SF Green Festival: Brian Weller on Sustainability and the Vedic Sciences

Last Saturday I attended the San Francisco Spring Green Festival. Brian Weller spoke on the relationship, or link, between sustainablility and the inner consciousness. Brian studied as a monk in his early years and learned to transcend reality and the mind--the essence of Vedic Science. The following is a collection of my notes from Brian's talk as well as some of my own commentary and interjections. It may seem a bit disjointed (because the talk itself was a bit scattered) but please just take it for what it is and hopefully you receive as much wisdom from these notes as did I.

In our bipolar world, there are cycles of mania and depression due to an incredible increase in the rate of change and the complexity of information. The need of our time is to shift into sustainable consciousness. We cannot create a sustainable world from fear- and survival-based thinking. And, as you know, everything manifested in the world is originally created by thoughts. If our personal lives are overloaded and out of balance, then this state of consciousness will drive our actions and subvert our good intentions. Brian gave an example of city planning in India in which the wind patterns were known to be a certain way, so herbs were strategically planted which created an herb-scented breeze throughout the city, allowing a peaceful experience for the population. I'm not sure how well this example shows how sustainable thinking can lead to sustainable practices, but I liked the idea overall and thought it was an interesting concept. Ayurved, he said, is the science of optimal health--the biology is based on a deeper subtle level and goes to the gross level. As this science ackowledges, to make changes on the gross level you must start at the subtle.

Sat-absolute-chit-awareness-ananda-bliss. The subtlest value of thought leads to samhita, bliss, which IS a sustainable state of consciousness. The difference between the vedas, eastern science and western science lies in the knower.

Eastern science:
1. Knower (who)
2. Process of knowing (how)
3. Objects of knowledge (what)

Western science:
1. Process of knowing (how)
2. Objects of knowledge (what)

Brian then gave a few anecdotes and details from the Bhavagad Gita, Krishna's message and teachings for man on the battlefield of life. It's the story of everyone of us everyday. He then went on to detail that the vedas are a science of vibrations, sounds, and mantras. The mantras came from states of ecstacy, deep ecstatic bliss. This idea makes sense and is definitely something that stuck with me and I had never thought of before. It aligns with what Pratichi once told us at class--that she worships the mantras.

After the background details, Brian's main message is: Taking the big time out. Which means, taking one small time out at a time. Start with just 10 minutes a day. Take a break from action before you act. Before you attempt to solve a problem, go within. Dive deep within the ocean, where it's completely still. Then go out and act.

At first when you meditate, when you take the time out, the self (subject) experiences the process of seeing the object (other). The seer sees the scenery. Then, gradually, as you go within, the self becomes a thinker (state of action). The process becomes the thinker thinks the thought. As the self and other become closer...eventually a state of being is reached which is a union of self and other. Yoga=union. Satchitananda. In this state there exists a field of timelessness and there is no change. What we do we do for the pursuit of happiness.

The philosophy of bringing together green sustainability and the inner consciousness is this: The practical approaches to sustainability in the world for our environment are necessary, but these sustainable changes begin with sustainable thoughts (i.e. a sattvic mind). This link is something I had been pondering for years, but hadn't been able to identify. Thank you Brian for enlightening me!

The Truth of Non-Duality

Money coming or going, harmony, wisdom, and health can all turn upon a single thought. With a single thought, poverty can be overcome; with a single thought, disease can be cured; with a single thought, you can embrace and help others. Because mind is infinite, it can embrace the universe and still have room left over. Thus, if you understand the truth of nonduality, you can completely embrace everything. If you raise one thought that is calm, noble, and humble, and do so without any trace of like or dislike, or of “I,” then that thought begins to manifest in the world and becomes medicine for all suffering. All energy will follow and work together with this kind of thought.

Daehaeng Kun Sunim, "Thinking Big" (Winter 2008)

Four Noble Truths

Something I'm contemplating this morning, also that fact that "It's all for good."

The Four Noble Truths
1. Life means suffering.
2. The origin of suffering is attachment.
3. The cessation of suffering is attainable.
4. The path to the cessation of suffering.

