Knowledge in itself is futile. We may read every known philosophy book, learnt all the intricacies of the relation between the soul, ego, intellect and the mind. We may be well versed in psychology. We could be adept in different theories from Freud, Jung to Gestalt. We may learn about the importance of containing anger, hatred and envy. We may read about the merits of kindness and humility. But when push comes to shove our mind just goes back to its wanton ways.
How often do we hear of spiritual gurus involved in a scandal? I am sure psychiatrist themselves must occasionally suffer from mental lows. In fact the epics like Mahabharata also quote several examples of exalted sages who succumb to attractions of flesh and desire.
Knowledge by itself is useless unless it is internalized. While knowledge is useful in analyzing situation as an afterthought, it rarely comes to aid when one needs it most. Knowledge takes a backseat to our deepest desires and wishes which lay buried inside us. To some extent our responses are also partly due to centuries of programming and conditioning of the human race.
If we really want to take advantage of knowledge, then we have to consciously assimilate everything that we have learnt. We have to adopt the values that we learn and consciously internalize them day in and day out. It is a lifelong process in which we consciously re-wire the circuits in our brains and mind to behave in a certain way.
We have to consciously understand the inbuilt reasoning that goes beyond any philosophy or faith. We have to practice the values that we learn consciously and constantly.
Practice is not just limited to any new skill like swimming or music. Practice is also necessary for observing and maintaining true north principles.
If we do not consciously practice to internalize values that we learn knowledge will be like layers of cosmetic that can provide some temporary beauty. Such type of knowledge is only skin deep and will disappear.
True learning is learning that can withstand the test of time and any situation.
Monday, June 27, 2011
Saturday, June 25, 2011
The paradox of being both firm and flexible
Good human behavior is a paradox of sorts. While on the one hand we need to be firm there are times when we have to flexible.
Right living must be based on the highest virtues of love, kindness, compassion, integrity, humility, tolerance, commitment etc. If we were to base our lives on these values we will find that we have to be supple or flexible at times and firm or rigid during other times.
Take for example the virtues of love, kindness and compassion. If we truly love others or want to be kind to them, then we really have to elevate ourselves several notches to our higher self. Being kind and loving requires that we accommodate any acts of transgression on the part off others. We must be able to accept with a smile any offensive or rude remark. We must be able to return unkindness with love and kindness.
In other words our behavior based on the values of love, kindness and compassion must be like a blade of grass that bends under the weight of water droplet, only to regain its uprightness once the droplet has fallen off. Hence kindness and unconditional love requires in us a tolerance and acceptance of errors. In this situation we have to really supple and large hearted to receive any kind of bad behavior.
On the other hand virtues like integrity, humility or commitment behooves us to be firm in our behavior. We should not flinch in the face of money, fame or fortune. These values of integrity or honesty can never be compromised. We should never allow us to be tempted by quick money, fame or power.
We have to be firm in our resolve to see through any rough weather we may encounter in our lives. We should never weaken in our attitude and never compromise on these key values. In these aspects we need to be like the lotus leaf which remains unaffected by the water droplets on it. The principles of integrity, commitment are true north principles and should remain so through thick and thin.
Hence it can be seen that when we base our lives on virtues of kindness, love, integrity or commitment we need to be both firm and flexible as the virtue demands. It is difficult to do but is the real test of our character.
Right living must be based on the highest virtues of love, kindness, compassion, integrity, humility, tolerance, commitment etc. If we were to base our lives on these values we will find that we have to be supple or flexible at times and firm or rigid during other times.
Take for example the virtues of love, kindness and compassion. If we truly love others or want to be kind to them, then we really have to elevate ourselves several notches to our higher self. Being kind and loving requires that we accommodate any acts of transgression on the part off others. We must be able to accept with a smile any offensive or rude remark. We must be able to return unkindness with love and kindness.
In other words our behavior based on the values of love, kindness and compassion must be like a blade of grass that bends under the weight of water droplet, only to regain its uprightness once the droplet has fallen off. Hence kindness and unconditional love requires in us a tolerance and acceptance of errors. In this situation we have to really supple and large hearted to receive any kind of bad behavior.
On the other hand virtues like integrity, humility or commitment behooves us to be firm in our behavior. We should not flinch in the face of money, fame or fortune. These values of integrity or honesty can never be compromised. We should never allow us to be tempted by quick money, fame or power.
We have to be firm in our resolve to see through any rough weather we may encounter in our lives. We should never weaken in our attitude and never compromise on these key values. In these aspects we need to be like the lotus leaf which remains unaffected by the water droplets on it. The principles of integrity, commitment are true north principles and should remain so through thick and thin.
Hence it can be seen that when we base our lives on virtues of kindness, love, integrity or commitment we need to be both firm and flexible as the virtue demands. It is difficult to do but is the real test of our character.
Thursday, June 23, 2011
Ridding oneself of the past history
All of us at any point in our lives will have a past history. Our past can be of 3 kinds
• a boring past
• a gory past
• a glorious past
A boring past: If our past has been boring then we really need to do something about it. We have probably simply drifted about in life without any ambition in life. We probably feel we have not have achieved anything worthwhile in life. If this is the case we really need to distance ourselves from our past. We need to set appropriate goals fired with the necessary ambition and we need to drive ourselves in life. As they say “nothing is impossible” as long as we put our heart and soul into achieving this.
A Gory Past: There are some who feel that their past has been nothing but a string of failures and defeats. Their past acts as a drag on their progress. They are constantly weighed by the guilt of failure and under achievement. These people have to just let go of the past and start afresh on the journey into the future. The past is in no way determines your future as long as you use your free will and choose to act differently. Failure in the past is no excuse for inactivity or being lethargic. If we let go off the past and focus on the future we can truly achieve great things
A Glorious Past: If you have a glorious past you may think there is no need for worry. But these people have the most difficult task ahead of them. We should not just bask in our past victories. People who live in past glories are doomed to failure at some future point because they are bound to be lulled into overconfidence. People with a glorious past with a lot of successes should really divorce their past and move into the future afresh. They should tackle the future unmindful of their past victories. This will make then humble and will also result from any overweening pride in oneself. This takes a lot of courage to start afresh when one can simply wallow in self pride. If we have the courage to start anew and focus on the task then we can add to our string of victories
Hence whether you have a boring, a gory or a glorious past we need to look at the future with fresh eyes without the weight of past failures or the pride of past successes. We need to travel light into the future.
• a boring past
• a gory past
• a glorious past
A boring past: If our past has been boring then we really need to do something about it. We have probably simply drifted about in life without any ambition in life. We probably feel we have not have achieved anything worthwhile in life. If this is the case we really need to distance ourselves from our past. We need to set appropriate goals fired with the necessary ambition and we need to drive ourselves in life. As they say “nothing is impossible” as long as we put our heart and soul into achieving this.
