Below is a look at the issue of nudity by Harbin's founder, Ishvara. It is excerpted from his book, Oneness in Living: Kundalini Yoga, the Spiritual Path, and Intentional Community.
Nudity
In most of the world nudity is prohibited. Where it is not, such as where "Nudism" or "Naturalism” prevails, it is usually the main thing going on. At Harbin Hot Springs, nudity is no big deal, and is rarely talked about. Unlike nudist camps, there is no pressure for or against clothing. The New Age viewpoint encourages people to be free to do what they want as long as they do not intrude upon others. "Clothing optional" fits this belief whereas requiring clothing or requiring nudity does not. At Harbin Hot Springs, we simply do what we do. The fight for freedom from required clothing has been won, and we are enjoying the victory.
Thirty-eight years ago for the first time, I took off my clothes and ran in the sun and breeze. Never before had I felt so free! I was claiming my ecstatic human birthright – to be in nature, free from limitation.
There are three main benefits to nudity:
• To enjoy that inherent birthright: to be free, to run free, to be open to nature, and to be ecstatic.
• To grow spiritually by overcoming barriers between ourselves and others.
• To stop hiding from others and, instead, to be honest.
In addition, it is very healthful to expose all of our skin directly to sun, air, and water.
Spirituality and Enjoyment
I believe God is immanent in all nature and that nature expresses divinity. As one body-mind-spirit, we are one with all existence. When culture imprisons our physical being with clothing, it separates us from other people, from nature, and from the full vitality of life.
The spiritual quest is to discover what is divine and to free ourselves from anything separating us from it. We cannot create divine experience directly, for it comes as a grace. But we can help that grace to reach us by removing anything that obstructs us from it. If nature is divine and bodies are divine, then required clothing is an alien presence separating divinity from itself. Abandoning required clothing helps us to be open to spiritual experience.
We can concede to culture most of the time without losing our independence. But if we always concede, we never experience our birthright, the ecstasy of complete freedom.
Most people absorb the demands of parents or culture into themselves as if the demands were their own. Fritz Perls called this “introjection.” If introjection becomes unconscious, as is usually the case, we think the demands are our own and it does not occur to us simply to throw them out and be free. The quick way to be free from introjected demands is to be free from all demands. When we choose to be naked in the presence of others, we free ourselves from a significant fraction of all demands.
As humans, we are social animals and we feel freer when others share our freedom with us. It has been said, “When in Rome, do as the Romans do.” If we find or create domains that are not part of Rome, we can be free from Rome without being at odds with it. Harbin Hot Springs is such a domain, where people can come together in greater freedom. Just as enjoyment of freedom is reduced when others tease us or stare at us, it is enlarged when others participate with us and approve of us.
Honesty
Often we use clothing to present ourselves as better than we are – in other words, to deceive. To be naked is to be simple, pure, and honest. New Age thinkers teach people to be honest with each other and not to hide, so nudity enhances the New Age experience. Honesty, when accepted, increases unity while hiding increases division.
People who share nudity are far more accepting than our fearing minds imagine. When they do not make fun of our physical imperfections, or avoid us because of them, we feel a new kind of freedom, and a sense of exhilaration and friendly warmth. When I see an imperfect body, I do not feel criticism or derision. I feel love for someone who trusts me enough not to hide from me. Whatever his or her appearance, I accept him or her the same way I accept the perfectly formed. For me, not hiding is extraordinarily beautiful!
We have a special love for children and animals because of their simplicity and innocence, for they are free from the judgements and constraints human adults put on each other. When adults come together agreeing to be free from artificial limitations, a similar simplicity and innocence take place. There is a friendly camaraderie that most do not expect.
Nudity creates openness, acceptance, love, and full enjoyment of nature. All of these are spiritual values.
Oneness
in Living:
Kundalini Yoga, the Spiritual Path, and Intentional Community
by Ishvara
Harbin founder's unified vision of Harbin, the new age, life
and spirituality.
"This
book has grit and stamina - it's clean. Ishvara has written about
his life, not the 'I am born' kind, but one written with courage
and clarity about his living work of Kundalini Yoga and Tantric
yoga, about practicing masters and about his initiation into secret
practices. This is going to blow your mind." -- Wavy Gravy,
activist, clown, author of Something Good for a Change
You can
find this book at the Harbin Bookstore, Harbin Market or at Amazon.com
by clicking on this link: Oneness
in Living.
ISBN:1-55643-413-8. North Atlantic Books, Berkeley, California.
Distributed by Publishers Group West and Harbin Hot Springs
To order direct, send $16.95 + $3 S/H to: Harbin Accounting, PO
Box 782, Middletown, Ca 95461, Attn: Sajjad
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