Davidji's Blog, page 81
March 6, 2014
Weekend Meditation
“We either make ourselves miserable, or we make ourselves strong. The amount of work is the same.”
- Carlos Castaneda
Have a fantastic weekend!
Peace. -davidji
April 3 – 6, 2014
Please note that registration for Discovering Your Dharma
closes on Sunday, March 9th at 12p PST/3p EST.
May 8 – 11th
March 4, 2014
The Moment of Enlightenment
“The love for all living creatures is the most noble attribute of man.”
- Charles Darwin
Hello Spiritual Warriors!! I’ve just returned from the Galapagos Islands where I swam with sea lions in turquoise seas, snorkeled with manta rays, hung out with iguanas & turtles, meditated on the sand with students who have become life-long friends, and travelled the path of Charles Darwin. It was an amazing experience – and a powerful reminder to choose having experiences over collecting things.
We started the year Setting Our Course; last month we moved into discovering our dharma; and this month to take us to the next level, we celebrate the stillness & silence that rests within!
April 3 – 6, 2014
In the spiritual world, we so often hear the question, “How can I become enlightened?” And sometimes in life, we can find ourselves at a crossroads where we want to have the child-like innocence of the Dalai Lama, the wisdom of the Buddha, the compassion of Jesus, or simply to reach nirvana.
We want to transcend our fears, our anger, our pain…and move to a state of bliss. The most common question I am asked by my students is, “How do I reach the GAP? or as we say in Spanish – el espacio cosmico.
Twelve years ago I traveled throughout India in search of the guru. I began my journey in the north –near the city of Varanasi- in the town of Sarnath where Buddha taught his first lesson after achieving enlightenment. Months later, my aha! moment occurred while reading The Bhagavad Gita – Chapter 2, Verse 48 as I lay in a hammock in a cashew forest in Kerala. As I read Krishna’s guidance to Arjuna, it all made sense to me: “Yogastha kuru karmani” – establish yourself in one-ness and then perform action.
It was a powerful lesson in understanding the power of the present moment. But how do we live our lives in bliss with all the issues of money, health, relationships, love, fear, success, happiness, karma, dharma, and our ego swirling through our head and impacting our emotions, our conversations, and our actions?
As long as we are sealed in this flesh casing for the span of a lifetime – living as humans on this wild and magnificent planet – the answers can seem impossible to attain. After the Buddha had meditated under the Bodhi tree for 40 days (960 consecutive hours), he had his aha! moment. He realized the one-ness of existence and touched the ground with his right hand so the earth could be his witness.
We have the same opportunity in our lives, but it requires a daily meditation practice, opening our heart, connecting to the present moment, and accepting that this moment is exactly as it should be – perfect and pure, whole and infinite.
Communing with nature is a powerful way to experience the present moment – it takes you out of the past and out of the future so you can truly LIVE in this sacred, precious moment. Whether we are watching a sunset, riding a bicycle, witnessing an ant crawling up a tree, swimming with turtles, or walking barefoot on grass – each time we experience nature, we experience one-ness – the totality of the universe. This is a perfect starting point to begin your journey to enlightenment. So right now, take a few moments to commune with the magnificent flow of nature. Go outside…and just BE…take it all in – even for a few minutes. Breathe and soak in this magnificent existence of ours.
For the past 12 years, I have shared this timeless wisdom & the ancient techniques to transform & achieve one-ness in my weekly blog, on my Hay House Radio Show, in my book Secrets of Meditation, and in my monthly meditation & healing immersions in the SweetSpot of the universe – there’s one coming up in April & another in May. I encourage you to take a step with me online, in –person, or in print so you can connect to the path that feels comfortable right now. This is how you begin your journey.
I also am thrilled to announce that I have been invited to be The Master Primordial Sound Meditation Educator at the Chopra Center’s signature meditation retreat – Seduction of Spirit which takes place 3 times each year; and at the Center’s signature Mind-Body wellness workshop Journey into Healing which is available this March & July. Since 2002, it has been a great honor to study under Deepak Chopra – working and teaching alongside him raising the vibration of peace and higher consciousness throughout the world. With his guidance, and that of my beloved Dr. David Simon, I have taught tens of thousands around the world to use this technique and I would love to teach it to you as well!
