Dear Selene...

(Selene is Raylene's daughter)

A few reflections I meant to share with you concerning the dynamic forms of yoga and what I want to refer to as “still” Yoga.

It seems that in the contemporary American culture of yoga practice, dynamic yoga is highly favored and growing more popular. That is good.

However, there exists a great difference in the effects between dynamic and still yoga.

Patanjali, in his Yoga Sutras, supposedly written 5,000 years ago, uses among other definitions specifically one that states “the ability to hold a particular posture over and extended period of time.”

When I started my Hatha Yoga practice, in those ancient days, I spent 2-3 hours daily with Hatha Yoga alone and my training focused on movements that were extremely slow and on holding the posture as long as possible.

At the beginning, long was not very long, of course. But after one or two years I was able to extend a motionless asana quite a bit. Sirsasana upto 15 minutes and others could easily be maintained up to 5-10 minutes.

This did build flexibility but also strength in ways that dynamic yoga may not achieve. But, most importantly, it created a purification of the nadis, the subtle energy channels inside our bodies. When these channels begin to open, dramatic and radical shifts begin to take place in our consciousness. These radical shifts may bring about the opening of the Inner Space. The perception of the flow of time will alter. (It is possible to see an effortless reduction of breathing to two or three cycles per minute.)

These radical shifts represent the sole goal of all yoga practice. Let us remember that Hatha Yoga is merely a branch on the Tree of Yoga. Pantanjali, who is often considered to be one of the fathers of the Yogic Sciences, described Yoga as “Cittam Vritti Nirodhah” – that which causes the waves of your consciousness to become still.

Imagine a lake, moved and stirred by the wind. Suddenly the wind ceases completely and all waves stop. The lake becomes motionless. Now everything is reflected clearly and totally. The lake has become a silent mirror and you can see the reflection of the Full Moon with laser-like precision.

Yoga is achieved when the lake of our consciousness does not move anymore and in that motionlessness insight into our true nature arises effortlessly.

That is Yoga; and everything that supports the process that leads to this arising insight – is yoga.

Therefore I am in favor of exploring the hidden secrets of asanas by holding them over extended periods of time. Paradoxically, this will help to bring about the inner openings faster than the dynamic asanas.

Just my thoughts on the subject matter… J

And I want to use this opportunity to tell you that it is great that you are so dedicated to Yoga. Just know that I am extremely proud of you.

No Buddha Ever Dies

In 1999, Raylene and I created one of our first websites. It was based on an AOL account. When we left the AOL service, the site disappeared. I had not anticipated this and so all the text had disappeared. So it seemed. Several weeks ago I bought a book in Lyon - The Google Story. The book was very informative in many ways. I discovered there was a site that had archived every known website for over 10 years. I went to the site and keyed in the name of my lost website. And, amazingly, it showed up, minus all the graphics.

So, here is an article written in 1999 that remains close to my heart. You can also find the site at The Power of Invocation

No Buddha Ever Dies

By Andreas Mamet

Here I was, in the heart of Asia, sitting in meditation, listening to a living Buddha say these words. "It is from the passionate longing of your heart that you can contact any Buddha, from any time." These words struck me like lightning and I knew in my core that these words were utterly true.

It was then, in the late 70s, that the Science of Invocation began to enter my life.

It is now 1999, more than 20 years later and living close to the heart of Mount Shasta, California, that I look back upon innumerable hours of invocation practice that have deepened my understanding of this truth.

One of the results of many hours of Calling The Buddhas is a sense of tangible grace that has arisen in the wake of practicing invocations. I experience a deep gratitude, because my life has changed in so many wonderful ways. In my view, the only way to express this gratitude is by sharing with others my insights into the dynamics of invocation.

In India, the Science of Tantra has existed for many thousands of years. What is Tantra? There are many different, multi-dimensional aspects to the world of Tantra.

