PAUL BRUNTON REVISITED PART 1

I became acquainted with the writings of PAUL BRUNTON through his book,' A SEARCH IN SECRET EGYPT, published in 1936, the year I was born. I came across the volume on the shelves of The Fiske Free Library in Claremont, NH, when I was in either Stevens Junior High or the first two years of Stevens High,from which I graduated in 1954. The Fiske Free Library had a marvelous collection of books on nearly all subjects know to man, or at least classified under the Dewey Decimal System, as cumbersome at it often was, at least for me, who rearranges books on my shelves to suit myself and my tastes and needs and mental approaches to things. During the 1960's, as I have often mentioned to others of a literary bent and persuasion, nearly all of the books were decimated, discarded, even burned, by the ,modern barbarians' in keeping with 'business' operations and 'trendy notions'etc....In fact, this trend of 'overhauling' the libraries of villages, towns, cities,even colleges and universities is still going on, along with those drastic changes in other institutions such as, museums...which are, like the libraries, divesting themselves of their materials, whether collections of artifacts or books. I do not expect this pernicious trend to end any time soon before all the shelves and cases are empty and filled with the modern trivia and crap now so popular.But this is my own perception and feelings based as they are on old notions of 'knowledge'. This book' A SEARCH IN SECRET EGYPT' made a lasting impression on me,though I have not read it since those days and a copy now is more expensive that I care to pay at the moment. I was affected by this book because along with othe ocult books and magazines, such as Sinnett's,'ESOTERIC BUDDHISM' and the AMORC and other 'Rosicrucian'books and magazines,that I read, I formed a loose-knit group of classmates(boys) called 'THE ANCIENT BROTHERHOOD OF TRUTH SEEKERS' and wrote a composition entitled,'THE ENLIGHTENED ONES' amogn others that followed in various ways..... One of my classmates, 'IAN L' joined and when he heard of my interest in Rosicrucianism, told me his mother belonged to them but he was not sure which group it was actually.(There was also THE ROSICRUCIAN FELLOWSHIP,under Max Heindel). Seeing myenthusiasm over 'A SEARCH IN SECRET EGYPT' Ian borrowed the book which I had checked out of the library in my name, promising to return it and I naively thought he would do so which,of course, he did not and so the library was on my neck for its return along with a hefty fine. The library contacted my grandmother with whom I had lived since my parents divorce years before, and eventually the book was recovered but I do not know who paid the fines...Ian,I late discovered,was 'light-fingered' despite the 'wealth' of his parents...soemtimes he would snitch a pack of cigarettes from Dion's store,which we both frequented to read comics and drink ice cream sodas,etc. various times. Ian would then go with me and my best friend Bob W. after school where they would try to puff on these 'butts' in the woods, near the railroad tracks that crossed Broad Street...(these tracks, like the rairoads, are long gone and the old rail bed is now a 'hiking trail' complete with plenty of dog poop as expected these days)...Both of these friends and classmates are now deceased but at the time I decided never to become 'addicted' to tobacco or alcohol or
narcotic drugs....at around 8 or 9 or 10, I had experimented with tobacco and beer and whiskey and wine so these were not mysteries to me and for this I am grateful that I never succe umbed to these pernicious and vile habits that ensnared and still do, many people who later attempt to give up such things and really can't except in some instances too numerous to mention... Although I have had numerous 'opportunities' to sample the pharmacy of various drugs that were and somewhat still popular over the years, I have refrained from such, having known from 'ancient sources' the one-way street and brick wall that arises from such .... It is my conclusion, based on seeing others who indulge in such and spend most of their money and time at such 'recreations' start out by becoming addicted to tobacco, namely cigarettes washed down with alcohol, generally 'suds' and 'brews' and then go to the more exotic and hardcore things...like 'maryjane' and 'weed',etc. then take a tumble in the 'snow' and then 'shoot up' with a set of 'works',etc. But all this is another topic and far from the things I wish to discuss here.....

