Divine in Daily Doses
September 10, 2010 § 6 Comments
It is a beautiful mid-September morning, and the sun has just swallowed up the weary darkness on the earth. Birds and humans alike are celebrating that triumphant victory of light over darkness by shaking their wings and stretching their hands in the air. Waking up to the fresh gulp of an omnipresent air is simply Divine! What is less than Divine? If you have not witnessed it, is it Divine’s fault?
It seems like northerly winds are fueling the cars on the road, which seems to propel forward endlessly! Where is that wind coming from? What if it was not there at all? Do you think respirators and oxygen tanks would become the “norm”? Who gives you this air to breathe and what is it that you pay for it?
You might say, “Well, since I was born, I have been breathing and so what is the big deal about it?” Well, close your mouth and your nostrils and do not breathe, soon you will notice what is the real big deal! Do not harm yourself while doing it—remove your fingers from your nostrils and open your mouth to breathe again. Now do you understand what this air is about? If it did not enter your lungs, you will have mere seconds on this earth, and then you will be gone forever. Don’t panic! However, look at it from the vantage point of Divine. How is it that all came about? Can you think of any other alternatives? Do you think science explains all? Think for a moment.
It is clearly said in Genesis 2:7, “the LORD God formed the man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being,” which you feel may not apply to you because you don’t read the Bible or any other sacred texts. To verify that point, close your nostrils and mouth as long as you can and notice its powerful effect, either positive or negative, on your mind and your heart! This is just a one-time exercise; please do not put yourself in any danger. If you are not comfortable holding your breath, then just contemplate what it would be like to not breathe. If you have any disorders of heart, lungs, asthma or any other form of disease you need to refrain from doing this exercise!
This brings a question to my mind: How many breaths does a healthy individual take each day? A very quick calculation brings the number to 21,600! Yes, that many breaths we do take every day. Some may take more, some less, depending on their health and their practice of Yoga, Breathing, and Meditation. There are many other factors that may apply but this blog is not for the details of that nature. Consider this: what if you had to pay a cent, not to mention a dollar, per each breath every day?
After doing the above-mentioned exercise you might recognize the seriousness of breathing or not breathing. It will open your eyes forever. Would you pay few cents to a dollar for each breath if you were required to pay for it? Tell me, how important is it for you to breathe? If you do not wish to pay, there will be nothing left for you other than departing from this earth. Am I clear on that? Could you just see Divine in daily doses here? The Ocean of Compassion and Kindness has offered us all that we need, free of charge. We take all these things for granted. Instead of thanking that Ocean deeply from our hearts every day, we abuse it all! Instead of prolonging these resources, refining them to sustain for a longer stretch of time, we just decimate it more quickly than we can imagine! How sad is that?
My teacher had always said, “All in this Universe belongs to you. Use it wisely, do not get attached.” Think very hard about it and stop hoarding more than you can use wisely. But learn to thank, acknowledge and understand the “Glory of the free Gifts” that you have been receiving from the source, and pass it on to the next generation so that they can follow your footprint. How cool is that?
Is it simply Divine or what? Are you still not convinced? Really, you are not? Then think about this for a moment. A mosquito bites you and there is a bit of swelling and redness of the skin surrounding that bite! There is an itch and you are dying to get rid of it. You apply some ointment or cream for the instant relief. You just can’t take that itch! However, did you come to any realization how super powerful the intelligence flows in your blood? Your blood marks a very clear defense on your behalf to conquer the foreign invader virtually without your permission and out of your awareness altogether. You might like to say it is your brain that does that. I would simply say to that if breath is taken out of your body, your brain is as dead as a stone! Think hard!
What is that intelligence that flows in your blood, in every cell of your body, which constantly evolves, making sense of this miniature Universe? Hundreds and thousands of chemical reactions go undetected while the finest of all intelligence is at work. Yet, it is virtually out of your awareness; you do not have much time to think while instant gratification is the reality. Then where is the place for Divine in all of this?
Then you might say, “What do I do? I just don’t see it. I don’t have time for it.” Sure you do. You do have plenty of time to thank Divine or at least acknowledge it in your life every day, every hour, while every breath you may take. Take every breath as if it is your last breath and I can guarantee you, you will never forget the Divine!
