Knowing the Truth of Unity Consciousness

A Course in Tranquility Lesson 10 of 14 — Knowing the Truth of Unity Consciousness

“Because you are in variety, you say you understand unity — that you have flashes, etc., remember things, etc.; you consider this variety to be real. On the other hand Unity is the reality, and the variety is false. The variety must go before unity reveals itself — its reality. It is always real. It does not send flashes of its being in this false variety. On the contrary, this variety obstructs the truth.” -Ramana Maharshi

Up to this point in our study of enlightenment and tranquility we have covered:

Lesson 1: Being happy for no reason; Living a natural and spontaneous life; Meditation

Lesson 2: Love and Relationships

Lesson 3: Health

Lesson 4: Vision and Purpose

Lesson 5: Grace and Spiritual Practice

Lesson 6: Absolving your past

Lesson 7: Reality Vs. Your Story

Lesson 8: Practicing your faith

Lesson 9: Forgiveness

The past lessons are meant to serve as a proper foundation to launch this process of moving into tranquility. As it is stated in the Gita, “First, we are to work to discover what we are, and become self-realized. Once we know what we are, then our work is to remain in tranquility.” Once we set in motion the principles outlined in the previous lessons, we are to continue tending our garden and let the seeds of our positive intention to learn and grow come to fruition. As this continues, we then have our capacities directed to understanding what we are, and to experience the truth of life and its meaning.

Since this work, is not intended to birth a religion or a new dogma, you may find that you still need a religious observance, or a specific teaching to guide your quest for self-knowledge and tranquility. By all means, explore your bible, Gita, Yoga Sutras, Buddhists texts, Koran, Zen works, etc. The morality and lifestyle regiments will do well to keep your days organized and focused, which is useful for everyone. Let the words of the following lessons guide your mind into contemplation and direct experience of reality “as it is” and acceptance of full knowledge of what you are beyond your false sense of self.

Now we move into the deeper side of practice. In the second half of these lessons, we will challenge the most instinctual and ingrained tendencies a human being can cling to. It is these final threads we endeavor to clip, that we may float free into our pure conscious nature, while living out a natural life in this realm, or in any realm we may find to inhabit.

The quote from Ramana Maharshi, at the top of this lesson, summarizes one of the prime difficulties a spiritual aspirant faces as they move more fully into their pure conscious, tranquil nature — the false idea that we exist as separate and varied beings, and are trying to re-experience our unity with the wholeness of life.
The devotee says, “I am experiencing separateness from God and the divine consciousness. I want to know Unity consciousness. I want to know my pure blissful nature. When I meditate I have flashes of insight into oneness and peace, but then I re-experience this sense of separateness.”

The Great Sage responds, “Unity consciousness does not send flashes of its being into this false variety. The Unity is always there, the reality. Yet the waves of our concept of variety washes over it, and so we only see the Unity, when the waves recede.

It is the concept of variety and separateness that obstructs the truth of unity. When we can see through the concept of variety, unity will reveal itself clearly.”

Keep in mind, this is only my conjecture of how this conversation could be stretched out. But the point of all this, is that, typically we say we are separate from the divine infinite consciousness, and on those days when we have a really great meditation or an extremely satisfying stress free day, that we catch a glimpse of unity consciousness and peace. When we say we are longing for unity, we are affirming a duality and separateness.

Unity, duality, separateness, these are all just words. They have no corresponding reality. Imagine what would happen if you dropped these concepts. If there is no Unity, then there is no duality. If there is no longing to be reunited in God, then there is no separateness from God. It is the words and concepts we used that keep us from experiencing reality, as it is, right now.

Exercise – Accept The Reality of Unity Right Now

1) When you next meditate, avoid any thoughts or the entertainment of any notions that you are doing this to become closer to God.  Of course the thoughts and notions will arise. Just ignore them. A good friend once told me, “Just because someone tells you something, doesn’t mean you have to believe it.” The same goes for your thoughts. Just because they show you possibilities and ideas, doesn’t mean you have to listen to them or even buy their product.

