Welcome to YBC40. If you're new here, you may want to subscribe to the email newsletter for info on classes and events, ...or link to this site via RSS feed. If you'd like you may have YBC40 articles from this site delivered by email as they're posted. Thanks for visiting and enjoy!

This was in response to a post on the kundalini yoga teacher’s forum, subject: knowledge should be free. The gist was that this person thought it was hypocritical to charge for passing on spiritual teachings. The following is a response.

Many people believe that spiritual knowledge should be free. In many ways it is, but living in a world of duality, one has to give in order to get. That is also in accordance with karmic law. Karma is simply cause and effect, which was proven scientifically by Newton in his third law–“For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction.” As far as charging for this knowledge, the waters get muddy here in the west, in our modern capitalist system.

In the past, spiritual tradition was typically handed down from Master to Student at great physical cost. A new Chela, or student, wishing to find a master and learn the spiritual path would travel arduously up into the Himalayan mountains and once he found the master, would then work for that master for several years or more until accepted. That is if the master accepted him in the first place and allowed him to work. After this tremendous expression of commitment, the student would then get one kriya to practice and master. In that context, if you stop to think about the volume of technology Yogi Bhajan passed on in such a short time, it’s mind boggling. (more…)

Share This

Since karma is simple cause and effect or action and reaction, if something happens to you and you just don’t react, you can stop karma in its tracks. Of course, like many practices of a spiritual nature, this is easier said than done.

The key word here is practice, though. Once you become aware of something that you were otherwise oblivious to, change begins to happen immediately. This is the power of the mind at work. It’s like shining a flashlight at a shadow in the corner. The shadow disappears. Whatever you put your attention on will grow and change. So if you make the decision to observe your reactions to things over let’s say, a forty-day period, you’ll begin to see change in how your life flows.

As you become a new observer to aspects of your life that previously went on automatically, you’ll begin to marvel at how you acted in the past. Perhaps you have a habit of getting into a road rage when you’re driving. Maybe you have to have the last word in arguments. You will change yourself if you just stop playing the game of reaction. Reaction is almost always emotional. Someone says or does something and it triggers in you a train of thought, which you then engage with emotion. This emotion swells in you and propels you into a reaction of some sort. This process always takes up a lot of energy that you could use for better things in your life. This doesn’t mean taking no action at all. It means not re-acting when something happens to you or someone does something that makes you want to respond. (more…)

Share This

Got this email from my friend Kelly. Thought I’d repost it here because it’s got some wisdom if you can get past the corny…

: )

One day a farmer’s donkey fell down into a well. The animal cried piteously for hours as the farmer tried to figure out what to do. Finally, he decided the animal was old, and the well needed to be covered up anyway; it just wasn’t worth it to retrieve the donkey.

He invited all his neighbors to come over and help him. They all grabbed shovels and began to shovel dirt into the well. At first, the donkey realized what was happening and cried horribly. Then, to everyone’s amazement he quieted down. A few shovel loads later, the farmer finally looked down the well. He was astonished at what he saw. With each shovel of dirt that hit his back, the donkey was doing something amazing. He would shake it off and take a step up.

As the farmer’s neighbors continued to shovel dirt on top of the animal, he would shake it off and take a step up. Pretty soon, everyone was amazed as the donkey stepped up over the edge of the well and happily trotted off!

Life is going to shovel dirt on you, all kinds of dirt. The trick to getting out of the well is to shake it off and take a step up. Each of our troubles is a steppingstone. We can get out of the deepest wells just by not stopping, never giving up! Shake it off and take a step up.

Later, the donkey later came back, snuck up on the farmer and bit him on the ass. The gash from the bite got infected and the farmer died from septic shock.

Moral of the story:

When you do something wrong and try to cover you’re ass, it always comes back to bite you in the end.

Five simple rules to being happy:

1. Free your heart from hatred - Forgive.
2. Free your mind from worries - Most never happen.
3. Live simply and appreciate what you have.
4. Give more.
5. Expect less.

That is all…

Share This

When you set an intention, it’s like making a decision about what you wish to attract to yourself. When you decide something absolutely, the universe then responds based on your thoughts. If there is enough of belief behind your thoughts then what you want to attract to yourself will be pulled to you. This is the Law of attraction. When you set an intention you are sending out a signal to the universe. You’re saying to the universe that this event is an experience you wish to draw to yourself in the future.

Intention is a very powerful tool, because it can get you through your life over the long haul. It’s very easy to get lost in the day-to-day struggles of living this life. There’s so much to do on a daily basis that it’s easy to lose sight of where you’re navigating your ship. (more…)

Share This

I was on a yoga retreat in Tuscany Italy a few years ago and I realized that Karma is really just like a big game of air hockey. After a week of yoga, a few of us sat around talking and drinking some wine on the last night in this amazing 11th century farmhouse. Now you have to understand when you’re doing yoga and meditating alot, particularly with Kundalini Yoga, people can be strange, because a lot of stuff comes out of you when you meditate. It’s actually a lot like that old Bill Cosby joke:

I said to a guy, “Tell me, what is it about cocaine that makes it so wonderful,” and he said, “Because it intensifies your personality.” I said, “Yes, but what if you’re an asshole?” (more…)

Share This