The Accidental Private

I am teaching a relatively new class at Yoga on Main, in Manayunk. Its Friday at noon. For the past several weeks, this calss has presented itself as private class. One student shows up, and we really have a delightful time working very deeply. Every week, I have been blessed with a very special student; an old friend, a fellow yoga teacher, a mother/daughter combo. It's been rewarding. So, I'd like to encourage you to stop by, and take your chances, perhaps it will just be us, and it can be all about you.

Alchemical Prayers

As we know, the work of yoga is an alchemical work. We cultivate our Shakti in order to dissolve the gross substance of our mind and ego into the nectar of blissful consciousness. For the most part, I enjoy sticking close to the teachings of the eastern yogis, and meditate on their approach to this process, and contemplate their metaphors. Occasionally, I come a little closer to home, and explore what the western occultists, and Hermetic Alchemists have to say. Usually, I find some Jewels.
I would first like to introduce you to the term 'Hermetic', in case you are not familiar with it already. Hermetic refers to a school that traces its lineage to a great master, The Great Master, named Hermes Trismegistus. (Trismegistus = Thrice Blessed, or SHRI SHRI SHRI!) Hermes, as most of us know, was the Scribe of the Gods. He is considered to be the God of Language, Writing, Wisdom, and Alchemy. Many legends place him all over Greece, Egypt, and surrounding areas, and he is said to have instructed the Great Patriarch, Abraham. From then until now, countless practitioners have poured over his teachings and put them into practice in their lives. These mystics refer to themselves, and their lineage, as Hermetic.

Recently, it was my karma to come across a text, outlining the seven major hermetic principles. It is called "The Kybalion", and it is only 8 bucks, and if you like, you can order it here: The Kybalion. The first of these principles, is that there is a Universal 'ALL'. This all is considered to be Universal Living Mind. This All, of course, is in All, right? Universal Mind permeates all reality, and all the contents of reality, all the laws of reality, and every cell of our body. Here is a neat quote:

"While All is in THE ALL, it is equally true that THE ALL is in All. To one who truly understands this has come great knowledge."-The Kybalion

Although, i wouldn't say that this is an exact parallel of the Vedic ideas of Brahman (universal soul) and Atman (Individual soul), it calls them to mind. It brings forth the memory of our connection to something great, and that indeed, universes reside within us. To sit and feel both; that I exist within a great universal consciousness, and that a great universal consciousness is available within me, this creates a great sense of peace, happiness, and clarity. I recommend it, highly.

Digging around the internet produced a beautiful treasure, "The Secret Song of Hermes Trimegistus". This song, illustrates this idea, and also empowers us to feel our own divine qualities (Atman) while praising these divine qualities in THE ALL(Brahman). I'll post a short quote from it, but perhaps read the entire thing: here The Secret Song sit with it for a time, and let it reveal itself to you.

"O all ye Powers that are in me, praise the One, and All.

Sing together with my Will, all you Powers that are in me.

O Holy knowledge, being enlightened by thee, I magnify the intelligible Light, and rejoice in the joy of the Mind."

Please Enjoy Responsibly.

A good weekend for music

It was an excellent weekend for music, of all kinds.

on Saturday night I went to see my ole Baba, Bhagavan Das, and chant the night away at Yoga on Main



Baba's main message, which I really appreciate, is the preciousness of human life. How easy to lose and how difficult to obtain. The importance of making the most of it, when you have it.
It was powerful times, as energy swirled, and subtle channels opened, and knots untied, and karmic residue came to the surface to find acceptance and release. Of course, as the fates would have it, Sally ended up two cushions away, and although there wasn't any eye contact or communication, the proximity added an extra electric charge to jolt my system. Challenging, but healing.
The next day, I came back to YOM to do Baba's Nada Yoga Workshop. Really it was a 3.5 hour Bhutta Shuddhi practice, chanting and purifying the chakras with mantras and visualization. I experienced some wonderful insights, and energetic openings. I wished it went on all day, and has inspired me to practice Bhutta Shuddi more on my own.

Sunday night, I was invited to see a guy named Grayson Capps.


His wife is producing David's new CD, and I got a text asking me would I let him crash the night at my place. I hauled myself down to olde city, and climbed the stairs to the tin angel, was really, really happy to watch and listen to this guy. Gritty Country Blues always moved me deep in my soul, and mad me proud to be an American. Grayson, indeed, made me proud to be an American. His songs told the story of an America untouched by time, pure and true, stories that sound like they were left to age in an old mason jar that still has a little moonshine in the bottom. And so many songs of heartbreak and loss, songs that made me feel less alone in my own secret pain. "There are some scars that just never heal," he told me after the show, "not much you can do except have a sense of humor about it." And speaking of which, this one is hilarious. He makes a good case.


