You are a Buddha

 Zen says Buddhahood is not somewhere far away. You are just sitting on top of it. You are it!... It has already happened. Nothing has to be achieved, nothing has to be practised. Only one thing: you have to become a little more alert about who you are.

A man came to a Zen master and asked, 'I would like to become a Buddha.' The master hit him hard. The man was puzzled. He went out and asked an old disciple, 'What kind of man is this? I asked such a simple question and he got so angry. H ..

However, the man asked, 'But what is the message?' The disciple replied, 'The message is simple. If a Buddha comes and asks how to become a Buddha, what else is there to do? You can hit him and make him aware that you are it. What nonsense are you talking!'

Being a child once again

 

Touching blooms tossing in the morning breeze, chasing butterflies, screaming and laughing

Can grown-ups get back their childhood long lost? No, that’s impossible. Of course, it’s true we can never recapture our childhood, but can attain the state of being of a child mentally by loving children and being in their pleasant company.

To be a child once again in mind and mood is to be happy, outgrowing mundane worries and adult anxieties. This is exactly what I’ve experienced recently when our elder son came home with his family.

That morning, seated on a chair on the veranda, I was reading the newspaper. All of a sudden, I was jolted out of my reading with boisterous laughter and incessant screams of our granddaughters. I looked around and found that the noise was coming from the terrace. So I turned inquisitive and to know why they were screaming and laughing, I went on to the terrace where my spouse has nurtured a beautiful garden of roses, hibiscus, marigold, chrysanthemum and a huge variety of other plants. There I beheld our two granddaughters, running, frolicking, playing, laughing and screaming. The elder one, six years old, was sauntering along the rows of the neatly arranged flower pots and peering at the blossoms with her wonder-struck eyes and touching them gently. She was smiling like an angel and surprisingly, she was not plucking even a single flower. She was savouring quietly the beauty of the flowers.

The younger one, just three years old, was running swiftly on her little feet, screaming and laughing. She was running after butterflies, flitting around flowers. With her little hands raised, she was running to catch butterflies. When her hands reached closer to a butterfly and she was about to have it in her grasp, she laughed triumphantly as if she was going to possess a treasure. But when the butterfly gave the slip, rose into the air and kept hovering over her little head, she screamed incessantly. However, she was persistent and kept chasing butterflies, laughing and screaming.

Elated at their cheery play, forgetting my age, once again I became a child and joined them, taking part in the fun and frolic. Along with them, I was eyeing and touching blooms tossing in the morning breeze, chasing butterflies, screaming and laughing. Coming on to the terrace and watching me play with the grandchildren, my spouse remarked, “You too have become a child.”

“Yes, now I am a child in the company of our grandchildren, seeking the bliss of heaven,” I muttered. My wife with a twinkle in her eyes just smiled at me.

kakivenugopalarao@gmail.com

Source: The Hindu, 8/05/22

Thich Nhat Hanh taught us to live in the moment

 

Avijit Pathak writes: Amid the tyranny of the clock time and calculation of ‘productivity’, he showed how to live in the here and now

“When we look at a chair, we see the wood, but we fail to observe the tree, the forest, the carpenter, or our own mind. When we meditate on it, we can see the entire universe in all its inter-woven and interdependent relations in the chair.”
— Thich Nhat Hanh

Am I capable of invoking Thich Nhat Hanh —the Buddhist monk, who died on January 22, and whose engaged religiosity sought to illumine our consciousness, and inspire us to live with mindfulness and the art of deep listening? I ask this question because I often fear that the age we live in — techno-capitalism with its unlimited greed, militant nationalism with its inherent brute instincts — has made me incapable of living with love, peace and meditative calmness. I never visited Plum Village in France — the illuminating space that used to attract many modernists so that they could heal their wounded selves through his lessons of wisdom. However, over the years, Thich Nhat Hanh’s books became my intimate companions. Neither Rene Descartes nor Karl Marx, neither Sigmund Freud nor Jean Paul Sartre could deprive me of the joy of his books. I forgot the “methodology” of social sciences, and I began to sing with him:

Breathing in, I know I am alive. Breathing out, I smile at life. Just sitting there and enjoying our in-breath and out-breath is already happiness. We are alive, and that is worthy of celebration.