A Gory Past: There are some who feel that their past has been nothing but a string of failures and defeats. Their past acts as a drag on their progress. They are constantly weighed by the guilt of failure and under achievement. These people have to just let go of the past and start afresh on the journey into the future. The past is in no way determines your future as long as you use your free will and choose to act differently. Failure in the past is no excuse for inactivity or being lethargic. If we let go off the past and focus on the future we can truly achieve great things
A Glorious Past: If you have a glorious past you may think there is no need for worry. But these people have the most difficult task ahead of them. We should not just bask in our past victories. People who live in past glories are doomed to failure at some future point because they are bound to be lulled into overconfidence. People with a glorious past with a lot of successes should really divorce their past and move into the future afresh. They should tackle the future unmindful of their past victories. This will make then humble and will also result from any overweening pride in oneself. This takes a lot of courage to start afresh when one can simply wallow in self pride. If we have the courage to start anew and focus on the task then we can add to our string of victories
Hence whether you have a boring, a gory or a glorious past we need to look at the future with fresh eyes without the weight of past failures or the pride of past successes. We need to travel light into the future.
Monday, June 20, 2011
Of Brahman, Jungian Self archetype and Quantum Mechanics
In Hindu philosophy Brahman is considered to be the universal force that pervades the universe. The Brahman or the Atman is considered to indestructible, ineffable, colorless, beyond descriptio. The Brahman can be attained only in deep states of mysticism and the experience is one of total bliss. As is mentioned in Christian philosophy it is a state of peace that “passeth all understanding”. Further according to Hindu philosophy the world is an illusion or “maya” and we view the world through our “gunas” or nature. To be able to pierce this illusoriness of the phenomenal world requires a calm meditative approach to the world. We are required to transcend the illusion of the world and go to that universal consciousness or the Atman.
According to Carl Jung, a Swiss psychologist, 1875. man has an ego behind which is the personal conscious, in some ways similar to the jiva atman. Jung also describes that the lowest strata of consciousness is the collective unconscious almost akin to the Brahman concept of Hinduism. Also man is made of several archetypes. An archetype is an unlearned tendency to experience things in a certain way. Jung describes that the collective unconscious is made of several archetypes like the mother, the shadow, the anima, the animus and the self.. According to Jungian philosophy the goal of life is to realize the self. According to this the “self: archetype represents the transcendence of all opposites, when one is neither male nor female, neither ego nor shadow, neither good nor bad, neither conscious nor unconscious. This almost rings of the Upanishads which describes the Atman or Brahman through complete exclusion and negation as “not this, not this.. or na iti, na iti”. This is a striking parallel to the discovery of the self by the ancient Indian sages.
The reality as perceived by the sages is supposed to be beyond verbal description. The ancient Indian mystics state that behind the multitude of images that we see is the same and universal reality. Similarly, according to quantum mechanics, reality is a superposition of a number of possible states. The observed phenomenon is not independent of the observer. According to Heisenberg the atoms and elementary particles form a world of possibilities and potentialities, and not things and facts. What we observe, according to Heisenberg is not nature itself, but nature exposed to our mode of questioning. The famous thought experiment of Erwin Schrödinger illustrates a paradoxical situation in which a cat will be both alive and dead. This experiment just goes to show that reality is a superposition of several possibilities
This is analogous to the thinking of the ancients that there exists a reality behind the images of forms and things of this world. The underlying principle of the Brahman is universal and pervades the entire universe. . According the Hindu thought the reality that we observe are based on our senses. The reality of the Brahman is beyond all words and modes of expression.
It is amazing that the concepts of the ancient Indian ascetics about the phenomenal world and ultimate Reality still holds true after centuries of advancement in human thought.
According to Carl Jung, a Swiss psychologist, 1875. man has an ego behind which is the personal conscious, in some ways similar to the jiva atman. Jung also describes that the lowest strata of consciousness is the collective unconscious almost akin to the Brahman concept of Hinduism. Also man is made of several archetypes. An archetype is an unlearned tendency to experience things in a certain way. Jung describes that the collective unconscious is made of several archetypes like the mother, the shadow, the anima, the animus and the self.. According to Jungian philosophy the goal of life is to realize the self. According to this the “self: archetype represents the transcendence of all opposites, when one is neither male nor female, neither ego nor shadow, neither good nor bad, neither conscious nor unconscious. This almost rings of the Upanishads which describes the Atman or Brahman through complete exclusion and negation as “not this, not this.. or na iti, na iti”. This is a striking parallel to the discovery of the self by the ancient Indian sages.
The reality as perceived by the sages is supposed to be beyond verbal description. The ancient Indian mystics state that behind the multitude of images that we see is the same and universal reality. Similarly, according to quantum mechanics, reality is a superposition of a number of possible states. The observed phenomenon is not independent of the observer. According to Heisenberg the atoms and elementary particles form a world of possibilities and potentialities, and not things and facts. What we observe, according to Heisenberg is not nature itself, but nature exposed to our mode of questioning. The famous thought experiment of Erwin Schrödinger illustrates a paradoxical situation in which a cat will be both alive and dead. This experiment just goes to show that reality is a superposition of several possibilities
This is analogous to the thinking of the ancients that there exists a reality behind the images of forms and things of this world. The underlying principle of the Brahman is universal and pervades the entire universe. . According the Hindu thought the reality that we observe are based on our senses. The reality of the Brahman is beyond all words and modes of expression.
It is amazing that the concepts of the ancient Indian ascetics about the phenomenal world and ultimate Reality still holds true after centuries of advancement in human thought.
Sunday, June 19, 2011
Dealing with a hierarchy of values
• What would do if on a day a hungry and homeless on the street begged for a few coins from you? Would you refuse because you consider begging is evil and should be abolished or would you part with a few coins?
• How would you react if you happened to witness somebody being cruel to another person? Would you be offended and accost the offender or would you just rationalize the act as the karma of the person undergoing the suffering?
• What would you if you were confronted with a situation where telling truth as it is bound to hurt the person receiving it? Would you refrain from telling the truth as an act of kindness or would you feel that you are compromising with your moral integrity?
• Would you advertise your achievements to somebody who does not know you or would your sense of humility prevent you from doing that?
These are typical situations that we go through in our daily lives. All of us would agree that we have to live a life of moral rectitude. We all tend to believe in a certain set of core values as the fundamental basis of principled behavior. We will all agree that all actions should be based on core values of kindness, compassion, honesty, humility, tolerance.
There is no argument that the above values are vital for good human character. However in our daily lives it never easy to determine the right course of action as the above 4 situations describe. Oftentimes based on the situation we have to order the values and choose one among them that is most appropriate in the given situation.
Typically we will have to deal a hierarchy of human values and pick the value that provides the greatest good in the given situation. It is not easy to make the decision. There is an interesting anecdote in the Mahabharata where a gang of bandits ask a sage whether he saw a man running in a particular direction. While the sage was aware of the murderous intent of the bandits, without batting an eyelid he tells them that the man was actually hiding in his hut. The bandits promptly catch the poor man and kill him. While the sage felt that we behaving honestly he could have at least with held the truth thus saving a life.
In my opinion, when there is a conflict of good human values the virtue that is most superior in any given circumstance is kindness and compassion. The Gita also clearly states “that he who is able to share the sorrow and joy of others is a true yogi”. Clearly compassion is high on the list of virtues of the Gita.
Hence when we are confronted with any situation we have to assess the situation, order the values in a hierarchical order and choose the action that provides the greatest good for the greatest time.
