alxindia

An eclectic spiritual & inspirational place to heal, learn, feel & expand. Heart & soul first. Miraculous experiences from India as well as the life & times of a spiritual healer/teacher in the U.S. Miracles, saints, sages, gurus, healing, life & death... and more...!

Saturday, July 30, 2005

humility -- the unseen virtue...


skpranam
Originally uploaded by alxindia.
I've been thinking a lot about humility lately (not, alas, embodying it!) and realizing how surrender and humility is the best antidote for egoism, doubt, arrogance, and fear.

humility is good medicine for whatever ails the soul.

this photo really moves my heart -- it's a shot of something my teacher Kaleshwara does, every day. the first thing that happens when he leaves his rooms to join his day in a formal, public way, is to walk into the main temple at our ashram, where this enormous living statue of Shirdi Sai Baba resides, and make a pranam (prostration) to Baba's feet.

there is NEVER a day that passes where Kaleshwara doesn't do this at least once.

it is the physicalizing of his utter surrender to his guru lineage, to his spiritual tradition, and to the divine energy in this universe.

to a normal way of thinking, it's an incomprehensible gesture, for a divine soul, a maha avatara of Kaleshwara's magnitude (one who regularly manifests objects out of nothing -- or out of his own body, heals terminal cancer victims and sufferers from cobra bites, has been known to raise the dead and turn water into wine....) to bow at the feet of a seeming statue.

to a supernatural way of thinking, it makes perfect sense.

it's a way of saying, on a daily basis, "use me, today, oh god, as your instrument. however I can serve you today, I'm happy to do it."

that kind of sanctity of intent, a pure open-hearted surrender, isn't terribly common in this world.

it's thrilling to witness.

it feels good to do it, too.

Sunday, July 24, 2005

homa sweet homa...

or,

"there's NO place like homa.... there's NO place like homa....!"

today marked the first time Jonathan and I conducted a homa (fire ceremony) in our own home town of Boulder Creek, California.

despite all those cautions about never being a prophet in your own town, and despite a tragic play of comedic mis-direction (the digital maps to the place where we held the homa are ALL wrong, leading people up winding mountain roads in Boulder Creek only to dead-end at some rusted-out private gate...wrong!), people showed up to the fire, the energy was ferocious and lovely and raw and wild and, well, hot... and a good time was had by all.

it seems that in addition to doing all the other stuff we do, ie, healing and vaastu consulting, teaching classes on different angles of the spirituality, the homas are becoming really popular and well-attended.

everybody likes the fire, after all!

we burn.

we chant mantras.

we hold roses.

we invoke the Mother Divine and many divine energy angles.

we touch the coconut.

& transformation comes naturally to people, flowing in and through their lives as a result of the homa fire.

they're turning into a bi-weekly event, and it's thrilling.

I can't think of any better way to spend an afternoon than with a group of people, chanting high-powered mantras & meditating together in front of a sacred fire.

like Yogananda used to say: "I prefer a soul to a group -- but I love a group of souls!"

Wednesday, July 06, 2005

the pearl diver... from Meher Baba

The Pearl Diver

"When I became a lover I thought I had gained the Pearl of the Goal; foolish I did not know that this Pearl lies on the floor of an ocean which has innumerable waves to be encountered and great depths to be sounded." -- Hafiz





"In the beginning the seeker of Truth is like a man who, having heard that a priceless pearl is to be got from the depths of the ocean, goes down to the seashore and first admires the vastness of the ocean and then paddles and splashes about in the shallows and, intoxicated with this new excitement, forgets about the pearl.

Out of many who do this, one after a while, remembers his quest and learns to swim and starts to swim out.

Out of many who do this, one masters swimming and reaches the open sea; the others perish in the waves.

Out of many who master swimming, one begins to dive; the others in their enjoyment of mastery, again forget about the pearl.

Out of many who practise diving, one reaches the ocean bed and grasps the pearl.

Out of many who get hold of the pearl, one swims back up to the surface with it, the others stay stuck on the floor gazing with wonder at the pearl.

Out of many who swim up to the surface, one returns to the shore. This one is the perfect Master (Qutub) and He shows His pearl to the other -- the divers, the swimmers, the paddlers, and so encourages them in their efforts. But He can if He wishes cause another to become the possessor of the pearl without that one having to learn swimming and diving.

But God-Man or Avatar is the master of Masters (Qutub-al-Aktab), and can give possession of the Pearl to any number he likes. The Qutub is perfect Perfection, but is circumscribed by His office in regard to His help to men. The Avatar is beyond limits of function; His power and the effects of His power are boundless. The absolute perfection of the perfect Master is the same as God-Man's. The difference between them is in the scope of their functioning. One is limited, the other is unlimited."

-- Meher Baba

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