2) Use your meditation technique, because you know it is going to calm your mind and emotions and settle down the waves that make you think and feel you are separate from the wholeness of life. Do this until you are settled and peaceful. Then simply sit. Acknowledging that the room you are inhabiting, the couch you are sitting on, the candle you are looking at, is a direct, unified, manifestation of the divine essence that is all things.

3) Just sit.

Thoughts may still rise and fall, but ignore them.  Let go of the sense that for you to experience the divine presence directly, you need to have fabulous visions, or see the future, or feel ecstasy. Remember, real love is unconditional. Love the divine as it is revealing itself to you right now in this moment. That may be an empty room, or the darkness of your closed eyes, or the steadiness of your breath, or the sunshine reflecting of the house next door. Do not shun the divine presence, just because it is appearing as it always has, normally, and openly.  Look beyond appearances to the simplicity of the beingness in the moment.

This is why so many people fail to wake up or accept grace within their lives. They have a fairy tale of what it “should” look like. Love the divine for what it is, not for what you would like it to be. Wouldn’t you ask the same of anyone else? Don’t you want to be loved for what you are without any reservations, without having to put on a show, or having to act unnaturally? Why not show that same respect to the divine within and around you? Just as your heart would burst if you knew that kind of love, and you would smile from ear to ear, and your presence would radiate peace and warmth all around you, see how the divine presence responds in that same situation of unconditional love and acceptance.

We talk of Self-realization. What does that mean? It means we know the fullness of our being. We know we are beyond the mind, body, senses, time, space, etc. It means we know we exist, perpetually. We know we are eternally and immutably free, and that our only chains and bondage come from the concepts we adopt as true, and the defining characteristics we accept that we may experience a limited existence as a particular kind of being. But these are all just words with no corresponding meaning until you have direct experience of what this feels like. That is why we meditate and endeavor to practice a life that will harmonize our nervous systems and free our consciousness to have this direct experience. It is the spiritual practices that we choose that creates the grooves that directs us back to the acceptance of our true nature.

We can say that meditation or spiritual practice doesn’t work for us, but what we are really saying is that, it is not working on the time-scale we would like it to. Any authentic spiritual practice undertaken with the proper motive and surrender into the process will lift us up and out of our limited “character” that we have chosen to play in this life time. However, since we’ve chosen to play the game, we will of course come back to that character until the game is over.

The free soul, has learned the rules, knows that he/she is identified with particular chess piece on the board game of life, and is willing to be a good sport and play the game until the end. Once done, the free soul is awake, and can willingly choose if he/she would like to play again, or just exist in pure consciousness.

Self-realization directly experienced is what reveals to us the rules of the game we are playing, and shows us the proper perspective from which we are playing it. We know we are not the chess piece; we are the hand that moves it. When the chess piece falls, we move on to another game, if we choose.

Spiritual Practice and Experiencing Unity

When asked about the aim of spiritual practice, Ramana Maharshi said, “Removal of ignorance is the aim of practice, and not the acquisition of Realization.  Realization is ever present, here and now. Were it to be acquired anew, Realization must be understood to be absent at one time, and present at another time. In that case, it is not permanent, and therefore not worth the attempt. But Realization is permanent and eternal and is here and now.

Again he was asked, “Grace is necessary for the removal of ignorance?”

Maharshi replied, “Certainly. But Grace is all along there. Grace is the Self. It is not something to be acquired. All that is necessary is to know its existence. For example, the sun is brightness only. He does not see darkness. Whereas others speak of darkness fleeing away on the sun approaching. Similarly, ignorance is also a phantom and not real. Because of its unreality, its unreal nature found, it is said to be removed.

Again, the sun is there and also bright. You are surrounded by sunlight. Still, if you would know the sun you must turn your eyes in his direction and look at him. So also, Grace is found by practice alone although it is here and now.”

If you want to know unity you must look at unity. You must not focus on separateness and variety. You see your next door neighbor, the tree outside, the computer in front of you, or your cat on the couch, and you say, “they are separate from me.” You create separateness in this way. The first step to experiencing unity is to start accepting the notion that all that you experience is not separate, but is a continuous extension of your being.

In the autumn, when the leaves turn gold and orange and purple, you sit on a mountain top and a deep yearning arises to be one with nature and its beauty. This is separateness. Instead, see the colors, and the trees blowing in the wind, and smile. Accept that beauty as your very self. You have dressed your self in Autumn’s splendor.

