Recently I purchased a Time (magazine) Special Edition: Mindfulness, The New Science of Health and Happiness. The front cover boasted a lovely young blond woman; closed-eyed, pouty-lipped, and looking on-so-serene. On the back was a montage of photos ranging from a food journal, a young hip black male sitting in pseudo-meditation posture amidst sidewalk strollers, an ocean-side book-reader, and a walk-in-the-woods gamboler. In big bold print was the theme of the issue: How To Be Mindful – Discover why slowing down and staying present leads to a happier, less stressed life.

As a meditation teacher I am only too happy when people begin exploring their inner dimensions. After all, for centuries the world’s major religions – at least the mystical components of same – have advocated harnessing meditation to search for God and the realization that one’s essential nature is part of God. This quest for understanding is fundamentally the deepest purpose of life and reveals the truth of Being through direct intuitive experience, not intellectual theory or speculative philosophy.

Unfortunately, there’s an existential disconnect between the core purpose of meditation and its modernized cousin, Mindfulness. According to Wikipedia, “Mindfulness is the psychological process of bringing one’s attention to experiences occurring in the present moment, which can be developed through the practice of meditation and other training. The term “mindfulness” is a translation of the Pali term sati, which is a significant element of Buddhist traditions. In Buddhist teachings, mindfulness is utilized to develop self-knowledge and wisdom that gradually lead to what is described as enlightenment or the complete freedom from suffering.” For Buddhists, the method used for this purpose is called Vipassana or Insight meditation. Sincere practitioners are committed to consciously observing experiences in order to deepen insight into reality and attain spiritual liberation. Hindus and other meditative traditions may use different modalities but the endgame is identical, unity with God. The current Mindfulness model has eviscerated a profoundly esoteric practice to become a far lighter tool harnessed to therapeutically manage stress, cultivate emotional resiliency, and foster creativity.

This downgrade has come about for multiple reasons one of which is that the medical and psychological communities find non-theistic Buddhist thought complementary to secular science. Spirituality doesn’t ‘measure up’ in laboratory settings. In addition, there is an ever-increasing, world-wide shift away from traditional religion. Various news sources report this but according to a May, 2016 Huffpost ‘The Blog’ article, “An ongoing spate of recent studies – looking at various countries around the world – all show the same thing: religion is in decline. From Scandinavia to South America, and from Vancouver to Seoul, the world is experiencing an unprecedented wave of secularization. Indeed, as a recent National Geographic report confirms, the world’s newest religion is: No Religion.” In short, God has become fashionably unfashionable. Instead, terms like Consciousness have become favorable replacements because they don’t trigger sensitive ideological trip wires. Another boon for the Mindfulness trend.

Evolving times give rise to necessary change. With greater understanding of the universe comes the need to rethink modes of belief. What was once deemed ‘gospel’ is often seen now as political doctrine crafted by hierarchical systems to wield power over those they were allegedly tasked to serve.  I get it; down with misinformation and those who abuse it. That said, disregarding terms like God in favor of ‘Consciousness’ or other neutral language, while temporarily mollifying, doesn’t solve anything. It’s just putting lipstick on a pig, i.e. glamorizing what shouldn’t be. The problem isn’t about God, it’s about our limited understanding. Efforts to stamp out God or related verbiage is not enlightened, it’s ignorant. We strive to reformulate language to avoid being reminded of unpleasant human tendencies. We isolate ancient practices that conveyed transcendent experiences and repurpose them to accommodate mundane values and lives antithetical to realizing a greater existence. And this is done with a hubristic sense of self-satisfaction that revels in its smug smallness.

Clever spiritual synonyms, or the lack thereof, are meant to display freedom from archaic belief systems yet more accurately reveal an astounding absence of inner awareness or perception of higher realities. The term God simply refers to “the supreme or ultimate reality” (Merriam Webster) and is not something riddled with boogeymen or an antiseptic praise hunter sitting in a remote corner of the universe. More, the term implies there is an ultimate and supreme state of being versus lessor ones. Why then, in this world so bent on discovering new, advanced modes of technology, do we find the perennial pursuit of ultimate reality so undeserving of our time and inquiry? Why do we dilute opportunities to tune into higher states by focusing on bland pulpits that venerate the meaningless? Breathe, be in the moment, return to your breath, watch your thoughts, observe your feelings, your food, whatever. REALLY?! Is that the new form of spirituality? What does it actually do for you aside from distracting you from your smart phone, job, or romantic problems for a bit? Does it provide deep insight into the meaning of life or how to attain union with the Ultimate? No. For as much value as there is concentrating the mind and regrouping from sundry distractions, none of that is spiritually significant unless there is an accompanying purposeful transcendent agenda and means to attain it. Why? Because, simply put, we are in the world but not of it. Never have been, never will be. And there is no way one can realize this truth until they turn within in a meaningful way.

