Many Paths - June 25 - Class notes

We started covering the various methods of yoga last time and I was planning to continue that. I have been thinking all day about what I wanted to cover tonight. Yoga is very systematic. I decided to talk about Satsang, which is a yoga concept. And also about posture and breathing. Is everyone familiar with the term satsang? Is anyone?
C: no:-\
N: yes. somewhat

Ok.. let me start by saying this. Satsang is why I wanted to start this Sunday night group.
A: It is a sanskrit word meaning "true company"
No matter what our topics, or activities, I believe satsang is an important part of the spiritual path.
A: It means for the group as a whole to be intune with one another on a single focus
Literally satsang means the company of truth.
A: Then it is in the company of God who is the highest truth of all

Satsang is a metaphysical principle as well. To use something Jesus says in the bible... "whenever two or more of you are gathered in my name, I shall be there also" Whenever 2 or more people focus together with a spiritual purpose, spirit is present, and can come through us. Have you ever been in a deep discussion where you found yourselfsaying things you were not aware of having known?

All the yoga groups I know of have regular satsang for the purpose of gathering energy, which then makes meditation flow better. What we have found online is that the same energy gathering applies. The way this works is you listen, and speak from the quiet center.. from your heart. Together we create an energy field which spirit moves within. Even a small focused group can create energy enough to shift and raise the consciousness of everyone present. It does not matter who is speaking.. its like a form of group meditation, but not silent, and not with eyes closed..

No matter what the topic is each week, this is the true purpose of gathering here. And since this weeks topic is yoga, I thought it was a good time to review this term. The buddhists have something similar, called sangha. In person I have been in rooms where the energy of satsang was so strong it was as dramatic as coming into an air conditioned house when its 90 degrees outside. It just washed over me and made me feel different immediately. That takes a group that is focused, and understands.

The energy involved in this is not physical, and most people feel it in a chat room as easily as in a physical setting, if there is the right kind of focus. Healing circles can have a similar feel to them online. I used to have a healing circle in Network of Light that went on for 5 years, and in that time there were many nights I showed up out of a sense of duty.. when I was just not into it. And I would get blown away by the energy every single time.
C: thats not the right reason to be there my friend
Well, when you are trying to sustain a working circle, its important that the regulars are.... regular..
C: sorry i always use to get in trouble at school for speaking when i wasnt suppose to also
My point is, the energy of a group can be very profound, if there are even a handful of people who understand.
C: zip:-X
A: Your words Carrie are acceptable at this time as always
J: yes
N: sounds very powerful James

Anyway, summer is a hard time to keep a group together, but satsang is what I hope to achieve with this group.
A: The fact that one is not receptive can have affect on the healing circle
C: nods very true
J: One person cannot take the energy down that much, if there is a majority that is focused. If its half and half, you can feel the difference. Some of the most powerful circles I have been in have had only 4 people. but they were all very focused
N: so it is a matter of group balance
A: Minimal affect is still affect James. I did not say the energy is lessen so drasticly there is no healing
J: I understand and agree.
C: my orange candle says so

The other thing about satsang is that spirit speaks through us when we are open. I find myself saying all kinds of things I never thought of before, or explaining something in a totally new way. It just flows.

C: may i ask a question?
J: Sure
C: when i feel focused i get this throbbing in my forhead(3rd eye),and i feel almost like im out of body,,whats that mean? i feel that now
J: Are you focusing there on purpose?
C: just felt it is all im paying attention is all
J: Well, your third eye chakra may be sponteneously opening. Mine does that too. and I feel similar sensations in that area..for me it feels like a vortex sometimes.
C: yes feels like i can go anywhere
J: When you focus, and participate in this energy, your chakras are going to "rev up"
A: Perhaps Carrie it is because you have opened your chakra in such a way to embrace new wisdom as it comes. When embracing it is easy to feel detached from the rest of you until your embrace is completed.
C: ok,,thank you both:-)

Some people go through the third eye when they project out of body. As if they go down a tunnel and then out. We are going to be starting an intensive class/workshop on chakras soon. It will be Wednesday nights at 9 central, We are talking about starting on July 12th. I am not sure.. we did not decide on a room.. maybe this one, maybe a private room. We have met here every sunday night since January 8th, with the exception of 2 nights I had to take off. This is an ongoing meeting. This new one will go for at least a couple of months. We have all the summaries online... Meditation Paths (Keyword to:http://meditationpaths.blogspot.com/)

Melissa is going to be teaching the other class with me, or I with her, as the case may be. Its going to be a good class, with lots of hands on and excercises. homework ;-) We are planning on going very deep on this one, but working withbalancing and healing the chakras. Which means a life transformational journey. I may try to incorporate some Reiki into the healing portion. One of the main books we are using incorporates western psychology with eastern chakra wisdom.Its called Eastern Body, Western Mind by Anodea Judith. I have her chakra balancing kit, with the CDs, and her otherclassic chakra book Wheels of LIfe.

Anyway, we try to keep this meeting to one hour, so lets do a short meditation together before the time is up

Group Meditation:

Sit comfortably with head, neck and trunk aligned.. then relax. It usually works best to have knees lower than hips. so you can sit upright but without strain. Feet can be flat on the floor if you are not sitting crosslegged.

Once you find a good position, sit very still, and breathe deeply and smoothly, with a soft stomach. (let stomach move in and out, not rib cage) Let the stillness settle over you like a blanket.. starting with your forehead.. jaw, neck, shoulders. Relax these areas.. then continue down to your arms, torso, hips legs feet

Sit as still as you can.. thinking of a pond of water which becomes a mirror as it becomes still. Let your breath be like a gentle breeze.. not rippling the pond. Let your consciousness become more spacious.. free of the boundsof the physical body.. yet open and still... Let it reach out in every direction to the horizon.

Now feel the energy of the breath as you inhale universal energy (prana or chi). Feel yourself filling with a warm peaceful energy as you inhale. Then breathe out all heaviness and tension. Feel this warm energized breath moving through your heart center... stirring feelings of peace in your center.
Like a warm summer breeze in the trees, feel it stirring your heart.. feel your heart open to it as it is caressed from within.Close your eyes for a minute and feel the point in your heart space where this peace seems to "bubble up" from. Let your awareness focus there.

