faith – Holistic Yoga & Spiritual Guidance

Living in the Kingdom of God

June 27, 2026 Jivani Lisa

I feel deeply captivated by the similarities between Advaita Vedanta (in the Hindu tradition) and mystical Christianity – basically the teachings of non-dualism in these two great religious traditions (which also exist in other religions and spiritualities). For example, Yoga means union with Divinity. The practices and ultimate goal of both Yoga and Christianity is union with God.

This morning as I was praying the Office of Readings in the Roman Catholic Liturgy of the Hours for today, I encountered a beautiful reading from a homily by St. Gregory of Nyssa (c. 335 – 394). Here is an excerpt:

“.. . [F]rom the Lord’s saying: Blessed are the pure of heart, for they shall see God, we are to learn that blessedness does not lie in knowing something about God, but rather in possessing God within oneself.

“I do not think these words mean that God will be seen face to face by the man who purifies the eye of his soul. Their sublime import is brought out more clearly perhaps in that other saying of the Lord’s: The kingdom of God is within you. This teaches us that the man who cleanses his heart of every created thing and every evil desire will see the image of the divine nature in the beauty of his own soul. I believe the lesson summed up by the Word in that short sentence was this: You have within you a desire to behold the supreme good. Now when you are told that the majesty of God is exalted above the heavens, that his glory is inexpressible, his beauty indescribable, and his nature transcendent, do not despair because you cannot behold the object of your desire. If by a diligent life of virtue you wash away the film of dirt that covers your heart, then the divine beauty will shine forth in you.

“Take a piece of iron as an illustration. Although it might have been black before, once the rust has been scraped off with a whetstone, it will begin to shine brilliantly and to reflect the rays of the sun. So it is with the interior man, which is what the Lord means by ‘the heart.’ Once a man removes from his soul the coating of filth that has formed on it through his sinful neglect, he will regain his likeness to his Archetype, and be good. For what resembles the supreme Good is itself good. If he then looks into himself, he will see the vision he has longed for. This is the blessedness of the pure in heart: in seeing their own purity they see the divine Archetype mirrored in themselves.

“Those who look at the sun in a mirror, even if they do not look directly at the sky, see its radiance in the reflection just as truly as do those who look directly at the sun’s orb. It is the same, says the Lord, with you. Even though you are unable to contemplate and see the inaccessible light, you will find what you seek within yourself, provided you return to the beauty and grace of that image which was originally placed in you. For God is purity; . . . . Once purified, you see things that others cannot see. When the mists of sin no longer cloud the eye of your soul, you see that blessed vision clearly in the peace and purity of your own heart. That vision is nothing else than the holiness, the purity, the simplicity and all the other glorious reflections of God’s nature, through which God himself is seen.”

Christians sometimes argue whether the ultimate goal of union with God is attained through human effort or through the grace of God. The answer, as Advaita Vedanta also agrees, is BOTH. Union doesn’t happen by magic. Our various spiritual practices and disciplines are necessary to predispose us to the work of God’s grace within us. May we all attain the goal of life in this world, and share our peace and joy with the world!

Spirituality

What’s the Point?

May 9, 2026 Jivani Lisa

Looking through old journals today, I came across this entry from May 17, 2011:

There is no point to life other than to achieve union with God — which requires many lifetimes to free ourselves from the delusions of this world. We don’t remember our past lives because, for the most part, we make the same mistakes over and over again in each life just as we tend to repeat mistakes in this life. The average person would become very discouraged if he/she knew about this.

Everything in this world, including organized religion, is a delusion. Some delusions, such as our work or our family relationships can actually move us closer to union with God if we can participate in them without attachment. Highly advanced (spiritually) souls are able to see all of this (including their past lives) without becoming discouraged, and without falling into sadness, depression, or despair.

I received this profound insight (as stated above) when I awakened this morning [5/17/11]. Perhaps I was in a superconscious state very briefly when transitioning from sleep to the waking state. For a moment, I understood everything about this life, everything about karma, rebirth, delusion, and the goal of union with God. I understood it all without words, so it’s hard to explain it in words. I felt very calm and peaceful in seeing this. There was no sense of fear or confusion. It was just a deep knowing of reality as it is.

I believe our souls retain this kind of knowledge and carry it from lifetime to lifetime even though our conscious minds may not remember. This is what allows the soul to continue making progress toward union with God.

It amazes me how fine the line is between this profound, peaceful “knowing” of reality and a severe existential crisis. Perhaps people who are prone to severe depression and existential crises are actually blessed because they are so close to being able to encounter true reality.

Spirituality

Build a Beautiful Future

September 13, 2025 Jivani Lisa

I’m convinced this is the end times. That explains why so many people believe that evil is actually the side of goodness and God.

Every major religion and spirituality going back thousands of years has taught non-violence, truthfulness, generosity, compassion, simplicity, and care for the Earth. Anyone who claims to be a Christian, for example, but is not living these teachings to the best of their ability – and apologizing for failures in these teachings – is a Christian in name only. Jesus warned us about such people:

“Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles? Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Therefore, by their fruits you will know them” (Matthew 7:15-20).

Satan, or “the devil,” is not a particular person or entity. It’s the evil, lying, hate-filled energy that exists in all of us to some degree. “Christ” is also not a particular person (although Jesus was indeed a particular man who perfectly embodied Christ-consciousness), but an energy or consciousness that lives in all of us to some degree. Our task in this life, regardless of our religion or belief-system, is to learn to embody Christ-consciousness more and more until the death of our body.

So, rather than wasting our precious time and energy arguing about who is evil and who is good, we need to be working on ourselves. Time is short, my friends. Please disengage from people, news stories, and social media posts that enflame your hatred. Rather, spend your time loving and helping people, reading uplifting books, caring for the Earth, praying or meditating. Use these practices to turn your thoughts from negativity toward a sense of peace and hope for building a beautiful future.

Regardless of how bad things get in this country (the United States) and the world, refuse to be sucked into the negativity and hatred. Remain grounded in the Light and Love this world needs. Even if you are the last person standing. May it be so. Amen.