The Science of Life

Disease-free condition is the best source of virtue, wealth, gratification
and emancipation, while the diseases are destroyers of this (source),
welfare and life itself
Charaka Samhita 4: 15-16

Ayurveda is the traditional medical system of India with roots going back to ancient times. It is a form of naturopathy which focuses on maintaining optimal health and longevity. However it also has a curative aspect as well which relies on herbs and diet as well as behavioral and psychological interventions. It is closely allied with Yoga and is the basis of Yoga therapy. It is a holistic science which takes into account body, mind and spirit.

The term Ayurveda comes from two words: ayus, meaning life and veda, meaning science. As Swami Vibhooti Saraswati writes,

“The science of Ayurveda began thousands of years ago in the Himalayan regions. The great seers who founded it did not differentiate between our inner and outer world, seeing both as one. They treated spiritual suffering along with the body and mind. In fact, the fundamental philosophy of Ayurveda is that any kind of suffering can be termed disease ('dis-ease'), while inner contentment is equated with good health. True health, according to Ayurvedic science, means a sound body, a sound mind, sound emotions and a sound soul, which also equates with another great science -yoga. Ayurveda used plants and herbs, diet, aromatics, and even cosmetics, for restoring and maintaining mental equilibrium. Ayurveda also used the breathing and meditation techniques that form the basis of yoga, its sister science.” http://www.yogamag.net/archives/2005/lnovdec05/ayurcom.shtml

To understand Ayurveda and Yoga, for that matter, we need to appreciate their particular viewpoint and value system. Health and happiness are not seen as based on external circumstances but on inner peace, contentment and joy. It is a matter of balance within body, mind and spirit and well as within nature. Our modern society, unfortunately, is out of balance on all levels as we fall prey to diseases like cancer and depression while living in and continuing to create a toxic environment for ourselves. However, these traditional approaches can help us get back on the right track.

Ayurveda employs a number of common herbs which are often used in preparing meals as a way of promoting and maintaining health. Traditional Indian cooking is based in the principals of Ayurveda. Common condiments such as garlic, ginger, coriander, black pepper, cumin, fenugreek, cardamom, tamarind, cinnamon, turmeric, and nutmeg can be used based on knowledge of their properties. Rosemary is another common herb with wonderful properties which will be presented in a workshop at The Spiritual Treatment Center in Redlands, CA by Mina Jain and Mina Lerma on November 4, 2011 at 6:30 PM. (For more information visit: http://www.meetup.com/The-Spiritual-Treatment-Center-of-Redland/events/36989772/)

You can learn more about the relationship between Yoga and Ayurveda from this short video with Dr. David Frawley: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T0TJkqhsKLQ

Or for a more in depth presentation on Ayurveda, here is another video you can enjoy by Dr. Shudha of UCSF: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iTOJ8c__rk8

For Ayurvedic supplements for a variety of needs visit India Herbs at:
http://www.india-herbs.com/aff/Turiyaom/main

http://www.india-herbs.com/aff/Turiyaom/main_es (Español)

(These are an affiliate links so commissions on any orders will help support this blog : )

Navigating the Mind-Ocean

Just look, watch. What is your mind?
What is meant by the word mind? What exactly it consists of?
All your experiences...knowledge...past...accumulated ? that is your mind. You may have a materialist mind, you may have a spiritualist mind, it doesn´t matter a bit; mind is mind. The spiritual mind is as much mind as the materialist mind. And we have to go beyond mind.
- Osho



All our experience is conditioned by mind. Who we are, what we perceive, believe; what we take to be real is a product of mind. We live our lives submerged in an ocean of mind. The very concepts of a world “out there” and a me “in here” are mental constructs. "There is no difference,” writes Deepak Chopra, MD (stating a truth which is grounded in the ancient philosophy of Vedanta but which is also consistent with modern physics,) “between what is happening in your inner world & what is happening in your outer world. The outer world is just a reflection of your inner world. The world is a mirror of your mind & your mind is a mirror of the world. But you are neither your mind nor the world; you are the creator of both. Even that idea is only a partial truth because there are no inner & outer worlds. There is only the self-interaction of the one Being, infinite consciousness."

Why then are we so caught up in, so immersed in this reality-construct? Yoga psychology tells us that it is because we have developed these powerful patterns of mind over innumerable lifetimes. Or as Albert Einstein once remarked, “Reality is an illusion, albeit a stubborn one.” We maintain our reality as it is by constantly thinking about it. It is reinforced by the cyclic interactions of thought, feeling, action and reaction that comprise our daily lives. At night when we sleep they dissolve. In deep dreamless sleep the world ceases to exist but we never notice. As soon as we awaken the process starts up again.