THE 'PROPER' MOOD FOR YOGA

Miss Manner's column on contemporary manners and etiquette by Judith Martin, has the title: GOOD YOGA TEACHER BEGINS EACH CLASS BENT OUT OF SHAPE! The 'bent out of shape' part does NOT refer to the poses, postures and asanas that turn people into pretzels and contortionists but to the attitude of the 'teacher of yoga'....the writer describes the modos and attitudes that the yoga teacher seems to be displaying and which turn people off by her describing the things that have 'gone wrong with her'etc. before class...apparently then teaching, in the words of the writer to Miss Manners, ' a wonderful class'.... This basic attitude demonstrates that many of today's trendy yoga instructors and certified practitioners,even afer years of assuming the obligatory postures of Hatha and other yogas, have yet to quell the mind and the emotions and only subdue the body....mastery of the body should, as many think and feel, relax the body and eventually the mind but thei takes time.... The writer of the letter seems to want to help the yoga instructor get out of the doldrums and negative state she has 'posed herself' into....claiming that the teacher is in financial difficulties(which seem, if real,to be of her own doing)....and is overly concerned with appearances, wanting people to think well of her(the instructor)...... Self-centered yoga instructors of all persuasions often do care more for 'perfect' postures or 'appearances' and will often go to great lengths to do so, by 'standing on their heads' or 'bending over backwards' to both please students and bring in cash and other 'sacrifices'.. Miss Manners shows the correct attitude for dealing with this, perhaps gained from her devotions to manners and proper behavior, a sort of yoga in itself....helping people has become a sort of, as Miss Manners astutely notes, 'A NATIONAL PASTIME' along with other similar recreations of a national character.... But I seriously doubt that this yoga instructor will ever be able to 'get into the proper mood for yoga' if she has not early on in her career learned how this is done....usually self-taught persons or DVD trainees fall into this group...

THE MAHABHARATA

Yesterday, I spent most of the day and some of the night reading a bit of the MAHABHARATA, the William Buck Version in English and also watching the two disc DVD of Peter Brook's movie version which was based on stage plays done around various parts of the world.........Peter Brook is a very intense and creative person, often described as 'demanding' and'rude' but with whom I can sympathize since doing a few TV projects myself and wanting to do the images as I have and hold them in my mind for what I want to do........I have his 'MEETINGS WITH REMARKABLE MEN' based on GURDJIEFF'S second book...and which I have watched innumerable times but which actually needs expansion and details that seem lacking in certain areas, and which might lead those unacquainted with THE WORK to make conclusions based solely on the film.......thus going nowhere beyond the 'cinematic' presentation..... THE MAHABHARATA,however, has some interesting things that take it from the realm of the 'cultural-ethnic' classification that many will place upon it, and ignore the universal aspects that need to be understood, basically some of the 'causes' of war and the social ills that plague mankind and how they often arise...though one need not accept the 'religious' twists and turns that fill both the written and film version(s) of this. A multiracial cast provides a most provocative performance while the MARTIAL ARTS movements, are interesting as are some of the weaponry performances,all of which seem derived from JAPANESE,FILIPINO, & South East Asian weaponry systems in a mix that will delight many traditional persons to a great extent if they keep an open mind. A few familiar uses of shields often used in other 'epics' that deal with armies and wars and face-to-face combat and tactics will come to mind as one watches the ba ttle scenes....a few horses add to the fray but the lack of elephants and some others that are often found in such movies, does not detract from the interest one feels during the film....which could have been a realy great epic if it had been done with a big multi-million/billion budget, no doubt, the ESSENTIAL FRAMEWORK of the magnificent MAHABHARATA is there..... Like the movie, ASOKA, another grand epic set in India, this movie gives one many things about which to ponder over and to meditate upon, if one is willing to make the effort beyond the mere form of exciting entertainment and examine the personal and moral and social and historical dilemmas posed to everyone...... THE YOGA OF ACTION, of course, seems to be the focus given by KRISHNA and which has been come to be termed: KARMA YOGA....a sort of 'Hindu' "KUNGFU" so-to-speak....and the other great works allied with this one: The BHAGAVAD-GITA & THE RAMAYANA also are most deserving of attention by martial artists who wish to know more about 'ancient warfare and combat' as well as some strategy...but I am afraid few will seriously take to this special arena as they often are more taken up with strictly Chinese and Japanese strategies that have become of common interest lately,namely both from books on the subjects and numerous movies on such that have flooded the West in past years, all of which I also find enjoyable and significant and take not in the ordinary way of mere entertainment and the like.

