 |
September
2003 - October 2003
|
In This Issue:
|
Join
our mailing list and
receive a free copy of our "Transformation" newsletter,
and periodic information about retreats and classes.
*privacy guaranteed
|
Click
button to:
|
"Ahimsa is the Golden Rule"
"Knoedler &
Company," Oil on Mahogany Panel, 24 by 30
inches © Jenness Cortez Perlmutter
Namaste. We pray to the Divinity in you.
Ahimsa is the Golden Rule
Ahimsa is the highest precept of yoga science. It is the first
of the yamas and niyamas--constructive observances and
disciplines codified in Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras. Ahimsa means
non-violence or non-harming, and it is the guiding yogic
principle underlying every successful relationship--within and
without, subtle and gross, with yourself and with others.
In practical terms, ahimsa is the same wisdom as the Golden
Rule, which instructs human beings to “Do unto others as you
wish to have done unto you,” or as Jesus the Christ teaches:
“Love thy neighbor as thy self.” Mahatma Gandhi always
insisted that, “Ahimsa is an attribute of the soul--to be
practiced by everybody in all affairs of life. If it
cannot be practiced in all circumstances, it has no practical
value.” The logic behind all these instructions is one and the
same: on the highest level of consciousness, thy neighbor is thy
Self.
Yoga science teaches that every thought, word and action must be
in harmony with ahimsa. If you serve ahimsa in mind, action and
speech, you will automatically be in harmony with the universal
law of dharma--that which maintains individual and social order
by guiding humanity toward its highest destiny. If you practice
ahimsa you will experience a loving, healthy, creative and
productive life. If you do not practice ahimsa, the consequence
will be some form of physical, mental or emotional dis-ease or
pain.
Although yoga science acknowledges the multiplicity of changing
names and forms, it recognizes only One Absolute Reality.
Therefore, if you think, speak or act in a harmful or injurious manner,
that injury will ultimately come back upon you. The Bible
teaches that “As you sow, so shall you reap,” or, in modern
parlance, “What goes around, comes around.”
Your senses, ego and unconscious mind took control of the city
of life many years ago. Yoga science helps you rectify that
situation by placing them in service to an intelligence greater
than the mind and a truth that never changes. Even in the midst
of a sea of change and turbulence, the wisdom of the eternal
soul serves as a beacon of light leading you toward your highest
and greatest good.
Our present world view has been formed by a culture that does
not wholeheartedly embrace this philosophy, so it may take a
little effort to practice ahimsa in every thought, word and
deed. Because of the power of habit, you will need to exhibit a
great deal of patience and kindness toward yourself. In fact,
the successful practice of ahimsa always includes yourself.
Charity must begin at home; it must include every relationship
that involves you.
“Oh, no,” you say, “If I indulged myself, others might
think I’m selfish and that’s not good.” Well, yoga science
explains that there’s nothing wrong with being selfish--if the
real Self being served is the Lord of Life. If you disregard the
wisdom of buddhi and you’re not kind to yourSelf in mind,
action, and speech, you cannot truly benefit others--because
there is no “other.” When you serve the buddhi and make the
effort to be gentle and kind to yourSelf, everything and
everyone benefits--including you. If you drop a stone in a
pond, the ripples stretch to the farthest edges. Even the most
simple and inwardly loving actions you take toward yourself
(including your thoughts) have effects more far-reaching than
you can imagine.
As children, we often watched Ed Sullivan’s “Toast of the
Town” television show on Sunday nights. Among the performers
we saw over the years, one old-time vaudeville act always held
our attention and we’ve thought about it often in relation to
yoga science.
This performer had a rather simple act. Before him stood three
long banquet tables. Secured to the tables were upright wooden
dowels, each measuring about three feet in height. The performer
proceeded to balance a spinning dinner plate atop one of the
dowels on the table, and kept it balanced by twirling the dowel.
Then he balanced a second and a third plate. By the time he
started to balance the fourth one, he had to run back to the
first and re-twirl the dowel. And then he’d run to balance the
fourth plate and a fifth plate and a sixth plate--until there
were twenty or so! By the end of the act, to keep all his plates
in the air simultaneously, he was dashing back and forth like a
madman. Needless to say, it was a riveting sight.