And just because good things come in threes, I was gifted this really nice Jazz CD in the local book store today. Philadelphia is home to Hip Cinema's Nadine Patterson. Nadine is working on a film featuring a local Jazz musican, Warren Oree. The soundtrack is really enjoyable, and here is a clip and the description of the film.

Ancestral echoes of the Middle Passage reverberate through the upright bass handed down through three generations of the Montgomery family. Each generation deals with conflicts between dreams deferred, and the unfinished business of the past. Grandmom Mozelle was a pioneer in an all women’s band in the 1940’s, but she gave up her musical passion to raise her family in a segregated America. Her son Casey became a revolutionary of the 60’s and 70’s and used music to voice the ideals of the Black Power Movement. Upon his passing his daughter Zera finds herself ill at ease, struggling with her own issues of family, career and music, but also being pulled by something else. Where does this music come from? What is this music really about? Whose cries do we hear across time and space? Do we dare to listen? Do we dare to be healed?

So, that's the week in music, Enjoy!

a short story

I entered a writing contest this evening. 100 words. the theme "found in space"
enjoy!

“Why isn’t the kettle boiling yet?” he thought, cold, thirsty. Walking into the next room, he saw his error; shiny fire hissed from an uncovered burner, the teapot sat, tepid, behind it. He laughed, moved the pyrex over the heat, and watched that pot until it boiled. Tea made, he ambled over to his cushion, sat down in front of candles and incense, closed his eyes. As he breathed, the walls of his cranium dissolved. The space inside his mind flowed out , and the universe poured in. In the middle of all of creation, he found himself.

Happy Halloween - Zen Pumpkin

Actually painted by a child, not a grizzled old zen master


from here

Tantra Reading : The Radiance Sutras

When I was at Bhakti Fest in Joshua Tree last month, i met a man named Lorin Roche. He was a scholar and meditation teacher, and had spent several years working on a beautiful, poetic, practical, and accessible version of The Vijnana Bhairava tantra. The vbt is a delightful text that outlines powerful meditation techniques that can be used both on and off the mat, and allow one to see the sacred in all phenomenon. I really enjoyed meeting him, and taking his workshop, and I really enjoy the text. In fact, I used a reading from it in the wedding I performed just recently.

Be Wildly devoted to someone, or something.
Cherish every perception.
At the same time, forget about control.
Allow the Beloved to be itself and to change.

Passion and compassion, holding and letting go,
This ache in your heart is holy.
Accept it as the rise of intimacy
With life's secret ways.

Devotion is the Divine Streaming through you
From that place in you before time.
Love's energy flows through your body,
Towards a body, and into eternity again.
Surrender to this current of devotion
And become one with the Body of Love.


So check him out, he has alot of fantastic readings on his website, which i have been enjoying very much
http://www.lorin roche.com

Timothy Leary's Tao Te Ching

I am reading a fantastic book.

They recently republished Timothy Leary's version of the Tao Te Ching, "Psychedelic Prayers". (Psychedelic Prayers: And Other Meditations (Leary, Timothy)
) I had an old version once, but I gave it to Paulie Zink. I was without one for a while, because I didn't feel like spending $50 on a old tattered printing from the 60's. But It's back again, and I found one on ebay for 8 bucks. it has some extra stuff in the back that is wonderful too.
Tim wrote his version while in india, studying with a Buddhist Lama and a Vaishnava Monk. He had nine different english translations, and carefully crafted his version based on his readings and 'meditations' (wink, wink). He writes it as a guidebook for a psychedelic experience, and gives it a clear beginning, middle, and end. The result is an elegant and transformational text, one suitable for any voyager of consciousness. any one who "floats through the universe of the body, without getting lost". It works really well as a guide through yoga or meditation practice as well.

Here is a verse, it focuses on impermanence. I've been really into impermanence lately. Its a good thing to get a handle on. nothing fancy, its simplicity holds it beauty.

I - 5

All Things Pass


All things pass

A sunrise does not last all morning

All things pass

A cloudburst does not last all day

All things pass

Nor a sunset all night

All things pass

What always changes?

Earth...Sky...thunder...
Mountain...water...
wind...fire lake...

These change

And if these do not last

Do man's vision's last?
Do man's illusions?

During the session
Take things as they come

All things pass

****

and this one has been my favorite for a very, very long time.

