Sunday, 21 December 2014
Monday, 8 December 2014
Saturday, 11 October 2014
Life is too short... Smile
Monday, 22 September 2014
Mantra of courage
We have been told to keep in mind that one who loses courage loses all.
It is courage alone that makes one overcome and face any obstacle in
life. Simply put, no courage, no success; brilliance and experience are
of no use if you lose courage.
All the great achievers were men/women of great courage and confidence. Gandhiji was among the weakest, physically, but among the strongest in conviction and courage. And that helped him become a fighter, to come out a winner.
Recall Captain Scott’s brilliant story. He died while exploring the South Pole in a blizzard. His body was found with his diary and some letters. One of the letters was addressed to Sir James Berry, British author.
The letter described the ‘life-taking’ problems he was facing in the Polar region. And yet, he was full of courage and determination. At the end of the unfinished letter, he had somehow managed to scribble ‘COURAGE’.
All the great achievers were men/women of great courage and confidence. Gandhiji was among the weakest, physically, but among the strongest in conviction and courage. And that helped him become a fighter, to come out a winner.
Recall Captain Scott’s brilliant story. He died while exploring the South Pole in a blizzard. His body was found with his diary and some letters. One of the letters was addressed to Sir James Berry, British author.
The letter described the ‘life-taking’ problems he was facing in the Polar region. And yet, he was full of courage and determination. At the end of the unfinished letter, he had somehow managed to scribble ‘COURAGE’.
It is said Berry developed ‘writer’s cramp’ soon after he received
the letter. But Scott’s letter and the word ‘courage’ scribbled in bold
letters helped him come out of depression. Berry continued to unfold
his success story.
In this context, the magic of courage is told beautifully by Winston Churchill: “Success is not final, failure is not fatal. It is the courage to continue that counts.”
One who sees light in darkness finds his way out; but one who fails to do so faces his moment of fatality. Courage is that beacon of light that shows you the ways and means to get out of a messy situation. If you lose it, you are messed up in life; and we are left no better than animals.
Courage can be cultivated to overcome the difficulties in life. After all, courage is nothing but determined will to do something; and ‘will’ can be cultivated with positive thinking and by recalling the problems you have overcome in life.
Who had said that the brave may not live forever, but the cautious don’t live at all? This could be our daily morning mantra.
In this context, the magic of courage is told beautifully by Winston Churchill: “Success is not final, failure is not fatal. It is the courage to continue that counts.”
One who sees light in darkness finds his way out; but one who fails to do so faces his moment of fatality. Courage is that beacon of light that shows you the ways and means to get out of a messy situation. If you lose it, you are messed up in life; and we are left no better than animals.
Courage can be cultivated to overcome the difficulties in life. After all, courage is nothing but determined will to do something; and ‘will’ can be cultivated with positive thinking and by recalling the problems you have overcome in life.
Who had said that the brave may not live forever, but the cautious don’t live at all? This could be our daily morning mantra.
Way to solve a problem
All of us face problems. How we solve them determines whether we will
succeed in doing so or get entangled in it and lose our peace of mind.
In the Mahabharat, Dronacharya is a very important character. In his childhood, he became friendly with Drupada who later became a king. Dronacharya became a saint and he used to spend his time in meditation.
His family had very measly income. They could just manage two meals a day. Unable to tolerate this sorry situation any longer, he remembered his childhood friend Drupada, who had by now become a king.
Maybe, he would help, as they had parted after taking a vow that they would share everything in future.
When Dronacharya met Drupada, Drupada instead of helping him made fun of him. Dronacharya felt most insulted, especially when this humiliation came from his childhood friend, who was very close to him during his childhood days.
In the Mahabharat, Dronacharya is a very important character. In his childhood, he became friendly with Drupada who later became a king. Dronacharya became a saint and he used to spend his time in meditation.
His family had very measly income. They could just manage two meals a day. Unable to tolerate this sorry situation any longer, he remembered his childhood friend Drupada, who had by now become a king.
Maybe, he would help, as they had parted after taking a vow that they would share everything in future.
When Dronacharya met Drupada, Drupada instead of helping him made fun of him. Dronacharya felt most insulted, especially when this humiliation came from his childhood friend, who was very close to him during his childhood days.
Dronacharya now vowed to teach Drupada a lesson, which Drupad a
would never forget; Dronacharya decided to annex the kingdom of Drupada,
which he duly did with the help of Kaurava princes, whom he had trained
in warfare, having become a paid tecacher of Kauravas.
