"All that we are is the result of what we have thought?
If a man speaks or acts with an evil thought, pain follows him,
as the wheel follows the foot of the ox that draws the carriage?
If a man speaks or acts with a pure thought, happiness follows
him, like a shadow that never leaves him."

--Lord Buddha, Dhammapada 1:1

*The Bardo of Waking Life* by Richard Grossinger
http://tinyurl.com/4kpket

Richard Grossinger has just published what I consider to be the best book of the year: *The Bardo of Waking
Life.* Everyone has a piece of the truth and no one has more than a piece of the truth. But Grossinger's masterwork is the biggest chunk of truth I've read in years.

Every passion, every emotion has its effect upon the mind, and every change of mind, however slight, has its effect upon man's body.:

Different conditions and the changes that take place in the world have their effect upon the mind, and the different conditions of the mind have their effect upon the body. As bodily illness makes man irritable, confused and exhausted in mind, so different conditions of the mind cause health or illness in the body. The link between the body and the mind is the breath, a link through which the influences of the body and the mind are exchanged and work upon one another.

TWO GOLDEN DAYS ~

THERE ARE TWO GOLDEN DAYS
ABOUT IT IS BEST NOT TO WORRY
YESTERDAY AND TOMORROW.
THOSE DAYS BELONG TO GOD,
THEREFORE, THAT LEAVE ME ONLY
TODAY
ANY MAN CAN FIGHT THE BATTLES
OF JUST ONE DAY. OH FRIEND,
IT IS ONLY WHEN WE ADD THE
BURDEN OF THOSE AWFUL ETERNITIES
YESTERDAY AND TOMORROW
THAT WE BREAK DOWN.
THOSE ARE GOD-S DAYS -
LEAVE THEM WITH HIM.
THEREFORE, JOURNEY JUST ONE DAY
AT A TIME AND ABIDE IN GRATITUDE.

~ anonymous

Every step in evolution makes life more valuable. The more evolved you are, the more priceless is every moment; it becomes an opportunity for you to do good to others, to serve others, to give love to others, to be gentle to others, to give your sympathy to souls who are longing and hungering for it. Life is miserable when a person is absorbed in himself; as soon as he forgets himself he is happy. The more he thinks of himself, his own affairs, work and interests, the less he knows the meaning of life.

The aim of the mystic is to keep near to the idea of unity, and to find out where we unite.

Commentary by Hazrat Inayat Khan:

When people say that they distinguish between right and wrong by their results, even then they cannot be sure if in the punishment there was not a reward, or in the reward a punishment. What does this show us? It shows us that life is a puzzle of duality. The pairs of opposites keep us in an illusion and make us think, 'This is this, and that is that'. At the same time by throwing a greater light upon things we shall find in the end that they are quite different from what we had thought.

Seeing the nature and character of life a Spiritualist says that it is not very important to distinguish between two opposites. What is most important is to recognize that One which is hiding behind it all. Naturally after realizing life the Sufi climbs the ladder which leads him to unity, to the idea of unity which comes through the synthesis of life, by seeing One in all things, in all beings!

Whatever a man desires, that desire informs us of the state of mind he is in, and those who understand the mind well, know the mind of another simply by studying the desires and tendencies of his life. Love of a rose, a lily, a jasmine, of sweet, sour, salt, or savory things, expresses the particular tendency of a person's mind, the mood he is in. Modern education omits the study of the truth which teaches us that unity comes from nature's variety, whereas the sole aim of the mystic is to keep near to the idea of unity and to find out where we unite.

There is an Arabic saying, 'If you wish to know God, you must know yourself.' How little man knows while he is in the intoxication of individualism! He thinks, 'I am a separate being; you are another; there is no connection between you and me, and we all have our own joys and free will.' Did man but know it, his life is dependent not only on the objects and things that keep the body alive, but also on the activity of a thousand minds in a day. ... Who then can say, 'I am an individual, independent and free, I can think as I wish, and I can do what I wish? ... We are connected with one another. Our lives are tied together, and there is a link in which we can see one current running through all. There are many globes and lamps, and yet one current is running through all. The mystic seeks to realize this constantly and to impress it on his mind in whatever he may see. What, for him, are the waves of the sea? Are they not the sea itself?