Please visit my events page for more details on all of my upcoming events & I hope you’ll find an experience that resonates with you. In the meantime…listen to today’s show on Hay House Radio and let’s begin our journey to enlightenment!!!!! In the meantime, I’ll see you in the gap!! Peace. -davidji
February 27, 2014
Weekend Meditation
“Stop looking outside for scraps of pleasure or fulfillment, for validation, security, or love – you have a treasure within that is infinitely greater than anything the world can offer.” – Eckhart Tolle
May 8 – 11, 2014
Enjoy the weekend!
See you in the GAP.
Peace. -davidji
April 3 – 6, 2014
February 26, 2014
Where can we find the silence?
“In the attitude of silence the soul finds the path in a clearer light, and what is elusive and deceptive resolves itself into crystal clearness. Our life is a long and arduous quest after Truth.” – Mahatma Gandhi
Where can we find the silence?
Hello sweet spiritual warriors!! I hope this missive finds you doing well. I am on a plane right this moment heading to the Galapagos Islands and I wanted to share a few timeless secrets of meditation with you.
We live in a pretty noisy world – cars, planes, motorcycles, snow blowers, leaf blowers, lawn mowers, transmission lines, TV, radio, ring tones, trains, boats, engines running, motors humming… and that’s the non living stuff. Then there are all the human & animal sounds…and beneath all that are the natural sounds of nature – the crashing of the surf on the shore; the rustling of leaves in the trees; the crescendo of rain drops on the sidewalk…it can get loud OUT THERE.
April 3 – 6, 2014
For most of us, between the 60,000-80,000 thoughts we receive each day & the millions of vibrations that flow into our ear canal from our environment, there isn’t a lot of silence. Our minds can be consumed by the noise around us, which only revs up the perceived noise within – but the reality is that WE control the volume button of life; we control the speed at which life flows at us. And, when we connect to our most genuine Self – the part of us that rests beneath our clothes, beneath our flesh casing, beneath our physical structure – deeper still – beneath our emotions…beneath our ego…at a more subtle level than even our intellect…then we awaken a wonderful stillness…a magnificent silence…a state of consciousness that some refer to as bliss.
In this state, we experience Namaste – no judgment, no fear, no regrets, no grievances, no expectations, vulnerability, gratitude, forgiveness, compassion and truth.
How do we get there? How do we connect to the silence? We can start by placing our hand on our heart, closing our eyes, and gently following our breathing in and out – feeling the universe flow into you with each inhale & out of you with each exhale.
And each of us has the ability to do this in any moment – upon waking, while showering, while walking your dog, while getting into your car, while waiting on line, while sitting at your desk or in a meeting, while reading this sentence…
Join me for some present moment awareness on Hay House Radio and at my upcoming workshop in the sweetspot of the universe.
Keep meditating. Peace. -davidji
February 19, 2014
Weekend Meditation
“Where there is love there is life.” -Mahatma Gandhi
Let’s keep riding the dharma wave!!!
Happy Weekend Spiritual Warriors!
Peace.-davidji
April 3 – 6, 2014
May 8 – 11th
February 18, 2014
Weaving Purpose Into Every Moment
“Abandon all attachment to the results of action and attain supreme peace.”
-Krishna, The Bhagavad Gita
April 3 – 6, 2014
Discover Your Dharma
Hello & Welcome to another week of dharma seeking!! We’ve spent two weeks exploring, navigating, and uncovering our unique gifts, our special talents, and answering some pretty powerful questions regarding our purpose in life.
So often, the dharma seeker searches for purpose through an intellectual process – making lists, logically analyzing core skill sets, and studying others.
For the past 4376 days, every morning & afternoon, right before I meditate, I have asked the questions: Who am I? What do I want? What is my purpose? And, What am I grateful for? I have sat and listened to what flows back and I have lived the answers that have been whispered into my heart.