That old-time vaudevillian was a great teacher; a true guru. His
act has taught us a lot about our own habits. When we were
twenty, we said to ourselves, “We can do that,” and we
balanced a few plates in the air. When we were thirty, we
said to ourselves, “We can do that, too,” and up went a few
more. When we were forty, “We can do that.” When we were
fifty, “We can do that.”
But as we entered middle-age, we began to realize that a lot of
our time was being spent rushing to keep all those plates in the
air. We had taken on so many obligations, it sometimes felt as
though we were enslaved to tiring and stressful expectations,
disappointments and hassles. We had become so busy keeping all
our plates in the air that we hardly had time or energy for
nurturing ourselves and our loved ones.
To help us end our bondage, yoga science poses this question:
“Who is it who is choosing to balance all these plates?” In
other words, “Who am I?” That is always the key! ”Who
am I, who has all these plates in the air? Who am I, who desires
to have these plates in the air? Am I practicing ahimsa by
keeping so many plates in the air?” Remember, each and every
thought is merely a suggestion of what to give your attention
to; it is not an imperial command. You can always have control
over your actions.
Swami Rama of the Himalayas always marveled at the intelligence
of his Western students, but he also recognized our lack of
patience. He likened our condition to that of a first-time
gardener. The novice farmer tills and fertilizes the soil,
carefully plants the seeds, covers them gently, waters them,
says a prayer and retires for the night. Waking the next morning
filled with exuberance, he races to the garden to survey his new
crop, only to be emotionally devastated because nothing has
sprouted. Concerned that the seeds might have been defective or
eaten by some pest, the gardener digs up the seeds, trying to
discover the problem. Of course nothing is really wrong with the
seeds. The problem is a lack of patience and understanding of
the process. Anything worthwhile takes love and self-discipline.
Remember: be kind to yourself; put some conscious effort into
learning to love yourself. Be patient, and try not to take on
too much too soon. Throughout your entire sadhana, start with
what’s easy and the choice will be exactly right for you. In
order to be the right choice, it must be easy. If you wanted to
become a body builder, you wouldn’t rush into the gym and,
with no prior experience, begin to bench-press two hundred
pounds. You’d start by lifting just the bar with no additional
weight. Then, you’d gradually add five pounds, then ten
pounds, then twenty--until you reached your ultimate goal.
Ahimsa must begin with you, and in order to apply the precept of
ahimsa to every thought, word and action, you must exhibit
patience and love. Give your sadhana a little time, but continue
to test, experiment, evaluate and trust the teaching. Slowly,
slowly, you will begin to recognize that there is a perfectly
compassionate and benevolent wisdom beyond the mind--always
eager to lead you for your highest and greatest good.
In service - with love,
Leonard Perlmutter & Jenness Cortez Perlmutter.
Top
|
Sages on the Golden Rule
Sages
on the Golden Rule
What is hateful to you, do not do to your fellow
man. This is the entire Law; all the rest is
commentary.
The Talmud
Do not do to others what you would not have them do
to you is one of the most fundamental principles of
ethics. But it is equally justifiable to state:
Whatever you do to others you also do to yourself.
Erich Fromm
Treat your inferiors as you would be treated by your
betters.
Seneca
Others will mostly treat you the way you treat
yourself.
Mohammed Moussa
This is the way of peace--overcome evil with good,
and falsehood with truth, and hatred with love. The
Golden Rule would do equally well. There is nothing
new about that except the practice of it.
Peace Pilgrim
You are told you should love your neighbor as
yourself; but if you love yourself measly,
childishly, timidly, even so shall you love your
neighbor. Learn therefore to love yourself with a
love that is wise and healthy, that is large and
complete.
Maurice Maeterlinck
He that is kind is free, though he is a slave; he
that is evil is a slave, though he be a king.
Augustine
Don’t repay kindness; pass it on.
Proverb
You cannot do a kindness too soon, for you never
know how soon it will be too late.
Ralph Waldo Emerson
If you stand straight, do not fear a crooked shadow.
