Imagine if you can, what it would feel like to feel no pain. Not that pain ceased to exist, but when pain came towards you, you were able to see the causes deep within reality itself which were bringing this pain to you.
Imagine what it would feel like if you had perfect peace of mindas you went about your day, finishing this and other pain forever, your mind completely free of these thoughts. Whatever pain you have it is in your brain, and not in the site – where you feel it is only a warning signal to stop you doing yourself more harm.
If this were possible for you, you would have more time, more peace of mind, less confusion. You would be able to love, to create and to give to others. You would be like a child.
When Jesus said “Suffer the little children to come to me”, was he talking about children, or was he talking about adults who had been able to return to the innocence and openness of a child? In order to achieve this state of being, you would need to come to a perfect understanding of existence. You would then know why things happen as they do, every thought which is thought, every pain which is felt.
You would know how to act in order achieve a state of perfect happiness.
After you have read these words, you will go back to your life as imperfect and covid tainted as it is. You may remember my letters to you, and for a mini-second you may be able to escape the darkness. There is only one way to achieve this level of “perfection”..You must learn from my words to you, and your own personal, regular, daily, practice and these (baby) steps will lead you to experience for yourself the state that we call “emptiness”.
YOGA CLASSES
Please read the web page “classes” before you book for classes. We live in unusual times and there are unusual Covid requirements.
You might also read “RESTORE” and decide to come to my STUDIO+DISTANCE course on Restorative Yoga… You are all Welcome. You will learn more than asana, and every skill is another class you can offer at your studio, or as a one-on-one.
WELCOME TO MY WORLD…
NAMASTE – JAHNE
Hi there Yogis,
This morning I took my TEA-LEAF CARDS in to the printer (and followed that with my first aid training led by a fantastic teacher).What a great feeling to get my cards this far. Now we have decisions about colours, papers, styles, seals, and so on. It is not just “fling it at the printer and let’s go”. I will let you know how we go.
IMPRINTS AGAIN.
I have had a lot of responses about seeds and imprints, but many still don’t totally understand. They ask how can we know what kinds of deeds caused imprints which are making pleasant things happen, and what deeds created the imprints which make unpleasant things happen in our world.
Listen close. Only an Enlightened Being can make these distinctions. I have been told by a very few yogis who believe on the basis of a magical “kundalini experience” that they are enlightened, and I have ALWAYS DOUBTED THIS. Especially because they felt the need to tell me, and more especially because they came to me for help (I thought they were Enlightened?).
So, is every detail of our world, of our being, and of those beings around us, determined by imprints (seeds) of what has happened, dictated by our thoughts and deeds now and in the future. Yes, every one of them, even those we are and are not aware of.
Yes, everything. The smallest thought that arises because of what we see hear, feel or experience in any way. The thoughts when we look in the mirror, feel a warm breeze, experience snow or a child’s laughter. What we think, feel and do when we are angry, annoyed, perturbed…. when we love, when we hit, when we kill anything. Everything, everything, everything causes imprints/seeds. You are thinking even when you can’t isolate each thought, and even these count as they drift through your mind.
Remember that seeds of any kind, in the mind or in the garden, take time to grow. The thought you have today may take a long time to bear fruit, and it will bear the fruit of the seed you have planted. Keep in mind we plant all different seeds, the good and the bad. Plum seeds will not grow into pumpkins. Sometimes it seems that people who continuously do bad things get good results. That is only because our window of observation is so small.
Take the four films that encapsulated the life of Michael Corleone in The Godfather. He started out as a good boy who wanted to change the Mafia family. His father supported him in this as did his wife, but gradually, he was drawn into a life of crime, a life with no moral boundaries, none. As the films progress you see him deteriorate. He has his brother shot, his wife leaves him taking his children, his son hates him, his daughter is drawing away from him, he destroys his daughter’s life and she dies in his arms, and on it goes, one catastrophe after the other.
In the very last scene we see him sitting alone on a rickety stool in the Sicilian sand and sun with no-one except his guards who will only care as long as they are paid to do so, and an old dog. He is obviously very sick, has a stroke and dies on the ground. No-one comes, no-one rushes to his aid.
And this is just the beginning. We can’t know what other reparations he has to make in lives to come for his actions in this lifetime. The payment in this life is dreadful enough. We recognise his inhuman actions, and in spite of his lack of normal emotion, at the end we feel sorry for him. Mainly because we have to believe he doesn’t understand, and we are pleased our life doesn’t look like that – or does it?
Luckily none of my current students carry a weapon, and would use it against themselves or others. But I have had classes where this is the case. The students in this category have been without exception, oblivious to the effect just thinking about needing to carry a weapon (cocaine or a knife in their pocket) would have on their future. What weapons do you carry? You may not carry a gun or a knife, but do you carry ingratitude, fear, hatred, judgement, impatience and so on?
The remedy. We talk about it a lot. THE YAMAS. It may be too daunting to try and implement every one, every day. You could perhaps start with “just for today I will not kill”, and so on. I am sure it will make a big change in your life, and the life of your family. If you stumble, if you fall. Don’t give up, there is plenty of time. Try again.
HAVE A WONDERFUL, DAY – never stop learning.
NAMASTE – JAHNE
Dear Yogis,
I am having a Hugh Lawrie moment, working on the newsletter and having a rather distinguished Portuguese red wine and some lovely bread and cheese. Not a yoga moment probably, but lovely all the same.
I have been sending you a video to contemplate as well as the daily words. Here is another. I have sent it before, this time maybe you will take it to heart. It is beautiful. I thought it would be something the soloist in our Anglican Church could sing – but no, it was too “controversial”. You decide.
Why do we believe we need to be compassionate? Why do we do Tonglen? Why do we think that caring for others, is important? Do you know why you long for this ability to love others?
The real reason is that we believe that with love we can do all things and be all things. A part of our mind realises this fact although we are too weak to act on this fact. Love/compassion is the only emotion which can drive us to the greatest heights of human achievement. This compassion is the one quality which can turn you into a spiritual warrior. To get there, you work towards achieving absolute and unquestioning service to everyone around you who needs help in any way. The real source of pain as we have learned, originates with the pain we do or have done to others. Devote yourself to the practice of taking and giving. Constantly.
God Bless you as you bask naked in this beautiful sunshine.
what it would feel like to feel no pain. Not that pain ceased to exist, but when pain came towards you, you were able to see the causes deep within reality itself which were bringing this pain to you.