How to destroy a vasana (example 3): Julia’s father

Earlier posts in this series are here and here. Before I published this article, Julia checked it for accuracy and made a few changes. She told me, “I got goosebumps and felt tenderness in my heart while I read it because this was the night my heart chakra opened.” How the vasana got created Julia […]

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My reunion with Julia

Here’s an example of the kind of thing I called “supernatural” in a recent post. First let me give you a little background. My girlfriend Julia and I became a couple 31 years ago but in 2004 we broke up and had no contact with each other for 14 years. About a year ago we […]

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Was this telepathy?

Here’s the story I mentioned at the end of the previous post. Many years ago (39 to be exact) I had a girlfriend who I will call Anna. One night while we lay in bed, about to go to sleep, she told me that she had experienced telepathy several times. The fact that we were […]

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The supernatural

I’m planning to add more examples to the series on vasanas but before I do, I’d like to say a few words about the supernatural because it’s going to be an element in future articles. I’m using the words “supernatural” and “magic” ironically in this essay. I don’t believe anything is really supernatural. Things either […]

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How to destroy a vasana (example 2): Julia’s grandmother

This is the second post in a series. The first one is here. This vasana belonged to my girlfriend Julia. She has given me permission to write this article and has checked it for accuracy. How the vasana got created About the time Julia was born, her father began to suffer from schizophrenia. His illness […]

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Be kind, part 3

This is the third post in this series. The first two are here and here. Rents in New York City are high so stores are often small and cramped, and sometimes there isn’t enough room for customers to line up in front of the cashier. Instead of forming a line they wait in a spread-out […]

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More about kindness

In response to yesterday’s post, Be Kind, a friend wrote in an email: Kindness is the main dharma that I try to live by. I have also been blessed to receive kindness from many living beings in my life, and it truly feels like grace is showering upon us when we experience it, either from […]

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Be kind

We should try always to be kind. Be generous, cause happiness, listen to other people, see things from their point of view. Avoid causing pain. Do no harm. Give and help and soothe and cheer. Be this way not just with people but with all creatures that have feelings. This is so simple that nothing […]

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Did Ramana practice Self-enquiry for four years or a few minutes?

How did Ramana Maharshi get Self-realized? The standard description goes something like this: One day when Ramana was 16 years old, for no apparent reason, he suddenly thought he was about to die. Instead of shouting for help or running to a doctor, he lay on the floor and pretended he was already dead. He […]

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