• How would you react if you happened to witness somebody being cruel to another person? Would you be offended and accost the offender or would you just rationalize the act as the karma of the person undergoing the suffering?
• What would you if you were confronted with a situation where telling truth as it is bound to hurt the person receiving it? Would you refrain from telling the truth as an act of kindness or would you feel that you are compromising with your moral integrity?
• Would you advertise your achievements to somebody who does not know you or would your sense of humility prevent you from doing that?
These are typical situations that we go through in our daily lives. All of us would agree that we have to live a life of moral rectitude. We all tend to believe in a certain set of core values as the fundamental basis of principled behavior. We will all agree that all actions should be based on core values of kindness, compassion, honesty, humility, tolerance.
There is no argument that the above values are vital for good human character. However in our daily lives it never easy to determine the right course of action as the above 4 situations describe. Oftentimes based on the situation we have to order the values and choose one among them that is most appropriate in the given situation.
Typically we will have to deal a hierarchy of human values and pick the value that provides the greatest good in the given situation. It is not easy to make the decision. There is an interesting anecdote in the Mahabharata where a gang of bandits ask a sage whether he saw a man running in a particular direction. While the sage was aware of the murderous intent of the bandits, without batting an eyelid he tells them that the man was actually hiding in his hut. The bandits promptly catch the poor man and kill him. While the sage felt that we behaving honestly he could have at least with held the truth thus saving a life.
In my opinion, when there is a conflict of good human values the virtue that is most superior in any given circumstance is kindness and compassion. The Gita also clearly states “that he who is able to share the sorrow and joy of others is a true yogi”. Clearly compassion is high on the list of virtues of the Gita.
Hence when we are confronted with any situation we have to assess the situation, order the values in a hierarchical order and choose the action that provides the greatest good for the greatest time.
In Search of Life's Meaning
Viktor E. Frankl’s classic book “Man’s search for meaning” recounts his experiences in a German concentration camp at Auschwitz during the peak of the Second World War. It talks about the horrendous experiences of the camp’s inmates in the bitter cold and the inhuman treatment meted to them by the Nazi guards. Frankl, a psychologist by profession, in his book tells that those who were better suited for survival were those who had some higher purpose to their lives. To him the higher spiritual calling was able to bring forward unknown reserves of inner strength.
He tells that those who had some inner purpose, some loftier goal were those who were able to withstand the inhumanness of the camp. According to Nietzsche “If a man know the why to his life, he can tolerate almost any how”.
The purpose of this blog is to emphasize the need for some meaning in our lives. Most of us just drift about in our daily lives, from one day to another. Then there are others who are so busy running from one crisis to another. Both these classes of people are soon bound to run into rough weather in life. The former who just let life carry them along are bound to get bored and listless. They will soon be crushed by ennui. The latter are bound ti get unduly stressed and frustrated by the chaos in their lives
What is need from all of us at any point in our lives is to have some meaning, a purpose for which we exist. It need not be any lofty goal such as eradicating human misery, or becoming a tennis player of world repute. We could just set ourselves simple goals. It could be something as simple as making reading a regular habit, exercising for half hour, four days a week or learning a new skill.
A life without meaning, without any ambition is like setting sail in the seas and being at the mercy of winds. We need some definite goals in our daily lives not only remove the humdrum of mundane existence but also to give us the joy of achievement in life. Also the pursuit of concrete goals in life will also give us inner strength to handle issues in life.
Besides, as we pursue these smaller goals in life regularly, in the course of time, our larger purpose may become apparent
We will feel more fulfilled when we achieve the little goals that we set ourselves.
He tells that those who had some inner purpose, some loftier goal were those who were able to withstand the inhumanness of the camp. According to Nietzsche “If a man know the why to his life, he can tolerate almost any how”.
The purpose of this blog is to emphasize the need for some meaning in our lives. Most of us just drift about in our daily lives, from one day to another. Then there are others who are so busy running from one crisis to another. Both these classes of people are soon bound to run into rough weather in life. The former who just let life carry them along are bound to get bored and listless. They will soon be crushed by ennui. The latter are bound ti get unduly stressed and frustrated by the chaos in their lives
What is need from all of us at any point in our lives is to have some meaning, a purpose for which we exist. It need not be any lofty goal such as eradicating human misery, or becoming a tennis player of world repute. We could just set ourselves simple goals. It could be something as simple as making reading a regular habit, exercising for half hour, four days a week or learning a new skill.
A life without meaning, without any ambition is like setting sail in the seas and being at the mercy of winds. We need some definite goals in our daily lives not only remove the humdrum of mundane existence but also to give us the joy of achievement in life. Also the pursuit of concrete goals in life will also give us inner strength to handle issues in life.
Besides, as we pursue these smaller goals in life regularly, in the course of time, our larger purpose may become apparent
We will feel more fulfilled when we achieve the little goals that we set ourselves.
Monday, June 13, 2011
The Mind is smarter than we think!
Our mind is smarter than we think. I can almost hear you say “What’s new here? Tell me about it!” All of us are aware that it only with our minds that we are capable of analyzing, inventing, solving and doing a myriad of difficult tasks. This is obvious. Our mind is truly a wonderful instrument that is capable of stupendous tasks.
What this post is trying to say is that there are capabilities of the mind that are beyond the obvious ones like analyzing, solving, creating etc.
All of the above activities happen because of thought. Thought in general parlance, really refers to our verbalization of our mental processes. When we analyze a certain problem, what we really do is to reason out in words the pros and cons of the issue. When we are solving a particular problem we try to look at the problem and try to think in words of the possible solutions this problem.
But the mind is beyond simple verbalization. In my opinion there are clearly 2 planes of conscious thought. They are
Conscious Verbalization: This is type of thinking that we most commonly attribute to thought. In this mode of thinking, thoughts occur through verbalization of the issue at hand whether we are analyzing, solving or creating. We spend a fair amount time in this type of verbal thought process.
Conscious Direct Perception: Behind the conscious verbalization process is another plane of thinking which I would like to refer as “conscious direct perception”. In this plane of thought there is no verbalization. Our mind, in this mode, is able to perceive a situation almost directly and instantaneously. There is no accompanying verbalization in this process. To a certain extent this mode of thinking is almost Zen-like which really talks about direct perception of an insight beyond conscious verbalization. In fact, it is this plane of thinking which results in us feeling inexplicably sad or happy at times. We may not be able to put a finger to our feelings as to why we feel dejected or pleased. The fact is that the perceptive faculty of our mind has been working behind the scenes and assessing the situation we face during the day resulting in us feeling either good or lousy.
We generally do not look beyond our reasoning and verbal mind. But it is truly the non-verbal and perceptive mind that is really a wonder.
What this post is trying to say is that there are capabilities of the mind that are beyond the obvious ones like analyzing, solving, creating etc.
All of the above activities happen because of thought. Thought in general parlance, really refers to our verbalization of our mental processes. When we analyze a certain problem, what we really do is to reason out in words the pros and cons of the issue. When we are solving a particular problem we try to look at the problem and try to think in words of the possible solutions this problem.
