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THE HOMA THERAPY IN-RESIDENCE
DRUG/ALCOHOL DEADDICTION PROGRAM
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Introduction ……………………………………
Program Description ………………………..
Program Briefs
Mind Training …………………….
Seven Guidelines …………………
Anonymous Programs ………….
Diet Plan …………………………….
Daily Program ……………………..
Teachers Guide
Homa Therapy Mind Training Program ….
Alcoholics Anonymous ……………………………
Footnotes …………………………………………………………
INTRODUCTION
The Homa Therapy In-residence Drug/Alcohol Deaddiction Program has been developed to provide a simple, holistic approach and solution for people suffering from addiction to drugs and alcohol.
We offer a healing environment to all those who wish to become free of their physical and mental dependence on chemical substances.
"In any drug program the immediate objective is to break the physical and psychological dependence on the drug. Forced abstinence in a controlled environment when the person is willing may be a good beginning. If the willingness is lacking then there is more resistance and a more painful withdrawal syndrome. In either case, a way has to be found to fortify motivation to do away with drugs. When we talk of motivation we bring in the mind factor. In HOMA Therapy the mind gets help by a material process based on copper pyramid fire energies which help motivation; hence, this program can be used independently or along with any other treatment module which does not involve substituting one drug for another.
"In any psychotherapeutic approach to rehabilitation programs for addicts the following things have to be noted:
1. Removal of physical addiction.
2. Removal of psychological dependence even when the addict is asymptomatic.
3. Removal of rebellious attitudes developed during and prior to therapy.
4. Taking steps to reduce withdrawal pains.
5. Persistence of urge for drug although the desire is reduced.
6. Subconscious pressure to indulge in imagery of pleasing experiences acquired during drug intake stage.
7. Eliminating the emotionally insecure state of the person and leading him to better health and habits.
8. To make social interaction smoother and increase efficiency in work, etc.
9. To help him stand on his own two feet by inculcating new habit patterns."1
The HOMA Therapy In-residence Drug/Alcohol Deaddiction Program. It helps the addict to stand on his own two feet by removing habit patterns that lead to addictive behavior and replacing them with new ones. The new habit patterns are brought about by introducing biopsychological techniques given through VEDIC knowledge to change the way-the mind reacts to circumstances of daily life.
The aim of the program is to offer anyone at any level of addiction a way out. For the addict temporary removal from his/her environment is necessary. In the Homa Therapy In-residence Drug/Alcohol Deaddiction Program the addict is provided with material as well as mental aids to reshape his lifestyle so that he is able to function in society. The addict, regardless of education, intelligence level, religion, financial status, etc., can also learn from this program how to deal with his family, the pressures of a job and his own desires and attractions which when heeded lead him into trouble.
The basis of the program is to train the mind how to react positively to all circumstances in life. No doubt, this is a seemingly tall order. However, it is possible if we look into the science of medicine called AYURVEDA. It is stated in this ancient Vedic knowledge that by inducing a beneficial change in the atmosphere, you bring about a change in the functioning of PRANA (life energy). Prana and mind may be considered like two sides of the same coin. Whatever affects one will automatically affect the other. Therefore, if you induce a beneficial change into the atmosphere, the beneficial effect is automatically transposed to the realm of the mind.
"In the HOMA Therapy In-residence Drug/Alcohol Deaddiction Program we take help from nature's cycles, their effect on mind and the potential of copper pyramid fire called Agnihotra to mold the atoms of the mind and help make it full of love. Copper pyramid fire, which takes a few minutes every dawn and dusk, effects a beneficial change in the atmosphere and the atmosphere brings about a change in the mind of a person who is in that atmosphere. The patient needs only to come in this atmosphere and automatically his tension and anxiety are removed in a short time and he begins to get motivated to become better. No medicine is required to substitute for the drug.
"In any traditional treatment mode the role of the therapist is primal. However, if the therapist himself is in a troubled state of mind, his treatment mode is going to be seriously affected. In HOMA Therapy mode anyone can perform this copper pyramid fire and an assured result takes place. Most of the effort is taken over by nature, which is a great help. Especially for rehabilitation after removal of physical addiction, the patient takes big strides in recovery in HOMA Therapy mode of treatment."2
PROGRAM DESCRIPTION
The addict must leave his present environment and live at the Homa Therapy Center. The amount of time needed varies from person to person but in all cases a minimum of 8 weeks is required.
The Homa Therapy Center provides the environment necessary to begin the process of training the addict how to react positively to all circumstances without stress and anxiety. This is accomplished by daily practice of Agnihotra copper pyramid fire as well as other Homa fires based on phases of the sun and the moon, etc.
In one room at the Center, exactly at sunrise/sunset, Agnihotra is done by one person who may be a therapist, staff member or a patient.
In a separate room, another type of Homa is practiced for at least 4 hours or more daily. People can take turns doing the HOMA. The therapist or staff members can share the performance of this HOMA. If patients wish to participate in performance of HOMA they may be allowed to do so.3
On certain days, if possible, round the clock twenty-four HOMA is done.
Program Instruction: (briefs attached)
I. Homa Therapy Mind Training Program is taught, giving the addict the ability to practice and use the Homa Therapy In-residence Drug/Alcohol Deaddiction Program to live a sober/straight lifestyle.
As part of the Mind Training Program a few simple and easy to do Hatha Yoga exercises are shown along with breathing exercises, depending on the individual and age group.
II. Seven Guidelines of the Homa Therapy In-residence Drug/Alcohol Deaddiction Program are given as a roadmap to achieve and maintain happiness and freedom from addiction. The Mind Training Program is a prerequisite for following the Guidelines in that it is the foundation upon which the Guidelines were established.
III. The Alcoholics Anonymous Program is studied, discussed and put into practice in a group setting.
IV. A Cleansing Diet Plan is provided which helps to facilitate the cleansing process necessary to the addict's recovery.
V. A Daily Program is provided of physical work such as gardening, landscaping, carpentry and cleaning (depending on skill level) balanced with class instruction, group meetings and self study activities such as reading of pertinent literature and self reflective writing.
Upon leaving the Homa Therapy Center the patient is armed with all the material and mental aids necessary for recovery and a new lifestyle.
The habits acquired over a lifetime can and will challenge the recovering addict and his/her sobriety. Depending on the individual it is necessary to return to the Homa Therapy Center for reinforcement of the new life habit patterns. It is advisable that the recovering addict return for "in-resident reinforcement" on a yearly basis.
If the recovering addict so chooses he/she may return to the Homa Therapy Center for outpatient meetings as often as he/she likes. It is advisable to keep the company as often as possible of those who are leading sober lives and practicing Homa Therapy on a regular basis.
PROGRAM BRIEFS
THE HOMA THERAPY MIND TRAINING PROGRAM
In many endeavors of life, we are taught by someone or something how to function. In every case we are taught the basics first, i.e., you crawl before you walk. In most things we learn, the basics continue to be the focus of the teacher's efforts because they can never be forgotten if we are to be successful. In athletics or in music, dancing or cooking, the perfection of the basics is accomplished by continual practice of the basic fundamental elements of the activity that make the goal achievable. When we forget the basics we will ultimately fail because the basics are the foundations upon which everything is built The Mind Training Program is the foundation (the basics) upon which we are able to build a life free of drugs and alcohol. The Mind Training Program gives us the ability to observe the guidelines of the Homa Therapy Drug/Alcohol Deaddiction Program.
Purpose of the Program
The purpose of the Mind Training Program is to help people to learn how to TRAIN THE MIND to relieve stress and bring about a state where happiness is not followed by unhappiness. It is possible to become happy without dependence on alcohol or drugs if we train the mind how to react positively to all circumstances in life. Most of our actions are aimed at achieving happiness and avoiding misery. Ultimately, our happiness depends on reducing tension on the mind. If the mind is full of tension then naturally we are not going to be happy.
How can we reduce tension on the mind? First, we must understand what factors disturb the mind. There are many apparent obvious causes of tension on the mind but unless we look to the root of the cause and until we examine the less obvious, subtle causes of tension we may overlook the very reason for our unhappiness. The Homa Therapy Mind Training Program takes a holistic approach to reducing tension on the mind and, therefore, concentrates on the basics of happy living as they have been described for millenniums. If we are to achieve happiness that is not followed by unhappiness, we must treat the cause not the symptoms or subsequent manifestations of tension on the mind.
The Mind Training Program offers a person the chance to learn and use material and mental aids that will bring about a state of happiness in the here and now. Our holistic approach deals with the basic factors that disturb the mind. These factors may not be as obvious as the resultant effects which cause us our pain and misery but unless they are dealt with our chances of happiness are minimal if not impossible.
The simple Homa Therapy Mind Training Program offered comes from the Vedic science of bioenergy. Vedas were given in Sanskrit language which is the mother of what European scholars call Indo-European language.
One can incorporate the Mind Training program into his life to become happy here and now regardless of whether he is a Christian, Jew or Buddhist, Atheist, Agnostic, wise or otherwise. The Mind Training Program will help us learn how to react positively to all circumstances, without stress and anxiety, and to begin experiencing contentment in life.
None of this is possible unless the mind becomes tranquil. Is this all within our reach? The answer is emphatically "YES", if we employ methods to deal with the factors that disturb the mind. The methods addicts employ in an attempt to make the mind happy are indulgence in drugs and alcohol. Understanding that these methods are a direct cause of misery, and not happiness, is the first step to recovery from the grip of drug and alcohol addiction. We have become servants to our addictions. The Homa Therapy Mind Training Program provides us with the foundation upon which we can reverse this position so that we become the Master of our mind and its addictions. The objective of the Mind Training Program is to make that possible in a short period of time.
THE SEVEN GUIDELINES
In order to participate in the Homa Therapy In-residence Drug/Alcohol Deaddiction Program we only ask that you have a sincere desire to become healthy and recover from whatever (addiction) that has hold of you.
Our diseased thinking, clouded by the use of drugs and alcohol, has caused a myriad of problems for us and those we love. We may have lost jobs, spouses, the respect of our peers and of our children. We may have met with financial ruin or public disgrace because of our addiction. Whatever has been your experience, you are not alone. We have been there.
So, why do we drink and take drugs and why can't we stop?
We drink or take drugs to alter our state of mind. The causes of wanting to bring about an altered state are varied and many. In this program, we want to get to concrete matters without wasting time. The question is, What are we to do now?
First we come to recognize that alcohol and drugs have taken control of our minds and that we have become subservient to our addictions. They lead us around by the nose, wreaking havoc in our lives. So, why can't we stop?
The root of the problem, of why we want to change our state of mind, is that we are unhappy with our present state. The mind is telling us it wants a change.
The mind is in grooves of habit and it likes to stay there. Our intention is to remove grooves of habit and replace them with good habits that bring about happiness and fulfillment.
A critical step in our recovery is observing how the mind works. As we work this program, observance of the mind is always our aim. If we can observe how the mind pulls us to do things against our own intellect and our own will, then we at least have a chance to stop it. If you cannot see or understand how the mind works, it is difficult to gain control over it.
For us a detailed roadmap to happiness and freedom from our addictions is the need of the hour. Therefore, we have developed the Seven Guidelines of the Homa Therapy In-residence Drug/Alcohol Addiction Recovery Program.
Our aim for every person is to:
Remove psychological dependence
Treat the emotionally insecure state of the person and lead him to better health
Develop new habits to make social interaction smoother and increase efficiency
Train the mind how to react positively to every circumstance of life
ONE:
Realize our addiction(s) have gained control over us and that we no longer wish to remain powerless.
The realization that whatever you are addicted to has control of you.
Let us distinguish between a "habit" and an obsession. An addiction is a habit that has become an obsession.
In the "habit" stage normally we can say to ourselves, "I need to lose 10 lbs." and go about doing it. Or a person with a habit of drinking too much may be able to say at that point, "I can cut back or I can quit" and actually do it.
But at some point the habit becomes an obsession, crossing over the line into addiction. That is where we need help. We can't do it alone. Admittedly there are some who could and did do it with the sheer might of their will, but most "addicts" have a weakened, flimsy will as well as low self-esteem.
We need to understand the nature of the mind and how we can gain control over it. The mind is like a tyrant, a dictator. It is oppressive. The mind, addicted to alcohol and or drugs has clearly become the master and we the servants.
TWO:
We start removing the old grooves of habit and addiction by performing Agnihotra daily exactly at sunrise and sunset.
Performance of Agnihotra healing fire tuned to the biorhythm of sunrise/sunset expedites the recovery process by providing an immediate positive upliftment of the mind, neither drug or alcohol-induced (which pulls the mind down), but instead does just the opposite -- gives the mind a push upward that induces clear thinking.
