The Warrior Within You--9-5-06

I must confess, on a certain level I’m a bit of a selfish teacher. Sure I show up for you, I teach for you, I come to uplift you, but at the same time I really do it all for me. Like I said in a post a couple of weeks ago, If you want to know something, then read about it; if you want to understand something, then write about it; if you want to master something, teach it. I need my classes as much as you guys do. If there isn’t something to keep us going, to keep us connected to the parts of ourselves that aren’t always apparent, then we risk the danger of wandering into the maya. The world of Maya (illusion) can often be very tempting (not to mention convincing!), but the true warrior knows better. I say warrior because that’s what you are. You are the spiritual warrior. Deep down inside your heart lies your truest essence and to remain connected to You, it takes constant effort, constant reminder, constant inspiration. In America (and especially in Nevada County) it is so easy to get caught up in the bubble of comfort. Comfort zones are dangerous because in them, we forget that all over the world people are suffering, people are being killed for know reason, people are confused and are truly experiencing living hell. I don’t mean to be too blunt, but we all know it’s the Truth. The other danger of living in a comfort zone is that it is eventually not very comfortable, in fact it ultimately leads to your own suffering and sorrow. Imagine that. Some may say that the true yogi is detached from all of the suffering and therefore sees the divinity in everything, even the killing, genocide, etc…While that may be true, it is no excuse to be lethargic! In reality, the true yogi realizes this duality, is detached from it, and from that realization devotes their lives to serving humanity. This is not an age of living in a cave or on a mountaintop meditating. This is an age where are work is in the world. How can I sit in a cave (or even in front of the tv in my living room for that matter) while there are children in the ghettos of our country without a mother and father, without enough clothes or food, who will be victim to the streets? How can I sit while those in Sudan and the Congo face mass genocide, while there are orphans dying of AIDS all over the world? As much as we might like to deny it, we are connected to these children. We are also connected to those who are murdering innocent people for power and money. We are connected to every other being on this planet, and none of us will experience ultimate Enlightenment until we are all working towards the healing of the planet. Happiness comes through service. Happiness comes through being actively engaged in the spiritual process. That is accomplished through commitment—commitment to your personal practice, commitment to the health of your family, commitment to the health of your community and commitment to the health of the entire world. You could move mountains if you believed you could, and that is the truth.
Lets not kid ourselves folks, we need each other. If we do not function in Unity, that is as a Unit, then we do not understand life and we do not understand happiness. If we do not reach out to others with compassion, then we do not understand ourselves. If we only ask ourselves what can the world give me, with out asking what can I give the world, then we do not understand prosperity. The flow of life is an art. It is simple and it is real but our lives and minds have become so cluttered that we have lost touch with our selves, and when we lose touch with our self, we lose touch with all others as well—husband, wife, child, friend, everyone. The flow of life is to give, it is to live for each other and it is to always in every moment reaching for the good and the truth for all. This is each of our natural tendency, but we have naturally become confused and forgotten. I say naturally because it is natural considering the circumstances we live in within modern day society. The tools to return to Truth and happiness are at your fingertips. Your body is giving to you, but are you giving to your body. Your mind is working for you, but are you working for your mind. The entire universe is actually conspiring for your awakening, for your good. But are you conspiring for your awakening, for your commitment to making a difference in your lifetime? Or will you continue to move about in your bubble as the beauty and majesty of creation pass you by. We can only be ok with the suffering in the world when we are actively connected to the suffering. If you see a movie about the holocaust or Rwanda or the AIDS epidemic you feel sad, but you also feel a sense of connection and inspiration. It is not depressing, but it is motivating. This is the connection, but then by the next day we have all but forgotten. It is only the spiritual warrior who doesn’t forget, and this is an accomplishment that few achieve. Remembrance breeds action, and action breeds change. Change means evolution and evolution means enlightenment. Are you ready? Are you ready to invoke the warrior within you? You are needed by the world, you are needed by your community, you are needed by your family, but most of all—you are needed by your own Soul. May you be Blessed in this life to have the grit and the strength of the spirit, to face the challenges of life with Grace and Courage, and to experience the Bliss of God through your work and your wisdom.
Your Brother in Divine,
Jai Dev Singh
Lion of Victory to God