But the mind is beyond simple verbalization. In my opinion there are clearly 2 planes of conscious thought. They are
Conscious Verbalization: This is type of thinking that we most commonly attribute to thought. In this mode of thinking, thoughts occur through verbalization of the issue at hand whether we are analyzing, solving or creating. We spend a fair amount time in this type of verbal thought process.
Conscious Direct Perception: Behind the conscious verbalization process is another plane of thinking which I would like to refer as “conscious direct perception”. In this plane of thought there is no verbalization. Our mind, in this mode, is able to perceive a situation almost directly and instantaneously. There is no accompanying verbalization in this process. To a certain extent this mode of thinking is almost Zen-like which really talks about direct perception of an insight beyond conscious verbalization. In fact, it is this plane of thinking which results in us feeling inexplicably sad or happy at times. We may not be able to put a finger to our feelings as to why we feel dejected or pleased. The fact is that the perceptive faculty of our mind has been working behind the scenes and assessing the situation we face during the day resulting in us feeling either good or lousy.
We generally do not look beyond our reasoning and verbal mind. But it is truly the non-verbal and perceptive mind that is really a wonder.
We only see what we choose to see
This may not seem very obvious. But the fact remains that we only see what we are looking for. Our mind is selective and filters out the information it receives based on what we are really looking for. The amount of information out there in the real world is enormous. We selectively filter out from the all this based on our preferences.
I am sure there must have been several occasions in your life where you failed to notice something in a person, place or thing and suddenly you realized that it was always there. In my case there have been countless times I have walked by a place oblivious of the color of a building, or of a hoarding or something peculiar about that place. Then it strikes you suddenly. We come to realize that it has always been there.
The reason for this is that we unconsciously we filter out certain elements and tend to focus only on others that we are interested in.
This characteristic of ours is not unique only to the external world of things. We also tend to filter out certain traits of others and focus on things we have formed an opinion about. For example we form judgments about people. We become biased in our views about someone. From then we only see things through this colored vision of ours.
For example we may just decide a person is very selfish and our mind just focuses on the actions of this person which appear selfish in total exclusion of all his/her other actions. We decide somebody is proud and then every act of this person appears to substantiate this view of ours. Alternatively we get so enamored with a person’s honorific title, designation or name and we just blindly accept everything they may utter. We bid goodbye to our reason and our mind just filters out any errors on this person.
The fact remains that we only see those things that we really choose to see. When it comes to our interaction with people we should free ourselves of any pre-conceived notions and view them objectively. We should not selectively filter out their good qualities and focus on only their bad.
The ideal approach would be to focus on the good while being mindful of any errors on the other person’s part.
I am sure there must have been several occasions in your life where you failed to notice something in a person, place or thing and suddenly you realized that it was always there. In my case there have been countless times I have walked by a place oblivious of the color of a building, or of a hoarding or something peculiar about that place. Then it strikes you suddenly. We come to realize that it has always been there.
The reason for this is that we unconsciously we filter out certain elements and tend to focus only on others that we are interested in.
This characteristic of ours is not unique only to the external world of things. We also tend to filter out certain traits of others and focus on things we have formed an opinion about. For example we form judgments about people. We become biased in our views about someone. From then we only see things through this colored vision of ours.
For example we may just decide a person is very selfish and our mind just focuses on the actions of this person which appear selfish in total exclusion of all his/her other actions. We decide somebody is proud and then every act of this person appears to substantiate this view of ours. Alternatively we get so enamored with a person’s honorific title, designation or name and we just blindly accept everything they may utter. We bid goodbye to our reason and our mind just filters out any errors on this person.
The fact remains that we only see those things that we really choose to see. When it comes to our interaction with people we should free ourselves of any pre-conceived notions and view them objectively. We should not selectively filter out their good qualities and focus on only their bad.
The ideal approach would be to focus on the good while being mindful of any errors on the other person’s part.
Asking the Whats and Whys of Life?
Our lives are one headlong rush to nowhere. Man has been guilty of this mindless rush to nowhere since time immemorial. The only difference between modern man and our earlier ancestors is the speed with which we rush into the unknown. Our lives seem to be perpetually on fast forward.
We need to pause and take a break from this thoughtless charge in life. We need to ask ourselves the what's and why's of our life. We need to know where we want to go in life and why we to get there?
The most basic question that we need to ask and answer is 'What do I want in life?”. If we sit and ask this question of ourselves most of the time we will get back an immediate response about cracking some exam, winning the love of some girl, cracking a management exam or getting a promotion in life. While these are perfectly valid ambitions we need to look into ourselves deeper.
What do we want to be in the long run, spread over a couple of decades. Besides knowing what we want in life, we also need to have answers of the 'whys' about our wants. We need to have a clear picture of why we would like to get, where we want in life.
We need to have clear and concise answers to these probing questions of ours. As Stephen Covey states, we are governed by four planes of existence namely personal, professional, social and spiritual. So the “whats” and “whys” have to be asked in these 4 different planes of our lives
Personal: What do you want in your personal life a decade and a half in the future. Is it power, glory, fame or wealth. Anything is fine as long as it is achieved through sound values and principles. It could be as simple as being able to master a musical instrument, making a career as a poet, or learning a new skill. Besides deciding what we want in life we need to be able to justify to ourselves as to why we need it.
Professional: What do you want in the professional sphere? Is it a senior management post in the organizational hierarchy? Or are we more interested in keeping our technical and people skills perfectly honed at all times. If we do get to the upper rungs of the management do we have a clear vision of what we would like to achieve and why it is important to you and your colleagues
Social: Are we only interested in only increasing our circle of friends or do we have more noble intentions. Do we believe in doing random acts of kindness to the underprivileged. Are we compassionate to the suffering of society. What do we want to achieve in the social plane? Why is it important to us. Can we answer this question of ours.
Spiritual: Is there somewhere we want to get to spiritually in life? Are we content with just ritualistic praying or in mouthing spiritual cliches. Do we personally believe we can get closer to the divine by leading a principled life? Why would this be important to us.
We have to become our own leaders and ask ourselves these pointed questions regarding the “whats” and the “whys” of life.
When we are able to satisfactorily answer the 'whats” and “whys” of our life the “hows” and “whens” will automatically kick in and we will move towards a more fulfilling life.
We need to pause and take a break from this thoughtless charge in life. We need to ask ourselves the what's and why's of our life. We need to know where we want to go in life and why we to get there?
The most basic question that we need to ask and answer is 'What do I want in life?”. If we sit and ask this question of ourselves most of the time we will get back an immediate response about cracking some exam, winning the love of some girl, cracking a management exam or getting a promotion in life. While these are perfectly valid ambitions we need to look into ourselves deeper.
What do we want to be in the long run, spread over a couple of decades. Besides knowing what we want in life, we also need to have answers of the 'whys' about our wants. We need to have a clear picture of why we would like to get, where we want in life.
We need to have clear and concise answers to these probing questions of ours. As Stephen Covey states, we are governed by four planes of existence namely personal, professional, social and spiritual. So the “whats” and “whys” have to be asked in these 4 different planes of our lives
Personal: What do you want in your personal life a decade and a half in the future. Is it power, glory, fame or wealth. Anything is fine as long as it is achieved through sound values and principles. It could be as simple as being able to master a musical instrument, making a career as a poet, or learning a new skill. Besides deciding what we want in life we need to be able to justify to ourselves as to why we need it.