Agnihotra gives a push to the mind in the right direction. Your ability to choose between right and wrong improves. Your will-power is strengthened. It has a profound healing affect on the mind and body.
When Agnihotra is performed, the atmosphere is purified. It is stated in the Vedic science of medicine called AYURVEDA that by inducing a beneficial change in the atmosphere, you bring about a change in the functioning of Prana (life energy). Prana and mind may be considered like two sides of the same coin. Whatever affects one will automatically affect the other. Prana is the life energy that connects man with the cosmos. Therefore, if you induce a beneficial change into the atmosphere, the beneficial effect is automatically transposed to the realm of the mind.
Agnihotra is the basic material aid to happy living as it brings about purification of the atmosphere and ultimately the mind. Agnihotra makes minds full of love. Agnihotra heals the atmosphere and the healed atmosphere heals you.
You may belong to any faith; you may be an atheist or an agnostic. You will benefit from Agnihotra. Agnihotra is the basic material aid for all the biopsychological techniques given through Vedic knowledge to make the mind full of love towards all.
THREE:
We stop the use of all drugs and alcohol.
Our aim is to free ourselves of the addictions that control us. Abstinence from substance abuse is critical in working the program. Your forced abstinence automatically gives you strength and builds character allowing you to work the balance of the program.
You stay straight/sober to work the program and by working the program you stay straight and sober.
FOUR:
We blast old habits and develop new ones by learning and practicing the secrets of sharing part of our material assets.
If we cultivate the habit of giving away part of our material possessions we have learned the secret of happy living. By practicing Daan you get used to the discipline of parting with or receiving material possessions without pride or dejection. This is DAAN. Daan sublimates your emotions regarding material possessions or lack of them. Daan will grant you a proper perspective of looking at your material possessions.
Daan is not merely giving cash or material possessions, Daan must be given without expecting to receive anything in return, including recognition.
FIVE:
We tell the truth regardless of circumstances or consequences.
To be happy we must attempt to eliminate all sources of disturbance to the mind. Divergence from truth creates complications in our daily dealings and leads to tension on the mind. Truth does not just mean true speech. Mind, speech and action should all depict truth. To pretend to be what we are not is not truthful behavior and it causes tension on the mind.
If we harbour untruth, fear is always our companion. It is far less cumbersome and less disturbing to practice truth regardless of the circumstances and consequences. By discarding truth in a single instance we cause a series of acts which are only conducive to misery.
SIX:
We take steps to rid ourselves of self centered behavior by practicing humility and serving others.
Humility is the most important thing a person has to reach. If we are not humble we will not be able to see clearly or to think clearly. Humility does not mean thinking lesser of oneself. It is better to say that humility is thinking less on oneself and more on others. There should be less thinking of one's own problems, opinions and attitudes, and more concentration on service to our fellow man.
Humility is being willing to admit our mistakes, shortcomings, fears and inadequacies.
We should always think how best I can serve other people. What can I give of myself in service to another person?
SEVEN:
We learn to train the mind to react with Love to every circumstance in life.
Training the mind to react with Love every moment helps to set up healthy life patterns and also helps to develop new sets of habits replacing negative ones.
THE ANONYMOUS PROGRAMS
The Anonymous Programs based on the Twelve Steps of Alcoholics Anonymous have helped hundreds of thousands of alcoholics to rehabilitate their lives and therefore to live sober.
The Homa Therapy In-residence Drug/Alcohol Deaddiction Program provides a Mind Training Program to enable the recovering addict/alcoholic to practice the Twelve Steps of AA.
We use the AA Big Book as a text because it contains valuable information written by recovering alcoholics. The Twelve Steps of Alcoholics Anonymous are studied, discussed and put into practice in a group setting. The purpose is to aid the drug addict/alcoholic in learning how to live sober one day at a time.
Utilizing the H.O.W. of the AA Program -- honesty, open-mindedness and willingness -- we begin our self-study. We learn that our actions cause reactions. We begin to take responsibility for our actions past and present.
Writing is an example of a tool used in AA to help the addict practice the Twelve Steps. Various writing exercises will be given as part of this study. We begin with writing our personal history as it relates to our addictive behavior. We then examine in writing the things that disturb us and cause resentment. We also write out those things in our lives that we find unmanageable. We keep a daily journal of our progress.
Writing takes some of the burden off the mind by clearly defining some of the factors that are the cause of our stress and negativity. We are then able to apply solutions.
CLEANSING DIET FOR THE HOMA THERAPY IN-RESIDENCE DRUG/ALCOHOL DEADDICTION PROGRAM
Diet for the drug/alcohol addict is an important aspect of recovery which should not be overlooked. Compared with all other diets, vegetarianism is best because of its potential cleansing effect on body and mind. A vegetarian diet assists in providing a more rapid and thorough elimination of drugs/alcohol from the system.
Introduction to Diet Plan
An addict will be going through physical changes. The Homa Therapy vegetarian diet will help to facilitate this process. This diet is not a radical cleansing regimen and therefore, will not create undo stress. The diet is a moderate rational approach to gradual dietary change for healthful living.
Patients should write down some of their favorite foods, listing their favorite ones first. From that list the facilitators can devise a menu plan which would often include many of these same meals with the exception of meat. This can be accomplished with little or no sacrifice to enjoyment and an actual increase in healthfulness. For example: Pasta dishes can easily accommodate vegetables and cheese instead of hamburger. Mexican foods have an affinity for different types of beans or vegetables. Chinese style vegetables are balanced and nutritionally complete with whole grains, tofu, or beans.
There are numerous meat substitutes for sandwiches which includes falafel or hummus, sunflowcr burgers, tempeh (a cultured soybean product), and other types of tasty vegetarian burgers.
Initially, part of the participants education simply involves being exposed to these new food variations on old themes. Also, they can begin to learn the whys and wherefores for becoming a vegetarian. Gradually, those who show an interest in cooking can begin to participate in the preparation of meals and to learn specific recipes, simple and complex cooking techniques and nutritional information.
DAILY PROGRAM
Listed below is a sample daily program based on sunrise timing of 7:00 AM and sunset at 4:45 PM.
AM
4:45 Wake Up
5:00 Morning Mantras
5:15 Personal Hygiene
6:30 Sunrise Agnihotra
7:15 Hatha Yoga
8:00 Breakfast & Cleanup
8:45 Walk
9:00 Mind Training Class
10:00 Vyahruti Homa & 15 minute Meditation 10:15 Physical Activity (Work)*
11:30 Vegetarian Food Preparation
PM
12:00 Vyahruti Homa & 15 minute Vibrational Therapy or Meditation/Relaxation
12:30 Lunch & Cleanup
1:30 Walk
2:00 Physical Activity (Work)*
3:00 Vyahruti Homa & 15 minute Meditation
3:15 Work Study Program
4:00 Class on Concentration, Meditation Techniques
4:45 Physical Activity (Work)*
5:45 Agnihotra
6:15 Vegetarian Food Preparation
7:00 Dinner & Cleanup
7:30 Personal Conferences
8:00 Alcoholics Anonymous Study & General Meeting
9:00 Vyahruti Homa & Vibrational Therapy
9:15 Personal Time for Reading/Writing
10:00 Lights Out
*Type of physical activity depends upon the location and environment of the center. Typical activities would be gardening, cleaning, carpentry, etc., depending on skill level.
TEACHERS GUIDE
HOMA THERAPY MIND TRAINING PROGRAM
CLASS 1:
INTRODUCTION
In many endeavors of life, we are taught by someone or something how to function. In every case we are taught the basics first, i.e., you crawl before you walk. In most things we learn, the basics continue to be the focus of the teacher's efforts because they can never be forgotten if we are to be successful. In athletics or in music, dancing or cooking, the perfection of the basics is accomplished by continual practice of the basic fundamental elements of the activity that make the goal achievable. When we forget the basics we will ultimately fail because the basics are the foundations upon which everything is built. The Mind Training Program is the foundation (the basics) upon which we are able to build a life free of drugs and alcohol. The Mind Training Program gives us the ability to practice the guidelines of the Homa Therapy Drug Alcohol Program.
Ask Attendees: Why do we use drugs? What are we trying to accomplish?
List all answers given.
Write Out: Are we not in all cases ultimately trying to alter the state of our mind?
What is different about Homa Therapy is that you are given material and mental aids to uplift your state of mind without drugs. The goal is to (write out):
- React positively to all circumstances of life
- Achieve a state of mind that we do not want to alter with drugs
ABOUT THE PROGRAM
The purpose of the Homa Therapy Mind Training Program is to help people learn how to TRAIN THE MIND to relieve stress and bring about a state where happiness is not followed by unhappiness. It is possible to become happy without dependence on alcohol or drugs if we train the mind how to react positively to all circumstances in life. Most of our actions are aimed at achieving happiness and avoiding misery. Ultimately, our happiness depends on reducing tension on the mind. If the mind is full of tension then naturally we are not going to be happy. How can we reduce tension on the mind? First, we must understand what factors disturb the mind. There are many obvious causes of tension on the mind but unless we look to the root of the cause and until we examine the less obvious, subtle causes of tension we may overlook the very reason for our unhappiness. The Homa Therapy Mind Training Program takes a holistic approach to reducing tension on the mind and, therefore, concentrates on the basics of happy living as they have been described for millenniums. If we are to achieve happiness that is not followed by unhappiness, we must treat the causes not the symptoms or subsequent manifestations of tension on the mind. The Homa Therapy Mind Training Program offers a person the chance to learn and use material and mental aids that will bring about a state of happiness in the here and now. Our holistic approach deals with the basic factors that disturb the mind. These factors may not be as obvious as the resultant effects which cause us our pain and misery but unless they are dealt with our chances of happiness are minimal if not impossible.
For example: if one were to suddenly discover that our nervous system was not functioning properly, we would surely want to correct it because of the obvious effect it would have on the mind. However, the fact that our nervous system is not functioning properly may not be so obvious. One thing which prevents proper functioning of the nervous system is muscle tension. Muscle tension brings about mind tension and loss of mind energy. One factor in this disturbance is faulty bodily positions and improper posture. If the spine is not straight and there is pain in the body, there is loss of mind energy going to the pain or the bracing positions of the spine.
Simple Hatha Yoga exercises can help correct faulty bodily position by getting us into the habit of straightening the spine (sitting straight) which ultimately reduces tension on the mind. Another basic factor in the disturbance of the mind is wrong breathing. The average person uses only a small percentage of his breathing capacity. Proper breathing increases inhalation of oxygen and exhalation of carbon dioxide which helps the nervous system. In Homa Therapy Mind Training Program we teach simple, easy to do Hatha Yoga and breathing exercises that will reduce the tension on the mind.
Pollution of the atmosphere is yet another factor which disturbs the mind and which people are generally unaware. Scientists today are keenly aware of the effects of pollution on our health, but what about the effect on the mind? Ancient science tells us that atmospheric pollution has a direct bad effect on the mind, let alone the havoc it causes to our bodily health. A simple example of pollution and atmosphere effect on the mind is to notice how differently one feels and acts when they immediately change their environment. Supposing you are in a crowded smoke-filled room and you feel troubled. What is the first thing you want to do? You want to get a breath of fresh air, right? So you leave and go to a quiet stream in the country and after a while, you feel better. But what has changed? You are still the same person with the same problem but the change in atmosphere made you feel better. So in a simple way one can see that atmosphere has a direct effect on the mind. In today's world, atmospheric pollution is rampant everywhere and there is nowhere to go to truly get a breath of fresh air. The useful layer of atmosphere around the planet is being destroyed; however, there is a way out. There is a solution. In the Homa Therapy Mind Training Program we will describe a material aid to undo the effects of pollution on the mind and get a breath of fresh air.
Habit patterns are another source of tension on the mind. All of us are in the grooves of certain habits which drain off mind energy. In the Mind Training Program we examine ways to conserve mind energy and to train the mind to develop good habits which do not drain the mind of its energy. The simple Mind Training Program offered, comes from the Vedic science of bioenergy. Vedas were given in Sanskrit language which is the mother of what European scholars call Indo-European language.
