Keeping Yoga Wisdom Alive

Practicing Off the Mat...

In ancient times, wisdom teachings were recorded by scratching the letters in to a palm leaf and then ash was rubbed into the grooves to stain them black. The texts were also carved as wood blocks, precious words, each one carved in reverse.

Time and war and weather have destroyed so many of the ancient books. Some of the ancient books have been found and preserved by the Asian Classics Input Project - non-profit organization dedicated to saving ancient wisdom, books and teachings. These texts have been found in Russia, Mongolia and other places.

The books are scanned, translated, entered, and hypertexted into a database. This work is done by hundreds of Tibetan refugees in many places around the world. Asian Classics Input Project makes these texts and art available free at their web site.

At Diamond Mountain University in Arizona, we study these wisdom teachings. They are also available free, on line, at the Asian Classics Institute website. These courses were crafted by Geshe Michael Roach, based on his education and experience to become a Geshe. There are many additional teachings available including meditations and daily practices on the Asian Classics Institute website.

At the DMES website you can tune into nearly all the classes that are taught at Diamond Mountain including the on-line translator class, Bok Jinpa meditation class and other public presentations such as Spiritual Partners and The Silent Retreat Teachings.

People all around the world, even in prisons, are getting these teachings for free. These wisdom teachings, in English, are taught in a way that applies to living in this modern world. This speaks to the opportunities and resources that are available to us in these times. In the past, monks had to travel for years to get these teachings. Now if you have the karma, and you understand how karma works, you can log on and find out what the Buddha really meant.

The Yoga Sutras are taught along with Tibetan Heart Yoga by the Yoga Studies Institute.

The principles from the Diamond Cutter Sutra are woven into the fabric of the Enlightened Business Institute which inspires the way I run my business.

Out here, on this land we are figuring out how to live sustainably using permaculture practices. Sky Island is a local environmental group - and if that interests you, then perhaps you might also be interested in checking out cutting edge watershed restoration at Mattole Restoration Council. Check out KMUD--People Powered Radio, the radio station that inspires me, and Garden of Beadin.

I am inspired by profound thinkers and Cultural Creatives, and knowing that everything changes. So this is why I made the ancient wisdom cards - my simple way of keeping these wisdom teachings alive and making them available for others. Sale of Ancient Wisdom Cards helps support these efforts.

-- Mickey Dulas

P.S. While you're here, check out my static-cling postcards with Chinese calligraphy.