Chinese Proverb
Whoso casteth a stone on high, casteth it on his own
head. Whoso diggeth a pit shall fall herein; and he
that setteth a trap shall be taken therein. He that
worketh mischief, it shall fall upon him, and he
shall not know whence it cometh.
Old Testament
Nonviolence means avoiding not only external
physical violence but also internal violence of
spirit. You not only refuse to shoot a man, but you
refuse to hate him.
Martin Luther King, Jr.
Non-violence is not inaction. It is not discussion.
It is not for the timid or weak. Non-violence is
hard work. It is the willingness to sacrifice. It is
the patience to win.
Caesar Chavez
Violence produces only something resembling justice,
but it distances people from the possibility of
living justly, without violence.
Mental violence has no potency and injures only the
person whose thoughts are violent. It is otherwise
with mental non-violence. It has potency which the
world does not yet know.
Leo Tolstoy
All things are our relatives; what we do to
everything, we do to ourselves. All is really One.
Black Elk
If the brain is silent but attentive while
performing asanas, your practice is non-violent.
B.K.S. Iyengar
Top
|
|
How
American Meditation Benefits You
If you did not desire your present situation,
you would not be doing everything possible to maintain
it.
Leo Tolstoy
Namaste. We pray to the Divinity in you.
In March, 1775, a group of patriots
convened at St. John's Church in Richmond, Virginia.
At that convention a thirty-nine year old man rose
to his feet to deliver one of the most inspiring speeches
in world history. Although he spoke about the desire
to be free from the tyranny and oppression of the
British Crown, Patrick Henry’s words could very
well apply to the stressful, complicated and uncertain
nature of modern American life and our own personal
desire for life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.
“They tell us that we are weak, unable to cope.
But when shall we be stronger? Will it be the next
week or the next year? Shall we gather strength by
irresolution and inaction---by lying supinely on our
backs hugging the delusive phantom of hope---until
our enemies shall have bound us hand and foot? Sir,
we are not weak---if we make a proper use of those
means which the God of Nature has placed in our power.”
Names and forms have changed dramatically
since Patrick Henry’s “Give me liberty
or give me death” speech, but most human beings
are no less plagued today by the painful stress of
daily life, the desire for freedom from worry and
the endless search for happiness. In addition to our
own personal duties and responsibilities, the world
around us presents many challenging uncertainties.
With apologies to Thomas Paine, “These (too)
are the times that try men’s souls.”
With history as our guide, it’s
easy to conclude that the desire to end pain, misery
and bondage is universal and timeless. How to fulfill
that desire---in the midst of every circumstance and
relationship---is the essence of American Meditation.
Concerning such provocative questions,
Henry David Thoreau offers some helpful insight. “I
went to the woods,” Thoreau explains, “because
I wished to live life deliberately, to front only
the essential facts of life, and see if I could not
learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to
die, discover that I had not lived.” Unlike
Thoreau, American Meditation does not require
that we “go to the woods . . . to front the
essential facts of life.” True freedom and happiness
can only be experienced from within our own constellation
of relationships. Toward that goal, life itself is
the greatest of all teachers---if we can develop an
ear to hear and an eye to see.
American Meditation provides
the framework to experience the peace of mind and
happiness we seek. Unlike the physical sciences which
investigate the laws of the external universe, American
Meditation is a tool for knowing our internal landscape, the
nature of our consciousness. The sages teach that
we are citizens of two worlds---the outer world of
names and forms and the inner world of thoughts, desires
and emotions. To be free, we must learn to act skillfully
according to our objective knowledge of both worlds.
American Meditation provides
step-by-step instruction on how to create a bridge
between these two worlds. By employing scientific
techniques, American
Meditation teaches how to access the wisdom
of the inner world, and how to employ that knowledge
skillfully in our relationships through mind, action
and speech. AM® teaches how to control, conserve
and transform our greatest human resource---the energy
of the mind---to attain our most deeply held desires.
As we learn to master our internal
states through regular meditation
practice, the vast,
hidden, habitual power of the unconscious mind is
slowly transformed into healthy, creative, loving,
nurtured and rewarding relationships and experiences.
This bridge between the inner and outer worlds coordinates
all our assets by harmonizing the body and mind with
the Divine wisdom of the spirit.