Professional: What do you want in the professional sphere? Is it a senior management post in the organizational hierarchy? Or are we more interested in keeping our technical and people skills perfectly honed at all times. If we do get to the upper rungs of the management do we have a clear vision of what we would like to achieve and why it is important to you and your colleagues
Social: Are we only interested in only increasing our circle of friends or do we have more noble intentions. Do we believe in doing random acts of kindness to the underprivileged. Are we compassionate to the suffering of society. What do we want to achieve in the social plane? Why is it important to us. Can we answer this question of ours.
Spiritual: Is there somewhere we want to get to spiritually in life? Are we content with just ritualistic praying or in mouthing spiritual cliches. Do we personally believe we can get closer to the divine by leading a principled life? Why would this be important to us.
We have to become our own leaders and ask ourselves these pointed questions regarding the “whats” and the “whys” of life.
When we are able to satisfactorily answer the 'whats” and “whys” of our life the “hows” and “whens” will automatically kick in and we will move towards a more fulfilling life.
Wednesday, June 8, 2011
The Many Faces of Suffering
Suffering is inevitable in life. There is no escape from pain and misery. We may wish it away but we cannot get rid of it. Suffering comes to us in many forms. This article looks at some of the most common types of suffering.
This piece does not try to provide solutions to the problem of human suffering but is an attempt to look at the many faces of human sorrow. It is hoped that an understanding of the causes of our suffering will allow us to take control of our lives and lessen the pain of suffering.
Suffering is generally of 3 types.
Personal: This is the most common of all types of human suffering. We are all prone to this type of suffering. We feel hurt when somebody passes a rude comment about us or insults us in anyway. This is because our pride is hurt and we feel unhappy. Personal suffering also occurs when we don’t get what we desire. We may want that promotion in office, or we may expect praise from our friends. When this does not happen we feel let down. Personal suffering is largely of our own making. To some extent we can control this suffering if we keep our egos in check and moderate our desires in life.
Relational: This is the next type of human suffering. This happens because of the bonds and relationships that we develop over time with our family and our close friends. When our family members or friends are hurt we feel hurt also. The pain is because we truly love them and have strong emotional ties. If these bonds are affected in any way we feel deeply hurt. There is no way to lessen the pain of this kind of suffering. We may try to adopt a philosophical outlook and try to reason or rationalize this pain. But this is a reality of life and we just have to accept it. However, where we can help out we should take appropriate steps rather than rationalizing the sorrow we feel,
Societal: Most of us are immune to this type of suffering. Societal suffering is the sorrow that is felt by a person because of the inequities of society and the poverty, pain and suffering in society. Very few people really feel this. We are so engrossed in our own self-centered lives that we are not even aware that suffering exists in the world. Most of us have a “it does not concern me” attitude. Then there are others who just conveniently explain it away as the karma of the people in the society.
Those who really feel empathically for society at large are the real and true noble souls. We do have a Mahatma Gandhi, Mother Teresa, or a Bill Gates, amongst us, who are able to feel the misery of others and take steps to alleviate the pain and suffering of others. These people who put others above themselves are the really enlightened souls. While we cannot rid the society of all its problems we should make an attempt however small it may be.
I am reminded of the story of the little boy who kept repeatedly throwing another stranded starfish from among a millions of starfishes stranded on the sea-shore. When the boy was told that there were millions and millions of such starfishes, the little boy remarked “at least I will make a difference to this one”. We should help in doing what we can for others with the thought that “little drops make an ocean”.
Suffering is an integral part of our life. As a human being who lives an active life in this world we have to learn to accept adversity as a part of lives and simply move on.
This piece does not try to provide solutions to the problem of human suffering but is an attempt to look at the many faces of human sorrow. It is hoped that an understanding of the causes of our suffering will allow us to take control of our lives and lessen the pain of suffering.
Suffering is generally of 3 types.
Personal: This is the most common of all types of human suffering. We are all prone to this type of suffering. We feel hurt when somebody passes a rude comment about us or insults us in anyway. This is because our pride is hurt and we feel unhappy. Personal suffering also occurs when we don’t get what we desire. We may want that promotion in office, or we may expect praise from our friends. When this does not happen we feel let down. Personal suffering is largely of our own making. To some extent we can control this suffering if we keep our egos in check and moderate our desires in life.
Relational: This is the next type of human suffering. This happens because of the bonds and relationships that we develop over time with our family and our close friends. When our family members or friends are hurt we feel hurt also. The pain is because we truly love them and have strong emotional ties. If these bonds are affected in any way we feel deeply hurt. There is no way to lessen the pain of this kind of suffering. We may try to adopt a philosophical outlook and try to reason or rationalize this pain. But this is a reality of life and we just have to accept it. However, where we can help out we should take appropriate steps rather than rationalizing the sorrow we feel,
Societal: Most of us are immune to this type of suffering. Societal suffering is the sorrow that is felt by a person because of the inequities of society and the poverty, pain and suffering in society. Very few people really feel this. We are so engrossed in our own self-centered lives that we are not even aware that suffering exists in the world. Most of us have a “it does not concern me” attitude. Then there are others who just conveniently explain it away as the karma of the people in the society.
Those who really feel empathically for society at large are the real and true noble souls. We do have a Mahatma Gandhi, Mother Teresa, or a Bill Gates, amongst us, who are able to feel the misery of others and take steps to alleviate the pain and suffering of others. These people who put others above themselves are the really enlightened souls. While we cannot rid the society of all its problems we should make an attempt however small it may be.
I am reminded of the story of the little boy who kept repeatedly throwing another stranded starfish from among a millions of starfishes stranded on the sea-shore. When the boy was told that there were millions and millions of such starfishes, the little boy remarked “at least I will make a difference to this one”. We should help in doing what we can for others with the thought that “little drops make an ocean”.
Suffering is an integral part of our life. As a human being who lives an active life in this world we have to learn to accept adversity as a part of lives and simply move on.
Tuesday, June 7, 2011
The Tao of Human Behavior
Are there fundamental principles or laws that govern human behavior? If there are what would they be? In my opinion right human behavior should be based on sound values of character which I state as “The Tao of Human Behavior”.
Tao originated in Chinese philosophy and can be loosely defined as “the way”, ‘doctrine” or principle. Clearly there are certain ways that enable one to lead a more full life.
The essence of right behavior can be captured in the following 3 laws
The Law of Immutable Values: This law requires that human action be based on sound principles of integrity, kindness, compassion, tolerance and humility. This law requires that all human action be based on above values. Action based on values will ensure good providence or karma and will ensure enduring happiness.
The Law of Greatest Good: This law ensures that in any given situation when there is conflict among the immutable values as specified in Law 1, the value that provides the greatest good will be chosen among others. This law implies that, in real life, there will be delicate situations where there will be conflict of principles for e.g. there could be a situation where there is a conflict of honesty versus kindness or another where there is a conflict of tolerance versus correctness. In these situations when there is conflict among several values, the course of action taken should be based on ensuring that the act provides the greatest good for the longest time.