The aspect I wish to address begins when inside the individual there arises a deep longing ... to know and experience God first hand. This longing is the basis of all true spiritual endeavors. It is by the power of this longing that the individual will gradually draw near to him/herself a deepening intimate relationship with the Divine. It is this longing that will bring to the individual new situations, new people and new, highly impactful methods that will create a tangible empowerment in his/her life. It is this longing that will bring about transformation.

In Asia, this longing has long been known. The persons who were captured by it, became sannyasins. A sannyasin is a person whose life is utterly dedicated to God Realization. In the West, when this longing struck, people have often renounced the world, withdrawn into monasteries to engage in practices designed to bring them closer to the Divine.

When this longing is felt intensely, the seeker may be consumed by feeling that arises from the very depth of her heart. It may express like this: "Oh God, I wish to see You, feel You at all times. Remove from me all veils that prevent me from seeing You. Oh God, I wish to merge with You completely. Let me drown in Your Presence utterly."

From the point of view of the Indian mystic, this outpouring would constitute a Tantric request. The request to experience union with the Deity.

While it is entirely feasible to proceed in this manner of calling forth invisible Divine Presence, many religions have provided visible gates through which to pass, upon which this longing for the absolute experience can be focused and funneled. These were beings who had merged with the Divine, who represented full God Realization. Their individual existence had merged with the Divine. The drop disappeared into the ocean. They had ceased to exist as limited consciousness.

Once this disappearance had taken place, there was no longer any difference between the Divine Ocean and the individual. The individual has ceased to exist as an ego. The individual had become a rare outlet for the Divine Ocean. A port, so to speak, to enter the Divine.

In the Asian context, such an individual would be called a Buddha - an Awakened One. Over the millennia, many beings have existed who have actualized this state beyond all states. Gautama Buddha, Nagarjuna, Tilopa, Milarepa, Padmasambhava and Yeshe Tsogyal. They lived this experience. Meera and Rumi, in the context of Sufism in the Middle East, were such gates into the Divine. Theresa of Avila and St. Francis were Enlightened Ones in the Christian context. Every culture had Awakened Ones who lived this oceanic experience.

Since there is no difference between an Awakened One and the Absolute, they can be utilized as vehicles into the Divine Experience. Through invoking them - the Absolute is invoked. The existence of the Awakened one, their functioning as Gates Into Consciousness - is a true blessing. It is much easier for the seeker to initially relate to a form as a relay station into the formless than to leap into the Unknown without this tangible help.

Over time it has become obvious that Buddhas, just like people in everyday life, differ from one another. In some, the presence of Wisdom may be more active. In others, Love may be emphasized. Another Awakened one may display magical qualities and Divine Power. Consequently, if the seeker adds a particular request to the invocation, it is helpful to address a specific Buddha who represents the Divine Aspect that is sought for.

As said, I have worked with invocations for a long time. However, since Raylene has come into my life, I have observed a fine tuning arise as a result of the powerful chemistry that takes place between us. Whereas before I simply invoked the Buddhas, sometime after I met Raylene it occurred to me to invoke and directly offer our bodies, hearts and souls. This was a spontaneous unfolding. It takes us one large step closer to merging with the Divine, since this is the ultimate goal of invocation and meditation. And frankly, might that not be the ultimate goal of life itself?

When Divine Beings are successfully invoked, the reality of the invoking individual shifts dramatically. The individual does not remain in the realm of belief, thought or speculation, wondering if something may or may not happen. I remember the time when I worked heavily with invoking Archangel Michael. The invocational practices gained critical mass until one afternoon my reality shifted completely and all of a sudden it felt as if I was standing right in the middle of a pillar of fire. It was as if every single atom of my body was charged with this immensely high-powered electricity. It was tremendously wonderful. Healing and rejuvenation was poured into every cell of my existence.

With the practice of invocation, tangible results follow. Why do they follow? They have to. With invocation, a Divine Law is activated. That Divine Law permeates the entire Universe. It is "Ask and ye shall be given."