This celebration does by no means indicate that we remain indifferent to the world — the violent world with hunger, malnutrition, war and terrorism. It would not be wrong to say that the monk who felt and experienced the violence of the Vietnam War gave us the lessons of engaged Buddhism — the quest for ending violence and moving towards a compassionate world. He was truly an apostle of peace. Was it, therefore, surprising that he always pleaded for mindful and compassionate listening? We must understand that most of us — mighty nation-states, or we with our inflated egos— have lost this art of communion and empathy. However, we should not forget that “the intention of deep listening and loving speech is to restore communication”; and once communication is restored “everything is possible, including peace and reconciliation”. Amid suicide bombers and carpet bombing, he could remind us that the foreign policy of the US is often characterised by the “lack of deep listening”. No wonder, he could say: “If I were given the opportunity to be face to face with Osama bin Laden, I would try to understand all the suffering that had led him to violence.” After all, peace is impossible without the redemptive power of love and communication. We cannot negate this truth simply because our army generals, foreign policy experts, security strategists and politicians do not understand it.

Thich Nhat Hanh was a great teacher. With the rhythmic flow of his enchanting words and art of using metaphor, he could make us understand the meaning of living with the realisation of “interbeing”. Nothing is discrete and insulated; everything is connected. For instance, the chair on which I am sitting is made of all “non-chair elements”; in a way, “the chair has no boundaries, no beginning, and no end”. With the realisation of the “interdependent nature of all things”, we could possibly overcome the violence implicit in our alienated, disenchanted and fragmented existence. Even though I live in a world that normalises violence, and separates one from others, I allow myself to be possessed by his prophetic wisdom. “If someday I have to kill a caterpillar”, I too might feel, “something of ourselves dies with the caterpillar”.

It is true that the discourse of scientism and secularism has not succeeded in eliminating religion from the world. At the same time, we also know the discontents of the politics of religion — the way even today the non-reflexive priests of organised religions perpetuate all sorts of obnoxious practices; or the way, the gross emotions are often used by the alliance of spiritually impoverished fundamentalists and militant nationalists. Furthermore, in the age of instantaneity and consumption, we are also aware of the proliferation of all sorts of “self- help books”. From life coaches to new-age gurus, the neoliberal industry is continually selling instant capsules of “enlightenment”. However, this critical consciousness, for me, is not cynicism. Even in a desert, the flower, I believe, still blooms; and Thich Nhat Hanh was like this flower. With him, I too could echo with Walt Whitman, and sing: “I am large, I contain multitudes”; and I could also understand why even physicist David Bohm could say that “science must start from the wholeness of the implicate order to be able to see the real nature of each phenomenon”.

As I write this piece, I begin to contemplate on the title of one of his books, Present Moment, Wonderful Moment. We know that we miss the moment. While the trauma of the past haunts us, the worry of the future causes stress. When we do not live “here and now”, or when we miss this very moment, how can it be wonderful? But Thich Nhat Hanh reminded us of the “miracle of mindfulness”. Amid the tyranny of the clock time and calculation of “productivity”, my restless soul is healed by his wisdom: “Don’t drink your tea like someone who gulps down a cup of coffee during a work break. Drink your tea slowly and reverently, as if it is the axis on which the whole earth revolves — slowly, evenly, without rushing toward the future.”

Yes, the monk has only changed his form: From a flowing river to floating monsoon clouds.

Written by Avijit Pathak 

The writer taught sociology at JNU

Source: Indian Express, 27/01/22

Absent-minded? Forget it

 

Why carry around the burden of unpleasant remembrances or guilt?

Nearly six decades ago, a professor in a Walt Disney comedy bequeathed immortality to a mental failing that has been a recurring cause of red faces.

The professor was bright and brainy but so single-mindedly focused on high matters of science that he could never remember the more mundane “asides” of life — including his forthcoming wedding. The Absent-Minded Professor may have been a laugh riot, but absent-mindedness is no laughing matter.

At work, if you misplace a file or stand up to make a presentation only to realise that your notes are in the drawer at home, you will be deemed slack and clearly unfit for what HR departments describe as “higher responsibilities”.

Present day society with its fetish about practical efficiency does not readily forgive us — the serial forgetters. Word goes around that our memory has more holes than a mosquito net. The extended family will then stand on the sidelines and snigger while the spouse, out of wifely concern, suggests consulting the friendly, neighbourhood neurologist, just in case it’s an early warning sign of dementia. Relax, it’s nothing of the sort.

Listen to the experts. George Grossberg, Director of Geriatric Psychology at the St. Louis University School of Medicine, says: “Someone who misplaces his keys, gets frustrated, and runs around looking for them is (just) absent-minded. On the other hand, a person who misplaces his/her keys, doesn’t know that they are lost, and after they are found, forgets what they are for, that’s cause for concern.” If you haven’t gone that far, you are in safe territory. We of the forgetful fraternity also have historian-cum-philosopher Yuval Noah Harari on our side. He says that the human mind is not designed to “think like a filing cabinet”. A normal mind does not move like a regiment on parade. Rather, like a Jaspreet Bumrah run-up, our line of thought hops, stops, and pops as memory surrenders to our poet-like imagination.