Though the basis of American Meditation
is the ancient Himalayan tradition of India, its truth
is echoed in every major religion and indigenous tradition:
Hebrew, Christian, Hindu, Buddhist, Muslim and Native
American. But American Meditation is not a religion.
It is an educational body of knowledge that does not
interfere with any religious or cultural belief. On
the contrary, American Meditation enhances the
understanding of, and appreciation for, every religion
and culture.
In practical terms, American
Meditation provides
the technology for creating new mental software that
empowers us to make conscious, discriminating choices---choices
which unerringly lead us for our highest and greatest
good. The basic American Meditation instruction
is found in Psalms: “Be still and know that
I am God.” This is accomplished through the
practice of seated meditation. The root of the word
meditation is related to the root word for medical
and medicate. It means attending to or paying attention
to something. In seated meditation, you pay attention
to inner dimensions of yourself that are seldom observed
or known. Meditation involves an inner attention that
is concentrated, quiet and relaxed. There is nothing
strenuous or difficult about creating this inner attention.
In seated meditation, we try to let
go of all the many mental distractions, preoccupations,
and the fleeting thoughts and associations of our
normal waking experience. We do this, not by attempting
to stop or repress our thoughts, but by encouraging
the mind to focus on one subtle element or object
in the present moment. This internal focus of attention
helps the mind cease its other constant and stressful
mental processes.
In seated meditation, you are fully
alert, but the mind is not thinking about a problem
nor analyzing a situation. Instead, the mind is asked
to slow down its usual chatter by letting go of its
everyday tendencies to solve problems, analyze, remember
or focus on the memories of the past or concerns the
future. American
Meditation is not letting the mind wander aimlessly,
nor having an internal conversation with yourself. American
Meditation is simply a quiet, effortless, one-pointed
focus of attention and awareness.
The skills we gain in seated meditation---to
witness and transform the power of our thoughts, desires
and emotions, can then be employed in all our relationships
throughout the day through the practice of meditation
in action. Instead of always reacting impulsively
to our fears, anger and desires, we learn through
meditation how to observe and transform their energy
into thoughts, words and deeds which bring us to a
level of greater happiness and contentment.
For individuals recuperating from
any kind of surgical procedure or emotional trauma,
meditation is therapeutic from the very beginning.
Meditation helps relax the tension of the gross and
subtle muscles and the autonomic nervous system, and
it provides freedom from mental stress. Individuals
who meditate attain a tranquil mind, and this helps
the immune system by limiting its reaction to worry
and anxiety.
After just a few days of sincere
efforts, meditation will begin to establish new, healthy,
habit patterns. These skills increase individual willpower
and help a person to make beneficial choices in life.
Sound decisions concerning a beneficial diet, daily
exercise, diaphragmatic breathing and lifestyle selection
all become possible when the mind is not controlled
by habit.
In life everything is constantly
changing, and yet the habits of the mind resist that
change. To facilitate positive change, American Meditation
practices have one singular goal: to know the true
Self in every circumstance and relationship. After
all, if you don’t know your true essence; if
you don’t know who you are, it's impossible
to make reliably beneficial choices.
To put an end to stress and dis-ease
we must begin the earnest exploration of the frontier
that lies within. To find true joy and contentment,
we acknowledge and serve the wisdom of our spiritual
core by learning to steward the power of our thoughts,
desires and emotions. American Meditation is
a roadmap for this inward journey. American Meditation
is a program of holistic practices and time-honored
techniques to improve mental, emotional and physical
well being. The only two requirements for benefiting
from its use are your own personal determination and
earnestness.
In service - with love,
Leonard Perlmutter & Jenness Cortez Perlmutter.
