Rajanaka Newsletter December 15 2022, Feeling Bemused about Discomfort

Thursday, December 15, 2022

Aho’ Rajanaka,

“It’s the most wonderful time of the year.” Well, I sure hope it is for you and yours.

Before I forget, let me put this at the top of the page.

The Gayatri Sessions resume this evening at 7pm. Join us. Gayatri in the Tantric tradition is the subject and there is plenty to learn. Every Session is autonomous. You can just drop in and it works, you’ll have a good time, it’ll be worth your while. Our Zoom link is the All Thursdays Link: https://rochester.zoom.us/j/98183733328

And the Dropbox Archive is up to date, so have at it, plenty to hear:https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/r58rwnp3ryxgi6a6y8yme/h?dl=0&rlkey=59kbd7hjdrl8n809zv8becmdi

Can we get back to this “it’s the most wonderful time of the year” thing for just a moment?
Well, I really do hope it is for you and yours. I’ve finished teaching for the semester and am working through final exams. That counts for something (good). We’re not in India (not so good). I never forget that I was in that seat as I sit in this seat. How we take our seat is perhaps the best definition of asana. This makes asana more like a question more than a seat or a posture though we know that’s not how most folks think about the word these days---what do we say about asana? I’m going to have to sit with that.

I tell the college students that I’m going to “teach hard, grade easy” but that depends on them. (Beware of the teacher who teaches easy and grades hard.) The truth is I don’t have much interest in extrinsic motivations, be those “threats” or “incentives.” If my students choose not to invest or apply themselves to their abilities that’s their choice. Sometimes it’s just a tough situation. Well, when isn’t it? Life’s not so easy eva’, you know? We need always be more compassionate. The question is, what does that really mean, what does that entail? When is compassion more indulgence, enabling, or as Krsna puts it when are we “grieving for those who do not warrant our grief”? I love how hard that question really is and how controversial that statement needs to be. We may not have answers at the ready, perhaps none that suffice. But it’s good to stay in the question. Rajanaka reminds us that our important questions are often uncomfortable.

It’s not unfair to suggest that folks have equated “doing yoga” with feeling good or feeling better or creating ease or something like that, something salubrious. Yoga re-instigated the use of the word “easeful,” which really is a word even if I am uncomfortable with it. I’d bet folks come to your yoga class to “feel better” or even to “feel good.” Lordknowslifeishard but I’m bemused at the meme that suggests that “suffering is optional” because you’d have to think there is nirvana for that to be true. (Nirvana literally means “extinction,” so how’s dem’ apples?) Did you know that “bemused” can mean both inattentive and absorbed? Thus you can be both unperturbed and even indifferent to an experience while being wholly uneasy and absorbed. I’d say that rightly describes my feelings about “easeful.” If I can’t suffer I’m pretty sure I’m not loving, for what more imperils us to grief than love? Since when is love, ummm, comfortable? Is compassion ever really comfortable even when we mean to comfort?

Don’t mistake me, I am not advocating we make matters worse, only that being honest (much like thinking at all) is often discomforting. But for fun (called it bemused), I’m going to suggest we make things more…complex when it comes to easeful and discomfiture.

Not all of us find being with other human beings to be ordinarily uncomfortable. Of course, I find being with myself harder still. People talk a lot about being comfortable in their own skin or at ease with themselves. I think if I felt comfortable I wouldn’t be paying enough attention and, more importantly, I wouldn’t be learning much.

I noticed the other day that John Coltrane is dressed in a suit and tie on the cover of his immortal A Love Supreme. Now that is a complicated matter of sociology but I submit to you that no one is ever all that comfortable in a suit and tie. You’re not supposed to be. Your discomfort is helping to remind you that you are doing something important. Does Coltrane's art make you feel comfortable? I bet not. Coltrane dressed for the occasion of making his artistry. Art may soothe, soften, console, even relieve some hardness but its discomfort is what invites more attention. If we’re not a bit unsettled, perturbed, precarious, or dare I say working with that old familiar pal anxiety, then we’re probably not ready to learn more. At the same time, it’s hard to learn when you’re feeling too much discomfort. Bemused yet? How do we make discomfort an ally? Discomfort needs to be more like “bemused”: a word that can mean itself and its opposite and at the same time.

Only when I'm (at least a little) uncomfortable do I learn or evolve. I distrust, am bored, and for the most part dislike anything that is easy. The point is not to make life harder than it is but try never to forget why easy rarely means better. I’ll stop with this now but urge you to rage on, calmly.