When you wake up from a deep slumber, thank the Divine to wake you up to a fresh breath. When you see a smile on your child’s face, learn to see a Divine Splendor shining on that face you adore most. When you see a frail, thin old person, walking down the road with a stick in their hand, look at that resilience they have to get up and walk on their own. That resilience is nothing but Divine Will. When you see the flowers blooming with joy, it is the Divine smile that has been offered to you without any conditions. That is an unconditional love supreme! That freedom, that joy, that unconditional love is simply Divine! Do you need me to say more? I have a lot to say, but I would rather have you see it on your own, breath by breath, event by event, smile by smile on each and every day of your life from here on.
Notice the Divine as an exercise for a couple of days, be determined, and observe the transformation that embraces you all the time, all around you! If you do it, this world will transform with you every second of the day. In fact, you will never be lonely! It will be your legacy!
Nishit Patel Yoga 
I really enjoyed this assignment that you gave us. These are some of the observations that I have noticed.
There are many things in this Universe that are simply amazing, the wind, the trees, the birds, the squirrels, the Sun, the Moon, the stars, and people. We are all here because of The Divine.
The storms, the rain, and even the tornadoes, they maybe cleansing or also destructive, but they are Divine too.
The recent tornadoes and the macro burst we experienced may be unusual for New York, but they weren’t necessarily bad.
Trees were destroyed and houses damaged, but with it comes new trees, new jobs, and the old trees recycled into new things.
In yoga, we recognized that all things are made of the same molecules and atoms, therefore the same energy. So in a way, all those trees that were destroyed are not gone at all, but they still have the same energy. Just in different forms.
Isn’t that amazing how The Divine works!
Inhale, exhale, inhale, exhale, breathe in The Divine, release ourselves to Her.
I was very happy to read this blog. This is something that I have been experiencing for a long time but didn’t have a name for… It first happened spontaneously while I was walking through a crowded market day in Union Square Park. I caught a sight of the statue of Gandhi, and the thought suddenly came to me that I was related to every single person walking around me. It was like the sun had come out, chills ran through my whole body and I felt joy to the point that tears started to well up in my eyes. I then began to imagine similar Gandhi statues in cities all over the world, joining every thing together…
Since that first experience, I am able to conjure up this feeling at will, especially in crowded places, which comes in handy living in the city:) If I had a more disciplined mind I’m sure I could ride this divine emotion to undreamed of heights.
thank you for this wonderful blog Teacher!
I have read this uplifting blog for the second time today; with each reading, something else occurs to my mind.
I am especially struck by the idea that the instant gratification that is so prevalent in our current society is the very culprit that severs us from one another and severs our connection to the Universe.
When considering the days that I did not meditate on time, I wonder what was so important that I couldn’t make the time to connect with and thank the Universe. It seems that much of my actions are motivated by a desire to acquire instant gratification as much as possible, hold onto all pleasantness for as long as possible, and avoid all unpleasantness in every way; in other words, attachment. Yet, through self-study, I have observed that yielding to these motivations does not bring happiness, does not fill my being, does not keep me in the present, and is of no help to others.
What does bring joy is taking a long quiet walk through the autumn woods, chanting with many other yogis, meditating alone before anyone has awoken, becoming completely absorbed in all the steps of making dinner, and noticing the Divine in daily doses.
The Universe is truly Divine, and it is wonderful to be a part of it! Thank you, teacher, for the inspiring reminder!
This is a wonderful blog and I enjoyed the depth of it. I will be coming back for me. It truly is he heart and mind coupled that makes us all divine creatures. We need to work on this daily to show our inner beauty and depth.
Thank you Teacher for this exercise, this beautiful teaching! I remember hearing it first hand; in class. But the experience of reading it at this moment in my life–takes it to another level. I’m sitting here in an almost empty apartment, no job, no significant other, and in a city where I hardly know anyone–it feels as if I’m standing bare. Yet as I read your words, I shifted, gratitude began to arise in me, for this body, for this breath of life and then all of creation! Amazing feeling! An awakening to our nothingness and our totality all at once! Teacher how can I remain here? 🙂
The hardship that we may face is the other side of the coin which allows the experience of the Divine in both, good times and so called bad times. But you will see by your own experience that we are very close to the Divine or at least we care more for Divine when we are going through a rough patch in our lives! Isn’t it true? Can you embrace the Divine fully with no conditions attached?
What would Walking Yogi might say, “Be Simple, Be Practical, Be Free”. Can you work on all the three? You have simplified your life already, right down what you own and what your expenses are,keep whatever is important for your growth, discard rest, be very Practical and ultimately be free, be it financially, emotionally or spiritually. That is the best deal ever!