WHEN YOIU ARE READY YOUR GURU OR TEACHER WILL APPEAR EVEN IF HE IS A FIGMENT OF YOUR IMAGINATION!

YOU ARE YOUR OWN BEST GURU!

IF YOU ARE ON THE WAY OF THE YOGI YOU WILL EVENTUALLY BECOME YOUR OWN TEACHER!

This is a most gradual process or progress if at all....and many attempt to do this on their own from the very start and end up far from what they wanted to be or do....and even with a teacher they often leave and take up other things...

SRI TIRUMALAI KRISHNAMACHARYA

Having seen and perused the book on the life and teachings of SRI KRISHNAMACHARYA, I finally bought the book by A.G. Mohan and his son, Ganesh Mohan and read it from cover to cover...I was impressed by the photos in the book of 'THE FATHER OF MODERN YOGA'doing yoga in his eighties and the account of his life and teachings...He lived to be 100 years and in his 'WARRIOR VINYASA' I could see,among other things, some I had seen in other yoga sequences and asana, that martial artists of all persuasions could benefit from a study of this.....I was drawn to the simplicity of things, the basics stressed, and the gradual progress indicated, especially in terms of pranayama and breathing, that one has to undertake while using movement(s)... Quite often far too complicated things are entered upon without knowing where one is going to end up....and this has been the case with a great deal of yoga teaching, at least in more modern times, where many things are 'blended' and 'mixed' and served up as 'great cocktails' to be imbibed...... Those who consideer themselves well-grounded in some system of yoga or of several systems, if such can really be done, would do well to read this book and re-read it since it has much to consider and understand, once one has settled down and dismissed one's own peculiar notions about practice and yoga,etc.

TESLA & YOGA

From reading a recent biography of Nicolai Tesla, the 'electrical genius' whose eccentricities have been elaborated on numerous times but with little understanding, of course, that he was well acquainted with RAMAKRISHNA's philosophy as were several otther geniuses of that time, such as, Henry Ford, Luther Burbank, etc. Am not sure if he was aquainted with Theosophy and Madame Blavatsky, but it is rumored that Einstein kept a copy of the SECRET DOCTRINE either in his desk or in his library....soooo......... Tesla apparently followed several things in yoga and had a remarkable concentration and focus.....of which more can be said.......

DESMOND DUNNE: YOGISM

Many years ago,there were a number of ads in various magazines, probably some in FATE, about Yoga and Yogism and works by DESMOND DUNNE...I somehow obtained one of his books and found it most interesting and also useful and so, I recommend it to all, both beginners and experts, of which there are many,many....and I find that much of it influenced in various ways my approach and practice(on and off over the years) of yoga.....I will post on this site a download of material from this work for those who cannot locate a volume and or who cannot afford to buy one.

IN YOGA, THE 'YOKE' IS ON YOU !

YOGA is essentially 'union' and 'connection'...the YOKE IS ON YOU! This is a 'yoking' of opposites with the YOGI/YOGIN/YOGINI,etc. CARRYING BOTH VIA THE YOKE.... For some, this is both the 'SUN' & the 'MOON'...which can be seen as 'cards' in the ancient TAROT and meditated on by those who seek a slightly different approach to Yoga.....but this I shall not discuss here at the moment....as my blog on the Tarot is another thing I have to work on eventually and update.....as i go along in these areas slowly over the years and the time I have left to do so...

