The THIS, THAT, WHY and HOW of Confusion
Echoes from the Guru. Kriya wisdom as remembered by a devotee sitting at the feet of a master
You are that!
Yes, YOU….and me, and every other son of a gun that pushes and continues to push our buttons.
So says the master, and so says many other wise souls who have trod the path for eons and eons. Beacons of light and inspiration, for all soul searchers with a mind to develop enlightenment via Self-Awareness. This is the doctrine of Kriya Yoga as outlined by Patanjali in his Yoga Sutras.
Tapaha-Svadhyayesvara-pranidhanani kriya-yogah (2:1)
Self-discipline,self-study and attunement is yoga
On one particular seminar in Chicago, Guruji spoke of the “Western Birth of Philosophy.” (yep we didn’t invent it)
What did he mean by that?
Let’s consider the sense of separation of THIS and THAT which we kinda know is the whole point of yoga right? We need to come together in yoking our mind and body, or inner and outer universe.
In ancient times, we knew there was an omniscient, omnipotent and omnipresent force, that did not necessarily have a name or form. (That misnomer actually caused the confusion) We knew it because we looked up in the still of the dark night (hahaha if you live in an urban area) and saw with literal awe inspiring wisdom and contented knowingness, that there was indeed a force greater than our egocentric personality. The "THAT" was us and not separate from "THIS", and this concept philosophically is captured in the mahavakya: Tat Twam Asi, or that thou art, which means loosely; you are me, and I am you, or "that thou art".
You see something greater than you? (Yep that is you)
It is a mystical concept, but that is yoga in its most ancient form. A little subtle and we can miss the point.
What is the problem we allowed into our lives?
Sorry, but it is religion, and people thinking that they have God’s zip code. S/he is "ex directory", and we need to attune to God to come into the presence and know s/he. A quick look in the mirror (remember you are that) is not enough.
Why?
Because we know we are 2 threads short of a blanket, and can get a little emotional occasionally. And so, we need to learn techniques on how to step outside the insanity of our mind and come face to face with what the ancients describe as the face of glory, and bring that state of conscious awareness down into our physical body/mind complex by living and functioning with that awareness in our everyday lives.
In conjunction:
According to history and Pre-Socratic Eastern Philosophy, the major question around the people who were great thinkers was, "Why?”
One of the rays of discernment, that helps us get to the "nitty gritty" of life situations, and helps us inquire within our own minds as to why the fuck this is this happening to me? (Usually with the addition of the thought): “As opposed to someone else".
It all changed according to the tale we were told, when Aristotle was in his fishing boat and just happened to be trailing his hand in the water ,when he grabbed onto something. Upon inspection he deduced that it was wild rice, and it was at this point there was said to be a great change in direction of Eastern to Western philosophy.
You see he asked How instead of Why?
How the dickens did that get there?
For me, after Kriyananda’s prompt of it pertaining to the mechanical or computer age, it presented images of the many times when I have used "Sri Google" to become a self-professed expert in solving or finding out about something of which I was curious.
We want connection.
We want yoga and a technique with which to navigate the emotional and fragile existence we have on this earth plane. Look at social media and how quickly people latched onto Facebook as a means to connect. It’s not wrong, but it can cloud the primary question we need to ask ourselves on the spiritual path.
“Why have I chosen to incarnate at this time and into this situation?”
Only you can know for sure and this is the quest of the Kriya yogi.
Therefore, as far as I can piece together and remember in the bigger picture, the message from the wise ones is:
“Be thou a yogi”
And if I am understanding correctly,
You are already that.
You and I just forgot.
Tat Twam Asi
(Camella will be teaching a workshop on Yoga Nidra and conscious life and death on November 1st. Deatails are on the Events Page. Checkout her "Death Insight & Conversation Cards".