VI - 17

Walk Carefully When You Are Among


"holy men" and
"righteous" deeds
Distract from the internal

"Learned men"
Distract from
Natural wisdom

Professional know-how
Addicts people to the contrived
And the external

Be respectful and compassionate
But walk carefully when you are among-
learned men
holy men
doctors
government officials
reporters
publishers
professors
religious leaders
psychologists
rich men
social scientists
women with beautiful faces
artists and writers
men who
charge fees
city men
movie makers
men who want to help you
men who want you to help them
Christians and Jews


For such as these
However well meaning
Place you on their chessboard
Addict you to their externals
Distract you from the
TAO within

The lesson of the TAO is more likely to be found among-
gardeners
hermits
mountain men
smiling eccentrics
men who build their own homes
children
parents who learn from their children
loafers
amateur musicians
serene Psychotics
animals
men who look at sunsets
men who walk in the woods
beautiful women
cooks
men who sit by the fire
wanderers
men who make bread
couples who have been in love for years
unemployed men
smiling men with bad reputations

Psychedelic Prayers: And Other Meditations (Leary, Timothy)


turn off your mind, relax and float down stream.....

Love....

daniel

360 degree sarvangasana

How cool is this shot of the sunset, a 360 degree Panorama from Yoga in Daily Life seminar in Umag, Croatia with Swami Maheshwarananda.

Umag Asanas At Sunset in Istria

more images here

Google Image Search

sometimes when you search for "chakras" with google images, sometimes you get this.

from this website

Iyengar Yoga Joke

Q. How many Iyengar yogis does it take to replace a light bulb?
A. Only one !

BUT, they will need:
a sticky mat
a backless chair
two blocks
five blankets
a bolster
six ropes
two belts
six assorted benches
a bandage
a slant board
two quarter rounds
three weights
one wooden horse
a certificate

Adorned By Moonlight: Prayer of the Great Bliss Queen

subdue the vagaries of mind. excellent.

Question and Answer

Question (from c):
Just wondering from other peoples experiences.... is it good/bad to use yoga as a vice?
I think its what I might have been doing last month (though there was also a 30 day challenge going on at the studio) and things were great! I was feeling so good.
but I'm taking some time away from the studio this month with work/school/moving and my life seems to be falling apart.

Short answer:
We call it a daily practice. It is no more a vice than brushing your teeth. Try not brushing your teeth for a month, and see what happens.

Longer Answer:

This is where the buddhists really seem to have some insight that isn't felt as fully in the yoga community.
For the buddhists, the purpose of practice is the relieve the individual, and all beings everywhere of the suffering caused by the neurotic, conditioned mind. That is pretty much the whole deal. there is no promise of a 'yoga butt', no promise of a stronger back, or more flexible hips. It focuses on the fact that we are tortured by our minds, all of us, and the only way out is through consistent practice. The mind can be your best friend or your worst enemy. If you don't take serious time to train it, it will probably be the latter.

Patanjali says something similar too, in Yoga Sutra 1.14

When yoga practice is done for a long time, without a break, and with sincere devotion, then the practice becomes a firmly rooted, stable and solid foundation.
(sah tu dirgha kala nairantaira satkara asevitah dridha bhumih)

If you can't go to class, i suggest taking 10 minutes and doing just a little bit on your own. nothing extreme, just a warm up, a sun salutation or two, just to keep it loose.

music video with scorpion pose!

this truly bizarre music video by "The Avalances" features a girl doing scorpion pose. in the background, you can also see her in Urvha Dhanurasana. Enjoy!

Happy Independence Day!

Spider-Ganesha

link

june theme of the month, 14 hugs

14 Hugs Every Day!

This month's theme is simple and pure! More Hugging!
In four parts:

1) When we were at our retreat in the Poconos, in April, there was a lovely Ayurvedic Phychologist, teaching another group of students. One of the teachings she was offering, was that 14 hugs per day was the recommended amount for best mental and emotional health. (I tried googling this to find a source, but to no avail!)

2) Amma is now in America, hugging up all of the Americans! Amma (pictured above) pours love into all who come to her, wrapping her arms around folks, and filling them up with kindness and understanding. This is something that we can all practice. Easy!

3) In "Peace is Every Step" Thich Naht Hahn says

"Hugging is a beautiful Western custom, and we from the East would like to contribute the practice of conscious breathing to it. When you hold a child in your arms, or hug your mother, or your husband, or your friend, if you breathe in and out three times, your happiness will be multiplied at least tenfold." (source)

4) Feel free to start by practicing with me!



picture courtesy gothamayurveda.com

Happy Birthday John Friend!

I have been following John Friend on twitter (@anusarafriend). He's an interesting enough guy, has a sucessful yoga brand, (Anusara Yoga), and enjoys tantric teachings. I found out, on twitter, from @dailyd, that today is his 50th birthday. So, Happy Birthday, John Friend! I haven't studied with him, nor have I been particularly drawn to Anusara, but I totally love that he teaches yoga in an authentic way that really speaks to lots, and lots of people. I am happy to live in a world with him in it. I wish him a very long life.
Also, I discovered on twitter, that there is a slideshow honoring him. This is a sweet thing to do for someone on their birthday. It was put together by Bill Tipper, who is an extremely talented photographer, whose work I have only been introduced to today. His pictures are so lovely and evocative. His pictures of John are so sweet and intimate, that all of a sudden, I feel drawn to study with him.
This is why I like twitter. All in one quick swoop, I get introduced to so much greatness, truth, and beauty. You can follow me, btw, @sitaramdas.