THEOS BERNARD & THE GREAT OOM

If you go to the link list and click onto the GREAT OOM listing, you can go to several interesting things by clicking onto the pictures and reading the information there and also read the comments...THEOS BERNARD supposedly had a way to neutralize physical attacks,etc. in the use of certain esoteric/occult ways, sometimes called, no contact or no touch,etc. like the Ki and Chi demos many masters claim to do do and show on U-Tube, etc....He apparently did this against the police force when he wanted to show them 'non'lethal' ways of handling criminals,etc. something police could use today in their 'war on citizens'......I shall have to dig out my book by Theos Bernard, who is mentioned in one of the books I listed under a different topic....and try to study this more...PAUL DUKES is another 'child of Gurdjieff' and was an intelligent agent who worked in Asia, Russia,etc. Another lady shown whose picture is on the website given married HAZRAT INAYAT KHAN......SUFI MASTER/WRITER/MUSICIAN,ETC.

THE TWO MOST IMPORTANT BOOKS ON YOGA & VEDANTA PUBLISHED SO FAR IN THE 21ST CENTURY ARE:

AMERICAN VEDA: FROM EMERSON & THE BEATLES TO YOGA & MEDITATION:HOW INDIAN SPIRITUALITY CHANGED THE WEST, by Philip Goldberg,2010, and THE SUBTLE BODY: THE STORY OF YOGA IN AMERICAN by Stefanie Syman, 2010.

J.D. SALINGER & YOGA

Many of us who read he late J.D. Salinger's many novels and short stories, especially the 'CATCHER' (IN THE RYE) know of his interest in ZEN and the many times he made use of such items in his writings....but perhaps not many of us realize that he was deeply into YOGA and a very important book that he read(around the same time that I did or shortly afterwards) was THE AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF A YOGI, by Yogananda and that he kept contacts with the SELF-REALIZATION FELLOWSHIP all his life it seems.. Moreover, he also was interested in RAMKRISHA(Ramahchrisna) and also read a lot of materials on or about him, apparently. Although I cannot actually verify this, I was told on good authority by a late friend of mine who 'knew' him, by sight and some conversations in Windsor,VT, for example, that he also had an interest in 'witchcraft' and had done some reading on the subject......donating a number of book on the subject to the Cornish Library.....

YOGI RAMACHARAKA,SWAMI BHAKTA VISHITA, & SWAMI PANCHADASI

These three 'swamis' are actually the names used by the same person known in metaphysical circles as WILLIAM WALTER ATKINSON, an interesting author of many books also under various names.....I became acquainted with yoga almost since babyhood, because of a large volume devoted to medical lore which was called HOME MEDICAL LIBRARY which I amused myself over the years since it was placed in my hands by my grandparents in the late 30's-40's. I still have the volume. In that book was a Chapter called: THE SCIENCE OF BREATH and had some photographic illustrations of various exercises which I used as the basis for a talk on yoga that I gave in class during my sophomore year while attending Stevens High School. Although I cannot find exactly where this material came from, I suspect it was added from some material or works of the late William Walter Atkinson, and it may also be found in some other old medical volumes that I have in my library,etc. I collect these now and then, partly because they also contain certain physical culture and jiu-jitsu topics and photos, some rare, indeed. Later I acquired a book under the title of Yoga by the author writing as Yogi Ramacharacka...Recently, while browsing in an Upper Valley Bookstore, I came across a book re-issued/reprinted entitled: SWAMI PANCHADASI'S CLAIRVOYANCE & OCCULT POWERS, edited by Clint Marsh and published by Red Wheel/Weiser,LLC. This book is a handy guide to WW Atkinson's works and it contains some very clear and interesting ideas that are found often concealed and nestled among the more recent and trendy-popular works of moderns who feel inclined to write and discuss 'occult' and 'new-age' topics and turn them into best sellers of some kind....for a voracious public of sorts....which shows that there is hardly anything 'newe under the sun' but only repackaged materials with new covers in new bottles....!!! While many things in nostalgic works of or on the occult and the esoteric are a tedious read and the 'science/technology/medicine'etc' of those times have somewhat drastically changed in ways that often seem overwhelming, the basics are there and that is where everyone should take heed and caution and start from there and not try to skip into advanced and sometimes risky areas....

