Awakening Joy Course - August

The topic for this month is Learning to Love Ourselves. This theme follows from last month’s “letting go” theme, because when you let go of the stories of who you think you are, you see that you are truly lovable and worthy of love. This is actually our greatest gift to the world. To the extent we learn to do this we aren’t preoccupied with wondering if or proving that we're all right. Then we can give ourselves to others in service more fully.

Someone once asked His Holiness the Dalai Lama for advice on working with unworthiness. It took some time for him to understand the concept, but when he finally did, he looked straight at the questioner and very emphatically said, "You're wrong! You're absolutely wrong!" He went on to point out that seeing yourself as unworthy is missing the point that you are a perfect expression of life and have the same True Nature as every other living being.

In order to love ourselves we need to accept ourselves just as we are with all of our imperfections. The 3rd Zen Patriarch of China explains this beautifully in his Verses on the Faith Mind when he states that the highest realization is "to be without anxiety about non-perfection." The Buddhist meditation of metta or loving-kindness can help cultivate this attitude. Repeat often the phrases:
May I be happy.
May I be peaceful.
May I be kind to myself.
May I love and accept myself just as I am.

Lastly, an importance practice is bringing a kind, compassionate voice to our self-talk. Often, awareness of the tone of our thoughts helps us discern between the voice of judgment and the voice of wisdom. If you hear a harsh tone, you know that is not the voice of wisdom. One way to get in touch with this wisdom that wants to take good care of yourself is to ask directly, "What do I need right now for my well-being?" or “What do I need right now to thrive?” Listen for the honest response that comes.

The Buddha, in a famous teaching, said we could search the whole world over and not find anyone more deserving of love than ourselves.

From Marianne Williamson
We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented and fabulous? Actually, who
are you not to be?
You are a child of God. Your playing small doesn't serve the world. There's nothing
enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you.
We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of
us; it's in everyone.
And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the
same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.

The Road to Moksha: (5) Satsang

sat-sangatve nissangatvam, nissangatve nirmohatvam, nirmohatve nishcala-tattvam, nischcala-tattve jivanmuktih


Translation by Sri Brahmananda Sarasvati:
"Good and virtuous company gives rise to non-attachment. From non-attachment comes freedom from delusion. With freedom from delusion, one feels the changeless reality. Experiencing this changeless reality, one attains liberation in this life. I-AM is the ocean of awareness. Realizing this, one feels, 'I am not the body and mind, although I have a body and mind.'"

Satsang defined by Sharon Gannon:

“The yoga scriptures tell us the most important sadhana or spiritual practice that we can be involved in during this time of global crisis and great shifts in consciousness is satsang.  It’s more important than anything else.  More important than meditation or asana or even chanting…when we do chant, if we do it in a Satsang with other people, then of course it is extremely powerful.  Satsang means that we hang out with like minded beings.  That we are in the company of the enlightened mind…You get together for the single purpose of raising consciousness in yourself and supporting others, like right there and then…not like after next week…that’s good too, but the satsang is about actually being with the enlightened mind right now.”

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Being around others who are on this path is very important because we cannot make it on our own. We are social beings and need reinforcement and support from one another. We must encourage and remind each other of what is truly important. Building a sense of spiritual community is the best way to help people stay motivated to take their practice off the mat and into both the world and their inner lives.

PRACTICES
1. Satsang mantra
2. Kirtan
3. Meditation