Top
The Sages Speak on Consciousness
As we cannot think of our beginning or of the time when we did not exist, so we cannot think of the time when we shall cease to exist. Consciousness is the inherent essence of our being, and it is deathless. It was never born. The Absolute Reality that is birthless and deathless is beyond the process of beginning and dissolution. Anything and everything in this world that is subject to birth must go through the process of constant change, must decay and die. A plant is born of a seed. It grows, decays, and dies. So also birth is followed by growth, decay, and death. Our Atman is never born, it does not grow, nor is it ever subject to decay and destruction. Perfection belongs to our vital stuff. If we do not feel it, it is because of our lack of insight into the truth of our immortal nature. He who knows and realizes that he is divine, a part of the Absolute which is perfect, knows that he is the child of Immortal Bliss. Of course, it takes a long time, and ceaseless practice and patience, to understand the illimitable potentialities, in one's personal life, of our Atman. Most of us mechanically repeat the great truth that we are the children of God without knowing its deep meaning --- but once we grasp its true import, we tend to become perfect.
Swami Rama of the Himalayas
What you appear to be is the outer body; what you are is consciousness. Evil is the shadow of inattention.
Nisargadatta Maharaj
When you have achieved the consciousness that God is in you, with you and for you, that consciousness must reshape every thought, word and deed, and make you wish good, speak good and do good.
Satya Sai Baba
Our understanding is limited by the perspective of our consciousness and, in most cases, our consciousness is lens-like. It distorts reality by narrowing down the picture.
Vilayat I. Khan
The crisis is in our consciousness, not in the world.
J. Krishnamurti
There is nothing about any level of consciousness which is right or wrong, good or bad, pure or evil.
Ansari
A person is but consciousness. Even if a hundred bodies perish, consciousness does not perish. Consciousness is like space, but it exists as if it is the body. The infinite appears to be divided into infinite parts, with and without form. This is because countless particles of experiences shine within that consciousness.
Anonymous
A lake that is absolutely calm gives to you a perfect reflection. The moment it becomes disturbed in the least, the reflection is distorted; and if the agitation is increased, the reflection will be completely lost. Your consciousness is the lake.
James B. Schafer
The chief delusion of man is his conviction that there are other causes at work in his life than his own states of consciousness. All that happens to him, all that is done by him, comes to him as a result of his states of consciousness.
Paul Twitchell
The oceans surge, the rivers roll . . . in me, in me, in me.
The flowers smile, the zephyrs blow . . . in me, in me, in me.
Big fairs are held and battles raged . . . in me, in me, in me.
The mountains heave and Nature blooms . . . in me, in me, in me.
The comets fly, the meteors die; cold winds sigh and thunders cry . . . in me, in me, in me.
The foe contends, the friend defends; the mother sleeps, the baby weeps . . . in me, in me, in me.
Swami Rama Tirtha
Top
|
|
|
|
For a FREE Brochure about our
2003 Weekend Retreats and Seminars:
Call us at (518) 674-8714
or send e-mail to: ami@americanmeditation.org
|
Top
Important Messages
Internal Revenue Service Approval Received
On February 5, 1999, the IRS officially recognized the American
Meditation Institute as a tax exempt 501 (c) (3) non-profit corporation.
This means that individual and corporate donations to the Institute
are now tax deductible to the fullest extent of the law. If you
would like to know more about how this ruling can positively impact
the growth of our teaching efforts, please feel free to contact
Jenness or Leonard at the Institute.
Guided Meditation Audio Tape:
A 17 minute Guided Meditation Audio Tape is now available.
The cost is $12.95. If you are interested, please call the Institute
at (518) 674-8714.
Should I Take the Meditation Class Again?
Several of our students have taken our American Meditation
class more than once. With each class, new material is covered,
but more importantly, you are now a different person. It's interesting
that we hear different messages at different times. Perhaps now,
with the preliminary information already assimilated, you might
benefit greatly from a second go 'round. If you or someone
you know is interested, send us their name and address and we'll
mail them a schedule of upcoming classes and registration information.
Top
|
Questions
& Answers
Q: I have just completed your six week "American Meditation"
class. Is there some additional advanced course you now offer?