The Law of Greatest Good to Greatest Number (dharma): Implicit in this law is that society takes precedence over the self in deciding action. Also this law requires that action taken must be such that it provides the greatest good to the greatest number. This law clearly places the world at large above the individual. Action based on this law will be selfless. However, sometimes the path taken can never make everybody happy. So this law requires that action should be based on providing the greatest benefit to the largest number by choosing an appropriate action based the second law.
These laws are based on good human behavior and sound conduct and have proven value and are the essence of right action passed to us through the ages.
If all human action is based on the above 3 laws, human society at large can be peaceful.
Tao originated in Chinese philosophy and can be loosely defined as “the way”, ‘doctrine” or principle. Clearly there are certain ways that enable one to lead a more full life.
The essence of right behavior can be captured in the following 3 laws
The Law of Immutable Values: This law requires that human action be based on sound principles of integrity, kindness, compassion, tolerance and humility. This law requires that all human action be based on above values. Action based on values will ensure good providence or karma and will ensure enduring happiness.
The Law of Greatest Good: This law ensures that in any given situation when there is conflict among the immutable values as specified in Law 1, the value that provides the greatest good will be chosen among others. This law implies that, in real life, there will be delicate situations where there will be conflict of principles for e.g. there could be a situation where there is a conflict of honesty versus kindness or another where there is a conflict of tolerance versus correctness. In these situations when there is conflict among several values, the course of action taken should be based on ensuring that the act provides the greatest good for the longest time.
The Law of Greatest Good to Greatest Number (dharma): Implicit in this law is that society takes precedence over the self in deciding action. Also this law requires that action taken must be such that it provides the greatest good to the greatest number. This law clearly places the world at large above the individual. Action based on this law will be selfless. However, sometimes the path taken can never make everybody happy. So this law requires that action should be based on providing the greatest benefit to the largest number by choosing an appropriate action based the second law.
These laws are based on good human behavior and sound conduct and have proven value and are the essence of right action passed to us through the ages.
If all human action is based on the above 3 laws, human society at large can be peaceful.
Monday, June 6, 2011
The Mind is like a Kaleidoscope
The problem with most of us is that our thinking is conditioned. We force ourselves to think only in certain rigid patterns. We keep going down the beaten track time and time again. If only we could free ourselves from fixed modes of thinking we will be surprised at the infinite possibilities that our mind can throw up.
Our mind knows no limits as far as inventiveness is concerned. Our mind is constantly churning in the background.
If we are trying to do something creative or trying to solve a complex problem all we need to do is to park it in the background of our mind. The mind quietly works in the background and pretty soon will come up with some amazing possibilities.
In fact, if we know how to utilize our minds properly we will be amazed at the myriad of possibilities.
The reason why sometimes we seem to be stuck with problems or run out of creative ideas is that we tend to stare at the problem. We cannot remove our minds from the problem. The key issue here is that “Staring prevents seeing”
To be able to do anything creative or to arrive at solutions to problem we need to let go of our patterned modes of thinking. We should set the mind free and let it work its way through the banks of stored memories, experiences, thoughts, ideas and imagination.
If we let our mind have its way we will surprised at the numerous kaleidoscopic possibilities that it is able to churn out.
Saturday, June 4, 2011
Bhakti is diffficult
True bhakti, devotion or all an encompassing love of God is very difficult to achieve in real life. We generally assume that the simple act of praying, chanting bhajans will take us closer to God. But mindless or even mindful saying of prayers will take us no closer to the divine. Bhakti or devotion is something that has to be grasped by us both in body and spirit in our journey in life.
However all the really enlightened souls have clearly indicated that bhakti, faith and love are the real method to achieve liberation.
According to Christ it is an all encompassing love. Love that is beyond simple definitions. We are to love everybody else as we love ourselves and also love our enemies. To do this requires us to really rise above pettiness in life and is really an impossible task to accomplish. However we should follow this path if we want to get closer to God.
The Buddhist philosophy advocates moderation not just in action but also in thought. We cannot harm anyone even in thought. The Buddhism method of liberation is based on kindness and compassion. As human beings we are so prone to anger, hatred and envy that being tolerant and compassionate always in clearly difficult.
According to Hindu philosophy bhakti or devotion is the path to liberation. Even Sri Sankara states that the path of bhakti is superior to even the path of knowledge. However bhkati in the sense implied is a complete internalization of true values. Our love for God should be based in true principles of kindness, truth and tolerance and we should live these principles in our daily life.
The basis of bhakti or faith is that we recognise God's signature in all things in this universe of ours and perform service to humanity as our devotion to God.
Bhakti is not just unconditional love. Any mother will have unconditional lover for her child. It is not just mere surrender to a divine power. Surrender without the accompanying right living is useless. It is all that and much more.
What is required for true bhakti or devotion is a real internalization of values of integrity, compassion, kindness and humility. Our devotion to the Supreme must be accompanied by a virtuous way of life.
Bhakti or faith in reality requires us to adopt good principles as a way of life. It is a continuous process and cannot be substituted by occasional thoughts of a divine power.
However all the really enlightened souls have clearly indicated that bhakti, faith and love are the real method to achieve liberation.
According to Christ it is an all encompassing love. Love that is beyond simple definitions. We are to love everybody else as we love ourselves and also love our enemies. To do this requires us to really rise above pettiness in life and is really an impossible task to accomplish. However we should follow this path if we want to get closer to God.
The Buddhist philosophy advocates moderation not just in action but also in thought. We cannot harm anyone even in thought. The Buddhism method of liberation is based on kindness and compassion. As human beings we are so prone to anger, hatred and envy that being tolerant and compassionate always in clearly difficult.
According to Hindu philosophy bhakti or devotion is the path to liberation. Even Sri Sankara states that the path of bhakti is superior to even the path of knowledge. However bhkati in the sense implied is a complete internalization of true values. Our love for God should be based in true principles of kindness, truth and tolerance and we should live these principles in our daily life.
The basis of bhakti or faith is that we recognise God's signature in all things in this universe of ours and perform service to humanity as our devotion to God.
Bhakti is not just unconditional love. Any mother will have unconditional lover for her child. It is not just mere surrender to a divine power. Surrender without the accompanying right living is useless. It is all that and much more.
What is required for true bhakti or devotion is a real internalization of values of integrity, compassion, kindness and humility. Our devotion to the Supreme must be accompanied by a virtuous way of life.
Bhakti or faith in reality requires us to adopt good principles as a way of life. It is a continuous process and cannot be substituted by occasional thoughts of a divine power.
The Atman or the Soul is closer to the heart
The Atman or Soul is closer to our heart than our head
Our mind is a wonderful instrument. With it we can analyze, invent, solve and do a lot of things. But the mind is only capable of intellectualizing. The head is capable of performing a lot of useful functions. We can think, solve, create and analyze with our heads. With our heads we process thoughts. In other words our minds are nothing more than thought processing mechanisms. It will not be an exaggeration to say that in some day in the future man will be able to mimic the thought processing capability of the mind.