"What the caterpillar calls the end of the world, the master calls a butterfly."


- Chuang Tse

Our greatest enemy is ourself. All weakness, all ignorance keeps us from the truth of our being, from all the virtues hidden in us and all perfection hidden in our souls. The first self we realize is the false self. Unless the soul is born again it will not see the kingdom of heaven. The soul is born into the false self; it is blind. In the true self the soul opens its eyes. Unless the false self is fought with, the true self cannot be realized...

The soul in Sanskrit, in the terms of the Vedanta, is called Atman which means happiness or bliss itself. It is not that happiness belongs to the soul; it is that the soul itself is happiness. Today we often confuse happiness with pleasure; but pleasure is only an illusion, a shadow of happiness; and in this delusion man may pass his whole life, seeking after pleasure and never finding satisfaction. ... Do you think that if these people gained their desires they would be happy? If they possessed all, would that suffice? No, they would still find some excuse for unhappiness; all these excuses are only like covers over a man's eyes, for deep within is the yearning for the true happiness which none of these things can give. He who is really happy is happy everywhere, in a palace or in a cottage, in riches or in poverty, for he has discovered the fountain of happiness which is situated in his own heart. As long as a person has not found that fountain, nothing will give him real happiness.

The World According to Monsanto - A documentary that Americans won't ever
see.

On March 11 a new documentary was aired on French television by French
journalist and filmmaker Marie-Monique Robin, The World According to
Monsanto - A documentary that Americans won't ever see. The gigantic
biotech corporation Monsanto is threatening to destroy the agricultural
biodiversity which has served mankind for thousands of years.

[http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-842180934463681887]
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-842180934463681887

The bubbles are to be found on the surface of the sea. The depth of the sea is free from bubbles. The commotion is to be seen on the surface, the depth of the sea is still. The mind is the commotion of that something that is within us, that something which we call heart. The happiness, knowledge, pleasure and love that is stored in our innermost being is in our profound depth. Changing emotions and passions, dreams, ever-rising thoughts and imaginations, all belong to the surface, as the bubbles belong to the surface of the sea.

"Prayer is not an old woman's idle amusement. Properly understood and
applied, it is the most potent instrument of action."

- Gandhi

The great teachers of humanity become streams of love.

Forgiveness is a stream of love which washes away all impurities wherever it flows. By keeping this spring of love, which is in the heart of man, running, man is able to forgive, however great the fault of his fellow man may seem. One who cannot forgive closes his heart. The sign of spirituality is that there is nothing you cannot forgive, there is no fault you cannot forget.

It does not matter in what way a person offers his respect and his reverence to the deity he worships; it matters only how sincere he is in his offering.

AUM DUNG DURGAYE NAMAHA AUM
AUM SHRI MAHALAKSMAYE NAMAHA AUM
AUM EING HRIM SARASWATAYE NAMAHA AUM

Introduction to Jyotish
(Vedic Astrology)
with Marty Cottler, Ph.D.

April 14th - 18th, 2008
at
Sivananda Ashram Yoga Farm
14651 Ballantree Lane
Grass Valley, CA

Please contact us at:
(530) 272-9322
_yogafarm@sivananda.org_ (mailto:yogafarm@sivananda.org)

Ask us about our Yoga Teacher's Training Course!

"Why do we focus so intensely on our problems? What draws us to them?
Why are they so attractive? They have the magnet power of love:
somehow we desire our problems; we are in love with them much as we
want to get rid of them . . . Problems sustain us -- maybe that's why they
don't go away. What would a life be without them? Completely
tranquilized and loveless . . . There is a secret love hiding in each problem"


- James Hillman, *The Essential James Hillman: A Blue Fire,* edited
by Thomas Moore

As the light of the sun helps the plant to grow, so the divine Spirit helps the soul towards its perfection.

The Spirit of Guidance is a plant that grows and blossoms when it meets with response and care; and when it is watered by the rainfall of divine inspiration it blooms in the light of the divine sun. The Spirit of Guidance is the light of God, which may be likened to a lantern that the farmer carries when walking on the farm in the darkness of night. It is like a searchlight, which shows up any object upon which it is thrown; and so when the light of the Spirit of Guidance is thrown upon any aspect of life, man receives a keen insight into it. In the Spirit of Guidance one finds a living God active in the heart of every person.