In meditation, you look on the face of your spiritual teacher or your depiction of the divine on the altar before you, and you long to know what that teacher knows or be one with that manifestation of God. You divide the wholeness. Instead, accept that what they know, you know, and you are expressing it through your particular life situation. Accept that you are as much a part of them as your hand is to your elbow. They may be separated by a short physical distance, but they are a part of the same body. The hand and the elbow are equally important to have a working appendage. Do not judge what part of the body of God you may be.  It is still the body of God.

In time, as your practice becomes stronger there is another practice to undertake. Now instead of working to change your ideas ‘that you are separate from all of life’ to ‘accepting that you are one with all of life’, you let go of even that. You no longer decide to say, “I am one with everything.” You no longer label your oneness. You simply experience life as it comes. No labeling, just experiencing. You surrender to the truth of your self as all.

You no longer need words or concepts to prove it, or to remind your self about it. You are IT! Another discourse with Ramana Maharshi will help to clarify this point.

A devotee asked, “By the desire to surrender constantly, increasing grace is experienced, I hope?”

Maharshi replied, “Surrender once for all and be done with the desire [to surrender]. So long as the sense of doership is retained there is the desire; that is also personality. If this goes the Self is found to shine forth pure.

The sense of doership is the bondage and not the actions themselves.

‘Be still and know that I am God.’ Here stillness is total surrender without a vestige of individuality. Stillness will prevail and there will be no agitation of mind. Agitation of mind is the cause of desire, the sense of doership and personality. If that is stopped there is quiet. There ‘Knowing’ means ‘Being’. It is not the relative knowledge involving triads, knowledge, subject and object.”

The devotee inquired at this, “Is the thought ‘I am God’ or ‘I am the Supreme Being’ helpful?”

Maharshi said, “‘I am that I am.’

‘I am’  is God — not thinking, ‘I am God’.

Realize ‘I am’ and do not think I am.

‘Know I am God’ — it is said, and not ‘Think I am God.’”

So we see, from here, we must move from thinking to knowing. By meditation we clear the way to know directly. Knowing does not come from thinking or reasoning, it comes from having the capacity to experience what is, rather than our labels and ideas about what we’d like ‘what is’ to be.

In the next lesson we will explore specific advanced techniques useful to moving into this wisdom and Self-knowing. They may not be easy, but they are effective, and take practice, as with all things. Of course, your current meditation practice is helpful too, so long as you are intent and attentive to the procedure.

Sincerely, Ryan Kurczak 2010

No Reasons

A Course in Tranquility Lesson 1 of 14 – No Reasons

“Learn to live a natural and spontaneous life, contentedly.” According to the sage
Vasistha, that is the point. It is to this end, that we will direct our efforts, so that you may
know the power of real tranquility. By clearing away our false notions of reality and who
and what we really are, we will learn to exist in truth. By challenging our preconceptions
of what it means to be fully human and Self-realized we will learn that it is as easy or as
hard as we make it. There is no end to this thing called life, and we, our individual
personalities, are unique and necessary expressions of it. It is by learning to function
between two worlds, the limited world of the personality, and the infinite world which is
the source of our very existence that we learn to joyfully ride the rising and falling waves
of divine creation. Living from the full knowledge of our essence of being we know what
we are and what are not, and are then free to move gracefully and dispassionately in,
through and as the infinite consciousness.

Identification with the mind, our collection of thoughts, beliefs, and conditioning,
is the root of the weed that prevents our natural spontaneity. It is also the vessel that
maintains our false sense of self, so that we are confined to act only within a certain set of
parameters. We become so invested in this false sense of self that we defend it to the
detriment of our quality of life. Stray too far outside the boundaries of who you think you
are or what you think your life should be like, and prepare for the waves of anxiety,
confusion and fear that will wash over you. All the terror is a mind produced phenomena
generated by our inability to accept our capacity to act as a limitless manifestation of a
field of unbounded possibilities.

Once we let go of the mind and let it function in its natural role, as a servant to
our consciousness–calculator and recorder of data, we are free to turn our attention to
more important matters, such as living.

