess of its healing power, adequate for a particular organ.
They also can get one into the non-I state — this state cannot be explained by words. It can only be experienced, but it is an essential experience, nonetheless…
They can help entering the highest eons, make for cognition of Atman or be favorite places of Divine Teachers for appointments with worthy disciples…
People can pass through these Holy Places without noticing them. But the ecologist of multidimensional space, who is a spiritual warrior and spiritual seeker, has to learn how to find and use them

Comment by Tayira on September 28, 2009 at 6:24am

A Call to Love
Since man has been able to question, we have asked "Why are we here?" and "What is the purpose of life anyway?" Volumes have been written on the subject, in hopes of answering what seems to be a question built into mankind, as we hunger to learn the mysteries of life, sometimes questioning the "why?" of it all.
As we move through life, our experiences begin to lay down for us some clues. Our conclusions can construct for us a frame of reference from which all life decisions are made. These conclusions become our value system, and when we live by it, we can experience a sense of peace and integrity. Over time, I have come to accept the following, and I would like to share it with you.
I have come to understand and accept that life's deepest purpose can be found in relationships. We are here to remember our divine origin, and the connections we have with each other. As we connect with each other and God, through experience and our faith, we have the opportunity to grow spiritually, and experience the gift of unconditional love.
"What a simple answer!" you might say, to a question asked by wise men of all ages. I have found that the answer may be simple, but the work involved involves a high level of commitment, and is a "call to love." Life offers us endless opportunities, through relationships, and life events, to make those connections that make life worth living.
Through the recent tragic events, I am reminded once again that our connection to each other is real and that, without question, what unites us is far greater than what divides us. This simple truth became a glaring light, transmitted from television sets across the world on September 11th, 2001.
We all felt the same thing... the shock, the denial, the anger, and the pain. Our emotions connecting us with each other as we watched with disbelief. Our illusion of safety was shattered, our freedom threatened, and our minds just could not comprehend such unspeakable violence against unsuspecting, innocent people.
Together, we watched the event endlessly, viewing the same film over and over, hoping that during one of the viewings, that the sight before us would change, and maybe what we saw happen would not be so.
As the events continued to unfold, and faces, and names, and personalities were revealed, we cried together with empathy. We listened to the mother whose son called from the plane, and we knew what she was feeling... We watched as a young women who looked for her fiancé, and listened as she spoke of her 'hopes and dreams"... and we remembered our own 'hopes and dreams", and we all understood her pain.
We called our friends, we called our family, and we prayed. It is through this universal experience that we are shown something very important about ourselves, for it is through these simple acts, that we experience the connection that unites us through love, and to each other, all over the world. All at once, we are focused on the same thing, that which is really important in our lives, and that is our relationships.
As we watch the rescue workers, and listen to the interviews, we are struck by the sheer goodness before us, as these heroic people put their own lives in jeopardy to help others. Doctors, nurses, police and firefighters come from all over to offer help. Bystanders offer comfort and love to people they thought were strangers.
I, like most, look for the message of what we can learn, as individuals and people. As I see the good we can do together, and the love we can exchange in this time of need, I realize the potential we have to change the world. This tragedy becomes a time to be our "best selves", as we answer the call to be more than we thought we could be. This love we give to each other, this kindness and empathy, can be brought into our daily lives.
Each day our work life enables us to interact, and share our "best self". Our home life allows us to give and receive love, and experience the gift of God. Our daily contact with strangers can be gratifying, if we keep sight of 'why we are here", and answer the "call to love". We can make everyday a conscious joyful connection, and through our efforts, live in a better world.
Marci (Children of the Inner Light®)

Comment by Tayira on August 31, 2009 at 7:19am

Divine Love: a Definition According to Sanatan Dharma
"God is Love," rather "Love is God."

One who can see the fine difference between these two statements is the only true Lover of God. By nature, every one is after love, but only true saints and true servants of God have really experienced the awareness of Divine Love. There are two kinds of love: spiritual and sensual. The worldly, as well as those who seek God, are all within the field of physical or sensual pleasures until they realize God.

Anytime an action or emotion partially or wholly involves anything that is in the realm of the ever changing Prakriti, such as bodies, organs, senses, pranas, the mind, intellect or ego, it is considered a physical or sensual pleasure. Such pleasures must keep changing and come to an end, which results in misery. In the devotional paths, a devotee ultimately becomes Love where duality exists no more. Radha is Krishna or Krishna is Radha, but these two identities cannot exist simultaneously. Such is the ultimate nature of Love. The aspirant who prefers to use the path of discrimination ultimately experiences self-realization where Love alone remains.

When we speak of Love, we are talking about the true ultimate Love that depends on no objects, persons, circumstances, time, place, events or reasons because all those must constantly change and come to an end. Such a finite love is no good for a person seeking Eternal Love, without which one will never find eternal peace. We, being sparks of that Love, cannot be pleased with anything less than that Supreme Love.

Love never bargains, trades or expects. Love never complains, never demands, and never hopes. Love never accepts anything less than Love, and therefore, never lowers itself to physical, mental or intellectual pleasures. Love cannot be measured, imagined, argued about or logically arrived at. Only full faith and complete surrender to the will of Love enables us to totally dissolve our ego and merge into this ocean of love.

As Brihadaranyakam Upanishad says, "Verily, it is not for the sake of the body of a wife that a wife is dear, but for the sake of the Love or Self (Atman) in her that the wife is dear." This statement also applies to husband, sons, wealth, name and fame, gods, creatures and all creation. To experience true Love is the goal of all of the Yogas presented in the Gita. A beautiful experience awaits all of us only if we will listen, practice, meditate and absolve ourselves as directed by Mother Gita.

Swami Radhanandaji

Comment by Tayira on August 10, 2009 at 3:13am

OM SAHANA VAVATU SAHANA BHUNAKTU
SAHA VIRYAM KARAVAVAHAI
TEJASVINAVADITAMAST U
MA VIDVISHAVAHAI
OM SHANTI SHANTI SHANTI OM

Comment by Tayira on August 10, 2009 at 3:10am

Comment by APPASAHEB on July 3, 2009 at 11:45am

I BELONG TO SHREE SHREE RAVISHANKARJI & YOU ALL.
JAI GURUDEO

Comment by Tayira on May 18, 2009 at 4:51am

Great idea to join this group also here!!!!!....One of the beginning of the Art of Living is the self-respect and respect for each other ... When we love and respect ourselves we can give back the same way other people!!!! Wish you all love is shining in your hearts!!!!!!!

Comment by nita on March 6, 2009 at 1:16pm

art of living is a whole combo of mind...body....spirit.
life is never the same again.
u r transformed beyond recognition n for the better.
come check it out...........u only have to gain, therez nothing to lose :D

Comment by RATHINDRA PRASAD LAHIRI on November 2, 2008 at 6:02pm

i believe all the members should be friends as " i belong to you " as taught to us during the six day Art of Living Course
secondly , all the members should fix up a particular time during the day or night and duration for joint meditation for the good of the ' self' and the 'universe'

Comment by RATHINDRA PRASAD LAHIRI on November 2, 2008 at 5:48pm

I have undergone six days' Art of Living Course
every one should attend it . all the body pains will vanish i believe