Light of the Spirit Blog

Suffering and Karma: A Yogi’s Perspective

January 17, 2019 by Abbot George Burke (Swami Nirmalananda Giri)

suffering karma statue

Q: May I ask, when it comes to suffering, particularly of the chronic physical type, is this all a result of inflicting such pain on others in a past life?

Karma works very exactly. Karma is extremely complex because exactly what we did must come back to us. It does not get bundled up with various types of causes and result in an unspecific form.

For example, if you inflict pain on someone, then someone will inflict pain on you. Physical illness or suffering can be caused by having neglected or or even done deliberate harm to our body in anger or some other negative emotion, including self-loathing. Unsuccessful attempts at suicide can be a cause of present pain.

Or is it a combination of that and obstacles set in place (by a higher self) to help us grow and develop?

No. Neither our higher self or God ever decide that we need “a good kicking around” for our own “good.” We do not get karmically spanked for “being bad.” The reaping of negative karma is not retribution. [Read more…]

New Books for Your Spiritual Library

January 9, 2019 by Light of the Spirit Monastery

A Brief Sanskrit Glossary and Foundations of Yoga

Light of the Spirit Press announces two new publications for your spiritual library.

The first is Foundations of Yoga: Ten Important Principles Every Meditator Should Know, an introduction to the important principles of Patanjali’s Yoga: Yama & Niyama. (Those who have read Soham Yoga: The Yoga of the Self will recognize this as a chapter extracted from this book which we now make available as a stand-alone paperback.)

Yama and Niyama are often called the Ten Commandments of Yoga, principles having a thoroughly practical basis: that which strengthens and facilitates our yoga practice.

Foundations of Yoga is already available as a free ebook download from Amazon and other online sources, as well as available for free online reading at OCOY.org.

You can buy the book at Amazon here.

The second new publication is an expanded 2nd edition of A Brief Sanskrit Glossary: A Spiritual Student’s Guide to Essential Sanskrit Terms. Both ebook and paperback versions have been updated with new valuable content.

This Sanskrit glossary contains full translations and explanations of many of the most commonly used spiritual Sanskrit terms, and will help students of the Bhagavad Gita, the Upanishads, the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, and other Indian scriptures and philosophical works to expand their vocabularies to include the Sanskrit terms contained in them, and gain a fuller understanding in their studies.

In many books written in India with Indian readers in mind, numerous untranslated Sanskrit words and expression are found. Readers of such books will find this book invaluable, as it defines those terms in English.

(This is not a Sanskrit grammar or pronunciation guide, and does not have diacritical markings.)

A Brief Sanskrit Glossary is available as a paperback and ebook download from Amazon and other online sources, as well as available for free online reading at OCOY.org.

Fasting: A Sensible Perspective for Meditating Yogis

January 3, 2019 by Abbot George Burke (Swami Nirmalananda Giri)

Q: I think I remember reading in one of Abbot George’s writings that “fasting is not the way.” Should an occasional fast, or time-restricted eating be considered healthy or unhealthy?

Body-identified people who aspire to be yogis think that the body is what is wrong with their minds, when it is the mind itself that is the problem. And the mind is a field of energy formed of the food we eat. This is the teaching of the Chandogya Upanishad:

“Mind consists of food. That which is the subtle part of milk moves upward when the milk is churned and becomes butter. In the same manner, the subtle part of the food that is eaten moves upward and becomes mind. Thus, mind consists of food” (Chandogya Upanishad 6.5.4; 6.6.1-2,5).

Therefore diet–both what we do and do not eat–is a key element in attaining success in yoga. However, what we think is also a key element in the condition of our mind. And that is where correct sadhana comes in. But that is another matter altogether, and I will stay with your question.

Pure body, pure mind?

The body-identified for some reason are obsessed with fasting. They think that if they purify their body by fasting they will purify their mind, but they are wrong. (However, I have observed that a lot of “yogis” are intuitively very intent on things that will leave their mind alone while they entertain themselves with disciplines such as fasting which will leave the delusions of the mind safely and surely intact. Such persons are the kind that love to let everybody know they are having “a day of silence” or are “on a fast.”)