One can incorporate the Homa Therapy Mind Training program into his life to become happy here and now regardless of whether he is a Christian, Jew or Buddhist, Atheist, Agnostic, wise or otherwise. The Homa Therapy Mind Training Program will help us to learn how to react positively to all circumstances, without stress and anxiety and to begin experiencing contentment in life. None of this is possible unless the mind becomes tranquil. Is this all within our reach? The answer is emphatically "YES", if we employ methods to deal with the factors that disturb the mind. The methods addicts employ in an attempt to make the mind happy are indulgence in drugs and alcohol. Understanding that these methods are a direct cause of misery, and not happiness, is the first step to recovery from the grip of drug and alcohol addiction. We have become servants to our addictions. The Homa Therapy Mind Training Program provides us with the foundation upon which we can reverse this position so that we become the Master of our mind and its addictions. The objective of the Mind Training Program is to make that possible in a short period of time.
CLASS 2:
STRESS
What are other factors that cause stress and tension?
Each attendee writes his/her own list.
Explain: Positive stress and Negative stress
Examples: Job, Spouse, Money, Parent, Promotion, Moving, Drugs, Worry, Fear, Desires
Just being around stress causes stress. (Teacher and assistant perform simulated argument.)
What are some of the current ways we try to relieve stress.
|
1. Drugs/Alcohol |
5. Sleep |
9. Shopping |
|
2. Sports (playing & watching) |
6. Eating |
10. Exercise |
|
3. Movies |
7. Sex |
11. Gambling |
|
4. Music (playing & listening) |
8. Dancing |
12. Environmental change - mountain/beach getaway |
They all provide temporary relief. The problem is, what goes up must come down.
A closer look at drugs and happiness.
What does it do for us?
Temporarily makes us happy, or does it really just numb the pain, worry or fear.
What is wrong with it (the price you pay).
Costs money
Alters our perception of reality
Causes danger to others, e.g., driving while intoxicated
Bodily harm
Selfish act that helps no one, especially yourself
Problems are worse after come down
So back to why do we take drugs/alcohol. What is the point?
Answer: To alter the mind, escape.
If we are totally happy with the mind we would not want to change it.
What happens to addicts is: even if the change of mind is knowingly harmful, we can't stop. We must have that temporary change of mind.
What really changes is the reaction of the mind.
Is not happiness dependent upon how the mind reacts to circumstance?
Is not most of our stress caused by our reactions to:
- Lack of money
- The boss
- Your spouse
We will not accept certain things, and have no control over our minds. This brings about a constant state of confusion and disorientation.
What needs to happen is the confusion must be cleared. In order to do this the mind must be trained to react positively to all circumstances -- that means:
-Acceptance of what happens to you
-Creating your destiny
Each moment you have the ability to create your future. You have free will. You can choose to continue with drugs or you can stop. If you look at the bigger picture and long-term effects of using and drinking, perhaps you would approach things a little differently. At the time of decision to use, if you were to observe your actions (your mind), you might ask yourself, `If I do this, am I willing to face the repercussions of my actions?' If you focus on those repercussions instead of the temporary high, you might decide that the pain is not worth the pleasure. The next thing you have to do after you check this desire is to take action that will benefit yourself and your long-term purpose, to stay straight. So, you must sublimate the old desire with an action that is helpful as opposed to destructive. The best way to create a positive future is to help someone else. (Refer to the Bill W. Story.) He helped others to help himself.
In 1988, a study was done by the University of Michigan Survey Research Center. They followed 2,700 people in Tecumseh, Michigan over a ten year period to determine the impact of social relationships on health. They found that regular volunteer work, more than any other activity, dramatically increased life expectancy!
This was especially significant for men: Men who did no volunteer work were 2 1/2 times more likely to die during the course of the ten year study than those who volunteered at least once a week.
Research at Yale, the university of California, Johns Hopkins, the National Institute of Mental Health and Ohio State supports these finding.
Happiness is a condition not an action
That means it is brought about due to action(s)
Happiness has everything to do with the mind because the reactions of the mind determine whether you are going to be happy.
If we are going to talk about the mind we need to understand something about the mind. What is the mind?
The dictionary describes mind as: the philosophical and general term for the center of mental activity. The part in a human that thinks, reasons, understands, wills, perceives, experiences emotions. The faculty of reasoning or understanding; intelligence. Reason or sanity. Inclination or desire. Psychic or spiritual being as opposed to matter. Know one's own mind. To be firm in one's intentions, opinions or plans. Out of one's mind, a) insane, b) totally distracted: out of his mind in worry, out of his mind with desire. Make up one's mind, to decide or resolve as on a course of action. Presence of mind; ability to think clearly in a crisis.
If you do not want to take drugs but your mind is telling you to go ahead and take them then we could say there is a lack of presence of mind because this is certainly a crisis.
So how do we get presence of mind. Remember, mind is the center of mental activity so if we do not have presence of mind, if we do not have control over mind, then we are not in control.
If the mind is not brain (brain is an organ) then mind is something we cannot see. It is therefore, something very subtle.
We know mind exists like we know air exists, but it is subtle. So in order to deal with the mind we have to become very subtle. It is the only way we can tackle it.
How do you tackle something you cannot see. How can you get your arms around this thing. How can you control it. If mind is subtle then to tackle it we must also become subtle.
We have to start thinking in terms of:
What is it that tells me I have a mind?
Are you your arms?
Are you your legs?
Are you your mind?
The mind can be controlled by you, so obviously you are something more than mind.
In our case what is it that the mind is most attracted to -- drugs/alcohol.
What is the mind trying to please? The senses.
CLASS 3:
THE SENSES AND HABIT PATTERNS
What are the senses and their relationship to mind.
The mind is a dictator. It is a tyrant that likes sense satisfaction.
(Give analogy of old Roman king who has before him all of the sense gratification one could possibly want, but he wants more and more and more. He cannot be fulfilled so he gets angry.)
But the mind (like all dictators) isn't really all that bright. Because we know that satisfaction of senses brings about only temporary happiness and that temporary happiness or negative change of mind is followed by an even lower state than when we started.
So couldn't we say then that drugs and alcohol don't make you high, they make you low. They only temporarily please your senses and therefore, your mind gets what it wants and not what you want. You want to be happy.
First step in becoming subtle enough to even deal with the mind is to refuse to search for happiness through the senses, because we know it's a dead end. So we do not need to equate happiness with sensation. I have spent a lifetime searching for happiness through the senses.
The Senses
A look at the senses:
Collectively any of the faculties such as sight, hearing, smell, taste or touch by which man and animals perceive stimuli originating from outside or inside the body. A faculty or function of the mind analogous to sensations.
Trying to become happy through constant pleasurable sensation is like feeding a two headed monster one raisin at a time. It's never going to be enough. Even if you feed the two headed monster constantly what happens eventually is he gets tired of it or he overdoses. Drug s and alcohol are the same -- our attempt to please the two headed monster. What happens if you do nor stop drinking, shooting, eating or having sex constantly? You either get sick of it, pass out or die.
To take this a step further in the search for happiness, man likes to accumulate things to make him happy. Those of us who have accumulated things can tell you it doesn't make you happy. Those who do not have material wealth can tell you how much time is spent wishing for material plenty, but if we take a closer look at some of those who have attained wealth, they will tell you that they did not become happy because of the wealth.
For example: Elvis Presley -- He had it all, fame, fortune, career success and sex, but it wasn't enough. In a desperate search for fulfillment he finally turned to drugs which killed him.
We need to make up our minds that sense gratification at all levels is not going to make us happy and for now all we need to think about is a substitute. Up until today all we have known is sense satisfaction. WHAT ELSE IS THERE? And once we know there is a way to become happy, how do we get out of the state we are in?
Trying to stay happy on drugs is like trying to get your car out of the mud by stepping on the gas as hard as you can; the wheels spin and you go deeper and deeper into the mud. When we take drugs the mind gets its way but you get nowhere. You try harder and harder to be happy or content and you go further and further into drugs and alcohol.
Habit Patterns
Habit patterns are a source of stress and tension on the mind.
We are in grooves of habits and if those grooves are negative then it is a drain on mind energy.
Habits have a grip on the mind. If we can loosen this grip, the mind becomes unburdened and we can begin to know happiness.
If you are driving a car and you want to stop, you put your foot on the brake and you stop. If you are riding on a horse you may pull on the reins, but the horse may not stop. Similarly, when dealing with the mind you have to take note that mind has its own energy and that it is powerful energy. So, to train the mind we have to make use of the mind.
List Habits (Regular patterns that were learned.)
- Biting your nails
- Brushing your teeth
- Combing your hair
- Coffee with newspaper
- Shower in morning
- Orange juice with breakfast
- Shopping on Saturday
What are drug/alcohol habit patterns?
- Drinking on the way home
- Drinking at parties
- Drugs on Saturday night
- Drugs on Sunday morning
After a while the mind becomes accustomed to these things and if it doesn't get what it is accustomed to, it acts like a spoiled child.
Example:
"I wanted to quit smoking so each day I bought one pack of cigarettes so I could quit that night and not have a carton of cigarettes to tempt me. Each day I pulled into the 7-11, to buy cigarettes, before going to work, and each day I would say that I am not going to pull into the 7-11 and get cigarettes today, but somehow my car seemed to automatically pull into the 7-11 no matter how much I wanted not to. I had developed chronic bronchitis and it still took me 1 1/2 years to stop. Did the chronic bronchitis stop me -- no. New habits, a clear mind and a healthy diet allowed me to gain control over my mind and drive past the 7-11."
The mind acting like a spoiled child, wanting everything, will jump after this and that like a wild monkey swinging from branch to branch. The mind will go in all directions all the time and it is never still, unless we train the mind to do what we want.
Thoughts as well as actions create these grooves of habit, whereby, there is a tendency for future thought and action to flow in a similar pattern. This puts a great burden on the mind.
It can be as simple as allowing yourself to get angry because the traffic light turned red before we wanted it to. We get angry because we are in a hurry. Why are we angry? Because something blocked us from what we wanted. If we allow the mind to get angry everyday at a red light, eventually it could lead to getting angry at nearly all red lights. So ' how do we check this? How do we not allow ourselves to get angry over those things that we have absolutely no control over?
Before we can train the mind we must begin to observe how it works. For example, if you were watching yourself go into a rage at the red light you would probably say, Look at that poor man cursing at the red light. Every time he sees a red light he goes crazy. I feel sorry for him. That is the beginning of observing the mind. We start by observing our own behavior.
Through observance of our behavior we come to know that the mind is a tyrant, it is like a dictator. It is oppressive. The mind has become the master and we are the servant. What is necessary is to reverse this position. If you do not wish for this reversal then we do not know why you are here. If you have no desire to become the master over the desire for drugs/alcohol, then it is like sitting on a horse with your hands tied, hoping it will not lead you into trouble even though the horse is thirsty with water in sight, and a tree limb over the trail, that only the horse can pass under. There is a chance the horse will not go for the water, but who would bet on it? The mind will go for what it is accustomed to unless something else is fed into it. Unless new habits fill the grooves, the old ones will dominate. So one can see that it is only through the establishing of new habits, positive habits, that we will conquer the old. The good habits are called biopsychological life patterns.
The first step in forming new biopsychological life patterns is to not waste time with philosophy, but instead to go beyond all that we know and take action. We can take action that will take you beyond the mind of modern psychology, which is limited to thinking, feeling and volition. We can take action that will take you beyond the temporary relief or supposed happiness of drugs and alcohol. The action is to start the mental purification that is necessary to fill the old grooves of habit. That purification can be attained through the practice of Agnihotra. "A purified mind is incapable of holding undesirable thoughts." Next we must make certain decisions to implement change in our habits. By doing this the will is strengthened. We must take action, otherwise our search for a drug free life and happiness will degenerate into mere intellectualization.
Some exercises that will lead to positive habit patterns while we are practicing Agnihotra are needed. Most of us spend a lot of time worrying about how the other guy acts. So say to yourself:
1. I refuse to worry about how others act, therefore, I will not criticize or find fault with them or what they do. I will look to find the positive in that person instead.
2. I will write out my old (drug using) daily routine. I will identity in writing how I am going to change my routine and my environment.
3. 1 will write out a new daily routine without drugs.
CLASS 4:
AGNIHOTRA
Introduction to Agnihotra
The performance of Agnihotra is not a matter of belief. It is a matter of experience. Therefore, we ask no one to believe anything except what they experience.
The best way to teach Agnihotra is to simply perform it and offer those interested the materials necessary to practice Agnihotra themselves for a two week trial period.
[Show video tape of interviews with people who practice Agnihotra.]
The science of Homa Therapy is based upon the laws of physics and has been extracted from the Vedas which is the ancientmost body of knowledge known to mankind. This ancient wisdom states, "Mind is subtle matter and could be molded by material means such as Homa Therapy."
The premise in simple terms is that man is not separate from his environment, including the atmosphere and going a step beyond atmosphere, he is not separate from the life energy that pulsates through the atmosphere and connects man to the cosmos. Vedas refer to this energy as PRANA.