Taking one final deep breath and releasing. let us bring this meditation gently to a close...sorry this was so quick.. try this for 10 or 15 minutes when you get a chance.

June 18 class cancelled

Due to Fathers Day holiday June 18 Class was Cancelled

Many Paths - Yoga Methods - Class Notes - June 11

Pre-class questions:

Sx: can i have some tips on meditation, i have successfully meditated once and after that, it hasn't worked, i think its some sort of mental block, can someone giv me tips on how 2 surpass that
JamesB7289: Sxxy, we are going to get into a class format soon.. but for beginning meditation tips you can refer to our site. Meditation Paths. Read the ones beginning January 8th.. for 8 weeks we did beginning meditation techniques. Then feel free to contact me with questions

Yoga Meditation Methods

Welcome to Meditation Paths everyone.. we are going to begin the presentation now. Tonight is the 4th week of our Many Paths series. We spent a couple of weeks on Buddhist methods. And last week we did a healing circle. Tonight I wanted to introduce the hindu/yoga traditions, which I think will take 2 or 3 weeks to do justice to, even in summary.

In this series we are looking at meditation techniques and just touching on the religions or beliefs that gave birth to them. As I just explained.. the purpose of this series is to touch on the various sources of techniques as background... but we are not advocating any religions. Yoga and Hinduism share a common root though.. I think of yoga as the non-religious version of the same ancient wisdom. Yoga is so old we don't have any modern way to measure its age.. it predates all recorded history.

It has been estimated that yoga is at least 5000 years old, and is perhaps close to 10,000 years old. Which brings up some interesting questions that are probably outside the realm of this class tonight... about what actually existed 10 or 15 thousand years ago. But one thing we know.. those ancient sages were onto something that modern science is only now beginning to comprehend.

They came up with the most systematic approach to health and spiritual evolution. Today you can learn about yoga at your local YMCA or community center.. but they usually dont' tell you what it's really for.

The physical aspects of yoga are part of a total system that prepares the body for reconnecting to the source... almost like preparing the circuits so they don't overload if we have a direct experience of "God".

Meditation is a very important part of yoga, and this is the area we are going to focus on for the purpose of this class. There are many methods of meditation incorporated into yoga.

I want to share a quote from Swami Rama about this..."Because of these mental processes, many meditative traditions seek to focus and quiet the mind by allowing the mind to concentrate on one object or stimulus at a time. Thus, the goal is not to make the mind empty, but rather, to quiet the mind by giving it one focus. "

"In many meditative traditions, a word, phrase, sound or symbol is used to give the mind this one-pointed focus on which to concentrate. Some meditative disciplines favor the use of visual symbols, while in our tradition, the emphasis is on the use of a mantra--a word, sound, or set of words that one uses to give the mind and object of concentration."

"Concentration is an important prerequisite for meditation..." end quote

Basically what he is saying is that the method is not as important as the goal. But one thing the yoga techniques do have in common is the use of concentration. Mantra is one focus method that Swami Rama mentioned. There are also visualization meditations where you try to imagine an object in complete detail. Until you can almost feel you are seeing it in real time. Or visualization of a distant place. Also in great detail.

Another technique is thinking of a subject and all its direct associations. These last few seem like mental weight lifting to me. But like weight lifting, they can cause mental development that parallels the physical development of a focused physical exercise. I personally prefer something more relaxing than a mental exercise that might cause me to sweat as much as lifting weights. But we are exploring here.. trying to look at all the choices, and we all will find different methods appeal to us, and that may even change over time.

In order to approach the yoga meditation techniques though, as Swami Rami pointed out.. we need to work on concentration. And for concentration practice there are also many methods. My personal favorite we have discussed in here before. That is using a candle to focus on. In the candle exercise, its best to use a candle that does not flicker much.. like the long thin kind, and trim the wick so its not very long. You set it in front of you, about 18 inches away, and just look at the flame.. try to only be aware of the flame as if nothing else exists in the world. Do this without making faces... relax and concentrate at the same time.. no grim faces of making an effort. Just be with the flame. And when your eyes get tired. close them and focus on the afterimage for awhile.. also relaxed but with full concentration.

You can practice concentrating on the sound of a ticking clock.. (this one is from an old yoga book.. do clocks still tick??) I had an old book on concentration that suggested focusing on the tip of the second hand of a clock as it moves around.. trying to see only the tip. This all seems pointless in and of itself, but it is practice in focusing.

If you think of what a magnifying glass can do with sunlight. It can create a point that will set a piece of paper on fire. Or think of a sharp pencil.. it will pierce cardboard alot easier than the eraser end. But we are not taught to focus our minds to this extent. The result of doing so can be very powerful.

Are there any questions or comments at this time? Ok then.

Tonight we are going to use a mantra during our meditation...since I don't think I can make a candle flame appear in the room. But I wanted to talk about concentration.. and suggest you try something like the candle if you have not done this before.. or even if you have. Next week we will look at other yoga meditation techniques.. and we'll see how it goes... if necessary we will continue the week after also.

I am going to lead us in a meditation.. but as I talk you through this, I am going to give you instructions that will work even better away from the computer at your own pace.. But I really do believe group meditation has a special energy to it. If we focus together, the energy of the group will help each of us to connect. I have always found this to be true in person, but also in a chat room.. cause what connects us has nothing to do with actual physical proximity.


Group Meditation

So we begin by assuming a comfortable position, with head, neck, and trunk aligned. On a chair, you might find it works best to sit near the edge with feet flat on the floor, knees lower than hips.. You want to find a balance that allows your back to be straight with no strain. You can sit however you feel comfortable.. its just a recomendation to be aligned and balanced in this way.

Find somewhere to rest your hands, either by the keyboard, or on your thighs.. then relax and try to sit very still. Adjust your position if you need to as you go, but sit as still as you can, and relax. Let all tension fall away.

