Western Baul Podcast Series

Conscious Surrender: Deepening Our Role in the Spiritual Process and Why It Matters (Vijaya Fedorschak)

The aim of all religions is to point out the path that leads to freedom, peace, and joy, which can only be realized through the surrender of ego. The principle of ego or separation permeates our lives. To realize oneness with God or the universe is to be conscious of the divine presence everywhere. Intellectual understanding is different than actual spiritual experience. Ego avoids surrender at all costs; yet the universe brings about transformation. In an absolute sense, surrender is already the case since the universe is what it is and couldn’t be otherwise here and now. When we are not flexible enough to move as the universe is moving, we cannot live in freedom, peace, and joy. But we can practice with conscious surrender and come to accept what is even when it is not our preference. Surrender is the intelligent way to relate to life since the universe rolls along without our agreement. Despite our apparent insignificance, we may lighten the burden of the Divine when we consciously accept what is. Everyday circumstances that we can surrender to and more challenging situations are considered. Surrendering to circumstance is different than surrendering to all of life. There is no proof of surrender other than the abiding experience, which requires self-honesty and has been the experience of different masters in all the traditions. Usually, we do not surrender to joy but tend to hold it in and try to contain it. Surrendering to others loosens the assemblage point, the way ego functions. Surrendering to our life purpose could be very ordinary or not. Surrender is surrender to self, but it is not so easy to distinguish between self and ego. Learning to surrender isn’t part of our education, but we can learn to follow what feels right and accept what is and act. VJ Fedorschak is the organizer of the Western Baul Podcast Series and author of The Shadow on the Path and Father and Son.

Keep My Heart Open in Hell (Nachama Greenwald)

Our willingness to feel the pain of the world is inextricably entwined with our capacity to love. What is the value of keeping our hearts open in hell, when life is most painful and difficult? We all have a deep desire to have our hearts awakened to love. Love can transform us in a powerful way when we are in hell. There is a lot of sorrow in life, but we can choose joy and beauty in the cracks between our sorrows. We can’t keep our hearts open when we are identified, but we are much more than our identifications. In the unitive state with the entirety of creation, we can keep our hearts open in hell. We don’t want to lose our sense of humor, especially in these times when there is so much suffering. Inspiring examples of people who have been able to keep their hearts open in hell are discussed. When we are suffering with the hell of ourselves, aspects of ourselves we are not proud of, how do we stay open with compassion and honesty, without judgment? The capacity to face the truth about ourselves and the world, the way things really are, is essential to the awakening of freedom in life. To love the truth is to love reality, both the heaven and hell realms. To love the truth more than our delusions is the state of a mature adult. How do we go from accepting to loving what is? We learn to love everything by becoming intimately familiar with it. We can walk through hell with our heart open when we are able to love what we do not love. It is possible to be settled in a state of love. Keeping our hearts open in hell is a very high practice that requires a lot of us and is very nuanced, but it is worth discussing if our hearts want to go there. We can work with this by paying attention to the simplest interactions when our hearts are not open. Nachama Greenwald is a physical therapist, editor, and musician who for seventeen years was a member of the Shri blues band which performed Western Baul music.

Waking to Ordinary Life (Lalitha)

As long as we have a body, ordinary life will present things that ego considers problems. Waking to ordinary life implies that we’re not awake. When we are stagnant and fearful, interested in a safe comfort zone, we do not notice the beauty of ordinary life. But we can broaden our view. Waking to ordinary life is about cultivating a vulnerability to beauty. This occurs when we have the necessity to face the difficulties of ordinary life without compromise. If we take a closer look at ordinary life and lean into it, beauty explodes on us. “Every breath for beauty” is a secret for enduring joy. Being overwhelmed by being busy can conceal our fear. We can consider that any space, including the bathroom, can be an empowered chamber that nurtures transformation. The state of a bathroom indicates something about our mental state, the clutter in our thinking. We may not know how clutter pollutes our practice and work. Cleansing our mind can begin with cleaning spaces. We have to notice the piles of clutter before we can declutter. We can’t blame it on others; we have to look in the dark places ourselves. Comedy is a great tool to nourish our brain. It’s normal to think there is no stability in chaos, but there is a view in which chaos is very stable. It’s worth shaking up our dearly held beliefs. Action needs to be taken in ordinary life, and it can be messy. Energy follows the quality, direction, and motives of our attention. We can produce food for influences that live off contention and the disturbance of mind. If we know we are not able to “hold our seat,” it can be healthier to withdraw our attention from influences such as politics so that we are not participating in perpetual disturbance. Lalitha is a spiritual teacher with an ashram in British Columbia, Canada, who was empowered by her master Lee Lozowick in 1998. Her books include Waking to Ordinary Life and Cultivating Spiritual Maturity.