"Electronic computers can analyze certain brain functions now, never before recorded. Much scientific development points to several new fields of research and the analysis of man on a subhuman level. Now the scientist will translate all this into simple language and will understand what the ancient masters and prophets emphasized--that man's `extra material' existence is not to be questioned. One can go a step further and say there is no such thing as a difference between the material and the spiritual. These are divisions created by mind. When we use the word spiritual we wish to make it clear that this is something different from what we understand today as `religious'. The so called `religious' aspect of man may differ from person to person but the spiritual makeup of all mankind is the same."4
This process which scientific thinking is undergoing now is bound to strengthen the holistic and unified approach to creation. Then what we call `thought' would appear to be a `thing'. Perhaps, then it would be easier for the scientist to understand how Homa Therapy works. 5
"Scientists have begun to realize that there are various subtle energy manipulations which cannot at present be recorded on their instrumentation. The scientist can either deny their existence or he can recognize the limitations of human intellect until some other faculty dawns. The latter would be the scientific approach.
"In Homa Therapy the basic tool is Agnihotra, the copper pyramid fire tuned to rhythms of nature corresponding to sunrise/sunset. Out of a normal state of matter it produces an ideal state of matter which allows energy transformation at a different level. Science today is still in darkness concerning this and other laws of energy but the day is near when the light of this knowledge will be revealed to the scientists. Homa Therapy is based on this knowledge.
"Time has come when science has to be the guiding light for our lifestyle and not superstition as it is today”6
The science of medicine taken from the Vedas, known as Ayurveda, states that by inducing a beneficial change in the atmosphere you bring about a change in the functioning of Prana (life energy). Prana and mind may be considered like two sides of the same coin. Whatever affects one will automatically affect the other. Therefore, if you induce a beneficial change into the atmosphere, the beneficial effect is automatically transposed to the realm of the mind.
If we think about ourselves, or better yet our mind, as being part of it's surroundings it would behoove us to take a closer look at what surrounds us, namely the polluted atmosphere. Please remember that our goal is to train the mind how to react positively to all circumstances in life. The ancient science of bioenergy tells us that pollution has a direct bad effect on the mind. It is no secret that the planet is in serious trouble because of the polluted atmosphere and other natural resources.
Agnihotra heals the atmosphere and the atmosphere heals you. By participating in the Homa Therapy Drug/Alcohol Addiction Recovery Program you are automatically placed in a healing atmosphere. The trick is to take it with you when you leave. The explanation of Agnihotra that we offer is merely to satisfy the intellect. The real test of the effectiveness of Agnihotra comes from it's performance.
Those who have developed the Homa Therapy In-residence Deaddiction Program have stated that PERFORMANCE OF AGNIHOTRA HEALING FIRE TUNED TO THE BIORHYTHM OF SUNRISE/SUNSET EXPEDITES THE RECOVERY PROCESS BY PROVIDING AN IMMEDIATE POSITIVE UPLIFTMENT TO THE MIND, NOT DRUG OR ALCOHOL-INDUCED (WHICH PULLS THE MIND DOWN), BUT JUST THE OPPOSITE, A PUSH UPWARD IS GIVEN THAT INDUCES CLEAR THINKING AND ALLOWS THE MIND TO REACT POSITIVELY. NO BELIEF IS REQUIRED.
Agnihotra is to be performed exactly at sunrise or sunset. You can find these timings in an almanac which should be adjusted to local time or you may consult the nearest weather station. We would be glad to give you the timings for sunrise/sunset, if you can provide us with the longitude and latitude of your location. Computer programs based in all continents follow the specific definition of sunrise/sunset as given in the Vedic science of medicine. You can get a free computer printout for your area.
There are three disciplines involved in the performance of Agnihotra: 1) burning of specific substances in a copper pyramid of fixed size, 2) Mantras and 3) specific timings corresponding to one circadian rhythm of nature, i.e., sunrise/sunset. If you miss the timing then you are not performing Agnihotra and you will not experience the healing effects of the process or the medicinal properties of the resultant ash.
People with professional backgrounds can easily document the surprising effect of Agnihotra atmosphere on the neurological system of man.
There has been much written about Agnihotra. Some interesting quotes from various publications are listed below:
"Scientists, if they like, can come to the Baltimore area where round the clock Homa is maintained. They can test the air, water, soil. They will be shocked."
"Test the Agnihotra ash with an oscilloscope. There is a sound that comes from the ash. It is the sound that heals. All the other physical things are there, such as nutrients, vitamins, minerals. But the key is the sound."
"Much energy, much positive energy, much healing energy emanates from the Agnihotra Pyramid."
"Psychotherapists can conduct experiments with troubled children and Homa. It will give lasting results."
"Vibratory effects of certain metals such as copper and gold are known to science. When specific substances are burned in a copper pyramid of specific size, accompanied by specific mantras at the exact timing of sunrise and sunset, a specific effect is guaranteed to occur."
Place a piece of gold and copper in front of Agnihotra pyramid prior to performing Agnihotra. Test the copper and gold before this for purity and imperfection. Then perform Agnihotra as we have prescribed. Then again after Agnihotra test the gold and copper. Tell us the results.
The pyramid, that vessel of a particular shape and size, is the generator. It guides and directs the energy in a perfect way, in a direction that has a particular configuration which has an effect on what is really man, the soul.
Agnihotra is the key. It gives us the boost of energy even food cannot deliver.
When Agnihotra is performed, the Agnihotra smoke gathers particles of harmful radiation in the atmosphere and, on a very subtle level, neutralizes their radioactive effect. Nothing is destroyed, merely changed.
Agnihotra renews the brain cells. It revitalizes the skin. It purifies the blood. It is the holistic approach to life.
Increases in parasitic bacteria due to pollution robs the Earth of its nutrients. Agnihotra atmosphere preserves the nutrients and replenishes them. Pathogenic bacteria and parasitic bacteria are neutralized. Agnihotra gives nourishment to all of creation, both visible and invisible, material and non-material.
One can easily see the effect of Homa on plants. With plants we can be more controlled. We can use methods of photography, Kirlian photography or normal, to illustrate the reactions of the plants to Agnihotra.
The effect of Agnihotra atmosphere and Agnihotra ash on diseased plants can be noticed easily.
"What do we know of the effect of pollution on the mind? We have not yet formulated the necessary parameters to gauge the damage. The pathological changes in the cerebrum and the spinal cord have recently been noted. It is noted that migraine headaches, insomnia, and depression can result from pollution."'
Under polluted conditions elements of the Earth begin to change. Agnihotra is a process whereby the molecular components of elements are restructured in a form similar to which they now exist.'
Tremendous amounts of energy are gathered around the Agnihotra copper pyramid just at Agnihotra time. A magnetic-type field is created, one which neutralizes negative types of energy and reinforces positive types of energy. Therefore a positive pattern is created by one who does Agnihotra merely by his/her performance.'
The amount of force that is thrust from the Agnihotra pyramid at Agnihotra time, i.e., sunrise and sunset, cannot be harnessed. There is enough energy though from one Agnihotra pyramid fire to give light energy to an entire city. 10
"The power of life comes from the Agnihotra fire. Just at that time, in that time band, there is so much power coming from the pyramid that it can change the structure and formation of all the atoms, that is, all the substance, stuff call it, that makes up the universe.
"Actually one becomes calm from doing Pranayama (Yoga rhythmic breathing) in Agnihotra atmosphere. The unusual thing is that it is a lasting calmness and very purifying to the blood, brain, lungs, heart and mind.
"The mind is reshaped so nicely, so delicately, so effortlessly by sitting in Agnihotra atmosphere.
"Agnihotra is a way to good health and happy life as it makes things simple and so clear. One doesn't have to believe anything about it. It will help a person in spite of himself."11
It is interesting to note that the calming effect Agnihotra has on the mind is precisely what is necessary to enable us to use our power of discrimination and to choose what is really best for us--not what an out of control mind tries to dictate to us.
It is also interesting to note that the practice of scientific Yoga Rhythmic breathing during Agnihotra brings about yet another calm. This combination is so uplifting to the mind that one could say it feels so good (a positive healthy feel good) why would you want to ruin it by bringing yourself down with alcohol or drugs.
The Science of Breath
"The scientist has come to know that in addition to our physical body we are also wearing a second body. Sometimes it is referred to as bioplasma body or bioluminescence. It is beyond the scalpel of the surgeon. For example, if a person's arm has been amputated and you photograph the person with a special type of photography, some energy body can still be seen where the physical arm used to be. It is on this body that emotions appear. Advanced photography could show a different pattern on the second body when love comes rather than when anger comes.
"On this subtle body there is something like a well laid-out nervous system which is called Nadi system. Nadi is the system whereby Prana, or life energy, flows through the body. Ayurveda, the ancient science of medicine, states that the disharmonious flow of Prana causes tension on the mind. Practice of some rhythmic breathing exercises, called Pranayama, relieves this tension on mind." 12
The science of Yoga states that breath and mind are connected. Breath acts as a lever which has an effect on the subtle body, and the subtle body affects the mind. By learning specific breathing techniques we can gain control of the breath which will help us to become more tranquil and will improve our concentration.
"Another factor that puts tension on the mind is wrong breathing. The average man uses only a small percentage of his breathing capacity. Some rhythmic breathing exercises help us get into the habit of using our lungs to capacity. The increased inhalation of oxygen and exhalation of carbon dioxide helps the blood and nervous system. The science of yoga states that our life is measured by the number of breaths, not years. Hence, it is beneficial to breathe deeply. We should always breathe through the nostrils, not through the mouth. Also, ancient Yoga science says that breathing through the mouth excites the mind. To talk, we must breathe through the mouth. If we practice speaking less, the strain on the mind is reduced. There is a saying that we have two ears but only one tongue. Hence, we should listen more and talk less." 13
Classes are given on proper breathing and exercises are taught to gain control over breath. An example of an exercise is the Retention Breath:
Sit comfortably.
Gently press your right thumb against the right side of your nose. Your index and third fingers are placed between your eyebrows. Your fourth and fifth fingers are kept together above the left side of your nose. Slowly breathe in the left side or your nose counting to 4.
Closing both sides of your nose, hold your breath, counting to 16.
Release your thumb and slowly breathe out, counting to 8.
Slowly breathe in the right side of your nose, counting to 4.
Closing both sides of your nose, hold your breath, counting to 16.
Release your fourth and fifth fingers and slowly breathe out, counting to 8.
You have now completed one round of Retention Breath. When you can do this exercise with ease, increase the count to -- inhale 6, hold 24, exhale 12.
CLASS 5:
DAAN
Much of what has gotten us to a state where we are out of control, or slaves to our addictions, is our own self will or better said our own selfishness. We addicts would be hard pressed to tell what good our drinking or using has done for our fellow man. In the Homa Therapy Mind Training Program we are literally training the mind to react and respond differently to life's circumstances. The grooves of habit run deep. What may seem totally foreign to us, just may be the "need of the hour" to get us out of our old habits. We have spent countless hours, days, months even years looking out for number 1. The only problem is we did not do a very good job of that because all the time and money we spent on ourselves has done nothing but cause us problems.
There is an antidote for our selfishness and it works miraculously to reduce the tension on the mind caused by greed and attachment to our material possessions. The antidote is learning how to share a part of your income and your possessions with others in all humility. The key words for us to focus on are, LEARN HOW TO.
It is important that you understand the difference between mere donation and what we are speaking of. The English language has no words for it, so we will refer to a Sanskrit word to describe the process. The word is DAAN and it means to share your assets in a spirit of humility.
We practice Daan to reduce attachment to our possessions which subsequently reduces tension on the mind caused by attachment, greed, etc.
Giving in the spirit of duty serves to pull down the barricades which separates us from one another. You help yourself by practicing Daan. A little practice of this virtue will totally change your reactions to the conditions in which you are placed and you land into a happy state. The cultivation of this attitude prepares us to face possible adverse circumstances in the future.
Unless certain strict disciplines are followed in the practice of Daan it is not Daan but merely donation.
"A rich man has many things and he is attached to them while a poor man has nothing but he is hankering after them. Both of them tend to put a premium on unhappiness because of attachment. Practice of Daan helps to remove the tension which comes due to attachment.
"Daan has the following disciplines (teacher discusses at length):
1. You give Daan because it is your duty to do so. This means you are not obliging the person to whom you give. You should consider yourself obliged by the person who accepts your girt. He is the instrumental cause enabling you to transform your mind; hence, he is obliging you.