A: Yes. Throughout the year we offer numerous one-day
wellness seminars on various subjects in addition to a new "Intermediate
Meditation" class. As the dates for one-day seminars get closer,
you will be notified by the newsletter and through the mail. Additionally,
you might want to consider two very real options. First, take
the six-week class again. Many of our students have found that
having taken the course once before, they were better prepared
to assimilate more of the knowledge. Remember, with each day of
practice, your personality is transformed and your negative attachment
to fears, anger and self-willed desires is diminished. By taking
our "American Meditation" course
a second or third time, you'll be more focused and one-pointed
in your attention and the information presented will be of even
greater value to you. Secondly, as we've so often mentioned in
our classes, the post-graduate course which will be of greatest
benefit to you is how you react to your next thought. If you have
been conscientious in your practice, when a thought comes into
your awareness, the power of your mantra will come forward to
supply you the necessary amount of love, fearlessness and strength
either to withdraw your attention from the preya or, to give your
attention to the shreya. That process is called "meditation in
action," and it is an ongoing process, occurring moment by moment
by moment.
Q: I am often angry at people. Sometimes I'm angry at
those with whom I share close, personal relations and sometimes
I just feel angry at politicians who do stupid things. I know
that being angry will only cause me more pain, yet at the moment
of anger, it is very difficult for me to withdraw my attention
from the emotion. Could you make a specific recommendation?
A: Anger, like fear and selfish desire, is a root cause
of illness and dis-ease. When you give your attention to an angry
thought, a torrent of hormones is released which, in turn, harm
the body. The time to begin dealing with your anger samskara is
not in the midst of an angry reaction, however. Practice japa
(repetition of the mantra) continuously every day. The action
of repeating your mantra will generate love, fearlessness and
strength to help you deal with the anger when it surfaces. Think
of this practice the same way you think about putting money away
in your IRA. You're banking energy now to be used at a later date
when you'll need it. Second, when you do find yourself aware of
a thought which evokes an angry response, seek the good counsel
of your buddhi. Remember, every thought is only a suggestion of
what to give your attention to. If your discriminatory capacity
advises that the angry thought you're attracted to is a preya
(short-term ego or sense gratification), then lovingly, but firmly
take hold of that subtle object and humbly offer it back to the
Divine Reality from which it has been manifest. You can accomplish
this by visualization. Simply imagine taking the angry thought
and offering it into a fire in the "cave of your heart." As you
do this, fashion a ittle personal prayer: "O, Inner Dweller, right
now I feel so angry because of this thought. But I hear the advice
of my buddhi and I know this anger is not leading me for my highest
and greatest good. Please, Dear Lord, accept this offering which
I give to you lovingly, earnestly and humbly. Please consume it
in the fire of your light and lead me for my highest and greatest
good." Then, after you've given the thought back to the Divine
Reality from which it has come, repeat your mantra for all you're
worth. If you can, go for a brisk fifteen minute walk, repeating
your mantra. By freely and consciously giving up the thought of
anger, that samskara is weakened and some of its energy is transformed
into positive, useable energy which can be accessed later in service
to the shreya. But don't take our word for it. As a yoga scientist,
begin to experiment for yourself and mentally record your experiences.
That's the only way you'll ever begin to know the truth
of the knowledge of yoga.
Top
|
Tell a Friend
about Meditation
If you know someone who might benefit from our American Meditation
class, let them know about the AMI program or call us with their
name and address and we'll send them a brochure with our current
class schedule.
Can you help grow the teaching with "Karma Yoga?"
Karma Yoga --- the practice of selfless and skillful action
If, as part of your practice, you have a few extra hours during
the week and are interested in helping grow the American Meditation
Institute, we need your dedicated, volunteer energy. As a student
of yoga science, you are already familiar with the kinds of practical
services the Institute provides. Each month we write, edit and
publish this newsletter, teach an average of thirty new meditation
students and present stress-reduction seminars to various businesses
and organizations. We also invite visiting speakers of interest
to our area, organize seminars on yoga science and do continuing
personal counseling.
Our immediate needs include press relations, seminar management,
clerical assistance and general delivery work. Remember, whatever
time or talents you possess will be put to meaningful, productive
use.
If you have the time, please call the Institute at (518) 674-8714.
Top
|
|
|
|
Join
our mailing list.
Receive a FREE* copy of our "Transformation"
newsletter, and information about retreats and classes.
*PRIVACY
GUARANTEED
Click button to:
 |
Site maintained
and hosted by The Hostworks
©Copyright 2003 American Meditation Institute for Yoga Science &
Philosophy. All Rights Reserved |