Gates clarifies why he isn't all that concerned about what you chose as the "higher power" that is the object of your devotion. Basically, he says that it doesn't matter where you start. The devotion is a process, and he has faith/confidence that no matter what you chose, the paths will lead in the same direction. This attitude fits pretty squarely with his earlier idea that it doesn't matter if you don't know what you are praying to, because nobody else really does either.
Then, he discusses how to put love into action. He says that he decided that the best way was to treat everyone as he would treat the children of a neighbor's friend. For some reason, this comment makes me want to go to Boston and take a few of classes, simply to see exactly how he carries out this idea. (Actually, I'd like to attend some of his classes for more reasons than this, but that's the thought that struck me when reading this.) It seems to me, from what he's said before, that practicing the yamas and niyamas, by itself, puts love into action.
Finally, he draws an amazing connection between asana practice and putting love into action. He says that asana practice teaches us to cherish each breath, to cherish every cell in our bodies. Here, I think he is exactly right, and its one of the main differences between asana practice and other forms of exercise.
1 comment:
Gorgeous.
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