THE YOGA OF SELFLESSNESS
Let us investigate together what we have learned so far in the Kalachakra Tantra.
The steps we are exploring are :
- Make an intention to change and transform, to discover what we are here to change, since change and transformation is the true constant in life. This is embracing alchemy at its richest and the co-creative powers of divinity at its fullest.
- Find what assistance you can discover to help bring about that change within and without – in my case doing the Kalachakra Tantra with the Dalai Lama and Kriya Yoga with Yogananda were very concrete steps in bringing about the fulfillment of the intention to change
- Practice this with deep motivation and devotion throughout your life so that this ‘assistance’ has the best environment and energy possible to bring about that change. Practicing brings the intention and the promises of assistance into harmony
- Surrender, let go, empty yourself to allow the Light to enter the space that the change provides so that divinity Within can reveal itself. Surrendering to the process you have chosen in your path of pathlessness allows the intention, assistance, and practice to enrich and liberate your life and others.
With deep inquiry into the ‘I’ with its collection of beliefs, memories, habits, thoughts and feelings, we see that from lifetime to lifetime and even moment to moment this ‘I’ is constantly changing and in fact does not exist independently. It is totally dependent on other factors such as previous births, genetics, environment, and so on and cannot be traced back to Source. “This unfindability is emptiness itself, and realization of it is realization of emptiness, selflessness” says the Dalai Lama.
If you consider deeply the teachings of every master, saint and mystic on the planet who has explored what it means to transform, they will tell you that the secret lies in surrender or emptiness, in letting go or selflessness.
Yeshua “He made himself nothing, taking the nature of a servant” (St. Paul, Philippians, 2:7)
Buddha “Anattaa, selflessness, if we examine each phenomenon in its ultimate sense, there is nothing that can form a basis for such conceptions as ‘I am’ and ‘I’ “(Visuddhimagga)
Krishna “Therefore, always perform action with the spirit of non-attachment, of selflessness” (Bhagavad Gita)
Thoth “Come out of yourself and be concerned about others. Only then can you manifest the love and selflessness of the Lord towards yourself and others.” (Tablet 7)
Ramana Maharshi (Guru of Mooji) “Your duty is TO BE and not to be this or that. ‘I AM THAT I AM’ summarizes the whole truth. The method is to be found in ‘BE STILL’. And what is stillness? It means destroy yourself, ‘I am this’, the ego. The Self is God. All that is required is to BE STILL. What can be easier than that?”
St Teresa of Avila “God’s Love made visible in Jesus is the Source of a new compassionate and selfless love”
Yogananda “All those who serve God on the path of selfless service realize that supreme service is to direct all one’s energy inwardly in silence to God. They realize that we do not achieve wisdom by thinking but RECEIVE wisdom in inner stillness.”
St Francis of Assisi “All getting separates you from others, all giving unites you with others. The heart of selflessness is in this giving.”
St Therese of Lisieux “Imagine performing whatever you do for the Virgin and the Baby Jesus” for as Jesus said, whenever you do it for the least of my brethren, you do it for me.
PRACTICE
If you are following along in the Dalai Lama’s Kalachakra Tantra we are all on Chapter 4. Emptiness (or Selflessness) Yoga.
Try the following incorporating the selfless practice of St Therese of Lisieux and the emptiness yoga of the Dalai Lama in your day.
Take a particular place you walk everyday or a habit you always do like washing the dishes.
Generally we are not empty when we do these.
Our mind and hearts are busy with thoughts and feelings we are not aware of.
So if you are doing the dishes for example.
Make an intention to empty yourself of your self and to do it at the beginning of this activity.
Try as you walk and breathe and wash the dishes to see yourself as Divine Mother or Christ or Buddha or Krishna or a deity of your choice OR to serve Her or Him.
Then as you walk or wash be fully aware that you ARE Him or Her or that you are performing this for Her or Him.
Give yourself totally to this practice for a few minutes.
That is all it requires.
As you surrender, release all your burdens, your troubles, conflicting energies, to Him or Her and allow them to lift and empty so that the Light can enter and wisdom be received.
Then as you go about your day seek to serve others as you would wish to be served as if they are Divine Mother or Christ.
Set a simple goal of serving one other person in your day as if they are the Buddha.
A very practical way of doing this could be for a guest. If someone comes into your home shake their hand as if they are the Buddha, speak with them as if they are the Buddha, wash their dishes as if they are the Buddha.
It is the same when you are online. Communicate with each other as if you are both the Buddha. With deep awareness and compassion and love.
“Deity Yoga (the awareness moment to moment that you are the body mind heart and soul of the Buddha) is founded on compassion and realization of emptiness” (The Dalai Lama)
Love and soul blessings
Altair and Mother
(Artwork with deepest gratitude to Kusaba Kazuhisa)