Consider the quote from Alan Watts, “No work of love will flourish out of guilt,
fear, or hollowness of heart, just as no valid plans for the future can be made by those
who have no capacity for living now.” Living now is an inside job. No matter how hard
you try, there will never be any fulfillment from the external world. No situation, person,
experience, place, or thing will ever fully satisfy you. There is no satisfaction in the
future, and despite what you may falsely remember, there was never any satisfaction in
the past. If you were ever truly satisfied, it is because you chose to be. You may have
attached a reason to it, but that reason was just an after-thought, albeit a very subtle one.

The past and future are external creations, projections and recordings of past
perceptions in the mind. A very efficient and quick way restore the mind to its natural
function is to stop waiting for the next moment. No doubt you have already experienced
the fact that it is easier said than done. When you work, live, love and play without
waiting for the next moment everything you are and encounter flourishes.

The way to success in this endeavor returns us to our very Self, not the mind
imagined self, but our true eternal nature, the witnessing presence. When you find your
self waiting for the next moment, admit it. Then ask your self, “What is waiting for this
next moment?” Of course the answer is “I am.” We then take it a step further, “What am
I?” Ask that question enough and sit quietly receptive and open to the answer, and you
will move into a state of tranquility like you could never have imagined possible. To
develop the skill of receptivity to the answer, meditation is invaluable, and we will
review that practice at the end of this lesson. It is impossible to really ‘hear’ the answer
or experience the truth of what you are if we have not learned to turn down the static in
our consciousness, and that is the point of meditation. For now, let us continue on
focusing on the living present.

In our efforts to stop waiting for the next moment, we can learn to experience our
consciousness directly. We wait for the next moment because we are not comfortable
where we are for one reason or another. We are uncomfortable because we do not
remember what we truly are, and are avoiding reality. Finding reasons for our discomfort
will only strengthen the identification with the mind, that very thing we are trying to up
root.

The best way to stop waiting for the next moment is to simply accept what
consciousness is experiencing through your personality at this moment. If it is an
uncomfortable feeling of dis-ease, just feel it. Do not continue to fool your self that
something external in the future will change this feeling of dis-ease. Also, do not look to
the past for the reason that you feel the way you do. You can always find a reason to feel
bad, just as you can always imagine a reason to feel good. It just depends on which habit
you have strengthened most, feeling bad, or feeling great! The power in this practice is
not finding or imagining reasons for your current state of consciousness, it is DECIDING
to be different now FOR NO REASON. When you decide to be a certain way for no
reason, then no reason can influence you to be a way you do not want to be. The mind
feeds on reasons. You grow into tranquility through being free of reasons.

To avoid frustration, it is good to accurately judge your potential in this practice.
If this is a new concept for you, your abilities to make these changes will, of course, be
weak. Just as with all exercises, you start where you can and hold the intention of where
you want to be until you get there. Then you become strong. Your mind may be strong
and your tendency towards tranquility may be weak. Just admit it, if it is true. This state
of affairs has occurred because you, like many people, have given more attention to the
mind, rather than to a state of tranquility. We are now undertaking the task to reverse that
tendency. You will succeed so long as you never quit. This is exactly how all the other
saints and sages of the world have become what they have become. They persevered.

Well intentioned people may say that saints and sages are created through grace.
Grace is involved, but not in the way you might imagine. As written in the bible, “God
helps those who help themselves.” Grace, like fate, is the accumulation of present self
efforts to a desired end. So yes, God does help those who help themselves. No unit of
consciousness has ever experienced sainthood without intention or practice.

What is a saint or a sage? A saint is a person who is completely and totally
knowledgeable and identified with the Self. To say that a sage is the eternal Self is not
entirely correct. Otherwise we would all be saints. A realized holy person can be
appropriate in any circumstance. When it is time to meditate, she can withdraw her
attention into complete and total pure consciousness. When it is time to interact with a
neighbor, or a family member, or to take any normal action in the world, she can do her
best without attachment to the results of her actions. Remember, the label saint or sage is
just role some people play. One can be Self and God-realized playing any role.

