East meets west

Eastern Philosophy

The eastern philosophies seem to be the new go to for spiritual inspiration for many people. Whether it is currently the Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso; Parmahansa Yogananda and Self Realization Fellowship;  Mohandes Gandhi, the Mahatma; Maharishi Mahesh Yogi and Transcendental Meditation; Gautama Buddha and Buddhism or others whose good and true philosophies are available. We are being led into a completely different way of thinking and being here in the world of effects.  Jesus taught us to believe in the Christ within. (These works and greater ones you will do.)   Buddha taught it as Buddha nature, there’s also Krishna consciousness, or Sahaja Samadhi.  All these teach that the I am is each one of us with or without the whirlpool of being.  Samadhi drops the conceptual mind and realizes higher unity and stillness.  It’s beyond description here and perhaps we can do a complete session or post on Samadhi.   Yoga means the oneness with all and separation from the maya, or the sight and seen of the world.  It is also physical positions held and released.  That’s a duality we find in eastern philosophy stillness, separation and doing, the beginning and ending physical suffering.  Note the eastern belief that there is one consciousness shining through innumerable faces, countless forms and double that number of eyes.

The philosophical thinkers quoted below are expanding and legitimizing the good within each and every individual.  There is no one religion or philosophy that has all the truth.  To have all the truth we must incorporate all the good, true, historical, legitimate  and lovable from all philosophies, all religions, all people.   All thoughts worthy of being remembered can be added to our knowledge base.  When you have good thoughts, write them down.  You may then share them with the group or keep them to illumine yourself.

Perhaps every conscious individual could write their own bible, chapter and verse.  The mistakes, the wins, the learnings, the humility, the power within, the healing, the freedom, all this engenders happiness and contentment to arrive at each higher plateau.  Then we transition back to the goal oriented path to traverse up the slope.  No one need give up their power and connection to the universal good.  The realization that no one can do it for us.  We must tread our own path.  No matter how steep or rock laden, it is ours to learn and grow within and we shall become enlightened in the end.  Born innocent and ending up at purity is our life’s calling.

The Beatles changed their songs and ostensibly their lives after visiting India. A friend, Karl Anthony is now writing his singing mantras with a definite eastern flair. He went to the same town in India that the Beatles went to and learned from masters there. Let’s see if we can bring some of that eastern knowledge here to this humble blog.  Below see the quotes from eastern masters, teachers and philosophers who’ve given us inspiring quotes to live by in their writings.

I remember my first entrée into the eastern way of being in the world was with Transcendental Meditation.  I took the course in Pasadena, California and began meditating twice a day. I remember meditating in airports, on airplanes at about 36,000 ft., on the beach, in offices, on a mountain top, practically anywhere I could get twenty minutes time to meditate. One evening when I lived in Seal Beach, California there were several people over for a dinner party. As the meal prep was getting going in full operation I realized I hadn’t done my evening meditation. TM is done before eating, both in the morning and evening. I said to the group, go on and keep doing what needs to be done, I am out of here for twenty minutes. I went out to my car, it was a Porsche, and sat in it for my evening med. It was interesting when I came back to the party no one acted like they’d missed me. They started handing me plates to put on the dining table and said nothing about my running out on them at a critical dinner fixing time.   I now teach three types of meditation in the recreation system for those interested.

Once I went with the friend who’d introduced me to TM to a group meditation in west LA. Charlie Lutes was speaking and he had an amazing story to tell us. We meditated together and it seemed powerful. My seat was lively. We were on the second floor so I thought it might be the good vibrations of the old theatre where we were neeting. After the meditation our main group went north to Pasadena and the like. I was going south so we said our goodbyes. I walked in to the theatre down below where we’d meditated and sat down in the very last row of seats. I watched a band practice. I didn’t think much of it. After about a half an hour of them playing one section of a song to get it the way they wanted it, I decided to drive on home. The next day I saw on TV that Fleetwood Mac was playing with the USC marching band I think it was. I looked closely and there was the group I had been watching practice the night before. No wonder my seat felt lively, Fleetwood was practicing right beneath it.  Must be a message there, yes?

This is your invitation to learn and embrace the Focus Up Philosophy. The goal is to awaken all sentient beings.  Focus Up Philosophers wish to attain higher consciousness now. The goal is to get it and assist all sentient beings to focus up. Once all beings are awakened and fully conscious, we will all arrive together at the top of the mountain.  It doesn’t matter what path of good, true and lovable steps and deeds human beings take to get to the top of that mythological mountain.  The difficulties, challenges, and opportunities will give them the goodness of spirit to elevate their consciousness.  Once all sentient beings are on the mountain top, all can translate out to the next higher dimension.  Then Focus Up Philosophers may turn off the lights and leave.                                                          More about philosophies later.

Quotes around and about eastern philosophies to elevate (Focus Up) your thinking and change your life.                                                                   As your life focuses up and changes, feel free to assist others’ to change.

The roots of all goodness lie in the soil of appreciation.    Tenzin Gyatso, The Dalai Lama

Silence is sometimes the best answer    Dalai Lama

The true hero is one who conquers his own anger and hatred.    Dalai Lama

In our struggle for freedom, truth is the only weapon we possess.    Dalai Lama

Persistence guarantees that results are inevitable.   Parmahansa Yogananda