Spiritual development occurs through effort - physical exercises (hatha yoga, kriyas, trul khor, qi gong, service,

spiritually focused labor, art, or lovemaking, and focused stillness) and mental work (focus, visualization,
meditation, interiorization, self inquiry followed by emptying of the mind, repetition of sound or image,
identification with the Universal or an individual aspect of it, etc. ), coupled with attitudes of devotion and
awareness.

But not through intellectual prowess. Books and teachers point the way to self discovery. They provide maps
left by those who have gone before. But the map is never the territory. Even if you read a map a hundred times,
and memorized it to a "t", you still have not walked the territory the map represents.

Reading to be clever, to argue points of philosophy, will get you only foolish pride. But, if you determine the
attitude (view) of the master practitioner, and the method (techniques) of the practice, and you emulate both
attitude and technique, then, then you just may get somewhere!

As you become more adept at any practice, look for answers not in the masters' dogma, but in their experiences.
Look for direction, not for pronouncements.

Theory is not Truth. Technique is not Truth. Attitude is not Truth. Truth is ineffable. But you are able to realize
Truth by using,and then going beyond technique and attitude... Remember,

"Don't think, feeel!

It is like a finger pointing away to the moon...
Don't concentrate on the finger or you'll miss all that heavenly glory."

"You cannot learn to swim by reading a book. You still have to get in the water."

-- both from Bruce Lee, referencing his favorite sources... Chan Buddhism, Taoism, and Krishnamurti.

Smile, breathe right, and keep your tongue up!

Your Friend,

Tao Semko of www.UmaaTantra.com

P.S. No matter where you are in the world, if you read or speak English, you can learn how to practice by
purchasing and following our videos, cd's and manuals, available on SmashanPress.com. If you're a reader,
Santiago's Secrets the Gurus Will Never Show Youis a great place to start. If you prefer video and audio, try our
Secrets of LAya Yoga DVD's.

P.P.S. To send me a Practical Success Story, a Question, or a Comment for this e-letter, be good:
1) Keep it short and to the point.
2) Tell me what's working for you before you ask your question. I need to hear all your specifics... it gives me a
better sense of where you are, and helps others to see what works...
3) If you have a Success Story, write "Success Story" in the subject line of the email. I read these first.
4) At the end of the email, give me your initials and tell me where you're from.
5) Send it to me at: info@umaatantra.com

Q & A: "MCDONALD'S-STYLE YOGA GYMS"