Starting at the top of your head and working down, focus on your body and consciously release any tension...Relax forehead, jaw, neck, shoulders...Arms, torso, hips, legs, Occasionally recheck the key areas, like your forhead and jaw,to make sure tension did not sneak back in.

Now breathe deeply and smoothly, to your comfortable capacity. Try letting your stomach be soft, and move in and out with the breath, instead of moving the rib cage.

Feel the universal energy (prana or chi) filling you as you inhale.. think if it as a warm, peaceful energy. Breathe out all tension. Feel the peaceful energy of the breath as you breathe deeply and smoothly.

Now we are going to use a universal mantra that is sychronized with the breath.. as you inhale, hear in your mind the sound of SO, and as you exhale hear the sound of HUMM.. sooooo as you inhale, hummmm as you exhale.. let it reverberate inside your head. Let this sound be like a vibration, drowning out thoughts and distractions... try to concentrate on this.

Keep sitting very still and relaxing.. hearing sooooo as you inhale, and hummmm as you exhale. the literal translation of this is "I AM... I AM THAT meaning I am that infinute energy But a mantra does not have to have meaning, its a tool of focus.

Let the vibration of it wash over you as you continue to sit still and breathe deeply. Breathing in warm peaceful energy, hearing sooooo breathing out all tension and heaviness, hearing hummmm

Lets close our eyes a minute or two and just be in this peaceful vibration.

As you come back.. take one final deep breath and release like a sigh.. gently bringing this meditation to a close.


Final words:

Thanks for your attention... Away from the computer you might want to try this for about 15 minutes. Try the mantra for 5 or 10.

We try to touch on that group energy ever time we gather.. I feel it is one of the most important reasons for gathering.It's nice to gather in this vibration. What is called Satsang in the yoga traditions. I feel it is an important part of walking the path.. gathering to share energy.

Something special happens when we come together with intent. I feel a quiet humming.I am honored to be the mouth that calls us together, but the shared vibration is from the group.
Come again and bring anyone who you think would benefit. This is an ongoing class/group and we have all the summariesavailable for people to catch up.

Many Paths - Healing Circle Meditation - Class Notes 06/04/06

James:

Let me just start by saying that Universal Healing Energy is part of all of us. Reiki is a way of enhancing this connection, but it's not necessary in order to connect and use energy to heal. My first experiences with healing circles was almost 10 years ago, and nominally they were reiki circles, but people who were not attuned to reiki were always able to participate and after awhile we just dropped reiki from the title. None the less, I want to say a little bit about reiki as it applies to all of us.

Reiki is its present form was "rediscovered" in the mid 1800's by a Japanese man by the name of Usui. Some believe it was a lost art of Tibetan Buddhism. Others believe it was brought to this planet and incorporated into the bodies that were evolved for our use here.. (sorry if that sounds a bit out there) It may be part of our genetic code.. as described in Diane Steins book.
I find reiki in general is a wonderful model of spirituality, simple yet powerful, with the recognition that we are conduits..and not the source of the positive energy that we are able to bring into this world. You can think of the source as God, or the One, or the Universe.. in any form you hold dear.

Ok. as I said earlier, this is not essential to what we are doing here tonight but its nice to have a few masters participating. I am sure you were both trained as I was, that Reiki cannot be done without attunement, but it seems to me that most people can connect to some degree without that.. People experience the same flow of energy, with hands getting warm or hot, etc.

Gwen: James.... I was practicing it all my life, long before I had a name for it,
but I was formally attuned 3 times
Rnbow: it is universal energy James..and many already have symbols from
past lifes if you believe in those
James: yes, I believe something like that also.
Rnbow: some dont believe in that...but as a very young child i would do reiki
symbols way b4 i ever knew it existed

So in the years we had our healing circles, we had many participate without reiki training, and part of the guided meditation is instructional on how to tune in and be part of the flow of energy.
Dwyer:reiki symbols are only a tool, you can indeed tune in without them
Gwen: yes I agree Dwyer
Rnbow: too me reiki was a way to teach me to be more focused when using
healing energies
Dwyer:glad u do Lady...heck, everything we need is within us. smile
Gwen: its just a matter of opening the crown chakra and allowing that energy
to flow through you..it does help if you align yourself with that energy
James: I agree.
Dwyer:exactly Lady...agreed

Gwen: for some of us... just channeling that energy on a daily basis, not aimed
at any one human, helps to heal humanity
Dwyer:clear yourself, clear your own vessel and open up to Source
James: I agree Gwen.

Once we begin the circle I am going to ask that anyone who does not wish to participate in the meditation to remain silent, or talk in IM.
In a healing circle you can direct the healing to yourself, to anyone you know in need, or even to situations.

Gwen: I was referring to being a beacon of that light and energy to help
humanity Dwyr
Dwyer:I simply honor humanity for what it has chosen to be

We are going to begin our circle.

I would like to start now.. this is going to be a little tricky in a public room, we used to always use private rooms for circles.Are there any questions before we begin? lets try it here.. but understand this, I will boot any distractions. I will talk you all through this. I hope you will all participate.

Healing Group Meditation:

Start by relaxing.. letting the cares of the day fall away. Take a few deep breaths. Let's imagine we are in a clearing by the side of a peaceful pond. A warm spring breeze is blowing, gently rustling the trees.

The pond is a mirror pool reflecting a blue sky with puffy white clouds.. as well as the tops of the surrounding trees. The breeze is pleasant and relaxing. Feel this peace as you take smooth deep breaths. Now begin to open your heart to universal energy... the natural path of this energy is down through the crown of the head, the 7th chakrs, to the heart center. and then outward through to the palms. Try placing your palms together in front of your heart center.. feel them get warm, as you inhale peaceful energy.. feel the ray of energy coming down from above to your heart.

Open your heart to this warmth.. feel the healing energy begin to fill you. Imagine that we are moving to form a circle. facing each other. Feel your heart filling with this energy. Keeping palms together still. Feel the energy flowing down into the top of your head, to your heart center.

We are conduits.. as we relax and be still the channel opens.
In this healing we ask that free will be honored. We do this in pursuit of highest good. Now separate your hands and open your arms to each other.