1. Life means suffering.
To live means to suffer, because the human nature is not perfect and neither is the world we live in. During our lifetime, we inevitably have to endure physical suffering such as pain, sickness, injury, tiredness, old age, and eventually death; and we have to endure psychological suffering like sadness, fear, frustration, disappointment, and depression. Although there are different degrees of suffering and there are also positive experiences in life that we perceive as the opposite of suffering, such as ease, comfort and happiness, life in its totality is imperfect and incomplete, because our world is subject to impermanence. This means we are never able to keep permanently what we strive for, and just as happy moments pass by, we ourselves and our loved ones will pass away one day, too.

2. The origin of suffering is attachment.
The origin of suffering is attachment to transient things and the ignorance thereof. Transient things do not only include the physical objects that surround us, but also ideas, and -in a greater sense- all objects of our perception. Ignorance is the lack of understanding of how our mind is attached to impermanent things. The reasons for suffering are desire, passion, ardour, pursuit of wealth and prestige, striving for fame and popularity, or in short: craving and clinging. Because the objects of our attachment are transient, their loss is inevitable, thus suffering will necessarily follow. Objects of attachment also include the idea of a "self" which is a delusion, because there is no abiding self. What we call "self" is just an imagined entity, and we are merely a part of the ceaseless becoming of the universe.

3. The cessation of suffering is attainable.
The cessation of suffering can be attained through nirodha. Nirodha means the unmaking of sensual craving and conceptual attachment. The third noble truth expresses the idea that suffering can be ended by attaining dispassion. Nirodha extinguishes all forms of clinging and attachment. This means that suffering can be overcome through human activity, simply by removing the cause of suffering. Attaining and perfecting dispassion is a process of many levels that ultimately results in the state of Nirvana. Nirvana means freedom from all worries, troubles, complexes, fabrications and ideas. Nirvana is not comprehensible for those who have not attained it.

4. The path to the cessation of suffering.
There is a path to the end of suffering - a gradual path of self-improvement, which is described more detailed in the Eightfold Path. It is the middle way between the two extremes of excessive self-indulgence (hedonism) and excessive self-mortification (asceticism); and it leads to the end of the cycle of rebirth. The latter quality discerns it from other paths which are merely "wandering on the wheel of becoming", because these do not have a final object. The path to the end of suffering can extend over many lifetimes, throughout which every individual rebirth is subject to karmic conditioning. Craving, ignorance, delusions, and its effects will disappear gradually, as progress is made on the path.

source: The four noble truths

Om Shanti Shanti Shanti

I am overwhelmed with the feeling of gratitude and thankfulness to my own body and soul...its resilience...amazing power...I cannot express it in words. I am so thankful for my family and friends--I love you all dearly---also something that cannot be expressed in words. I honor the spark, the flame, the soul of universal consciousness and light in each of you. I'm overwhelmed with the beauty of each of you and your souls...and the astounding beauty of the light within each of you. I am so blessed, to have such a great family, and the best friends in the world. Thank you for all your support and supporting me through the years, I can only hope that I can offer the same support and please know that I am always here for you if you need anything at all. Isn't that what life is about--making others happy while expecting nothing in return?

download electro future glitch hip hop

Wikipedia of the Day: Consonance and dissonance

In Tantric Buddhism, deity meditation is a method that allows the mind’s
inherent goodness to manifest, to increase constantly, and to never
decline.

rejuvenation and abundance

Chant HAR for Abundance

HAR is the creative aspect of Infinity. Simply chanting HAR, repetitively and rhythmically stimulates personal power and abundance. When chanting HAR, use your tongue and mouth to maximize the sacred sound vibration and power. Let each letter aspect have it's proper sound.