There are two kinds of invocations. In one you simply offer your body, heart and soul to the Divine (in the form of an Awakened Being) for the pure purpose of merging. In another type of invocation you offer your body, heart and soul and you add a request to the initial invocation. To me personally the context of the request here is always one of healing, of bringing alleviation of suffering, of bringing joy and abundance. I feel that within the context of compassion, any request is justified. If the intention is pure, the results will be, too.

Invocations can be used within the context of any Divine Pantheon. If you love communion with Angels, that is wonderful. Invocations will be a perfect tool for you. Since I personally am drawn to the Pantheon of The Buddhas, I will use examples accordingly. But know that you can use the invocations toward any Divine Being.

Within the world of art, science or athletics, the ones that will become most efficient are those who practice every day, for hours, for decades with unceasing determination. The pianist that brings down sounds from heaven --- has practiced six hours every day for most of his life. The baseball player who brings his team to success: his focus has been one-pointed for a long, long time. The same applies to the science of invocation. The longer you practice it, the shorter the time to the point of critical mass - the point of the Divine Response.

Sometimes it happens that we are tied to certain karmic blockages. In that case, you may need more time, effort, perhaps a little prayerful help from your friends.

Olivier Vinet

In all of our work in France the one person who has been of pivotal importance and truly outstanding in his contribution and support to The Work ... his name is Olivier Vinet. He translated Raylene's book into French and translates all our workshops and sessions.

He takes care of all the little organizational details that help this work to grow beautifully. Olivier has become our friend our our deepest gratitude goes to him.

Thanks, Olivier!

The Braid, Part 1

by Andreas Mamet
Copyright 2002

Our quest for spiritual empowerment has at its core the association with those who we believe can assist us in our endeavors by virtue of their accomplishments. For this reason, we seek out teachers and gurus.

When we imagine how an accomplished teacher might look like or behave, we draw many inferences from our Judeo-Christian belief system, which describes God as perfect and infallible. We conclude that a person who experiences nearness to God, or even full God- Realization, is infallible. We believe that such a person is perfect in making decisions and can do no wrong. This is what I believed three decades ago, at the beginning of my spiritual journey. Now, almost 30 years later, after much observation, I have come to think otherwise. Mistakes do not stop after an individual becomes God- Realized or finds her/himself emanating more and more Divine Light. Errors of judgment remain a possibility. This was one of the more surprising realizations for me, as I believed in the myth of infallibility.

This myth is promoted often by the priest archetype, the "god professional," in as much the following illusion is projected: God is infallible. I am close to God. Thus, I am infallible, and you need to do exactly as I say. This defines very much the traditional guru-disciple relationship of olden days, reaching into our present. It is, however, to be noted that recent decades have shown many instances wherein gurus have imploded their structures by making decisions that, in the end, displayed poor judgment and created havoc. This left their disciples spinning, forced to wonder what happened here and come to their own conclusions or responses.

One response was that the guru or teacher is so enlightened that he merely gave this experience to us as lesson to learn. That is the "denial response," seeking to uphold the illusion of the infallible master, justifying the continuing, uncritical association of the individual with the guru arechetype. The stance of total devotion and surrender is maintained.

There is a story that deals with the theme of total surrender as is often asked of the disciple archetype. Gurdjieff, a spiritual teacher at the beginning of the twentieth century, was on a trip by car. At one point the lights stopped working, and Gurdijieff asked his disciple to sit on the hood of the car and hold a flashlight. The disciple was about to climb up to do as asked when Gurdjieff stopped him, asking, "Does it not occur to you that this is a completely idiotic request?"

Yes, there are beings who are very close to the Divine. They emanate qualities that are breathtaking. When you come into their company, powerful experiences take place instantly. It is those experiences that lead us to assume the teacher is perfect, a satguru. This assumption is an illusion. Yes, enlightenrnent may be there. But infallibility is not.

This puts the entire concept of unconditional surrender out of commission. It places upon us the need for total responsibility and minute-to-minute alertness. We are to wake up from the sleep that lets somebody else tell us what to do and how to act. Every second, we are required to display intelligent wisdom, discernment, and accept or reject what is placed before us on the grounds of this discernment. Had the Gurdjieff disciple displayed this (hard-to-attain) ability, he would have told Gurdjieff, "No."

