Where is our Attention Focused?

 

Where is our Attention Focused?

The answer to this question will tell you whether you are in a good mental space or not. Just ask yourself this question and see what answer you get! Most of us go through life with our attention split between many wants and desires, loves and hates, friends and colleagues and so on! When we are studying, we focus on what we plan to do while not giving our 100% to what we are studying now, and as we go through life this kind of becomes a practice.

There are people who can multi-task – they can focus on multiple activities at the same time and execute them efficiently too. These are the very few who have their entire attention on the now – the present moment. They live life to the fullest, enjoying every moment and also sharing their joy and energy with those who they come in contact with.

Generally, we tend to get distracted by the smallest of things – and in today’s world we have got a whole lot of gadgets which can grab our attention and focus from whatever we are doing – we could get a call on our cell, a whatsapp, Instagram, pintrest, facebook, twitter message and what have you. In that fraction of a moment our attention is diverted and our energy is burnt on social media – the God of the present time! We need to ask ourselves where we need to focus – is the social media made for us to use to our advantage or do we become addicted to these platforms and burn our energy in some fantasy playing out in our minds?

We can choose to use these platforms to our advantage for our work or studies or entertainment or we can become slaves to whatever is on offer – endangering ourselves to all kinds of kinky stuff which is freely available. The choice is with us – where do we focus our attention. If we choose to live in the present moment – then with the help of meditation we can get there in due course.

Our attention gets focused on the ‘now’ through regular meditation; as we develop our aura and energy body our inner voice becomes stronger and starts guiding us on where to focus our attention. The present moment becomes the only reality, and with our attention on the ‘now’, all our efforts bear success and all that comes with blissful awareness that whatever we are doing is the best we can. Stay balanced, stay focused in the now – because the now is the only reality!

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Keep Practicing

 

Keep Practicing

We are going through very difficult times – the corona pandemic has wreaked havoc globally. People have suffered tremendously – some have suffered financial losses, others have had mental and physical health issues, some have lost near and dear ones and so on. In India, the second wave has had extended lockdowns with the government desperately making efforts to fight an invisible enemy while facing negative vibes from the leftist-liberal and opposition parties. Instead of coming together to fight a common enemy people are playing politics. But never mind – that is not the purpose of this article.

I got a small video in Marathi on whatsapp which has given rise to this post. It narrated a story. Once Lord Indra got angry on farmers and said that for the next 12 years there will be no rain. He said it will rain only when Lord Shiva plays his damru (small musical instrument like a two-sided drum). All the farmers were desperate so they went to Lord Shiva and complained to him – but Lord Indra had already taken Lord Shiva into confidence and Lord Shiva said – no rain for 12 years! The farmers were very disappointed and they went back to their village. Now, there was nothing to do, they used to wake up and look to the skies to see if rain clouds were gathering and then in the evening they would go and sleep. But one farmer would take his bullock and hoe and keep hoeing the ground and planting seeds. The rest of the farmers would laugh and make fun of him, but he ignored them saying that at least by doing this I will not forget how to hoe the ground. I need to practice continuously. Goddess Parvati heard this conversation and liked it so much that she went and told Lord Shiva that if you don’t play the damru for twelve years then maybe you could forget how to play it. So, Lord Shiva saw the logic of that and played his little drum, and the moment he played it, rain started to fall and the farmer who had hoed his land got a very good crop.

The moral of the story is to practice whatever is your profession, do not sit idle, do things you like, do things you would otherwise never get time for. As far as those who are part of the Samarpan family is concerned or those who follow any Guru, they should continuously practice meditation because one never knows when their Guru will play His damru and you will cross your own internal spiritual barrier and transcend into nothingness. Patience and practice along with faith is paramount in overcoming any adverse situation.

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Sharing Selflessly

 

Sharing Selflessly

To some of us sharing comes naturally and for some it is a bottleneck. Sharing is a quality which gets enhanced once we rise above our navel chakra, then this quality gets a kind of universal tone. As children it was easy for us to share, but even in childhood you would have noticed that some kids think that everything is theirs, even things that belong to their friends. This quality of possessiveness comes from observation of behaviour of elders in the house. Hence, it is extremely important to be very careful with our behaviour and words when in the presence of children. Children are like sponges – they absorb everything very fast; they are unable to distinguish between ‘good’ and ‘bad’ and they will mimic the behaviour of the elders in and around them. With proper guidance children do learn to share, but sharing selflessly is a different ball game – having no expectations in return that is unique!

