 |
|
|
March
- April 2004
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:
|
"Training
One Pointed Attention"
"Woman
at the Piano," Oil on Mahogany Panel, 20 by
16 inches ©
Jenness
Cortez Perlmutter
Namaste. We pray to the Divinity in you.
Training
One-Pointed Attention
The prevailing tide of our culture
encourages multi-pointed attention. Today each of us is
encouraged to multitask, to become the proverbial short-order
cook by frying the eggs, toasting the bread, brewing the
coffee and serving everything simultaneously and on
time--without breaking yolks, burning toast, or serving coffee
that's less than piping hot.
Performing more than one task at the same
time may seem like an efficient use of energy, but the habit
takes its toll on your health. Recent scientific studies
conclude that multitasking asks the brain to function beyond
its capacity. The brain simply cannot process more than one
piece of information at a time. It might appear to your casual
observation that you can drive and talk on the cellphone
simultaneously, but to accomplish both, the brain has to run
back and forth between activities. When faced with the demands
of multitasking the brain actually becomes overloaded, slows
down and sends an SOS to the adrenals to release stress
hormones into the body. Prolonged release of adrenaline
eventually leads to sleep deprivation, anxiety and depression.
Such demands are quite opposed to the
single-pointed attention (dharana), cultivated through the
practice of yoga
science. When your mind is one-pointed, you
have access to the superconscious mind from which all wisdom
flows.
Never undervalue the power of your own
attention! Attention means interest, and interest means love.
To thoroughly know anything, to discover or create anything,
you must give your heart to it--which means your ATTENTION.
The greater the focus of
your attention, the more profound the
blessing.
One goal of meditation is to make us
response-able. If we train the senses, manage our desires,
strengthen our willpower and coordinate the functions of the
mind to reflect the Divine wisdom of buddhi, every response
will be appropriate to the circumstance. These practical
skills help us unite the power of all our assorted and
unrelated desires to fulfill our one, all-consuming
passion--our desire for Life, Liberty and unbounded Happiness.
The key to contentment lies in
understanding that although we have little or no control over
the thoughts that come to us, we always have a say over
whether or not we continue to give them the attention that
empower them to shape the events of our lives.
Subtle thought objects with which we
interact are generated by our habitual likes and dislikes
(raga/dveshas) and are the consequences of our previous
actions. This very logical relationship of action to
consequence is known as karma. By cultivating one-pointed
attention and employing the discrimination of buddhi, we can
reliably choose which thoughts to give our attention to and
thereby realize our highest and greatest good.
Laser technology provides an apt analogy to
illustrate the benefits of concentrating available energy. The
elementary unit of light energy is called a photon.
Incandescent and fluorescent light bulbs are designed to
produce ambient light by scattering photons in many
directions. This disorganized light energy serves to
illuminate low-light environments. By directing all the
photons in only one direction simultaneously, however,
scientists create a laser beam powerful enough to cut through
steel and precise enough to perform micro-surgery. When you
learn to cultivate one-pointed attention, you apply the
principle of laser technology to the energy field of the mind
and produce similarly profound results.
Certain relationships that require an
action may seem insignificant and unrelated to your sadhana,
yet they can be powerful opportunities to bring you closer to
fulfillment--if you can practice one-pointed attention. For
example, while you're eating, don't watch television. By doing
both at the same time you're training the mind to divide its
attention. As a consequence, your body will neither digest as
thoroughly nor assimilate the nutrition of the food as
completely as it could if you were mindfully eating with
one-pointed attention. Furthermore, you simply cannot fully
enjoy the pleasures of the flavor, texture, scent and colors
of your food while half of your attention is devoted to the
evening news.
The training of attention can continue in
all your activities. For instance, when you're at work trying
to complete a task and the phone rings, you may have a great
desire to continue what you're doing while you talk on the
phone. "I can do both," you tell yourself.
"This conversation is not particularly demanding."
It's probably true that you could accomplish both tasks--at
less than full efficiency--but we urge you to experiment.
As a yoga scientist, always ask the buddhi
which desire represents the preya and which is the shreya.
Then, if the phone call is the shreya, try to witness and
surrender the desire to continue working as you give one
hundred percent of your attention to your conversation. Place
your pen on your desk and direct your complete and undivided
attention to the person who wants to talk with you. No one
else will ever know the mental deliberation you've made, but
by exercising this kind of discrimination, you develop a sharp
focus of your mind-field for the benefit of every upcoming
relationship.
As you look for opportunities to unify your
everyday desires, the power of the mantra will help you
remember your true nature as the Eternal Witness. Once
centered in that fullness you will come to realize that by
dividing your attention, you were working counter to your
highest and greatest good. Learning to make even this kind of
seemingly insignificant act an integral part of your daily
sadhana can become a means for your liberation.
In service - with love,
Leonard Perlmutter & Jenness Cortez Perlmutter.
Top
|
A Concentrated Mind, By Ekanath Easwaran
Years ago, when I used to talk about the
still mind and transcendental wisdom, people would sometimes
object: "But we are men of reason. Ours is an age of
reason." I agree that if we could act as men of reason,
there would be a good deal of satisfaction in it, but our mind
is not used to rational thinking. Very few people have the
capacity to concentrate completely on a given topic. In the
morning, when you are brushing your teeth, try to keep your mind
on the toothbrush for just two minutes; you will find the mind
jumping about from one topic to another, all irrelevant, and
each more disconnected than the last.