The Art of Japa (Michael Menager and Mic Clarke)

Mantra is likely older than language, sounds that were received by the rishis, poet mystics of the Vedas. It can be silent and internal, a form of thought that reveals more as one goes deeper into it. One meaning of mantra is “crossing over the mind.” How can a sacred sound take us beyond the incessant machinery of mind? Japa is defined as speaking mantra, a simple practice of devotional repetition of a name of God. We sacrifice self-reference and reorient attention to the Divine name. The world becomes magical as we enter into relationship with the sacred. Remembering God’s name is a practice suited to the age of Kali, when the world is in darkness. Ramnam (saying the name of Ram as a Divine expression) is really repeating the name of our own immortal self. Any name of God is equally good. Mantra removes distinction, judgment and separation. Ancient mantras that have come through revelation are empowered. A mantra can be a blessing force that invokes the living presence of a teacher who activated it. We can bring our mind back to a mantra, observing what is going on for us and remembering that help is available. Being present with others in distress and doing japa can create a chamber, a field or space where solutions emerge without trying to change or fix a situation. If we are like a hollow bamboo, the wind can come through us and play its tune. The name and reality of the name are inseparable. Japa is an experiential practice that can be done anywhere, at any time. Kirtan is devotional chanting that can create a field of sound, music, and heartfulness. Michael Menager is a musician, singer, author, and modern-day troubadour whose third album is titled Line in the Water. Mic Clarke is a writer, practitioner of Vedic astrology, and mental health social worker. Both live in New South Wales, Australia and are students of Lee Lozowick.

Regulating the Nervous System in Spiritual Work (Clelia Vahni Lewis)

We can’t separate our nervous system from the nervous systems of others we are in relationship to since we affect one another. In a practical sense, we are not separate. Nervous systems do not develop in isolation. If we are not regulated and have children, there is an immediate effect on them. Co-regulation is the regulation of emotions and behaviors in relationships or groups. We don’t have the family and tribal traditions that produce co-regulation today. Group protocols can help groups self-regulate as an organism. We may think spiritual practices or understanding will do the psychological or physiological work that is necessary and then find we need to address it. Spiritual practices are potentially nervous system regulating, which is not the aim of practices but one aspect of them that can support our spiritual journey. Psychological work is not the same as spiritual work. The point of spiritual work is to allow for consciousness in the body to disidentify and come into relationship with a much larger Reality. For that to take place without the organism going into panic, we need a grounded sense of self. A healthy ego is necessary in order to transcend it. We don’t need to beat ourselves up for not having regulated nervous systems. The idea is not to stop reacting but to maintain continuity of presence and awareness. It’s beneficial to relax. Without encountering and engaging a level of energetic intensity, we may not get to the wakefulness that allows for transformation. A well-regulated nervous system can move flexibly between different states and experiences and be in relationship with the unknown. Breath can be an indicator of whether we’re regulated or not and is also a pathway toward regulation. Clelia Vahni Lewis is the author of Stainless Heart: The Wisdom of Remorse and a freelance editor specializing in works of dharma, spiritual practice, self-help, and memoir.