There are many ways of polishing a rusty memory. These range from regular meditation to de-clutter your top storey to eating brain food like almonds every morning. If you tend to forget the names of people you have met, you are told to repeat the name under your breath till your mind has got it pat. More discretion is advised. Suppose you are repeating ‘Rooprani’, make sure your wife is not within earshot.

If none of this works, do not despair. Not everything in this world is of lasting significance. Why carry around the burden of unpleasant remembrances or the overhang of guilt? As Khalil Gibran said: “Forgetfulness is a form of freedom.”

Source: The Hindu, 9/01/22

Lessons for life

 An unexamined life is not worth living. Socrates

Tragedies, it is often said, are great levellers. True to the same, the COVID-19 pandemic has brought back into focus some of the core ideas central to philosophy that are are perennially relevant to the field of journalism as well: the well-known five ‘W’s and one H principle. The coronavirus has thrown a new light on all aspects of life, including perspectives in teaching, studying and practising philosophy. An analogy from the field of journalism, one feels, would be appropriate. In journalism, a news report is often judged in terms of its completeness vis-à-vis the five ‘W’s (Who, What, When, Where, Why) and the all-important H (How). The age-old philosophical system also looks for answers to the same questions, albeit at a more sublime level. That means, Who am I?, Why I am here?, Where I am supposed to proceed?, What is happening within and beyond? ‘When’, a time-related query, is also very relevant in the philosophical context. The question ‘How’ concerns how we are supposed to deal with all these in our limited span of time in the context of ever-expanding universe.

By teaching philosophy, we expect our students to become ethically and creatively enlightened, enabling them to take responsibilities to transform themselves and society at large with insights and perspectives. Critical thinking and social building are also expected of them. We employ various pedagogical methods such as assignments, discussions and extensive interactions. We also modify the syllabus, taking into account the student’s actual needs.

By studying philosophy, a student gets an opportunity to be trained to think professionally, access and analyse logically to understand and solve problems in the social system. They will also learn how to ask meaningful questions. They develop values, clarity in thinking, compassion, creativity and strengthen perspectives and develop broad approaches to life and awareness and consciousness to connect mentally with humanity. By partaking in the academic atmosphere, they are able to discuss and interact with teachers and fellow companions. The system provided them the right ambience for discourses and enabled them to develop personal skills and clarity of thought through direct interaction. But, unfortunately, COVID-19 deprived them of opportunities for personal interactions, even though it opens up new avenues.

Theory into practice

For students of philosophy, the pandemic compels them to observe social behaviour in a new context. How the human being develops new insights and perspectives is an area to be observed, studied and analysed philosophically. Justice, sacrifice, compassion ... these social values will be re-examined. A philosophy student may evaluate the situation through various yardsticks of theories such as existentialism, utilitarianism, pragmatism, socialism, humanism and so on. From the perspective of political philosophy, students are also observing democratic freedom and the individual rights in the current scene.

Many of us make use of digital platforms and MOOC courses to impart knowledge remotely. It is important to prioritise what students are supposed to know for the future instead of doling out outdated theories. Let teachers use social media platforms with compassion to guide the new generation of philosophers. Let the students also be familiar with the E-sources like Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy, The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy, Academia.edu.com, Research Gate, Project Gutenberg, Shodhganga, Sophia Project, PhilPapers, Stoicism Today, Internet archive, hundreds of digital libraries and e-magazines like Philosophy Now, The Philosophers Magazine and Philosophers’ Imprint, which are available in the Net.

Let students watch plenty of films and documentaries and web series on all aspects of life of all beings as well as history and evolution of everything in the universe. When they come to the classrooms as part of the academic session after the period of social distancing, their experience of observing and reading will enrich them to absorb the subject in a more meaningful manner and equip them to think globally and act locally.

Philosophy links us to everything that makes us human. In this peculiar situation, we can make our students read more original works in philosophy, history and literature. This is also the time to read and re-read the classics and to encourage them to be creative, imaginative and to grow beyond the syllabus and academic regulations.

The pandemic has engendered a new stream of thought as, globally, people begin approaching life from a philosophical perspective with fresh insights. Maybe the onus is upon academicians to relive timeless principles and enrich human beings with the values of compassion and universal brotherhood instead of focusing on linguistic and scientific terminologies alone. May be it is time for Stoicism and Humanism to make a triumphant comeback in their new avatars to make the world a better place.