We tend to think in terms of “my mind” and “your mind”, but these are just sub-programs of Mind-at-large; the great field of energy and information in which we are imbedded. You could call this the Universal Mind Matrix, the Akashic Field, or just “Mind.” In terms of Yogic cosmology it is referred to as Mahat. Out of this field intellect, or Buddhi, is generated, as well as the sensory and subconscious mind, Manas, and the individual ego identity, or Ahamkara. This is the Yogic conception of mind. The Self, Atman, is beyond the mind. It is the eternal witnessing awareness.

Yoga is a process of waking up to our true identity. The various methodologies are ways of detaching from and deconstructing our ego-trance. The roots of our false sense of self lie in the subconscious and unconscious layers of mind. Our ordinary waking consciousness is like the tip of an iceberg with 90% hidden. When we are functioning in the world we are rarely aware of what is happening below the surface. Just as we might learn to ride a bicycle as a child and do not have to remember the details as we get older, most of our habits, proclivities, sense of self and world are products of prior conditioning. We are conditioned by our parents, schools, religious institutions, cultures, as well as by the unique learning experiences we have had.

In yoga terminology this conditioning is the result of “samskaras,” latent impressions within the subconscious and unconscious mind. Samskaras often function below the level of conscious awareness but also arise as memories. All memory is an aspect of samskaras but we are not able to recall all of our samskaras – that would be overwhelming! Karma is the “outer” aspect of samskaras. Things, events, relationships, etc. come our way in life as a result of the influence of samskaras. Whether we are aware of it or not a samskara gives rise to a mind-pattern, known as vritti, which results in both an inner and outer experience.

This idea of samskaras is confirmed by recent brain research. We know that experiences create neural pathways in the brain which are then self-reinforcing. These pathways are the physical counterpart to the samskaras. They can be very powerful habits which are hard to overcome. Of course, like in bike-riding, they can also be beneficial. Positive thoughts and emotions create and maintain positive samskaras, while negative thoughts and emotions create and maintain negative samskaras. Often times we experience an inner battle between positive and negative samskaric impulses. This results in confusion, inner turmoil and distress.

Through deep meditation the Yoga practitioner can become aware of the latent impressions within. When the surface mind patterns, or vrittis become still the yogi dives deep into the unconscious layers of the mind and gain control over the deep samskaras. The fire of Samadhi burns away these impressions. The liberated soul, Jivanmukta, is one who has depleted the store of samskaras. He or she is truly free.

In order to overcome the samaskaras it is important to practice meditation regularly with an attitude of non-attachment. This means that no matter what appears in the mind, we just observe it without reaction. Eventually we learn to rest in the Self, in stillness, inner peace, bliss and love.

Meditation and the Problem of Evil

There is no such thing as moral phenomena, but only a moral interpretation of phenomena.
- Friedrich Nietzsche

We experience good and evil because we perceive a presence of duality rather than unity.
- Ernest Holmes



The concept of good and evil is ancient and mythological. We find it throughout the chronicles of wars both ancient and modern. It makes its way into our current culture through films such as Star Wars and the novels of J. R. R. Tolkien. We also find it in crime dramas and hear it played out in the complaints following romantic breakups. But really, what is good and what is evil? Ask most people about evil and they will point to the poster child of evil, Adolph Hitler to make their point. Mother Theresa, of course, exemplifies the opposite end of the spectrum. And it is a spectrum. As human beings we all fall somewhere in the middle.

In order to determine the nature of evil we must try to understand what our highest value is. The good is that which unfolds within us as our highest potential as spiritual beings. It is our Buddha nature; our capacity for joy, love, compassion, communion, wisdom and creativity. This goodness is innate within all beings as it flows from our source. We can connect with it through meditation and prayer; through art, music, dance, etc. We find it in communion with nature, intimate relationships, solitude and sacred love-making. Unfortunately there are also numerous ways through which we can disconnect. It is when we disconnect from and forget our true nature as Being-Consciousness-Bliss that we become mired in a false reality; in dualistic consciousness.