So tonight we sing the body electric with Gayatri. Join us. Saturday we have our final OM Session and the last one was---dare I say it? I am uncomfortable here but it was really good. And Sunday we will take in a few more pages of Mahabharata, which will always have more sequels than even Marvel, Bond, Star Wars, or Fast and Furious. Tune in because every Session is its own movie. Shaken, not stirred. Like bemusement and discomfort or something. All the details are the usual and below the line.

I hope you were bemused and discomforted (in a good way) by the Newsletter today. I have a few more days before I actually have to submit the student’s grades. That will never happen to you, at least from me. I can’t tell you how comforting I find that. Take care. Laugh a little, be bemused, I hope to see you soon, maybe tonight? That would be swell.

Saprema, Douglas

&&&

Below the Line is a Trove of Information and Opportunity

GOING ON NOWADAYS, THREE LIVE COURSES:

ZOOM LINK FOR ALL THURSDAYS:

https://rochester.zoom.us/j/98183733328

ZOOM LINK FOR ALL SATURDAYS (SAME FOR CORE AND FREE CONVERSATIONS):

https://rochester.zoom.us/j/95057662268

ZOOM LINK FOR ALL SUNDAY SESSIONS including all Mahabharata:

https://rochester.zoom.us/j/314987250

OUR THREE CURRENT LIVE COURSES:

· Saturday Early Winter Core, OM: An Autobiography of the Eternal Sound. Where does OM originate? What is its purpose and meaning? How does the practice of OM evolve from Veda to Tantra? How does one practice with OM and how can OM be further interpreted and applied to one’s life?

ZOOM link for all Saturdays (same for core and free conversations): https://rochester.zoom.us/j/95057662268

HERE is the Saturday recorded archive: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/11jd30d14ibjjtv3wauaj/h?dl=0&rlkey=1wugbag9m7myo1c50gt6qoa6d

· Sunday Mahabharata Sessions. We are going to study the Mahabharata because there is nothing better in the whole of India grand corpus of learning. EACH Session stands on its own. You can come to them all or come when you can. There is no falling behind, no catching up, there is only the desire to step into the story a few pages at a time. Each Session carries forward Books 2 and 3 and each provides the summary and furtherance you need to enjoy the epic. Mahabharata is epic and in fifteen weeks we can dive into its wonders. There is an Archive of past Sessions but this is not required to enjoy any given Sunday. Come. This is really worth it.

Sunday Zoom: https://rochester.zoom.us/j/314987250

HERE is the Mahabharata recorded archive: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/bfqt15y3n0uglir/AAAB_89LiCOob0hJI1w8BK7_a?dl=0

· The Early Winter Thursday will focus on the traditions of the Gayatri mantra in Veda and Tantra. Gayatri becomes a focal point for the earliest Vedic traditions and then evolves into a concept of the Goddess and of mantra practice that extends into the greater pantheon of deities. To learn Gayatri in theory and practice will enrich your understanding of every facet of the history of yoga and its evolution from Veda to Tantra. All materials will be provided, no particular familiarity is required or necessary. Open hearts, an honest commitment, and rich rewards. Our study includes close reading, some chanting and mantra, meditations, and even mudra studies.

ZOOM link for all Thursdays: https://rochester.zoom.us/j/98183733328

HERE is the Gayatri recorded archive: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/r58rwnp3ryxgi6a6y8yme/h?dl=0&rlkey=59kbd7hjdrl8n809zv8becmdi

REGISTRATION AND TUITION

You register for Sessions by showing up on Zoom, the links always listed publicly.

You pay tuition by using Venmo (svcourses@gmail.com or douglas-brooks-8) or PayPal to svcourses@gmail.com or nallapaampu@gmail.com) or if you’re not inclined send me an email and we’ll work it out.

THURSDAY COURSES, SIX SESSIONS.

Six Sessions tuition is $200 (that is, $200 for Fall, $200 for Early Winter.) All Sessions will be recorded and can be accessed at any time. You can pay over time. You can even pay less but you are on your honor to pay something. Fair?

You register by paying tuition using PayPal or Venmo directly. There is no other registration required. Just use the Zoom link and come when you can!! The Zoom link and the Archive will be published in every Rajanaka Newsletter. If PayPal or Venmo don’t suit you, you can write to me and we’ll arrange a check or rupees via carrier pigeons (all the crows are busy).

USE THIS ADDRESS FOR PAYPAL OR VENMO: svcourses@gmail.com

You may also use nallapaampu@gmail.com for PayPal and douglas-brooks-8 for Venmo.

IF you register for BOTH Fall and Early Winter Thursdays tuition is $375 (save $25).

SATURDAY CORE COURSES, FOUR SESSIONS

Four Sessions tuition is $125 (that is, $125 for Fall, $125 for Early Winter). Archive recordings available forever, etc.

