I am and have been a Quaker for a while now. I became a Quaker many moons ago while in graduate school. I had been attending meetings at Conscience Bay meeting in St. James. Michael had attended there and didn't feel it was right for him. He felt it was sort of uninspiring to sit there and not hear anything. I am used to corporate meditation and am very comfortable in this milieu. We decided that we would try and find a place that both of us would feel worked for us and yet be together. We were attending the Unitarian Universalist meeting each Sunday and he seemed very happy there. I definitely did not feel comfortable there. So, we began to alternate weekends between the Quaker meeting and the U.U. meeting. I found myself looking forward to "my" week and not to his.
We learned of the opening of Dipamkara Meditation Center on East Main Street right here in the village and decided to attend there one Sunday. It was a wonderful meeting that opened with corporate group meditation and then went into a lesson. There was an ending meditation and then time for questions and answers. The teacher was Rebecca Friedman who is one of the most excellent teachers I ever heard. She is also a kind and compassionate person and what she teaches just seems to flow from her. It is clear to me that she lives and breathes what she teaches. After the meeting we enjoyed tea and conversation. (a time-honored Buddhist tradition). We have met some wonderful folks there. Several of them have become friends of ours. What's more is that I enjoy the group meditation aspect of the weekly meeting and he enjoys the more formal structured lesson. So, it was a win-win rather than a compromise.
I still consider myself a Quaker, although I certainly share a majority of intersections with Buddhist thought and dharmic teachings. I find Buddhists to be, for the most part, very caring and non-judgmental individuals. I especially like their views of compassion and love and meditation. I completely identify with Buddhist dharma that teaches that WE are responsible for our own suffering caused by attachments and holding on. I sometimes find their views difficult to accept, for example, I do not believe in reincarnation. I am more Christian in that I do believe in heaven. Many Quakers are very Buddhist in philosophy such as the belief that the Bible is written by humans who wrote from their perspective and is more relevant to the age in which it was written. I also believe in a relationship with God. I find Buddhist thought to be so less dogmatic than many beliefs so it clearly does appeal to me. Being a Quaker, I am used to a non-dogmatic approach to one's beliefs, feeling that each of us needs to find our own way to our spirituality. So, I think that I am a Quaker/Buddhist! I am content with this term.
Dipamkara Center is right across the street from Tiger Lily Cafe off of East Main Street (actually on Vineyard Pl.) in Port Jefferson Village. Classes and meditations are held throughout the week. We attend the Sunday morning meeting which begins at 10:30. We love the teacher there, Rebecca, and meet friends there each week. There is also a bookstore on premises and it is open several times during the week. You can learn more about the Dipamkara Meditation Center online at http://www.meditationonlongisland.org/ . Maybe we will see you there.
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Yoga (Application) which was based on the control of the body physically and implied that a perfect control over the body and the senses led to knowledge of the ultimate reality. A detailed anatomical knowledge of the human body was necessary to the advancement of yoga and therefore those practising yoga had to keep in touch with medical knowledge. (Romila Thapar, A History of India, volume one).
I suggest : Mind and brain are two distinct things. Brain is anatomical entity whereas mind is functional entity. Mind can be defined as the function of autonomic nervous system (ANS). It is claimed that mind can be brought under conscious control through the practice of meditation. But how? ANS is largely under hypothalamic control which is situated very close to optic chiasma (sixth chakra or ajna chakra). Protracted practice of concentration to meditate at this region brings functions of ANS say mind under one’s conscious control.
ANS is further divided into parasympathetic nervous system (PSNS) and sympathetic nervous system (SNS). On the basis of these facts I have discovered a mathematical relationship for spiritual quotient (S.Q.). Spiritual Quotient can be expressed mathematically as the ratio of Parasympathetic dominance to Sympathetic dominance. PSNS dominates during meditative calm and SNS dominates during stress. In this formula we assign numerical values to the physiological parameters activated or suppressed during autonomic mobilization and put in the formula to describe the state of mind of an individual and also infer his/her level of consciousness.
Meditation is the art of looking within and science of doing nothing. We don’t use anything in meditation. We just try to concentrate to meditate at some point in human anatomy known as ‘chakra’ in Indian System of Yoga. The current of mind is flowing outward through the senses and unconsciously. The mind comes at rest gradually through regular practice of meditation. Then comes self realization and enlightenment. Protracted practice of meditation under qualified guidance will help to manage all sort of psychological problems.
Emotional Quotient can also be expressed mathematically as the product of I.Q. and Wisdom Factor. E.Q. stands for Emotional Quotient. An intelligent person may not be wise. But a wise man will always be intelligent. An intelligent person having certain level of positive emotions can be said as wise. An intelligent person lacking wisdom will turn autocrat. A wise man will always be a democrat who respects others existence.
Some may raise doubt that how could be the Wisdom quantified? The answer is simple -if Mental Age of I.Q. can be quantified then Wisdom can also be quantified, of course, comparatively with more efforts. Wilhelm Stern had given the formula of I.Q.. It is, Mental Age/ Chronological Age x 100. Spiritual Quotient (S.Q.) leverages both E.Q. and I.Q.
Radha Soami Faith is a branch of Religion of Saints like Kabir, Nanak, Paltu, and others. Soamiji Maharaj is the founder of this Faith. You may call It like New Wine in Old Bottle.
Maslow has given Hierarchy of Needs. At the top of it is need for self-actualization or self-realization.
In our society we should learn To Live and Let Live and help to satisfy others need. When the lower order needs, physiological and sociological both, are satisfied then only a person think to satisfy need for self-realization in true sense. Else he/she may spend all his/her life to satisfy at the most the need for self-expression instead of self-realization.
It is, therefore, the duty of every responsible person, at the least, of our society to give serious thought over it.
For the satisfaction of need for self-realization i.e. establishment of harmony of individual consciousness with that of universal consciousness we need following three things:
1. Mater or Guru (A Self-Realized Soul)
2. Secret of Levels of Universal Consciousness
3. Method for traversing the path.
Anirudh Kumar Satsangi
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