“Today I’ve been asked to talk about forgiveness, one of the most difficult accomplishments for most humans. It’s so easy to hold resentment. It’s so easy to take offense. It’s almost habitual, it’s almost a habit. But when we take offense, when we hold against other people things that we think that they had or ought to do but that they did or did not do, all we are doing is burdening ourselves. When we breathe and lift our energies into our heart chakra, we begin to feel more mellow and have more understanding about what happened and why it happened…. We don’t even have to know why because it is our own karma. Whatever’s done to us, we did to somebody else. Forgiveness takes humility. Humility is not a weakness, humility’s a power. It takes great strength to be humble and even greater strength to remain humble because by being humble, we go within ourselves. By being proud and arrogant and self-centered, we go inside other people. That’s where we get into trouble. So forgiveness is an art, it’s a yoga. Better still it’s a “sama yama”, it’s a raja yoga. A lifting up of the instinctive energies into the heart chakra until we become mellow and humble. Then we can say in your heart: “I forgive.” And by doing so release the burden of remembering everything we’ve hated, everything we’ve disliked, and all of our resentments and all of our criticisms to those around us, especially our loved ones. Many people are closer to people they work with in offices and in hospitals than they are to their own family. So forgiveness softens the heart, I’ve heard said, but reverse that: soften your heart and then we’re able to forgive.”

Bodhinatha loves to meditate and also has a great sense of humor… Today he said he had something for quotes and quips, after having been a few minutes late to a gathering because he was “caught” in samadhi… he said:

“Oh, sorry I was late for breakfast… I over-meditated…”

The wonderful words of the bhajan “sundara rupa” which means the “Divinely Beautiful Form” echo in our heads as we look around us and take a moment. Gurudeva once said: “You know you have to surrender to your own realizations. Many people do realize spiritual things, but then they just go on and on in the external mind. They can’t even stop for a moment and enjoy the sunset. But if you just stap and surrender to your spiritual realizations, then there is nothing to get, you are at peace.”

“Gurudeva here….anyone home?”

Young monk types back:
“Yes, Gurudeva, its me…. (so and so), how can I help?”

Gurudeva would type back something like:
“How are you?”

Young monk types back:
“I am fine, thank you. What guidance do you have for me today?”

Gurudeva types back:
“Don’t let thoughts come unbidden!”

Another time he described another simple practice, saying:

“Don’t thnk, just perceive.”

This is the last day of Sadhu Paksha, and as you can see we have been in an inner mood…. We now will have two retreat days and the Aadheenam will be back in full gear, open to guests and on its regular schedule on Sun One. Until then, just try it for half-an-hour:

“Don’t let thoughts come unbidden” (smile)

MORE UPLIFTING THINGS		Innersearch postponed Due to the horrific tragedies of September 11th, Himalayan Academy has indefinitely postponed the Canadian Innersearch scheduled to leave next July. Please be assured, we will re-schedule the Innersearch, but only when the present insecurity around the world settles down. Until then, if you are planning to go on a future Innersearch program, continue to set aside a little income each month in a special fund. www.innersearch.org
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