The Only Grace Is Loving God (Mary Angelon Young)

The book, The Only Grace Is Loving God, written in twilight language or ecstatic speech by Lee Lozowick in 1982, was inspired by Answer to Job, CG Jung’s discussion of the human struggle with an image we have of God and the suffering we experience. The Divine image has to include the feminine aspect of existence in order for Christ consciousness, a God of love and mercy, to be born in us. Conscious participation in our individuation is needed for the image that we have of God to grow. Lee refers to God and the Great Process of Divine Evolution as one and the same in his writings. The truth of existence is nondual reality; there is only God. Realizing the masculine polarity of being, fulfillment of the Law or surrender to the Will of God, is divine destiny and the same for everyone in all forms. The only gateway to God is the feminine, which is not about gender but qualities of being that exist in each of us. Realizing the perfection of the feminine is different for every form of existence. Loving God is not a destiny but the ultimate human possibility, a gift of Grace which cannot be earned. To love God is whimsical, illogical, wild, spontaneous, unpredictable, paradoxical, useless and foolish. The only hope for the world is for individuals to stay in the heartbreak and take responsibility for inner work that has to be done. We have to find our own way and revelation. Trusting in the benevolence of the universe and imagination are key. Wisdom communicates through presence. The Great Process just keeps going; there is no top end. We can live into the consideration of loving God. Mary Angelon Young is a workshop leader with a background in Jungian psychology, an editor and author of As It Is, Under the Punnai Tree, The Baul Tradition, Caught in the Beloved’s Petticoats, Enlightened Duality (with Lee Lozowick), The Art of Contemplation, and other books.

S’agenouiller et embrasser le sol – Présence et Objectif, une approche poétique (Mary Angelon Young)

French audio version, original talk released July 14, 2022.

Rumi termine l’un de ses poèmes en disant : « Il y a mille façons de s'agenouiller et d'embrasser le sol ». Quand on regarde le monde tel qu'il est aujourd’hui, il est normal d’avoir peur, d’être anxieux, de ressentir du chagrin. Notre monde est à la fois bourré de toxines et débordant de nectar. Il y a trois façons de traiter ces toxines : soit nous les rejetons, soit nous nous en gavons sans aucun discernement, soit nous en prenons des doses mesurées. La troisième option est cette « voie du milieu » dont parlent les taoïstes. Lorsque nous sommes à un carrefour et faisons face à l'inconnu, nous devons être fluides, capables de changer de forme. Il s’agit de maintenir une tension juste entre l'esprit du temps et ce que Jung appelait l'esprit des profondeurs, d’entrer dans un processus alchimique. A suivre un régime trop pur, on prend le risque de devenir rigide et de s’affaiblir. Si nous refusons de vivre avec la réalité telle qu’elle est, c’est elle qui viendra nous demander des comptes. Plus nous nous exerçons à être présents à la réalité, plus notre puissance de vie augmente et plus nous devenons un facteur de guérison dans le monde. Notre émerveillement devant l’inconnu nous grandit, nous élève, nous met dans un état de réceptivité. Il y a six facettes à cet émerveillement : l'ouverture d’esprit et de cœur, la curiosité, l’étonnement, l'espoir, la capacité à être en connexion et la vénération. Le terme communitas fait référence à un niveau profond de communauté typiquement associé à la présence du divin. Nous pouvons être inspirés par les points forts d’autrui. Si nous voulons être sûrs que le chemin sur lequel nous sommes est le bon, nous devons être disposés à nous perdre de temps en temps. Et si rester avec notre chagrin était une preuve de sagesse ? Et si cela nous travaillait de l’intérieur et nous aidait à voir, réfléchir et embrasser autrui différemment ? Parfois, oui, la seule chose à faire est de s’agenouiller et d'embrasser le sol. Praticienne en psychologie jungienne, auteur de nombreux ouvrages (As It Is, Under the Punnai Tree, The Baul Tradition, Caught in the Beloved's Petticoats, The Art of Contemplation, La dualité illuminée), Angelon Young écrit également des romans historiques et mène des ateliers d’écriture. Elle pratique la méditation dans la tradition baûle occidentale et vit dans la communauté de Lee Lozowick depuis 40 ans.