H comes as breath from the back of the throat

A sounds more like "uh"

R softly rolls off the tip of the tongue to hit the roof of the mouth

Practice for 3-11 minutes, letting your breath flow naturally and pay attention to abundance showering into your life. If this Spring has you needing clearing first, try this variation. HAR HARAY HARI WAHE GURU (har, ha-ray, ha-ree, wah-hay, gu-ru) This is a shakti mantra plus a bhakti mantra. It's an expression of the three qualities of the word HAR, the Creative Infinity: seed, flow and completion, unto the Infinite. This mantra can bring you through any block in life.

picture and mantra via the excellent pure prana email newsletter, my favorite yoga studio in alexandria :)

Wikipedia of the day: Limbic system

Tathaastu Ayurvedic Articles

Here's a great article on Water written by the President of Vedika, Hemaji. I really enjoy the description of rainwater as pure nectar which must have come from the Milky Way, the great river of light across the night sky. Another beneficial type of water described in the Ayurvedic texts is Hamsodaka, water that has absorbed the sun's rays all day and the moon's rays at night.

Another article form Tathaastu about the opening of our school at the

new Emeryville location.

Quote of the day: "Classical Ayurveda is a goldmine. We will see a paradigm shift in its recognition and utilization in 5 years." - Mrs. S. Jalaja, Secretary for the Indian Goverment's Dept. of AYUSH (India's traditional health systems including Ayurveda and Yoga).

A tribute to Gaia

Gaia was an incredible community website. First, it connected me with one of my most wise and sagacious friends, Kourosh Kashimi, a talented healer. The Gaia question of the day always made me reflect inward and ponder a particle of the infinite wisdom, and I enjoyed reading other community member's responses. I enjoyed browsing the top interests of the members, which were aligned with most of my own interests: animals art books cooking dancing drawing family friends gardening growing hiking laughing learning love loving meditation movies music nature painting philosophy photography poetry reading singing spirituality swimming travel traveling writing yoga. There were interesting discussions going on all the time, groups forming on various metaphysical topics, linking resources and sharing ideas. A wealth of information for the conscious and aware. The site was a great resource for books and quotes...the list of members' favorite books was a great compilation of some of the best metaphysical and self-help books. Also, there was an extensive archive of amazing quotes from these books posted by Gaia members. A truly enlightening website, which also sent weekly/monthly emails providing quotes and information on specific healers or enlightened beings, programs, offers, which I always enjoyed learning about. I only wish I had made use more of this site while it was still there. A heartfelt farewell, gaia. So it goes.

A fresh start

The Oldest Trees on the Planet. Love ancient wisdom.

What do modern philosophers, people who think for a living, believe? via IntelligentLife.com

Sherwood Design Engineers: I really like some of the projects they've worked on, especially Catalina Island and the Santa Lucia Preserve.

Wikipedia of the day: Information Architecture

Cosmic vibrations in each cell of your body

OM is the sound of the Cosmic Vibration. The entire cosmos vibrates. Every cell vibrates. In fact, the whole universe is nothing but sound vibrations. The basic vibration is a hum, and the sum total of the universal vibration is also a hum. In between, there are fragments. All the words, all the languages, all the various sounds that are created by the human beings or animals or even machines are smaller parts of this cosmic hum. Without that hum, there is nothing. To denote that cosmic hum, there should be a word. OM is the word that comes closest to representing that cosmic hum. The word OM itself is not the hum. It's the name of the hum.

Om Shanthi, Shanthi, Shanthi

-Swami Satchidananda

RIP Michael Jackson...still so amazing, a $200 million deal with Sony

Quote of the day: "Always keep a book with you." -Dave Bloom

music

http://thefader.cachefly.net/massive-attack-paradise-circus-gui.mp3

right click, save as, for the mp3

also,

http://soundcloud.com/dabloom/dave-bloom-bloomsounds-one

Meditation

One of the GOOP emails from this past month was on meditation. Here are some of my favorite quotes:

“We are what we think, having become what we thought,” begins the collection of verse entitled the Dhammapada, the most accessible of ancient Buddhist texts. This emphasis on the state of our minds is one of the distinguishing characteristics of the Buddhist approach. Mind is both the problem and the solution. It is not fixed but flexible. It can be changed. But much of the time we are not even aware of what we are thinking and we are certainly not in control of it. The everyday mind runs on by itself and more often than not we are at the mercy of our immediate reactions.