Being selfless implies that one is not selfish, one is generous, thoughtful, filled with humility and kindness. When we have these qualities developed in us then sharing becomes easy, in fact it becomes second nature. You see someone in distress you just give regardless of consequences. Sharing becomes second nature – then we could be sharing anything from joy and happiness, fun and laughter to more material things with those who need them.

Meditation enhances this quality of sharing as we rise above the navel chakra, we get the inner feeling of sharing happiness and joy – but in my experience as the aura gets cleared and your energy field expands then those who come within range of that energy field feel that same happiness and joy. Here the sharing just happens without you doing anything physically.

When you meditate with a deep sense of surrender to your spiritual Guru, then at a very subtle level you start imbibing the qualities of your Guru. This is an extremely slow process and as we also live in society, we go through all the ups and downs too, but with perseverance we find changes taking place within us as we become more giving in nature. Sharing selflessly then becomes a part of us and it does not matter what we share, we just do it at the soul level.

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Fearlessness

 

Fearlessness

In these times of untold stress and tension caused by the pandemic, fear is a natural emotion which preys on the minds of a lot of people all over the world. This fear is fanned by a lot of negative news which is spread by the media, some true, some motivated by ulterior motives; but this ultimately preys on the minds of the common man.

What is fear? Isn’t it just a thought created in the mind through information gathered from other people and the media and then isn’t that painful fear felt in the heart? It is this thought which keeps whirling in the mind generating questions like what if this and what if that happens! Then with this negative emotion and the energy it creates pervading the earth how can we conquer this fear – how do we become fearless? If ever you feel overcome by dread of some illness or accident, you should inhale and exhale deeply, slowly, and rhythmically several times, relaxing with each exhalation. This helps the circulation to become normal. If your heart is truly quiet you cannot feel fear at all.

Fearlessness is a quality of the soul which can be brought to the fore and enhanced through certain yogic and meditative practices. “Fearlessness is the impregnable rock on which the house of spiritual life must be erected. Fearlessness means faith in God: faith in His protection, His justice, His wisdom, His mercy, His love, His omnipresence,” said Paramhansa Yogananda. If we accept this simple advice, we can definitely conquer our fear. With this basic concept as the foundation, we must begin meditation and turn inwards – experience the inner silence and joy – here the mind is quiet – no waves, just like the calm, serene water of a beautiful lake.

Do you feel that the current situation has made you powerless and helpless? Banish such thoughts! You have the power but you are afraid to use it or you do not know how to use it. There is nothing more powerful than the mind – just learn to use it to your advantage – give it a positive direction and you will conquer your fear. Do not ever let fear take control of your mind and will – if you feel fear, look at it directly, try and analyse the root cause and take steps to embolden the mind to overpower that fearful thought. Constantly cultivate the soul’s immortal power by meditation and God-contact, and use that power in all difficulties.

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Digesting Success and Fame

 

Digesting Success and Fame

Many people have to strive hard throughout their lives to achieve a modicum of success, and for some people success comes very soon either by accident or because of their own skills and efforts. This is specially so for those who are sportspersons, singers, musicians, actors – where fame and money throw them completely off balance resulting into them going headlong into the fast lane – drugs, sex, gambling and high spending. In India two contrasting names come readily to mind – Sachin Tendulkar and Vinod Kambli. The more talented and skilled person could not handle the fame, and the other worked hard at his game and made a respected name for himself all over the world.

Nowadays people do not like to work for their success – they want everything ‘yesterday’. Life has become so fast that people are going ahead of themselves and then falling. Once they fall, they realise their mistake, but then invariably by then it is too late.

Those who come from a healthy family background usually manage their success very well – actually in the end it becomes psychological – whether you are able to handle the success that comes your way without letting it go to your head. I was always taught to have my feet firmly on the ground however high I may fly – that I did not fly very high is another story – hahahaha – but whatever little success I have had in life – that has never gone to my head!

If we learn to surrender our success to a higher power, accepting that whatever has happened is because of His will – then we accept that the success is technically not ‘mine’ but has been bestowed upon me. That makes it easier to digest and also helps you in sharing the fruits of success with other less fortunate people.

If we start meditating early in life, then on tuning in with the inner self we realise that whatever we are doing or achieving is absolutely temporary in the larger scheme of things. We learn that both success and failure are an integral part of life and acceptance is the only way forward.