If You Don’t Act Right, You Don’t Feel Right” (Matthew Files)

There is a rightness to how we feel because of how we act when we provide what is wanted and needed in any given moment. This may be considered as the trademark of a revolutionist. Fresh insights and revelations come from use of a different language. Jan Cox was a teacher, in the mystical and philosophical sense, whose language was unique. Maxims from his “Revolutionist Code of Conduct” are discussed in this talk. Be judicious with euphemisms, without speaking in metaphors when we intend the literal. There is hesitation to be literal about death. Stealing, being deceitful, is one of the worst things we can do. It is not about morality but about not poisoning our involvement in “this,” which could be a way to describe work on self without the conceptual limitations of what “this” is. A reality beyond words can be transmitted via language. Being a revolutionist is to struggle against “sleep,” but the best approach is to relax rather than to make knotted-up efforts. This is not special, but it is uncommon. We see we are asleep, unconscious and mechanical, in hindsight. The tendency is to chase after what voices in our heads say rather than to investigate the voices themselves. We can say the opposite of what we chemically feel and work with not taking feelings seriously. Our feelings make us feel right. We can take our experiences when we get angry as a test to see if we can still be “thrown to the ground” by the same influences, while having human feelings. Man takes his “weaknesses” and creates heroes out of those parts. Embracing or at least being OK with our weaknesses alleviates the need to create heroes. The real revolutionist has no allegiance. We may engage in “this” if we don’t want to be a slave to our genes. Matthew Files facilitates groups that support people to look deeper into their process, formulate their own questions, and become responsible for their choices.

Walking the Razor’s Edge: A Talk on Attention (Juanita Violini)

There are two sides to the metaphor of a razor’s edge. On one side is duality and on the other side is non-duality. When we’re born, we’re in a state of relaxed well-being and can see clearly for a period of time. Then we discover that we can fall off the razor’s edge. This occurs when our attention is taken from us through identification, attachment, comparison, and our stories. Prior to losing our attention, we are thrust into survival and lose trust. We are conditioned not to look at ourselves but are trained to focus on our faults. Self-hatred starts as children when we think we’re the center of the universe and that we're at fault when things go wrong. When our attention is stolen, we cannot access our intuition. But if we begin to look inside ourselves, we see power and clarity. The clearer we see ourselves, the more we can trust ourselves. We can be trustworthy if we know ways that we are untrustworthy. If we know our boundaries and who we are, we know who others are as well and can accept them as they are. There are a lot of reasons why we might feel badly. If we can keep our attention on the sensations of the body, we will get the information we need. To get back on the razor’s edge, we have to relax, let go of what weighs us down, and trust that we will be looked after even if what life provides may not always be what we want. The journey of self-discovery is akin to a razor’s edge. The fact that the razor’s edge is narrow means that we have to pay attention when walking on it. It is dangerous when our attention is taken since then we are not in touch with reality. We need to reclaim our attention which is all we have or the most important thing we have. The distinction between self-observation and self-remembering is explored. Juanita Violini is an artist and writer/producer of interactive mystery entertainment who has been a student of the spiritual path for over 35 years.

Teachings of Dune: Clues for Living Like a Human from the Writings of Frank Herbert (Bandhu Dunham)

This talk emphasizes what we can use from Dune for our own personal evolution or transformation. Science fiction explores archetypes and mythic structures and can help us consider what it means to be human. Twilight language, which permeates Dune, is the way that mystics and shamans speak, which requires a different state of consciousness to understand. Frank Herbert creates a world that leaves out a lot of details so that our imagination is engaged to fill in the gaps in spinning the Dune universe for ourselves. There are major themes threaded through the series of books that can be of spiritual value to reflect upon: the complex relationship we have with human heroes and saviors, how power corrupts and attracts the corruptible, taking what is good in religion but avoiding what is deleterious, being careful when the need for religion becomes fanatical, trusting the guidance of someone who is more advanced without giving over all our critical faculties, differences in human and animal nature, learning how to learn, sacrificing the comfort of the worldview we’ve been given and raised with to enter a path of conscious evolution, the value in training awareness and attention, how the stasis of dogmatic fixed ideas can lead to manipulation and death, respect for resources, gathering energies that can be used for higher purposes and transformation, how self-indulgence is at the core of much evil in the world, restraint as a virtue that is based on self-observation, warriorship as the readiness to respond when necessity arises regardless of mood, the tension between the moral law we live under and the necessity of circumstance, how each experience carries its lesson, the convergence of choice and destiny, and the ultimate responsibility we have for ourselves. Bandhu Dunham is the author of Creative Life and an internationally recognized glass artist and teacher.