Face your palms towards the center of the circle Feel the healing energy flowing through you, and out to the center.. forming a sphere of light in the center of the circle.

As we inhale, the sphere glows brighter and gets larger. This healing energy is flowing through each of us, to the center of the circle.

At this time I would ask that you type in your requests, for people, or situations that need healing... and as you do this, imagine your request in the sphere of light.. being bathed in this healing light.

Continue to breathe deeply and let the energy flow to the center... go ahead and type in anything you want to heal everyone in this room

Gwen: I ask for physical and emotional healing for myself, and all who are in need
James: I ask for my love, and for my children...
MS:((((((Kelly)))))), Dawn Donald and My Diverticulitis
Voice: Heal a family member and all like him from his issues
Grace:Myself... physical and situational, please... as well as my family.

See your requests in the center of the circle.. bathed in the light Let the energy flow.

Mum: emotional healing for my family

The sphere keeps growing until we are inside of it. All surrounded by this light.

Lotus: I ask in gratitude for healing energy directed toward me, having to do with my work
MS:Emotional healing for Kelly
Gwen: I ask for healing in all ways for a very dear friend of mine als

Remember, this energy comes through us, but not from us.. let it flow.. and let it heal us as it moves through us.

Ck:i ask for healing energy for all our online friends who are seeking work
Gwen: and I ask for healing for all those who are not able to ask for themselves
Flowr: I also ask for emotional and physical healing, for myself and all

We are all in this sphere now.. bathed in the light.. as it grows ever larger..

Grace:Healing for a dear friend...V. And for a young woman named Melissa who just lost a baby.
Lotus: I ask in gratitude for a positive resolution for Ravi's business plan

Let the energy flow from us to the center, and out to these requests.

MS:That Dawn will contune not to drink. MS:I ask for safty in my journy driving our Motor home north.

Breathe deeply of this energy, and let it flow.... let our sphere of light cover the world with healing.

Ck:i ask the healing love energy to envelop everyone here Lotus: For Jim to find peace and solace in these next 3 days, when he needs it the most

Remember, the more we get out of the way, the more it can flow through us.

MS:(((((((all in this room and their love ones))))))

Let us give thanks to the Source, in whatever form we feel comfortable addressing it...Om Shanti Shanti Shanti

Lotus: I pray in gratitude for love and strength for all of us

Your palms may feel warm as you let this energy flow. Let us now place our palms together once again.. and feel this warmth center on our own hearts once again. We give thanks to God, or the universe, or the One... Let us bring this circle to a close.

Gwen: Amen
Grace:Thank you Spirit.
Mum: amen
James: om peace
Realm: om shanti
Voice: Amen Thanks be to God
Karma:Amen
Grace:Amen.
MS:Amen amen amen
Voice: it seems 5 min Grace: Beautiful....
Ck:Thank you Spirit

Nice energy folks.. thanks for sharing that.



Closing Remarks:

Grace:feel the peace..
MS:Thank you Jesus
Lotus: In gratitude, I release what we created here, into the universal law, to do with, as it will
Flowr: Very cool James 8-)
Gwen: thank you for all being a part of this((group hug)) wonderful energy..
Dwyer:very nice James
Gwen: amen to that Lotus
MS:James Thanks Lotus: :)
Grace:Amen Lotus, indeed
James: I am thinking of having a weekly healing circle again, separate from the meditation class.. if there is interest in this.
Ck:james a great idea
Gwen: I am very interested james
Voice: :-)Wonderful place to be in One
Realm: interested
MS:I sure am. I miss the old days
Grace:I am also.
Voice: interested yes
James: Ms :) I do too.
Flowr: Thanks for the invite and energy :)
James: we had that one in Network of Light for 5 years.
Gwen: Sunday night is a good time for this, imho... to start the week refreshed
James: yes :)
Flowr: *raising my hand* interest here :)
Lotus: Good night everyone. Thank you so very much to each and every one of you for your contributions
MS:I still have a few of the old one email addresses
Grace:Would be a lovely thing... not only for ourselves and loved one's... but to send out as and where it need be. :)
Flowr: Its just that this time isn't so good for me.
Gwen: blessings Lotus
James: ok.. we shall do it then.. I'll let you all know.. if you are not on my mailing list, PLEASE email me
MS: If we start I will see if we can get them back
Grace:Be well, Lotus.
MS:Bless you James
James: ::smile:: thanks for coming, and being so focused.
Mum: blessings all
James: not a single distraction its a miracle :)
Grace:Thank you for having this. yes, and thank you for bringing us all together James
Dwyer:James, do u also do guided healing meditations for clients for their problems?
James: in a member room to have no distractions for 25 minutes.. amazing
Karma::-)
Grace:it was :)
Voice: thanks again --Peace everyone~~
James: Dwyer, I don't....sounds intersesting though.
Grace:Peace Voice.
MS:it was the possive emergy
James: it had to be Thank you all so much.. this is truly a group effort.
Ck:peace be to all
James: Namasté
Grace:and to you Be well, all.
Gwen: Namaste and blessings all
MS:Namaste` james until next time
James: goodnight
Rnbow: nite all thanx James and all
MS:nite all

Many Paths: Tibetan Buddhism - class notes - May 28 2006

Pre-class Discussion:

James: We are in our second week of Many Paths, where we touch on a different tradition of meditation each week.
Grace: very exciting for me. This week we are going to continue with another buddhist tradition, Tibetan Buddhism, and a visualization meditation in that tradition.
Sun: smiles
Grace: great :)
James: We usually chat for the first 10 minutes, about meditation or anything related.
Rohr: nice
James: Last week we covered Vipasanna, or Insight Meditation. However, at the end we just did a normal meditation.
Grace: that was a great topic... very good for me, at least
James: This week the meditation will be specific to this tradition.
Rohr: very nice
James: We have a web site with summaries, but I see it has not been updated for last week yet. We did 8 weeks on basic meditation, and another 8 weeks on Chakras.. that is all posted if you want to browse through it.http://meditationpaths.blogspot.com/Meditation Paths
Grace: brb
Rohr: thank u im familiar
James: Does anyone have any questions or comments at this time? or questionable comments? oook
Rohr: what can the one be reduced to
James: Tibetan Buddhism: the one what?
Sun: does this have to do with a rinpoche? i really liked some of pima chadrons meditations
April: Pema Chodran?
James: Its related.. rinpoche is sort of a title
Rohr: keep meditating jimmy ur gettin there
Sun: oops sorry april.. yes
James: Ok.. I am going to start
Sun: you know one thing i liked about that path is that they always tell you to be kind to yourself


