gdp's Comments

elephant journal: Yoga, Sustainability, Politics, Spirituality. : Lifting the Weight of the World Off Our Shoulders.

Sun, 29 Sep 2013 20:50:41 +0000

So very true. When I experience disappointment, I realize that I have set myself at odds with what is by getting attached to a particular outcome. Great advice.

elephant journal: Yoga, Sustainability, Politics, Spirituality. : The Importance of Knowing How the Universe Works.

Sun, 15 Sep 2013 19:01:35 +0000

I am learning so much from my reading of the Gita this year. Any my learning is enhanced by your commentary. Are you thinking about publishing this as a book when you get through it? I hope you do. There is so much wisdom in your reflections.

elephant journal: Yoga, Sustainability, Politics, Spirituality. : Look No Further:True Yoga Revealed.

Mon, 2 Sep 2013 21:39:06 +0000

Yes, it's how you live. Especially in the US, we think of yoga as an exercise, and it is on one level. But that is only the very surface. I find that this is true for martial arts, too, which can be practiced as an exercise or a sport. But, like yoga, it is in essence a deep philosophical practice that becomes a way of life.

elephant journal: Yoga, Sustainability, Politics, Spirituality. : The First & Last Lesson of the Bhagavad-Gita. ~ Vrindavan Rao

Tue, 21 May 2013 21:06:08 +0000

So beautiful. I totally believe this. I love Martha's quote about being a soul and having a body.

elephant journal: Yoga, Sustainability, Politics, Spirituality. : The Strength of a Soft Heart. ~ Vrindavan Rao

Tue, 30 Apr 2013 02:02:53 +0000

I love your posts--so full of love. I especially loved the connection you made with Martha about great lovers of God. Beautifully said!

elephant journal: Yoga, Sustainability, Politics, Spirituality. : I Need More of... Everything! ~ Vrindavan Rao

Mon, 15 Apr 2013 17:28:27 +0000

Oh yes, very much! Thank you!

elephant journal: Yoga, Sustainability, Politics, Spirituality. : I Need More of... Everything! ~ Vrindavan Rao

Mon, 15 Apr 2013 17:03:14 +0000

I'm in chapter 2 now. I'm very intrigued by the notion that fighting/killing is Arjuna's sacred duty. It's not how we normally think. There has been so much terrible fighting and killing done in the name of God. What I understand, I think, is that in this case, Krishna is telling Arjuna that his duty is tight, but without personal investment in terms of anger or hatred, or in terms of attachment to winning or losing. To put this in the context of a battle with your own relatives is striking. This morning, I read 2:57 about non-attachment to good or evil. The transcendence of duality is very similar to the teaching in the Tao Te Ching.

elephant journal: Yoga, Sustainability, Politics, Spirituality. : I Need More of... Everything! ~ Vrindavan Rao

Sun, 14 Apr 2013 17:07:20 +0000

I love this idea of transforming rather than rejecting or struggling. It's a very "tai chi" approach, if that makes any sense. In tai chi, you "receive" your opponent's energy and give it back. The energy is transformed. (By the way, I'm really learning so much from reading the Bhagavad-gita.) I can see how its wisdom permeates your writing. Lovely.

elephant journal: Yoga, Sustainability, Politics, Spirituality. : We are Spiritual Beings Having a Material Experience. ~ Vrindavan Rao

Mon, 8 Apr 2013 21:32:44 +0000

I had to chuckle about your premise here (which I totally agree with). I read once that the largest living organism on the planet is a fungus, a giant mushroom fungus which spreads under the earth for miles. What we normally think of as a mushroom is actually the fruit of the fungus. I got to thinking about how we are all spiritual beings united at a deep level but appearing as individuals at the material level. I asked what if we are a giant fungus having a mushroom experience?! A funny look at a serious topic!

elephant journal: Yoga, Sustainability, Politics, Spirituality. : Love Should Never Get Lost in Translation.