2. Do not give Daan for name or fame. If you give cash or material possessions for recognition, it is not Daan. Daan has to be done in secrecy. "Let your left hand not know what your right hand does." If you talk about it to others it is likely to nourish your pride and our aim of removing tension on the mind will not be achieved.
3. Everyone wants to be happy; hence, everyone has to share his assets in a spirit of humility. A rich person has to give and a poor person has to give. A rich person can receive and a poor person can receive Daan.
4. Daan needs to be made out of one's own earnings.
5. The person to whom you give needs to be a proper person. A hungry man is a proper person to receive food. A person in need of necessities of life is a proper person to receive them in kind or cash. In all other cases Daan should be given to a person who is normally given to what according to you are good habits. If you give Daan to somebody who you think is likely to spend it on wrong purposes, then it is not Daan. Not only have you not done a good act but you involve yourself in a bad act as you become instrumental in pushing him into wrong actions and you become a partner in his guilt.
"Money in English is also called `currency'. The word is not `stagnancy'. It means, like the current of a river it has to be kept moving in Daan.
"If you practice Daan with all the discipline involved, what happens? You part with one hundred dollars and within a short time you get back a little over a hundred dollars in cash or some material benefit. This is a super physical law of nature and hence inviolable. Daan is therefore called a material aid to happy living.
"You will also notice that in times of your need things come to you without asking for them. More importantly, you do not feel the tension when things go bad materially as you get into the habit of non-attachment to worldly possessions." 14
Daan operates on the same principals as positive thoughts attract positive things and negative thoughts attract negative things.
The mental aspect of any activity is closely associated with the physical.
One of the worst things we can do is waste time worrying. It is better to spend the time in action then in worry. If the action is a positive one then it is likely to attract positive results. These results should not be confused with immediate self gratification, or with the results of a previous negative action.
If one has been careless with their money or other material possessions, or has exhibited grandiosity in giving away everything in sight to anyone who comes along -- this is not a positive action, but one of pride and will bring about the opposite effect of Daan.
As a checkpoint in the proper practice of Daan one should not spend a lot of time worrying over who or how to give. One should not think twice about the action after it is done.
It is important that one strictly adhere to the disciplines of Daan. If done properly practice of Daan leads to a detached attitude to material possessions and this reduces the burden on the mind.
[Teacher sites examples of those who have experienced joy in giving -- bicycle kid, Paul Newman, Gandhi, Mother Teresa. (Possible video tape of bicycle kid or Paul Newman)]
CLASSES 6 & 7:
POWER OF DISCRIMINATION AND DESIRE
The power to discriminate between right and wrong
"The power of discrimination differentiates man from all other animal species. Animals go by instinct; man goes beyond instinct by intelligence. Animals have no power of discrimination to discern right from wrong. The power of discrimination allows man to go beyond intelligence and shows the direction of man's evolution. This means we have the power to escalate evolution.
"To follow my power of discrimination means that my actions will carry out whatever judgment is pronounced by my power of discrimination. If my power of discrimination says that it is wrong to do a certain action I will not do it, regardless of my desire to do it. At first I may feel that I am put to a loss, but ultimately, by not acting up to this power of discrimination I will suffer the consequences of my wrong action one way or another. So, in fact I am saving my own time and trouble by always doing what I know is right. If my power of discrimination tells me not to indulge in drugs and alcohol, then I will follow this judgment. This is the basis, the key, for any spiritual discipline. Only when I lay stress on this do I start treading a new path. This is so because intellect and action act and react. If I commit a negative action, my power of discrimination is weakened, my judgment is likely to be faulty, and that will again lead to negative action.
"The power of discrimination is an aspect of intellect." 15
Suppression will not do. It is like a cocked gun, waiting for an opportunity. We have to attempt sublimation of our desires.
By training the mind we can learn to sublimate desire. The dictionary definition of sublimation is: to divert the energy of (the desire) (a biological impulse) from its immediate goal to one of a higher social, moral or aesthetic nature or use (spiritual). In chemistry it means to refine or purify (a substance).
So how do we accomplish this diversion of energy from satisfying desire to working for a higher purpose (not a drug induced higher purpose). By getting ourselves straight we can eventually help others to do the same thing. This is the foundation of Alcoholics Anonymous (teachers refer to the Bill W. Story).
If you stick to the decision given by your power of discrimination, you always perform right action. And by performing right action, your power of discrimination is strengthened. The process is reversed, and from a vicious cycle you move to a virtuous cycle. You set in motion a cycle conducive to right action. What is this vicious circle? It starts with the attitudes of the mind. For example, I have a desire. Desire is the substratum which is always feeding the attitudes of the mind. That desire gives rise to certain attitudes of the mind. The moment my power of discrimination tells me it is wrong to do an act, I should check it then and there. If I do not check it, that attitude becomes a propensity. That is, it gains force. When an attitude becomes a propensity, it is more difficult to check. So, an attitude becomes a propensity if unchecked. At least, at this moment I should use my power of discrimination and halt. If we learn to observe the mind and can step away from
ourselves, a little, it is possible to see why you are about to take an action. If you do not sublimate desire, it starts troubling the intellect. That is, a signal goes to the intellect which tells the intellect to find means for gratification of the desire. That is how the intellect is dictated to by propensity. And, intellect will always find ways and means to get things done--if not by the right way, then by devious methods. Somehow, gratification of the desire will be obtained, thus weakening the power of discrimination. Then judgment becomes faulty. But, if you check your action at the time of desire, then your action becomes virtuous, and again the power of discrimination is strengthened. This is the difference between the vicious cycle and the virtuous cycle. Thus, we see how this is the basis of all endeavor. Moment to moment we create our destiny, because we are never without action. The action may be physical, or it may be mental. Constantly we are forced to perform either physical or mental action. By using your power of discrimination, proper judgment is pronounced, and you do not involve yourself in any further bad action. Remember the mind wants to do something that you do not, so, the first thing to do is stop and observe.
Try the HALT method before you succumb to depression or desire.
H - Are you Hungry?
A - Are you Angry?
L - Are you Lonely?
T - Are you Tired?
Ask yourself what condition you are in.
If you are hungry--EAT.
If you are angry--ask yourself, what am I really angry about? Is it because you have been blocked from getting what you want. Then ask yourself what do I really want? You want to be happy. How do you become happy without taking a drink??? If you act out of anger, whatever you do will probably be the opposite of what can make you happy. If you take an action that is focused on a higher purpose (to stay straight) that will help to make you happy. So you can telephone someone who is practicing Homa Therapy and tell them how you are feeling. You can practice Homa yourself until the anger subsides or you can ruin everything you have worked for and take a drink or drug. The problem with the drink/drug is, you still have the same problem. The next time you are blocked from having your way, you will probably get angry again and fall into the same trap. If you focus on your higher purpose and act on that, you might find that the next time someone or something blocks you from what you want, that your attitude is different; perhaps you can say to yourself, well, what can I do about it now? I might as well not get angry. Perhaps I will accept what has happened because it is out of my control.
If you are lonely--try Homa, perform service. The empty, lonely feeling will leave. Try calling someone who practices Homa.
If you are tired--sleep or do Homa and become energized.
For a maintenance check on a daily basis you can watch and strive for the following:
|
Liabilities |
Assets |
|
Watch For: |
Strive For. |
|
Self-Pity |
Self-Forgetfulness |
|
Self-Justification |
Humility |
|
Self-Importance |
Modesty |
|
Self-Condemnation |
Self-Esteem |
|
Dishonesty |
Honesty |
|
Impatience |
Patience |
|
Hate |
Love |
|
Self-Justification |
Forgiveness |
|
False Pride |
Simplicity |
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Jealousy |
Trust |
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Envy |
Generosity |
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Laziness |
Activity |
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Procrastination |
Promptness |
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Insincerity |
Straightforwardness |
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Negative Thinking |
Positive Thinking |
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Vulgar, Immoral Thinking |
Spiritual, Clean Thinking |
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Criticizing |
Look for the Good |
We believe that it is the fulfillment of desires which makes us happy. Actually, ii is not so. When we desire something, an energy link is formed between the object of desire and our mind. Consciously or unconsciously we think about that thing. This puts a burden on our mind because there is an expenditure of mind energy when we think about the object of desire. We believe that the time when fulfillment of desire comes is our highest point of happiness. Actually, it is not fulfillment of desire but the removal of desire that brings about happiness. When the burden of desire goes, we are freed for the time being and we are happy for the moment. It is not the object which makes us happy at all. Otherwise, the same object would make us happy all the time, which is never the case.
Mind is always in the habit of creating more desires. One desire begets the next desire and so on. It is an endless cycle. In old days, when a donkey was used to pull a cart, the owner would tie a carrot to a stick and dangle it in front of the donkey to make it walk faster. When our movements are dictated by desires, we are dragged about like the proverbial donkey behind the carrot. When the mind goes outside for pleasure and happiness through the senses we lose so much energy and we feel the strain.
Man is made up of two parts, the outer and inner man. The outer man consists of the sense organs which are always directed outside. The inner man consists of the nervous system, heart and inner organs. The inner organs supply the energy for these sense organs to function. Whenever we use up too much energy by repeating bad habits, the inner system collapses and causes more tension on the mind.
Much of our addiction problems can be attributed to the repeat of bad habits and desire. It is not unlike eating desert after you have already eaten too much to begin with. How many of us have used or had more than enough to drink when a fellow user/drinker stops by unexpectedly. Because we would not dream of attempting some sort of social interaction without the assistance of drugs or alcohol we join the guest in another round even though we did not really want to get any higher. The habit of social drug taking overcomes our intellect and the next thing we know we are taking another hit or another drink because our guest is trying to get as high as we are. Before you know it you pass out or become nonfunctional. You cannot blame this one on your friend because it was only your desire and lack of discrimination to judge between right and wrong that took you for a ride you did not really want to go on. Remember, this high was not to satisfy any craving. This high came strictly from lack of control over mind. In order to gain control we must observe the mind and we must train the mind even though we are clean and sober at present. It is important that we focus on some other forms of discipline that will help train the mind.
To help train the mind start with something simple. We are used to eating too much. Eating from hunger is one thing. Eating because of habit is another matter. So, to train the mind try this: Stop eating your favorite food for three months. If you are in the habit of buying this food two times a week for yourself, then say to yourself, `I will buy it three times a week and share it with my friends or family, but I will not eat it myself.' You serve it and sit at the dinner table with them. As they eat it, say to yourself, `How nice it is to see such happy faces.' Announce to all the family that you are doing this, so you don't have a chance to indulge secretly. Suppose Jack is going to stop eating ice cream for one month. Then one day when everyone has gone out of the house Jack takes a spoon, goes to the refrigerator and sneaks some ice cream. He should say to himself, `Oh, Jack, I have caught you red-handed. I know you are eating ice cream.' He must smile because that is all he can do. No anger. Then Jack should try again for another month. In this way failure becomes a steppingstone to success. Please do not think that this technique is unimportant.
The ability to observe the mind comes from control over appetite.
To escape the clutches of the mind we start with some simple techniques that lead to bigger things. When we are able to observe the mind it becomes possible to see how the mind works. Then we can begin to undo our bad habits.
Imagine a glass box filled with water. The box has an electric light bulb inside it, and also a paddle or churn to stir the water. When the churning starts, you see only certain patterns of light. Human mind is like this glass box. The idea is to stop the churning and let the light shine through.
While visiting the retreat and after you leave, it will be helpful for you to write in your journal about whatever desire crops up and exactly how you feel about it. This way you can work through whatever is bringing on the desire and it can help you to learn how to observe your behavior.
CLASS 8:
TAPA: The Process of Character Building Through Discipline
The practice of serving and then watching with a smile while others eat our favorite food is certainly behavior modification for us addicts. We are accustomed to taking what we want, how we want it and when we want it. So perhaps you can see that focusing on some disciplines other than the fact that we are clean and sober can help us to bring the body and mind under the control of the will. We start to break down the resistance of the body and mind to what we really want.
All we really want is what?? -- happiness, peace, maybe even bliss. There is no reason why we should be denied this human right. Others have it, but if you take a closer look at the others who have it they are not our drug taking buddies or alcoholic friends. They are, in fact, just the opposite. How can one be happy if he must depend on chemical substance to sustain himself? How can one be happy if he constantly takes and never gives? How can he be happy when he is out of control.
Tapa is self discipline voluntarily imposed by one's self with total cooperation of the mind and intellect.