Our fragmented consciousness is based in ignorance, ego-identification, desire, hatred and fear. Once we are disconnected from our source we fall into ignorance. We identify with our limited body-mind egos and we strive to find happiness outside of ourselves by chasing after what we like and running from or attacking what we dislike. We cling to our familiar beliefs, to our ego-selves, out of fear. Imagine the young man who stabs his girlfriend to death out of jealousy. He might even say he was motivated out of “love.” In truth he is under the spell of profound ignorance, not realizing that in killing her he is murdering part of his own soul. All of us are ignorant to some degree when we assert our own needs and desires over those of others; even worse, at their expense.

We disconnect from Unity when we become attached to material things and money, mindless media-consumption, gambling, thrill-seeking, over-eating, sex, drugs and alcohol. We disconnect through our very insistence on the dichotomy of good and evil. I have often used the Irrational Beliefs Inventory developed by Albert Ellis, Ph.D. with clients and trainees in psychotherapy. One irrational belief is the idea that some people are wicked or evil and deserve punishment. It has been surprising how strongly people will defend the supposed rationality of this belief. Even fellow therapists! Our irrational hatred and fear of what we define as “evil” is an “evil” in itself.

The really hard part to come to terms with is that any time we label someone or something as evil, we are projecting an aspect of ourselves. Our world is a mirror of our shared consciousness. We hang on to this idea that “it’s not me,” but we all carry the seeds of ignorance, of “me-first,” attachment, and aversion. Think of how easy it is to get people to murder each other by defining the enemy as evil. In their haste they forget that war itself is a great, and perhaps greater, evil. The peoples and nations that we call evil consider us to be the evil ones. The reality is that we are all human beings trying to learn to live together as a global society. The deeper reality is that we are all one being.

Rising in Love

When you are in love with somebody, you say you fell in love, but you should rise in love, not fall in love. When love becomes conditional, you fall and when love becomes unconditional, you rise. Unconditional love exists between God and humanity, and therefore we are always looking up to God as a source of inspiration and strength, care and affection.

– Swami Niranjananda Saraswati

Love is something we all struggle with to some degree. As ego-centered beings we can’t seem to live with nor without it. Our popular culture is full of songs about love; losing it, longing for it, falling in and out of it. Personally, I have had times when I doubted such a thing really exists. Instead of love many times we are talking about desire, attachment, possessiveness, dependence, security, etc. These are all aspects of conditional love which is all the ego is capable of.

Last week I attended a talk by Ram Dass. He said that he loved everything, all of us and even the inanimate objects around him. He talked about someone who became perturbed with him because the love he felt for him wasn’t special. “If you love the dirty carpet as much as you love me then I don’t like your love.” The ego always wants to feel special and this is a lot of what “falling in love” is all about. “He or she makes me feel so special.” But do we feel special at the expense of someone else? Do we need to compare ourselves with someone who not so special? Do I have to compete with the dirty rug for Ram Dass’ affection?

Many of us have been wounded in childhood because we didn’t get the unconditional love that truly healthy parents give to their children. We spend our lives looking for it, trying to be deserving of it, perhaps angry and bitter that the world is such a “cold place.” Perhaps, if we are lucky, we find a guru like Ram Das did who radiates unconditional love. The problem here is that such love is absolutely impersonal. We feel completely accepted, deeply loved as we are but not so special on the ego level.

I remember staying at the ashram in India with my guru and about a thousand other people. I looked around and noticed how they were all making fools of themselves competing for his attention like little children. Then I noticed my own strategies for competing for attention and affection. My primary strategy was to act more mature and aloof while actually hoping to solicit some affirmation. One day he called me over during satsang with a special message. I was sure he was going to give some personal guidance in my meditation or something. Instead he told me to be sure that my little daughter stayed warm as the weather was becoming cooler.

The ego is always thinking in terms of “me first.” It is competitive because it is afraid and insecure. We have to earn love, demand love, fight for it. In the light of unconditional love things are completely different. All we have to do is surrender to it. We have to let go of the need to feel special over and above somebody else. There is more than enough to go around. Unconditional love comes from the Self. It is all-pervasive. Like the sun it shines on the good and wicked alike. It is compassionate and forgiving. Once you have opened to its touch you are completely changed. The ego dissolves like sugar in water.

The ego’s problem is that it wants to feel loved but doesn’t know how to feel love. On this level of consciousness we long for what we can neither give nor receive. We can’t give love because we are busy defending ourselves and our personal territory. We can’t receive because we are afraid to let down those defensive walls. I think of the typical spy movie in which the hero must distrust the person he gets closest to. Our lives become intrigues of loneliness and despair. Unfortunately the territory that we so loyally defend doesn’t really exist. Our separate ego-self is an illusion.