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Transition from the Material to the Spiritual

 

Transition from the Material to the Spiritual

As a child my mother used to tell me stories about various saints and I always found them fascinating and frankly a bit out of this world. As I grew up after my father passed away very early in our life, I got to stay with my uncle who was highly spiritual and while traveling around with him I actually got to stay in some remote ashrams in the proximity of saints. My uncle was also a scholar and avid reader, artist, etc. and in his library, I found books written by Tuesday Lobsang Rampa in which he spoke about astral travel. This got imprinted on my young mind and I invariably would wonder where all one could travel at the speed of thought if one could get out of one’s body!!

Thereafter life happened and as I lived it, I also somehow had the spiritual buried deep in the subconscious. It just needed a nudge, which came in 2008 and my whole life changed. Frankly nothing changed and everything changed. Life went on as usual, but deep within me a transformation was taking place, a calmness was getting developed, acceptance was becoming a part of my life as my ego got whittled down little by little.

Interaction with people continued as usual, my professional life continued as usual but there was an added flavour now – that was meditation, that first became something I had to do, and now it is something that just happens. Meditation has helped me become more balanced, got rid of the anger, minor health issues like cough and cold, the ego does not interfere with situations as I have learnt to accept and face whatever life now throws at me – as I now believe that whatever is now happening is for raising my level of consciousness. This has helped me in becoming a witness and not getting emotionally involved in situations – as believe me that hampers your judgement.

In a way, once meditation became a regular morning-evening activity (12 years non-stop now) everything else just fell into place. It is not that there were no karmic problems which I had to face, but because of meditation and because of the deep conviction that our Guru and His collectivity is with me, nothing will happen to me – so I just faced the adverse situations and sailed through them without any issue.

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Controlling the Mind

 

Controlling the Mind

Can we ever think about controlling the mind? The very fact that we are thinking about this is a conundrum – as the mind is thinking, so how do we control the thought which is in the mind. Classic case of duality – am I different from the mind? For thousands of years the ordinary person has thought about controlling the mind – but apart from the sages and the realised ones no one has ever controlled the mind – in fact it is the other way round – the mind controls you!

We are aware that we both carry heaven and hell in our minds – whether we think positively or negatively – based on that we are mentally creating both heaven and hell in our minds. Believe me, after death it really does not matter because you don’t know what is there after death. So, the reality is that we either live in heaven or in hell, here on earth itself.

We can choose to make our lives heaven or hell. If we decide to live honest lives full of compassion and integrity, we will manifest heaven on earth; if we choose to live dishonest lives filled with negativity and crookedness, we create hell on earth. In Kaliyug (the current era) we invariably find that the honest ones are facing hardship and struggle whereas the dishonest ones appear to be enjoying life.

With regular meditation, we can quieten the mind, we can make it calm and once it is calm, we find that peace encompasses us. It is simply the chatter of the mind which creates untold stress and misery in our lives. It creates the wants and desires - all the emotions start from the mind. With meditation we enhance our soul consciousness and reduce our body consciousness, as this happens the influence of the mind on our life takes a positive turn. It becomes active only when the soul conscious individual wants it too, otherwise it remains quiet. This is the meaning of peace and quiet – the mind becomes silent after you turn inwards and find inner peace. That is how the mind comes under ‘control’.  With meditation you find peace of mind, otherwise it is your mind in pieces!

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Being Proactive vs Reactive

 

Being Proactive vs Reactive

It is said that the way in which we react to any situation defines our personality. When we are proactive what we are actually doing is reacting in advance. Being proactive involves planning, assessing and creating an action plan to tackle any given situation. Reaction is always after the event happens – in such situations we always lose the first mover advantage and we keep reacting as the situation develops.

In the corporate world there are many management lessons based on the above traits in an individual. But when we think about mindfulness, meditation, spirituality – what is better? Being proactive from this perspective means we are planning for the future – we foresee a situation that is likely to arise and think about all the variations and plan for an outcome that will be beneficial for us and which suits are requirements. Reaction is always based on the past – something happens and we base our actions on those events. In the spiritual world neither works – because in the first instance we have our attention focused on the future and in the second instance we have our attention focused on the past!

We react to both positive and negative situations and invariably our reaction decides on whether it solves the matter at hand or sets of a chain reaction – invariably a positive response will settle the matter and a negative one will set a chain reaction of emotions and actions – reacting positively and mindfully is always the correct choice. If you are too emotionally attached to the people or the situation, sit back, watch it, calm down and then react positively. A calm mind will always help you positively!