Let them know that when they protect dharma or values, that will protect them. Let them know how to enjoy the sublime within. Let them feel that when they walk on the Earth, they are walking on tiny dust in an ever-expanding universe that has millions and millions of galaxies and nebulae and the Earth has a history before the histories of all the species, religions, systems, cultures … Let them be humble and learn to say that ‘I am a tiny part of the same’ and enjoy that harmonious moment of understanding that everything is one.

Let them know through their experience that interpreting the world is not enough. That how to change within and beyond with a new perspective is more important. Let them know that by reason alone we cannot understand the truth. Let them learn themselves to accept and respect silence, to see everything with awareness and awe with gratitude and compassion. Let us raise our minds above everything with patience, compassion and humanity.

Jojan Job

The writer is an Assistant Professor, Department of Philosophy, Madras Christian College. jojan@mcc.edu.in

Source: The Hindu, 13/11/21

A walk through life

 

Continue treading through life, even if we are alone

Occasionally, I go for a walk in a park. As I start walking on a cemented path, surrounded by lush greenery, some scenic scenes meet my eyes: the white storks on the green grass, the majestic peacock peeping at me from behind the bushes, and the trees filled with flowers.

The dew-filled grass glistening in the rays of the morning sun, the rise and fall of the land, and the vast expanse of greenery before my eyes, urge me to leave the cemented path I am walking on. I look at the soiled path through the wet grass. It looks straight from the Robert Frost poem, The road not taken. As my footsteps begin to tread on it, I remember the words of that poem, “I took the one less travelled by.”

As the agile squirrels continue to hop across my path and the chirpy birds continue to chatter away in the overhead trees, I continue my walk. After a while, when I pause to catch my breath, looking up at the sky, I spot a solitary white cloud floating in the blue sky. Seeing it, I remember the words of a Wordsworth poem, “I wandered lonely as a cloud.” I continue to wander on that lonely path. I look around. Not everyone in the park has a walk companion. There are more loners, which makes me realise that every man is an island. We must continue walking through life, even if we are alone. My poetic walk turns into a philosophical one.

As I walk on, my eyes fall on my footsteps. I look at how I am taking one step at a time. Maybe, this is the gist of life. Suddenly, the walk in the park seems like a walk through the journey of life. I look at the alternating phases of shadow and light on the pathway, signifying happiness and sadness in life. The intermittent darkness makes us value the light more.

The walk is long. I get tired, when my path goes uphill. It teaches me that sometimes the journey of life is uphill, while on other times, it is downhill, but it never stays uphill always. As I lose my way in the large park, I continue to walk the zigzag paths, not knowing where the destination is or how far it is. I think I am lost, but one path leads to the other, and soon the destination is in sight. I reflect that it is the same in life.

Before going, as I pause to witness an amusing scene of a squirrel scratching its armpit, I remember the words of a W. H. Davies poem, “What is this life if, full of care, we have no time to stand and stare.” Soon, it's time to go. And I am back on the cemented path, among the other walkers.

Simran Sidhu

Source: The Hindu, 14/11/21

Life is just a game

 It is because we do not give a thought to how short life on earth is that we run after things that have a temporary charm. Our attachment to our family is excessive because of our ajnana. None can love us more than our parents, and yet they are our parents only in this birth. Who knows who will be our parents in the next janma? Nampillai gave an example to make us realise this, said Kidambi Narayanan in a discourse.

One day, Nampillai saw some boys playing on the banks of the Cauvery, in Srirangam. They were building houses of sand. They divided their houses into different sections and said one was the living room, one was the dining room, one was the kitchen and so on. One of the boys pretended to be a mother. Another was a father, and a few others were children. Nampillai watched while they played. After some time, they demolished the houses of sand, which they had built, and began to play some other game.

Nampillai then said to them, “You were so long playing the roles of father, mother, children etc. But now, suddenly, you have forgotten those roles.” The children said, “Now we are playing a new game, and so our roles have changed.” Nampillai used this simple game that the children played to explain how, in life, we merely play roles. A person is daughter to someone, wife to someone, mother to someone. But when life ends, all this comes to an end, in the same way that all the role playing of the children ended. That being the case, is attachment to people or things in life justified? Our attachment must be only to Lord Narayana, for there is none equal to or superior to Him. This is what the Upanishadic statement, Ekam eva adviteeyam, stresses. Bhagavan is the only constant, and we must focus on Him.