You are brilliant. The earth is hiring

julie forwarded this to me.

It is a commencement speech by a guy named Paul Hawken. He is a brilliant Enviornmentalist and Educator, as well as a Green Entrepreneur. I found it pretty inspiring. I really appreciate inspiration. If I don't do my yoga practice, or if I surround myself with the wrong sort of media and entertainment, I can start to get depressed. This is a powerful call to action, and it is uplifting as well. Here is a pretty good excerpt. If you'd like to read the rest of it, its here.

This planet came with a set of operating instructions, but we seem to have misplaced them. Important rules like don’t poison the water, soil, or air, and don’t let the earth get overcrowded, and don’t touch the thermostat have been broken. Buckminster Fuller said that spaceship earth was so ingeniously designed that no one has a clue that we are on one, flying through the universe at a million miles per hour, with no need for seatbelts, lots of room in coach, and really good food - but all that is changing.
There is invisible writing on the back of the diploma you will receive, and in case you didn’t bring lemon juice to decode it, I can tell you what it says: YOU ARE BRILLIANT, AND THE EARTH IS HIRING. The earth couldn’t afford to send any recruiters or limos to your school. It sent you rain, sunsets, ripe cherries, night blooming jasmine, and that unbelievably cute person you are dating. Take the hint. And here’s the deal: Forget that this task of planet-saving is not possible in the time required. Don’t be put off by people who know what is not possible. Do what needs to be done, and check to see if it was impossible only after you are done.

If you'd like to read the rest of it, its here

Toxic Soy?

I received this from my friend Kate!
One of my pet peeves is toxic natural foods...

it reads---
Do you drink soy milk or eat tofu? You might be drinking toxic chemicals found in soybeans sourced from China (but called "natural" or "organic").

NaturalNews was a contributing source to the Cornucopia Institute's new soy product scorecard that reveals the astonishing lack of integrity by some of the most famous soy product companies in the world. At the same time, this report also tells you which soy companies have integrity! Read it yourself to learn about the winners and losers in the soy industry:
http://www.naturalnews.com/026294.html

More on Soy and Hexane contamination:
To explain this issue in more detail, I've released a new YouTube video on Hexane contamination. Watch it here:

Britian's Got Mantram

Here's a dance troupe from "Britian's Got Talent" that opens their act with "Asatoma Sat Gamaya".
Of course, this is traditionally a closing mantra, but, bygones...
We like when Vedic Culture shows up on 'the tele'.

Dr. Kailash's and his Amazing Ektar

Recieved this video from Kailash today. Its a nice montage, with a couple of different devotional chants, and lots of pictures. He says, "The increasing length of my locks serves as an index of the passage of time. :)"
Kailash may be coming to chant at Main Line Yoga sometime in the future. We tried to find a date that worked this spring, but it didn't quite work. Be on the lookout for him in the future.



Visit Kailash's Website

Kali Ma's Dharma Talks

I like to listen to dharma talks as I drive to my morning yoga class. I have a ravenous appetite for downloadable dharma talks. I like my dharma talks high in quality, quantity, variety, and frequency. I find them nourishing, on a soul level, and interesting and centering for my mind.

I recently found some talks by a woman named Kali Ma. Great name. I think Andy Warhol was right when he said that Everyone is Kali Ma for fifteen minutes.

I found her website a bit confusing to navigate, but from what I could gather, she is a sincere tantric practitioner, with a grounded education in traditional Buddhist Tantric Yogas. I am always happy to see someone striving towards the authentic.

Her Dharma Talks are very nice, too. I have listened to "success and failure" and part of "the tyranny of specialness". She has a nice way of drawing the listener in, and uses excellent historical examples to illustrate her point. There are some occasional moments when her personality gets in the way of the true teaching, and slows down the flow of the wisom, but this is minor, and forgiveable. I can imagine that she will become quite a formidable teacher as she continues down her path.

You can download them here!

Annapurna's Art

Several of the images on the Main Line Yoga Website have been lovingly painted by the sweetest devotee, named Annapurna. I first met her at Joel's Bikram Studio on Walnut Street. She was feeding us all the most delicious milk sweets, and telling us lovely things about Lord Krishna. I discovered that she had painted the works than hung on the walls of the school. When it was time for me to put together a website for Main Line Yoga, it was only natural that I went to her to help me decorate it. I am so glad that I did.

She has been featured in the Online Multimedia Art Journal "Public Republic". It is delightful, and inspires much devotion. The article features the painting above, and many others. ENJOY IT HERE!