The Dhammapada delights in describing how out of control our minds can be and how much better it feels to do something about it. “Like an archer and arrow, the wise man steadies his trembling mind, a fickle and restless weapon. Flapping like a fish thrown on dry ground, it trembles all day,” it comments. The Buddha was more like a therapist than the founder of a religion. He saw, from his own experience, that self-awareness makes self-control possible. If we want to change what we become, the Buddha taught, we have to change the way we think. “A disciplined mind is the road to Nirvana,” is the Dhammapada’s insistent refrain.

There is no single word for meditation in the original language of Buddhism. The closest is one that translates as ‘mental development.’ Meditation, as taught by the Buddha, was a means of taming the mind by bringing the entire range of thoughts, feelings and physical sensations into awareness, making the unconscious conscious. There were already various forms of meditation widely practiced in the Buddha’s day but they were all techniques of concentration. Buddha mastered each of them but still felt uneasy. It was fine to rest the mind on a single object: a sound (or mantra), a sensation (the breath), an image (a candle flame), a feeling (love or compassion), or an idea. This gave strength to the mind, a feeling of stability, of peace and tranquility, a sense of what Freud came to call the ‘oceanic feeling’. While this could be relaxing, it did not do enough to change the mind’s complexion. Buddha was after something more.

The meditation that the Buddha found most helpful was moment-to-moment awareness of what is actually happening to us and in us at successive moments of perception. This did not mean resting the mind on a single object, as he had been taught, but meant observing the mind in action. Human beings have the peculiar ability to be self-reflective, to observe themselves even as they are in process. The Buddha’s method harnesses this ability and develops it. Tibetan Buddhists describe this kind of meditation as like setting up a spy-consciousness in the corner of the mind, eavesdropping on whatever is going on. Freud described something similar when he instructed psychoanalysts to ‘suspend judgment and give impartial attention to everything there is to observe.’ The Buddha found that the mind, when subjected to this kind of self-awareness, settles down and begins to shine.

To experience a taste of this luminosity, try sitting quietly in an upright posture. It could be in a chair or on the sofa or cross-legged on the floor. Keep your back straight. Or lie down if you would rather. Let your eyes gently close. And just listen to your mind. Like a fish returned to water, you may notice that things flow more easily.

-Dr. Mark Epstein

Just as the desert sand burns in the heat of the hot afternoon sun and is cold to the touch during a crisp evening, our minds reflect the influences in our life. The thinking in which we engage, the nature of people with whom we spend time, and the type of media we absorb all contribute to the quality of our minds. The purpose of meditation is to focus the mind as well as identify the things that make it unstable. Quite often mental wavering is due to our habits, for the mind thrives and is structured by habit. To begin a meditation practice is to add a habit to our lives whose substance is clarity, insight, kindness and non-judgment. The yogis of India have taught that meditation brings brightness and clarity to the mind. Without it, the mind remains cloudy with mental fluctuations, which color the way we perceive the world.

The method is simple: sit down in a quiet, comfortable spot, either on the floor or in a chair. Take a few slow breaths, inhaling and exhaling calmly and smoothly. Then, begin repeating the following formula to yourself:

• May I be happy.
• May I be free from fear.
• May I be free from suffering.

Repeat this three times. Then, repeat the same, replacing the ‘I’ with the name of someone you love or who is dear to you. Next, use the name of someone you feel is an enemy, or someone you are having difficulty with, then someone who has the same feelings of enmity towards you. Lastly, extend the meditation towards all beings, and the whole world.

The words should be repeated with gentle concentration and genuine feeling; we should feel that the person we are meditating on is there with us. This will contribute to our transformation. We are not repeating empty phrases, but stating a heartfelt prayer, and forming an intention, as when chanting a mantra.

When we wish for someone else’s happiness, for them to be free from fear and sorrow, the way we relate with them is altered. Suddenly, they are no longer in opposition to us, but a fellow human being beset by the difficulties of life. This practice is the seed of learning to be non-judgmental. The state of non-judgment is a neutral point, it is a fulcrum whereby the poisons quiet, and qualities like compassion and understanding can begin.

-Eddie Stern

So compassion, appreciation for others, and the capacity to help others are enhanced when you meditate. You start diving down and experiencing this ocean of pure love, pure peace — you could say pure compassion. You experience that, and know it by being it. Then you go out into the world, and you can really do something for people. The ability to transcend — to dive within and experience an ocean of energy, intelligence and happiness—is the birthright of every human being.