Saints do not have to act pious, or have any outward display of divinity. Saints
that display fantastic powers do so for a reason. Their mission in the world may involve
being spectacular in some way, but this is not a requirement. There are many people who

can display fantastic feats and have interesting psychic abilities, but they have no idea
about who or what they are and so still function out of an illusional sense of self, rather
than a surrendered and appropriate expression of the infinite consciousness. Fantastic
“spiritual powers” manifest spontaneously without premeditation through a saint. I
mention this point, because it is not helpful to define your progress through any special
abilities or perceptions. Our only point of measure should be the amount of tranquility
and wisdom that comes as we mature into our intention to wake up fully.

Involved in the world of form, emotions are common to everyone. Realized
people feel emotions as well as everyone else. They can also choose to express or not
express certain emotions, good or bad. They are free, so they are free to do what is
appropriate. The difference between a realized person and others, is that the realized
person is not attached to emotional states or expressions. They are free to be fully human
and fully divine simultaneously, and all that implies. When you directly experience that
you are a realized sage, you too will have that same latitude.

According to sage Patanjali, “Yoga is the cessation of fluctuations in the field of
consciousness. When the fluctuations cease, the seer abides in its own nature. At other
times there is conformity to definitions.” Yoga in this context refers to a complete
realization of the unity of consciousness. The result is perfect peace and tranquility. With
the ending of fluctuations (or the need to think and label), Self-realization shines forth of
its own accord. We are completely fulfilled. When focused on the “changes” or
“differences” in consciousness, we are bound again to live in delusion and thereby forget
our tranquility.

The idea of changes or fluctuations in consciousness is just that, an idea. To
clarify, note the words of Vasistha, “Even as the mirage appears to be a very real river of
water, this creation appears to be entirely real. And as long as one clings to the notion of
the reality of “you” and “I”, there is no liberation.” The notions of “you” and “I” is label
created by the mind. We are inseparable. When we dream, who are the characters in the
dream? Are they not a manifestation of the same one thing? The same is true for our
waking dream. To continue to enforce labels, rather than simply acting appropriately and
knowing this whole experience is just one thing, we continue our existence in bondage.

Begin to accept, that this, your experiences, is all you. You may not have the power to
fully realize that, or to even understand what this will mean once you fully grasp it. But if
you are going to entertain a notion, “This is all me” is a good one to switch to.
Vasistha continues, “Not by merely and verbally denying such a notion of
existence is it obliterated: on the contrary, such denial itself becomes a further
distraction.” To deny the existence of a problem simply enforces it. To say, “I’m working
hard to gain liberation and perfect peace,” generates the notion, that you do not have
liberation or peace. You are affirming that which you do not want to experience without
your knowing. You are liberation and peace. To say, “I am making my self well through
this practice, because there was something fundamentally wrong with me before,” has the
same effect. There is nothing wrong with you. You have just been affirming your current
state through your actions, thoughts and words. Now it is time to affirm that which you
do want to experience.

This brings us to the secret key a lot of spiritual teachers leave out. Practice is
done for the joy of doing the practice, not for a result. If you like to meditate, excellent,
meditate because you like it. If you like to pray for peace, that’s good, do it for its own
sake. If you enjoy reading spiritual or philosophical literature, knock your self out, not
because it will make you better or because it is good for you, but because that is what
consciousness enjoys doing through you. Play music, dance, and cook, serve the
homeless or work hard at your job. If you need a reason, do it because that is what you
the Self enjoys doing through you as an individualized unit of its own wholeness. The
real eternal you, is not going to get any better. Not even with age.

Now there may be experiences you would like to have which involve doing things
you do not particularly enjoy. In our current cultural atmosphere, sitting to meditate for
an hour a day, being truthful in all circumstances, eating a non-fad nutrition rich diet,
being content for no reason, working to have adequate resources to accomplish goals and
even regular exercise, all actions conducive to the practice of experiencing liberation of
consciousness, a lot of people do not like to do. This again comes down to choice and
how badly you would like to experience the life you want. If you do not want to harness
your will to overcome attachments to your current experience, and are not willing to
master your state of consciousness to move beyond debilitating aversions, at least be
honest with your self about it. There is no need to feel guilt about your choice. Either you
do or you don’t. It’s up to you. Being peacefully self honest about it, is a good first step.
Keep it up for long enough, and you may find that you eventually start moving in the
direction you want effortlessly.