Spiritual practice, sadhana, is about releasing our attachment to the illusion and opening to unconditional love. It is about letting go of the “me” in “me first.” At the same time it is about recognizing that underneath the “me” is the radiant “I am.” This radiant being is within us all as the Self. When we are able to discern the underlying reality then the ego-personality becomes more like a character in a movie. It is a temporary role that we are playing. We can develop a sense of humor about the whole thing. As Krishna states in the Bhagavad Gita:

I am ever present to those who have realized
me in every creature. Seeing all life as my
manifestation, they are never separated from
me. They worship me in the hearts of all, and
all their action proceed from me. Wherever
they may live, they abide in me. (6, 30-31)


So what about personal relationships? Most of us are on the path rather than actual realized masters. During meditation practice we might experience a degree of unity, but afterwards were back in the thick of illusion. Our personal relationships can become a battle of egos rather than recognition of the One who is shining within us. Patanjali gives us some guidance in the Yoga Sutras where he says, “Cultivate feelings of friendliness towards those who are happy, compassion for those who are suffering, goodwill towards those who are virtuous and indifference towards those who are wicked or evil.” By following these guidelines we are better able to keep from getting lost in our “roles.”

Another and complimentary approach is given by the Buddhist teacher Atisha. He suggests that in between meditation sessions that we consider the illusory quality of our experiences; or, as Pema Chodron translates, “In postmeditation, be a child of illusion.” In other words, don’t buy into the drama of the personality. Remember that you and everyone else are simply playing roles in the pageant of life.

Can we do this in our intimate personal relationships? This is the trickiest part of the path. Our love for each other on this level is always conditional to some degree. Can we be in a close personal relationship and see through “me” and “you?” If we are sincere in our sadhana it can be an ongoing opportunity to recognize and correct ourselves whenever we get lost in “me first.” At the same time each of us is a unique individual expression of the One which must be respected. It is not “spiritual” to be a doormat, any more than to be an aggressive dominator. Love means finding balance, mutual appreciation for each other, acceptance of each other’s unique perspective, an ability to forgive and to empathize, and the courage to be true to oneself.

There is a paradox at work in our spiritual development. The closer we get to the Universal Self, the more of a unique individual we are. Just as each flower opens to the sunlight when it blooms, we each follow our own course of growth and development. This is a far cry from the defended faux individuality of ego, it is a direct expression of the creative energy of the soul. Rising in love means having a deep respect for each other’s unique being and path, as well as the underlying unity of our beings. Unconditional love is not demanding or possessive, it is based on inner strength and awareness. When we love in this way we recognize each other as “children of illusion” playing in the fields of the Lord.

Undoing the Knots that Bind Us

When one realizes the Self, in whom
All life is one, changeless, nameless, formless,
Then one fears no more. Until we realize
The unity of life, we live in fear.

- The Taittiriya Upanishad

Within the Vedantic tradition it is a well-known axiom that the mind is the source of bondage, and that it is also the source of liberation. As Sri Ramakrishna stated, “Bondage is of the mind; freedom too is of the mind. If you say 'I am a free soul. I am a son of God who can bind me' free you shall be.” The problem is that we have to mean it when we say it. Just repeating the words won’t do. Believe me I’ve tried.

The bondage of our minds is composed of our beliefs. What we believe to be true is what we experience as our particular reality. As a cognitive therapist I have often worked with clients to help them uncover and dismantle the irrational, limiting beliefs that cause them to suffer from depression, anxiety, poor self-esteem, etc. Could it be though that we are caught up in deeper, collective beliefs that bind us? Because these beliefs are collective they would appear as “common sense” and so slip by our attention unquestioned.

Beliefs in this sense are not just “thoughts,” but concepts about ourselves and our world to which we are deeply, and often unconsciously, emotionally attached. Even to question them can evoke deep existential anxiety. Thus someone who is deeply committed to a religious perspective becomes defensive when his beliefs are challenged, as does someone who is deeply committed to the scientific materialist view. Both are irrational in that they have strong emotional needs to maintain their view of reality. But what happens to us when events occur which call our most basic beliefs into question?

The yogic path is not about arguing the correctness of a belief system. It is not about creating or defending a religious or philosophical perspective. It is not about developing a “new paradigm.” Instead it is about quieting the mind and perceiving “what is” directly and unadulterated. It is about releasing our emotional attachments and seeing through our concepts. Ultimately it means investigating the “seer;” the source of our awareness. And the only way to do this is by being it.

