Karma Yoga Talk @ Santa Barbara Convent

[Jeffrey]

I was invited to speak during a retreat last weekend at the Santa Barbara Convent. The talk was supposed to hover around ten minutes, the topic given Karma Yoga. Eight people spoke, two on each of the four Yogas. I've never spoken publicly before. There were just over eighty people in attendance, and I was quite nervous! I tried some deep breathing and subvocalizing my mantra to quell my thumping heart. It wasn't working as well as I had hoped. Minutes before I was called up, I imagined the Divine Mother holding me and walking me up there. I imagined Her sitting in every seat in front of me. That really helped more than anything.

The talk was meant to be brief, introductory, personal, and practical. The audio is attached and it's a bit choppy at the beginning. I made some personal breakthroughs while writing the speech, and I learned a lot about myself from the experience. Sharing here.

http://projectavalon.net/2KarmaYogaSpeech.mp3

Here are some pictures of the temple at the convent where the retreat took place.







Peace.

[sandy]

Hi Jeffery,
Good for you, sounds like you got in the zone and I excitedly went to hear you right away and big disappointment, I couldn't play it as it said the file is corrupt?? Could someone help please

[Jeffrey]

Hi, Sandy.

Working on getting a better upload, it may require a few page refreshes to work right. As of right now it's working on my end.

Here is the transcript (more or less).

-----------

I'm Vivek. I’ve been living as a bramachari at the Trabuco Monastery for eight months now. The nuns have invited me to speak about Karma Yoga and how it has affected my life.

So, today, I’m going to talk about three items in brief. The first will be the common things that I personally struggle with regarding work. The second is how the practice and philosophy of Karma Yoga helps me to relieve these struggles. Lastly, I will provide a biological example of Karma Yoga at work on a much smaller scale within the very cells of our physical bodies as this has been a source of inspiration for me -- finding parallels between the science of Vedanta and the mainstream physical sciences.

The most common problem I have is that I only enjoy working when the work is something that I personally enjoy doing. When the task is not something I find satisfaction in, I typically don’t enjoy doing it. Surely, you can relate. I will either suffer through the work I don't enjoy, or find a way to escape it. Now, by escaping it I don't mean running away from the job, I mean that I am physically there doing the work and going through the motions, but mentally and emotionally I am off somewhere else.

I think I suffer because I’ve split myself several different ways here. My physical, emotional, and mental movements aren’t in sync. My energies, my thoughts and feelings, are scattered about while my body is unconsciously performing some task. I've split my being between the present, here and now, and some other place in time, thinking about what was, what will be, what could be, or the prize at the end of the road. I’m not completely present, and ironically, I end up expending more time and effort on the very work that I’d rather not be doing. As a result I suffer.

These thoughts and emotional movements, according to yoga, are the streams of my consciousness, as an identity, moving through pathways called Samskaras. Like flowing streams of water carve out large rivers over the course time, the repeated movement through circuits of feeling and patterns of thought carve out these Samkaras over many incarnations, all the way up to the present moment.

No matter what work I’m physically engaged in, it’s easiest for my feelings and thoughts to flow through these circuits, or Samkaras. Napoleon Hill once said that following the path of least resistance makes all rivers and some people crooked. And so it is with Samkaras. I suffer because I’m allowing the winding rivers and streams of my consciousness to flow through the channels which offer the least amount of resistance. These channels are a cumulative result of many improper movements. Physical, emotional, and mental.

Lucky for me, Karma Yoga offers a solution that promises to do much more than alleviate my suffering. Karma Yoga teaches me to redirect my thoughts and feelings toward the Divine while I work. This practice builds embankments that reroute my currents of consciousness towards the Divine.

There is a caveat though. And this is something which I've only recently uncovered about myself. I cannot merely be engaged in a task and be thinking about God somewhere else, lost in a thought, daydreaming of the divine. For example, if I am engaged in cooking, cleaning, or some job in which I must interact with others, I cannot merely perform these duties while thinking of scripture or some divine, cosmic mystery, wondering this thing or that. This is good no doubt and at the least it is a starting point in the practice. But, I’m still not there with the work; I’m not completely present. My being is still split between the immediate duties in front of me, while my emotional and mental being is wanting to be off somewhere else, studying this or that scripture or thinking about this or that divine mystery I'm trying to solve. I’m not really present with what’s in front of me. The work and God remain separate.

