ARCHIMANDRITE DIONYSIOS,

http://www.enlightennext.org/magazine/j17/dionysios.asp?page=1

Extracto entrevista con Archimandrite Dionysios, cristiano ortodoxo.

WIE: In Christian writings, the enemy of the spiritual path is often referred to in dramatic terms as Satan, Lucifer, the devil. Is Satan simply a metaphor for the human ego? Or is it something independent of us?

AD: Satan is the teacher. And the ego is the means by which we fulfill his theory. Living from our ego is like burning incense to him. When he smells it, he comes. It is familiar to him; it's his relative, his tongue, his dialect. He likes it. So he comes, and then he starts to open company with our ego. Then he starts to be related to us.

WIE: So would you say that Satan exists in this sense as an impersonal force of evil that operates within each of us as the ego? Or would it be more accurate to say that the ego is already there in us and Satan is the voice of temptation to which the ego listens?

AD: The second. He doesn't have the authority to work through our ego. We're free all the time to decide.

WIE: There are many spiritual authorities in the modern West who are attempting to bring the ideas of Western psychology to bear on the spiritual path. In fact, it is now commonly held that in order to withstand the difficulties of the spiritual path, one has to first develop a strong ego, a strong sense of self. One statement that has become almost a credo in many spiritual circles is: "You have to become somebody before you can be nobody." What do you think of this idea?

AD: That's like saying, "We first have to be the head of the Mafia and then we can become president." Or, "I will first work together with the devil; I shall make common company with him so that he will give me whatever I need, but because I am more clever than he is, I will then use my power for good."It's good to send children out to study, to learn to sing, to learn athletics, to be well educated, to have an economic basis from which to start their life. But how often do we see that the dreams of all the rich men and their children are broken? The Bible says that "if the builders are working very hard to build a tower that the Lord does not bless, they have worked for nothing."This ego is the modern god of the twentieth century and the twenty-first century. And the idea you referred to in your question is the modern religion. But we know this temptation. Ego means, "I don't believe in the existence of the Holy Spirit; the Holy Spirit does not exist." But this is a lie. The Holy Spirit guides the world and blessed are they who want it, who see it, who breathe in it, who move in it, who inspire through it, who love it, who are uniting with it.

WIE: There are also many spiritual authorities today who insist that the ego is an inherent and irreversible fact of our humanity and that any attempt to give up the ego, to transcend our lower nature in pursuit of perfection, is itself an expression of the greatest hubris. Jungian psychologist Marion Woodman goes so far as to say that the very notion of perfection "rapes the soul." How would you respond to those who assert that we are, by nature, flawed and incapable of reaching perfection?

AD: Christ said, "Be perfect. Become perfect. And when you will be and you will do everything perfectly, saying within yourself and believing that you are miserable, terrible lost sinners, servants, there you will find humility and glory." It's possible to be perfect because He is perfect, because He received our nature. So if He did this, we can do it; we can be with Him. It's possible to be perfect because of this gift. And it's possible to not be perfect because we have the authority to refuse the gift, to refuse the love. And when we refuse it, then we need theology, then we need philosophy, then we need to create new books and new theories that say that the ego cannot be transcended.It is possible to be free of the ego. It has to be. It's necessary. It's only because people don't know of this possibility, don't want this possibility, and don't permit this possibility to exist that they need to create all these ideas. But they know that they are speaking lies. This is the craziest thing we can hear. What doctor says to a sick man, "Look, sickness is a part of our nature. We have to be with it. So we don't have to cut our nails. We don't need to wash our face, because we shall be dead tomorrow anyway"? What kind of teaching is this? Yes, it is possible to be free of the ego, but it's a mystery.

DISCOURSES BY MAHARISHI

Maharishi Mahesh Yogi

Discourses by Maharishi

Happiness
Enjoy your life and be happy.
Being happy is of the utmost importance. Success in anything is through happiness. Under all circumstances be happy, even if you have to force it a bit to change some long standing habits. Just think of any negativity that comes at you as a raindrop falling into the ocean of your bliss. You may not always have an ocean of bliss, but think that way anyway and it will help it come.
Doubting is not blissful and does not create happiness. Be happy, healthy and let all that love flow through your heart. We have an infinite number of reasons to be happy and a serious responsibility not to be serious.
Always think of good qualities. Life is so precious. Every minute contributes to future progress. Where is the time to think of bad things? There is not enough time to think of all the good that exists on earth and in heaven."

Keep Your Desire Turning Back
Keep your desire turning back within and be patient. Allow the fulfillment to come to you. Resist the temptation to chase your dreams into the world. Pursue them in your heart until they disappear into the Self and leave them there. It may take a little self-discipline. Be simple, be kind, stay rested.
Attend to your own inner health and happiness. Happiness radiates like a fragrance from a flower and draws all good things towards you. Allow your love to nourish yourself as well as others.
Do not strain after your needs of life. It is sufficient to be quietly alert and aware of them. In this way, life proceeds more naturally, effortlessly.