Going Beyond Appearances

You are a volume in the divine book.
A mirror to the power that created the universe.
Whatever you want, ask it of yourself.
Whatever you’re looking for can only
be found inside of you.

- Rumi

Probably the most basic belief that we share is that the world as we perceive it through our senses is “the world.” This assumption is referred to as “basic ignorance,” or avidya, in both yogic and Buddhist terms. Instead we know that our sensory experience of an external world “out there” is a mixture of approximately 20% direct sensory input and 80% unconscious mental processing. As the writer Anais Nin put it, "We don't see things as they are, we see them as we are." What we perceive is actually “mind,” a construct or model of “reality.” This is not a negative or bad thing. It simply means that our experience is actually a creative, or interactive activity. The physicist John Wheeler coined the phrase “participatory universe” to describe how this seems to be happening on a quantum level.

I have had friends ask, “Does this mean there is no reality out there?” Sometimes followed by, “I believe there must be something out there.” My deep intuition is that there is a larger reality of which we are part. However, are “in here” and “out there” just categories of thought; deeply ingrained beliefs regarding the nature of reality? It’s not that “reality is all in your head,” perhaps, in fact, your “head” doesn’t exist either! Your “head” and my “head” are just the flip-side of ignorance which we generally refer to as “the ego.” You can’t have your duality and eat it too. (Whatever that might mean : )

Part of our problem is that the way we perceive the world is based in the “hard wiring” of our brains. Our brain structures have evolved from our most primitive “relatives,” and the most primitive structure is referred to as the “reptilian brain.” This part of the brain is geared towards seeing reality in terms of survival; me versus whatever, or whoever might want to devour me. The four functions of the lower brain include: feeding, fighting, fleeing and reproduction. As such it represents an inherited “belief” in our identification with the physical body. This is the most basic “knot” that we have to undo on the path of spiritual evolution. In terms of kundalini yoga it is known as the “Brahma granthi” and is understood as the primary knot by which spirit is bound to matter, i.e. bound by the belief that we are simply our physical bodies.

Meditation simply means making the mind quiet. There are a variety of methods for doing this. The point is not the method but the state of inner peace and the expanded awareness that we experience. Even when the mind is in motion we can enter into our soul’s perspective – recognize our inner witnessing awareness. When we move into this awareness we are free from anxiety, fear, anger or any form of tension. We are aware of the body, aware of the world as it appears to us, but we are not identified with it. From this perspective we can dissolve the tangled knots of past impressions, chronic stress and painful attachments.

A few months back I was at a place of extreme stress in my life. I had been out of work for several months and was running out of money. I had no where to stay and had spent the night in my car barely sleeping. I went to a local park and begin hiking to work off some of the anxiety which was threatening to overwhelm me. As I was walking I remember feeling embarrassed that people would see me and know that I was a homeless person. After a while I found a quiet spot to sit, took out my mala (rosary) and began silently repeating my mantra. As my mind settled somewhat and I was able to shift into the witnessing awareness, I was engulfed by a sense of profound peace. Suddenly I was aware of the beauty of the little park, the wind in the trees, birds singing and the gentle warmth of the sun. I felt and knew that it was all held within this awareness of which I was not a separate entity but an integral part. As I surrendered further into this state of peace a sense of joy developed within me along with a sense of both loving and being loved. My immediate problems did not disappear but they lost their power to make me desperate and anxious. I had found a deeper and larger sense of being in which they seemed almost minor.

The amazing thing is that this inner state of peace is present and available to us all the time. When we are caught up in the ongoing story of our lives though, we forget to access it. The regular practice of meditation helps us to not only access this state but begin to live in it. When we are present as witnessing awareness to any experience we open up to a field of potential beyond limiting thoughts and beliefs. When we are at peace and our ego minds are not fighting, judging or trying to hide from present experience there are many possibilities. Within the vaster state of inner peace our knots begin to dissolve because we are not busy pulling them tighter!

Awakening through the Chakras

Don’t go outside your house to see flowers.
My friend, don’t bother with that excursion.
Inside your body there are flowers.
One flower has a thousand petals.
That will do for a place to sit.
Sitting there you will have a glimpse of beauty
Inside the body and out of it,
Before gardens and after gardens.