Thoughts on Sri K Pattabhi Jois

My month has been full of celebrations. There have been several Birthday parties, many of them milestones. Rhoni Groff and Steve Clofine turned 60, Dharma Mittra turned 70. I'm not sure how old Bhagavan Das is, I wasn't at his official party, but we did chant for him at David Newman's Kirtan at The Chopra Center. All of these people are spiritual significant, all of them lineage holders in their own right, all of them giants. It felt good to be able to honor their lives.

And then came the news about Pattabhi Jois. He was ninety four, and died at 2:30 pm, India time. It was heavy news. I don't teach Pattabhi's Ashtanga Vinyasa, though I do practice the primary series, at least parts of it, quite often. Ashtanga was the first vinyasa class I had ever taken, it had all been Kundalini, beginners Iyengar, and 'ecclectic' (hippie) yoga up until then. I didn't even really know that the teacher was teaching a sequence. I just thought that they figured all those jump throughs would be fun for everybody. They sure were fun for me, and my 20 year old body. I didn't figure it out until later.

So later, I found vinyasa classes, and ashtanga classes, and my practice started to get really inspired. I learned about Krishnamacharaya, Jois, Iyengar, and Desikachar, and how most all the yoga that I was doing, no matter how it was evolved or modified, could be traced back to them.

We sometimes take it for granted that we practice yoga, or even that we practice a certain type of yoga. We might think, "of course I practice yoga, what else wouls I do?" , or even, "of course I teach yoga...". We forget that we stand on the shoulders of giants. If we have these opportunities, this outrageous abundance of teachings available to us, this increasingly enlightened sub-culture, it is because those before us have done great work.

Sri K Pattabhi Jois is one of these giants. His steadfast devotion to his practice and his teaching sets the bar for us all. His easy willingness to give of himself inspires us all to be generous. His social works shows us that yoga doesn't exist in a vacuum, or hidden away in a cave.

Just like Guruji, we all have a responsibility to flow yoga into the future, to make sure that those who seek its refuge are not left wanting.

So, I could go on like for a while, but i think I will leave you with just two more things.

First, a quote I saw on twitter from a teacher named Darren Rhodes.
He Says: " Just as the moon lifts the tides of the Oceans, Pattabhi Jois raised the tides of Yoga for one and all: he is a Moon among men"

Second, a slideshow I found while googling around, quite moving, with a nice George Harrison Soundtrack. Here!!

Free music Sampler

I'm going to go ahead and recommend that you all download Nutone Music's Spring Music Sampler. Its on Amazon, and It's Free. Play it in Yoga Class and buy the full albums.

Here!

Mandalas, Monkeys, and Lessons in Impermanance

this picture from moolf

If you are familiar with sand mandalas, you know one of their most important attributes is their impermanence. The monks carefully, painstakingly create the mandala, and then, swoosh, they brush the mandala away. Many people who watch the process feel a great sense of poignancy or loss. Hopefully, at least some gain some insight into anicca, the truth that all things that begin, must end. We are encouraged to realize that our fortunes, our relationships, and our very lives, are no more solid than the colorful pile of dust that remains at the end of the ritual.

I found an unlikely mandala on the internet today, a mandala just as temporary, and no less beautiful as the Tibetan Sand Mandalas. There is a festival at the Buddhist Temples in Lop Buri, Thailand, last Sunday in November. The townspeople offer huge buffets to the plethora of monkeys that roam the temple ground. It is said that offering the food to the monkeys offers great good fortune, perhaps because the monkeys are in some way holy. their behavior during the festival is so similar to that of the Artist Monks. There is another theory that perhaps it is good fortune to feed the monkeys because they are the center of the tourist trade and economy of the area. So, they say thank you to the monkeys, and create another tourist attraction, and perhaps some good karma as well. Everybody's happy.


this picture from moolf

Many of these buffets are huge, round, patterened pallets of food. Clearly, they share many qualities and principles with mandalas. They are sacred circles and temporary dwellings of the most sacred residents of Lop Buri. And they are impermanant. The monkeys literaly live and eat atop these magnificent structures, as they take them apart, bite by bite. Judging by the pictures and videos, it is a fantastic celebration, and a ritual with a clear, inherent ending. When the food is gone, the party is over.

Meet Lokah, Samastah, Sukhino, & Bhavantu!

These pictures just might inspire you to carry Durga on your back, too!
Here are a bunch of pictures of some really cool big cats, with some really cool Sanskrit names. Sukhino looks like a Sukhino, and Ganga looks like a Ganga!

You can see more pictures at The Guardian, and the Tigers are from T.I.G.E.R.S.

A Poem For The Athiests

I found this on "The Sun Magazine"

It is called "Ode to The God of the Atheists" by Ellen Bass.
It is lovely, and reads like a Hafiz poem. It is devotional and heartfelt, and beautifully whispers a kind of faith that I, personally find hard to argue with. I particularly like the continued naming of The God of Atheists as "This God", as if to say, there may be others, other Gods for the religeous or the spiritual, but we are not talking about those here. We are talking about 'This God', and this is how 'This God' behaves. I can get behind it, when it's put like that.

