Advice from a 126-year old Monk
February 15, 2016 • Insights on Life, Learn
Swami Bua was a dear friend of mine. I was first introduced to him when I lived as a monk at Kauai’s Hindu Monastery in Hawaii. My guru had known Swami Bua for years now and had invited him to spend a week or so with us at the monastery to celebrate a yearly festival. Swami Bua accepted and spent the week with the monks at the monastery.
I was one of his hosts and had the great pleasure and blessing to have had many conversations with him during his few visits to the monastery over the course of a few years.
I recently came across this conversation which I had with him in the monastery and had written down in my monastic journal.
28th June 2004
Dandapani: “Swami Bua, what is the best advice you can give for someone who is practicing yoga?” *
Swami Bua: “Some insects have only 2 senses. Some 3. Animals have 4 senses. But man has 6 senses. The sixth being intuition. Intuition to discriminate. Discrimination is the key. Discriminating between what is right and wrong.”
* Yoga here refers to the entire 8-step practice and not what the modern day world refers to as postures (asana).
Swami Bua and I having a conversation at Kauai’s Hindu Monastery in Hawaii. Circa 2004.
Don’t Confuse Your Mind
Your mind is your greatest asset. The better you understand it the more you can do with it to help you with every aspect of your life. This is worth investing time in. After all, it is the most powerful tool that we have. One thing we want to avoid doing with the mind is…
Read More
The Cure for Worry
All of us have experienced this crippling force—some more than others. Some, unfortunately, live in it. Worry, like fear, is a mental plague that has survived the test of time. It has robbed people of their peace of mind, ransacked them of their energy, and made itself an unwanted squatter in the...
Read More
This Week’s Reflections
Good morning. A few reflections for the week. Define Your Relationship With Your Phone If your smartphone feels like it’s taking over your life, it’s likely because you haven’t clearly defined your relationship with it. My technology, my smartphone, is a tool for me, just like a shovel. I have a...
Read More
The Superconscious Mind: The Highest Version of You
In the depths of our mind lies a powerful realm—the superconscious mind. This part of us transcends the limits of daily thinking. It’s the source of intuition, the wellspring of creativity, and the space where clarity radiates uninterrupted. The superconscious mind is accessible to everyone—it’s ...
Read More