The Braid, Part 2

But, to reject the action of a being we feel is God-Realized or God-Near is a most difficult thing. We are prepared to sacrifice our common sense and intelligent discernment for an act of idiocy if we believe that God is merely testing us. To reject a Buddha is most difficult. "When you meet the Buddha on the road, kill him!" The Buddha himself said that. What does this mean? It means that after a thorough and deep relationship with an awakened being, the attachment is so huge, it becomes an obstacle in the disciple's process of liberation.

This is the image that I have created for myself to understand what happens in the arising of God-Nearness: It is like a braid. You take one strand of hair and braid it with another strand of hair. The strands become completely intertwined, utterly close ... one section, the human; the next, the Divine.

This, to me, represents the reality of things. Hence, the entire system of Asian teachers, Tibetan lamas, and others based on surrendering to a "high consciousness" are promoting an illusion. I feel we have entered an era wherein this illusion will be revealed. The fact of the remaining humanness of the one who experiences God-Nearness will become more evident, and the old, traditional system of unconditional surrender will be recognized as inappropriate. It will gradually disappear.

This creates a problem of different kind. It remains a fact that there are those who, on the grounds of superior and long-established practice, have indeed generated a God-Nearness that supersedes our own. This simply has to be admitted and acknowledged. Respect is due where respect is due. It should be expressed. When a transmission of light and wisdom is given, respect and gratitude are to be given in return.

But we should be able to turn on a dime. The second a teaching or request is expressed that is inappropriate or simply painfully outdated (women on the left, men on the right, old patriarchal illusions and power structures promoted), it should be challenged on the spot. In this way, old traditions that simultaneously carry blessings and ignorance are stimulated by infusions of needed reform. Teachers who carry blessings and unreflected garbage of olden days are given food for thought. If these infusions are not accepted, considered to be sacrilegious gestures, then we should be willing to turn on our heels and walk.

In the end, the Divine Experience will come to us on the grounds of our longing for it. That is the basis. The longing for the Divine will fill our body with the experience of the Divine. Translate your longing into fervent, ceaseless practice. Call the Divine until the Divine is tired of hearing your voice and descends into your body completely to get rid of your crying.

Ancient Prayer

There exists an ancient prayer that says, "Let the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart be acceptable in thy sight."

Could I add something, I would pray "and let the actions of my life be acceptable in thy sight."

This is a tremendously meaningful prayer.

It acknowledges that our lives can be lived either in or out of synchronicity with the Greater Universal Intelligence.

And furthermore, I might also ask, "and prevent me from omitting the words and actions that should be said and done." By that I imply that there are times when our omissions may have even greater consequences than our actions. An encouraging word not spoken, a helping hand not extended --- to me represent the human crime of omission that may come in many shades and degrees.

As we grow and evolve as souls, it is hoped for that we enter into a living contact with the Greater Universal Intelligence; that we become capable of allowing that Presence to pulsate through us in a myriad of expressions, thereby tangibly manifesting this Presence on this planet in the ways of interactive wisdom, compassion and power.

This is the potential that resides in all of us and acquiring the key to unlocking this potential is not only our birthright, but also our obligation as Universal Citizens.

This key can only be found and used if we initiate a process of going deep into the core of our being and pass through the many layers and veils of our mind and emotions. This is a formidable obstacle course and therefore the journey is not for feeble spirits and hesitant hearts.

It is only for those who heard the Great Call of the Soul, for those who are willing and determined to enter into the process of awakening and free themselves of all the layers of illusion that keep the average human trapped in ignorance and that support the sleep of the soul.

It is interesting to note that the average mind will feel instantly offended when told "How about waking up,"as it believes that, because of the movements of the body, mind and emotions, it already and clearly ... is alive and awake.