Many Paths: Tibetan Buddhism

A mixture of Buddhism, Tantrism and the ancient Bon religion of Tibet. They have a vast collection of scriptures (tantras), which describe powerful rituals. Their teachers (Lamas) are said to be reincarnations of holy teachers who lived in earlier times. The spiritual leader of Tibetan Buddhists is the Dalai Lama who is believed to be the reincarnation of
Avalokiteshvara.

Tibetan Buddhism was brought from India to Tibet by several teachers, including the legendary Indian master Padmasambhave.

It is also called in Sanskrit the Mahayana, or the Great Vehicle, which has as its goal the liberation of all beings. When buddhists talk about all beings, they are not only talking about humans.. they revere all life, and believe all life has an evolutionary path.

Included in the Mahayana teachings is Vajrayana, know as the Tantric or Diamond Vehicle. This is considered to be the pinnacle of meditation practice. It is supposed to perform a kind of spiritual alchemy, tranforming the hindrances of worldly thought and sorrow into blissful states of enlightenment and realization.

These insights are achieved through a sophisticated combination of mental and physical techniques that seek to open the body's various energy centers (chakras).

There are many different meditation practices in Tibetan Buddhism. Many are mantra based, but for our example tonight we are going to look at a Tibetan visualization practice. In this practice the meditator brings their attention and intention to visualizing positive images that they would like to realize for themselves, or a particular person, or even the world. Intention and attention are the key. This reminds me so much of Reiki and the meditation done in healing circles.

Intent is a very powerful thing. Light and a "source of power" are important elements of this visualization practice. Light as used here has a dual meaning -- light on both the sentient and spiritual planes. The spiritual light, "the Buddha light of oneness and openness," as described in "The Healing Power of Mind" by Tolku Thondup, manifests and is perceived by us as blue, white, yellow, red, and green. The power of this dual light is thought to be able to heal physical and mental wounds, transform negative into positive energy, or surpass fear. The "source of power" in Tibetan visualizations is usually a spiritually divinity, such as the Buddha, but you can use whatever form of higher power you wish.

Members of different religions can use their own image of God or Spirit as the Source.


Class Discussion:

James: Are there any questions?
Grace: a real concentrated manifestation going on, it sounds like, in this type
James: yes..it really reminds me of the type of meditation we use in healing circles
Grace: yes
MS: It does me also
Grace: I like this one.. sounds very good.
James: Its been said that Reiki is a lost art of Tibetan Buddhism.. this focused intent does seem to be aligned.
Grace: it does seem so... very much so
James: In this Many Paths series we are attempting to give you a flavor of different techniques and traditions. If you find you like something you can persue it in more detail.
Grace: I love this series. :)
James: We are going to do a visualization together in a few minutes, and that will take the place of the ending meditation, so we should have more time to chat or discuss at the end. Usually we meditate the last 15 minutes.Has anyone read any of the Dalai Lama's books?
April: some yes
James: He seems very warm and loving.
April: yes and serene
Grace: I haven't... but he does seem so.
James: I have read mostly other Tibetan authors, like Tarthang Tulka. And I read a book and have a tape of one of the Rinpoche's. I forget his name now, but I remember his laugh, and how he kept saying "Be Spacious" all through the tape.He kept saying it with different inflections. Sunset, it sounded like you had some exposure to this. She must be taking care of her children.
Sun: yes i have.. well some parts of it
James: oh , there you are :)
Sun: i have read some works by pema... i really liked them... she talks alot about creating and cultivating loving kindness with yourself.. and being gentle
James: Yes
Sun: which is very nice..and she also talks about embracing the warrior within you
James: hmm, is that a buddhist concept?
Sun: which is comprised of compassion, and generosity and pereverence
Grace: sounds like something I'd like to check out
James: Can you share the names of those books?
Sun: well she is a tibetan buddist practicing in canada..she runs a monastary for shambayala... yes i can... let me look
James: the warrior term through me till you explained what it was comprised of buddhists are not very warlike.. some of them wear bells on their ankles to warn bugs to stay out of their footpaths
April: one of her books is The Wisdom of no escape
Grace: I should try that James...
April: its about non resistanceSun: the ones i have are wisdom of no escape.. the path of uncertainty
James: You need to make buddhists out of your cats
Grace.Grace: lol
James: So they will stop stalking your friendly spiders.
Sun: or sorry comfortable with uncertainty
Grace: rofl
Sun: the wisdom of no escape
James: the spiders need the wisdom of escape
Sun: and the places that scare you ... you know to be honest
Grace: thank you Sunset... I wish to read these
James: That sounds interesting.
Sun: many are stories and talk about meditation techniques.. the stories..are just flat out cool... really inspiring stories
James: Sounds like a good read. Thank you for sharing that.
Grace: awesome, I love when they incorporate true stories
Sun: the one about comfortable with uncertainty actually is a 108 different teachings for cultivating compassion
Grace: something the world can use so much more of..
James: Yes indeed.
Sun: james have you heard of the meditation of tonglen?
James: Sounds familiar but I am not sure.
Sun: it is one that they teach... it is really powerful i think although i have never done it. it talks about instead of breathing out the negative and on the inbreath breathing in the positive.. you do the reverse..taking in the negativity of the world or embracing it to make you more compassionate and breathing out positivity into the world
James: wow
Grace: interesting..
James: thats interesting...echo
Grace: lolSun: yeah .. so it's kind of like recycling
Grace: could be hard for an Empath...
Sun: and instead of pushing it away you bring into you.. to help bring you more courage and compassion by understanding
Grace: involves letting the screen down... filters off..
Sun: yes emerging i wouldn't recommend it for you
James: That would take courage.
Sun: yes i know
James: Not a practice for beginners.
Sun: but at least in a group situation..that could have very profound and positive effects
Grace: indeed, James
James: Might be somethign we could try in a group.
Grace: yes, it surely could
Sun: it takes time to cultivate they don't practice it for at least a year after initial studying
James: Ok.. not something for a quick weekly study then.
Grace: sounds very wise... have to be in the right place for it, to be sure
Sun: well they talk about doing it in stages first
Arlene: I have a question now
James: ok Arlene
Arlene: Is there a specific meditation for beginners?
James: Alrene, we recommend a basic technique that is kind of universal. You can find it on our web site as summaries of the 8 weeks beginning January 8th. did you get that link? http://meditationpaths.blogspot.com/Meditation Paths
Arlene: ok will check it thank you
Grace: the website is awesome, Arlene... covers all the classes.. very helpful
Arlene: oh great
James: Feel free to contact me with questions Arlene.Arlene: ok thanks James
James: We will do beginning classes again in here. this is an ongoing meeting every Sunday night.
Grace: makes my Sundays :smile:
James: Right now we are doing a series called Many Paths where we are focusing on individual technques and traditions.
Arlene: oh okay
James: We are going to to a visualization based on Tibetan Buddhism in a couple of minutes.
Grace: because what works for one... may not work for another.. and so on
Arlene: What time Sundays?
Arie: do you do shamatha and vipassana?
James: this hour We did Vipassana last week.
Arlene: EST?Arie: cool beans
James: 10 EST
Arlene: ok