The inner world or spiritual domain does exist. However it doesn’t manifest unless one is privy to accessing it correctly. That is the basis for all the spiritual sciences. Yogic and Buddhist systems are perhaps best at having identified the Supreme Goal plus how to attain it. This isn’t a criticism against Judaeo-Christian traditions but an acknowledgement of older spiritual systems that have been refined over time. And, since Truth is One, what they realized can be found in all religions, albeit in less evident ways. Therefore, instead of strip-mining venerable higher sciences to attain better health or emotional equanimity, think about the far greater benefits realized when one follows the path these systems were designed for. Is it not better to grasp the deeper meaning of life and harvest its fruits than to frolic in the fleeting glamor of ignorant superficiality?

God is not a four-letter word. God is the supreme good, the Grand Ultimate. Choosing to not acknowledge this truth doesn’t change it but, rather, retards one’s ability to live life to its fullest. If you haven’t done so, reconsider your relationship with the Almighty. This is not a call to re-engage with faulty doctrine or meaningless rituals. Instead, it is an invitation to broaden your perceptions wisely. Study the lives of saints and mystics who have communed with the Supernal. Examine the quality of their lives; the joy, peace, and love they’ve gained and see if that’s not something worth pursuing. Investigate meditative practices derived from legitimate spiritual systems that have produced bona fide sages, venerable ones with direct experience of God. Follow a path proven valid by those who have used it to attain the Highest. Be a critical consumer but get away from superficiality and re-engage with God. Your version of the Divine may be personal, impersonal, or a mixture of both. It doesn’t matter. What does matter is pursuing a valid inner path because, ultimately, it’s what you’re meant to do. There is no greater fulfillment or enduring accomplishment than reuniting with your true Self. And that is God.

It takes little effort to notice the frequency of low-level behaviors demonstrated individually and societally these days. Regardless of whether they stem from matters of politics, social decorum, religion, gender, race, or innumerable kindred topics; all get rendered into a kind of perverse fuel that is disseminated through sensationalistic social media and press outlets. These, in turn, become converted to equally toxic reactive outrage. In fact, one can’t turn on a computer or read a news site without being inundated by an appalling glut of boorish anecdotes, deviant crimes, or sad demonstrations of humankind’s capacity for inhumanity; topics subsequently regurgitated by anyone boasting an opinion and means to express it. We’re almost conditioned to seek evidence of social/global improvement yet, upon finding so little, bemoan its lack and await the string of inflammatory responses sure to follow. Such behaviors, rather than being corrective or solution-oriented, merely promote cyclic patterns of negativity that generate further corrosive practices and incendiary attitudes.

Lamentably, the concept of leading by example appears to be losing valuable traction. Many fail to recognize how their actions impact others or, if they do grasp this, don’t care what kind of activities they put forward. People manifest base attributes when they suffer from cause-effect blindness, ethical ignorance, or when those wielding social influence fail to exhibit common courtesy or basic decency. Standards for such seem to lack relevance and are wistfully mourned by those yearning more civilized times. This engenders an almost rhetorical question: Why teach children self-control or rules of respectful engagement when adults in all strata of society increasingly fail to evince those qualities themselves? We’ve become afflicted by a dearth of high-minded deportment and substituted it with quasi neo-apocalyptic, Mad Max modes of violent expression. Devolution, not evolution appears to be the trend. Why? In part because our current President acts like a bad grade-school child. But his actions find significant resonance because mean-spirited, regressive attitudes are quick-fix, fear-based responses to the complexities that arise from an emerging global society. The challenges evoked by shifting populations and cultural diversity has rocked the foundation of previously familiar nationalistic stability. And not just in the USA. Multiple countries are pressed to address the repercussion of technological, environmental, and social changes. The world is in flux and people either expand to embrace it wisely or contract to contain it in a death throe. The truth is, however, this process can’t be denied. We are not going backwards.

No one person can stop wide-spread negativism by themselves; fortunately, everyone can do so individually and collectively. How? By being willing to behave correctly and doing so as often as possible. What does this entail? It means recognizing that each of us is empowered to create. What we do, say, and think does impact us and the world around us. We must be mindful, then, of our power and how to exercise it. The equation is not complicated: If you want a better society or world, then act, speak, and think in ways that beget harmony and uplifting benefit. Not doing so elicits the unenviable opposite. Sadly, we often fail to see how we unconsciously create the very things we wish to avoid. For instance, when we strive for peace angrily, or when we seek social equity through blame and shame, we foster the very adversity we sought to eradicate.  Therefore, we must exercise the universal precepts of doing no harm, being kind, and treating others as we’d wish to be treated. Sounds simplistic, but confronting base instincts is seldom easy.