Most of our tension, frustration, conflict, fatigue, and lack of
will are due to the continuous working of the mind. And in
people who are self-centered and capable of resentments, this
constant, undisciplined activity of the mind can lead to a
terrible drain on energy. When we have a resentment, prana,
or vital energy, is leaking out all the time, even in our
dreams. This is why some people may get up in the morning after
eight hours of sleep saying, "Why is it I am so tired? In
order to stop this continuous draining of vital energy that
demoralizes and debilitates us, we have to learn to keep the
mind one-pointed and still.
Meditation in the early stages is a discipline to slow down the
mind, which is now traveling at breakneck speed, weaving from
lane to lane and observing no signals, no regulations. If you
are practicing meditation sincerely, systematically, and with
sustained enthusiasm, there will be certain times when the mind
becomes concentrated. Just for ten minutes there may be complete
concentration on the mantra, and you feel as if you are
getting control over a very powerful car and everything is under
control. When you can concentrate on one thought, there is no
tension because there is no division; there is complete security
because there is complete concentration.
Meditation is a dynamic discipline by which we learn to focus
our complete concentration at will. In order to become
one-pointed, it is necessary to do only one thing at a time,
giving full attention to the job at hand.
The Compassionate Buddha tells his disciples that without
serving the buddhi with one-pointed attention life
consists of duhkha. On one level, the word duhkha
means 'sorrow', but there is also another meaning: duh
means 'bad;' and kha means 'hole.' The buddha says that
there is a fathomless hole running inside our consciousness. To
fill this emptiness inside, we pour in money, material
possessions, pleasure, power, prestige and it all goes down the
fathomless drain.
Even after we have attained deep spiritual awareness, however,
occasional desires may still come into our minds. This may
happen to all of us because we are encased in the body; we are
corporeal beings functioning in a physically oriented world. But
when we are aware spiritually, even if desires come, we will not
identify with them or be upset by them. As your meditation
practice deepens and one-pointed attention becomes the norm,
desires will come into the mind just as rivers come into the
vast sea--which remains full and ever-established in stillness.
"The End of Sorrow," by Eknath
Easwaran, © 1975 by the Blue Mountain Center of Meditation
Top
|
AMI
YEARLY MEMBERSHIPS
Dear Fellow Seeker,
Since its founding in 1996, the American Meditation Institute has
been able to serve over 1,500 students--teaching practical skills to enhance
personal, professional and spiritual growth.
During this past year, AMI has hosted such notable visiting
speakers as 115 year-old Swami Bua, Vedic scholar Swami Veda Bharati, Vedic
astrology author Linda Johnsen, Ayurvedic physician Dr. Abbas Qutab and Swami
Hariharananda. In addition to its annual Guru Purnima celebration and bi-weekly
dinner and movie series last winter, the Institute has offered weekly courses
and retreats on meditation, hatha yoga, the Bhagavad Gita, chakras, Yoga
Sutras and Katha Upanishad.
As you can clearly see, Leonard and Jenness's vision of building a
spiritual community has become a reality. Now it is our turn to support
this sacred teaching.
We are currently asking for your financial support for the American
Meditation Institute. Won't you please take time from your busy schedule
to become an active member of our AMI family? Whatever membership level is
comfortable for you will help immensely. If you are in a financial position to
make a contribution beyond the basic membership rate, many people will
benefit. But no amount is too small. And the love, prayers and good wishes
accompanying your membership will be just as important.
The mission of AMI is simple: to help uncomplicate modern American
life. If you have personally benefited by reading the Transformation
newsletters or by attending any of our classes or workshops, we humbly ask for your
support now--to keep the teaching of yoga science alive in
our community.
With love and respect,
Mary Balsam, Dan Beer, Kathie Carroll,
Melanie Gloeckner and Jim Whiting,
Membership Committee for the American Meditation
Institute
CLICK HERE
TO BECOME A MEMBER
AMI
Membership Benefits
•
10% Discount on all books, tapes and Meditation Supplies
•
10% discount on all classes, seminars and retreats
•
Use of the Institute library of books and video tape
lectures
•
Complimentary Individualized Self-Therapy Counseling
•
Subscription to the AMI newsletter, Transformation
Your Membership Supports
-
A
6,000 year-old tradition
-
The
perennial knowledge as taught by Leonard and Jenness Perlmutter
-
AMI
newsletter, Transformation
-
A
variety of classes, seminars and retreats
-
Special
seminars with visiting national and international teachers
-
An
authentic spiritual perspective in the midst of our busy, modern
lives
-
A
unique environment to enhance your personal meditation practice
-
The
new AMI Home Center and teaching facility
-
The
production of instructional videotapes on various aspects of
Yoga
-
Science
Essential office supplies and equipment
-
Classes
for corporate, government and religious organizations
-
AMI
Speakers' Bureau
-
The
Himalayan Institute Hospital Trust, which serves the rural poor
of the Himalayan
Mountain region of India
CLICK HERE
TO BECOME A MEMBER
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
Meditatioteaches how to access the wisdom
of the inner world, and how to employ that knowledge
skillfully in our relationships through mind, action
and speech. American
Meditation 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 American
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
Click
to view our
2004 Weekend Retreats Schedule
|
|
|
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 |