At first, the responses seemed endless and powerful. And I would seize an answer, leap up, and race off in that direction. Yet, over the years – and more than 10,000 meditations later – the truest answers have come more slowly, more clearly, and with deeper profundity. Over time, the most insightful answers have encouraged me to travel tens of thousands of miles, dig down deep, awaken my courage, make scary decisions, change courses, listen more closely to my heart, trust in the divine guidance of the universe…and keep leaning forward in the direction of my dreams.
I’ve often asked myself, “If I had all the time, money, and energy in the world, what would I do?” I’ve even pushed the issue further by asking myself, “Would I do this if I had to pay for it?” And, when I was still stuck, I’ve asked, “If I was going to die in a few days, what would I regret that I didn’t do?” Some of my most dharmic choices have come from these answers and many of them have been opportunities where I’ve volunteered, donated my time, or worked for free. Your dharma does not have to be your job – it may be something even deeper than that…an over-riding way of living your life or seeing the world.
In the stillness & silence of your unconditioned self you will discover your purpose in life. But you need to give yourself permission to surrender to a daily meditation practice before you start asking questions. Meditation is the doorway to your soul. In the quietude of your mind and the silence of your heart, answers will begin to flow. A daily stillness practice will increase the possibilities of you aligning with your dharma. Coming from the space BETWEEN your thoughts will add much greater value to your life than coming FROM your thoughts.
Dharma is that sweet alignment between your soul and the universal spirit. Once you experience that TRUTH, your passion will fuel you to awaken your purpose. Join me today on Hay House Radio & we’ll explore aligning your soul with the soul of the universe. And if you’d like to awaken your dharma in person, then join me on the beach in April at the dharma life-change immersion in the sweetspot of the universe.
In the meantime, keep asking the questions. Keep living the answers. Keep meditating. And keep breathing each breath with passion. I’ll see you I the gap!! Peace. -davidji
May 8 – 11, 2014
February 13, 2014
Weekend Meditation
“Beauty is not in the face; beauty is a light in the heart.” – Kahlil Gibran
April 3 – 6, 2014
Spread the Warrior LOVE!!!
See you in the GAP.
Peace. -davidji
May 8 – 11, 2014
February 11, 2014
Dharma is TRUTH
“Nothing ever goes away until it has taught us what we need to know.” – Pema Chordron
Dharma is TRUTH
In Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras, he refers to the first branch of yoga as the yamas – codes of behavior for interacting with the world. The second yama is satya or truth. Truth, like love, is one of those concepts that has thousands of meanings. Among the myriad definitions, most commonly we talk about “our truth”, something being “true” or not, or the “universal truth”.
Determining if something is true or not can be challenging since most of what we know and learn, we hear from someone else or read. And we must take some kind of leap of faith determining whether or not it resonates with us. If it aligns with our belief system, we are more likely to accept it as true – if it is contrary to our core beliefs, then we most likely will challenge it in some way.
Those deep core beliefs we have are essentially our truth. We live them. We speak them. Our behaviors reflect them. That’s why we can feel out of integrity or inauthentic when we are saying or doing something we don’t really believe deep in our heart.
When we meditate, we quiet ourselves down so we can hear the whispers of God, the universe, the divine creator or whomever we believe is our higher power. The simple act of BEing rather than DOing helps us connect to the present moment, which is a state of absolute one-ness. It is in this state, we are pure, and whole, and perfect, and truly connected to our most genuine self. There is no ego to satisfy or other people to please – we are one with the universe and none of the stains or impressions of the past and none of the fear or fantasies of the future are influencing us. That could be said to be a state of pure truth – where we are beyond the teachings…beyond the teachers…beyond all the issues that consume our thoughts, words, and actions.
It is from this space – stillness & silence – where all the seeds we’ve planted can take root in the fertile soil of our heart and soul. This is truly the infinite garden of manifestation. But so often, what we truly desire doesn’t unfold as we expected or anticipated. That’s because our truth wasn’t necessarily aligned with the universal truth – we were not in our dharma!
