Namaste, dear friends.
Today I’d like to reflect with you on:
Daya – Compassion, the Path to Peace
Every being has its own complex karma: with difficulties and limitations, but also with blessings and graces. For this reason, I feel the need in all of us to awaken “daya,” or compassion for others and ourselves, with a broader understanding of reality. Only then can we truly be at peace.
When I participated in the “yoga de rua” project in Rio de Janeiro (https://yogaderua.org), a nonprofit organization that helps the homeless, I saw people with nothing and no prospects for the future, with greater serenity and spiritual elevation than many who are guaranteed a good meal and a comfortable bed every day.
This makes you think: “What is the ‘measure’ of well-being?” “Having the essentials?” “Having everything?” “Being a rich person who takes advantage of and exploits others, waging war?”
Of course: some are better off and more privileged than others, while others face far more difficult battles every day.
But who guarantees that one is “better off” than another? How do we measure it?
In my humble opinion, I see and feel that those who are better off are those with a richer inner life.
This is why I was inspired to develop the concept of “daya,” or compassion: because we cannot truly know what each person is experiencing. We can’t rely on what we see outside or on social media: we only truly know a person within the four walls of their home, and sometimes not even there: only within each individual, in their conscience and in their heart.
Can a person who kills, steals, intentionally harms, is violent, and selfishly starts a war and wants “everything for himself” be well? Where? How?
It’s comforting to remember that karma returns, for better or for worse: what we say, think, vibrate, transmit, do… Everything returns, sooner or later, in this life or another. Not because you or I want it, but because it is a universal and incorruptible law.
Life, in the broadest sense of the word, doesn’t make mistakes. Everything comes… and it will come in its own time.
Therefore, it’s not worth letting ourselves be influenced by what others do or don’t do. We may disagree with someone, but cultivating and fueling hatred only leads us to create destructive karma, especially for ourselves, causing us, at the very least, nervous system problems and indigestion…
Of course, it’s true that sometimes we can’t “choose not to be influenced,” but we can choose to observe when something affects us, irritates us, and/or saddens us; we can breathe deeply and ask ourselves: “Why does this or that hurt me so much?”, “Why do certain things affect me more than others?” Reflecting on this, we understand that it’s simply because something is reflected from within outward. The work is always internal: the other is ourselves… and it is this awareness that brings us compassion and peace.
Human beings are often hypocrites, and as much as they “fight for peace” outside the home, perhaps they continue to wage war within the walls of their homes…
Therefore, in my humble opinion, it’s important to be informed and to see with open eyes what’s happening in the world; however, for those on a spiritual path, or even for those who simply want to feel better and more at peace, it’s crucial to choose not to be overwhelmed by the news, as these are vibrations that disturb us. diminishing our peace. Yogananda said something powerful: “Remain calm amid the din of the crashing worlds.”
The most helpful and beneficial thing is to ask ourselves: “How can I reveal my best self?”, “What good things can I cultivate?”, “What habits and consumption patterns should I reduce or abandon entirely, and which should I cultivate?”, “What is my role in all this?” The truth is that if we don’t start with ourselves, we can’t expect “others or the world to transform,” right? Another inspiration from the Master is:
“Work on yourself, on your reactions to external circumstances. This is the essence of yoga: to neutralize the waves of reactions in one’s heart.” Yogananda
Another question that helps maintain calm and inner peace is: “How can I see the good in others?” After all, good and evil are present in all creation and in every being…
I’m not saying we should deny the evil that exists, but I think it’s even more interesting to cultivate the good within ourselves, to nurture beauty and admire the sunlight, because these things are always available to us. And so, turning inward once again, we can reflect: “What beautiful things do I have to offer, to channel and transmit?”
I believe we can choose to rise up and be grateful for life, because it, with all its difficulties and challenges, also gives us many blessings, and it’s a shame not to see them, don’t you agree?
It’s not about denying that this or that is really happening in the world, collectively or individually… but to understand that there is an even more subtle and powerful law, which is the law of the Universe, and that we can truly connect and access this Divine source… This is what I try to encourage you to do. Because I know the potential and beauty in each of you and in us.
Changes are part of life and can represent a great opportunity to live other experiences, even better and unexpected ones.
SSri Yukteswar, Yogananda’s Kriya Yoga master, enlightens us with these words: “What man has done, he can also undo.”
I have learned and am still learning to truly open my single eye and see into this immensity: let´s have FAITH (Śraddhā)!
I’ve experienced something in this area, so I want to share it with all of you: the practice of yoga and meditation is the “golden key” to achieving a healthier, holier, happier life, in a state of presence, transformation, compassion, and enlightenment.
I look forward to seeing you for retreats, courses, workshops, and practices, online or in person.
With love, Prema, and in service,
Raquel Bhavani
Retreat in Liguria at Diano Green
From May 29th to June 1st, there will be a wonderful retreat in Liguria at Diano Green (www.dianogreen.it)
Dharma: Living in Harmony
Three days of yoga, meditation, and study to discover your true life purpose. For a higher existence
Con Amore Infinito, ♡ˎˊ˗
Prema
Jay Guru Jay
Raquel Bhavani
“Calmness is more dynamic and more powerful than peace. Calmness gives the devotee the power to overcome all obstacles in life. Even in human affairs, the person who can remain calm under all circumstances is invincible.” – Paramhansa Yogananda