Source: The Hindu, 19/11/20

Calendars & New Years

Human measurement of time has been dependent on earth’s rotation on its axis that gives us our day and night, and the earth’s revolving around the sun that gives our year 365 days and a quarter. Today, the Gregorian Calendar is the most widely used worldwide, along with many other calendars. The teachings of the Bahá’í Faith, which gave to the world a new Calendar, starting in 1844 CE, state that the phenomenon of time here in this world, defined as it is by our planet’s days, lunar months and solar years, changes upon death, when the rotating earth, the sun, moon and stars are purely human construct governing our existence on the planet. In the afterlife, there is no such conception of time. For, it is a plane of existence freed from the limitations of material world. Therefore, through daily reflection upon the influence of the Divine on this earthly plane, one realises that laws, both spiritual and mundane, govern humankind’s perception of time. With the globe as our homeland, it is high time humanity adopts a new calendar that is truly universal as an expression of the power of unity in diversity. Through this new calendar, sacred moments globally acknowledged and commemorated would further strengthen humanity’s understanding of its common destiny in the context of time and space, and, thereby, recast the rhythm of life ushering in the promised era of peace and prosperity, the Aquarian Age, described in the Sacred Scriptures as the Ram Rajya, or Kingdom of God, on earth.

Source: Economic Times, 20/03/2020

Virus Scare & Economy

Global markets saw a free fall as the World Health Organisation declared the coronavirus Covid-19 as a pandemic. Corporations are already struggling with disrupted manufacturing, broken supply chains, empty stores and flagging demand for their wares, and fears of global recession are already looming. But by carefully looking at the current world scenario one could only say that the virus scare is only one among multiple similar triggers that could easily plunge economies to low levels. Global warming and other environmental crises, hostile countries threatening each other, fraudsters, cut-throat competition resulting in tariffs on competitors — each of these pose similar threats to the world economy that seems to be on the brink of one or other crisis because of all these factors. The wisdom of Indic sages contained in a scientific lifestyle were coherently beneficial to body, mind and soul of practitioners as repeatedly proved by various researches. Increased awareness about Indian culture, spirituality and philosophy and sponsoring of research for proving efficacy of the same, is sure to produce interest in more indigenous ways of living and healthy local alternatives. Rather, such wisdom need not be limited to local territory but could be shared with the entire world for its well-being. This will generate more interest towards sustainable local alternatives that can not only fuel growth, generate local employment, improve overall health and raise local community spirit but also avoid adverse environmental effects on the world.

Source: Economic Times, 19/03/2020

The Season Of Lent

This is the holy season of Lent. The universal Church offers a 40-day reflective period. It’s time to look deeper within. There can be two simple reflective exercises to rejuvenate oneself and revivify one’s spiritual energies. Firstly, begin an introspective journey. We might have several pent-up emotions, weaknesses, scars of tragedies and down moments. And, this is the time for selfrenewal and amendment. There is also the possibility of having only strengths, joys, success and happy moments. Secondly, to start a retrospective journey in one’s heart and mind. This process will help in making us aware of ups and downs, highs and lows, joys and sorrows, and successes and failures. It will free us from all our worries, anxieties, tensions, depressions and stresses of day-to-day life. We may come across several questions pertaining to the life we live daily. The answers to these questions may make us strong in our will power. We are just travellers on a voyage. It may be a short one for some, while a long one for some others. Prayers, fasting, alms-giving, helping the poor and sacrificing should come from our hearts as goodwill gestures and not mere obligations. These special Lenten practices are meant to be observed throughout the year and not just for the Lenten season per se. We all are God’s children and we share the responsibility to help, support and care for one another. Reconciling differences within and with others will make a difference in this season of Lent for discovering the true Self.

Source: Economic Times, 17/03/2020

Gates Protect Us

Traditionally, a city guarded itself by installing a fortified gate at its entrance. The gate kept out foes and let in friends and so was an important security support that allowed inhabitants of the city to live in safety as a community. The gate represented the power of the city and stood for justice and security, much the same way as a country protects its borders today. As individuals, we tend to ‘shut’ our ‘gates’ in defence, when we feel threatened or when we face a difficult situation. When we do open up, we find that it lets in a great deal of freshness and warmth, allowing for forging lasting and fulfilling relationships. A gate can, however, become an obstruction when we shut ourselves in or do not allow others to touch us or our lives in any way. When we cut ourselves off from societal interaction, we could be paving the way to stagnation and inner death, starved of stimulation and engagement. Sometimes we become like impregnable fortresses because we guard the gates of our hearts fiercely. We may have been hurt in life may not be willing to risk getting into relationships again. How relevant are gates in today’s information-communications rich world, accelerated by the Internet and other technology? Gates are relevant, in a symbolic sense. When we shut out what is vulgar, demeaning and demotivating, we are, in fact, using a gate to protect ourselves. When we lay ourselves open to the beauty of the world around us, the freshness of new experiences and what is good and noble, we are, by granting ourselves and others unrestricted access, gaining new experiences of strength, faith and love.