On the other hand, the heart is the seat of far more subtler emotions like love, compassion, tolerance etc. These are unique and can never be imitated by machines. It is the seat of nobler emotions than the mind. The heart is generally considered as the seat of these emotions. However the heart is just another organ. Can it be the place where these emotions generate?
In my opinion emotions like love, kindness or tolerance emanate somewhere from the chest. The psycho-physiological activities behind these emotions must be far more complex but it is centered in the middle of the chest where the heart lies. Our conscience is also generally assumed to be centered on our heart.
Devotion, faith or bhakti also can also only emanate from this heart region. Faith or bhakti cannot come from the mind through reading of scriptures or philosophy. We cannot intellectualize the concept of the Supreme.
A good life is full of love, compassion, kindness and devotion to a Supreme Being. Hence it is clear that the seat of human goodness in general comes from the heart.
Also central to several faiths of this world is the concept of a Personal Soul or the Atman. Since the Atman or the Soul can only be centered on human goodness it becomes obvious that the Soul and the Atman are closer to the heart than to the head.
Our mind is a wonderful instrument. With it we can analyze, invent, solve and do a lot of things. But the mind is only capable of intellectualizing. The head is capable of performing a lot of useful functions. We can think, solve, create and analyze with our heads. With our heads we process thoughts. In other words our minds are nothing more than thought processing mechanisms. It will not be an exaggeration to say that in some day in the future man will be able to mimic the thought processing capability of the mind.
On the other hand, the heart is the seat of far more subtler emotions like love, compassion, tolerance etc. These are unique and can never be imitated by machines. It is the seat of nobler emotions than the mind. The heart is generally considered as the seat of these emotions. However the heart is just another organ. Can it be the place where these emotions generate?
In my opinion emotions like love, kindness or tolerance emanate somewhere from the chest. The psycho-physiological activities behind these emotions must be far more complex but it is centered in the middle of the chest where the heart lies. Our conscience is also generally assumed to be centered on our heart.
Devotion, faith or bhakti also can also only emanate from this heart region. Faith or bhakti cannot come from the mind through reading of scriptures or philosophy. We cannot intellectualize the concept of the Supreme.
A good life is full of love, compassion, kindness and devotion to a Supreme Being. Hence it is clear that the seat of human goodness in general comes from the heart.
Also central to several faiths of this world is the concept of a Personal Soul or the Atman. Since the Atman or the Soul can only be centered on human goodness it becomes obvious that the Soul and the Atman are closer to the heart than to the head.
Friday, June 3, 2011
Inner Victories
Most of our attention is focused on success in the external world. We are concerned with achievement of power, wealth or fame. There is nothing wrong with achievement of success in this world of ours. However this success will be hollow if it is not accompanied with internal victory.
What is really required for enduring happiness in our lives is the need to achieve internal victories. We are assured of long lasting happiness if we achieve the following
Temptation: We have to conquer desire. Desire over money, fame, power must be completely eradicated. If these come to us as a result of our efforts that is fine. But we should not make achievement of these as our primary goal in life. Temptation will come to us in many forms and being human we will succumb to this in our life. It is not enough to resist temptation. Resistance of any form is only tension. We need to completely overcome desire and temptation from our lives.
Ego: As we grow older in life we tend to become egoistic and self-centered. We view the world through colored glasses. We generally have an exaggerated view of ourselves. We get hurt and angry if somebody does not treat us the way we assume they should. We have an image of our self importance. Defeating one’s ego is not at all easy. This requires sustained effort and complete understanding of our own strengths and weakness and a true sense of humility. However a victory of over one’s ego is not only a true indicator of one’s greatness but it will also bring great happiness and peace to one if it is achieved.
Overcoming evil emotions: We also have to attain master over own emotions of anger, hatred, jealousy and greed. These vices can take complete control of us and make us slaves. We lose complete control of ourselves when these emotions overpower us. We need to completely exterminate these evil emotions from our lives.
If we achieve these inner victories any success in the external world will be more enduring. These inner victories will increase our self confidence and our own self-esteem. Achievement of fame, power or wealth accompanied by true inner victories should be one’s goal.
Also it is possible to live peacefully with inner victories alone regardless of external achievement. But any external achievement without the corresponding inner victories will at best be hollow and cannot be truly enjoyed.
What is really required for enduring happiness in our lives is the need to achieve internal victories. We are assured of long lasting happiness if we achieve the following
Temptation: We have to conquer desire. Desire over money, fame, power must be completely eradicated. If these come to us as a result of our efforts that is fine. But we should not make achievement of these as our primary goal in life. Temptation will come to us in many forms and being human we will succumb to this in our life. It is not enough to resist temptation. Resistance of any form is only tension. We need to completely overcome desire and temptation from our lives.
Ego: As we grow older in life we tend to become egoistic and self-centered. We view the world through colored glasses. We generally have an exaggerated view of ourselves. We get hurt and angry if somebody does not treat us the way we assume they should. We have an image of our self importance. Defeating one’s ego is not at all easy. This requires sustained effort and complete understanding of our own strengths and weakness and a true sense of humility. However a victory of over one’s ego is not only a true indicator of one’s greatness but it will also bring great happiness and peace to one if it is achieved.
Overcoming evil emotions: We also have to attain master over own emotions of anger, hatred, jealousy and greed. These vices can take complete control of us and make us slaves. We lose complete control of ourselves when these emotions overpower us. We need to completely exterminate these evil emotions from our lives.
If we achieve these inner victories any success in the external world will be more enduring. These inner victories will increase our self confidence and our own self-esteem. Achievement of fame, power or wealth accompanied by true inner victories should be one’s goal.
Also it is possible to live peacefully with inner victories alone regardless of external achievement. But any external achievement without the corresponding inner victories will at best be hollow and cannot be truly enjoyed.
Dharma & Karma - Two sides of the same coin
Central to Hindu philosophy are the concepts of Dharma and Karma. Behind these two ordinary looking words is a veritable universe of meaning. In fact the concepts of karma and dharma are so abstract that we generally tend to get lost in details and their various connotations.
However astonishing as it may seem dharma and karma are two sides of the same coin. Dharma represents right action. Dharma represents action that would result in the greatest good to the greatest number. There are several kinds of dharma – the grihastha dharma or the dharma of the householder, raja dharma or the dharma of the king and so on. Dharma is an extremely difficult concept to comprehend and at times requires counter-balancing many equally ideal virtues to determine the action that benefits the largest number.
Karma on the other hand can be simply stated as the good or bad result that comes out of good or bad actions. So according to karma our current state in life is the result of our past karma or our past actions that we took. Also our current actions in life will determine our future. Any event that happens to us is the result of our past karma. Our response to this will result in our future karma.
So are dharma and karma really related? A little thought will clearly show that not only are these two abstract concepts related but are simply two sides of the same coin.
The stimulus or events that take place in our lives are the result of our past karma. We are free to exercise free will in the space between stimulus and our response. What should our response be to the stimulus that we get which is a consequence of our past karma?
A little deliberation on this will clearly indicate that our response should be based on dharma i.e. we should choose a course of action that is based on the highest value of dharma. Our choice if based on dharma will truly be an action that will be based on good values and principles. Any action that is based on dharma will set forth in motion a virtuous cycle of events. Hence the karma from our virtuous act will only lead to good karma or good providence. In other words bad karma is the result of adharma in our past and good karma is the result of dharma.