So, Karma Yoga teaches me to direct my thoughts and feelings towards God not just while I work, but into the work itself. This requires my full presence of being, it requires my physical, mental, and emotional movements to be in sync and focused on the Divine in front of me.

Slowly, when practiced diligently and sincerely, work begins to transform into devotional acts. Every movement then becomes a salutation to the Divine; every action, an act of worship.

The practitioner, begins to see God working on them, through the work that they think they are performing. By surrendering themselves in thought and deed, to the Divine, they become in sync with the Divine work, and they gradually realize the Divine conspiracy that is always at work to help them towards their freedom. There is a type of gratitude and peacefulness that develops.

Karma Yoga says practice work, not just physical, but mental and emotional work, while being aware of the immant presence of the divine in everything you do. Personally, my samskaras, the path of least resistance for my emotional and mental movements, make it easy for me to think that God is somewhere out there, somewhere else, while I'm here, doing this or that. It becomes less easy for me to think of God somewhere else when I practice putting God right in front of me, in what I'm doing, in all situations. When I put the Divine in front of me, right there with me where its always been, work becomes something much more joyous and life becomes less of a struggle.

This is Karma Yoga.

It’s no longer about me, what I will get, or what else I could be doing; everything becomes a divine dance, the world becomes a mansion of mirth. Through this practice, and by Divine Grace, we begin to identify less with our own selfishness and more with the larger whole. We become increasingly aware of a more complete being of which we are a part, and by shifting our movements towards the Divine, we begin merging into that larger awareness of being. A larger body, with a more complete sense of spirit. Vedanta teaches that everything is ONE body, with ONE soul. All is ONE.

This brings me to the final item. The yoga of the cells. Biology and Karma Yoga.

Buckle your seat belts.

Vedanta presents us with high philosophies, invisible forces, and abstract concepts that tend to exceed our reach in many ways, and a certain amount of faith is required for us to allow Vedanta to change the way we live and to enact the practices it prescribes. Faith, I believe is a good thing. Nevertheless, it is nice to find parallels in science that support the tenants of Vedanta. It strengthens our faith, and can add a most welcome bit of enthusiasm into practicing the methods outlined by this Yoga.

Sri Ramakrishna says in the Gospel that the microcosm is in the macrocosm and the macrocosm is in the microcosm. Swami Vivekananda had a revelation about this while meditating under the peepul tree in Kalighat, after which he wrote, "the microcosm and the macrocosm are built on the same plan".

In the body, proteins play a vital role. They are one of a triad that make biological life possible. They are the workhorses of the body. They transport material in and out of the cell, they help relay signals throughout the brain and nervous system, they come together as enzymes to break down the food we ingest or to build important complexes nessecary for many biological processes. They do all the jobs of the body. They even make up the muscle tissue that allow us to move, to work. In short, they are the real Karma Yogis of the body.

Your body consciousness, in part, is a collective of these key players, proteins. They act selflessly to support a larger being, they have surrendered their identities and their will to a larger organism, merging themselves into a larger awareness of being. They move as one in harmony with the divine cosmos that is your body. The macrocosm in the microcosm.

It is important for a protein to be in the correct shape for it to perform its duty properly within the larger body. If it is in the wrong configuration, it creates stress within the cell and causes the body to suffer.

It is typical for a newborn protein to have to incarnate into a little body within the cell itself so that it may develop into the correct configuration. There are millions of tiny capsules in the cell that encase these new proteins. These capsules, with the protein inside, perform work on the protein and undergo specific movements in order to help the protein attain the proper posture, as it were.

Once the protein is released from the little body, it goes through a quality control system within the cell. If it is found unripe, or it hasn't developed properly, the cell sends it back into another little capsule. In other words, the protein reincarnates and tries again.

If the protein, after many cycles through these tiny bodies, achieves the proper state it is released from the cell, this is moksha. It now has the power and knowledge to act in harmony with the larger whole, it merges with the symphony of the total organism, into an awareness beyond its small form.

See the parallel?

The tangled, mishaped protein is like the crooked state of our samskaras, the mishapen patterns of thought and emotions that we identify with causing us to suffer.Our physical body is like a chrysalis, giving us the opportunity for metamorphosis.

We transmigrate from body to body to reshape and remold ourselves, learning to direct our energies to the divine, to a higher nature. Learning to act selflessly, like the protein.