He was now tied to the kingdom of Hastinapur. In the subsequent war between Pandavas and Kauravas, he was obliged to take the side of Kauravas, who were in the wrong.
He was killed in the war having discredited himself, having taken the side of adharma.
Dronacharya made the same mistake we all do; we gather facts about the problem and focus on them without including the rest of the world, i.e. we try to solve our problems by isolating ourselves from the rest of the world, whereas the world has much to do with our problems.
The ideal way to solve a problem, its evaluation, analysis and consequences, requires inclusion of the rest of the world and also its superintendent – God.
If Dronacharya had thought of the wider ramification of his problem, he would have never acted the way he did. He lost both his dharma and life.
He was now tied to the kingdom of Hastinapur. In the subsequent war between Pandavas and Kauravas, he was obliged to take the side of Kauravas, who were in the wrong.
He was killed in the war having discredited himself, having taken the side of adharma.
Dronacharya made the same mistake we all do; we gather facts about the problem and focus on them without including the rest of the world, i.e. we try to solve our problems by isolating ourselves from the rest of the world, whereas the world has much to do with our problems.
The ideal way to solve a problem, its evaluation, analysis and consequences, requires inclusion of the rest of the world and also its superintendent – God.
If Dronacharya had thought of the wider ramification of his problem, he would have never acted the way he did. He lost both his dharma and life.
Tuesday, 2 September 2014
Be consciously joyous
The best thing that you can do in life is not service or spiritual
teaching, though they are important. The greatest thing that you can do
in life is your becoming a joyous person.
The best thing that you can do to the people around you is that you be a joyous person.
What kind of people do you want to work with and live with? Miserable people or joyous people? Naturally, there would be no controversy, no debate over this. The choice will be clear and easy for all .
The best thing that you can do to anybody in this world, the greatest thing that you can of fer this world is to be a joyous person. So, why are you becoming miserable?
Everybody wants to be joyous. By choice, they want to be joyous, but they have become miserable because they are unconsciously choosing misery. Their whole life happens in unconsciousness and there is no determined effort to come out of it.
The best thing that you can do to the people around you is that you be a joyous person.
What kind of people do you want to work with and live with? Miserable people or joyous people? Naturally, there would be no controversy, no debate over this. The choice will be clear and easy for all .
The best thing that you can do to anybody in this world, the greatest thing that you can of fer this world is to be a joyous person. So, why are you becoming miserable?
Everybody wants to be joyous. By choice, they want to be joyous, but they have become miserable because they are unconsciously choosing misery. Their whole life happens in unconsciousness and there is no determined effort to come out of it.
Let us see, in 24 hours time, how many moments are you truly conscious of who you are? Very few, isn’t it?
So, your whole life is happening unconsciously. And, a majority of the people around you will be anyway miserable. So, in a democratic country like ours, the majority rules. When it happens unconsciously, your whole life is accidental.
When it is accidental, whatever the situation around you, you become that.
You came to this earth with nothing. All these things, your identity, your name, your clothes, your gods, your beliefs, your heaven, your hell, everything you picked up on the way. Everything that you know has been taught to you, including your gods and demons — everything.
You only picked it up on the way. When you go, anyway you have to go empty-handed.
So you must be happy, always, because you have lost nothing. In fact, you have gained a lot while being on this planet; and you must be thankful for that.
So, your whole life is happening unconsciously. And, a majority of the people around you will be anyway miserable. So, in a democratic country like ours, the majority rules. When it happens unconsciously, your whole life is accidental.
When it is accidental, whatever the situation around you, you become that.
You came to this earth with nothing. All these things, your identity, your name, your clothes, your gods, your beliefs, your heaven, your hell, everything you picked up on the way. Everything that you know has been taught to you, including your gods and demons — everything.
You only picked it up on the way. When you go, anyway you have to go empty-handed.
So you must be happy, always, because you have lost nothing. In fact, you have gained a lot while being on this planet; and you must be thankful for that.
The principles of peace
The first principle is to watch our reaction to any misfortune that
befalls us. In this materialistic world, no one can escape from
unfortunate circumstances. Our scriptures tell us that these are results
of our past ‘karmas’ (deeds). The same scriptures also inform us that
this material world is a place of misery. Therefore, getting suffering
is inevitable whether as a result of past karmas or due to the miserable
nature of this material world. If it is so, why bother about trying to
pinpoint why something nasty has happened to us, unless there is
something to learn from it.