Remember, you are the Self. Nothing can make you the Self, or take you away
from the Self. It is you. Now that we have that cleared up, the important question arises,
as stated so well by Roy Eugene Davis, “How do you want to be living your immortal
life?” This is what I would like you to think about as we move through this course. If you
already have a clear idea, write it down. Hold that intention as we proceed. If you do not
yet know, hold the intention that you do know how you want to live your immortal life.
Affirm it with conviction daily. When you feel lost or confused do not affirm the feeling
of doubt. Chase it away however you can, and bring back up the feeling of what it would
be like to be completely and totally knowledgeable. You do not have to have the
information in your mind immediately. Remember, there is more to you than the mind.
Through the affirmation and adopting the feeling state, you are accessing the information.
Be patient as the rest of your being, the infinite consciousness, gathers the opportunities
to reveal it to you.

With every breath and movement, feel as though you are, at this very moment,
living a natural and spontaneous life, contentedly. In all circumstances, whether you
judge the circumstance to be perfect or imperfect, good or bad, pleasant or unpleasant,
accept that this is your natural and spontaneous life, the accumulation of all your present
choices, thoughts and words up to this point. Be content to let the accumulated force
exhaust itself. It has to one way or the other. To deny this is to deny reality, and that will
not help. As the accumulated force loses its momentum, make the choices that are
conducive to your ideal experience as an expression of the infinite consciousness.
Review this writing before sleep at night or during leisure time. Contemplate that
which you do not understand, and put into action what you do understand. It will become
clearer with repeated contact.

Week 1 Exercise #1
Begin or Deepen a Regular Meditation Practice
First sit in a comfortable position with the back straight. Close your eyes and look
slightly upward gazing into the darkness of your eyelids. Upward gazing will keep you
alert and awake. Take a few deep breaths, and feel the air come in and leave your body.
With each exhalation let your worries or concerns fall away. As you settle into a relaxed
attentive state set your intention to experience the essence of divinity within and without
you. This can be done with a prayer if you are inclined. Now, return your attention to
your breath.

For the next fifteen minutes just breath, and be aware of breathing. Should
thoughts arise, let them pass. Remember to give yourself fully to the practice. Become
absorbed in the breath, prayer or stillness. This is the time for inner rejuvenation. You
have all day to attend to other matters. After any form of distraction, gently return your
attention to your breathing. When you are ready, drop the breath from you attention. Rest
within the stillness that has been allowed to emerge from this simple practice.

After a few weeks gaining proficiency in the above routine, utilizing the
following schedule can deepen the practice. Twice a day sit for thirty to forty-five
minutes. Set aside the same time every day. Sit where you will not be disturbed. Take a
few deep breaths and get comfortable with your back straight. Close your eyes and direct
your attention within. Again, looking slightly upward to stay alert and affirm your
innate divine nature.

Recite a memorized prayer, or speak one spontaneously silently to allow the
connection with the divine to become more real. Now, use a two word phrase to direct
your attention toward. This can be as simple as “Peace, love” or any other word that
positively attracts your attention. With your breathing recite your word phrase. On the
inhale, listen to the first word inside your head. On the exhale, listen to the second word.
Let it fill your entire awareness. Give all of your attention to it.

Should thoughts or distractions arise, gently bring your attention back to your
word phrase and breathing. Practice feeling the word phrase resonating in your awareness
for the next ten to fifteen minutes. This will calm the mind and allow the body to relax
deeply. Now rest in this relaxed, yet alert peaceful state. Remain calm and poised for as
long as possible.

Once internal or external distractions begin to make themselves known, start over
again. Continue practicing in this way until you have reached your proscribed time.
Finish with a silent prayer, and acknowledge the divine peace you experienced, and let it
fill your day.

After resting for a while in the pure state of awareness you may conclude and go
about your day, or remain a little longer engaging in constructive problem solving. It is
after the practice that we can most appropriately address any issues in our lives that need
it. When our awareness is not clouded by overactive thoughts or emotions we are more
easily able to understand why things are the way they are. With this understanding

proper action can be taken to change. This practice creates the structure in life for the
unfoldment of self-realization and spiritual knowledge. Without this understanding we
wander pointlessly into suffering.

