Connecting the Heart & Mind

Connecting the Heart & Mind

Satsang - Seeking Together - Helping to Create
A Planetary Vision -  A Universal Heart of Compassion 

Make my joy complete 
by being of a single mind, 

one in love, one in heart 

and one in mind.

St Paul ( Phillipians )

Finding Our inner Compass

This Blog contains some notes based our our recent Satsang Day of Reflection held at the Friends Meeting House in Wolverhampton ( UK) on Saturday 14th March 2015.

At any moment, you have a choice, 

that either leads you closer to your spirit 

or further away from it.

Thich Nhat Hanh –

Buddhist Monk, Author, Poet, and Peace Activist

We opened our Day of Reflection with the quote from Thich Nhat Hanh. Our  Day  focused on the importance of connecting the Mind with the Heart. We had  two Video Inputs from Ken Robinson & Adele Diamond, which  focused on the importance of Emotional Development for all, especially children

However, their content also apply to us as adults, as we too were , and still are to some extent, children. In addition, our Western Society focuses mainly on the mind and very often fails to educate the heart. Because spirituality transcends and includes all aspects of creation and life, the issues that  both Ken and Adele address are vital for our human family and planet.

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Throughout the day we  had  some short reflections from different Faith Traditions on the importance of the Heart, and its capacity for a Compassionate Presence,  on the Spiritual Journey 

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But first  to prepare for our HEART/MIND day -  we took part in a simple opening ‘ Practice’  of Balancing the Earth- Heart and Mind. This was based on Daoism and also some ideas from Neuro-Science and simple Mindful Practices that help balance the brain.It involved  some simple body movements, combined with breathing that Balanced  the Earth- Heart and Mind

Before watching our 1st Video input we had a reflection from Hinduism

The Hindu Scriptures ( The Vedas)  are the oldest in the World and contain the inherited wisdom of thousands of years. They  record reflections from the many Holy Sages  and Teachers of Hinduism 

( both men and women).

 The Upanishads ( which roughly translate as a 'Teaching Sitting at  the Foot of a Master' ) are considered by many to be 'pearls of the Hindu Scriptures' 

The following is from the Chandoga Upanishad.

OM 

In the centre of the castle of Brahman, our own body, there is a small shrine in the form of a lotus flower, and within can be found  a small space. We should find who dwells there, and we should want to know him.

And if anyone asks ‘ who dwells in a small shrine in the form of a lotus flower in the centre of the castle of Brahman ? Whom should we want to find and to know ? ‘   we can answer.

‘ The little space within the heart is as great as this vast universe. The heavens and the earth are there, and the sun, and the moon, and the stars; fire and lightning and winds are there;  and all that now is and all that is not : for the whole universe is in  God and God dwells within our heart ‘

Om - Shanti

Chandogya Upanisha Hindu Scripture 

OUR FIRST VIDEO INPUT

This was a thought provoking, challenging and humorous talk given by Sir Ken Robinson to a conference arranged by the Dalai Lama Centre in British Columbia in 2011 .

He  addressed the lack of balance in educating our children and ourselves and  the need for humanity to develop our Emotional and Artistic Intelligence and to beware of our Western Tendency for DUALISM and false ‘choices’     i.e it is Either ( this ) : Or.(that) 

Life, creation and the Cosmos is not dualistic it is  BOTH : AND 

Click here to watch Sir Ken Robinson


First Period of Personal Reflection

Before our time of Reflection a short input from Islam – a tradition noted  not only for its great input in both the Arts and Science but also for its emphasis on  the virtues of

Mercy and Compassion

ISLAM - Peace - Mercy and Compassion

At the heart of Muslim belief, as taught by the Prophet Mohamed ( Peace be upon Him)  is the principal of    ONENESS (tawhid)   at the heart of  Allah ( God) 

This oneness, or unity, has been described by Muslim Scholars and Teachers as a Oneness that  unites  the mind with the heart.In Islam, the heart is intrinsically linked to the concept of compassion which is an ability to feel with the other.

Furthermore, Islam sees the sentiments of love and compassion as expressions of the interconnected oneness of all human beings that ultimately both mirror and  reflect the oneness and unity of  Allah (God )  

In the Hadith ( which contains the saying of God speaking  through the Prophet – Peace be upon Him ) we find the following as one of many  :

“My mercy takes precedence over my anger”

and in the Q'uran  ( The Holy Book of Islam) one of the many ' mercy sayings' of Allah is

“My Mercy encompasses all things” (Qur’an 7:156).