Group Meditation:

Lets all get comfortable for the meditation now. We do this at the computer, but you can do it alone somewhere more comfortable later.

Try to align head, neck, and trunk.. sitting up comfortably. Having knees lower than hips makes it easiest to relax in this position. The balance... Rest your hands somewhere, either by the keyboard or on your thighs. Then sit as still as you can.. moving only if you need to. Relax and breathe deeply and smoothly and I will begin the exercise.

The following exercise is inspired by "Illuminating the Darkness of Sadness," from "The Healing Power of Mind" by Tolku Thondup. Visualize your whole body and mind as being filled with total darkness. Feel the sadness, without being overwhelmed by it. Now prepare to invoke the healing light.

Imagine the light coming from your source of power. The light could come from within you, in front of you, or from above. In Reiki we say the light comes in through the crown chakra on the top of your head, and down to the heart center.See the beams of light--bright, warm, and joyful as a hundred suns. The warm light fills your entire body, penetrating each and every cell, down to the atoms.

Imagine the light shining beyond your body, lighting the whole world. Feel the nature of the healing light, which is not solid. There is nothing to hold on to, to grasp. So there is no stress, no nothing, just light. You, the universe, and the light are now united in a global, pervasive, ethereal light that bathes the universe. The darkness of sadness is no match for this light. It is gone. Vanished. ~end

We can sit a few minutes and feel this together...


Ending Discussion:

Grace: beautiful..
MS: Wonderful feeling James
James :) Thanks for your attention... I hope you all enjoyed this meditation
Grace: oh yes
April: Thanks James and all
MS: very much so
Grace: thanks for the class and meditation
CK: lovely
Stu: good one
James: thank Tolku Thondup
MS: I miss the Reiki Healing circles
James: I keep thinking of starting them up again.
Grace: I'd really like that
James: Need to pick a time.
MS: Besure to let me know if you do
Mum: thank you...was lightening
James: good Mummy :) We finished a little early tonight because the meditation was part of the presentation. Does anyone have any general questions about meditation? I can't stress enough how much difference it makes if you do some form of meditation every day.. even 5 or 10 minutes.
Grace: yes... I have to get disciplined...
James: We have a good basic technique on our site, and most weeks we do some version of it at the end of each class.
CK: i find i pray throughout everyday which is a type of meditation
James: And we are going to dabble in many other methods this series.
CK: tonight's meditation is a nice one
MS: I have been to laxed since we stopped the Reiki sessions. I need to get back in the swing of it
James: I have always heard that praying is talking, where meditating is listening, but I think you can get into a meditative space when you pray. It is an inward focus.
CK: yes a person can james
James: We may have to do a week on that.
Grace: praying is also supposed to be about listening... yes?
James: I usually like to include a week on Christian meditation, but last time I used a mantra. Maranatha
CK: mantra's are nice... we can learn from all practicesJames: there is a Christian group that teaches mantra meditation using that word..
Grace: indeed we can
James: Yes, this is what this series is about.
Mum: maranatha is a shrine where i have seen angels, mary, and jesus
James: If you have a tradition you think we should spend a week on, please let me know.. I have not layed this out in advance this time.
CK: that is great mummy
James: It means "come lord" I think.
Mum: an apparition site
CK: i had the chance to visit Mariastein Monastary in Basel Switzerland. It is a very holy place
James: http://swamij.com/maranatha.htmhttp://swamij.com/maranatha.htm Our hour is up, unless there are any more questions... Email me to get on our mailing list.
MS: Thanks James I really enjoyed it
James: the energy is still humming in here.. take a deep breath :)
Grace: yes, wonderful class
Ck: thank you james
Mum: cool ck....thank you again for the class james ((((hugs everyone))))

SERIES 2 MANY PATHS - Class notes 05/21/06 -

Pre-class Discussion:

James: Welcome to the room. We will begin a meditation class at 9:00pm Central Time. Tonights we are beginning our Many Paths series, starting with Vipassana (Insight Meditation). We usually don't start until 10 minutes after, though we can answer any meditation questions while we wait for everyone to get here.
FaL: I've not been here before.. so I'm going to watch quietly
James: Tonight we are beginning a new series. It's called Many Paths.
Lap: Sounds wonderful James
James: We started out at the beginning of the year with a series on beginning meditation, focusion primarily on the universal aspects of meditation. The parts that all the methods have in common. In this new series we are taking the opposite approach. We will be looking at specific techniques, and the traditions that gave birth to them.
Alite: Our class site Meditation Paths (Keyword to: http://meditationpaths.blogspot.com/) James: The summaries of the basic meditation techniques can be found at that site... look for January 8th as the starting point.
Rnbow: did i miss it all?
James: Nope. We are about to begin. I was telling everyone that this series will focus on specific techniques and traditions. In the years I have studied and practiced meditation, I have always felt that knowing different techniques is helpful.. if something is not working you can try something else. We are beginning class. I appreciate your attention.