With meditation and after turning introversive we begin to live in the moment, and as we begin to live in the moment, we start turning into witnesses and with this awareness – we learn to accept situations as they are and respond in the moment. With our mind totally in the present moment our decisions and actions are also in the present moment – with the soul guiding us such decisions are always the optimal ones for the benefit of all. Learning to live in the moment and acting with full awareness in the present moment helps us stay detached and give the best possible solution. Thus, when we live in the moment – being proactive or reactive does not matter any more as we act in the NOW!

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Remaining Balanced in an Unbalanced World

 

Remaining Balanced in an Imbalanced World

These days the world is seeing a lot of upheaval – with the corona virus spreading all over the world and mutating and changing form – giving rise to questions on the efficacy of the available vaccines. Then we have cyclones causing their devastation, human beings adding their bit by going to war causing massive destruction. So, is this nature’s way of getting back at us? Or is the churn really on now (I had mentioned that the churn has begun in a March 2020 post) – because globally the intensity has gone up manifold. The poison in the system is slowly coming out – and as per tradition the poison has to completely come out before the nectar can be experienced.

We are living in times of total stress, people very close to us are being affected, people are dying and there is a feeling of helplessness which is pervading in society, there is anger at the system failing its citizens. But if you sit back and witness whatever is happening you will realise that nature is trying achieve a balance and balance can only be achieved when there is large scale devastation – that is nature’s law – creation always takes place after destruction. It appears that we are in such a phase now. The question is how to remain balanced in this imbalanced world?

I can only tell you what has worked for me, it is not necessary that it will work for you. But you can definitely try out variations on similar lines. I have stopped watching the news on TV for the last ten years now – because the news is always negative, because negativity sells in this morbid world – that is what gets you the ad revenue! I read the newspaper headlines and hold far more interest in solving sudoku, hitori, 7 little word puzzles as it keeps the brain cells active. 

Meditation has helped me live in the present moment, helped me in trying to be a witness – I am getting there, the past has become history, the future is a mystery – so living in the present I found is very comforting, joyous and the only reality. Writing positive notes has kept me preoccupied, office work gets done in the ‘now’ – leaving nothing for tomorrow. The days just go by in harmony, filled with positive energy and love. I find that this stay at home has become more of a stress reliever and helped me finding out more dimensions about myself. I am sure you guys too can try this or find something similar that works for you. Live in the moment and you will be fine!

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Give and Leave or Leave and Go

 

Give and Leave or Leave and Go

The reader will find this title a bit strange – but if you introspect on it you will realise that it has a far deeper meaning, a far greater significance than appears on a cursory reading! When we are born and as we grow up, we are receiving and giving all the time during our lifetime – as toddlers we give untold joy to the parents, we give them love, fear, tension, anger – all the gamut of positive and negative emotions play-out with our parents and close ones when we are small. This is all part of the joys of parenting. At that age we are just giving and what we receive is invariably unconditional love in far greater quantity than the other emotions.

As adults too we are giving and receiving – but now it becomes more material than emotional – what we now experience is transactional – it is all about give and take!

With the above background let me try and explain the nuance about ‘Give and Leave or Leave and Go’ with the help of a story which was circulating on social media! A barefooted young boy was selling flowers in the afternoon heat. People were bargaining with him in spite of seeing his dire circumstances. A gentleman was observing all this and he noticed the boy’s feet and felt very sad. He ran towards a nearby shoe store and came back with a pair of shoes and said, “Son, wear these shoes.” The boy quickly wore the shoes and his face showed extreme happiness. He held the gentleman’s hands and said – you are God, you are God! The gentleman was embarrassed and replied that I am not God. Then the boy’s response left him bemused – then you must definitely be God’s friend, because last night itself I had appealed to God to give me a pair of shoes as my feet burn and hurt a lot in the heat. Please get me a pair of shoes! The gentleman had tears in his eyes as he smiled and left, but he had realised that it is not too difficult to become God’s friend. Because nature has created two paths – ‘Give and Leave’ or ‘Leave it behind and Go’ – why is this because there is no arrangement to take it away with you.

The meaning of the above story is so profound in its simplicity. Whatever is excess in our life is meant to be distributed and if it is not distributed, then when we die - we leave it all behind, we cannot take it with us! With meditation, we get this realisation very naturally – because with the clearance of our energy centres and meridians our core nature becomes that of giving universally. Realisation dawns on us from within that we are born to give and when we leave, we leave empty handed – all we leave behind is memories and the values which we spread while alive!