It will feel offended and be reactive to the apparent criticism of itself, because it has never tasted a single moment of Existential Awakening. Therefore, there are no points of reference. This compares perfectly to a person sleeping and then waking up in the morning. Only upon waking do we realize that we just slept. The sleeper does not know he is sleeping.

This is our reality. We move and act. Yet we are existentially asleep. Only an explosion of consciousness will break the sleep and reveal that we are living on a planet of sleepwalkers.

And the best thing to do if moving among sleepwalkers ... is to move very carefully.

Questions

If you have any questions or comments concerning the contents of this site, please send them to amamet1000@yahoo.com

Thanks.

Raylene's New Blog on the Black Madonnas

In her new blog Raylene dives deep into the meaning of the black Madonnas here in France.

Please visit it at www.sacredjourneyeurope.blogspot.com/

It's Existential, Baby....

Raylene seems to think I am using the term "existential" a lot these days.

The spiritual quest, at the very core, is an existential quest. Whether or not we bring God into the equation really is optional. Buddhism, in its many different expressions, operates quite well without introducing the concept of God. In fact, the concept of God and its many, narrow-minded, ego-based interpretations among the different religions is responsible for the death of innumerable millions of people over time. Undoubtedly, the planet would have been much better off without the various concepts of God used by egos as excuse to vent their killing urges.

Christianity, Islam and Hinduisms all proved quite capable of killing if faced with disagreeing or disbelieving in their brand and particular concept of God.

The flaming irony is that the common denominator among all the warring parties is the complete lack of the Divine Experience. They were attached and identified with a system of thoughts and concepts (that defined the Divine) and by doing so merely operating on the most superficial level of the intellect. Simultaneously, this simplistic mode of intellectual processing was and is then tied into an emotional mode of processing that is simply barbarious in nature. (As said, religious disagreement is then used as excuse to set free and unleash the hidden killing urges. I call this the ego's search for the justified cause that enables it to engage in killing.)

It is safe to say that even though our planet is becoming technologically advanced, emotionally we are still quite retarded. We exist on the level of the caveman. These are just the facts.

Indeed, the spiritual quest for me is existential. We exist, yet we feel incomplete. We can see a huge Universe out there, clearly functioning entirely without our opinions and decisions. There is a huge, profound Intelligence at work and we do not feel in contact with It.

35 years ago I reflected like this. Even then I thought it would be really great to have a more intimate contact with the Intelligence capable of creating the planets, the stars and galaxies. This reflections came along with a very deep longing, a longing that effortlessly transcended any religious, spiritual sentiment, regardless of how a religious, spiritual sentiment might be defined.

Truly, this was the beginning of my journey and God sort of just came in as an afterthought

Imagine, the simple process of breathing ... of having a beating heart ... this is a magical, utterly mysterious event. How could we not want to burst forth into the burning desire of wanting to know ... what is causing my breath, what is it that deep down make my heart beat? Here is my body, my mind, my emotions ... What is the existential source of it?

Wanting to have answers to these questions - the deepest answers possible, the ones I can feel in my marrow - strikes me as basic.

Upon being touched by this longing, to go to the roots of our existence, the sleeper has begun to stir in his sleep. The beginning of awakening may be near.

The Soul's Quantum Leap Into Remembrance

It takes a tremendous and radical shift within one's consciousness to stop and present oneself the following question: Am I, as a soul, doing what I have come here to do on this planet?

To stand in the blazing fire of this question can only be a most purifying experience. It will bring insights, revelations and answers that will have the power to initiate radical changes in one's life. Radical changes being something our mind-ego structure dislikes and eyes suspiciously.

The question will bring to the forefront of our awareness any dissatisfaction that may reside at the core of our being.

Additionally, it is most interesting to note that there are places, situations and people which, on the one hand can function in active support of who we are as awakening, creating souls, and on the other hand prevent and sabotage the soul's claiming of itself, keeping it mired in illusion and attached to what is existentially meaningless and inconsequential.