Source: Economic Times, 9/03/2020

Overcome Suffering

I am often asked how to end suffering. You are so focused on action that you don’t realise that action born out of ignorance is an extension of ignorance. We have to enlighten our action with understanding. You are the creator of your suffering. This understanding will help you dissolve suffering. An unhappy person in heaven will convert even heaven into hell; a happy person can convert hell into heaven. So, change is not required anywhere except within you. If you have an unhappy mind, even if you are in heaven, you will ‘stink’. So, to overcome suffering, you have to understand that your unhappy mind is the cause. There are two types of sufferings. Legitimate and illegitimate. Legitimate suffering is sorrow that is proportionate to the situation. For example, your loved one dies. This sorrow is valid. But if you continue worrying for more than one or two years, then there is a psychological aspect to it. To handle legitimate sufferings, you should understand that such suffering is the result of your past deeds. Illegitimate suffering is suffering that is not proportionate to the situation. Surrender is real growth. Growth involves no suffering. Resistance to suffering creates suffering. Very often, we suffer because we are not open to the vastness of life. We are bound by our knowledge. We are dead to something that is beyond our knowledge. What we know is finite and what we do not know is infinite. To be alive and limited to what we know, and dead to what we do not know, is a deep cause for suffering.

Source: Economic Times, 6/03/2020

Churning for The Butter

Satsang, the company of spiritually minded people, either in the form of actual get-togethers where spiritual discussions take place, or via social networking platforms, provides the opportunity for churning one’s thoughts and contemplating. During contemplation, our mind raises questions and tries to find answers, thereby increasing the assimilated knowledge. It is similar to a teacher benefiting by teaching a class of students who are interactive and who ask a lot of questions. After the churning, there is no point in simply extracting the butter, you must eat it and experience it. Similarly, the spiritual essence one derives by churning the inputs received, has to be put into practice to experience its benefit for oneself. That is why revered gurus exhort us to experience through actual practice, at least one principle everyday from the spiritual injunctions by saints and seers. It is no good knowing all the spiritual concepts. It is important to contemplate on the applicability of those concepts in every life situation and to actually put into practice the appropriate concept. Who gets inspired to get on to the spiritual path in the first place and how? There is a Divine plan behind it that we may not be able to figure out. The starter (coagulating agent like some curd, lemon juice or gelatin) in the form of an intense desire to pursue spirituality is added to the milk by the Creator Himself or through the medium of a living guru. Those of us who are fortunate to receive this Divine grace should be thankful to the Creator

Source: Economic Times, 5/03/2020

No Need To Grieve

Steve Jobs once said, “No one wants to die. Even people who want to go to heaven don’t want to die to get there. And yet, death is the destination we all share. No one has ever escaped it.” Death, indeed, is one of the worst fears we harbour either consciously or subconsciously, despite knowing that once we are born, death is certain. Birth and death are two sides of the same coin. The Bhagwad Gita emphasises this aspect when it talks about Sankhya Yoga. If we dive deep into this aspect, we would realise that we are not afraid of death per se, but concerned about the element of uncertainty surrounding it. It is the unexpectedness coupled with suddenness that leaves us shattered, and more so if we are emotionally attached to the person. If death is expected for known reasons like old age, a terminal illness or some such reason, then we are mentally prepared and to that extent there is lesser element of surprise. Krishna, therefore, advises Arjuna that the “wise grieve neither for the dead nor the living”, because the “spirit never dies and hence rebirth is certain for the dead”. The type of rebirth, however, depends on our karmic account, which, in turn, depends on the quality of karmas, or actions, performed by us during the course of our lives. That’s how “some people die while they live, whereas others live even after they are dead”. Says the Dalai Lama, if we wish to die well, we must learn how to live well. Hoping for a peaceful death, we must cultivate peace in our mind and the way of our life.

Source: Economic Times, 4/03/2020

Don’t Close The Doors Of Your Thinking!

