Extra Credit: 'the Ice Cream Sundae Test'
Note: This Extra Credit essay looks a little deeper into the idea of surrendering our ‘joys’ as a means of growth. This concept was covered in the primary essay, but perhaps this deeper dive into the concept can inspire your practice in new and helpful ways.
”The truth is that the joy you find in all things is simply a reflection of the joy of your own Inner Self”
- Swami Muktananda
[This is your homework- a 'Lila Sankalpa', which is Sanskrit for "A Promise to Play", a fun and worthwhile commitment to try using your practice more in your life. Please read this entry, try the practice in your life, and leave a comment below with your findings. We will revisit this during Wednesday's class]
As we learned from the ‘Heart, Tension and Surrender’ Video Presentation, the joy that we experience in life only ‘appears’ to be coming from outside of us, when, according to the yogic tradition, the actual source of that joy is inside of us. This was proved by Babaji’s ‘Ice Cream Sundae Test’, where we saw that even though one ice cream sundae made us happy, 3 didn’t make us three times happier— in fact it made us feel nauseous.
As we have all experienced throughout our lives— the objects of our enjoyment only seem to ‘prop open’ the door of the heart, but no matter how good the song is, it eventually has to end (even Bohemian Rhapsody). And no matter how wonderful the ice cream sundae is, you either eat it or it melts— one way or another it’s gonna fade.
So we are presented with two paths to happiness. One of them is to continually seek more and more objects of enjoyment endlessly to keep ourselves entertained, like keeping a spoiled child happy till their parents pick them up. The other is to begin using our meditation practice to Surrender the ‘object’ while enjoying it so that we are able to identify more deeply with the source of the joy itself.
As Patanjanli writes in Yoga Sutra 1.15, “In becoming the master of one’s own intellect, one can encounter an object of enjoyment without attachment, and be content.”
That’s like saying you get your cake and eat it too! And it really is possible through surrender, a practice that will not only extend the enjoyment of those experiences, but more importantly, create pathways of awareness to the heart that allow that bliss to flow into our lives all the time— not just during ‘happy hour’.
The second path, of course, requires practice over time. As Babaji writes in his book Spiritual Practice, “You can’t just sit down and play the piano. You have to learn the notes. To meditate you have to learn how to use the breath. You have to learn the mantra, and you have to practice. At first you are awkward and clumsy, and you forget and you get lost. But it’s a process, and if you make a commitment to that process, believe me, it will change your life. You will find a level of internal freedom that can’t be purchased in any other way. No drug, no experience, no place, and no Hawaiian beach is going to bring you that kind of experience and that kind of freedom.(p. 15)”
So let’s Try it! Your Lila Sankalpa is to bring your practice into moments of your day that bring you happiness. Can you take a sip of breath between sips of coffee first thing in the morning? Can you feel your mind soften as you watch footage of sea otters playing with orangutans at the zoo? Can you feel the energy in your body as you dance to your favorite song? Can you observe yourself enjoying a sunset or a hike? Keep your attention inside during those moments of joy that are coming and going throughout your day. Your mind will try to stop you, telling you that if you take a breath you’ll miss the show, but you’ve been doing it that way your whole life— Today we’re trying something new.