It is only through physical, emotional, and mental work in sync with the divine scheme that we acheive our proper configuration, preparing us to merge with the awareness and harmony of a larger state of being. The infinite universe is the body, the Earth is but a cell.

Life is work. Karma Yoga teaches me not just how to work, but how to live.

"the microcosm and the macrocosm are built on the same plan."

I'd again like to thank the nuns of the Santa Barbara Convent for having me here today. It's great to see everybody here and to be here! Jai Ma. Thank you.

[sandy]

The link still does not work even after a few refreshes however I am patient and know that it will and I will get to not only read you session but listen to and "feel" it at the same time...........one of my biggest learning modalities............. I will check back again Jeffrey, tomorrow.

Vivek: The audio has been re-uploaded with a new link, hopefully this works for you now.

[boutreality]

That last post you made here Jeffrey was awesome. Truly inspiring and I thank you.

If you could elucidate anything on the notion that karma is time. In my view, on a quantum level, predominating resonance inside our DNA throughout the body entangles the space-time we experience at some point in our future. Every cell regenerates and turns over itself into a new version of the same thing complete with a new strand of DNA. Though largely based on the template of the last strand the ribosomes made, minute changes do occur and can be made to occur with each 'improvement' (keeping it positive) of our actions and being; thereby entangling a slightly altered future. I think my conclusions here are largely based upon what I took from Time, Space and Knowledge by Tarthang Tulku (I read then meditate; rinse and repeat; often

This line of thinking fits, I have found, with the notion that Karma is the vibratory motion of space and Karma is dissolved by, however momentarily, stopping this vibration. This sentiment is at least intimated -if not stated directly- in Autobiography of a Yogi by Yogananda.

[Jeffrey]

Hello, boutreality! I marked some Tarthang Tulku books for my amazon shopping cart after reading this post. Thanks,

I have a strong intuition that time is directly related to Karma. In the metabiological model, the cell nucleus is the karmashaya. This is a Sanskrit term meaning "womb of karma". The genes in DNA encode for proteins and proteins are instruments of action. Of course, the DNA is in the karmashaya of the cell. All proteins exist as one continuum in the DNA, they have no ego to speak of, only a very subtle form that is nearly indistinguishable as an entity separate from the rest of the code in the DNA. It is one with the DNA and it is part of that continuum.

When that particular protein is needed by the manifest body, it is called upon. Transcripted and translated, the nascent protein, if complex enough, must incarnate into these little bodies in the cell known as Chaperonin molecules.

Briefly, the planet itself has a karmashaya as its functions and operational patterns are cellular in nature. Epigenetic mechanisms affect the planet as a cell, and us as sentient, complex proteins of a much larger organism. Through what is known as the Chittaakasha of the planet, Earth is in constant communication with other realities in parallel universes where me and you, as proteins, exist as well. These other, parallel universe planets are in different states of affairs -- some good, some bad. At any rate, the circumstances and events unfolding around these alternate spaces affect the subtle atmosphere of the planet which in turn affects the physical. I had to rush this post a little, so it's a bit crammed! The morning bell is about to ring for breakfast so I gotta run. Looking forward to talking some more and digging into some Tarthang Tulku!

Thanks again,

Viv

[boutreality]

That is intriguing. I have resonated with more a Taoist-Shamanic path myself and have found several valuable insights from sources traditionally though to be "Eastern." Your words reminded me of some strong thought form that is often too immense to consider at once. A kind of planetary homeopathy, the earth /sun could very well operate along these principles and not need our input. Wouldn't it be something to formulate a sort of blend between Earth Science and homeopathic treatment principles. "The exact right amount of just the wrong thing that will strengthen where it is needed?" Or, even the arrogance to think that our input is justified...

Oh, the Profundities! Pleasure to cyber-meet you Sir and Be Well.

[Jeffrey]

Wouldn't it be something to formulate a sort of blend between Earth Science and homeopathic treatment principles. "The exact right amount of just the wrong thing that will strengthen where it is needed?

Yes, it would be interesting. Properly configured proteins, after exocytosis from their mother cell, travel to other cells and other places in the body. Metabiologically, these would be conscious identities with no physical bodies. For example, maybe a group like the Pleadians that Barbara Marciniak speaks of. On the other hand, we are only now beginning to study the ability of the actual Chaperonin molecules, or little capsules, leaving the cell. Metabiologically, this would be physical bodies leaving their home planet. They have found that Chaperonins can produce pores in biological membranes. When the word "pore" is used in biology, think "portal" in metabiology. When these Chaperonin molecules do this, they act as cell signalling molecules.