The addictive person finds self-discipline an impossible concept. We either care so little about ourselves that we feel incapable of self-discipline or at best, try and fail to give up the object of our obsession due to self-sabotage. Addicts will try any means necessary to convince others that they are unable to be reformed, a hopeless case, to be pitied and worthless -- let's have another drink. That is the "mind talking". We cannot fall into the trap of feeling sorry for the addict. Recovery has to be top priority for the addict. They say in AA, "It's not for those who need it. Only for those who want it."
Tapa connotes exercises undertaken with a view to purifying the body, controlling the sense organs and strengthening will power. Tapa is an effort to exert control over Prana (life force). If we accomplish this it establishes us in a state of fearlessness. By the practice of Tapa, we bear with fortitude unpleasant situations in life and experience without infatuation the pleasant ones. Tapa disciplines our actions and the attitudes of the mind are unburdened.
There are several areas of Tapa that we can focus on which will accelerate our journey toward freedom from the bondage of drugs/alcohol. Anger, greed, attachment, pride, passion and envy are the mind traps that give us the most trouble. Once we try to get rid of them, we see that these habits are old friends. They are so much a part of us. We think, `If I get rid of them what will become of me?' It is like the story of a journalist who went to interview a man who had lived to be 100 years old. The journalist asked him, `Do you smoke?' The man said, `No.' `Do you drink?' `No.' `Do you gamble?' 'No.' `Do you stay out late at night?' `No.' `Then what have you been doing all these hundred years?!' So let us say that at least we must attempt to reduce the trouble from these mind traps. This is Tapa. It gives us strength and confidence. When the mind traps are removed automatically the mind becomes full of love.
On the day we are born in human frame we are given the gift of free will. If man were merely a puppet in the hands of destiny, then I would not waste your time or mine by talking about how to be happy. We have free will to change our habits. We are given the inherent ability to choose between right and wrong, and positive and negative. The capacity to do this varies from person to person. More indulgence in habits which drain mind energy lessens the ability to use free will in the proper direction.
The right use of free will is the key. By proper use of our free will we can override pangs of destiny which are yet to be.
We must learn to do everything with a smile. When we begin our journey on the spiritual path it is no occasion for a long face. Some of us may have more material things than others, but all of us can smile. By smiling we can actually become happy. Smiling is a positive action and it serves as a catalyst to the mind for more positive action and attention. We can see the wonderful effect it has on the other person.
This mind training is not a separate practice, but is something which goes on from moment to moment. It is being practiced by families on every continent. When we take half a step it soon becomes second nature. Then automatically we are given the strength to take the next step.
We need to take another look at the specific areas that cause us most of our problems such as: anger -- lets say someone abuses you or says something bad about you or you think he has said something bad about you and you get angry. Now look what happens when you get angry. Your blood pressure goes up and your breathing becomes fast. The metabolism is affected; the endocrine system is affected. This puts a strain on the nervous system and the mind is disturbed. What do you gain by getting angry? You hurt yourself and in no way do you improve the person who you think is the cause of your trouble. The intellect thus tells us that one should not get angry. However, mind is in certain habits and it needs to be trained to get out of those habits. This is Tapa. Practice of Agnihotra helps a good deal in this effort.
Most misunderstandings and quarrels arise because we cannot control our tongue; hence, we may start practicing a few things. The list is not exhaustive but merely illustrative.
Do not show your importance while you speak. [Teacher should site examples of how information is presented without "I-ness".]
Do not use harsh or spiteful language. Truth can be told in a palatable manner. [Learn to say how you feel instead of making an attack.]
By describing others faults you wish to show superiority. Avoid this. With speech much energy is consumed. We should learn to conserve it.
If someone speaks ill about another person in his absence, treat him as an uninvited guest.
Get rid of the habit of blaming others when things do not come about the way you wish them to be.
Never speak ill of others. You create negative thought forms which impinge upon you and weaken the mental fibre.
Do not get into a holier-than-thou attitude.
A negative thought, word or action creates a groove in the mind and your future thought, word or deed tends to flow in a similar pattern. This puts a great burden on the mind.
The moment we are disturbed we feel we must get away from this state of mind and be happy. Happiness should be a natural state of the mind. A method to achieve this state is Tapa.
"From the cradle to the grave vanity takes a heavy toll of mind energy. Due to vanity we are unable to see the other man's point of view. Opinion is ultimately an end product of intellect expressing itself as an attitude of the mind. There can be several attitudes out of which ours may be only one. Religious dogmatism is the worst kind of vanity which has taken a heavy toll of the human race. The swollen ego struts about the stage of life and we become miserable at every point of friction.
"Vanity breeds smugness and intolerance. Our errors come disguised as righteousness due to vanity. So-called self-righteousness is also the manifestation of ego. Vanity is the breeding reactor where fanaticism, orthodoxy, dogma and cultism thrive. Bigotry never admits mistakes and invents long-winded defense for its misdeeds. Anger and vanity thrive upon each other. Therefore practice the following:
Do not hanker after self recognition.
Do not show off your possessions or your academic accoutrements.
Avoid talking about yourself. Listen more. Talk less. We have two ears but only one tongue.
In conversation, avoid dogmatic self assertions.
Be humble. Humility is the hallmark of a person on the Divine Path.
Do not try to pose as what you are not. Attempt to become as you wish others to see you.
"Envy is grudging desire or discontent at someone else's success. Envy coexists with prejudiced hostility or animosity. Envy blinds us to our own blessings. Envy clouds the intellect and disfigures the mind. Envy leads us off the track of discrimination between right and wrong. To overcome envy learn to be happy at the success of others.
"Passion haunts all humanity and keeps people in a tantalizing state. It dangles the carrot of pleasant sensations before us and makes us labor like the proverbial donkey. When the sap is squeezed we are fit for the trash can.
"Greed chains us down to the objects of phenomena, draining a11 our energy over trivial things. The same energy needs to be harnessed to higher achievements. Initially, a person starts piling up material things as a means for comfortable living. Later on he gets dragged into the habit of piling up things for their own sake. People try to adopt devious ways to acquire wealth not realizing that they have to reap as they sow. Just think for a moment what all this is for. It only hardens the chain of desires around us and chokes us further.
"Tapa is training the mind. This training could be considered from various aspects, e.g.:
Removal of tension on the mind which comes due to bodily causes. Practice of Yoga Asanas (physical postures) is helpful in this regard.
Removal of tension on the mind which comes about due to disharmonious flow of Prana (Life energy) through the nervous system. Pranayama (Yoga rhythmic breathing) helps eliminate this tension. Yoga Asanas and Pranayama lead to good health and better performance ability.
Removal of tension on the mind which comes due to wrong habit patterns.
"You like to eat your favorite food because it grants you moments of happiness. You like to read a novel, watch T.V., shoot pool or go shopping because it grants you moments of happiness. However, you soon get tired of these external stimulants. Their capacity to make you happy becomes marginal. Later on, sometimes, they even tend to play on your nerves. By practice of Tapa you realize that no external stimulants are necessary and you can be happy all the time when the Light within shines.
"Tapa needs to be undertaken with the cooperation of the intellect. The methods have to be within the reach of the average person. Homa Therapy takes into consideration all the above aspects of the psychosomatic man and teaches new biopsychological habit patterns which act as reinforcers to Tapa.
"Tapa purifies the body and the mind and enables us to notice subtler aspects of behavior. It strengthens our perception and improves the evaluation of that perception. This results in better action." 16
CLASS 9:
KARMA
"The law of cause and effect in physics when carried to subtler levels is the law of Karma. It is the law of `reap as you sow'.
"The law of Karma leaves no room for fatalism of any kind. The law of Karma states that `you are the planter of the seed and you are the reaper of the deed'. You make or mar your own future. Your present circumstances, apparently pleasant or unpleasant, are the result of your past actions. This clearly means that your efforts in the present moment determine what and where you will be in the future.
"One might say that a11 of life is the operation of the law of Karma. Karma is like a vast trap in which all of us are caught although the bonds are subtle. We cannot remain without action even for a single moment. The action may be physical or the action may be mental. If one has to reap what one has sown it would appear that there is no end to this chain of Karma. However, the law of Karma states that if you do good action without attachment we can get rid of this trap of Karma.
"If you think that someone has done you any wrong or you think he has spoken ill about you, do not be in a hurry to blame the person at once. The law of Karma does not work in a narrow way. Your first consideration should be, perhaps you are reaping as you have sown in the past. Maybe it is the working out of some past Karmic account. If you get into this habit you do not involve yourself into further bad sowings which you may have to reap.
The laws of the superphysical realm are as true as the laws of the physical realm. They are inviolable. You connive at them only at the risk of great harm to yourself. If someone asks you to jump from a skyscraper you are going to say `no', because you believe that the law of gravity operates and you will be hurt. Even if you do not believe in the law of gravity, the law of gravity believes in you and it operates. People are not aware of the law of `reap as you sow' which is a law in the superphysical realm. Because of his ignorance one may not hesitate to do wrong action. However, the superphysical law believes in him and he has to pay the price for the wrong action. You may pay sooner or later but pay you will.
"Any intense Karma, good or bad, fructifies within a short time.
"Elementary physics swears by the law of cause and effect. However, when physics enters the realm of microparticles, that is, when it is quantum physics, we recognize that the law of cause and effect as we normally understand, does not operate. This is sometimes termed as indeterminacy. However, this indeterminacy is upheld by some Omnipotent Will. The religions sometimes call this God. The law of Karma states that "Repent and you shall be forgiven". This is Grace. This may be compared to the nullifying of the law of cause and effect in the realm of microparticles where the so-called indeterminacy works as manifestation of the one Omnipotent Will. When the mind takes the total coloration of Love we enter a higher state of consciousness and Grace operates. Love and attachment are two different things. Love without attachment cleanses the mind of all its former grooves and the law of Grace operates.
"Do action for self-purification. Let there be no ego about it. The doership of `I' has to go. Then you become a fitter instrument of this one Omnipotent Will. The reactions of your mind to all circumstances and conditions take the total coloration of Love.
"When it is said that you do Karma for self purification one might say "Will this take away all fun from my life? Will I be able to enjoy this world if I have to do every action for self purification?" One might ask a counter question. "How far are you enjoying the world now when you are not guided by this purification?" Despite material plenty them is so much misery. Disease and psychiatry are eating up the sap of life. There is so much misery around us. No one seems to be in a state of happiness which is not followed by unhappiness. Every time it is a few tingling sensations of pleasure followed by much misery. Misery is the symptom of the disease. The disease is bondage, attachment.
"The result of an action which you have done in the past becomes your destiny in the future. An action done yesterday becomes your destiny today. An action in the last minute becomes your destiny this minute. It is always reap as you sow.
"Destiny is the unfoldment of the fructification of past karma. The working out of destiny is to be viewed in the context of the flux of Omnipotent Will. By proper use of free will, that is, by doing intense good Karma without attachment, the pangs of destiny disappear.
"Intellect and action affect each other. Bad action weakens the power of intellect to choose between right and wrong. Bad action weakens our ability to continue to do the right action despite provocation, as a groove is created in the mind. Clouded intellect pushes us to commit further wrong action. We thus get involved into a series of bad Karma, bad sowings that we have to reap. Even if there is a wrong thought see that it is not translated into action. No doubt, the thought will have its effect but the action will make things worse. Thought precedes action and hence, purification has to reach the thinking process. Mere resolutions to change our ways are not enough. They have to be backed up by resolute practice. Good thoughts have an effect but when they are translated into action a mechanism starts operating in the subtler realm and this reinforces our will power.
"Good Karma sets up a new pattern in the mind which reinforces the potency of good thoughts. Hence, an attempt needs to be made to change the habit pattern which we think is not in harmony with our progress on our new path.
"It does not require much will power to do the right thing if the person is wise. If someone offers us nice and tasty food but we come to know that there is a drop of poison in it, it does not require much strength of will to reject that food. Similarly, if we are aware that the law of reap as you sow is inviolable it will not require much will power to desist us from doing a bad action.
To help yourself try these positive actions:
"You work forty hours in a week for the boss. Work for a few hours for yourself. Spend this time in the company of fellow travellers on the new path. Do some work with them or for them and receive no material benefit from that work.
"Never hanker after recognition. It does not matter whether people respect you. You cannot demand respect. It is earned. Make sure that you show proper respect to others.
"Do not discuss in public about your own progress on the path.
"While moving about in the world doing what you consider to be your duty, try to inculcate contentment in life. Say to yourself `I have done my duty. There is nothing better that I can do.'
"Avoid discussing shortcomings of others.
"Do not waste time over discussing with others again and again routine matters relating to your work, profession, service, etc.
"Choose a fixed time for sitting quiet with closed eyes every day practicing meditation. Avoid too much food, too much sleep, too much talk, too much worry.