- Kabir (Version by Robert Bly)


The chakras are centers of psychic energy within our subtle bodies. As such they are not material objects in any sense. You can’t find them by dissecting a corpse, nor can they be directly measured by any of our current scientific instruments. They can be known however through personal experience developed through the practice of inner yoga.

To better understand the chakras we must look into the yogic idea of the subtle body. From this ancient perspective each of us is composed of three concurrent bodies: the physical, or shtula sharira, the subtle, or linga sharira and the causal, or karana sharira. The yogic path of awakening and liberation is to move from an exclusive fixation with the physical dimension of our beings into awareness of the subtle dimension and from there into the even subtler dimension of the causal body. Eventually the enlightened and liberated yogi transcends all three bodies to realize his or her true being as pure consciousness, Atman.

The three bodies, or dimensions of our beings, need not be an abstract, esoteric concept. We live in and through them constantly. We experience the physical body when we are awake in the relative sense, the subtle body is experienced through dreams and the causal is experienced in deep, dreamless sleep. When we are able to develop an uninterrupted awareness through all of these states we awaken to the Self, the intrinsic awareness within and beyond the three states.

We can understand these dimensions of being in terms of modern physics and the holonomic theory of physicist David Bohm. Bohm posited the existence of an “implicate order” beneath the material universe. The world as we experience it is known as the “explicate order.” The implicate order is the subtle, hidden structure out of which the physical reality unfolds. Beyond the implicate is also a supra-implicate order which we can equate with the causal dimension of being. Bohm developed this theory to explain the apparent randomness of quantum physics.

Both Bohm’s and Yogic theory agree that the physical form is based in a more subtle dimension or being. It is the expression of deeper unconscious patterns of energy. As we develop awareness of this hidden dimension through chakra awareness we can bring about psychosomatic transformation, healing and begin to transcend the physical dimension to realize ourselves as eternal, blissful spiritual beings.

Symbols of the Chakras

There are many different interpretations of the science of the chakras. Of course, the differences are not that great, but they are there. The thinkers of the Theosophical movements and their predecessors have their own interpretations of the chakras, their location points, their colours and so on. The Rosicrucians and others may say something completely different and the tantric texts may also present entirely different concepts.

- Swami Satyananda Saraswati



Within the tradition of Tantra Yoga the chakras are often described as lotus flowers with varying numbers of petals and colors. The petals are inscribed with the letters of the Sanskrit alphabet. Within the lotuses are various symbols as well, of the elements (earth, water, fire, air and ether,) representative animals, presiding deities, etc. These symbols comprise a language for talking about energetic structures which are not directly observable or measureable, i.e. “subtle.” The symbols are valuable but it is important not to become too attached to them. We do not want to intellectualize the whole system to the exclusion of the direct inner experience of the chakras.

The term “chakra” means “wheel.” The chakras are described most basically as rotating and vibratory vortices of psychic energy. The concept of chakras has become quite popular these days and it is not uncommon for people to talk about their chakras. From the Yogic perspective this is a little suspect. It actually takes some time and consistent yoga practice to activate the chakras. Generally they are quite dormant and buried within the deep levels of the unconscious mind. “In ordinary persons,” writes Lillian Silburn, “these wheels neither revolve nor vibrate, they form inextricable tangles of coils, called accordingly “knots” (granthi), because they “knot” spirit and matter, thus strengthening the sense of ego. . . . Together they constitute the unconscious complexes (samskara) woven by illusion, and the weight and rigidity of the past offers a strong opposition to the passage of the spiritual force.”

The chakras can be experienced in different ways. Within the physical body they are associated with the various plexuses along the spinal column as well as the endocrine glands in those general areas of the body. The figure below gives an indication of the physical “location” of the chakras.

The chakras are also associated with different parts of the brain. Swami Satyananda stated that the physical chakra locations are actually “switches” for circuits within the brain. As we awaken the spiritual energy of the chakras, the kundalini, we supply power to dormant brain circuits enabling us to awaken higher psychic and spiritual capacities.

The chakras can also be experienced within the psychic dimension as symbols in dreams or meditation, intuitive or psychic experiences or unusual sensations such as heat or tingling within the body. They are also experienced as situations, relationships and events in daily life.