The god of atheists won’t burn you at the stake
or pry off your fingernails. Nor will it make you
bow or beg, rake your skin with thorns,
or buy gold leaf and stained-glass windows.
It won’t insist you fast or twist
the shape of your sexual hunger.
There are no wars fought for it, no women stoned for it.
You don’t have to veil your face for it
or bloody your knees.
You don’t have to sing.

The plums that bloom extravagantly,
the dolphins that stitch sky to sea,
each pebble and fern, pond and fish
are yours whether or not you believe.

When fog is ripped away
just as a rust red thumb slides across the moon,
the god of atheists isn’t rewarding you
for waking up in the middle of the night
and shivering barefoot in the field.

This god is not moved by the musk
of incense or bowls of oranges,
the mask brushed with cochineal,
polished rib of the lion.
Eat the macerated leaves
of the sacred plant. Dance
till the stars blur to a spangly river.
Rain, if it comes, will come.
This god loves the virus as much as the child.

Ketjak - Ramayana Monkey chanting

Balinese Monkey Chanting is something that someone told me about once. I think they even offered me a small demonstration (to the best of their ability). I loved the idea, and it stayed in the back of my mind for a couple of years. Last night, the monkey reared its head, and I found myself compelled to start googling for everything I could find; video (below), audio (courtesy ubuweb ethnopoetics), and workshops (apparently your best bet outside Bali is Seattle or burning man). Unfortunately, noone on the internet seems to know all that much about Ketjak, and everyone seems to be quoting the same sources, and it is hard to get to the original knowledge. Any way, here is what I could gather.
I was suprised to find that the monkey chant was a product of the 20th century, I expected it to be much older. Apparently it has roots in a much older Balinese Exorcism Ritual, but the monkey chant proper is from the 1930s. Which brings me to my next misconceptions. I believed that monkey chanting was a somewhat random affair, perhaps with a conductor to guide the experience of shrieking and howling, but still very open to inprovisation and play. What I learned is that Ketjak is a scripted piece. It is a reinactment/retelling of the Ramayana focusing on the battle between the monkeys and the demons, and perhaps, told from their perspective. As the chorus chants, they sway and wave their hands, sometimes chanting together, sometimes dividing in two groups and chanting at each other. Occasionally a figure such as Ravana will pop up, and he will be chanted at (exorcized?)
As a practice it seems that it must provide an extremely invigorating, and trance inducing experience. It is said that it takes participants white alot of time to 'come down' from monkey chanting. The ritual choreography also creates an interesting experience of group mind, perhaps the same kind of group mind that Hanuman's Monkey Army experienced when they went to war in Lanka. I am always amazed at the practices that evolve out of devotion and a longing to understand and feel close to their chosen dieties. Ketjak appears to be a powerful tool for creating a certain bhava, or divine mood; a mood that allows one to feel the epic of the Ramayana play out inside the body. We are so lucky that human creativity is able to meet the challanges put forth by the very human need for divine connection, be it with yoga asana, kirtan, vedic chant, or ketjak.




video is from the movie Baraka, which is excellent.

March Theme: Bring Prana to your Psyche

I have been contemplating change recently. The ability for people to change and grow and evolve, and the likelihood that people will actually change. What I keep coming back to, is, most people don't change. The find a rut that is comfortable enough, and they stay there. If this isn't entirely true for you (as it is for at the majority of the population) then I would suggest that it is probably true for you in at least one small aspect of your life. I know that I have places where I don't grow.

I have also been contemplating the requirements for growth, should one have the interest (wouldn't you rather watch tv), and the ability (you might lack the discipline and commitment) to change their life into something more wonderful. There are those of us out there who do change and grow. Some of us to creep, turtle speed towards our potential. It occurs to me that it takes constant work. I personally, have to do a metric ton of work to experience a tiny bit of lasting and significant change. I am incorrigible. It may take you slightly less work to grow a little bit more. Lets hope so. To perform this work, of course takes energy. Lots of energy. For the most part, people have enough energy to get to work, eat some food, and maybe have a hobby and some friends. They simply don't have the energy required to do transformative work. To bring awareness to the unconscious and to overcome deeply ingrained patterns without avoidance or violence is intensive labor. Gratefully, we practice yoga. Yoga provides us with a chance to source greater amounts of prana, so that it is useable by our psyches in service to greater self awareness and skillful action. Our poses can help, our pranayama can certainly help. Our meditation can really assist once we have cultivated our prana. Our meditation practice can shed light on our habits, provide insight into the best use of our prana that is possible. If we are unwise, we will practice and practice, and then use all of our newfound strength to continue chasing our tails. It is my sincerest hope that this is not our fate.
With this intention, I would like to offer you a subtle practice, one to bring your consciousness to your behavior.