Whenever low self-esteem and depression raise their ugly heads in us, it is a good idea to boost ourselves by telling ourselves, ‘I am born to be successful, I am a great achiever, for I have great potential.’ This would produce temporary results, but in the long run, such positive thinking alone would not suffice. You need something more. It is similar to the advice, to chant ‘Rama, Rama’, every time a bad thought arises in our minds. Positive thinking is also based on the same philosophy. When we are tormented by temptations, repeatedly chanting the names of gods would certainly help to drive away these temptations. But, the temptations may arise again, later. Should one chant Ramanama again to control such thoughts? Say for example, the whole house is stinking, due to a dead rat. We do not have the time or patience to go hunting for the dead rat and throw it out. So, we light incense sticks to camouflage the bad smell. For a while, the fragrance may drown out the foul smell. But, once the incense burns out, the same rotten smell would again pervade the atmosphere. Positive thinking is similar to this. But there is a better and more lasting alternative to positive thinking known as Authentic Thinking. Let us assume that you are in deep trouble. Instead of wallowing in self-pity. one can adopt positive thinking, and affirm to oneself, ‘No, I am really happy!’ and try to thrust this thinking into one’s mind. This would create conflict in the mind. It would not help resolve the trouble. Instead, try to view your thinking from a distance … similar to a bird’s eye view. Get some perspective. Without labelling your thoughts as ‘good’ or ‘bad’, without showing any aversion to your thoughts, take an impartial stand and notice your thoughts. This is called as seeing things through a bird’s eyes. Whether the thoughts are sad, tempting or happy; without identifying them with yourself, when you view them from a distance, a clear understanding will crystallise within you. Once this mental state is attained, sadness and happiness will appear as two sides of the same coin. Happiness is an experience. Similarly, sadness is also another experience. For people who do not have peace of mind and clarity, even happiness will appear as an experience of sadness! Just as happiness is one kind of taste, sorrow is also another taste. This philosophy may be difficult to accept. When i was a little boy, i used to watch my mother eating bitter gourd with relish. I was then quite confused as to how she could really enjoy eating something so bitter. But once the heart takes to it, even bitterness can be enjoyable. I later understood that just as sweetness could be enjoyable, bitterness also can be enjoyable. Every taste has its own flavour. Children feel that sweetness is the only good taste. They conclude tastes such as bitterness and sourness cannot be good and so they tend to avoid them. This is also a similar situation. We assume that only happiness is desirable and all other feelings are not; we close the doors of our thinking to most of our feelings


Source: Times of India, 28/02/2020

Finding The Key To Happiness And Success

What is the key to success and happiness in life? To live a life of your choice, you need to start making efforts in that direction. Hardship and suffering should not deter a person from the chosen path. No one achieves anything automatically. Besides the usual hardships, there are many external factors that impact our growth like colour of skin, physical appearance or material status. But internal qualities are really what are required to make us successful and happy. We need to understand and appreciate what one has received, to fully cherish it. Therefore, before embarking upon a new venture, journey or project, do some soul-searching. Ask yourself these questions: Why am I doing this? What are the consequences? Will I be able to succeed 100%? Once you have decided on moving forward with an idea after doing a lot of critical thinking about all the aspects of your life, step up your preparations keeping in mind the following guidelines to achieve success: 1. Put your energy into creating a future while living in the present. 2. Learn from past mistakes; avoid repeating them. 3. Never try to run away from the hurdles you face. 4. Face your problems and overcome them with determination. 5. Befriend people who have a similar outlook as yours. 6. Education is your best friend. It empowers you, generates new ideological energy and sharpness to perform daunting new tasks. 7. One should be honest and simple but avoid falling prey to selfish mentality of others. 8. Whatever you start with, ensure its completion. Even if the end-result is zero, this experience will definitely add to your success in life. Do not leave any task incomplete due to fear of failure. 9. Make a strategy before starting any work; how you will execute it. 10. Study religious texts; they will purify your thoughts. 11. Be positive and prudent. 12. Success is found only in silence. Wise people speak because they have something to say, whereas fools speak because they have to say something. 13. Overcome ignorance by befriending knowledge. 14. Do not share your secrets with anyone. 15. Choose your friends carefully. 16. The biggest challenge in the path of success is one’s own nature. 17. Nature examines a person’s ability, like an exam. For example, there’s an interview before any job. So get rid of faults in your own personality to achieve success. 18. Hard work and concentration are the first steps towards success. 19. In case of failure, change the strategy, never change the target. 20. Whatever religion one follows, it must be followed spiritually. By means of chanting, austerity, fasting and meditation, one stays in contact with the formless divine power and develops a positive outlook. This way one can cultivate qualities like service, generosity and humility. These virtues make life simple and relaxed. Such people are not comfortable in the company of those who blaspheme, conduct meaningless conversations, and pass on negative thoughts. Such associations should be discarded at the earliest. By adopting these guiding principles, all of us can smoothly move forward, on the path of a happy and successful life.