-David Lynch

Wikipedia link of the day: Bhakti Yoga

Discipline...Rest at the Top

From the Golden Present, love Guru Dev:

14 January
Rest At The Top

Wherever you are, whatever you do, have discipline in your life. Discipline your mind, discipline your senses, discipline your body. When we want a big reward, we have to pay a big price. Nothing comes easily. Even for a few minutes of ego gratification for climbing to the top of a mountain, so much effort is needed. How many months of great difficulties will you have to undergo to attain such a goal? How many times will you slip, get up, start, slip, get up, start again? At last you stand there at the top, plant your flag, and say, "I conquered Everest." You may have conquered Everest, but you can never rest there. In ten minutes you even have to come down. For that ten minutes' joy you worked so hard, you followed so many disciplines. Then it's over.

In the spiritual life, however, once you get to the top, you have reached Ever-rest. You do rest there, and you won't have to come down. You can even pull others up as well. But there are no shortcuts. A great price must be laid to reach that great goal. What is that price? Leading a selfless life.

Om Shanthi, Shanthi, Shanthi

Quote on Oneness, first Ayurvedic class

The Oneness Experience is a unique and intelligent energy transfer that works by balancing the brain and awakening the energy centers in our bodies. While each person's experience is unique, many report that the experience leaves them in a peaceful state of connectedness and a newly found heightened awareness to life around them. The states of clarity and deep inner peace that many saints and sages speak about occur as a result of balance in the brain. In our modern society, the brain has become unbalanced due to the great stress that is the norm for so many of us. As we receive the Oneness Experience, the brain has a chance to heal and return to its natural way of experiencing the reality around us, allowing us to be fully with whatever is there and no longer resist who and what we are.

The goal of Oneness is to help people transform their lives in a positive way, in turn affecting the lives of others and creating a better world for us all - "to end man's suffering."

I especially like the last part of the quote. During Ayurveda class tonight, we learned that health is happiness. The search for happiness (sukha) and avoidance of unhappiness (dukkha) is natural. I believe true happiness, which you must be healthy to experience-as Ayurveda teaches, comes from making others happy. There is no other way to be happy but to make sure that others are happy, like there is no way to receive but to give.

I feel so blessed, grateful, and thankful to be able to take Ayurvedic classes. I just pray that I find a job here in SF so that I can continue to take classes with my guru dev, Shunya. My deepest desire is to be a transmitter of the divine light, to love others and help end their suffering, even if just a little bit. To be one with the Tao and the universe, life flowing through like a river.

"Get very clear about why you are here", Shunya said, "you are here to be happy. It is your birthright. This is why we are here." Your body's health is reflected in the mind so in order to be happy, she says, first start following Ayurveda, the grantha (scriptures). Happiness is the auspicious, beneficial, expansion of space. Ayurveda creates balance in the body mind and spirit, allows one to return to the natural state. Life is the unity of body, mind, and soul. We also discussed light and darkness, the meditation on light (the flame of a lamp or candle) and how this mirrors the light within you and the divine gods and goddesses. I am still sitting with this information so I will try to write more about light in the next post.

At night say: Bless my body, bless my mind. And in the morning, greet the sun, the light, the spark within you, with pure and radiant joy, blissfully.

One more thought (from a guided meditation I listened to last night) that resonated with me, when focusing on your breath, like a wave, in and out...understand that it is just one wave in a sea of waves. A sea of all of us sentient beings, breathing, in and out, like waves. I liked this especially to describe the oneness of the universe, the collective consciousness, like a sea of waves.

Prayers for Haiti

via Green America newsletter:

Our hearts go out to the survivors of the devastating earthquake in Haiti last week. There's both immediate disaster recovery to do, along with longer term rebuilding work.

First, if you haven't already, please consider giving to an organization that is doing recovery work right now in Haiti. Our friends and allies at groups like Mercy Corps and Haiti Partners are working on addressing key issues such as clean water and shelter for children. Our allies at Network for Good put together a list of organizations on the ground doing direct relief work today. With one click, you can donate to one, several or all of them.