Practice:
Pick a habituated statement that you make several times a day, something that you ay on auto pilot: "oh, I'm pretty good, thanks", "Have a great day", "You would say that", "that's a laugh". It doesn't matter what it is, it just has to be a robotized, automatic programmed response that saves you the burden of being conscious and creative. Got one? good!
Now: Stop saying it. Be aware of what is coming out of your mouth. Become creative, attentive, and present.
Also: Enjoy noticing how many times you forget and say it anyway. Practice forgiving yourself without giving up.

Good Luck!

photo credit: Samonberry

Watch "Sita Sings the Blues" Online

A woman named Nina Paley created a wonderful animated Ramayana, that is delightfully Sita-centric. Apparently, she found great solace in this tale, (the greatest breakup story ever told) after her husband went to India for 6 months for work, and ended up breaking up with her over email. It features many different styles of animation, and is quite a visual feast. It also has a stunning soundtrack, one that was in the center of a bit of controversy. The movie is set to the olde timey 1920 jazz tunes of Annette Hanshaw. There was some question around copyright issues, and intellectual property rights, and there was the possibility that the film would never be seen. You can follow the entire struggle here on Nina's Blog. Much of this has been worked out, mostly due to the generosity of sponsors. It will be shown on PBS in NCY on March 7th, and it is also available to be seen on the internet in its entirety here! I am writing this as I watch, and I am thoroughly enjoying.

via boing boing

The Mystic Perfume of the Goddess Savitri

the Mountain Temple of the Goddess Savitri

When I buy 'things', I like them to be really great, quality 'things'. I like to know that some care went into its creation, and that the people involved in the production of the 'thing' are quality people. I like when the 'thing' has a story behind, perhaps even a legend. I am a sucker for a legend.
I got an email today from the folks over at Floracopia. It was an email with a story. They liked their story so much that they told it twice. Once in audio form, and once written in David's blog. (David is the Floracopia guy).
The story is about their perfume, Savitri. To make a long story short -

According to the perfumers of Kannauj, India's ancient perfumery center, the combination of rose and vetiver is one of the finest of all fragrance blends. "Savitri" rose perfume is blended using two unique oils: the rosa bourbonica, also known as the "Edward rose," and ruh khus, a thick hydro-distilled extract of dried wild vetiver roots.

I really enjoyed the audio version, and the process of creating this perfume sounded so cool and magical. Also, I need a present for Valentine's Day, and this just happens to be on sale until February 2nd. I am a sucker for a good story.

I am buying it here

Picture of Indian Pigments

This is pretty

The Passing of Dr. Girish

December 3, 1954 – January 19, 2009


I don't know if any of you ever met Dr. Girish from Gongol Tree, India. I did once, over at the Groff's house. He talked about palmistry, and the stars, and God, and led a few very spirited chants. I showed him the wart that had been on my left hand for six years. He explained it in two sentences, and it was gone by the end of the month. A very dear man. I am saddened that I will never have his darshan again.

I'll close with a quote...

If you understand, things are just as they are.

If you don’t understand, things are just as they are.

Dr. Girish C. Jagirdar

The Ganja of Love

Ganja has been considered a sacred herb by mystics cross-culturally since time immemorial.
Even mystics who don't smoke (myself included) recognize its many virtues. And mystics with an eye towards our national politics, law enforcement, and economy are often greatly saddened by its status of illegal narcotic. There were 872,000 arrests made for marijuana in 2007, 90% of them for simple possesion. Most of the people arrested are under 30. It is estimated that our government spends between 7.7 and 10.5 billion per year.
Through the legalization of the holy ganja of love, we could not only save that money, we could also save a good portion of our young people the pain and stigma of having to go through our legal and prison system. Revenues from taxing the production and sale of jah herb could range anywhere from 6.1 to 31 billion dollars.
On top of all this, there is the wonderful fact that weed can be grown in an enviornmentally sustainable fashion.
President Obama made a promise to "eliminate spending for programs that don’t work." We think that this is a big one.

I got most of this information from "culture11.com" via "The Atlantic"

Dates in Ghee

Not everyone likes dates soaked in ghee, but the people who do, REALLY LIKE dates soaked in ghee. I happen to think they are fantastic. It is so simple and wonderful, it could only come from the wisdom of ayurveda. Joseph at Joyful Belly Ayurveda sent them to us last week. You can order them from him, (he also make some fantastic agni-stoking, pippali cookies) and they are also simple to make at home. Simply pour warm ghee over dates, and voila!
There are many benefits to eating these delicious treats. They have a sweet flavor, which is great for cravings, and excellent for vata. They are also full of ojas, making them a fantastic aphrodisiac, and tonic rejuvenative (rasayana). Big Yum!