"Take note how much energy is wasted in:
- Earning more money
- Caring for self-recognition
- Worrying over things. People tire themselves out more by worry than by work.
"Avoid worry over:
-Financial and other material losses
-Name and fame that you might have earned in the past
- Bodily disease that troubles you
"Purification of the mind does not necessarily come through intellectual exercise. It is possible that the sharpened intellect can lead to chicanery. Hence, it is the purification of intellect that matters on the Path. Purification is getting out of the grips of desires that haunt us all the time. Purification does not come by gathering knowledge from more and more branches of science. Purification begins by reducing attachments to worldly possessions. This puts us into the habit of doing good Karma all the time. Proper use of free will is the only way to get out of the trap of KARMA. Proper use of free will means learning to reduce attachments to our actions and doing things in a spirit of service. It means reducing the capering frolic of the mind to hanker after pleasure through sense gratification. The fountain of Joy is within you."17
Often for the alcoholic/drug user, their lives have been wrecked, careers lost and marriages ravaged by irresponsible behavior. Once an addict begins the recovery process, it is not long before he takes a good, hard look at the wreckage he's left behind. Good Karma is an effort that needs to be consciously practiced and it begins with oneself. First, the alcoholic/addict needs to take full responsibility for his past behavior, even though it hurts a great deal to look at it. To practice "Love thy neighbor as thyself' he must begin to love himself. Previously he would have been Hell bent upon self-destruction, defying the natural instinctive desire we all have for self-preservation.
Getting straight and helping others is good Karma. Getting straight and helping others helps to sublimate our desires.
Getting straight and helping others will bring joy to our lives.
HOWEVER --- CAUTION - - - CAUTION --- CAUTION - - - CAUTION.
No preaching
No proselytizing
Only with all humility will we truly help those who wish to be helped.
And how do we help???
By offering support to learn what we have learned--that's all--no counseling!!! No counseling!!! Just information about how you stay straight.
[Teacher introduces the idea of going into the community to help and work.]
CLASS 10:
SELF STUDY
Most of us spend plenty of time judging what is wrong or what is right about others. A closer look at what makes one truly happy is another story. If we think one is happy who has just purchased a new Mercedes Benz and then his Mercedes is taken away and he becomes angry or depressed, then that person was not truly happy.
We have spent a considerable amount of time looking at temporary happiness and we have looked at the difference between those actions and the ones that bring about lasting happiness. The search for happiness not followed by unhappiness is the search for the true self. It is what we are after.
Who am I? Why am I here? To answer these questions we must develop a higher level of consciousness. However, the experience of higher tiers of consciousness can never come through pure logic or intelligence. It comes only through intuition. Fortunately the topmost scientists in the world have recognized that human reason has limitations and we cannot go beyond these limits.
If we recognize the limitations of human reason then we can begin to think like a true scientist and say, perhaps this phenomena (Agnihotra) does not make sense to me but it can't harm me so I will conduct an experiment and find out for myself if it works. Then if it works and there is an improvement in my health and mental well being and/or a benefit to mankind, then it does not matter if it makes any sense or not. Three hundred years ago it did not make sense that man would ride in horseless carriages or that man would fly inside of big silver winged birds and it sure as hell did not make any sense that man could go to the moon and back. It made no sense at all that man would be dumb enough to poison the air he breathes and the water he drinks, but mankind has done all those things.
How to make sense of it all? How to figure out why we are here in the first place. How to determine what will give us relief from pain and misery. What will give us happiness that is not followed by a ton of unhappiness. The search for the answers to these questions begins with the search for your true self.
Our addictions cover over who we really are. We make up who we think we would like to be, we act like other people. We act like the kind of person we think will impress someone. We act and we act and we act.
Chances are we are probably perfectly fine people without the act. Chances are we will be liked anyhow. Chances are if we did not spend so much time worrying about what everyone else is thinking about us that we could turn the lights in to discover our true self.
From the cradle to the grave man is working, but how much time is spent working on Who am I??
I can say I am my body because I am one with it. I know when it's cold I try to warm it and when it's hot I cool it. Unfortunately, however much I look after my body, I know that I can still be perfectly miserable. So I look to the mind for happiness. If I observe my mind I see it flitting about and jumping around from one worry to the next. I find that if I can alter that state of mind, even temporarily, I can become happy or relieved momentarily from the worry, so when my mind jumps into that desire, for some instant relief, I just let it stay there. And like a good servant I do whatever it wants and I satisfy that desire for the sake of my mind, but not for the sake of myself, because 1 am not my mind. The search for a way to naturally alter our state of mind to become happy seems beyond our grasp. It seems beyond reason. But then again we already know that man has limitations when it comes to reason. What seems to make sense and what is reality are often very different. For example: If I hold two pistols in each hand at the same level and simultaneously I fire straight ahead the one bullet from the pistol in my right hand, while in the left hand I merely drop a bullet, certainly it might seem that the bullet I drop is going to reach the ground long before the one fired straight ahead, but regardless of what I think, the bullets will reach the ground at the same time. This is the law of gravity. If I climb to the top of a giant skyscraper and drop a pillow and a stone to the ground at the same time I must think the stone is going to reach the ground before the pillow, but it doesn't. They reach the ground at the same time because that is the law of gravity. If this makes no sense to you then you can study the laws of physics to find out why, or you can go climb a tall tree and drop a stone and a pillow to find out for yourself.
The bottom line is: The law of gravity works whether you believe in it or not.
If I were to tell Tarzan that by swallowing a little pill he could feel like he was swinging through the trees without leaving his tree house, he'd think I was crazy, but we all know that it's possible because we've been there. If I were to tell you that you can go beyond the drug experience by performing Agnihotra and implementing the biopsychological techniques given in this mind training program--what would you say. You might say, if I do not have to believe anything and if all I have to do is make this effort at sunrise and sunset then, what the Hell, I'll give it a shot and find out for myself if the results are the same for me as they have been for thousands of others.
The whole idea of self study is to investigate and to look inward.
What is IT that tells me I have a mind?
Just a little investigation into the Vedas will reveal that the terminology, IT, used in asking the question ("What is IT that tells me I have a mind?"), is also referred to as THAT.
Words cannot limit IT; hence, IT could only be described as "not this, not this".
THAT is only perceived when I get the mind under control. So, back to Who am I??
We have asked the scientists of the world to investigate the results of Agnihotra and have asked them, as well you, not to believe, but to experience. If we investigate, that doesn't mean we believe. Investigation of the Vedas is not enough to achieve what we need to achieve. However, an open mind to research what has been said is part of self study and therefore, part of the mind training program. Vedas means knowledge. Vedas were revealed in Sanskrit. Sanskrit contains no words from any other language.
Earlier in the mind training program we refer to the energy that pulsates through the universe and connects us to the cosmos. We mentioned how science has begun to study man on a "subhuman level" and we talked about Kirlian photography which is actually documentation by photography of the energy field that surrounds all living things. Taking this a step further might lead us to ask, what is this energy? What is "IT" that allows the universe to stay so perfectly well in order. A look at science will reveal that the scientists, medical professionals and psychologists are all veering towards a holistic approach in thinking. "The science of physics generally leads the way. However, the quantum leap taken by physics is not yet manifest in other sciences. When the physicist started talking about an observer-dependent universe he started (without knowing it) toward the science of the Vedas.
"The scientist exploring the theories about creation and the functioning of the universe may not be able to explain phenomenological experience in what he would think of as scientific terms.
"If you wish to study science and not theory or superstition, which rules today, then Vedas is the standard reference.
"Vedas designates the "IT" or "THAT" we have referred to as the Supreme Spirit. Vedas is not a religion." When we use the word spirit or spiritual we wish to make it clear that this is something different from what might commonly be understood as `religious'. The so called religious aspect of man may differ from person to person but the spiritual makeup of all mankind is the same. No one can lay exclusive claim to Vedic knowledge. It is the common inheritance of all mankind. Anyone who wishes may use this knowledge to benefit himself and his environment. All Divine Messengers that have graced this planet have all delivered the same message in the language suited to the conditions of the times. That message is "Love your neighbor as yourself'. To know yourself is self study. Most of the scriptures from different religions state the same messages. Again in a different way, but the messages are all the same.
"It was stated in Kenupanishad I:5,6,7,8, "The supreme spirit is not a concept that can be conceived by the mind. It is that by which mind conceives and thinks. It is that which enables the eye to see, the ear to hear and the breath to move.
"Intellect is beyond the senses of the mind but THAT is beyond intellect."
Bhagavat Geeta 3:42
"We may intellectually understand by reading all the scriptures that Almighty Power is ever present but our intellect will never be able to lay its grasp on IT. These are the intrinsic limitations of the intellect."
Ten Commandments of Parama Sadguru
"Through freedom you achieve tranquility, happiness and realize the Supreme self. Swadhyaya is the intellectual understanding of the truth that makes us free."
Ten Commandments of Parama Sadguru
"In the beginning was the Word."
John 1:1
"Vedas call it Shabda in Sanskrit. It is sometimes described as Nada. How could this vast universe with tangible objects be based on an integrated vibration? Discoveries in pure physics are a pointer in this direction. Can we establish communion with this WORD?" 18
CLASS 11:
INVESTIGATION OF THE PRACTICAL IMPLEMENTATION OF SPIRITUAL SCIENCE TO IMPROVE OUR LIVES
-If a preacher does not practice what he preaches he is a fraud.
- Discourses on spiritual or religious matters have no meaning unless they are practiced by those who deliver them as well as those who receive them.
We are not interested in discourses or sermons but instead in investigating those disciplines which various Divine Messengers in various parts of the world have given throughout history to help us lead a happy life.
When does a theory become reality? When is reality recognized as fact.
If the same result of a theory occurs time after time after time after time then perhaps there is some validity to the theory.
We are not telling you to do anything. We are only suggesting that you investigate for yourself and believe what you experience. For example, try Agnihotra for two weeks then decide.
Other disciplines that have proven to bring about favorable results for those who have created this program are not new. They are aspects of Tapa (self discipline) that help us to gain control over our senses.
One Tapa that can be tried immediately to improve our lives is truth. Telling the truth brings immediate beneficial results because it unburdens the mind. No longer does one need to consider telling the truth or telling a lie. Spiritual discipline recognizes no categories in lying, i.e., white lies, black lies, etc.
Telling truth goes beyond the black and white. It includes manipulation and slanderous talk. If you bring the mind into it and then action, truth becomes not only the means but the end. An example of untruthful behavior is to pretend to be something we are not. It is easy to see how ones whole life can be altered by such an action.
Example: You wish to impress a new girlfriend so you tell her you are the big boss at your office and she believes you. Knowing that you work for a big company and knowing that the big boss makes in excess of $100,000.00 a year she begins to take a liking to you and what you have accomplished. Her previous boyfriend made similar money and now she is attracted to someone who can keep her maintaining the style of living that she is accustomed to. Problem is, you are not the big boss. You are not even close. You wear nice clothes and you drive a new car, but you can only afford it because you still live at home with your mother. So you start to date anyhow and have a good time. You start to fall in love, but then something happens. The truth is out. You are exposed and your girlfriend never wants to see you again, and here you are in love. So what did you accomplish with the lie. Perhaps by being yourself a very nice lady would have happened into your life who did not care that you were the big boss and because you were busy living a lie you missed the chance to meet her and now you are miserable.
Example: You lie to get a job; you get the job. The job dictates that you move to Alaska, so you move to Alaska. You hate it and your girlfriend hates it, and you are miserable. Meanwhile, you are now making $100,000.00 a year and spending $110,000.00. You want to go home and make the same amount of money, but you can't because what you do for $100,000.00 a year is only worth that in Alaska and because you owe $110,000.00 a year you must stay in Alaska and pay off your debt. Your girlfriend leaves you to go home and there you are, in Alaska, by yourself. You get lonely so you start to date an Eskimo. The Eskimo gets pregnant and you have Eskimo twins. Meanwhile, you still hate Alaska and did not love your Eskimo girlfriend to begin with, but you do love the Eskimo twins. The Eskimo wife figures out that you do not love her and she takes your Eskimo twins and splits, leaving you all by yourself again and without the only fulfillment you have had in life--your Eskimo twins--now what? A job offer comes along, and if you tell a lie you can probably get the job, because you know the records are frozen and nobody will check. So now, What to do? The job offer is in Florida and you hate Alaska, but you have to tell a lie to get there. What do you do??
If we turn to the Masters, those Divine Messengers we have been talking about, what do they say:
"You shall speak no word that is false but shall speak the truth with discretion and with a loving heart."
