Hi Everyone,

Here is an interechange I had with a an old friend via email. In it, we mention Anu - my wife - who is a humanitarian doctor. Right now she is in Peru studying tropical diseases. She is an amazing being.  Anyway, I thought the question and answer would make for a provocative blog entry.  Enjoy!

Q: David, Beth and I were talking about whether its better to be aware of "world pain" or not. My question to you or rather Anu is: how do you keep hope when you see hands on all of sadness and hopelessness in the world? just wondering what helps to keep positive. that converation was sparked from seeing children of men...
take care
Tina

A: Wow, deep question. I get there again and again. I just came from Mount Sinai hospital where I do meditation with kids in the children's hospital. My kids mostly have cancer or some serious blood disorder. Many don't survive. Anu and I do a lot of hands on work with suffering people and it can be intense. I think we're both hardwired in a way that allows us to be around that kind of acute suffering.

How do we keep up hope? My short answer- and simplest answer is our spiritual practice. Our practice gives us access to a lot of inner strength and detachment. It also gives us access to a very deep kind of compassion. Compassion is oft misunderstood. We have the image of the weeping buddha or whatever feeling the wieght of universal suffering.

There is an aspect of compassion like this- like an empathetic link where you connect to someone's pain or suffering or feel the "world pain". This can be really profound. The world would be a better place if more people were able to cultivate this kind of compassion.

But there is a second stage of compassion too.This is where we connect with and experience the innate goodness and inherent joy in everyone and everything. This is FAR FAR deeper and more powerful than the world pain or individual pain. But its something i had to experience and something I sometimes have to work hard to maintain. Otherwise, burnout happens. I can't tell you how many burnt out helpers I know.

I think its important for people to not shut out the suffering of others but equally important to not deny the tremendous beauty and joy in the universe too. It's not a polyanna attitude- its a mystical experience. Even in the darkest times- the msot hellish realms, there is light. ~

If you have any ideas about this, please post a comment below! Click here to learn more about our meditation lessons, humanitarian work, and inner life consulting.

The Secret to “The Secret”

(This is a re-edited version of Under the Banyan Tree #9). I wanted to address this amazing work after yesterday's Oprah Show. For those of us without TV (all of my clients told me about it). Oprah had the teachers from The Secret on her show yesterday. I am so thrilled that this fabulous philosophy has hit the mainstream in such a big way.

I truly hope everyone who reads this sees The Secret. I'm sure many of you already have. This entry is really for those who have seen the Secret.  If you haven't or have no idea what I'm talking about- don't worry.

The Secret is a movie that talks about our power to manifest our optimal Universe through the power of our intention and thoughts.  This is an ancient principle. There is a very ancient yogic text called the Yoga Vashistha which states ya drsthi sa srshti. Roughly this translates “as your outlook- so is your creation”. Contemporary masters translate this as “The world is as you see it” or as my teacher put it, “A Golden Mind, A Golden Life”

By themselves, these teachings are sublime and liberating. However, you must practice them to really get their benefit and practicing them hinges at least in part on an often unreliable part of our system: the MIND!

In order to harness the power of intention and visualization and positive thinking and the other great processes discussed in The Secret, we have to use the mind. How many of us really have that kind of relationship with our mind?

The thing about manifesting our reality is that it is not just our intentional thoughts that create it, it is also our negative, unconscious, random, and habitual thoughts. Yikes! Research shows that most people have around 60 thousand thoughts per day. How many of these thoughts are working for us? How many are working against us?

In my opinion as someone who has worked with the principles from the secret for many years is that Meditation is KEY to doing this kind of manifestation work.

Meditation is the secret to the secret. People who meditate have learned to work with their mind's energy and how to harness the power of thoughts.  Regular meditation creates a very fertile and orderly ground for the planting of new seeds. There are far fewer weeds there and  the ground itself has been “super charged” and empowered for the creative process.

If you want to get into The Secret and begin to use it's principles I highly suggest adding regular meditation practice. If you don't like meditation or you don't really know how to do it. Contact us at Banyan.  The secrets to meditation are our business!

A Challenge For You

I am on a mission. My Mission is to help create a world-wide Soul epidemic through the proliferation of sitting meditation practice. I, along with the Banyan Team, am looking at different ways to help this epidemic take root in different communities. I do private lessons here in New York City and phone consultations with people further away.  Other people on my team -like Ananda Dillon our dreamwork specialist- also work with individuals. Everyone who gets into the work experiences a great opening which then ripples out through their circle of friends and family, and so on. You get the idea.

We used to do more workshops, but we found that them a little impersonal- the yoga studios and spa workshop rooms feel a too little uncomfortable for the deep work we like to get into. So lately, we've been arranging small group sessions in the homes of clients. Clients invite their friends and family for intimate living-room gatherings. Sometimes there's even a fireplace! People sit on couches and comfy chairs and have a chance to ask questions, meditate deeply, and explore their part in the Soul epidemic.

This morning, when I was considering blog topics, I had a thought: we usually have between 50 and 80 people visit our blog every week. I know many of you are within a road trip's distance from NYC. I know many of you are into meditation- some of you are already working with me privately. I want to put out a general invitation to all of you:

Please host a Banyan meditation gathering in your home!

Its pretty simple- you just invite a handful of friends to come over and meet "this guy you know from Zaadz". The gathering lasts about an hour or ninety minutes. You don't have to do much hosting. Maybe we can make tea- however you like to do it. I would meet with you ahead of time and find out a little more about your friends and how best to serve their needs. I would talk about the Epidemic and Banyan's part in it, lead a deep meditation session, answer questions, and enjoy a very uplifting conversation.  The gathering can be no-cost (sometimes a small fee helps people to show up) the vibe is very informal.  People love the experience and may even decide to meet on their own and make it a regular thing,

Gatherings in the NYC area will be the easiest- but I travel all the time. If you are willing to host a gathering, I will find a way to get there. Gatherings as far north as Montreal and as far south as DC are easy. Plane trips may have to wait a little longer.

If you are willing to host a gathering we will gift you a Free Private Meditation Lesson, Dreamwork Session, or Inner Life Consultation ($125 value). If you're interested, message me through Zaadz. If you have questions, ask them in comments because others might have the same questions.

We are really excited about this. Zaadz in action. Drop me a line even if you're thinking about it.  More info on me and our work on the Banyan Education Website.

We are so happy to announce our new home! Anu and I have made our first real estate purchase- a one bedroom apartment in Manhattan!

The best thing is that we are right on Central Park. The above pic shows what is now our front yard. The whole process was a miracle and a testimony to the Power of Manifestation. I will write a Under the Banyan Tree blog about it this week.

We are really happy and excited to move in and set up our new "Bat Cave." It is our intention that our new home be a haven for meditation, service and love. It will be our new service hub, it will be the place where we rest our bodies and minds.

If you're in New York, please come and visit. In the meantime, we welcome your blessings and love from wherever you are.