Atman, Namaste' and Breath Sweeps Mind Clean

Last night my class and I were fortunate enough to hear from three ladies who practice at Johnson City's own Appalachian Dharma and Meditation Center. Marina Munjal and her guests led my class in a simple meditation centering on the breath and then a lovely conversation for the remainder of the class. Here's what I shared with my class today about our shared experience:

"Last night we took a journey down the path of what was for many of you a paradigm shift. It was a brief examination into another worldview, a glimpse into how many people in world perceive things to be. This in turn shapes how they live their lives and how they interact with others. This may present itself in something as simple as the articles of clothing worn for protection (or good luck), choosing to be vegetarian, or even wanting to limit the amount of pain medication for palliative care in order to have a clear and focused mind. Personally, I don’t find these things odd or strange. It sparks some curiosity in me to better understand this fascinating world that we all live in. I want to know why people do the things that they do and the reasoning behind it. We all do things in this way, and to understand our actions may at times shed some light on our own inner worlds. All of which could be useful in our personal and professional lives.

I enjoyed our speakers last night. Sounds as though some great things are happening at the Dharma Center. The opening meditation exercise was just what I needed. I was calmer after participating in this practice…. Were you?  I was struck by how these ladies last night did not want to teach per se, but instead just have a conversation with us and amongst themselves. Such is the manner of Eastern thought. In other words, it is common not to give out scads of information first – if no one has asked the question.  Such were many of the great sages and gurus in time past. Why expend energy on answering a question that no one has asked? It’s considered impolite in a sense. But once a question has been asked, then the conversation or teaching can begin. There was a lot of information exchanged last night between these ladies. In fact, it was brilliant in that it was unfiltered and spur of the moment. It was more like listening in on a conversation between friends. I didn’t catch everything that was said, but I heard enough to want to delve further on my own. I hope you caught on concerning the body and mind connection. This has many implications for health issues and concerns. Some of the big questions of life were voiced; Why is there suffering? Where does suffering take place? What can we do about suffering? I was more than intrigued with the notion that the “I” that I take on as an identity or image, that much of this identity is imposed upon us. It’s a social construct imposed upon us by our name, our identification parameters (for example our social security number), and then how we are taught to learn and to act and to function. What Hindu and Buddhist thought contributes here is the truth that – this self imposed identity is NOT who we really are. We are much more than this and the best thing that we can do is to make that journey inward and begin through various processes to uncover who and what we are. Perhaps we will discover that at our core there is the divine spark (atman), that imperishable core that has always been and is incorruptible and inside all of us. If so, then to speak with humility and respect to one another as we greet and speak “Namaste” would be appropriate. Or perhaps at our core we will experience a state of “neither being or nonbeing” (anatman) an experience of peacefulness and understanding that we can draw upon in our efforts to unseat our ego from the forefront of our actions. It’s all a journey, a never ending process.  Where are you on your journey? Are you aware of your journey or are you operating on an “automatic” switch, always reacting to things around you and not thinking them through? I’m asking myself these very things.

A note of explanation: the handout you received last night consisted of notes from our Buddhist friends, but also included some notes that our past Hindu speaker has used in times past. Just some bullet point information that you might find helpful. I would like for you to especially note on page four, the notations he made that concerned health care workers. Good information here that will assist you in an upcoming test. I would also like you to read on page five, the short story of “The Something in Nothing”. This is another glimpse into Eastern thought and how many folks view the world around them. "