The Chakras and the Evolution of Consciousness

The chakras can also be understood as stages on a developmental or evolutionary path. They represent the stages of development that we have passed through and higher states and stages which are potential within us. As Swami Satyananda wrote,

All life is evolving and man is no exception. Human evolution, the evolution which we are undergoing relentlessly, both as individuals and as a race, is a journey through the different chakras. Mooladhara is the most basic, fundamental chakra from where we commence our evolution, and sahasrara is where our evolution is completed. As we evolve towards sahasrara, outer experiences come our way in life, and inner experiences come to us in meditation, as different capacities and centers awaken progressively within the nervous system. This occurs as energy flows at higher voltages and rates of vibration through the different nadis in the psychic body. (Kundalini Tantra)

The Yogic view corresponds to the scientific view of the universe as going through an evolutionary process. The Yogic view however sees this as primarily an evolution of consciousness. Material evolution is simply the most basic and apparent aspect. Consciousness evolves in and through material forms until it is released back into its true nature as timeless, formless essence. As human beings we have divine potential within us as well as the potential for destruction. Yoga offers us a means to overcome our lower and to awaken our higher nature. This has been corroborated by studies which show that meditation can enhance ego-development in adults. The Yoga tradition tells us though that we can develop beyond the ordinary levels of ego-development.

Human beings have evolved to a level of consciousness wherein we can either engage in our spiritual evolution or stagnate in a quagmire of self-indulgence, addiction, neurosis, aggression and self-destruction. The spiritual path necessitates overcoming our instinctual, unconscious natures. It requires transcendence of our narrow self-centered egos. Engaging in consciousness evolution essentially means doing inner work: self-observation, meditation and spiritual devotion. It also means behaving ethically in the world, developing a healthy lifestyle and disconnecting to some extent from the ubiquitous digital electronic world that tends to absorb our attention.

Chakra awareness requires a meditative attitude – the ability to become quiet and open to inner experience. As you meditate on the chakras you may come up with your own symbols. You will discover your inner power, creativity, intent, love, wisdom, psychic and spiritual connections. You will begin to untie the knots, the limiting beliefs and conflicted emotions which bind you and realize your potential as a spiritual being who is having a temporary human experience.

UPCOMING EVENT:
 
Experiencing the Chakras:
A Meditation Workshop with Michael Garrity (Swami Turiyananda)

Saturday, Sept. 10, 2011 9:00 am to 12:00 pm

The Spiritual Treatment Center
602 Church Street, Redlands, CA

The cost for this workshop is $20.00 but no one is excluded due to lack of funds. Please RSVP by Thurs. Sept. 8, 2011 by calling (909) 793-4003.

(Vegetarian lunch will be provided following the workshop.)

Finding Yourself in the Supermarket of Life

Inner happiness is not determined by material circumstances or sensual gratification. It depends on our mind.


- The Dalai Lama



In the early 1980s I was studying yoga with Swami Niranjan in San Jose, CA. He introduced me to not only the physical practices of yoga, the asanas and pranayamas, but also to meditation practices, chanting, karma yoga and self-inquiry. Each was a piece of the larger puzzle called yoga, or “union.” Yoga is not so much a particular practice as it is an overall orientation towards life. For most of us it is a major reorientation – of values, world-view and self-understanding. To truly enter the path of yoga you have to turn your world upside down. This is why Swamiji would often say, with a mischievous grin, that the “headstand” was his favorite asana.

During that time another acharya, or accomplished teacher, Swami Amritananda made a visit to the US and to our tiny yoga center in an apartment on Third Street. She presented a series of meditation workshops and satsangs where she would she would talk about all aspects of yoga. Swami Niranjan warned me that Amritananda was quite severe. She didn’t engage in casual silliness, discouraged idle conversation and embodied tapas, or “austerity.” She was a very beautiful woman but left no room for any kind of sexual overture – not that I had that intention.

Both Swamis exemplified the non-attachment, vairagya, which is a hallmark of the yogic life. They owned minimal possessions and lived in extremely simple circumstances. They didn’t crave entertainment or distraction but were content in the moment. They both evidenced a single-pointed focus on the goal of living, exemplifying and imparting the essence of yoga to all who were open to receive it. For me they represented the antithesis of the shallow, materialistic life of the West and a possible clue to the emptiness that I felt within myself.

At one satsang, Swami Amritananda explained that we should look at the world as a vast supermarket, full of products that seem appealing on the surface but which are ultimately worthless at best. The audience was comprised mostly of Californian hippies into natural foods and such. In general they seemed to think that they were already pretty hip to Swamiji’s message. One young woman joined in, “Yeah, instead of going shopping we should go somewhere natural like the beach.” Amritananda’s reply stopped everyone in their tracks. “The beach,” she said, “is another item in the supermarket.”