Know and Feel the Love that you desire
by allowing it to Flow through you towards others.
Wanting others to love you is a futile exercise
originating from the ego.
Like the fragrance of a flower,
Love,
eternally (t)here,
awaiting surrender to Its Presence,
flows effortlessly and forever.

Kauai OverSoul*
****************
*Kauai Oversoul (The Distillation of the ancient elemental forces of the
Island, older than the Presence of humans, self-reflective and
approachable, the Angel God/Dess/ Guardian of the Island known and named by
humankind as "Kauai")

********************************

A special conference at Arsha Vidya Gurukulam and UAC in May! http://www.vedicastrology.org/events.html
British Association of Vedic Astrology's 10th International Conference, London is from 17 to 21 April 2008.
There will be a great line up of speakers with many interesting lectures and workshops. It is also an excellent opportunity to meet like minded people and renew old contacts.
Keynote Speaker, Dr KS Charak, is the author of Medical Astrology, Subtleties of Medical Astrology, Yogas and Varshaphal.
Other international speakers include Prof.Jaya Shekar, Visti Larsen, Alex Lubenskis, Andrew Foss, Komilla Sutton and Swami Sita. More at www.bava.org

The exact new moon occurs on Saturday, Apr. 5, at 10:56 PM EDT in
Toronto, and in Gujarat, India it will be on Apr. 6 at 8:26 AM, IST. The
new moon occurs in Aries in Line 5 of the I Ching hexagram "Limitation".
The image is one of dangerous pleasure and indiscriminant impulse.
The challenge in this hexagram is to remain alert and keep a vigilant
discriminating eye on ones passions. Misguided strength and pleasure
will cause harm. It becomes important to control ones temper and hold
onto inner peace. In this way false aggression can be stopped at its
root. This Aries new moon is particularly angry, aggressive and warlike.
Action will escalate rapidly. Kindness will seem far away. Chanting on
this New Moon will consecrate what actions you do take. If we chant
powerfully enough we will acknowledge God as the source of all and
the director of all our actions. Chanting here will revitalize the soul and
inspire helpful actions rather than harmful ones. Purify your intent and
align it to the greater light. This can only help.
In other Ages it takes long periods of time to find enlightenment, but only
in the Age of Kali can one find enlightenment and God by simply
chanting. Chanting creates an emotional experience of God. It revitalizes our
entire psyche and creates a positive attitude towards dealing with life's
challenges. Join us and see for yourself.
The New Moon can energize and enhance the seeds of bhakti and
bhava (divine love and devotion). It will also give the psyche a bath and
quiet the mind. Chant and love yourself. It can only improve your life and
the world.
When you are chanting God's name, God is there. The more you chant
God's name the more God is there. It's as simple as that. We will chant to
the MOTHER DIVINE and to Shri MA KALI in specific. We create sound flowers,
with petals of God's name, and offer them to God/dess.
A divine offering. A holy event.
Chanting puts a song in your heart and light in the darkness.
Come and join us. Call for details or email: info@ompalace.com

www.integrated-meds.com/

Commentary by Hazrat Inayat Khan:

The more living the heart, the more sensitive it is; but that which causes sensitiveness is the love-element in the heart, and love is God. The person whose heart is not sensitive is without feeling; his heart is not living, it is dead. In that case the divine Spirit is buried in his heart. A person who is always concerned with his own feelings is so absorbed in himself that he has no time to think of another. His whole attention is taken up with his own feelings. He pities himself, he worries about his own pain, and is never open to sympathize with others. He who takes notice of the feelings of another person with whom he comes in contact, practices the first essential moral of Spirituality.

"You can think of the groundlessness and openness of insecurity as a
chance that we're given over and over to choose a fresh alternative.
Things happen to us all the time that open up the space. This
spaciousness, this wide–open, unbiased, unprejudiced space is
inexpressible and fundamentally good and sound. It's like the sky."

- Pema Chodron, *Practicing Peace in Times of War*