Use this address for Paypal or Venmo: svcourses@gmail.com

You may also use nallapaampu@gmail.com for PayPal and douglas-brooks-8 for Venmo.

IF you register for both Fall and Early Winter Saturday Cores tuition is $225 (save $25).

IF you want ALL FALL AND EARLY WINTER THURSDAY COURSES AND SATURDAY CORE tuition is $625.

SUNDAY MAHABHARATA if you purchase all 15 weeks in advance is $250 (or $20 per Session.)

I hope you find tuition reasonable. We are trying to keep things afloat here and in India.

HERE ARE LINKS TO PREVIOUS COURSES ALL OF WHICH ARE ACCESSIBLE VIA OUR DROPBOX ARCHIVES. You register by downloading the Archive. There are no special codes, you’re on your honor. To get the full recording you must download. If you listen from Dropbox you will only hear the first hour. (I answer this question at least twice a week.)

· The Heroine Shakuntala. All proceeds forever will go to support our friends in India. It was a pleasure to read together the magnificent play of the greatest Sanskrit playwright Kalidasa. Tuition for both Sessions and/or access to the recordings in Archive is $150. But if that is more than you can afford then consider a donation because any donation will entitle you to the recordings. I mean to get our pledges into the hands of our friends as soon as possible.

· Archive for Shakuntala: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/osx5n6i9vrz5vi5ek9vch/h?dl=0&rlkey=pa7akqysgrauu07mw9te61yb1

· NYC 2022 The Origins of Kali, here’s the Archive Link:

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/w17dt9vy2gybc8ki2kwql/h?dl=0&rlkey=0cm12uhygsfij9ftku8eqdn39

In NYC we had a grand time exploring some of the most ancient sources of Kali and Warrior Traditions. The Archive for NYC KALI is available for the taking. Tuition is $150 for the entire recordings. You register by dropping your rupees in the PayPal or Venmo accounts (svcourses@gmail) and downloading from Dropbox. Tuition: $125.

· The 1000 Names of Goddess Lalita, the Lalitasahasranama. We met for more than the scheduled SIX Sessions. Renowned for its richness, LSN is also a handbook of Goddness Tantra, especially in consideration of the historical commentaries (particularly the Saubhagyabhaskara of Bhaskararaya). I will provide the text. We will focus on learning the history and content of the text, its interpretations, and its practice. Our study includes close reading, some chanting and mantra, meditations, and even mudra studies. Our Thursday Courses offer useful teachings and practices that will take you to the heart of Rajanaka. PayPal or Venmo (svcourses@gmail.com). Tuition: $200.
Here is the recorded archive: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/18o5rtle7p91hz2/AADQnph8ofpPAX5mtW7mX-L4a?dl=0

· Essential Patanjali Yoga, A Saturday Core Course. This course for students and teachers is designed to provide a true foundation for yoga studies. We met for more than the scheduled FOUR Sessions. You may be well-familiar with Patanjali and the rise of Classical Yoga but this course will zero in on the most important sutras, their meaning and context, and how they relate to practice. We will consider Patanjali in the history of yoga and as an influence on contemporary practice. This would be very good opportunity for any student, beginner or advanced, and would be well-suited to students currently involved in teacher trainings or immersions. Learn the basics, dive deep. Learn how to teach this core text and tradition. PayPal or Venmo (svcourses@gmail.com). Tuition: $125.

Here is the recorded archive: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/2qd7wc5qroiva3v/AAAaZPvnc9I2JQSrO88Iv1exa?dl=0

· FREE Saturdays are a story, a few good laughs and insights, whatever it takes to get the highway jammed with broken heroes on a last chance powerdrive. I’ll love you with all the madness in my soul. HERE IS THE ARCHIVE FOR 2022 SATURDAYS: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/bfqt15y3n0uglir/AAAB_89LiCOob0hJI1w8BK7_a?dl=0

AND HERE is the archive for hundreds more from 2020 and 2021 all are free:https://www.dropbox.com/sh/m8dqip14rtb9677/AABuIF3G8S6WrQ99sjQIUX-ua?dl=0

· MAHABHARATA SUNDAYS. Dozens of Sessions. Tuition: $20 per Session or $15 if you buy a lot of them. Your call. Complete Archive INCLUDING a free Audio book is here:

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/bfqt15y3n0uglir/AAAB_89LiCOob0hJI1w8BK7_a?dl=0

There is also so much in The Rajanaka Archive. All of the Archive are now $200 or close to it so drop a dime, and download from Dropbox. Be honest. Look below here for some of the offerings and ask if you have any questions or interests. Don’t forget the Courses at rajanaka.com---there is so much available. Honestly, it’s a lifetime of learning that will take you several lifetimes. Remember that all of the past Saturday Conversations are free and there are nearly 100 Sessions. Also, tuition helps support our causes in India.