Each day we meditate or pray to realize our spiritual purposes and how they
transpose into our physical life, we lay a few more bricks into the structure. With
patience and consistency we will eventually wake up to find that the last brick was set
yesterday morning, and from there all we need do is let life happen spontaneously and
constructively.
Week 1 Exercise #2
Stop Waiting for the Next Moment
What ever you are doing in your day, do it fully. Focus on the action. Just do the
action. There is no need to think about it, unless thinking is the action. Once you are done
with one action, move on to the next.
It is helpful to make a list the night before of what you intend to accomplish the
next day. Here is an example list:
1. Meditate.
2. Shower.
3. Go to work. (You could also make a list of what you will do while at work.)
4. Exercise for 45 minutes.
5. Pay due bills
6. Practice my instrument.
7. Clean the kitchen after dinner
8. Watch favorite show.
9. Check the mail.
10. Read “Yoga Sutras.”
11. Meditate.
12. Make ‘to do’ list for tomorrow.

Now you do not have to think about your day. You know what you are going to
do. You can now focus on one thing at a time. Mark out each action as they are
completed. This will also help you feel a sense of accomplishment as your day progresses.
There may be points through out the day when you are unhappy or uncomfortable
with the present circumstance. That’s natural until you learn to be content all the time.
What is the best way to deal with moments like that?

First, admit that you feel the way you do. Then if you find your self thinking that
something in the future would change it, stop. More than likely, you would just feel better
temporarily, and then once that is cleared up, something else would come up and you
would think that there must be something else. It’s an endless cycle. So just stop it now.
Next, you will probably look for something or someone in the past to blame your
unpleasant state on. Stop that too. Don’t blame, just feel what you feel. It will quit
eventually. Stay in reality, and the relative reality may be that you feel uncomfortable.
Leave the past and future alone.

Does this make sense? No, of course not. Your mind would like it to though,
wouldn’t it? Stay vigilant and continue the practice. You will eventually have the direct
experience, that how you feel is not dependant on the past or the future, and that you can
always find a reason to feel how you do. Forget about reasons. Focus on choice.
Choose what you want to feel and feel it. Don’t wait for the next moment. Be with
what is, and once you are comfortable with that, then choose what is. You are learning to
develop control over your states of consciousness, a key skill for any Self-realized person.

Sincerely, Ryan Kurczak 2010

Distractions?

Over and over we have been told, or we have read, that when we seek God first, to the point of direct realization, all that is needed will be provided.

It’s an easy message to forget, because we are often raised to believe all our outer circumstances must be perfect, before we can turn our attention within. Even if we don’t believe this consciously, we can see how this way of being is evident unconsciously.

When sitting to meditate, how often do we think about our day’s problems and our life responsibilities? How often do we come to the spiritual path, not to know the fullness of God or the direct experience of the wholeness within our own Self, but to escape from or to fix problems, our less than perfect lives.

All great teachers, Masters, Self-realized persons had trials. They all (at least the ones I’m familiar with) did not look to their trials as a reality, but as an inspiration to go deeper into God, acknowledging God as the only reality.

Pray, meditate, live, and breathe to know the full reality of God, to know its truth of being inside you, closer than even your very breathe.

When you are meditating cast aside your worldly concerns. Give them up to the divine presence within and around. This presence manages the seasons, the stars in the sky, and the heartbeat of over 7 billion humans. It can handle your concerns too. You just have to release them, and focus on the Source.

When you are with spiritually supportive friends, teachers or acquaintances, let go of your attachment to their personality, which may have their quirks, and focus on the depth of that divine being manifesting through their individualized awareness. Let go of talking about anything other than than divine inspiration, and if you can, let go of talking all together and just sit. Then you may find the real beauty expressing through humanity.

(Thoughts while on the road to WV, to teach a yoga philosophy workshop.)

What is Kriya Yoga?

Here begins an audio commentary on the second chapter of the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, entitled Kriya Yoga.

Kriya Yoga is a spiritual process that removes all obstacles to Self and God Realization, which results in enlightened living.

Part 1