Doing as suggested doesn’t require anything sophisticated. It can be done simply by shifting how you interact with others. If you aren’t doing so already, learn to pay attention, be kind, exercise courtesy, and engage thoughtfully. In other words, be respectful. Replace autopilot mode with sympathetic listening and amiable interchange. Develop the ability to commune with others, not just communicate. This can change the world one person at a time.  Consider this: Listening is more than just hearing words. It requires understanding; tuning in to the tones, expressions, thoughts or feelings that exist behind words. These must be weighed to grasp the full picture of what’s going on. Next, respond after considering how your thoughts, speech, or actions could be delivered and what their impact might be. Strive to speak when the time is right; act from a place of truthful benevolence. If this seems too unwieldy, just be kind; doing only that which won’t harm others or oneself. Like any skill, this becomes easier with practice and the results are so worthwhile.

Personal and cultural development have many features but, at their core, require embracing unity. We’re all in this together. Literally. There is no escaping the actuality that everyone, consciously or not, contributes to how the world is shaped. As mentioned before, if you wish to see a better society or planet, behave properly wherever you are. Refuse the influence of those who spread ignorance and defile virtue. Be a light in the world – even if it’s just a tiny corner. Model civility, demonstrate decency. Be polite, be kind, be thoughtful, be courteous, have manners. We each have the obligation to be mindful stewards of our lives as well as the planet. Since the divine dwells in all, your honorable behavior not only elevates yourself but make this world a finer place to live in and, subsequently, serves The Creator favorably.

I realize that Easter, Christianity, and the issues surrounding resurrection beliefs can be ‘gospel’ to some, explosive trip-wires for others. My goal in presenting the following is simply to commemorate a significant event in the life and mission of Christ Jesus while also adhering to a conviction that spiritual laws are universal and demonstrated by enlightened ones of all faiths throughout time. Legendary mythologist, Joseph Campbell, includes ‘Resurrection’ as the 11th step in the classic Hero’s Journey, something identified in innumerable historical tales from diverse cultures. The life and message of Christ Jesus was unique to his world mission, as were those of Krishna, Buddha, and other illumined masters. Resurrection has been referenced or demonstrated by Guru Nanak of the Sikhs and Swami Sri Yukteswar in the yogic tradition, yet it is clearly a most notable event in the Christian faith and one that deserves respect for its spiritual significance. It is the significance of this event, however, that I believe the masters wished to emphasize, not so much the event itself. Namely, what they accomplished others can too – God willing – once they realize their innate divinity. I believe that Jesus labored very hard to get people on board with the message of “Ye too are Gods” and “Seek the Kingdom within.” To that end, his trials and triumphs reflect what we need to strive for, and do, in order to be true disciples of the One Spirit.

A Yogi’s Appreciation of Easter & Resurrection

“Resurrection is not the power of Spirit in the body of Jesus only; Spirit is in everyone. Nor does man have to die in order to resurrect Spirit. The physical resurrection of Christ was only part of the lesson of his life. Every time you give up a weakness and feel happy in being good, Christ is resurrected anew. You can bring Christ Consciousness within you right now…..” PY

“…Resurrect your calmness from beneath the soil of restlessness; resurrect your wisdom from the enshrouding earthliness of ignorance; resurrect your love from beneath the sod of mundane human attachment − with its limited love for family, society, and country − to divine love for all.” PY

For a Meditation on Resurrection click HERE

Spring is typically seen as a season of both physical and spiritual renewal. Given the political upheavals confronting this country, and world, one could say that applies – but with steroids! It is hard to remain calmly centered during such periods but that is precisely what we must do while simultaneously acting to restore peace and righteousness to our nation and planet. In many ways what we are seeing outwardly is a reflection of the battle each of us is called to engage in inwardly. In Vedic tradition, the battle fought in the Bhagavad Gita is really a metaphor for facilitating the restoration of soul consciousness over material consciousness. And this is the spiritual battle classically fought within all disciples of all faiths throughout the ages. In short, each of us must remember who we are at our core, souls, and act in alignment with the dictates of Spirit-guidance, not, from fear, anger, or unfettered emotional reactivity. The world is a huge game board of infinite variety and cleverness that excels in drawing us out to engage in varied distractions – some good, some awful – that seem to make us forget our real place and divine purpose. Again, I emphasize that while situations around us abound in tremendous inharmony, we must re-double our efforts to cultivate and remain anchored in spiritual realization, then, act in whatever ways we can to restore peace and balance in our midst. My invitation is nothing new, “Seek the Kingdom within,” but with faith in Spirit, in your personal process, commitment to the cause, and patient resilience. Keep putting the right foot forward in ways both small and large. It is only through invoking and spreading Light that darkness can be diminished or defeated. So don’t despair, engage. And do by shining your own inner light more brightly through attunement with Spirit in whatever way you hold dear. Apply the fruits of soul cultivation – peace, love, joy – with another supernal trait, wisdom, to secure for yourselves and others, a society and planet worthy of bequeathing to future generations.