Preview Selections from the Book

The Body

“Mother, by your kindness, I have a good body,
made in this realm of the four elements…
Even though it may appear strange,
painful, and frightening,
if the power of goodness is to show itself,
it must enter through this gate…”

- The Warrior Song of King Gesar
Douglas J. Penick, pg. 11

Currently we are primarily conscious
     of our existence
         on the physical plane,
so we need the physical body for
     the full expression of Spirit here.

Let the poetry
   of your innermost existence
     expand
      throughout your physical body –
only then will you know who you are,
     and what your purpose here on earth is.

Do not fear the power that the body brings,
     nor the beauty of its expression,
   but also do not lament its ability to limit you,
        and do not curse it when it causes you pain.
    The body – beautiful, ugly, healthy, or sick - is
                         simply serving its purpose.

Learn from the body.
     Listen to the body.
Breathe.
     Do not rush.

The wisdom of all the ages
       dwells in its cells,
and he who would master the body
      is actually an attentive servant
         of the link
             between Spirit and matter,
                 consciousness and the world.

The body
   in every instant
       can teach you
          about yourself –
crucial information
    needed for this exact moment.
But only if you have the sensitivity
    and the courage
       to listen, heed, and learn.

Give the body what it needs,
     but do not yield to its demands
          when they betray the needs of the soul.

With gentle awareness,
     you should master the body,
           but don’t let the body master you.

Even though you are presently
        united with the body,
       you are quite different from it.
Do not lose your real identity
     in that which is temporary.

It is true that the body is
        the abode of passion and desire,
                         of ignorance and deceit,
       and these things, unchecked,
               always confuse the seeker
                       and divert her from the final goal.

But the body is also the abode of Truth
                    and Wisdom.
      It is within the body that
             the Supreme Lord dwells,
                    and it is your home as well.

The body is the means for fulfilling your
                     purpose here on earth,
       and also the means for transcendence.
So the wise never neglect the body,
     for to do so is to neglect the Self within.

And if this body falls
       before the goal is reached,
             then another one is assuredly acquired,
                  for another round of sport.

Why not finish the game now?

So do not despise the temple,
           even when it falls into decay.

But rather worship the Lord
                                   within the temple
       through a joyful celebration
                                    of the fullness of Life.

The body is your tool to do this here on earth.

       Respect it. Honor it. Preserve it.
                       Persevere with it.

       Discipline it. Dance with it.
                      Dance in it.

       Be in it. Expand beyond it.

And when it is finished,
       give it up
              without a second thought,
                   for the Self is beyond the body.