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Peek into your Subconscious Mind

 

Peek into your Subconscious Mind

Most of us know only about our mind and have no clue about the hidden subconscious mind. We are aware about our subconscious – it is sometimes called the sixth sense, instinct etc. – but the subconscious mind is far more powerful than this. As we are not aware of this we keep thinking and looking outside to find a solution to our life’s problems – we never ever look within!

Just try to take a peek within, try to get a glimpse of your subconscious mind. Just imagine that you have to cross a river and you are swimming vigourously to reach the opposite shore. You have jumped into the water because you are fed-up of what you have received on this shore! While swimming, will you look behind, no because if you do so, the waves may take you elsewhere so you have complete focus on reaching the other shore. Just imagine that your Guru or Master is on the other shore waiting for you – with that prize in mind – dive within your own being, you need single minded focus to reach your subconscious. There will be a lot of distractions on the way, but if you get distracted while swimming to the other shore you could lose your way or drown, both the results are unwanted ones! While swimming across if you think someone is going to come and help you to reach the other shore – forget it! You, yourself have to have that single-minded focus to reach the other shore.

Why did you jump into the river? You jumped because you were fed up of the problems you were facing on this bank and you thought it is better to swim across the river surmounting all problems while swimming to reach the safe shore where the Master is waiting. All the problems which you feel were on the outside are actually within you, not outside – so even if you have jumped into the water to swim across to the other side, you are carrying the problems inside you. Now, don’t look back at the past, leave it all behind, forget the past because the golden future beckons.

As you introspect while going across with single minded focus your attention turns inwards, and as it turn inwards you get a glimpse of the hidden subconscious mind – that single glimpse clarifies a whole lot of issues providing the reasons why you left the other shore. You get your answers. With continuous focus after reaching the shore you start meditating, and with meditation you start going deeper and deeper within and the glimpse of the subconscious mind turns into awareness of the subconscious mind. This awareness about yourself makes you lighter, more joyous, more accepting, more loving, more caring and a person who lives in the moment.

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Being at Ease with Oneself

 

Being at Ease with Oneself

There are two ways in which one can look at the saying – being at ease with oneself – for one there is the physical aspect. Here, if one is not comfortable with how one looks, one’s weight, skin texture, pigmentation, etc then one does not feel at ease with oneself. In such situations one is afraid to face others fearing nasty comments and so on.

The other aspect is the spiritual one – lots of people have spoken on the physical aspect of being at ease with oneself and what one must do to achieve that mindset. When we speak about being at ease with oneself in this context, what we mean is that we are comfortable being ‘alone’, we are not lonely, we are absolutely at ease with our own solitude, with our own soul for company.

How do we reach a state where we are spiritually at ease with our own self? We need to learn first to be comfortable with who we are both physically and emotionally. When we are comfortable with our own being then meditation helps us journey inwards. Meditation helps us in centering ourselves within, this meditative practice helps us live in silence, appreciate the silence and then listen joyously to the deafening silence. Once silence becomes a part of our life, then rest assured we are comfortable with who we are and we start being at ease with our own self!

This silence does not come easily – because even though you seclude yourself in a cottage at a hill or mountain resort – your mind comes along with you. You may not hear other people talk with you physically – you may even have the self-control not to switch on the TV, keep your smart phone switched off – but your mind is chattering continuously. In this state even if you are in nature and there is no external noise, the inner noise makes your life hell as the mind continuously oscillates from the past to the future.

Making the mind quiet and then going into deep states of meditation is what is being at ease with one’s own self spiritually is all about. This inner state of calm and quiet, once achieved stays with you for the rest of your life. The outer world does not matter because you have become one with the universe within. This state is difficult to achieve but then that is why we have taken birth. Continuous spiritual practice under the guidance of a realised Master will help you achieve that state. Once you reach there then it is a case of mind at peace rather than the mind in pieces!

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One's Conscience

 

One’s Conscience

We say a lot of stuff in pure innocence during our childhood which the adults usually ignore as the blabber of a kid. But it is said that till the age of five the child recollects a lot of stuff from his/her past life and usually utters it – which is ignored by the parents as gibberish! Actually, if we can train ourselves to listen to that voice and obey it then we will definitely enjoy a joyous life. What invariably happens is that we are admitted to school (at least during my childhood it was the age of five at which schools would admit children) – nowadays parents send their children to playschool (all a big business now, nothing to do with ‘education’) at the age of 1.5 to 2 years.

In India, education is such a big thing for the parents that they push the child into school, tuitions etc leaving no time for the child to develop any alternative hobbies or interests. With all this additional information which is dumped down the child’s system, the child soon forgets his fun filled ‘memories’ and is weighed down by ‘learning’ stuff in the name of education. Slowly and steadily the voice of the conscience goes quiet as the worldly chatter takes over.