INTEGRAL YOGA

The INTEGRAL YOGA of SRI AUROBINDO(1872-1950) is a system of TRANSFORMATION of LIFE & THE WORLD, rather than the usual 'liberation' or negation of them,as usually understood or misunderstood by Westerners who tend favor what they consider a 'more postiive philosphy'. Sri Aurobindo's studies, practices, and efforts, based essentially upon THE BHAGAVAD-GITA, a profound work, admired and read, not only in India but in the West,are significant for many who aspire to higher spriitual realization(s) in the field(s0 of 'SPIRITUAL' EVOLUTION in which MAN IS & CAN BE, THE INSTRUMENT OF DIVINE FULFILLMENT...as understood by most who embrace yoga and Hinduism and other paths along the same lines of endeavor...but for whom these other paths have not proven sufficiently satisfying for some reasons.... INTEGRAL YOGA, as conceived and developed by SRI AUROBINDO, who was an intense ACTIVIST who strived for India's Independence and National Independence, which only now is on its way to becoming a 'super-power',( no longer a poor, backward 3rd world problem,) combined the three schools of YOGA: WORK, KNOWLEDGE & LOVE, which were usually embraced separately by specific types of persons: physical-mental-emotional. CONSEQUENTLY, the 'spiritual' development of CONSCIOUSNESS receives and emphasis rather than the 'material' development of it, example: the brain...whihc is the focus of much research these days to enhance or develop 'consciousness' or 'super-consciousness'..

WHAT IS THE MOST IMPORTANT POSE IN YOGA? PART ONE

Most who attempt to answer this question ,if based on their specific routines,methods, concepts & theories, would be understandably reluctant to assign any onepose or stance or asana this status. Still an attempt to lessen the many hundreds, actually thousands, of such(which include all the seemingly possible variations) has been done and is still being done to creat specific routines of brevity, for extremely busy Americans and others,especially those who cannot or will not enter ashrams found in India and elsewhere...

ARE YOU A 'YOGI'? (WHAT IS A YOGI? PART TWO)

'ARE YOU A YOGI/" is a question I now ask all who take 'yoga' lessons of any variety and flavor, or 'special mixture' for 'American Palates' and especially of those heading up, directing, etc. 'yoga activities' and 'practices' especially classes,etc. I will not record any answers that I receive or have received for now, but only point out that claimants for the title of 'YOGI' or 'YOGINI' or those who aspire for such a title, should know what it means and of what it is all about, based on the experience of THE WAY OF THE YOGA (THE WAY OF THE YOGI). This is especially true for those who embark on the path of teaching such. The popular consensus about yoga is that it is a series of health promoting physical exercises that everyone can do and should do, if possible and time permits, and they can afford such. Consequently, the commercial, if not educational, aspects of yoga as a 'health enterprise' or an alternative to other systems of exercise and 'physical culture' et al, has become more evident in recent years.