At the end of the 20th century, the paradigm of chaperonins as protein folders had emerged, but it is likely that during the 21st century these proteins will come to be viewed as intercellular signals. Indeed, it is possible that the chaperonins were among the first intercellular signalling proteins to evolve. [...] If the hypothesis that molecular chaperones are cell-to-cell signalling proteins is correct, then these proteins could play pathological roles in human diseases, and therefore be targets for therapeutic intervention. It is likely that the direct roles of molecular chaperones in human diseases will be defined in the near future. Source: http://home.kpn.nl/b1beukema/chaperonins.pdf

What does this say about physical ETs? Do physical bodies travelling away from their home planet act as immunogens (elements that induce strong, specific immune responses in the body) for the planets to which they travel? Somehow, I think this relates to what you are saying.

Could it be that the mythology of humans falling from a state of grace into physical bodies is this very thing? If we are really the complex, sentient protein folding inside the physical form, or chaperonin capsule, then this indicates that the planet, metabiologically speaking, is in the middle of a cellular stress response. Chaperonin capsule production is dramatically increased within the cell as part of a stress response which can be induced by foreign antigens.

Following this logic, the planetary immune response would have to have been activated by sources alien to our cellular Earth. The apple in the garden of Eden then becomes a metaphor for an antigen -- metaphysically, but moreover metabiologically.

Shifting gears a little bit ... you mentioned "sun" in your post. Proteins can act as neurotransmitters as well. It's interesting that sunspots resemble membrane "pores" opening on the post synaptic bulb of a dendrite. What if stars were the spherical bulbs of a dendrite whose full body crosses other far away areas of space, or what if they have extensions into other universes? What if there were wormholes at the center of stars? If this is the case, then wormholes become axons according to metabiology and each of the folds in the fabric of spacetime becomes something like a sulcus.

Nice to meet you too! Its great to be a part of a community like Avalon.

[boutreality]

I do a lot of work in my meditative trance states that involves/employs Microcosm is the Macrocosm revelation. It is awe inspiring -real genuine tears of joy to dwell upon its beauty- and though this is only confirmed through gnosis (and therefore only relevant to my experience,) I concur with the notion that stars are portals; wormhole within. I post mainly in the conspiracy forum, though it often feels dark there and so distrusting; such is the way of people!

A large network seen, in terms we discuss here, as an intergalactic metastasizing organism, is part of what I have found. You may be interested to check that out. Or better yet, perhaps bring this concept to bare in your own meditative work.

"Sky was your flesh and ground became your sand. Weighed time, then laughed." -me

[transiten]

Santa Barbara is the Guardian Saint of the miners.

http://projectavalon.net/2KarmaYogaSpeech.mp3

When i click on this link it says the file is damaged??? Strange sync is the lyrics of this song "Santa Barbara" we recorded 30 years ago says the Saint could not prevent an accident to happen and injure the miners...

[sandy]

The link still does not work today Jeffrey

[RunningDeer]

Posted by sandy (here)
The link still does not work today Jeffrey

I tried Jeffrey and transiten links, both work. Just for the heck of it, how about we try this. [click here] If it still doesn't work try cleaning out your cache.

[sandy]

No go Paula, even cleaned out my cache and had to login again but still doesn't work for me. Oh well will go with the transcript for now............no worries but thanks for your help always and in all ways......you are an angel for sure!!

[transiten]

Posted by RunningDeer (here)

Posted by sandy (here)
The link still does not work today Jeffrey

I tried Jeffrey and transiten links, both work. Just for the heck of it, how about we try this. [click here] If it still doesn't work try cleaning out your cache.

Thanks Dear, but what is "cache"?

[RunningDeer]

Posted by transiten (here)

Posted by RunningDeer (here)

Posted by sandy (here)
The link still does not work today Jeffrey

I tried Jeffrey and transiten links, both work. Just for the heck of it, how about we try this. [click here] If it still doesn't work try cleaning out your cache.

Thanks Dear, but what is "cache"?

Let me google that for you...
<3

[Jeffrey]

The transcript has officially been posted on the vedanta.org webpage under "Monthly Readings".

http://vedanta.org/2014/monthly-read...e-by-br-vivek/



Here are a few pictures from the retreat...

Well, pictures will have to wait... technical difficulties!