ALL PAST Gita Sessions and AsanaColab yoga classes are available HERE:

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/calr250puxcgy0w/AAAfVWagH9fTU03a8IjqEtPia?dl=0

ARCHIVED COURSES:

TUITION FOR EACH COURSE IS $200 OR it is yours if you have paid the original tuition.

WEDNESDAY COURSE: EVERYDAY RAJANAKA DROPBOX ARCHIVE IS HERE:

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/809o2mm27q0gx20/AABteLdMH3wzAIt6jeAaaq5Aa?dl=0

The archive link for WEDNESDAY COURSE: SRIVIDYA: LALITA is here

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/03ezf8d4hroo0yi/AABoirNRJgGz_3P5AQDHZPRpa?dl=0

The archive line for WEDNESDAY COURSE: NATARAJAR:

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/eyvec7v53p8gasl/AAC0J_tvJaYir6fIXgADqD41a?dl=0

The archive link for JULY 2021 SUMMER CAMP: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/aj6k67zeyyq7f13/AACrNAQjnoVxBvxJo-5iExWfa?dl=0

The archive link for AUGUST 2021 SUMMER CAMP:

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/6e7py7gzta6e8zz/AAD5DEgeyTHYlA_A5kvG5hxoa?dl=0

The archive link for Wednesday 2021 Fall Hanuman, Sundarakanda: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/ctqccnvf441jt1v/AAC49ygwuzJIWshh8O0mpOB5a?dl=0

The archive link for the Rajanaka Practicum on Ganapati Mulamantra:
https://www.dropbox.com/sh/ifx99en4710fmrz/AAD3TOpzAYiD2sqbq8ppoAG9a?dl=0

FOR SIVAKAMI ARCHIVE, it’s $200 to PayPal or Venmo and you can find it here: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/ifddb0hglwrm5hx/AABGyYYfSJ9B_KHhU1LgdsT3a?dl=0

If you access offer tuition using PayPal (svcourses@gmail.com or Venmo douglas-brooks-8)

Tuition for the complete Śiva-Kāmī Sessions will be $200. Individual Sessions are $25.

AND,

The AVAILABLE ON COURSES ARCHIVE.

Please use svcourses@gmail.com for Venmo or PayPal, or nallapaampu@gmail.com for PayPal. If PayPal or Venmo doesn’t work for you, write to me: douglas@rajanaka.com. Tuition for all of these courses is $200. Goes to good causes. Of course, if you paid tuition when you took the courses, they are yours for no further cost.

If you missed TK Practicum, in whole or in part, please avail yourself of the recordings and pay the tuition using Venmo (douglas-brooks-8) or PayPal (svcourses@gmail.com or nallapaampu@gmail.com.) If you’d like to send a check, that’s cool too, just drop me a line. Tuition for the complete Archive is $200. If you’ve already paid, we’re good, okay? I always want things to feel fair, accessible, because I think this learning belongs to the community. Here is the link to the recorded Tillai Kali Practicum Dropbox Archive: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/92i9dynnw78wcc7/AACHEbQ_1BMf7-qPGw7UQVpDa?dl=0

The Sivakamasundari Practicum was amazing. Tuition is the same $200 to PayPal or Venmo. The link is HERE: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/ifddb0hglwrm5hx/AABGyYYfSJ9B_KHhU1LgdsT3a?dl=0

2022 Rajanaka Camp: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/kam31oxsq2bce45/AADr7p6rY6Rk7x8gQ1g_xUyLa?dl=0

HERE’S A FREEBEEEEE, a college class on the Tao De Ching: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/0dfkocr0kx58xvc/AACQeJVhoSk5bXugltMxANlqa?dl=0

Dancer of the Forest 2021 Sessions: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/eyvec7v53p8gasl/AAC0J_tvJaYir6fIXgADqD41a?dl=0

Hanuman in the Sundarakanda 2021:

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/ctqccnvf441jt1v/AAC49ygwuzJIWshh8O0mpOB5a?dl=0

Wednesdays in December 2021:

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/ilne88o3qemckki/AAC27yuvIb7m_m70NETAMAzCa?dl=0

Srividya Goddesses 2021:

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/03ezf8d4hroo0yi/AABoirNRJgGz_3P5AQDHZPRpa?dl=0

Everyday Rajanaka 2021:

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/809o2mm27q0gx20/AABteLdMH3wzAIt6jeAaaq5Aa?dl=0

NYC 2022 The Origins of Kali