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Ngoc Xuan Nguyen known as Master Adam, is a descendant of Quang Trung Nguyen Hue, 18th century Vietnamese King and Yoga Master. For centuries, the Nguyen clan has practiced Raja, or Royal Yoga, passing it down from generation to generation. Master Adam was initiated into the practice of Yoga at the age of five and began studying with Grand Master Ly Xuan Cuong at Temple Village, Saigon, Vietnam in 1957.  He has perfected his yoga practice over the course of 40 years and to this day can still do 500 side crow push ups.  See his video at this link:

https://yogaformilitaryspouses.wordpress.com/about/

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I wish to become like a great tree, shading all beings. - Yamada Koun



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I sat at a meditation retreat with a Buddhist monk recently and during his dharma talk, he said that 'hope' is not a useful concept in Buddhist teaching.  The reason:  it dismantles any sense of living in the present moment and cultivates and attachment to a belief that the future will somehow become miraculously better.   Eliminating the word hope from a Buddhist vocabulary does not mean Buddhism is pessimistic.  Rather it reinforces that Buddhism is highly realistic and optimistic about opportunities available in the present moment.

Thich Nhat Hanh explains the shortcoming of hope this way.  Calling hope an obstacle, he writes:  "When I think deeply about the nature of hope, I see something tragic. Sine we cling to our hope in the future, we do not focus our energies and capabilities on the present moment. We use hope to believe that something better will happen in the future, that we will arrive are peace or the Kingdom of God. Hope becomes a kind of obstacle.  If you can refrain from hoping, you can bring yourself entirely into the present moment and discover the joy that is already here."


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While we practice conscious breathing, our thinking will slow down and we can give ourselves a real rest. Most of the time, we think too much and mindful breathing helps us to be calm, relaxed and peaceful. - Thich Nhat Hanh

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In his book, The Essence of Yoga, Swami Sivananda offers 20 spiritual instructions.  If you'd like to set a high standard for your spiritual growth, consider the Swami's advice for spiritual growth.  Here are some of his suggestions:
  • get up at 4 am as this is the most "favorable" time for meditation;
  • sit for 30 minutes but build it up to 3 hours;
  • chant a mantra such as Om Namah Sivaya 108 times but 21,600 times daily is better;
  • get your diet in shape. Eat moderately; eat simple foods such as milk and nuts, give up salt and sugar; try to live on rice, dahl and plain bread;
  • study sacred texts such as the Gita or the Upanishads from 30 to 60 minutes daily;
  • have spiritual friends. Give up bad company, eating of meat and consumption of liquor, including wine;
  • donate ten percent of your income to charity every month;
  • reduce your wants (If you have "four shirts reduce the number to three, then two")
If you'd like the full list from Swami Sivananda, his book is available free online as a .pdf file.


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Attention without tension is what is required. Concentration must be practiced always without the slightest strain. Control of mind is not brought about by fervid effort of any kind, any more than a handful of water can be held by a violent grasp, but it is brought about by constant, quiet, calm practice and avoidance of all agitation and excitement.  - Ernest Wood
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Close your eyes. Meditate. Open your heart to the inflow of the invisible power. You will find in the Bible “Empty thyself, I will fill thee”. Then you will have abundant, superintuitional knowledge which is beyond the reach of intellect. - Swami Sivananda
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Traditionally, Buddhism teaches reincarnation, the idea that all beings continue to experience re-birth as a method of spiritual evolution and growth. Reincarnation ends only when a being fully realizes and completely lives out his or her Buddha nature. The concept of reincarnation was not an innovation of the Buddha as it was one commonly held among various philosophical traditions in ancient India.

Though reincarnation is a major teaching of some Buddhist lineages there is difference of opinion on how much emphasis to place on a concept which cannot be objectively verified. As a result, many forms of Western Buddhism pay little attention to reincarnation and rebirth, preferring to emphasize instead the importance of living more fully and authentically in the present life.

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You can also become a Buddha if you apply yourself diligently to selfless service with the right mental attitude. - Swami Sivananda

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Picture
(Picture from pixabay.com   public domain image)

Contrary to popular expression, meditation isn't about a "blank" or "empty" mind.  It's about a settled mind. And, a good image is a snow globe that you shake vigorously. The snowflakes that swirl around represent your thoughts floating randomly.

When the snow globe remains still, those flakes or thoughts settle at the bottom, peacefully at rest.  That's your mind settling into a meditative state.

Victor M. Parachin ... 

a Vedic educator, yoga instructor, Buddhist meditation teacher and author of a dozen books. Buy his books at amazon or your local bookstore. Sadly, Victor passed away in August 2025, but his blog continues. Janet Parachin, his partner of 45 years, shares quotes from his books and articles each week. 

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