Aligning with Grace

This morning, as I sat down with my first cup of coffee, I pondered these questions, and then, I sent them to a select few, telling them, that I didn't expect answers from them, but I got some incredible insights and responses back from pretty incredible people anyway. Perhaps my first "mistake" was deciding to have a cup of coffee before sitting down to meditate: "So many great teachers - Byron Katie, Adyashanti, Buddhist practitioners, and Hindu sages - instruct that the key to happiness, well-being, and so forth - is accepting what is - and letting go... But, while I believe this on some level, it also does not resonate on other levels... If we accepted what is, all of the time - we would not change philosophically, ideologically, scientifically, or spiritually... If someone didn't think outside of the box - great discoveries or advances would not have been made. If we accept what is - do we fully awaken? Or - maybe it is possible that we awaken when we accept...

Every year, I wait for one very special day: The day in between the Mahasamadhi of Paramahansa Yogananda and that of his own guru, Sri Yukteswar, just separated by a mere day... Yogananda's Mahasamadhi is on the 7th of March - and Sri Yukteswar's, is on the 9th. I like to think that Yogananda left his body to be with his own teacher and master on his day. I can imagine the party they had, and like good friends, imagine they stayed up all night getting caught up in each other's lives! (Not that they really needed to do that!) A mahasamadhi, is the "conscious exit" from the body and a particular lifetime by a great being when his or her task is done. It is something that all great gurus and lamas in both the Hindu and Buddhist traditions strive to attain, by living a life enriched by dedicated spiritual practices. It is said, that on the day of a great being's mahasamadhi, they are more present, and the attention they give to prayers and special requests is ampl...