So educating both our Heart and Our Mind to the deep Spiritual Truths that are at the Heart of All Faith Traditions is very important

We then took some time for Personal Reflection after which we returned for a short reflection before lunch

Afternoon Session

We started the afternoon with an input from Buddhism

Buddhism

The Buddha taught  about FOUR SUBLIME or PERFECT states of the Mind  designed to lead one towards enlightenment. These 4 states ALL involved   cultivating a steady and calm heart . 

The 4  Sublime  states were

Love or Loving-kindness

Compassion (karuna)

Sympathetic Joy 

Equanimity 

It is the 2nd of these that particularly causes 'enlightened souls  or Boddhi Satvas to remain in this world in order to help others. One who is considered by many to be a Bodhi Satva is the Dalai Lama. and the following quote from him , regarding the nature of ALL Religion, displays his Wisdom, understanding and compassion:

“This is my simple religion. There is no need for temples; no need for complicated philosophy. Our own brain, our own heart is our temple; the philosophy is kindness.  ... If you want to be happy practice compassion”  Dalai Lama.

As Sister Ishpriya, the Spiritual Guide of the Satsang Association says.

' You can only give to others in  the manner you give to yourself'

So SELF- COMPASSION - connecting the Heart and Mind is  a very important Spiritual Sadhana or Practice.

We then took part in a short practice that encourages EQUANIMITY & balances the Heart & Mind.  

This was based both on Tai Chi and Energy Therapies that involved balancing the  Brain. It focused on  thew three very powerful emotions  of PANIC - ANGER and ANXIETY.  These, if unchecked, can ' fire up' the  Limbic Brain and shut down the pre-frontal cortex. 

2nd Video Input

This was a talk  by Adele  Diamond  ( a renowned expert on Children and their psychology)  to a conference arranged by the Dalai Lama Centre in British Columbia in 2013

   

Once again, her input related not only to children and others but also to ourselves.  She reminds us of the power of our expectations for good or ill. In other word, we can live up or down to the expectations either others have of us or we have for our self.

Therefore, we need to look after ourselves and remember that , we cannot look after others if we don't learn self care . This is wisely outlined in the following quote from Sister Ishpriya.

' You can only give to others in  the manner you give to yourself'   Sister Ishpriya

Click here  to watch the video

After listening to Adele Diamond we had a short pause and then  before time for Personal Reflection an  Input from the Sikh Tradition on the important  virtue of Compassion 

incidentally, Sikhs refer to ‘God’ as Sat or Truth .  

And ' Sat' is the root of the word Sat - sang  

Seekers or Followers of Truth

Sikhism 

One  God - One Truth  ( Sat)

In Sikhism  there is the tradition of wearing 5 symbolic K's . These are the Turban, Comb, Bracelet, Undergarment and a dagger ( all beginning with the letter K in Punjabi) .

Just as the 5 Ks are symbols so too they are  5 very important virtues.

These 5 virtues underpin  the Teachings of  the ten Gurus, beginning  with Guru Nanak and finally Guru Gobind Singh.. These virtues are also recorded in the Sikh Holy Book, which is the guide and Master ( Guru) for all Sikhs. 

In the Holy Book,  Sikhs are encouraged to devote their life to the pursuit and development of these virtues.

The five  virtues are

Compassion ,Truth, Contentment , Humility  and Love 

COMPASSION

The first of these  Compassion  is a fundamental teaching of the Sikh religion   and the Holy Book contains many references to this very important virtue .  The following are two of many

1.    ‘ If  You have no compassion; the Lord’s Light does not shine in you.   
You are drowned,  drowned in the world's   entanglements'

2.      “Keep your  heart content and cherish compassion for others; this way alone can your holy vow be fulfilled "

After a time for personal reflection we  watched a short video clip from Sister Ishpriya bbefore met in Satsang to share anything that the Day had given to us before we finished.

Deep Listening - a short talk by Sister Ishpriya 
(spiritual guide of the International Satsang Association)

Deep listening, both to self and others is an extremely important spiritual practice. It helps develop a heart of compssion and coonnects both Heart and Mind in a compassionate 'presence' to self and the other. Here is a short excerpt from a DVD  of a 6-dayy Retreat by Ishpriya

Sound & Silence - Deep Listening - Sr Ishpriya

We ended the day being led by Angela in a lovely Sacred Circle Dance that celebrated the oneness of creation. This was based on the culture of the Hawaiian Islands and reminded us of the role our  Heart - Brain  can play in cherishing and reverencing Earth, Sky, Sea and Mountains.


Our next meeting is the 2nd Saturday in May and will be advertised both on this Blog and our our Website www.satsang-companionship.org.uk