WHAT IS A YOGI? PART ONE

During my sophomore English class in high school we were assigned to present a topic following the format of such talks to be given on a subject we were to choose. I decided to talk about YOGA and as we had to state the topic beforehand in class, one of my classmates, a girl I remember,exclaimed,"Oh,yogis are people who stand on their heads!" I'd seen a recent movie, comedy, which involved 'wrestling' matches of the usual type seen in such, that had been showing not too long before and which some of my classmates,probably this same girl, had seen in the local movie house.... However, my interest in yoga did not arise form that movie as I had been aware of yoga since childhood in various ways, mostly through reading and listening to certain radio programs. In fact, I had read what few books concerning yoga and related topics that were in the Fiske Free Library in Claremont where I attended Stevens High School. But the main and specific reading source for me at the time, was a section on yoga in a large, heavy volume of a Home Medical Book of various remedies,etc. that belonged to my grandparents and which I still have. This large volume had some photos of the 'yogi' practitioner doing mostly breathing exercises....he was very popular at one time and did them in a business suit....he also wrote books on 'mental science' and the like.... I answered or defined the question,'WHAT IS A YOGI?' by answering this way, 'A YOGI IS A PERSON WHO DOES YOGA.' Then I defined yoga, if I recal as coming from the word, 'yoke' and from there demonstrated three or four breathing exercises and arm stretches as I knew them and understood them at the time. Everyone agreed that I really knew my subject and from that point on, I was expected to do or give unuusal talks whenever class speeches or presentations were to be held. I must say, however, that this topic of yoga was probably my best one compared to any of the others I ever gave that school year. So, the two answers to thsi question are still valid: A YOGI IS SOMEONE WHO DOES OR PRACTICES YOGA, AND A YOGI IS SOMEONE WHO STANDS ON HIS OR HER HEAD! These 'definitiions'are most sufficient for ordinary minds to grasp and accept, though, in all fairness, they will fail to satisfy 'die-hard' yoga enthusiasts or those with pretense to being 'yogis'.

BEFORE YOU ASK...

I do not 'teach' yoga, I learn Yoga, and if you like, I will learn yoga with you. I do not teach any martial arts, I learn martial arts, and,if you like, I will learn martiala rts with you. But though I will learn some things with you does not mean I will seek you out. You must seek me, find me, learn from me at your own expense-which means money, effort, and suffering sacrifices. There are no contraints-no restrictions other than thsoe you impose on yourself and others... What,if anything, you learn with me as we learn together, is yours and yours entirely, as I lay no claim to any of it...it is your responsibility, your problem, your effort, however miniminal, your sacrifice however little sweat is raised...your pain how ever excruciating it may be and the AIM, if any, is one you have to forumulate for yourself, if you in learning with me, can REMEMBER YOURSELF.....

A RECENT EXPERIENCE IN A YOGA CLASS I ATTENDED

Recently I dropped in on a Yoga Class for 'beginners' of all sorts, but mostly mostly women(I was the second male in the class but did not participate,preferring to observe,but which made me actuely aware of things). The 'instructress',younger than myself(I am 74 as of this writing)but not, as is said,'a tender spring chicken' 'SELF-PERFORMED' her routine and the 'beginners' imitated as best they could what she did and listened to her suggestive,hypnotic voice in the partially darkened room as she covered a number of areas, none of which were defined or fully explained but merely tossed out,here and there. She rang some cymbals adn later struck a Tibetan Singing Bowl at the class conclusion. She also interjected a few words on 'CHINESE MEDICINE' and gave a sort of 'QIGONG" methodwhich made me realize that her mention of this had no real bearing on 'yoga' which she was demonstrating but a pretense to knowledge she might not possibly have,but had only read about. The 'yoga poses' and routine I do not fault,but only criticize the way she presented them and how she ignored the students for the most part except for when she got up off her spread,plastic mat and went around to a few,but not all,to 'adjust' which was very limited,which told me she was not aware of concerned with anyone actually to the extent of really teaching them.

GREAT SYSTEMS OF YOGA

Great systems of YOGA exist but they are not to be found in store front studios,health spas or clubs or mixed martial arts dojos and seen easily on DVD's or read at lelisure in New Age Books that proliferate so easily these days-though perhaps a few 'gems' may shine here and there. It is not merely sincerity and honesty that is important for yoga practice but UNDERSTANDING. This is often lacking in its full meaning in both the instructors and the students,though both may well be able to utilized the jargon and do many complex,rubbery stretches of various kinds.