We can be in the right space at the right time – but not be in the right frame of mind. Or we can be in the right frame of mind – but we haven’t placed our self in the right space or our timing was off. The more we meditate, the more we align with the rhythm of the universe – allowing time and space to merge into the right moment. But in order for our dreams and desires to unfold with grace and ease, we must also be aligned with what the universe wants. Dharma is that alignment…that merging.
When what you want is what the universe wants – woooosh! – spontaneous right action awakens from within us – we are brilliantly channeling the universe.
So how do we figure out what the universe wants? We become vulnerable…we open our heart…we meditate…we find our voice & the courage to share it; we lead with love; and day by day, life becomes more satisfying; hours are filled with gratitude; moments seem to last forever; and our dreams unfold into our reality.
Dharma is that sweet alignment between your soul and the universal spirit. Once you experience that TRUTH, your passion will fuel you to awaken your purpose. Join me today on Hay House Radio & we’ll explore aligning your soul with the soul of the universe. And if you’d like to awaken your dharma in person, then join me on the beach in April at the dharma life-change immersion in the sweetspot of the universe.
In the meantime…keep meditating and let the truth unfold!!! I’ll see you ion the gap. Peace. -davidji
Secret’s of Meditation Healing Immersion
May 8-11, 2014
February 6, 2014
Weekend Meditation
JOIN ME AT ONE OF MY UPCOMING EVENTS!
Discovering Your Dharma
April 3-6, 2014
Are you facing a fork in the road or feeling underwhelmed with life in general? Do you feel stuck or often wonder what it would be like to live your days filled with purpose, joy, balance, and fulfillment?
This dharma discovery workshop is a brilliant way to jump-start living the life of your dreams.
C’mon! Join me and other like-minded individuals in the sweetspot this Spring!!!
Secret’s of Meditation Healing Immersion
May 8-11, 2014
Whether you are a seasoned meditator or taking your very first step into stillness, this is the perfect immersion to not only take your practice to the next level, but take YOU where you’ve always dreamed of BEing.
February 4, 2014
Living a Purpose Driven Life
Hello spiritual warrior! What’s your purpose? Why are you here? What were you created to do?
According to Vedanta, each of the 8 billion people on the planet has a unique gift – a special talent. When we can align that ability with helping, healing, or serving others…we begin to live a purpose driven life.
Most of the Eastern philosophies and ancient wisdom traditions have this concept woven into their histories. It’s in the ancient texts of the Ramayana, the Mahabharata, the Bhagavad Gita, and the Dhammapada. In Sikhism, the word dharm can be translated as the path of righteousness and in the Rig Veda it’s referred to as the cosmic flow.
But, in the modern western world there is no one word translation that explains the fullness of dharma. Essentially, being in dharma means that the actions and behaviors in your life are in accord with the intentions of the universe. When your actions support the grand cosmic order of existence, then the universe supports your intentions & desires. When this occurs, you start to feel like the wind is at your back…choices become easier; love fills the air; relationships flow with grace; and abundance chases you wherever you go. Living a purpose-driven life is one of the most magnificent human experiences.
Over the years, there have been many misinterpretations of dharma. Some philosophers have defined it as your duty; while others have insisted it must be the actions we don’t want to do; and others have asserted that dharma needs to be your job or your career.
Through my studies, challenges, and triumphs, I have found that dharma is deeper than that. Dharma is how you live your life. Our unique gifts and talents change over the years and where and how we can serve others also shifts over time. If you are in dharma – then you are living each moment with purpose and that can only occur when you are living in harmony with yourself, your surroundings, other beings, and aligned with the universal flow.
Join me this week on Hay House Radio and today we’ll explore how to activate our unique gifts and talents; and join me in person this April for my Dharma Life-Change workshop in the sweetspot of the universe. I’ll see you in the gap!! Peace. -davidji
JOIN ME AT ONE OF MY UPCOMING EVENTS!
Discovering Your Dharma
April 3-6, 2014
Space is now limited!!!
Secret’s of Meditation Healing Immersion
May 8-11, 2014