There is no doubt that people who have harmed their body and mind by eating destructive things or good things in a destructive, mistaken manner, can be benefitted by a very mild form of abstinence from food such as a day on water or juice alone. [Read more…]

How to Spend Christmas: A Christmas Message from Paramhansa Yogananda

December 23, 2018 by Light of the Spirit Monastery

yogananda paramhansa blessing-Christmas Message

My Christmas wish for you this year is twofold: that the consciousness of Christ be manifest in you through deep meditation, and that your exemplary actions will persuade others to abandon their evil or worldly ways and become spiritual.

Both meditation and action are necessary or the spiritual path, for they contribute toward individual and mass evolution. It is not God’s will to develop spiritually in a selfish way, i.e., without extending help to others who are suffering. So remember always to render service to mass evolution, while seeking the Father through regular practices of deep meditation.

The more one develops spiritually, the deeper becomes his or her love and compassion for humanity. Accompanying love and compassion is the desire to uplift humanity from the throes of ignorance and war and the consequent suffering they bring.

However, you must remember to make God first in your heart always. The Father will not be content with second place; He must reign first and foremost in the most tender center of your being — your heart. Through His blessings and grace alone are you able to develop and help humanity emerge from its ignorance.

Real gift-giving

Share your gifts (material, mental and spiritual) with the less fortunate on Christmas. This will make your holiday a real one. The gifts need not be expensive but practical ones: durable clothing (new or used) for those who need it, canned and dried foods for people who find them difficult to obtain in their countries, a friendly visit to the physically afflicted, a word of comfort to the depressed, and spiritual manna to those who are seeking the love of God. You can help distant as well as local people in these ways.

Be ambitious for God. Keep seeking Him through meditation and keep working for Him. This will give you the spiritual emancipation you are seeking. Christ and the great ones showed through exemplary living that it can be done. So follow their footsteps quietly and humbly. God bless you always. May your every day become a Christmas of ever-new joy, love, peace, and wisdom in God.

With deepest blessings,
Paramahansa Yogananda

(This message is shared from a devotee’s website. Unfortunately there is no date or place mentioned where it was originally published.)

The True Significance of Christmas – from Swami Sivananda of Rishikesh

December 18, 2018 by Swami Sivananda Saraswati

Swami Sivananda and Jesus

Christmas is named after Christ. This is the birthday of Lord Jesus, the Saviour Christ, the Yogi of the East. He was born in a stable at Bethlehem, of Mary and Joseph, the obscure village carpenter. Mary and Joseph made the stable a home for Christ, the King, the Prince of Peace. The birth of Jesus is celebrated all over the world as the sacred Christmas.

Lord Jesus was an embodiment of mercy, love and humility. He was an apostle of non-violence and peace. His body was crucified, but his voice has been speaking through the centuries.

The message of Christmas is the message of universal love. It is the message of ineffable divine glory and splendour. The message of Christmas is the message of peace and goodwill among all nations.

Christmas is more than a festival

Christmas is more than a day of rejoicing and festivity. It is a day for realizing the Christ-consciousness or cosmic consciousness. It is a day for remembering the noble deeds of Lord Jesus and his sacred life of pristine purity. Christmas comes and Christmas goes, but let the spirit of Christmas be ever with you all.

Merry-making is not Christmas at all. Christmas does not consist in ringing bells and singing songs, exchanging mutual gifts and sending Christmas cards, and in enjoying rich repasts and heavy dinners and eating cakes.

Christmas is a state of spiritual awakening. To realize the Kingdom of Heaven within yourself, to hold communion with the Lord in the chambers of your heart, to regain your lost divinity, to attain Christ-consciousness or cosmic consciousness, to love all, to include all in the warm embrace of your love is real Christmas.

How to celebrate Christmas

Realize the spirit of Christ. Walk in the footprints of Christ. Dive deep into the heart of Jesus. Ever seek to express, in your daily life, love, joy and peace. Imbibe Christ’s message of love and sacrifice. Manifest the latent Christ within you. Follow the Sermon on the Mount. Attain God-consciousness. Live in the spirit of Christ’s teachings. Annihilate this little self-arrogating personality and melt yourself in Christ or the Universal Soul. This is real Christmas.

All wish to enter the Kingdom of God. But how many of you possess the real spirit of Christ? How many of you are real Christians? How many of you follow the teachings, precepts and doctrines of Christ? How many of you love your neighbours as your own self? Those who are endowed with purity of heart, humility, universal love, generosity and nobility – they only can attain the Kingdom of God or supreme peace and immortality.