Source: Times of India, 27/02/2020

The Need to Find Clarity

I don’t know what God is, nobody knows — but mystics have an image that there is a supreme entity and that through prayer, through faith, through dedication, through devotion, you can move mountains. Look at what America, Russia, India and all the other countries are doing. They have tremendous faith in their country, in their nationalism, and they are building a vast technological world to destroy the others, who are doing exactly the same thing. To go to the moon, what enormous energy it needed, what technological capacity, faith; the Americans first on the moon with their flag! In the Christian world, faith has taken the place of doubt. Doubt is very cleansing, it purifies the mind. If you doubt your experiences, your opinions, you are free to observe clearly. In the eastern world, in Buddhism and Hinduism, doubt is one of the major factors, it is demanded that you doubt, question, you must not accept: be a light unto yourself, a light that cannot be given to you by anyone. Great strength does not come through prayer, it does not come through illusion, faith; it comes through clarity, through the mind that can see clearly; and that clarity does not come and go. When you see something clearly — for instance, that nationalism is the most destructive thing in the world — then you are finished with it. And the ending of that burden gives you vitality, energy, strength. Similarly, if you are totally free of all attachments, it gives you the strength of love, and that can do much more than all the other experiences and prayers

Source: Economic Times, 26/02/2020

Ramakrishna As Lighthouse

 He was perpetually in divine ecstasy of sachchidananda in Samadhi. The consequential gospel of Sri Ramakrishna flowed from the depth of transcendental realisation, exploring the fourth dimension beyond existential finitudes of diverse forms, traits and dogmatic tenets of divisionism. Surprisingly, this simple temple priest was neither proficient in scriptures nor adept in puja performance. Yet, by dint of incredible spiritual yearning, he realised the Absolute in and through temple goddess Kali as mysterious manifestation of Spirit and nature in joyful cosmic play. Ramakrishna delved deep into diverse religious paths and found sanctity and fundamental unity underlying all major religions. Thus, he became an embodiment of harmony of religions in diversity, non-sectarian highway of spirituality and sublime self-dedication for realisation of supreme reality. Ramakrishna promoted intense love for God along with nonattachment using discrimination between the apparent and real, periodic seclusion in inner silence, soulful prayer and association with divine thoughts. As long as the mind is sense-bound and drawn downward by desires, it cannot soar higher on the spiritual plane. Hence, he advised everyone to develop mental renunciation in view of the transitory nature of apparent reality and extremely fragile outcome of attachments causing human bondage. Unless the flame of desire is extinguished we cannot enter the state of blissful divine stillness beyond egobound worldly achievements and activities

Source: Economic Times, 25/02/2020

Meditation: Keep At It

While meditation can help us become more patient, what many don’t realise is that the process of meditation also requires us to be patient. We must learn to persevere and be steadfast in our efforts. Have you started the practice of meditation only to give up after a few attempts? Meditation is like planting a garden – a garden of the soul, wherein we nurture the seed of our soul, which requires daily care to fructify. As we connect with the Light and Sound of God through meditation, we provide all that our soul needs to fructify. It is up to us to water the seed of our soul with daily meditation so that it can grow, even though we may not see the fruits of our efforts right away. Each time we sit for meditation, we should continue, whether we get the results we want that day or not. Sooner or later, our efforts will be rewarded. We need to have patience. We may not see the results right away, but we should do our job and meditate accurately. Then, one day, the results will appear. The seed of our soul will sprout. Suddenly, vistas of Light will open for us within, and we will embark on the inner journey. Through constant effort, prayer and patience, we will find success in our meditations. Thus as we meditate and develop spiritually, we need to guard against becoming impatient. We must put down strong roots so we do not give up the first time any winds of difficulty blow.

Source: Economic Times, 24/02/2020

It is a Brilliant Beam of Light

The Shivalingam is oval in shape, indicating no beginning and no end. Similarly, creation also has no beginning and no end. There are many levels to it: some apparent to the human senses and some that are beyond its spectrum and, hence, incomprehensible by the five senses. This is one of the main reasons why the philosophy behind the lingam is not understood to the full extent, by many people. In order to reveal the reality of entire creation, Shiva took on the role of Adi Guru and the first shishya became Mata Parvati. To her were revealed the deepest secrets of all the three worlds, basically a quick upgrade that awakened her to her real form of Shakti. It is symbolic of the guru-shishya relationship that a guru upgrades a shishya’s consciousness through the process called Shaktipath. Shivaratri being the merger of Shiva and Shakti, is indicative of the right concentration of energies to pair oneself to delve into the deeper secrets of creation. Mantras given by the guru fructify on this day and the right practices reveal to a shishya the hidden dimensions and give jnana that was incomprehensible otherwise. Basically, one’s faculties get upgraded from very basic processes to more sophisticated ones, taking one to higher dimensions. Learning from a genuine guru, as to how to evolve to be able to understand more complex processes will help the seeker progress on the spiritual path. In this manner, darkness of ignorance is removed to reveal the brilliance of light, symbolised by Shivalingam as an infinite beam of light.

Source: Economic Times, 21/02/2020