SOME TEACHINGS FROM GURU DEV

Jai Guru Dev


Swami Brahmananda Saraswati Shankaracharya of Jyotirmath
Known by His disciples simply as Guru Dev

Discourses by Guru Dev


The following talks are from a number of sources.

The Self-luminous Nature of Self

The dawn comes to dispel the darkness of night, by the light of the sun, which is self-luminous. Likewise, spiritual teachings come to destroy ignorance. But they cannot throw light on the Self. The Self is Light.

The Impermanence of the World and the Importance of Harmonious Action

The one who has come has to go. Nobody can stay here. Every moment keep your luggage packed. Nobody knows when death will call. The warrant of death is like the arrest warrant. One cannot think of appealing against it. No matter what is happening, we have to quickly leave off and go. So, if you are ready before hand, there will not be much difficulty in leaving. The one who is always ready to leave will never be able to sin. Only by forgetting the impermanence of the life in this world, one becomes immoral and licentious. If a man remembers at every moment that one day or the other he will have to leave this world, then he will never be able to bring falsehood or inappropriate conduct into his life.

Think of when our own father, grandfather and great-grandfather had to leave. Then how can we be able to stay? Since going is certain, keep ready from the beginning so that the travel will be comfortable. If you are not ready, then you will face difficulties. Be careful not to act in a way that you will regret later, when it is time to leave.

If you are not cautious, you cannot escape from falling. It is the nature of samsara (endless cycle of action and reaction) to always pull you downwards. Involvement with the senses, divides a man's mind. Being of divided mind and involved with the vasanas (tendencies from the past), it is very difficult to have discernment. So it is essential to always be cautious.

Whatever a man does while living, be it good or bad, it comes to be remembered at the moment of death. Remembering ones evil actions and the dreadful results, the soul starts repenting and becomes very sad. Therefore one should always be cautious so that no sin happens, so that one has no regrets at the time of death.

On Finding God and the Value of Worship

The heart went to find God and was caught…caught for sure. As you send a doll made of salt into the ocean, and say to the doll, 'Go and measure! How deep is the ocean? What is the depth?' Just so, the salt doll can easily go in, but it will not be able to come back. There is no difficulty to go but there is difficulty to come back. As it goes into the ocean it dissolves. So, who will come back when the seeker experiences Paramatman (God)? How is it possible for the soul to listen or speak of Paramatman, if Paramatman has not been seen?

Worshipping Paramatman is highly profitable. Any amount of time spent on it will come back to you with multifold interest. One should be fortunate enough to do profitable business. The unfortunate will always involve himself in such business where loss is inevitable. It is surprising that people make a huge effort to gain wealth and materials of comfort. But no effort is put forth in activities that gain Paramatman, which is a natural activity and can be done with ease. What an indiscretion! The still more astonishing thing is that people are not putting their attention to Paramatman, who is the very source of peace and happiness.

People struggle hard to gain valueless baubles of daily living, day in and day out. It is said: 'Gain one thing to gain everything - try to gain everything and you will gain nothing.' By gaining Paramatman, everything will be gained automatically. If you leave Paramatman and try to gain everything else, you will never be able to gain anything. Whatever is gained, will seem so small, that you will not feel happy.

If you want to catch the shadow, catch the real thing and automatically the shadow will be in your hands. Leaving the real, if you run after the shadow, the faster you run, the faster it will run away from you. That is why to run after shadowy wealth and fame is foolhardy. Catch hold of the Real - Paramatman - and all else will be under your command. Remember that keeping attention to Paramatman is always highly profitable. Whatever time you put on this, you will get back with multifold interest.

It is a waste to make much of your activity, so try to live quietly as long as you have to live in the world. Even emperors like Chakravarti Dasaratha could not get all that they desired. That is why it is a great mistake to involve oneself day and night in trying to satisfy desires.

One should not forget, one day it is certain that we have to move out of here! Whatever the project we may be engaged, whatever condition and wherever it might be, we will have to leave it as it is and go. Everyone has to travel alone. So do not be sad about things that we have no choice but to leave.

As long as one has to live, live peacefully. It is certain that work here can never be completed. So do not make much out of doing work in the world. Work, as an end in itself, is a waste. Lead this life with a peaceful mind, doing your duty and always remembering Paramatman.

The Creator is Vishvambhara. He shoulders the duty to sustain and protect us. And so, he will make arrangements. Without having faith in His support, if you depend on your intellect and cleverness, deceit and craftiness, you will lead a life of turbulence and the future path will also be darkened. So, lead life in such a way that you will be peaceful while living and making your future path bright as well.