The conscience does make feeble efforts to be heard, but is invariably silenced by the racket created by the intellect. Ultimately it goes totally silent! Life goes on in this business-like manner and we start living a materialistic life in a world filled with so many ‘wonderful’ things which we aspire to acquire. In this chase for material well-being at one point we reach a stage where we feel what are we doing all this for? Once this feeling starts growing on you, you start looking for quiet and peace. You go to beaches, hill stations, forests, mountains just to enjoy the peace and silence.

Once you start enjoying the silence your inner voice starts making a comeback, it then guides you towards your spiritual guide or Guru. This leads you to meditation and your inner journey starts, this is when your inner voice or your conscience makes a strong comeback – after this it keeps guiding you throughout your life – all you have to do is keep your inner ears open. Your conscience is your own Guru – guiding you all the time – learn to listen to it, ask it questions and you will find your answers.

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Selfless like Nature

 

Selfless like Nature

It is said that we are all born for a purpose – basically to work out our karmas before progressing to higher vibrational levels. What about nature – does it exist for a purpose? No, nature is part of existence and it is just giving without any expectations. Living nature, existence is not there for any purpose – take for instance flowers – some of them are beautiful to look at, but there is no fragrance, some of them are beautiful and fragrant, some look ordinary but their fragrance is simply divine – they are only giving all the time. They bloom, they give their joy and beauty, their fragrance, we enjoy all this and by the end of the day or on the next day they wither away and merge with the earth before the cycle starts again. Similarly, rivers, waterfalls, the sun, the moon they are all just flowing, shining, giving light, giving radiance – they just exist in giving humanity life giving abundance.

This is all a part of the divine created by the Almighty. The flowers, the sun, the moon, the rivers do not ask what is the purpose of our existence! It is only we humans who are looking for a purpose, demanding a purpose to live, getting frustrated and tense if the so called ‘purpose’ is not achieved. Our mind does not ‘accept’ the fact that we can live even if our ‘objective’ or ‘purpose’ is not achieved. The mind does not accept ‘failure’ of not achieving the objective – if that objective was not meant to be achieved, then that is how it is meant to be. The day one accepts this reality – that is the day one changes in ‘nature’. Man’s intelligence is the biggest obstacle in one’s search for Paramatma. The day one’s intelligence bows down to the soul, that is the day you start your journey towards merging with nature. Acceptance becomes the way of life; whatever life throws at you – you accept with a smile and move on.

With meditation comes serenity, a calmness within, an indescribable joy in living. Your nature becomes selfless as your own essence starts merging with mother nature, the ultimate unification of mind, body and soul with universal consciousness starts taking place. This takes time and commitment, it is not easy, it requires dedication, faith and a sense of complete and unconditional surrender to your Guru or Master, who guides you very subtly on to the path of liberation. Become a part of the journey and then let the journey become you!

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Implications of Inaction

 

Implications of Inaction

The modern world is full of action, most of it is violence based on perceived wrongs, territorial ambition or plain and simple greed. We have this action taking place on a daily basis – both at the micro and the macro level. At the micro level we have physical violation of people’s dignity, violence if there is resistance, kidnapping and ransom, and a whole gamut of abuses rendered by man upon man. Even though this is bad, what is worse is the inaction by those who are witness to these violations of human dignity!

Nowadays with the proliferation of smart phones people start shooting videos of such action and posting it on social media for their two minutes of fame rather than intervening and trying to go to the assistance of those being violated, or at least calling for help from others or the police – but no! The general nature of humans has fallen to such a low that shooting videos or taking photos is more important than helping another human!

We ourselves probably do not realise that we have slowly lost our conscience and we just do not react the way we should – with compassion and love – it is now more about two minutes of fame at the cost of a fellow human being. We have vulture journalism now and maybe because that is what we see in the print and visual media day in and day out – that is what has shaped our conscience – we probably think that is how the world is! So unfortunate – if we have fallen into that trap!

This inaction results into karmic obligations which we have to work out later in our life or we carry it on into our subsequent birth to face the music then. Every action has a reaction and unless we reach a state where we can absorb all this negativity and surmount it, we are in for a tough time. All this can be done easily from the moment we start meditating and turning inwards. Once, we start doing that, our energy centres start getting balanced and with time our soul becomes the mirror which reflects all our faults. Once, we begin seeing our own shortcomings we start changing for the better. Our inaction then turns into positive action as our nature itself changes at the fundamental level.

