Wholistic Fitness

COACH’s SUNDAY SERMON: DUHKHA AND KARUNA – SPARKPLUGS OF TRANSFORMATION



“I have been taught that the Peaceful Warrior looks at the world through compassionate eyes that sees the suffering of all beings. I designed WF to help us feel our life more fully; be it painful or happy, poor or rich, ugly or beautiful…at least the Warrior lives his or her life authentically. That is what matters most in the long run.” – coach ilg

Today, i would like to speak of the two Sparkplugs of Transformation…duhkha and karuna. This talk is for those Fitness Warriors that are interested in realizing the spiritual energy that has been fueling their outer workouts for perhaps a very, very long time. May it help.

I devote this column to NidraRishi B; thank you for the Manipura Flower of Surya. i have Felt.

As we continue to do the Practice(s) of WF, in time two pivotal qualities flawlessly develop within our minds:

1) increased space between arising thoughts, and

2) compassion (karuna)

These two factors are what i call the, “Sparkplugs of Transformation.” They ignite ‘Citi-Shakti’ or the ‘Power of Awareness’.

Cit-Shakti is a yin, natural state of awe existing beyond our mental machinations and egoic structures. Oprah might call Citi-Shakti an “Ahhh…HA! moment.”

Many of us may not have experienced Citi-Shakti since childhood,when we would stop dead in our little tracks to stare with awe at something so simple as a leaf being dragged along by an ant. That state of Powerful Awareness is reached by spritual athletes and – in my feeble opinion – extreme athletes and elite performers whom are consistently forced into Powerful Awareness by high intensity mixed with high risk.

Powerful Awareness is superior to the mind. The Yogic Masters knew this and actually defined our minds as just a ‘shadow of Awareness'(Citi-Chaya). If a Westerner ‘loses’ his or her mind, he is considered a ‘lunatic*.’ In the East, if a person loses their mind, they have moved closer toward their True Self for they have moved out from their menta shadow to stand more Clearly in the Light!

Many of you have already gained significant footsteps in your development of Citi-Shakti. As you do, you will begin to see the suffering and imbalanced mind/body aspects of people. You will notice yourself start feeling and moving in Ways different from others. Even loved ones. Yep, even spouses. This is tricky emotional terrain and you must all-Ways remember that the Spiritual Journey is just that; it’s a radical transformation of who you THINK you are, and the Spiritual Journey doesn’t give a crap about your person-nal journey…Seeker, beware! Finders Only Beyond This Point!

The training effects from Citi-Skakti are duhkha** (suffering) and karuna (compassion). They are daughters; duhkha and karuna. Thus, the more you feel the duhkha of others, the more karuna arises from within you. Even the least spiritually attuned may feel these daughters arise when looking upon a homeless person or a child starving to death in Ethiopia. Thus, the Masters say that it is, “Both a Blessing and a Curse to have Awakened.”

**Duhkha (suffering); actually means, “bad axle hole” and refers to ancient India when a rough ride in a cart or pulling one caused ongoing pain and trouble because the wheels did not turn smoothly. Being the ‘spiritual materialist’ that i am, i make sure that my race bikes can fit several wheelsets, each with an axle gearing that ensures a High Performance ride. Similarly, i designed the WF System of Personal Training to produce an elite ride for the body, mind, and spirit. Photos/LA Times

*DIVINE DAUGHTERS OF THE DANCE

Let me give you an example of how these two daughters of Divine Mind might play out in our own Practice of WF. Let’s say you are an Online Student in the WF CyberTemple, or you have begun a fitness program in one of my books, such as Green Tara.

On Sunday, your Daily Practice says that you are to do “Cardio Of Choice” = 1 hour.

So, on this particular Sunday, you invite your husband with you. You drive out to a pretty place in which to hike. Your husband, who does not do the Practice, immediately turns on the stereo in the car. A part of you (Citi-Shakti) wishes he woulda just left the goddamned music off for once in his life and spent some quality time conversing with you. Then, you go for the hike. Along the Way, a certain magic arises…usually in tempo with sweat. Suddenly, you become a couple; shared beings of sweat and spirit. You find yourselves laughing, perhaps for the first time in a long while. You notice (Citi-Shakti) many things; birds, smells, trees, flowers, the patterned dance of clouds against Father Sky…suddenly, you begin falling in love with breath and movement and…maybe just maybe, each other again!

Back at the trailhead, you find yourselves giggling with enthusiasm (tapas) and you nearly fall to your knees when your husband turns to you saying,

“Honey, this was fun! Let’s come out again next weekend!”

Shocked, yet firm in your Devoted Practice you respond,

“Honey, of course! I have been doing this since i started Wholistic Fitness! I would love for you to workout with me! In fact, i need to do some yoga once i get home, do you want to join me?”

“Uhhh, no thanks, but i do like the hiking!”

“Fair enough…here, have some more Fortune Delight!”

On the way home, you take a risk. You push your husband’s edge a bit. You noticed (Citi-Shakti) that he again non-consciously just turned on the CD Player once in the car.

“Honey, why don’t we just turn off the stereo for a bit and enjoy the silence?”

He agrees, yet within thirty seconds, you can feel his Citi-Chaya overriding his undeveloped Citi-Shakti and sure enough, he begins talking about this and that. You suddenly see your husband in a new, compassionate Light…you truly feel karuna for your husband…you easily can see his addiction to entertainment; be it to music or to mental chatter. You smile at yourself for you have felt the power of a WF Transmission within yourself; you ARE rising above Citi-Chaya into the Light and Power of Awareness!

I in-courage you who are experiencing Higher levels of Citi-Shakti not to JUDGE others! Use your karuna to feel the duhkha for others addicted to overthinking and underfeeling. As you realize the deep extent of the outer world’s addiction to drama and grasping instead practiced equanimity and concentration, you will feel the Peaceful Warrior’s Heart; it beats with utter Joy and utter Sadness. And, with each workout turned within, you feel yourself Rise Higher and Higher and you will naturally feel more and more obliged to help others. It is a natural human quality; helpfulness.

i bow to your Devoted Practice

may all beings be freed from duhkha…

love,

coach ilg

*Lunatic” comes from the Latin, ‘lunaticus’ or “moon-struck,” and referred to periodic bouts of insanity stemming from changes of the moon. Yet, we can only see “la Luna” when she is not caught in the Shadow of the earth, much like the way we cannot see our True Self until our Awareness moves out from the shadow of our mind. During my ice climbing seasons in Banff, Canada, the local mountaineers called me, ‘ze lunatic’ because i would often climb difficult ice pillars without a rope (free solo) and under the light of the moon. To me, my style was wise; alone and without the need to pause to place gear into the vertical ice, i could move more fast and free and increase my likelihood of safe passage. Also, the ice was most solid at night and the likelihood of avalanches letting loose above the ice waterfalls was far less. Thus, what seems like ‘lunacy’ to the spectator, might in fact, seem like wisdom to the doer!