Series Two Introduction: MANY PATHS

Tonight is our introduction to Many Paths, and in addition to describing what we are going to be doing, we will cover our first method. Which is Vipassana. Insight Meditation.

Vipassna (Insight Meditation) is grounded in the Southeast Asian Theravade Buddhism. It is a process of achieving total awareness of the present moment, with clarity and wisdom.

Cure: where does the wisdom come from?

It is a purely meditation aspect of Buddhism.. it has no religious aspects. Because there are no religious aspects, this practice is used by individuals from many beliefs and religions. Insight Meditation is one of the simplest and earliest forms of Buddhist meditation.

Lap: James--that is so true--I studied the buddist way

It comes directly, without alteration, from the Buddha himself. The purpose of this practice is the development of awareness, or mindfulness. Mindfulness in meditation means being aware of, but not concerned wtih what is happening around you. The meditator brings this high level of awareness to whatever they are experiencing, while remaining neutral and non-judgmental of the experiences. Alan Watts used an interesting example on one of his recorded programs.This was done in the '60s so he is using a record player as an example, as that was what his program was originally listened to on.

James: Does anyone remember record players?
Key: sure
Breezy: lol. yes
Mita: lol
Grace: lol yes
Ck: yes i have a record player

He said if you were sitting by a fire, and the fire was crackling, you might find this relaxing, and it would probably not bother you. But if the record you are listening to is scratched and crackles and clicks, it might annoy or distract you...the sound is almost the same. The difference is your attitude towards it. In Insight Meditation, you try not to judge the experiences as bad or good, you are just aware of them.

Insight comes from a continuity of awareness. Staying in the moment, and having pure experience.. without judgement. There is no fixed object of concentration as there is in most other forms of meditation. The focus is on whatever happens to be the most prominent experience. So no wrestling with the "monkey mind". Its all good. One teacher compares the alertness, calmness, and restraint to that of a cat watching a mouse hole...

Another aspect of mindfulness is called "noting". Instead of letting sensations or thoughts distract you, you note them, label them, as if you are the witness to the experience and not the experiencer. Cultivating the witness is an important aspect of mindfulness.

Sun: they talk about mindfulness a lot when you talk about buddist meditation. as
well as loving kidness toward yourself..and being gentle. well the middle way is
really a lot of noting i think lol

Mindfulness is the process of being in the present moment. It is a continuity of awareness that brings about insight. So for those of you who struggle with concentration, this may be a good meditation technique for you.. you don't have to stay focused on anything. You just try to be aware of what you are focused on.
Sun: oh is this the one where you focus on everything?

Class Discussion:

James: Are there any questions?
Mom: for me the key is just getting very very relaxed
James: anything and everything
Mom: then when im in that state..its like im in a new universe..ya know
Mita: daydreaming.........giggle
Mom: or maybe..same universe..different part..lol
James: Getting very relaxed is the key to most forms of meditation. Stillness opens the doors. So simple yet so powerful.. stillness...
Mom: yes and so hard to achieve at times
Grace: indeed
LT: James..how long have you been meditating? and How long have you been a teacher?
James: But if you are sitting still and your leg bothers you.. in insight meditation you note it.. and do not judge it.
Mom: i am pregnant..so i focused on the babys movement..was really a good meditation experience
James: LT, I started meditating in 1972. So I guess 33 years?
FaL: James.. may I ask if meditating in water is a way to overcome the outside influences that distract?
LT: That is a long time
Mom: ive never meditated pregnant before
Alite: So then James this meditation is one which allows the focus to be on anything and accepting all objects which could be a distraction to be a part of the meditation causing the self to accept all things as part of the meditation?
James: I have taught online about 6 of the last 9 years.
LT: since my teens...I have wanted to meditate. I'm a student at a metaphysical school
James: Yes Alite :)
LT: thanks James
Mom: james..do you think listening to music with headphones..helps too?
LT: and for the past 2 years I have finally learned enough about meditation, to call myself a meditator
Alite: I meditate with music
James: Music helps relax you, but its really more like "foreplay" to meditation.
Mom: its nice isnt it alite?
LT: and becoming a meditator is something I have always wanted.
Mom: ya..i can see that james. the hard part for me is..not falling asleep
Alite: Yes. I flow with the music and the universe become spacious
James: Meditation is awareness, and mostly an inward experience.
LT: yes
Mom: took me along time to get the hang of that
James: Though the type of meditation we are discussing this week would say that it does not matter.. whatever you are experiencing is as good as anything else.
LT: thoughts can be so distracting...and yet, I cna feel great peace when meditating and have that peace in my life makes all the difference
Mita: i can drum and meditate at the same time.....hehe ( but i'm wierd )
James: There are many guided meditation CDs and tapes available to help you learn Insight Meditation.
Mom: i found that...it just takes alot of practice...then you get to a point where you just mute the thoughts
James: Mita, I can see that.
Alite: Thoughts Unity during meditation should be accepted for what they are and allowed to flow away without catching hold of them fully.
LT: James..in your 33 years..have you ever had an out of body expereince?
James: LT, no, that is not the focus of the type of meditation I have pursued. I have had experiences that did not include my body though... Is that the same thing? I mean I don't astral project and wander around.
LT: could be James..not sure..I'm learning about how to do out-of-body expereinces with consciousness
Alite: It depends James on your perception of the experience.
James: I focus on universal energy and my awareness of the physical plane has been known to disolve. Its like a cosmic light show sometimes.
LT: alite...I just let my thoughts be, for the most part, and enjoy the peace I feel.. James have you ever heard of the book the Holographic Universe?
Mom: james..do you ever feel collective pain of others..during meditation..almost like a deep sadness?
Alite: A peaceful meditation then.
LT: yes alite
Mita: we wanted to have a small bon fire last night but it was supposed to rain...so we walked out of the bard I said lets ask the trees....3 seconds later the wind
FaL: I do meditate in water tho.. that really allows me to be able to not contrive outside influences
James: Easters, no I have not. I focus on peace.
Mita: had the trees saying forget it - rain is coming
FaL: the wind always speaks in that way mita
Mita: my youngest was cracking up like how'd you do that mom
James: Are there any more questions about Insight Meditation?
LT: Easters...I do not want to feel sad..so I avoid the news...my life is generally pretty happy these days
FaL: I asked James.. about the water
Mom: for some reason..when i feel that..its not exactly sad..its almost comforting
Grace: No James, but this I am definitely trying for myself. :)
LT: and has only gotten better as I consicously choose on the things I want to focus on
James: Scrolling back..
Mom: life is suffering... but when you accept it...its not so bad
James: Life is suffering, Buddhas 1st Noble Truth. and one of the most misunderstood ones.
LT: can you go beyond suffering into well being Easters?
Sun: who said you have to accept suffering?
James: At the core of our being is Sat Chit Ananda.. or an ocean ofinfinite truth, consciousness, and bliss.. at least this is the belief ofmost of the traditions that brought us meditation.
Mom: yes..unity..i usually do...the sadness part..isnt really sadness..im not sure im explaining it right
James: Easters, you are talking about the compassion for suffering inthe world?
Mom: its just a feeling of collective human experience i guess... ya..like collective empathy
James: Meditation brings us to the awareness that all life is One. We are all in this together.
Mom: yes..thats how it feels
Heart: i need to meditate
Mom: that feeling lets me accept my feelings better
Alite: We will do a group meditation soon
James: We are all going to meditate in a couple of minutes :)
Alite: It is wonderful
Mom: not sure id be good at that
Heart: :)
Mom: im not experienced enough perhaps
James: If you need basic information on beginning a meditation practice, you can look at the summary of our beginning series.. at Meditation Paths (Keyword to: http://meditationpaths.blogspot.com/)
Alite: The energy of us all will flow together very nicely.
James: Wander around till you find the 8 weeks beginning January 8th..
Grace: indeed it does, Alite :)
LT: that is good Easters
James: We try to keep this meeting to an hour.. so as to not overtax your patience at staying on topic and attentive, so we need to get to our meditation now.
LT: James how do you conduct your group meditations?
FaL: well my own experience within that time frame was quite intense. I had done alot of it
James: You are about to find out. :)
Grace: yay... I'm ready :)


