When we last met two weeks ago I intended to have a meeting in my office tomorrow, but because of the strict lockdown in New York that will not be possible. After considerable thought, I have decided to give an online talk on my public person Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/MichaelHallPhD/. This will be a first for me as I will be talking directly into my computer without a group in front of me to stimulate ideas and reactions. The title popped into my mind during a meditation today-the Sound of Silence. I am convinced that the single most important action you can take to enhance your own immune response is to learn to routinely access the deep state of awareness experienced when the thinking mind is allowed to go silent. Unlike Paul Simon, who wrote this beautiful song in 1964, deep silence for me is highly desirable for many reasons we can discuss tomorrow. During this time when palpable fear is everywhere, learning to rest in awareness is particularly important.
We will start at 2 and probably have a longer period of meditation than our usual 15 minutes or so. It is not necessary to RSVP as there is no limit on how many people can attend. There is also no fee or suggested donation. Facebook Live has some significant advantages, but also some important disadvantages. After tomorrow I will do my talks on Zoom, which makes audience interaction easy, unlike Facebook. Zoom is also very easy to use, and doesn't require a Facebook account. I know some people who would like to participate in the talks don't because I do them on Facebook. If you are interested you can begin to familiarize yourself with Zoom-it is very user friendly.
Warm regards to all of you. This virus, while profoundly disruptive, can also be a stimulus to creativity. I hope you all are able to dodge this virus and make good use of the unusual opportunities it presents.
David Godman describes Annamalai Swami:
Godman, D. (Ed.) Annamalai
Swami Final Talks (2008). Avadhuta Foundation.
Book Description from Amazon: ANNAMALAI
SWAMI was a direct disciple of Sri Ramana Maharshi, the great South Indian sage
who lived at the foot of the holy mountain Arunachala for more than half a
century. In the 1980s small numbers of spiritual seekers, mostly westerners,
started to visit Annamalai Swami to question him about his Guru’s teachings and
their own spiritual practices In response, Annamalai Swami began to talk about
his experiences, his practices, and the methods that had worked for him. Most
visitors were deeply impressed both by the quality of his teachings and by the
aura of peace and authority that emanated from him. The teachings that are
presented in this book were given out between March and October 1995, the last
six months Annamalai Swami’s life. They represent the essence of his experience
and his lifelong devotion to his Guru and his teachings.
Michael Hall
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