Precepts of Buddha 4,6,7
"The truth shall make you free."
John 8:32
Satyasa Navaha Sukrtamapiparan (truth)
Rgveda 9:73:1
"Truth alone becomes victorious and not falsehood."
Mundak Upanishad III-1-6
[Teacher: Don't you think these guys were on to something?]
When we speak we are utilizing a unique gift given to man. By thinking more about what is said by us and to us, we begin to observe our speech patterns. We begin to see how much energy is consumed in idle talk and in talking about ourselves (vain talk). As we talk less about ourselves we begin to hear what others are saying and we can observe through 100% truthful speech and behavior, how our lives could have gone astray by the telling of even one little lie (that culminates into a one way trip to Alaska).
"But let your communication be yea, yea: nay, nay; for whatsoever is more than these cometh of evil."
Matthew 5:37
Many addicts have much to say about nothing and have put together lives based on lies and grandiosity. If you wish to have mental peace start today the practice of truthfulness and these other disciplines of being truthful.
Avoid misrepresenting matters.
Control your tongue and watch how misunderstandings with others become less and less a part of your life.
Tell the truth in a palatable manner.
Talk less about yourself and while speaking do not attempt to show how important you are.
Stop describing the faults of other people. (By doing this you are only trying to show that you are superior.)
CLASS 12:
Homa Therapy Post-In-Residence Discipline Maintenance Program
The in-residence program is a beginning. The progress experienced can be a steppingstone to continued sobriety and further emotional, physical and spiritual development. For this to happen, however, a discipline maintenance program is integral.
The aspects are:
Agnihotra
Homa
Diet
No substance abuse
Meditation timings
Periods of silence
Juice fasting
Anonymous meetings
Daily sunrise and sunset Agnihotra maintains the healing cycle. Other than remaining clean, i.e., free from substance abuse, this is the most crucial aspect of maintenance. Daily Agnihotra is the one action most likely to allow us to remain drug free. There is no substitute.
Om Tryambakam Homa, should be done 1 - 2 hours daily at anytime convenient.
The cleansing diet you experienced in the in-residence program is wonderful, but may be altered to suit individual tastes. For maximum well-being, we suggest a diet free from any meat, foul, fish or eggs.
Whenever possible, maintaining silence is helpful and will prove to be a valuable centering device as well as a means of conserving energy. The following times are special energy points each day in addition to sunrise and sunset Agnihotra. Maintaining a program of sitting for meditation for as much as 15 minutes at these times will prove very helpful.
5:00 a.m. 10:00 a.m. 12:00 noon 3:00 p.m. 9:00 p.m.
It is good to refrain from food one day a week until sunset. A liquid fast is suggested. Monday is recommended but any day will do.
Attending Anonymous meetings of your choice at least twice a week is recommended. Many attend more frequently.
It goes without saying that if you reside near a location where 24-hour Homa is maintained, your attendance there can only speed up and maintain your recovery on the road to sobriety, peace of mind and greater self-esteem.
ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS
Meetings
Day 1:
Introductory Meeting
A. Begin with Homa. Sit quietly until the fire goes out.
B. Welcome to the introductory meeting of our Alcoholics Anonymous Study Group. During these study sessions we will follow the meeting format of AA.
Anonymity is the foundation of the AA program. "Who you see here, what you hear here when you leave her, let it stay here." Just as in regular AA outside meetings we will use our first names.
During these meetings, please refrain from "cross talk" and interrupting each other. We are not here to debate, but to study a program which can help us grow in our recovery from alcoholism/addiction.
C. Leader reads the Preamble:
"Alcoholics Anonymous is a fellowship of individuals who through shared experience and mutual support, are recovering from the disease of alcoholism (i.e., drug addiction).
"Their primary purpose is to abstain from alcohol/drugs and to carry this message of recovery to those who still suffer."
D. Read Twelve Steps (Pg. 59-60 Big Book) (Leader can read them aloud)
E. Read Bill's Story, chapter 1 of the Big Book. (Go around the room each person taking a turn reading 1-2 paragraphs. They can feel free to comment after a paragraph if they want or pass to the next person.)
F. Discussion following Bill's Story
G. Assignment: Read "More About Alcoholism" from AA Big Book, Chapter 3. (Plus Chapter 4 optional reading)
H. Close Meeting with
"Will you join me please in the Serenity Prayer": "God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can, and wisdom to know the difference."
Day 2:
A. Begin with Homa
B. Welcome to the second meeting of Alcoholics Anonymous study group. Tonight we are going to focus on "Solution".
C. Read (going around the room) Chapter 2, "There Is A Solution" in the AA Big Book.
D. Discussion (using Chapter 2 as a theme)
E. Assignment: Write on "Why are you here?" and "Who are you here for?" Write freely.
F. Close meeting with Serenity Prayer (altogether)
Day 3:
How It Works
A. Begin with Homa
B. Welcome to the third meeting of Alcoholics Anonymous study group. Tonight we are going to read the Chapter entitled "How It Works" in the AA Big Book.
C. Read (going around the room) "How It Works" Chapter 5 in the AA Big Book.
D. Open discussion on Chapter 5
E. Assignment: Read "Doctor Bob's Nightmare" (Pg. 171-181 AA Big Book) F. Close meeting with Serenity Prayer (altogether)
G. Remind group of anonymity
Day 4:
We Are Powerless Over Alcohol/Drugs
A. Begin with Homa
B. Read (going around the room) Step 1 in the "Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions" book.
C. Open discussion on powerlessness, how our lives have been out of our control.
D. Assignment: *Write your own personal drinking/drugging history, when and where it began. . You may uncover unpleasant memories, but it is an important step in learning about yourself.
E. Close meeting with "Serenity Prayer"
"God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference."
Day 5:
Attitude of Gratitude
A. Begin with Homa
B. Read the 12 Traditions on Pg. 564 of the Big Book
C. Read (going around the room) "Doctor, Addict, Alcoholic" (Pg. 439-452, Chapter 17 in AA Big Book)
D. Discuss expectations and acceptance and the role it plays in the recovery process.
E. Assignment: Write a gratitude list and share it with another participant in the program. This is the beginning of a daily exercise that helps us focus on the positive.
F. Close with Serenity Prayer (altogether)
Day 6:
Steps 2 and 3 (2 hour class)
A. Begin with Homa
B. Read Chapters 2 and 3 (Suggestion: Read Chapter 2, then discuss, then go back and read Chapter 3 and discuss.)
C. Discussion of Higher Power concept
You could introduce the idea of prayer (Pg. 63, third step prayer, second paragraph of AA Big Book) or "turning it over" doing our part, making honest effort and turning the results of our actions over to a power greater than ourselves. (Everyone's concept of a Higher Power differs. We do not take any particular religion or example.)
Some of the following guidelines would be helpful to read out loud: 1) Make no request in prayer for yourself only for His will.
2) Never pray for your own selfish ends
D. Assignment: If you wish, begin a dialogue or prayer to your Higher Power or write how you feel about a Higher Power.
Read: "Freedom From Bondage", Chapter 12 in AA Big Book (Pg. 552 especially)
E. Close with Serenity Prayer
Day 7:
Dealing with Resentments/Healing Resentments
A. Begin with Homa
B. Read (going around the room) Chapter 4 in "Twelve Steps/Twelve Traditions" book.
C. Discussion on Step 4. Remind them that AA is based on H.O.W. (Honesty, Open Mindedness and Willingness). The actual writing out of Step 4 (fearless moral inventory) is often done with the aid of the Hazelden Step 4 booklet. It is a longer project, one which can take several weeks or months. It's best to be thorough. Have the fourth step booklets available, but be aware that step 4 is usually embarked upon a little later on. These people have enough to concentrate on admitting their powerlessness and beginning to look at themselves honestly.
The Step 4 Hazelden book emphasizes the positives as well as the negatives. It is very important to help the addict achieve and maintain a balance in his/her self-appraisal.
D. Using chart on Pg.65 (grudge list) of the AA Big Book, illustrate how to work through a resentment. Ask for examples and actually write it out on an easel or black board. (Leader should have examples in mind in case the group is not responsive or examples given are not usable.
E. Suggest Resentment Prayer from their last reading assignment, "Freedom From Bondage" (Pg. 552, idea of praying for the person you resent)
Fourth Step Prayer:
When I am disturbed by the conduct (symptoms) of others: "God help me show this person the same tolerance, pity and patience I would cheerfully grant a sick friend. This is a sick person. How can I be helpful to him? God, save me from being angry. Thy Will Be Done. Amen."
F. Assignment
1) Continue daily gratitude list and sharing it.
2) Begin to work through a resentment using chart as we did in the meeting. 3) Read Step 5 in "Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions"
G. Close with Serenity Prayer
Day 8:
Into Action
A. Begin with Homa
B. Read Pg. 72-88, Chapter 6 "Into Action" in AA Big Book
C. Discussion (can share what we wrote on resentments: voluntarily)
D. Assignment: Continue work on resentments writing. Continue daily gratitude list.
E. Close with Serenity Prayer
Day 9:
Step 5 and 7
A. Begin with Homa
B. Read Step 6 in "Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions"
C. Discussion
D. Read part (or all) of Step 7
E. Discuss Humility (Chapter 7's focus is humility)
F. Assignment:
1) Choose one of your character defects and write about it. Though you are not actually taking the 6th and 7th Steps you can begin to have an understanding of your own character and where you might make improvements.
2) Gratitude list
G. Close with Serenity Prayer
Day 10:
Topic Meeting: Managing the Unmanageable
A. Begin with Homa
B. Take a few minutes to have each person write a brief unmanageability list. What areas of life seem unmanageable right now--finances, relationships, job, etc. Share these in the meeting.
C. Discuss Solutions: Change in attitude, tools, how to learn to solve dilemmas. The discussion should not be how to fix the person, but how to rationally face life without drink or drugs and take responsibility for our actions. How to deal with "FIRST THINGS FIRST", "ONE DAY AT A TIME".
D. Assignment: Writing
1) Gratitude list
2) Examine a significant relationship you have had trouble with. What can you do to work on your part of it?
E. Close with Serenity Prayer
Day 11:
Steps 8 and 9
A. Begin with Homa
B. Read Steps 8 and 9 in "Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions"
C. Discussion on making amends
*Here it is very important to stress that they are probably not ready to do such a thorough amends making as these chapters recommend. The addicts should be further along in their recovery process to attempt this. First they need to focus on their part and get stronger. Discuss the idea of beginning with making amends to themselves.
D. Assignment:
1) Continue with gratitude list 2)_____________________
E. Close with Serenity Prayer
Day 12:
Step 10
A. Begin with Homa
B. Read Step 10 in "Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions"
C. Discuss the different inventories (Pg. 89), open discussion
D. Assignment: Using the sheet, "My Daily Moral Inventory", take a daily inventory tonight. Assess your feelings and conduct and see where you have been weak and strong. Also continue with gratitude list.
E. Close with Serenity Prayer
Day 13:
Living Sober
A. Begin with Homa
B. Read Preamble
C. Discussion: Sobriety alone cannot guarantee serenity. We have a lot of debris to clear through. When we don't drink or drug, the feelings that caused us to seek escape through alcohol and drugs are still there.
Discuss how to live sober, how to face the feelings of anger, sadness, loneliness, etc., without drink/drugs. Focus on the AA Tools:
1) telephone (keep in touch)
2) anonymity (helps trust develop) 3) literature
4) service 5) meetings 6) writing
Additional Tools: prayer and meditation D. Developing an action plan (Mind Training) E. Assignment: Write an action plan
F. Close with Serenity Prayer
Day 14:
Step 11
A. Begin with Homa
B. Read Step 11 (going around room)
C. Discussion and group meditation (5 minutes) at close D. Assignment:
E. Serenity Prayer
Day 15:
Step 12
A. Begin with Homa
B. Read Step 12 or part of Step 12 in "Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions" and/or "Working With Others" (Chapter 7 in AA Big Book)
C. Share action plans
D. Assignment:
1) continue Agnihotra
2) gratitude lists
3) inventories
4) prayer and meditations
FOOTNOTES
1-6 Homa Therapy Our Last Chance, by Vasant Paranjpe, published by Fivefold Path, Inc.
7 Satsang Volume I, by Vasant Paranjpe, published by Fivefold Path, Inc.
8-10 Homa Therapy Our Last Chance, by Vasant Paranjpe, published by Fivefold Path, Inc.
11-17 Light Towards Divine Path, by Vasant Paranjpe, published by Agnihotra Press, Inc.
18 Homa Therapy Our Last Chance, by Vasant Paranjpe, published by Fivefold Path, Inc.
