Maybe you’ve seen the video of an eight-month old baby who was born deaf and hears his mother’s voice for the very first time? It’s such a beautiful sight, and one can only imagine what that baby must be feeling, thinking, and hearing. Over the past few nights, I, along with 60 or so others in Arizona, have had an incredibly profound experience. I’d venture to say this experience has left us all feeling something distantly related to what the baby in the video must be feeling.
We’ve had the good fortune to enjoy the wisdom of Michael Roach, author of The Diamond Cutter and teacher of Tibetan Buddhism. He is the first Westerner to achieve the degree of Geshe. After 20+ years studying in India, his leader told him one day he needed to start a business and raise money for the Tibetan refugees. After much meditation, Geshe Roach decided to start a diamond business in NYC with the $7 he had in his pocket. He applied his Buddhist principles and watched this endeavor grow into a thriving enterprise.
The most powerful part of his talk, at least for me, was his teaching on yoga. He explained that in Tibetan Buddhism, you do not practice yoga on the outer body until you’ve mastered yoga on the inner body. Try telling that to Bob “Handstand-or-Bust” Williams in your 6pm Power class. Point being, whether a handstand, shoulderstand, or headstand, physical expression is just the tip of the iceberg. Most all human potential comes from parting the sea of thought and melting physical tension to reveal something stronger, wiser, Greater than lives in each of us. Too hokey-pokey for you? Try telling that to Warren Buffet who recently bought Geshe Roach’s business for $250 million.
No comments yet.