It was recently shared with me how carrying around a resentment toward something, particularly toward someone, and going around with this resentment, plotting the well deserved demise of this offending person, secure in the comfort that if only they knew, or when they found out the error of their ways, and anticipating the sweetness we expect for when they get their comeuppance, and so forth, we are very much self administering poison in the hope of killing this someone else.

We know this to be true; because, the bitter comfort of our revenge and self righteous plottings offer only meager relief from the turmoil we feel and negative energy bath we take while focused on these resentments.  It feels just awful when we bask in the glow of our victim-hood, plotting revenge, brewing and ravenously consuming poisons of our own making.

As we have engaged in these pursuits, for I know I have, it is accompanied by appropriately dark moods.  Remember? 

We go around carrying these clouds of darkness as we search for others willing to agree on how sweet is taste of the poison we concoct and ingest.  We offer them a taste … and, isn’t it sweet when we find company willing to sample and share in our misery?

Ah, the vindication we feel when passing the cup of poison to willing, agreeing friends, who agree how we are a victim … 

We are a victim… of our own poison.

I have noticed in the last year, how much better it feels to take responsibility for our share of our discomfort and allow our perceived victimizer the dignity of leading their own lives as we lead ours.  If they are in fact so “wrong,” isn’t it their lesson to learn?  Who amoung us are so sin free that we are responsible to teach or punish these offenders for their ways?  Do share?

Me, I have enough to do cleaning my own house, and to share what knowledge I have with only those who are freely open to it.  And, to discover more knowledge to further my growth, inner peace, and hence my true happiness.  

This I feel is best accomplished within.  I have not always felt this way nor have I always been so peaceful as now.

What do you think?  Or should I inquire, how peaceful do you feel?

Peacefully yours,

Yucel

Recently during a yoga class, I was introduced to the concept of “Namaste.”  Falling in love with the concept, I of course started to create namaste in my life.  Within a week, I noticed a friend of mine wearing a T-shirt with namaste and a definition written out on it:

Namaste:   “I honor the place in you where the entire universe dwells.  The place in you that is of love, of light, of peace and of truth.  When you are in that place in you, and I am in that place in me…  We are one.”  

All of this printed out in rainbowish colored font, which I am sure I would not have noticed had it not been for my little initiation in the yoga class.

The definition I prefer, and was provided in the yoga class was along the lines of this:

Namaste:  The spirit within me, recognizes and respects the spirit within you. 

Wikipedia ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Namaste ) among other definitions has something like the one from my yoga class as well.

Namaste:  “…is a common spoken greeting or salutation in the Indian subcontinent … has multi-religious or else common usage where it may simply mean “I bow to you.” In religious formulation, the meaning can be explained as:

• “I bow to that inherent in you” (“That” refers to divinity, or that which is divine’)
• “I respect divinity within you that is also within me.” (Here, “that” refers to divinity, or that which is divine.)
• “The light within me honors the light within you.” (in yoga)”

We sat around a circle in my yoga class, introduced elves, saying:  “I am Yucel.”  And the others folks in the circle would say back in unison, “Namaste, Yucel.”    It felt profoundly peaceful going around a circle of some tens of persons and in response to their introduction saying to them a heart felt “Namaste.”

There were people in the circle, perhaps they were loud, or perhaps had a few large donuts, with every meal for the last several years, who before I greeted them in this way, I was focused on the perceived donuts, and during/after an exchange of namaste with them, I saw their spirit, the shell, which I had had judgement on (and had been judging myself …   http://choose.ws/2009/07/13/what-is-reality/mirroring/judgement-on-the-judgemental/yucel/ ) melted away, to one where now the mirror held for me spirit, grace, respect and love.

Now I utilize Namaste as a way to greet and acknowledge my many spirit mirrors.

Sometimes I use namaste to greet people, often silently in my head while passing.   Or to bring me back into focus when drifting during conversation, into perhaps judgement or other less respectful and self harmful places.

Or I greet flies with a namaste, and as I write this, I see a fly.  Coincidence?

And, I grace my food, saying namaste to the food, and to the spirit of the creation which gave up its carnation so that I may eat.  I recall as a child or earlier in my life, watching American Indians thanking the spirit of their kill for giving to them their life so that they might eat (or something to that effect) and I say namaste in to my food in a similar vein.

I have heard or read Michael Bechwith of the Agape International Spiritual Center( http://www.agapelive.com/ ) say, that food needs blessing to activate its full nutrient value, especially heavily processed factory food.  My food tastes better to me after I bless it, acknowledge it, and am grateful for it when I grace it with a prayer, or a simple heart felt namaste.

And, I say namaste to plants I eat.  Sometimes to the air I breath.

And, I say namaste to you.

Namaste and peace,

Yucel