I also realize that for each soul there are cities it should avoid. And there are cities that will bring out its very best, the wisest and the most beautiful. I discovered this as I began moving across the planet and noticed that my soul's expressions were greatly encouraged in some areas and downright sabotaged in others. I wish to bring attention to this in the hope to initiate some reflections along those lines.

These days, as I meet people, I sometimes stop and quietly ask inside, "Who are you as a soul and what is your relationship to my own soul?" This simple technique is becoming an extremely revealing and helpful tool as it assists me in properly identifying the existential modalities of the individual before me.

The Meaning of Success, Part 2: The Universal Citizen

Once a human being has, in some fashion or other, activated power, wealth, fame, this by itself remains actually a neutral event. It is neutral just like electricity is neutral and then finds expression by being coupled with human intention.

Once the Universe releases the power of success into an individual's life, it quietly observes what the individual does (or does not do) with that success.

The way success is handled then will demonstrate who this person truly is. S/he will show where s/he exists on the vast spectrum of life. It now will become clear whether we face a contracted, self-absorbed state of mind or an expanded human being who is ready to embrace the position of Universal Citizen, ready to use the clout of success to introduce positive and uplifting changes into the world.

A Universal Citizen exists in a state of vibrantly alive interaction with the world. A Universal Citizen responds to what enters into her awareness, and the responses are based upon wisdom, compassion and generosity. The actions of a Universal Citizen are furthermore based upon a deep sense of feeling connected with Life itself. It is because Life pulsates intensely and beautifully through her that she may reach out and respond compassionately to a situation across the globe.

In order to be a Universal Citizen, a heightened state of awareness is needed. A Universal Citizen is existentially advanced by her highly developed capacity to feel.

We live in a time where and increasing number of successful individuals are beginning to recognize themselves as Universal Citizens, even though they might not define themselves in that way.

I can see this unfolding trend and it brings gladness into my heart and adds hope unto this planet. The invitation is extended. Why not become a Universal Citizen?

The Meaning of Success

In his famous song "Woman," John Lennon thanked Yoko Ono for showing him "the meaning of success."

This implies many things. To begin with it implies that one can have success without comprehending its meaning.

We generally look at success as the aquisition of wealth, fame and power. Having it we expect that it will tremendously expand our range of choices and actions, which we can implement at a moment's notice. If we wake up in the morning and feel like buying a small village in Australia, we should be able to do so.....:-)

And of course, we have our media-fed examples of how success looks like: Bill Gates, the movie stars and others that project god-like images onto the screens of our consiousness. Indeed ... we believe that success will make us god-like. And to be god-like means to be invulnerable to human suffering and limitations and have the power to do whatever we want to.

So goes the fantasy.

As long as we do not exist in the domain of success that involves money, fame, etc, we can entertain delusions of this kind. However, once people actually reach this level of success, there arises the most painful recognition that one remains vulnerable and subject to many types of misfortunes. One continues to be mysteriously unprotected. (Ask Michael J. Fox) The tremendous disappointment that comes in the wake of recognizing the unexpected impotence of worldly success then at times can be converted into excessive, addictive behaviour, aimed at anesthesizing the one found success, but cannot answer the question that comes with it, which is "NOW WHAT?"

This question now enters into the picture and it demands attention, even if the individual lacks the capacity to consciously verbalize it and reflect on it.
While "making it" is often considered the end goal, those "who have made it"" find out that this does not provide meaning for one's life, nor fulfillment. Again, this recognition comes with a deep shock to the system.

Could success be merely the beginning of something else? What might that be?

John Lennon contemplated deeply this question, WHAT IS THE MEANING OF SUCCESS? Apparently he felt that he found the answer with the help of Yoko Ono.

What is success? Who is a successful person?

These are questions of profound existential importance. Like Koans, they can be solved by diving deep into the center of one's own being --- before or after success hits.

Back in Paris

We are now back in Paris and it is a time to rest before we move into the next phase of the work. The message for the day: Whatever dreams you carry inside, make sure to dive into your own being and bring them to the forefront of your consciousness. Then try your best to make them real. You need to know that you are doing your best.