Second, we'd like to point you to the resources in our online community investing center for ways you can invest your money to help Haiti rebuild over time. As you know, community investment intitutions are in the business of making loans to low-income and underserved populations. Below we point you toward a number of institutions already doing work in Haiti, where they will be poised to make a huge impact on the rebuilding process.

If you've been thinking of "breaking up with your bank," because you're tired of the business-as-usual mega-banks, consider directing some of your dollars toward financial institutions you know will be using your money to help survivors in Haiti to rebuild their lives. (Click here to see how community investment banks helped survivors of Hurricane Katrina rebuild their lives here in the US.)

P.S. Please post our list -- and all of our community investing resources -- to your blogs, Facebook pages, etc. Remind your networks that after the initial flurry of donations dies down, Haiti will require long-term investment to get back on its feet.

At our online community investing center, you can search for the investment institution that is right for you by sorting criteria like issue area (health care, education, refugees, etc.), organization type (loan fund, housing developer, venture capital fund, etc.), or geographic impact area (any US state, or any nation). Searching for "Haiti" provides the following list of organizations already doing work on the ground in that nation:

1. ACCION International – Microfinance
2. Calvert Social Investment – Loan fund
3. Catholic Relief Services – Microfinance
4. Developing World Markets – Bank
5. Emergency Liquidity Facility – Venture Capital Fund
6. FINCA International – Microfinance
7. Fonkoze – Microfinance
8. Freedom from Hunger – Microfinance
9. Habitat for Humanity International – Housing developer
10. Mennonite Economic Development Associates – Venture Capital Fund
11. Oikocredit – Loan Fund
12. SERRV International – Social Enterprise

Today's links, while job hunting

Green Jobs at heart of Obama's Earth Day push on Energy

This weekend, the 75th Anniversary of the SFMOMA

WiseBread - frugal living blog

LunarNight

1/15/2010 is a very powerful early start to 2010.

Mercury ends its retrograde; it’s a new moon and also a Solar Eclipse. [A partial solar eclipse may slightly darken the skies of Asia, Africa, and Eastern Europe.]

Take this energy and put it into action. Whatever seeds you have been planting over the last 30 days put them into a starting block on this day. Whatever you have been putting your intention into will allow you to see it come to light if you have sincerely been working toward a higher goal. If you goals have been selfish in nature look for this energy to work in reverse.

In this day in age with Pluto in Capricorn your true intentions will be brought to light. There is no time to cut corners into you compassion and selflessness. The more you serve in Wisdom the more you will be given the answers into your higher self. The truth will be told as Pluto continues to entrench itself into Capricorn. Over the next 14 years many things will come to the surface that ordinarily would have been swept under the carpet.

With this powerful Capricorn energy implanting itself on the 15th (Sun, Moon, Mercury, Venus, North Node and Pluto in Capricorn) you can expect to see some “truths” rise to the surface. Will your truth be for the greater good or will you be exposed as someone who has more work to do? If you are not sure you will have a better idea come 1/16.

via my excellent astrologer,
Brad Williams Astrology

Link to Image, the Andromeda Island Universe

New Year's Blessing

Say to yourself " This is my Truth...

I am a true Human " ( Hu-light, man-mind)

and then forgive yourself and forgive your own

truth and you will find the Universal Infinite Truth YB

Happy New Year!

Peace & Love

via my Kundalini yoga teacher, Sat Kartar Singh

Cosmic Consciousness

Click here to subscribe to the Daily Golden Present reading email list. Highly recommended.

From today's reading:

Just treat everything as play. All this coming and going, meeting, eating, welcoming, sending off, taking birth, saying goodnight and goodbye. It's all fun. We should see it in this light and take things easy. It's all a great, divine play and we all have our roles. Don't even say that we are playing our roles. We are all puppets; there is a wire tied to us. That wire is Cosmic Consciousness. We all have that Consciousness. Whatever that Consciousness thinks, we think. But when we fail to understand that, and allow our individual egos to come to the surface, we think that we are doing something. That is what you call basic ignorance. Actually we have no business of our own here at all. Nothing belongs to us. Not even these bodies, not even these minds.