Religious Scholar

Dr. Pratap addresses Medical Yoga 2015, the annual conference of the Yoga Research Society, at Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia, Pa. More details on this conference will be forthcoming at this site.

I came across my chapbook, The Lilac Thief, from a few years back. Including it here in a downloable PDF. It contains songs and poems, including "Perfect Spring," from the early years of this century. Hope you enjoy reading and keep writing your own songs and poems until the end of time.  http://issuu.com/religiousscholar/docs/the_lilac_thief

Look for the article, "The Chan (Zen) Drawings of H.D.Thoreau" by Linda Brown Holt in Qi Journal this year (summer edition).

www.qi-journal.com

Such' ihn über'm Sternenzelt!

Über Sternen muss er wohnen!

Brothers, above the canopy of stars

must dwell a loving father.

Do you bow down before Him, you millions?

Do you sense your Creator, o world?

Seek Him above the canopy of stars!

He must dwell beyond the stars.

(words by Schiller, music, the Ode to Joy by Beethoven)

Spontaneous comments by Dr. Vijayendra Pratap, director of the SKY Foundation in Philadelphia, Pa., during a talk with students on October 30, 2014. (Some comments are paraphrased; this is not a verbatim transcript.)

On Yoga

Wherever you go, it (yoga) is with you. You don’t need “stuff” to practice yoga. The main focus will be your senses. They allow you entrance into yourself. It is your choice how and what you want to see. Contemplate on what you choose. You have the tools: use them. If you lose your focus, so what? Come back to it.

Human Nature

You are fundamentally perfect, according to my definition. Yoga teaches this. But somehow you got the notion that you are not. The moon on the second day of its cycle is perfect. But you compare it to the day before when the moon was full. No two people are alike. See the beauty of creation in individuals. Know that people are fascinating.

Knowing

You have the answer for everything. Look within. Knowledge does not come from the outside.

Rising Sun

(A student asked why we begin practice by visualizing the rising sun.) The rising sun opens the lotus. In meditation, the rising sun stands for the power of awakening. The lotus is associated with who we are. It never sinks in water, never drowns. There is mud and filth at the bottom of the pond, but the lotus is untouched. There are dark places within, but you float above it.

In the morning, look toward the sun just rising. If you give yourself quiet time, understanding arises. First comes darkness, but then, the truth is bright and clear. Dig deep: the foundation materializes.

Conditioning and Communicating

We are conditioned to think a certain way. This keeps us from understanding. This is true everywhere, from India to China to America. Go with a fresh mind, an Open Mind (OM). Don’t be so serious, but be sincere.

Did you know you can communicate through silence? Two people deeply in love do not have to say a word: they understand each other. It is like a tuning fork, when one is struck, the other hums. When people are synchronized, they can communicate without talking. How beautiful it is when we are in tune with one another.