Meditation cleanses us from within, removes the muck encasing our soul, makes us see the truth as it is and helps us face life as human beings rather than voyeuristic animals that we seem to have become. Meditate to avoid the consequences of inaction in trying circumstances!

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Compassion and Wisdom

 

Compassion and Wisdom

Both compassion and wisdom are a very fundamental part of our ancient culture. These are intrinsically interlinked and perform best in tandem. We will try and understand both individually and then in tandem.

For some, compassion comes naturally and to some it is not even a part of their personality. Compassion can also be called love, caring or in Buddhism it is called bodhichitta – these all mean the same thing. But - there is always a but isn’t it! It all comes down to practicing it – whether you put others before yourself in actions, speech and thought. Compassion can generally be awakened and you can achieve its understanding - if it is not already an inherent part of your personality - through meditation. But no matter how much you speak about compassion and how good it sounds it really boils down to practicing it. And no one understands this as well as you do. For doing this you need the wisdom to look inwards and to actually see who you are, what kind of a person you are!

Wisdom is something that comes to us from deep within our consciousness, all other ‘knowledge’ which we acquire through school and university is not knowledge but information which we use in the material world. Wisdom requires us to work with our inner self, in order to act in accordance with our inherent goodness. And when we come face to face with problems, obstacles or difficulties we can turn them to our advantage to develop more inspiration, because if we sincerely value kindness and caring, that belief itself will give us the courage to surpass such obstacles or difficulties. Wisdom, basically means to use such obstacles in this way to find solutions, else wisdom becomes a museum piece and we just end up gathering philosophies, logics and teachings just like people who collect artifacts!

To reach a state where compassion and wisdom are interlinked to form a whole one needs to completely get rid of the ‘I’- factor – the ego. Through meditation we finally break out of the illusion of life which we ourselves create and its dream-like nature. If we then can let go of our attachment to that illusion, we will be free from pain, free from our own expectations, and free from our own hope and fear. Once you achieve that level of awareness you get the wisdom to use your compassion selflessly for the benefit of humanity. The ‘I’ sense dissolves into nothingness and what remains is a feeling of universal love and brotherhood with the wisdom and compassion to apply in one’s day to day life. So, if we want compassion and wisdom to be part of our life then meditating and losing one’s I-sense with the passage of time becomes a given. Stay focused, meditate and achieve that level of awareness which is called moksha, then compassion and wisdom become constants in your life.

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Taking Responsibility

 

Taking Responsibility

When we were growing up our parents always would tell us to be responsible for our actions. This is a very important lesson as currently what we observe, especially in politics – very few people take responsibility for their words and deeds. It is like a bunch of crooks acting like contortionists in a circus! They turn this way and that and try to escape from what they said or did by coming up with the most ridiculous explanations or more lies to hide the original lie. But with time all these people get exposed as subsequent events prove them not only to be wrong but show them up in an extremely poor light.

Whatever we say or do we have to uphold the principle of responsibility as we cannot blame others for the consequences of our words or actions. If you ponder upon this a bit, you will realise that before you say or do anything, the actual process starts with your thinking. You first get a thought, then you ponder up on it, then you voice it and then you act upon it. If your conscience warns you during the thought process itself, then that is a red flag warning which you should listen to and you will most likely save yourself from grief.

In the modern world what we get to see more and more as the pandemic chaos spreads is that so called leaders think one thing, say something else and do something else altogether. There are very few principled leaders who talk less and work more and are seen to be responsible for their actions. We have leaders blaming others for their failure – these are the people who are running away from taking responsibility for their actions or lack of actions and blaming others for their blunders and failures.

Once you start meditating and as you develop oneness with your soul, taking responsibility for your thoughts, words and deeds becomes second nature. Your nature becomes transparent and nothing wrong gets done by you or through you. For taking responsibility for your actions, you need to have integrity and strength of character and these traits become much stronger through meditation. Hence meditate and be responsible for your actions.

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Tackling the Past

 

Tackling the Past

Most of us live in the past because the past has a massive influence on our minds, certain incidents get stuck so badly in our psyche that we just cannot forget them. This reawakening of the past and recollecting the trauma and grief of the past invariably causes us terrific stress. We just cannot get rid of those memories. Every memory recall is opening up the wound afresh and reliving the pain and the anguish! Yesterday is alive only in our minds. The way to tackle the past is to create a great mental distance between those incidents of the past and the present moment.

