January 24, 2007

Jai Ma!

I read a wonderful story the other day. A woman wrote that she had been given what appeared to be a childrens' book called "Zoom" for her fourtieth birthday. She opened the book and was surprised to see a picture of a chicken on the first page. She thought, "Why would my friend give me a book about chickens?" She turned the page and found a picture of children looking through the window of a house at the chicken. She thought, "Okay; it's a book about some children who live on a farm." As she turned more pages, the children and the house diminished in size until they proved to be pieces in a toy village being arranged by a little girl. A page later, the girl playing with the toy houses turned out to be part of an illustration on the cover of a book being held by a boy. As she turned the pages, she came to conclusion after conclusion about what the book was really about. The boy turned out to be part of a picture of an ocean liner, on which the boy sat reading. Finally, the entire ocean liner was seen to be part of a billboard on the side of the bus. At this point, she said, her confidence in her interpretations collapsed!
(adapted from Sharon Saltzberg's book "Faith")

We experience our life just as this author experienced her birthday book. We think we know what is going on, and make conclusion after conclusion about how our life should be. But we don't really see the whole picture. How, then, to deal with life?

This author suggests that rather than trying to see the "whole picture" (which is impossible), we focus on what theologian Paul Tillich called our "ultimate concern"- those values that form the center point for our lives. Saltzberg says that our "ultimate concern" is "... what we turn to when we're afraid, or bewildered, or when we don't quite know who we are anymore." "Ultimate concern" may be a relationship with an ishta devata (chosen ideal), or a devotion to a principle, such as justice, the enduring character of nature, or love. Saltzman suggests that
"When we wake up in the morning and picture the dealings of our day as consequential, we tell ourselves a story about our "ultimate concern". We remind ourselves of loving our neighbour or loving God. When at the end of the day we recall its events and arrange them in a pattern that reveals something significant, our 'ultimate concern' is what we reference in the arranging. "
It is faith in our "ultimate concern" that makes our life more than a series of flashing moments. To make sense of life, this faith in our "ultimate concern" is more important than trying to see the "ultimately big picture".

What is your ultimate concern? How does it structure your life? Good questions to think about.

Another good question to think about: When we were in Lake Tahoe after Christmas, we met a man who was working in a rental shop. This man said that although he had suffered numerous broken bones and other injuries and had spent months in the hospital a various times in his life, he would never give up riding his dirt bike. Why? "Because that is when I feel really free." he said. This encounter made me think, "When do I feel most free?" A good question to think about...

Jai Ma!
Sargam

January 16, 2007

Jai Ma!

I've finally found time to figure out how to write this blog! My plan is to post new messages each week, so be sure to check back next week and see what is new.

After a very busy Christmas vacation, it is wonderful to be getting back to "normal life" again, with time to practice, to be with Ma, and to THINK once again.

Our thoughts determine so much about the tone and quality of our lives. Whenever I get super-busy getting things done in the world, I feel like I sort of "lose myself", like I can't hear my own thoughts. Swami Vivekananda said that our thoughts make us what we are. He believed that if we keep thinking "I'm weak, I'm weak...", we will indeed be weak, but if we keep thinking "I'm strong; my real Self is the Atman, ever free." we will experience strength and freedom. Many eastern as well as western philosophers have agreed with Swami Vivekananda, including William James, who said, "As you think, so shall you be."

We all have set phrases that we repeat to ourselves all the time- sort of like mantras. The meaning of 'mantra' is actually "mind tool", and these phrases that we tell ourselves can be tools for the mind to use to achieve clarity and strength. Think about your mind- what are your "mind tools", your set phrases that you tell yourself all the time? Sometimes we allow ourselves to use negative "mind tools", almost without realizing what we're doing. We tell ourselves "This isn't going to work.", or "I'm so stupid." without even really noticing that we repeatedly give ourselves these negative messages. Since we are now at the beginning of a new year, this is a perfect ime for us to decide to use positive "mind tools" with awareness, and banish the negative messages. Also, last Sunday was Makar Sankranth, an astrological movement that occurs each year on January 14th, and marks the entry into the most auspicious half of the year, the "day of the devas(gods)". What a perfect time to choose new, more healthy ways of thinking and being!

Among my favorite "mind tools" are: "Just hold on to Ma.", "If other people can do this, then certainly I can too!", and "Things will get better." Here are some more favorites:

"Be the still point in a turning world." (from T.S. Elliot)
"There is a solution."
"If I'm facing the right direction, all I have to do is keep walking."
"There is a Plan- I'm being lead."
"Everyone is doing the best they can."

Corny as it may sound, I got through graduate school with the mantra "Inch by inch, life is a cynch. Yard by yard, it's very hard."!

Do any of these appeal to you? Can you think of some of your own? Like our spiritual mantras, these "mind tools" can change our lives. I'm going to try to focus on my positive ones and banish my negative ones in 2007!

Sargam