A big Pile of Books from the Ramakrishna Mission

I suppose I've been a little extra book crazy lately, perhaps its a winter thing. However, I can't help but be reminded of my old friend, Nat. He's probably in Belize right now, or perhaps he's finally made it to Antarctica. Nat was a small fellow, much smaller than average. I think it made clothes shopping difficult. When Nat would have a particularly good day at the thrift shops, he would say, "Somebody died in my size!", and smile real big. It was a bit morbid, and was probably true on at least one occasion. He thought it was hilarious. And it must have stuck with me, because when I walked into the "Last Word Bookstore" (40th and Walnut) today and looked at the 'Hinduism' section, my first thought was, "My God, a Ramakrishna devotee died." There were so many books from the Ramakrishna Mission, that they wouldn't even all fit on the shelves. They overflowed onto the floor. Not the best book Karma, I know, but I wasn't going to get in a fight with the bookstore guy about it. Enough Ramakrishna and Vivekenanda to keep you busy for a long, long time. Of course, there was some other good stuff, some Ramana Maharshi thrown in for good measure, and a few hardbacks from india written by obscure swamis. You could tell it all came from the same guy. I wonder what happened to him. Did he die? Did he become a Christian? Did he move to India? I hope he moved to India.
I was proud of myself, I didn't buy even one. I spent this week's book allowance on those that bag of tantra from craig's list, and it is keeping me plenty busy.
I just thought I should put it out there, in case anyone else in in the market for "The Complete Works of Swami Vivekenanda"($35), or in case anyone feels like making me a present. Hah!
Keep your lamps trimmed and burning...

New Aquisition at the BDLATS

I really enjoy books. I've always accumulated them quite easily, read them voraciously, and collected them doggedly. My library reached a new level several years ago when Bhagavan Das asked me to look after a few boxes of his books. There was some good stuff in there, stuff I may not have come across otherwise, and other things that I was familiar with, but just hadn't got around to accumulating just yet. It was a quantum leap, quite satisfying. I decided to name my library, "The Bhagavan Das Library for Advanced Tantric Studies". I thought it was official and important enough, and got back to the business of reading and collecting.
The BDLATS had another good day, about a year ago, when our dear friend Paul JJ Alix asked us to care for a portion of his collection for a spell. The excitement was lessened only slightly by the arrival of 11 boxes send C.O.D. I realized that this was the way to go. I stopped borrowing books, insisting that now, I only housed collections.
Well, we had a good day today, at the library. Nothing as fantastic as the collections we obtained from Baba or Paul, but still a solid haul. A Craigs List find. Fifteen books for $40. Mostly Chogyam Trungpa. One book by Musician John Cage. I didn't bother haggling, and I almost always haggle. For the sport of it.
It was an easy transaction, the gentleman dropped them off at the yoga school, and said he was happy they were going to a good home. I gave him his money, and thanked him.
I have a few of them already, if can guess which ones, I'll give you one of them as a present. I'll give you a hint, there are three. (No shipping, you have to come and get it)
Here is the inventory:
Dharma Art (Dharma Ocean Series)
The Lion's Roar: An Introduction to Tantra (Dharma Ocean Series)
The Heart of the Buddha (Dharma Ocean Series, 1)
The Tibetan Book of the Dead: The Great Liberation through Hearing in the Bardo (Shambhala Library)
Orderly Chaos: The Mandala Principle (Dharma Ocean Series)
Cutting Through Spiritual Materialism
Secret of the Vajra World: The Tantric Buddhism of Tibet
Dakini's Warm Breath: The Feminine Principle in Tibetan Buddhism
Kundalini: Yoga For The West
Healing with Form, Energy, and Light: The Five Elements in Tibetan Shamanism, Tantra, and Dzogchen
The Masks of God, Vol. 2: Oriental Mythology
The Masks of God, Vol. 3: Occidental Mythology
Silence: Lectures and Writings
Trancending Madness
The Bliss of Inner Fire: Heart Practice of the Six Yogas of Naropa

The rules:
1) The list of books is on my blog, mainlinesutras.com
2) You may enter once, by email, and guess the three duplicate books.
3) Place your first choice book first
4) The person who guesses the three (or the most) correctly, first gets their first choice book.
5) It will trickle down from there.
6) You must come get your book in person.

Sock Monkey Goddess

Sarasvati is the Goddess of the arts, literature, and music. It is by Her grace that we have speech, language, alphabets, musical scales, and recipies for delicious foods. Through her amourous shapeshifting adventures with her husband Brahma, the earth was populated with all of the earth's creatures. No doubt, it was through her inspiration that this project, Sara-Sock-Svati, was concieved and excecuted. Apparently, every year, this couple, jek and jeff, give each other themed sock-monkeys.
from Craftzine
see also Sock Monkey Buddha