Sun, 7 Apr 2013 17:06:24 +0000

Thank you for this helpful article! I love the intricacies of languages. I had the privilege of living in several countries and learning how the languages in those countries permeated the culture and world view of the people. I loved learning terms that that no direct translation in English. For example, just as the Sami people have so many words for snow, the Thai people have many more words in Thai for feelings than we do in English. Conducting negotiations across languages and cultures was a life education for me!

elephant journal: Yoga, Sustainability, Politics, Spirituality. : Don't Be Afraid. ~ Vrindavan Rao

Sun, 7 Apr 2013 17:00:45 +0000

Thanks, Catherine! I'll take a look. And thanks Vrindavan for the additional information.

elephant journal: Yoga, Sustainability, Politics, Spirituality. : Don't Be Afraid. ~ Vrindavan Rao

Tue, 2 Apr 2013 00:14:06 +0000

Oh, good! That is exactly the one I'm reading! I'm happy to have your endorsement.

elephant journal: Yoga, Sustainability, Politics, Spirituality. : Don't Be Afraid. ~ Vrindavan Rao

Mon, 1 Apr 2013 23:48:05 +0000

I am reading the Bhagavad-Gita for the first time from start to finish. I think for an English speaker, the translation is key. It is so poetic and beautiful. And universal. Thanks for your insights.

http://writinginflow.blogspot.com/ : If I May, If I Might

Thu, 28 Mar 2013 21:32:15 +0000

And I, too, sometimes begin sentences with "and." I love your site! My recent post Gratitude Within Reach

http://writinginflow.blogspot.com/ : If I May, If I Might

Thu, 28 Mar 2013 21:17:42 +0000

As someone who taught professional writing, I love articles like this. For one thing, it's a chance to check my own usage. For another, I love finding someone else who cares about these things! And I loved the regional examples of certain phrases. As a writer, I sometimes break the rules on purpose. For example, I often use sentence fragments. To make a point. This was a big step of liberation for me after having a seventh grade English teacher who gave us an automatic F for any sentence fragment or run on sentence. Yikes! Great article.

Dumb Little Man : Sir, Please Put the Phone Down. 5 Tips to Free You From The Shackles of your Phone

Tue, 14 Dec 2010 17:08:55 +0000

What a great post. I immediately thought of my daughter who was walking in the mall while she was texting and ran into the woman walking in front of her. My daughter apologized, but then resumed texting and ran into the same woman again! What is wrong with this picture?! I've started putting my cell phone in the console in my car and on silent so I'm not tempted to answer it or use it while I'm driving. I also started leaving it at home when I go out for a walk with the dog, so that I will just enjoy the walk and maybe chat with some neighbors. Great tips on an important topic! Thank you!

In The Name Of Love : vlog: coffee dates don't lead to marriage...

Sat, 11 Dec 2010 18:36:12 +0000

I remember being asked to go out for coffee by someone I had (yes I admit) been flirting with. Just fun flirting. But when the coffee invitation was offered, I back pedalled FAST. Oh, no, I thought, this is serious! But you know, sometimes coffee is just coffee.

In The Name Of Love : my inner patty stanger...

Mon, 6 Dec 2010 18:04:47 +0000

Well, there was the blind date who turned out to be more than a head shorter than me. Imagine the awkward moment when I opened the door looking straight ahead and had to adjust my line of vision down down down. On the other hand, my sister and her husband just celebrated their 50th anniversary. They met on a blind date. Susan came home not very impressed, but Frank went home, woke up his mom, and said, "I've met the girl I'm going to marry."

In The Name Of Love : silence...

Wed, 1 Dec 2010 20:27:49 +0000

Bless your sweet heart (my Southern roots coming through). I laughed in sympathy at the "I'm a professional Christian." People pay you to show them what being a Christian looks like. And if you can't show them the inevitable stuggles and dark nights of doubt, then what are they paying you for? If you only show them the sunny times, then people think there is something wrong with them if they suffer, and then they suffer more. So personally, I think you are earning your pay and bonuses. You are being courageous and honest about what we all feel sometimes. You are showing us what faith really looks like. You are showing us faith that we are in God's embrace whether we feel it or not. This is where faith counts. So thank you for blessing us with your honesty, your pain, and your hope. When we can be open, then all our hearts link together with the compassion of Christ. This, too, shall pass. In the meantime, rest in the slience, knowing your are loved.

In The Name Of Love : inspiration...

Mon, 29 Nov 2010 17:33:33 +0000

You know what has inspired me lately? Stories of animals modeling God's compassion and grace. Seems like I have recently received a lot of forwarded emails about amazing animals. Young cheetahs catching a baby antelope and then all of them playing together as best friends before parting to hunt and run another day. A crippled pigeon (named Noah) nurturing orphaned baby rabbits. A dachshund nursing a tiger cub. These animals reach beyond their normal instincts to give friendship and aid to even their bitterest enemies. Why can't we do this?