In Yoke

"Man must evolve for all human conflict a method which rejects revenge, aggression, and retaliation. The foundation of such a method is love." -Martin Luther King ________________________________________________ "Hostility is like an infectious   disease. Whenever we indulge in a violent act or even in hostile words, we are passing this disease on to those around us. When we quarrel at home, it is not just a domestic problem; we are contributing to turmoil everywhere."- A teacher of meditation in ancient India, Patanjali , wrote that in the presence of a man or woman in whom all hostility has died, others cannot be hostile. In the presence of a man or woman in whom all fear has died, no one can be afraid. This is the power released in true nonviolence, as we can see in the life of Mahatma Gandhi. Because all hostility had died in his heart, he was a profound force for peace.---   Eswaran I have struggled with this concept for my whole life, and only now , as I app...

Whoever has will be given more, and he will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him. --Matthew 13:12 This is a strange paradox, a little-known secret. Jesus isn't speaking of worldly goods. He is speaking of a very rare kind of treasure: the more you draw on it, the more you will have. For instance...The more patient you are with people, the more patience you will have. The more generous you are today, the more generosity you will have tomorrow. The more love you give, the more loving you become. The principle can be stated in the plainest of terms: if you are selfish with your love, the scant security you cling to will be battered by life. But if you give of yourself freely, your security will be unshakable. Your joy will be limitless. You will always have more to give.--Eswaran I see this mystery at work in all sorts of ways as I seek to become more open to the mind of Christ, and allow the Spirit to guide the way my heart is listening. W...

It seems that sometimes in life, we must simply let go, and stop clinging to "our stuff" --in order for the satisfaction and blessing of God to be realized. I "gave up" the college ministry and the desire to lead and to influence---and have been able to witness the able team building and leadership of my dear friends and respected colleagues flourish and bear fruit. Yesterday at Calvary the fruit of their planning and organization, and inspiration was so evident. Students shared their experience as a part of the Calvary fellowship, and many students were in attendance...50 in bible study alone...what a time. Becky and Charlie, Jeff, Genevie, Ray and Mallory--were all so lucid and effective in communicating their hearts about what the fellowship means to them. Inspiring, and so confirming. I am blessed to be able to step back in and simply be a team member...and a mentor to students--the role I most appreciate and through which I am most blessed...my fellow team memb...

The wine of life is oozing drop by drop, the leaves of life are falling one by one. -Omar Khayyam "Like leaves, we come into this life, are here for a few days, and then are gone. Nobody remembers us, and nobody misses us. As long as we believe that we are separate, we inevitably have to die. Our immortality is in the whole, which never dies. In living just for personal profit and pleasure, no matter under what philosophical name we may call it, our real personality withers away. It cannot be otherwise. When you become aware that you are not a leaf but the tree, something amazing happens in your life: you are able to act spontaneously, almost effortlessly, for the good of all. This is the proof of your awareness that you are the tree: everywhere it will motivate you, everywhere you will see what contribution you can make. You won't have to deliberate the pros and cons. You won't need a computer to provide you with a plan of action. You will know instinctively, intuitively,...

I went to the root of things, and found nothing but Him alone. -Mira Bai "The Lord is not someone outside us who lived in a given place at a given time. He is right within. " [Luke 17:20-22] from Eswaran : "Throughout creation, God is the principle of creativity itself. Even some of the greatest scientists and philosophers have yet to grasp this simple truth. One well-respected astronomer calls it cowardly to conclude that God created the universe just because we cannot comprehend the conditions of its creation. This great scientist is still thinking of God as someone outside, holding court beyond the Andromeda galaxy; he hasn't glimpsed that all this is God, and wherever there is light, or beauty, or excellence in anything, we are seeing a little more of His glory. But, as Mira says, to see this vision we cannot just stay on the surface of life picking up a few baubles of pleasure and prestige. We have to get deep, deep below, and go to the root of all things."...

From Eswaran: "If we could interview a negative tendency, say, Resentment , it might say, "I don't worry! I've been living safely in this fellow's mind for years. He takes good care of me - feeds me, dwells on me, brings me out and parades me around! All I have to do is roar and stir things up from time to time. Yes, I'm getting fat and feeling grand. And I'm proud to tell you there are even a few little rancors and vituperations running around now, spawned by yours truly!" So he may think. But when you repeat the mantram, (and practice presence and detachment with self remembering and mindfulness) you are prying him loose. You are saying, in a way that goes beyond vows and good intentions, that resentment is not part of the real you. You no longer acknowledge its right to exist. We use something genuine to drive out impostors that have roamed about largely through our neglect and helplessness.We move closer and closer to our divine Self, because thes...

"One who would be serene and pure needs but one thing, detachment." -Meister Eckhart(13th century Christian mystic) Eswaran notes a most applicable issue in my life, that of non-identification with my own opinions(or preferences), a term known as detachment . My wife Leslie and I have been involved in an ongoing conversation about this discipline and how the practice of detachment brings much more peace and contentment in our daily lives. I can save myself lots of trouble and pain by not expending energy defending my opinions or preferences. To quote the teacher: "Most of us identify ourselves with our pet opinions. Then, when we are contradicted, we take it personally and get upset. If we could look at ourselves with some detachment, we would see how absurd this is. There is scarcely any more connection between me and my opinions than there is between me and my car. I have a close friend who is devoted to her Volkswagen Bug. If I compliment her on it, she is pleased; if...