What is lacking

The spirit or heart of Christ is seriously lacking in the vast majority of persons. The love of Christ is badly wanted. What is Christmas without love, mercy and purity? Everybody wants to exploit his neighbour. One nation wants to destroy another nation. Is this Christmas? Is this the teaching of Christ?

Real Christmas never comes and goes. It is eternal. Feel the spirit of Christmas not only on one day, but throughout the year. Every day is a Christmas day for a real follower of Christ, for a thirsting aspirant. May you all walk the path that Jesus laid out! May you all be living embodiments of the Sermon on the Mount! May you realize the Kingdom of God within you here and now!

Listen to Abbot George’s Podcasts about his memories of Swami Sivananda:

5 Reasons for the Smile of Krishna

December 9, 2018 by Abbot George Burke (Swami Nirmalananda Giri)

The Smile of Krishna
As the fighting is about to commence on the battlefield of Kurukshetra in the tale of the Bhagavad Gita, Krishna begins to advise Arjuna. (This article is taken from The Bhagavad Gita for Awakening.)

Arjuna, overcome with anguish at the prospect of killing in battle those he loved and was obligated to respect, presented to Krishna his reasons for refusing to fight. Hearing the “case” presented by Arjuna:

“To him, the dejected Arjuna, Krishna, smiling, O Dhritarashtra, in the middle between the two armies, spoke these words” (Bhagavad Gita 2:10).

Why a smile?

The smile of Krishna is extremely significant, and we must be grateful to the sage Vyasa for including this detail that carries a momentous message.

Why did Krishna smile, considering how grief-filled Arjuna was, and how impassioned he had been in his insistence that to fight would be the greatest of evils–in contradiction to the urging and advice of Krishna? Arjuna was both sad and rebellious. Yet Krishna smiled.

The word in the Gita is prahasann, which means to smile before laughing. (Sargeant renders it: “beginning to laugh.”) So it is not some weak smile, nor a condescending or sarcastic grimace, but a very positive sign of impending mirth. How is this? Krishna smiled for several reasons. [Read more…]

Opposing Vitarka: The Importance of Mastering Thoughts

December 2, 2018 by Abbot George Burke (Swami Nirmalananda Giri)

Vitarka, why we should master it

This is a selection from The Yoga Sutras for Awakening, a commentary on the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali. We hope to publish this book in the coming year.

Yoga Sutras 2:33. When the mind is disturbed by improper thoughts [vitarka] constant pondering [bhavanam] over the opposites [pratipaksha] (is the remedy).

Not only is the common interpretation of this incorrect, so is this translation. Vitarka simply means thought in the sense of all kinds of intellectual occupation. There is no connotation of either positive or negative thought, but rather intrusive or distracting thoughts–which effect is negative, but good thoughts are harmful if they arise at the wrong time.

Pratipaksha means that which opposes–not that which is opposite in character. And bhavanam means filling the mind with something. Therefore it should be rendered:

“When there is disturbance or oppression by thought, the mind should be filled with (or fixed on) that which opposes it.”

Correcting a misunderstanding

It is a complete misunderstanding to think this verse means that we should bring to mind things of a kind that are seemingly opposite to the character of the thoughts that are cluttering our minds. I say “seemingly” because the dualities–dwandwas, the “pairs of opposites” such as pleasure and pain, hot and cold, light and darkness, gain and loss, victory and defeat, love and hatred–are not two, but one, like the two sides of a coin. So thinking of one to counteract the other–such as thinking of generosity to combat selfishness–is worthless, for each are inherent in the other. [Read more…]

“The Bhagavad Gita for Awakening” Is Now Available as Paperback and Ebook

November 27, 2018 by Light of the Spirit Monastery

After years of writing and preparation, we are happy to announce the publication of Abbot George’s latest book, The Bhagavad Gita for Awakening: A Practical Commentary for Leading a Successful Spiritual Life. Although it has been available for reading online at OCOY.org, it is now also available as a paperback and ebook at various online outlets (see below).

With penetrating insight, Abbot George Burke illumines the Bhagavad Gita’s practical value for spiritual seekers. With a unique perspective from a lifetime of study and practice of both Eastern and Western spirituality, Abbot George presents the treasures of the Gita in an easily intelligible fashion.

