The Ishaya Foundation Newsletter - July 2008 Science of Ascension Some time ago I saw a show called “Britain’s got talent” where then an absolute nobody Paul Potts was participating in a singing contest. His appearance was not of obvious brilliance or talent. The judges asked him what he would sing and he answered “opera”. The judges looked at each other and it was obvious their expectations were not very high. It seemed like they were preparing to be tortured with some horrible rendition of opera sung by this nobody. And what happened. The guy who by all accounts seemed to posses no self-esteem settled in as the music started. In that instant he changed and the personality was put aside for this amazing voice to come out of him. The audience and the judges alike were astounded and the first five seconds went as they were gasping and rearranging their reality to take in what they were hearing. Without being totally conscious of it he brought in something that touched everybody’s hearts. A pure expression of a deeper state of being. Some call this a peak experience. He told that music was his vehicle to go to a place of peace inside of him where no earthly worries could touch him. And it was apparent that he had made a connection inside. For ones that know how to Ascend it is far easier to make that connection by choice at any time anywhere. Every single soul on this planet has the ability to Ascend, to connect with a pure state of Being, with consciousness that is beyond anything of this earth. And everyone has the ability to be a channel for that pure state of being to manifest here on earth. Ascension is a simple tool that can be applied in every situation and condition. As long as we can think we can Ascend. Whatever is our particular flavor and spice Ascension can peel off the layers covering it. As the clouds are dispersed how brilliant the sun that shines. The sun of brilliance and purity is first and foremost inside of us and only fleeting illusions have covered it into forgetfulness. That brilliance is waking up in the eyes of people who Ascend with every Ascension Attitude. Nataraja Ishaya An Easy Practice Ascension is extremely easy to practice and quickly frees anyone from stress. This opens life to maximum creativity, enjoyment, health and success. We all started life with innocence and brilliance. It has taken us many years to cloud our minds with self-destructive beliefs and habits. But it is easy to begin to reverse this and move back toward freedom and power of life in the present moment. Worry and fear are not natural, they are artificially learned and maintained by our beliefs and judgments about life. It is not hard to de-program ourselves from the hypnosis of our past and cultural conditioning. As an immediate result, life becomes easier and more enjoyable. Freedom from stress means that each moment is lived fully and completely. Every day is new with wonderful possibilities when we are no longer victimized by our past. The Teachers of Ascension represent in this modern age an ancient teaching, founded by the Apostle John in the First Century of the Christian era. Nothing in Ascension is newly invested, every technique for stress management and meditation taught by the Teachers of the Society for Ascension has been practiced for thousands of years and has been verified to be universally true for all. MSI, Ascension Ascension is an inner practice, but there are a few things we can do to support the process as the physical body goes through the changes. One of them is physical exercise. In Ascension retreats and First Spheres the teachers teach a set of simple yoga exercises that are designed to help move the physical stress that is released as a natural byproduct of Ascension. The emphasis is not on the physical practice but in supporting the body and giving what it needs to efficiently and quickly rise to perfect health. As with the practice of Ascension Attitudes regularity is the key in this as well. What is Being? Underneath the subtlest layer of all that exists in the relative field is the abstract, absolute field of pure Being, which is unmanifested and transcendental. It is neither matter nor energy. It is pure Being, the state of pure existence. This state of pure existence underlies all that exists. Everything is the expression of this pure existence or absolute Being which is the essential constituent of all relative life. The one eternal, unmanifested, absolute Being manifests itself in many forms of lives and existences in creation. Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, The Science of Being and the Art of Living Being, the Basis of Living Activity depends on thinking. We must think first before doing anything. We rarely consider, however, upon what our thinking depends. Thinking is the basis of doing; what is the basis of thinking? To think we have at least to be. Being is the basis of thinking, and thinking is the basis of doing. Being is the basis of all living. Just as without sap there would be no root and no tree, so also without Being there would be no thinking and no doing. There would be no living without being. If we take care of the sap the whole tree will flourish. Similarly if we take care of Being the whole field of thinking and doing will flourish. The whole field of life can be glorified by consciously taking care of being. Therefore we find Being at the basis of all activity, behavior and the various ways and forms of living. Being is the most glorious, most precious and most laudable basis of all living. Being is the plane of cosmic law, the basis of all laws of nature, which lies at the root of all creation and evolution. It is possible to glorify all fields of life and living by consciously infusing the nature of Being into all the different fields of activity and behavior. Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, The Science of Being and the Art of Living Increasing Charm To go to a field of greater happiness is the natural tendency of the mind. Because in this practice of transcendental meditation ( as well as in the practice of Ascension) the conscious mind is set on the way to experiencing transcendental, absolute Being, whose nature is bliss-consciousness, the mind finds the way increasingly attractive as it advances in the direction of bliss. A light becomes faint and dim as we move away from the source, and its intensity increases as we proceed toward its source. Similarly when the mind goes in the direction of the absolute bliss of transcendental Being, it finds increasing charm at each step of its march. The mind is charmed and so is led to experience transcendental Being. This practice is pleasant for every mind. Whatever the state of evolution of the aspirant, whether he is emotionally developed or intellectually advanced, his mind, by its very tendency to go to a field of greater happiness, finds a way to transcend the subtlest state of thinking and arrive at the bliss of absolute Being. This practice is, therefore, not only simple but also automatic. Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, The Science of Being and the Art of Living Inner Realities Our vision and understanding of the human condition is cultured by our experience. In the waking state of consciousness, we think we are isolated in space and time from one another; we think we are separate and alone. Because this is our perception and belief, we conclude that it is difficult or impossible to influence other’s thinking or behavior deeply. We believe that is it is only with great expenditures of energy, time and commitment we can succeed in changing others. This belief results from the daily experience of our senses. But our senses deceive us, here as everywhere. The reality of our being is that we can, absolutely and effortlessly, change not only ourselves but also everyone else on the planet, past, future or present. If this idea appears strange , it is only because we are accustomed to thinking of ourselves as linear and finite beings with strictly circumscribed abilities and functions. If we think of great-souled members of our race, we often think their actions are their accomplishments. But their true accomplishments are the inner Realities they have developed; their outer actions are their raiment merely. The material may be very fine, the pattern exquisitely beautiful, the colors deep and clear, but any cloth is utterly without value compared to the priceless body wearing it. MSI, Ascension! The Master Key The natural tendency of the mind is to seek greater happiness. Since the mind is the master, and the body the servant, then why not give the master what it wants, something to focus its attention on that is both calming and enlivening? It may sound like a paradox, but it really isn’t. It is in the power of the deeper regions of the mind that we experience inner Peace, the Ascendant, the Source, and thereby can become more productive and effective and alert in our daily activities, simply because we are more present. We begin this process by thinking the Ascension Attitudes with our eyes closed two to three times a day for at least twenty minutes each, and then regularly throughout the day with our eyes open. Each and every time we choose to use the mind to think an Attitude it automatically takes us directly to the Ascendant, whether we consciously recognize it or not. It simply just happens. It is a scientific mechanical method that utilizes the power of the mind to do something other than the habitual pattern of thinking random thoughts, thought after thought after thought. Since it is only our active attention that keeps the door locked on our Good, whenever we choose to use an Ascension Attitude it is the Key that unlocks that door. It is the door to the Kingdom of Heaven, the Unlimited Potential that already lies within, and the more we do so the wider the door opens. An automatic by-product of this simple process is that with the eyes closed the body experiences deeper rest than the deepest sleep at night. It is this deep rest that heals, that releases stress and toxins that have become lodged in our nervous systems and clogged our arteries. The body experiences lower blood pressure, the heart rate slows, oxygen consumption decreases and skin resistance increases. This is the natural way to reverse the aging process. Then life will move ahead at an ever-accelerating pace: joy, health, love and happiness will increase faster and faster. We need do so little to gain so much. All of the Universe exists to serve us. Ascension is the master key to open us to our Good. All that is required is to consistently use it. Nandisvara Ishaya Teacher Training 2009 Oct. 1st, 2008 – April 1st, 2009 A $2,200 non-refundable deposit will reserve your space for this course. The course fee is: $10,800 USD, if paid in full by June 1. $12,800 USD, if paid in full by August 1. $14,800 USD, if paid in full by Oct 1. ($2,200 of the above fee is nonrefundable). Space is limited Call 1-888-474-2921 for application The minimum requirement to attend Teacher Training is the First Sphere of techniques, and a one week Ascension retreat. Our Websites The Ishaya Foundation http://www.theishayafoundation.org Hong Kong website http://www.theishayafoundation.asia European website http://www.theishayafoundation.eu ------------------------------------------------- This is the 37th edition of the Ishaya Foundation newsletter. If you wish to unsubscribe please email mailinglist@theishayafoundation.org. To contact us, please email contact@theishayafoundation.org or phone 1-888-ISHAYA1