Elvis is Guru

An acquaintance once asked, “Wasn’t Elvis Presley’s life a tragedy?” The question opened a floodgate of memories. My relationship with Elvis Presley had begun in 1956. As a teenager, listening to Elvis’s music was one of my first experiences with meditation. Every time I listened intently to his music I felt happy–so happy in fact, that I began to associate Elvis and his music with my happiness. As Paul McCartney similarly observed, “I always knew that no matter how I felt, if I played an Elvis record it would make me happy.” Because of this experience, over the years I […]

2005-09-07T10:52:19-04:00September 7th, 2005|Essays|

Desire Determines Destiny

Increase your reserves of
energy, will power and creativity
by sacrificing habitual desires

The Upanishads have been called the oldest and purest source of spiritual wisdom known to humanity. These ancient scriptures share profound revelations on the nature of the eternal Supreme Reality–wisdom that the great sages realized in the depths of their meditation. These same sages promise that when an earnest spiritual seeker manifests this wisdom in his or her own life, peace, happiness, creativity and freedom from fear become constant companions.

The word Upanishad comes from the Sanskrit, “to sit down near” the feet of the Guru in […]

2005-05-01T12:03:27-04:00May 1st, 2005|Essays|

Educated but not Enlightened

In the search for happiness, direct experience surpasses knowledge from external sources

by Leonard and Jenness Perlmutter

There’s lots of pressure placed on both children and parents these days. Ask any exhausted parent. Kids now have schedules as dizzying as any corporate CEO’s. Why? Because the culture is constantly warning that unless a child is well-rounded and accepted by a prestigious college, chances for success will be significantly diminished.

Without question, a solid college education or vocational training is a vital element in earning a livelihood. But the desire for our children’s success is so intense today, that we often forget to provide […]

2004-11-01T15:04:02-05:00November 1st, 2004|Essays|

Educated but not Enlightened

In the search for happiness, direct experience surpasses knowledge from external sources

There’s lots of pressure placed on both children and parents these days. Ask any exhausted parent. Kids now have schedules as dizzying as any corporate CEO’s. Why? Because the culture is constantly warning that unless a child is well-rounded and accepted by a prestigious college, chances for success will be significantly diminished.

 

Without question, a solid college education or vocational training is a vital element in earning a livelihood. But the desire for our children’s success is so intense today, that we often forget […]

2004-02-01T12:04:29-05:00February 1st, 2004|Essays|

Ahimsa is the Golden Rule

“Knoedler & Company,” Oil on Mahogany Panel, 24 by 30 inches © Jenness Cortez Perlmutter

Ahimsa is the highest precept of yoga science. It is the first of the yamas and niyamas–constructive observances and disciplines codified in Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras. Ahimsa means non-violence or non-harming, and it is the guiding yogic principle underlying every successful relationship–within and without, subtle and gross, with yourself and with others.

In practical terms, ahimsa is the same wisdom as the Golden Rule, which instructs human beings to “Do unto others as you wish to have done unto you,” or as Jesus the Christ teaches: “Love thy […]

2003-09-01T14:33:18-04:00September 1st, 2003|Essays|

Attaining Victory on the Battlefield of Your Life

Krishna and Arjuna

We pray to the Divinity in you.

Don’t be misled. The war on terrorism and the war in Iraq are really consequences of an inner conflict that is always being waged in our own hearts and minds. Since we all suffer from this protracted subtle warfare, the question arises: What does it take to win this perennial battle?

Every successful military engagement is defined by four essential ingredients: knowledge of the enemy, resolve, a coherent overall strategy, and specific tactics that defeat the enemy and establish peace. To truly […]

2003-05-01T12:01:45-04:00May 1st, 2003|Essays|

Essential Message of the Gita

Ram_Lev_Gita

Without question, these are the times that try the soul. Certainly each of us must deal with occasional traumas like illness, the loss of loved ones and financial reverses, but recently all of us have been bombarded by an onslaught of momentous circumstances. Consider the crises we’ve lived through in recent years: the shock and heartbreak of 9/11, the Iraq War, Abu Ghraib, Afghanistan, Darfur, Katrina, terrorist attacks in Mumbai, the unending insanity of the Middle East, and now, a new Great Depression.

The weight of any one […]

2000-03-01T12:06:07-05:00March 1st, 2000|Essays|
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