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Dristi Death<br />
Death: Teachings vs Reality<br />
Nityananda Rama Das<br />
Pot Pot was showing signs of pain, she became less active and no<br />
longer had an appetite. We took her to our veterinarian and her test<br />
results were not good. I knew this day would come since the first<br />
time she snuggled up on my chest purring and resting her paw on<br />
my chin, she always reached out to touch people.<br />
She was a rescue cat, along with her two siblings. We offered her a<br />
life of love and affection, and given the chance I would do it all over<br />
again. The vet gave us her options - to prolong her life with surgery<br />
and medication, or accept that she lived a full life.<br />
According to my upbringing as a yogi I should have never become<br />
involved in the first place, yet the act of kindness many years ago<br />
felt right. In Gurukula I was taught to detach from worldly life<br />
intellectual philosophy had no<br />
weight next to the heart<br />
forms to avoid becoming karmicly entangled and thus limit or even<br />
halt spiritual progress. It seems the teachings I learned were mostly<br />
to avoid suffering through detachment or simply by avoiding<br />
involvement all together to prepare for transcending the material<br />
plain of existence. Yet, building and maintaining awareness of the<br />
divinity within all is our main goal. Thus involvement, connection,<br />
love and affection to all is the recommended conduct of a yogi, and<br />
what feels right in the heart.<br />
The vet gave me some time to be with Pot Pot as she passed away. I<br />
prayed for her, offered Mantras and blessings only to realize none<br />
were needed. What comes to be is what’s meant to be. The intensity<br />
of the emotions did not mix with the teaching of scriptures and<br />
knowledge of the Spirit Self, Higher Self as well as the Afterlife did<br />
not matter. The intellectual philosophy and cold detachment had<br />
no weight next to the heart and my sadness in witnessing the<br />
departure of a loved one, or gratitude for all we shared.<br />
According to Krsna within the Bhagavad Gita “ the Self or Spirit<br />
Soul is consciousness, bliss and truth, unchanging, eternal, present<br />
everywhere, immovable and can not be harmed in any way, it is not<br />
bound to the material world”. Karma being action-reaction, is<br />
limited to the material world and is impartial. So according to these<br />
teachings the Eternal Self is not of this world, whereas karma is the<br />
guiding principle of this material world. Since karma and the<br />
experience of pleasure and pain do not change the Self, karma is not<br />
important in the context of the Self. So perhaps we could allow the<br />
mind and body to live out its biological purpose, fulfilling our<br />
family and cultural evolution by fully embracing each aspect of this<br />
existence, instead of hiding behind detached spiritual-afterlife<br />
concepts as a method of avoiding the unpleasant times.<br />
Embracing the fullness of the emotions and experience, honoring<br />
and cherishing in my heart, feels right. Being conscious of the<br />
divinity within all, in truth, in life and death I allowed the fullness<br />
of emotions to wash over me and the tears<br />
of sadness mixed with joy flowed freely.<br />
Nitai is a second generation Vaishnava and<br />
Yoga Teacher. He grew up following the<br />
Vedic teachings and later found the balance<br />
of Veda and Tantra. Now as a family man he<br />
draws his inspiration from loved ones and<br />
life’s lessons. Nitai teaches at Pure Yoga.<br />
richard@pure-yoga.com<br />
Teacher’s Voice<br />
Ardash Williams<br />
WHAT IS YOUR MOST CHALLENGING<br />
ASANA AND WHY?<br />
The asanas that have given me<br />
the most challenge have to be<br />
balancing postures, especially<br />
16<br />
Sirsasana (headstand). Sirsasana<br />
took two years for me to<br />
become proficient in (i.e. not fall<br />
over) and was the source of so<br />
much frustration as a yoga<br />
beginner.<br />
Unlike some postures,<br />
headstand does not require a<br />
huge amount of flexibility but<br />
it does require a successful<br />
organization of the various<br />
body parts - especially an<br />
awareness of the center (dan<br />
tian). My challenge was in<br />
finding my center and “putting<br />
in all together.”<br />
WHAT HAVE YOU LEARNED FROM<br />
THIS?<br />
The process of learning<br />
headstand taught me many of<br />
the yoga lessons I remind<br />
myself of everyday; themes like<br />
patience and perseverance,<br />
concentration and the balancing<br />
of opposing forces.<br />
The biggest thing related to<br />
asana is the idea of mastering<br />
small things. For example,<br />
moving into headstand requires<br />
many of the same techniques<br />
found in Tadasana (mountain<br />
pose). The trick is to put it all<br />
together while upside down.<br />
WHAT IS THE MOST CHALLENGING<br />
PART OF YOUR PRACTICE?<br />
The most challenging part of<br />
my practice is finding time to get<br />
it all in. I really enjoy practicing<br />
yoga and want my session to go<br />
on forever! However, I always<br />
have to finish on time, even if<br />
that means cutting it short. So, I<br />
wake up very early every<br />
morning to get everything in -<br />
asana, pranayama, meditation -<br />
then I need to finish up and<br />
begin teaching early Mysore class.<br />
On top of that, my two small<br />
children keep me on my toes, so<br />
life is always busy.<br />
Adarsh is a faculty teacher at<br />
Samahita Yoga Thailand, Space<br />
Yoga Taipei and director of the<br />
Monterey Yoga Shala in<br />
California.<br />
www.smartstretch.com
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