Here is what early reviewers say:

“I found reading Abbot George Burke’s The Bhagavad Gita for Awakening a genuine pleasure. While I was expecting another Gita commentary, I was delighted to discover so much more than just a commentary. Utilizing his wonderful gift of expression, and employing poetry, parable, personal experiences, and a generous dose of his own deep spiritual insight and wisdom, Abbot George has produced a work that is extremely readable and immensely practical.”
–Russ Thomas

“I’ve read many, many different translations and commentaries on the Gita; Abbot George’s is hands down one of the most approachable. It is clear, helpful, and has a vast depth that easily brings both the meaning and value of the Bhagavad Gita to life. I would highly recommend The Bhagavad Gita for Awakening to anyone that wants to bring it’s lessons into their daily life.”
–Michael Sabani

“I had read through the original text of the Gita a few years ago and as you could imagine, the majority of its lessons were lost on me. The version Abbot Burke has written opened up the lessons the Gita holds in a way that is relatable to a westerner, and far easier to grasp. Being raised in the Catholic faith, I see parallels to the teachings of the Christ and that message is enhanced greatly. I would recommend this version to anyone regardless of religious upbringing, as it’s lessons are relevant to everyone. I truly love reading this book.”
–Caraine Wells

“Be swept away by the ancient wisdom of the East in this timeless classic that offers practical solutions to the modern problems of today. Struggling with the constant tug-of-war between good and evil, our hearts and minds will relish the opportunity to reconnect with God’s eternal love for us so eloquently illuminated in this book. A must read for anyone on a spiritual quest for the truth!”
–Sailaja Kuruvadi

“The Bhagavad Gita is truly one of the world’s foremost scriptural gems, and this new translation and extensive commentary by Abbot George provides great insight into its richness. Abbot George’s ability to examine difficult and often confusing texts (particularly for those not immersed in Indian religious thought and symbolism) and explain them clearly and in a gentle tone is apparent throughout.”
–Br. Julian-Ozana Arconti, CG

The paperback is 533 pages of spiritual insights. The ebook is available at 75% OFF for only 99¢ for a limited time. You can get the ebook at these online sites: Amazon U.S., Amazon India, Barnes & Noble, Kobo.com, iBooks (Apple Books), 24 Symbols, and Playster, and the paperback at Amazon.com.

[Read more…]

Purification from the Karma that Causes Mental Illness

November 18, 2018 by Abbot George Burke (Swami Nirmalananda Giri)

purification from mental illness

Q: What is mental illness? My friend’s son has bipolar disorder with schizoid tendencies. How can I help?

Everything in our life, inner and outer–except for the witnessing consciousness which our true Self–is a product of karma. Just as physical ills come from negative karma, so do mental ills. Also, those ills are symptoms, not the real cause: negative thoughts, words and deeds from the past.

There is only one “cure” for karma: purification. The entire life, inner and outer, must be purified. Obviously this can only be done by the individual. If for some reason they cannot or will not purify themselves then no one can do anything for them.

What we can and should do is sincerely and overtly love and care for them and express kindness at all times for them and their family. Certainly we should pray for them–especially that they will awaken to their condition and its causes. But no one can do it for them. Speaking of the “prison” of karma Jesus said:

“Verily I say unto thee, Thou shalt by no means come out thence, till thou hast paid the uttermost farthing” (Matthew 5:26).

The purification I have mentioned is the necessary payment. It is not a sentence of condemnation, but the process of evolution necessary to all sentient beings as they journey toward perfection.

A Yogi’s View of Christian Scriptures

November 12, 2018 by Abbot George Burke (Swami Nirmalananda Giri)

When Paul writes (Ephesians 5:14): “Thus God speaks through the scriptures: ‘Awake, you who sleep, arise from the dead, and Christ will give you light,’” which scriptures is he referring to?

The King James Version simply has: “Wherefore he saith, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light.” And so does the Greek text. (Most “modern language” translations are interpretive to the point of dishonesty.)

Saint Paul quotes words of Jesus not found in the Gospels and Saint Jude cites a prophecy of Enoch. So we can be sure that the Christians in the early days had access to writings now lost through persecutions, wars and the deliberate destruction by those who thought their own version of Christianity was the only right one.

All the Christian world read the more than three hundred books of Origen until a Church council declared them heretical and they were destroyed. Today we have only a few of them still existing. [Read more…]