You Are of This World and That World

25 January, 2019
In this podcast David uses the Hindu myth of Vamana and Bali to discuss the material and spiritual world, and the need for the yoga practitioner to learn how to balance each of them in their lives.

Notes

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Material representation

Positive vs Shadow

 

Positive

1)  Love of human aspects of materiality- Connected to the world through extended and immediate family, friends, schoolmates, co workers etc.  good company, food, art, games, social engagement—knowing the value and deriving the greatest pleasure for the times when you are in the midst of experiencing these—knowing them to be supremely fulfilling and essential parts of your life.  Deeply connected to nature—loving the sun, moon, earth, sky, mountains, rivers, trees, and animals. 

2) Appreciation and care for body—physical and mental health good diet, rest, exercise, ability to feel and express emotions and a effective communicator. 

3) Purposefully meeting your shadow.  Vowing to encounter, relate to, accept, correct, and transcend your suffering by practicing non ego, non anger--non harming, non stealing--non covetousness, non possessiveness--non greed, non lying—truth making, non lust—channeling libido, non fear—trusting life and acting courageously

4) Connected to the world through work, contributing to and sharing in the collective. Healthy anger, alert to justice.  Social, environmental, ecological, animal, educational, political responsibilities

Shadow

1) Corrupted Ego-inflated –conceited, puffed up idea of self, overly self important or deflated falsely humble, thinking too little of self, deprecation, undervaluing thoughts, emotions, responses, visions

2) Overly concerned with outer world—inability to withdraw and consult or draw from internal resources. Excessive enmeshment with others, too reliant social interaction, needing company of others

3) Excessive intake of material:  food, drink, sex, talking, intoxicates, things --outer directed senses seeking pleasure, satisfaction, fulfillment in outer world overly acquisitive, possessive, greedy

4) Unreflective, taking self and things too literally (body, perspectives, experiences) instead of perceiving the hidden, symbolic dimension beyond the appearance

 

Spiritual Representation

Positive vs Shadow

 

Positive

1) Living according to karma—behaving as though your every action has a meaningful impact on the entirety.  The universe operates according to cause and effect, the quality of result of your action comes from the quality of your action therefore you strive for purity and accuracy in your response to situations and puzzles --strive to be impeccable in action.

2) Know your body as a vehicle and a technology for spiritual growth and realization.  Skill in emptying out—skill in tapas temporary fasting, solitude, quiet, stillness, reflection, and contemplation—disciplined in carving out consistent, regular times for emptying out.  Understanding withdrawal as an essential response to all manner of suffering and un-wellness and as a source of vision questing, receiving input and messages from higher self and the universal spirit that guides the entirety

3)  Contemplation of your hidden, secret identity as Self.  Meditating upon your intrinsic essence:  that is unknown and mysterious, cannot be articulated and yet has these qualities:  unborn, beyond time, eternal, without a body or face, unlimited, pure, all knowing, all powerful, unstained by the past or future, ever present, the guide of all, the embracer and enjoyer of all, the unifier, cohesion, the greatest sacred pattern that connects all things in existence to all other things, all loving, all merciful, all compassionate, all seeing, all embracing, all inclusive, wholeness, soul, world soul divine, Truth-Consciousness-Bliss  

4) Taking up a practice of devoting yourself to, surrendering, and bowing to benevolent forces that are greater than you and ego.  Living in acknowledgement that you are not the only or ultimate controller of your destiny.  Trust in experiences and life directions that come your way and that are not of your choosing.  

Shadow

1) Overly withdrawn, unrelated to others and the world.  Narcissistically obsessed with self—wrapped up in insulated inner world.  Overly sensitive---unwholesomely attached to inner concerns, responses, feelings, anti social. 

2) Hyper critical of all things material lack of plain enjoyment –basic material pleasures and experiences.  Superior attitudes towards others--holier than thou--unforgiving, intolerant, inflexible, unable to make concessions in recognition of others or of differences 

3) Repression of shadow, unwilling to meaningfully encounter anger, desires, sexuality, hunger, jealousies, fears, thoughts, feelings, reactions

4) Joyless, dry, without moistness of earth, water, fire, air, and space, without soul,

5) Unable or unwilling to appreciate the undeniable beauty of the material world within and without

6) Taking spiritual principles too literally and too rigidity—lack ability to bring context, perspective, spontaneity, expediency, and empathy to spiritual action.   Not expedient—not practical in your assessment of what constitutes a spiritual response to a person or situation   Insufficient appreciation of psychology and the inherently material aspect of psychic matters—seeing the spiritual frame of mind in a barren, too austere, not messy, not earthy light and therefore misunderstanding the soulfulness that makes for a genuine state of nirodha--stopping thought. 

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