You will most likely say – easier said than done! In a way you are right, but this is not a problem which cannot be solved. How will you create a mental distance between your past and your ‘now’? Every time some incident jogs distant memories, tell yourself – what has happened has happened, it cannot be undone, the only real moment is now – the present moment – and bring yourself mentally back to the present moment. Recall pleasant and happy memories in place of bad ones and soon you will find yourself putting a mental distance between the past and the now.

Meditation is a sure-fire way of living in the present – meditation under the guidance of a realised Master helps you turn inwards towards your soul. As you meditate with regularity alone and in the company of other seekers, you slowly start balancing your chakras, and with the balancing of your chakras your internal system gets harmonized with the universe – because what is outside is inside. This oneness with the universe in time quietens our mind to such an extent that the past literally becomes history – those bad memories get buried far away and your eureka moment comes – hey, the past no longer bothers me! Wow!

Do remember, meditation is a spiritual practice and it requires dedication and regularity to have a positive effect on your personality. Believe me your life will change for the better and you will turn into a completely new, calm, composed, happy, joy-giving person!

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Life is Short

 

Life is Short

When we are young time just does not pass at all as the day seems to be never ending, but as you grow older you just don’t know how time flies. The busier we get the shorter the day appears to be. It is very funny how time flies when we are joyous and happy and how the day seems to stretch when things are tense and not so nice, isn’t it. Life is really short so it is best to dwell on the good things in life and focus on what is long lasting and permanent.

When we compare our life span to that of the universe it is just like a micro second – in the universal time-space dimension that is just how long we live – life is really, really short! Be content, be happy, take life easy as life is short. There are always two sides to life – we see life in opposites actually – for example – love-hate, positive-negative, cry-joy, above-below, happy-angry, right-wrong, rich-poor, fail-pass and so on. Are these opposites coincidences? Have you asked yourself this? If you reflect deeply, you will realise that when we live our life we need to choose wisely – because our choice always decides which side of the opposite, we choose to live our life in – the positive or the negative!

Life is and always has been a double-edged sword. When you take the aid of an alarm clock to wake you up in the morning you think the clock woke you up – just try putting the alarm clock next to a dead body and see if the alarm going off can bring it back to life! You wake up every morning because of the Grace of the Architect of the Universe – God, Universal Consciousness, or whatever you would like to call it woke you up!

Nothing comes easy in life, just like a child learns to walk by holding hands, falling, getting up till it can really walk on two legs and then laughing in joy – the innocence of childhood – that is how you should achieve your skills, through diligent practice and continuously trying till you succeed and then laughing with the innocence of childhood. Remain like a child and you will never worry in life – the innocence will carry you through and make you shine like a dew drop in the morning sun’s rays!

When you meditate and turn inwards that childlike innocence is rekindled and with greater depths you reach within the more innocent and childlike you become. The earlier in life you start meditating the better it is, that much more time to attain a state of liberation – life is really short – and the time available should be utilised in turning inwards and finding inner joy and peace.

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Be Humble

 

Be Humble

Many people have vanity over their looks, their skin texture, etc from whence we get the saying that beauty should not be just skin deep. However beautiful or handsome you are and you make heads turn – just remember animals in zoos also attract tourists and make heads turn! You may have some phenomenal achievements in life, and no matter how big and strong you are please do not boast because in the end no one carries himself to the grave – you have to be carried by others! Therefore, it is of utmost importance to remain humble and rooted to the ground. However high you fly in life, however popular you are – stick to the basics, be humble, be kind, be loving – for you will be remembered for these qualities more than for your looks and achievements!

No matter how tall you are, you can never ‘see’ tomorrow! Be patient with people who do not have your intelligence, be kind and explain things in a manner which they can understand – your kindness will go a long way in helping you remain humble in life. No matter how light skinned or fair you are you will always need light in the dark – your light-colored skin cannot light up the path for your – remain humble, remain grounded – humanity is far more valuable than vanity!

Be cautious, no matter how rich you are or the number of cars you have, you will always have to walk to your bed! Be contented, be satisfied with what you have as life is short – with the desire for more and more you will not know when life comes to an end. The chase for the ephemeral is always illusory and short lived.

With meditation and a good and healthy life style, limiting your needs to what you truly require in spite of the success you attain in life – giving out more than you get to those who truly need it, and doing it in a manner which goes unnoticed is the mark of a truly evolved person. Meditation helps you to evolve in this manner, it reflects on everything that happens with you and with those around you – the positivity and the radiance reflect your humbleness – the energy around you itself becomes full of love and compassion.

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