In life our exercise of free will should be based on dharma and we will reap the fruits of our action as good karma.
However astonishing as it may seem dharma and karma are two sides of the same coin. Dharma represents right action. Dharma represents action that would result in the greatest good to the greatest number. There are several kinds of dharma – the grihastha dharma or the dharma of the householder, raja dharma or the dharma of the king and so on. Dharma is an extremely difficult concept to comprehend and at times requires counter-balancing many equally ideal virtues to determine the action that benefits the largest number.
Karma on the other hand can be simply stated as the good or bad result that comes out of good or bad actions. So according to karma our current state in life is the result of our past karma or our past actions that we took. Also our current actions in life will determine our future. Any event that happens to us is the result of our past karma. Our response to this will result in our future karma.
So are dharma and karma really related? A little thought will clearly show that not only are these two abstract concepts related but are simply two sides of the same coin.
The stimulus or events that take place in our lives are the result of our past karma. We are free to exercise free will in the space between stimulus and our response. What should our response be to the stimulus that we get which is a consequence of our past karma?
A little deliberation on this will clearly indicate that our response should be based on dharma i.e. we should choose a course of action that is based on the highest value of dharma. Our choice if based on dharma will truly be an action that will be based on good values and principles. Any action that is based on dharma will set forth in motion a virtuous cycle of events. Hence the karma from our virtuous act will only lead to good karma or good providence. In other words bad karma is the result of adharma in our past and good karma is the result of dharma.
In life our exercise of free will should be based on dharma and we will reap the fruits of our action as good karma.
Thursday, June 2, 2011
Playing the Game of Life
Social Polyhedron: One of the unique aspects of this multi-dimensional Game of Life is that the whole world is playing this complex game. We can imagine that we are all located in a complex Social Polyhedron. Everybody is making moves all the time. The moves of others can be either an impediment to your moves or they can propel you forward. The important thing to understand in this game of life is that everybody is a player in this game.
Multi-planar and Multi-dimensional: We play this game of life essentially in 3 different planes namely – the personal, the professional and the social. We need to make moves in these mutually exclusive planes to get anywhere in life. In the personal plane we need to keep our bodies in good health and also need to nourish our mind with new skills and knowledge. We need to make appropriate moves in the professional plane to get somewhere in the career path. In the social plane we need to make sure that the moves enhance our position in society.
You are your own competitor: An aspect of the Game of Life that differentiates it from ordinary games is that you are your own competitor. There are no turns when you can make a move. You are free to make any move at any time of your life. The smarter and cleverer moves you make the farther you will get to where you want to be. However it is very easy to create competitors if you rub other players the wrong way.
You define victory: In this Game of Life there are no successes and failures. Victory is what you define it to be. This Game only has goals. You just make you own goals and strive to achieve them.
Rules of the Game: Strictly speaking there are no rules to this game. However there are implicit rules of playing according to core values of integrity, compassion and kindness. Anybody is free to flout rules and play as they choose. The only catch is that they must be prepared to face the consequences.
Player & the piece: In the Game of Life you are both the player and the piece of the game. The only difference is that the power the piece (you) have is determined by the moves the player (you) make. Taking the game of chess as an example, you may start as a pawn but slowly graduate to becoming rook or queen. There is an equal possibility of falling from grace. Your changing power and clout is determined by the moves you make in the personal, professional and social planes.
In this complex multi-dimensional game we are all making and unmaking moves all the time. Make sure you make the right moves in this game and try to achieve that the success that you have defined for yourself.
The Roots of Misery
Suffering is inevitable in human life. Nobody is immune to it. The moment we are born in this world we are destined for our quota of pain and misery. We cannot wish it away nor can we escape it. This article looks at some at most common causes of human misery. By being aware of these causes we are better prepared to face pain and misery head on
A look at the roots of suffering ...
Desire : This is by far the most common and most prevalent cause of pain and suffering in this world. We want more, we want better, we want bigger than before. This desire and this want of ours remains in our lives and cannot be easily removed. The Gita clearly stresses that “desire is the root of all suffering” and we should overcome this desire of ours.
Ego: This is another major contributor to agony in life. We are nothing more than “walking egos”. We feel we are better, smarter and cleverer than most of humanity. When this ego of ours is hurt in anyway we feel truly miserable. Our egos are crushed when we are insulted or humiliated. We just fail to understand why the world cannot acknowledge our greatness. While we should rid ourselves of our swollen egos we should never compromise in our self-pride. Self-pride and self-esteem are extremely important for successful living.
Expectation: We generally expect the world to behave in a certain way. When things do not happen to our expectation we feel hurt. We may expect that people treat us a particular way. We may expect that our child do well in his/her studies. We may expect to be rewarded for something we do. When our expectations are not met we feel let down and miserable. To be free of misery of unfulfilled expectations we should adopt the philosophy of St. Francis of Assisi who states “Expect nothing, enjoy everything”.
Attachment: As a mortal we are attached to people, to things and hopes. When we are forced to part with our children, when we have to suffer losses in the family or when something that is extremely dear to us like our car is damaged we are hurt. While we can get rid of attachment to things it is very difficult to get rid of the bonds we have with our dear ones. But still we have to rise above ourselves and understand that everything in this world is transitory.
These are the most common reasons for most of human pain and misery. When we are aware of the causes behind our sadness we can address them better, mitigating to some extent at least the intensity of our suffering.
A look at the roots of suffering ...
Desire : This is by far the most common and most prevalent cause of pain and suffering in this world. We want more, we want better, we want bigger than before. This desire and this want of ours remains in our lives and cannot be easily removed. The Gita clearly stresses that “desire is the root of all suffering” and we should overcome this desire of ours.
Ego: This is another major contributor to agony in life. We are nothing more than “walking egos”. We feel we are better, smarter and cleverer than most of humanity. When this ego of ours is hurt in anyway we feel truly miserable. Our egos are crushed when we are insulted or humiliated. We just fail to understand why the world cannot acknowledge our greatness. While we should rid ourselves of our swollen egos we should never compromise in our self-pride. Self-pride and self-esteem are extremely important for successful living.
Expectation: We generally expect the world to behave in a certain way. When things do not happen to our expectation we feel hurt. We may expect that people treat us a particular way. We may expect that our child do well in his/her studies. We may expect to be rewarded for something we do. When our expectations are not met we feel let down and miserable. To be free of misery of unfulfilled expectations we should adopt the philosophy of St. Francis of Assisi who states “Expect nothing, enjoy everything”.
Attachment: As a mortal we are attached to people, to things and hopes. When we are forced to part with our children, when we have to suffer losses in the family or when something that is extremely dear to us like our car is damaged we are hurt. While we can get rid of attachment to things it is very difficult to get rid of the bonds we have with our dear ones. But still we have to rise above ourselves and understand that everything in this world is transitory.
These are the most common reasons for most of human pain and misery. When we are aware of the causes behind our sadness we can address them better, mitigating to some extent at least the intensity of our suffering.
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