on February 1st, 2011
The Sheltering Roof
One who is friendly and compassionate towards all creatures is dear to me
There was a time in the not so distant past when during the winter months the old growth forests with trees, some of whom might be a thousand years old, would form a canopy with their upper branches and greenery, protecting the forest floor from snow fall. Of course when the sun shone in the morning and definitely in the spring time the snow that had been caught by the upper boughs of the trees would melt and the forest floor would receive this moisture in a gentle way. 
Can you imagine what it must have been like for the animals then, who knew the forest as their home? For one thing, they were kept much more dry than they are today. The small animals, who do not hibernate during the winter, like bunnies, mice and squirrels, would find it not that difficult to wake in the morning and go forage for food for themselves and their families. Nowadays with deep snow it can be difficult to find enough food. More than 97% of the old growth forest in the United States has been cut down. Still more is being cut each day. Perhaps in a few years this country, once so abundant with ancient forests will have none left. Even in the tropical rainforest of Brazil with all the clear cutting and damage that is going on, the Amazon still retains 75% of its old growth forest; it is called jungle there. The United States has barely 3% left.
When we look out of our windows here in Woodstock, NY, we can see mountains. These Catskill mountains have no old . . . → Read More: Focus of the Month
on January 16th, 2011
 I am blessed to have spent some intimate time with my teachers lately both at their home in Woodstock and in New York City over the New Year festivities. How incredibly blessed we are to be living in a time when we don’t have to travel around the globe to be with masters, but they are living amongst us, in the country and in the cities. Guru, is the universal principle of enlightenment. Guru, as a person, is that being who embodies that principle. The Guru is the universal teacher – the one that reminds us continually who we really are – infinite, timeless, pure ras – or nectar. The Guru teaches asana not just as an exercise, but as a revolutionary way of living – in steadiness and joy and in a mutual beneficially way with all beings. Guru teaches the sanctity of the body and the mind, but also the need to go beyond it. Guru reminds us that we are forming the fabric of our next birth right now by our thoughts actions and desires. Ultimately, by grace of Guru we approach and eventually become firmly established in the cosmic vision – compassion, equality, boundless joy… and liberation…. for all.
Guru teaches as Jesus did, the concept of “I AM.” “Be still and know I am,” the Universal Teacher Jesus taught. “I and and my Father are one.” This is yoga – that cosmic realization of oneness – sat chit ananda – truth consciousness bliss absolute. The greats like Shri Brahmananda Sarasvati, Shri Nisargadatta Maharaj, taught the eternal truth of this So Ham identity – I AM – beyond body and mind. “We have a body and a mind, but we are not the body and . . . → Read More: Guru
on January 4th, 2011
 Three Steps
My first real spiritual teacher was an alchemist. By “real spiritual teacher” I mean that he consciously gave me teachings and practices to help me understand the spiritual principles underlying all of existence. By “alchemy” I mean the ancient practice of transforming the ordinary into the extraordinary. My teacher was a photographer by profession and his knowledge of chemistry was not only practical but metaphysical as well. I initially came to him because I wanted to know the cause of physical matter: what makes form form? Under his tutelage I studied the basic building blocks that constitute matter-the twelve cell salts. These salts, being crystalline in form, actually provide a mathematical or geometrical grid that attracts subtle vibrations and organize them into what eventually becomes manifest form. I also learned how to grow crystals in test tubes in a laboratory setting and assisted him in classical alchemical long-term projects that dealt with elemental properties of minerals, especially mercury and gold. He taught me the value of meditation and how to look deeply into ordinary things to discover essence, which included the investigation of words and their root etymological meanings. He infused our lessons with practical science, providing what he promised was an experiential connection to truth.
During this time I was also drawn to The Theosophical Library, an occult library where I spent a lot of hours reading books about yoga, saints, Eastern religions and enlightenment. Several books stand out in my memory-all biographies: The Autobiography of a Yogi, by Paramahamsa Yogananda, and two books by W. Y. Evans-Wentz, Tibet’s Great Yogi: Milarepa and Padma-Sambhava’s biography. After I read these, I professed to my teacher that above all else I wanted to become enlightened and asked . . . → Read More: Jivamukti Yoga Focus of the Month Jan. 2011
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