What a Trip!

As we finalize this issue of the magazine, I’m preparing for a solo trip to the Temple of the Universe in Alachua, Florida.

“Say what?” you and everyone else asks.

“It sounds like a cult,” my 19-year-old daughter says of my plans to spend four days deep in the woods outside Gainesville. She knows me, though, deeming me “such a hippie,” and accepts the news with a smirk and a giggle.

The Temple of the Universe is not as New Age-y as its name suggests. It’s a yoga and meditation center opened in 1975 by Michael Singer, whose three bestselling books include the pivotal The Untethered Soul. He speaks at the temple three times a week, and everything is free. In an email, the center’s manager told me registration isn’t required and provided links to a Holiday Inn Express and other places to stay.

Illustration: James Nakamura

So how did things come to this?

Let’s just say it’s been a transformative few years. Like everybody, I’ve been through life turbulences that have caused anxiety and stress. I realize now that my thoughts often lead to overreactions, and to be at peace, I have to work on myself from within. External circumstances shouldn’t dictate whether I’m happy or sad, calm or riled up. The goal is to be centered, no matter what happens.

So, I’ve been working on it. I listen to books and lectures on Audible, all kinds of philosophical, psychological and spiritual reads. I did this while walking our family dog, who passed away in October, around Kapi‘olani Park. It was such a meditative experience to take these early-morning and evening walks with our sweetest boy, a 14-year-old rescued and deaf pit bull, who
was equally oblivious to outside noises.

I started with Wayne Dyer’s Change Your Thoughts—Change Your Life, then listened to Yung Pueblo’s Inward and Thich Nhat Hanh’s collection of Buddhist teachings. Eventually, I explored Eckhart Tolle’s The Power of Now, Ram Dass’ Be Here Now, David Hawkins’ Letting Go, Paramahansa Yogananda’s Autobiography of a Yogi and more. I also went to hear Deepak Chopra speak at Hawai‘i Theatre last year, attend meditation sessions at a Buddhist temple, go to yoga four or five times a week, and take part in breathing workshops.

While all of this has fostered growth, two books truly resonated. The first was The Courage to Be Disliked by Fumitake Koga and Ichiro Kishimi. It’s an international bestseller that unfolds as a dialogue between a young man and a philosopher steeped in Alfred Adler’s psychology. Among the revelations sparked by their conversation, one hit like a bolt—the paralyzing need to be liked, admired and respected, accompanied by a fear of failure and rejection. Adler encourages us to have the courage to overcome this so we can be free and happy. This message stuck.

Then I listened to Singer’s The Untethered Soul three times in a row. His advice on how to live a joyful, peaceful life is sensible and scientific. His main teaching focuses on being free from the mind and its insidious stream of thoughts, which he likens to an “annoying inner roommate.” He encourages conscious awareness, acknowledging that while things do happen and thoughts and emotions will arise, we can relax and release them. Achieving this will rid ourselves of past scars and make us capable of handling anything so life can be fully enjoyed.

He suggests starting with “low-hanging fruit,” like being stuck in traffic or dealing with bad weather and letting the emotions that arise from such irritations pass. Then we can start working on bigger issues, even the hardest ones. I’ve been following his suggestions, and while this may sound hyperbolic, it’s been life-changing.

So here I come, Temple of the Universe. I don’t expect anything magical to happen, I just want to go. I liken it to how people travel to see a concert or visit Vegas for the umpteenth time. This is my Disneyland, to hear Singer (who ironically goes by the nickname “Mickey”) speak in person. I’ll let you know how it goes—it’ll be an ongoing journey.