True spiritual teachers are often not popular. They don’t give the polite answers that we would like to hear. Buddha for example made a point of teaching that all experiences in life are tainted with suffering. The supermarket of life is filled with these potential experiences. We keep hoping however that we will find that perfect product which will never let us down. We buy lots of insurance to back it up. The truth is that everything in life will fail at some point. Nothing is permanent, and nothing can satisfy the innate longing within us to find and return to our source. The problem is that what we are truly seeking cannot be found anywhere outside of ourselves.

How does one seek inside though? At the time it seemed that the self I knew was hardly worth looking into. It was full of guilt, shame, rage, anxiety and depression. I was busy trying to cover this all up and act “spiritual,” in hopes really of fooling myself as well as anyone else. I didn’t so much want to go inside myself as become somebody else. The problem with spiritual teachers is that they tend to see right through our masquerades. I too was a California hippie. I had spent the last few years rebelling against the “plastic” world around me. I had tried sex, drugs and rock ‘n’ roll. Now we were more into natural foods, being mellow and trying to make the best of the poverty that comes with disengaging from the “system.”

Now Amritananda’s words pierced the bubble of my tentative illusions. It was all a ruse, a way of dodging, not just the “reality” that my dear father was constantly exhorting me to face, but the reality inside. We tend to spend our time and energy seeking to rearrange the world outside of ourselves thinking that somehow we will get it right and find lasting happiness. True happiness, however, is not contingent on anything outside of ourselves. This includes our thoughts, beliefs, ideologies, philosophies, fantasies, etc. The Self is the awareness which underlies all the experiences of the mind and the senses. Attachment means clinging to these as a way of establishing an identity-in-the-world, i.e. “ego.” Non-attachment doesn’t so much mean eschewing material possessions as releasing our elaborately constructed and highly defended ego-identities. "The self,” writes Deepak Chopra, “is the isolated ego clinging to its small reality and the Self is the unbounded spirit that can afford to not cling at all."

A healthy, “natural” lifestyle is part of the yogic path. However adopted a healthy lifestyle is just a supportive measure. It can also become just another set of products for the ego to consume. So can nonviolent politics, environmentalism, etc. Yoga “apparel,” props, mats, etc. support yoga practice but also can be used to support a “yoga ego.” The ego can use anything to maintain itself, and in so doing undermine any real potential for change. As a vegetarian I have spent time with fellow converts talking about how disgusting other people who eat meat are. In terms of our consciousness we might have just as well been devouring bloody flesh. Even the idea that “we are all one” can get in the way of realizing our essential being. Consumer beware!

The world of the mind and senses is the world of appearances. In Vedantic terms it is referred to as maya, or illusion. The Self is the awareness which underlies all appearances. It is pure consciousness, pure subject. It can never be found as an object of the senses or of thought. Words can refer to it but they cannot capture it. It is revealed in silence only to have been here all along. All of the practices of yoga, all spiritual sadhanas, are aimed at helping us to let go of the unreal to rest in the reality of being. In Buddhist terms this is referred to as emptiness. It is empty because when you look for it you can’t find anything. Even space is not as empty. On the other hand, it is not “nothing.” It is the source and substance of everything.

The Self, emptiness, consciousness, God, or whatever word we choose to call it, is not another product in the supermarket of life. If you take it home, unwrap it and find out that it is than you have fallen for another counterfeit. It is the divinity within you. It is the “I” behind the ego. You are “It.”

Because our minds are conditioned by karma, by culture, by the media, education and what not to look outside of ourselves, it is very difficult at first to remain established in the realization of the Self, at least for many of us. I received “darshan” of Swami Amritananda on a couple of occasions. The objective world dissolved into light in which there was no separate “me.” I could only stand it for a second before going into weird spasms of ecstasy. On one occasion I ran out into the street into fresh hot asphalt that burnt itself into my bare feet, but I was oblivious. Love is like that. We run away from what is real because it threatens everything that we think we are. Surrender seems so hard but it brings freedom. Once we are free we can stroll through the supermarket with a smile. When the clerk asks, “Can I help you?” Just say, “No thanks. I’m just looking.”

The source of consciousness cannot be an object in consciousness. To know the source is to be the source. When you realize that you are not the person, but the pure and calm witness, and that fearless awareness is your very being, you are the being. It is the source, the Inexhaustible Possibility.

- Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj