A letter of condolence was written to Robert S. Marcus, the Political Director of the World Jewish Congress, in February 1950, not long after his son succumbed to polio. This is it in its entirety:
"A human being is part of the whole, called by us "Universe", a part limited in time and space. He experiences himself, his thoughts and feelings as something separated from the rest – a kind of optical delusion of his consciousness. The striving to free oneself from this delusion is the one issue...
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The third niyama - tapas - is usually translated from Sanskrit to English as 'austerity'. Austerity is one of those words that comes with connotations of severity and withdrawal - along the lines of the yama, bramacharya, commonly translated as 'celibacy' (see previous post).
In the vernacular: quit, give up, diet, unplug.
Even the word 'practice' can make us twinge at the thought of hardship. I have endeavored to explore this reaction - the hankering that erupts when one supposes that full ind...
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This entry is about the second niyama, Santosha – contentment.
In my exploration of Santosha as an observance, my thoughts returned time and again to the words of my grandfather.
When Alejandro Andres was in the latter phase of his of his life of 96 years, he would often tell me (with his still-thick Spanish accent): "I have lived through many challenges in my life, but now, in my old age, I can finally say that I am contented."
Yes, he had survived considerable challenges. He emigrated from S...
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One of twenty-five blueberry bushes, recently planted.


Recently my friend Sue and I attended a local Earth Day celebration at the beach in Roberts Creek. It was a wonderful gathering of community-minded souls who displayed everything from tender lettuce seedlings to draft copies of the latest revision of the Official Community Plan.
An all-female marimba band (the Knotty Daughters) played heart-lifting music while children danced, dogs wagged, and the breeze lifted kites into the clear blue sky...
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The yamas are universal tenets, the first of yoga's eight limbs. When practiced mindfully, they weave a moral fabric that forms a base from which we live. These encompass principles that most of us learn right from the beginning - don't lie, cheat, steal, hurt ... but it goes much deeper than that.
My previous postings have focused on the yamas, exploring them in a brief manner. Volumes could be written about each one (and have been); my intention is to ignite a spirit of inquiry in myself, an...
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The third yama (disciplines that guide us in our relationships with others) is 'asteya' – translated from Sanskrit it means 'non-stealing'.
Most of us don't intentionally steal. 'Thou shalt not steal' as a principle has been ingrained in us since early childhood. Pay for the goods and services we have used, try to find the owner of a wallet we have found ... these are things we do as a matter of course, without moral struggle.
But thinking more deeply, how can we explore non-stealing beyond t...
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Satya, truth.
The next Yama to consider, to bring into my consciousness as I begin my day, my practice, my interactions with myself and others.
How hard will that be? I think of myself as honest, aware, full of good intentions. Open to admitting when I'm wrong.
But as I consider these things I know that there are many layers, many shadowy areas deep beneath (and maybe not so far beneath) that are kept veiled – out of habit, out of fear, or merely for convenience.
Even so, truth has a way of mak...
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