GROUP MEDITATION:

First you want to find a position you can have your head, neckand trunk aligned comfortably. Having your knees lower than your hips helps with the balance. On a chair, you migh try feet flat, sitting near the edge of thechair with knees down. Fine somewhere to rest your hands.. either by the keyboard or on your thighs.. palms up if you like. You want your back to be comfortably straight. Once you find a good position, relax.Let the cares of the day drop away.

Breathe deeply and smoothly, to your comfortable capacity. Sit straight up as if your head was suspended from the ceiling on a string.. Then let stillness fall over you like a blanket.. top down.
Relax forehead, jaw, neck, shoulders. Relax your arms, your torso, hips, legs... be very still. Think of a pond of water.. becoming still. it becomes a mirror. Let this stillness settle over you.. remember, breathe deeply and smoothly.

As your body gets used to this stillness, your consciousness will naturally follow. Focus now on the breath.. as you inhale feel your body filling with a warm peaceful energy. As you exhale, let go of all tension.Breathing in warm peaceful energy, breathing out all heaviness.
As your body surrenders to being still, your consciousness will become more spacious. Think of the pond becoming a mirror pool...

As your consciousness becomes more still, you begin to see a deeper part of yourself reflected in it. Feel the peaceful feeling of the breath as it moves through your heart center... (center of your chest) Let your heart open like a flower to this peaceful energy as you take deep, smooth breaths. Let go of any heaviness that is blocking this peace, as you exhale. Feel the warm peaceful energy caressing you from within. Notice the actual point where you feel peace... let this space open more fully. Close your eyes and try to sense the actual point where peace is felt.

Let your awareness attend to this space... feel it washing over your consciousness. We are all one in this peaceful breath.... Taking one final deep breath and releasing, let us bring this meditation gently to a close.

Closing Discussion:

James: thank you all for your attention ...sorry that was kind of rushed
Grace: Lovely James... thank you.
Mum: ty james
Ck: lovely thank you james
Girl: Thank you very much
James: rushed peacefullness
FaL: ty james.. I went swimming:)
James: hurry up and relax
Mita: giggleGrace: lol
Alite: I did not hurry...giggles:
Moon: ugh, brb, afkJ
ames: lol we will try to start a little earlier next time.... If you want to be on the mailing list, please email me. We will post a summary of tonights class on the site soon.
Alite: What is next weeks subject?
James: We will continue this series for 8 to 10 weeks.. I have not decided yet which technique will be next week.. G
LT: James that was beautiful
Alite: It is good to be surprised
James: Are there any questions, or does someone want to tell us how that felt?
Mum: felt good
Alite: Meditation Paths (Keyword to: http://meditationpaths.blogspot.com/)
James: We have been doing this every Sunday since january 8th
Alite: The site
Grace: Snowy... every Sunday night at 9:00 central. this wonderful class is held. :)
James: except 2 weeks ago when my twins graduated college
LT: James it this room here only on Sundays? or in other words..how frequent are the meetings in this room?
James: yes.. so far only on Sunday nights once per week, but we may be expanding to a second night soon
Alite: Sunday nights 10pm est until 11pm est
FaL: well you do keep a good time schedule there..
James: 9 central, 10 eastern, 8 mountian, 7 pacific
LT: ok i see yes...i'm in cenrtral..so 9-10 PM for me
Alite: I am in Eastern Standard time
Grace: that covers it, James! :)
FaL: as I am alite
Alite: :smiles:
James: Email me if you wish to receive reminders and topic announcements.