The second principle is not to speculate about what is likely to happen. If we are doing something important, we would like to speculate about the likely outcome. Having done all the hard work, we have to leave it to higher authorities, because there are generally many factors which affect any result. We can never be sure fully. Therefore, the second principle for peace is not to speculate about any result, having done one’s best. All actions bear appropriate fruits at their appointed time; speculating is entirely a futile exercise; it takes away our peace of mind.
The second principle is not to speculate about what is likely to happen. If we are doing something important, we would like to speculate about the likely outcome. Having done all the hard work, we have to leave it to higher authorities, because there are generally many factors which affect any result. We can never be sure fully. Therefore, the second principle for peace is not to speculate about any result, having done one’s best. All actions bear appropriate fruits at their appointed time; speculating is entirely a futile exercise; it takes away our peace of mind.
The third principle is not to get attached to some result either
in the positive manner or in the negative sense. Let me explain. Don’t
we want something desperately like success in some endeavour and also
not want something if we can help it like getting sick with some
horrible disease. Unfortunately, as explained earlier, we cannot control
results; they are in the hands of higher authorities; God being the
highest. Such attachment gives rise to many problems like becoming
fearful or depressed.
The next principle is to take the shelter in God, who can protect in the real sense. But devotees of God also get sick and die, for sure. Then, how did God protect them? The answer is: God has formulated the principle of ‘karmaphala’ i.e. all karmas must bear fruits; God does not interfere in this even for devotees.
The next principle is to take the shelter in God, who can protect in the real sense. But devotees of God also get sick and die, for sure. Then, how did God protect them? The answer is: God has formulated the principle of ‘karmaphala’ i.e. all karmas must bear fruits; God does not interfere in this even for devotees.
Thursday, 24 July 2014
Not by knowledge alone
IT IS IMPORTANT TO GAIN KNOWLEDGE, BUT IT IS MORE IMPORTANT TO ACT UPON IT, OTHERWISE SUCH KNOWLEDGE REMAINS MERE THEORY
Even though we do possess knowledge about certain things, we don’t practise them. That is mainly because we lack the realisation that knowledge can be useful.
Starting with the example of being truthful, how many of us are truthful? Unfortunately, the number maybe very small. Why is that so? Don’t we know that being untruthful may give advantages in the short run but, ultimately, the truth comes out and we are necessarily punished.
The worst part is that some of us teach our young impressionable children the habit of lying. When they see us lying, they do the same. Not only are we hurting ourselves by lying, we condemn our children too to the habit of lying.
Let us have another example. From our childhood days, we are taught to be disciplined. Fortunately, many learn to get disciplined and they succeed in life.
The ones who are not, don’t have to look very far. One of the main reasons for their failure is the lack of discipline in their lives.
Let us take the example of bad habits like drinking, smoking and gambling. Don’t we all know that these are extremely harmful? But the worst part is that we are helplessly attracted towards these, and we don’t seriously try to stop ourselves.
Someone offers us a drink and knowing fully well what this could lead to, we don’t refuse. The same goes for smoking and gambling. We just do not wish to think of their long-term consequences. This is like an insect getting helplessly attracted to fire.
What should we do? Yes, it is important to gain knowledge, but it is more important to act upon it, otherwise such knowledge remains mere theoretical. We should make sincere efforts to inculcate good habits.
It is not going to be easy but can be done with some effort.
The advantages of doing so are enormous. Not only you lead a happy, peaceful and pious life on this planet, you can hope to have good times beyond this life as well.
Wednesday, 23 July 2014
Key to a balanced life
Whatever field you are in, it will be good to sit down periodically to take stock of your goals. It is always helpful to ask yourself, “Am I on the right track?” We may find that we spend too much time and attention on the financial aspects of our life or on our careers at the cost of neglecting our families, our personal and spiritual growth.
There is a story about a young boy who was walking when he found a penny. He found no one to return it to; so he kept it as his own. He was so excited about finding the penny that wherever he went, he looked down to see if he could find more. As he grew up, he continued to walk looking down to see if he could find more. As he neared old age, he calculated all the money he had found. It was about $15. When he told his children, his daughter said, “You spent your whole life looking down and only made only $ 15, but in the process you missed out on seeing thousands of sunrises and sunsets, hundreds of rainbows, beautifully coloured trees, the beautiful blue skies and the smiles of passing people. You have missed out on so many beauties of life.”
We may not only miss out on the beauties of nature and the joys of relationships with other people, we may also be missing out on the greatest treasure of all — our spiritual riches.
There is nothing wrong with earning a livelihood. However, when earning money becomes all consuming at the cost of our health, our family, or our spiritual growth, then we may be leading an imbalanced life. We need to set priorities in life. In doing so, we can devote some time daily to meditation, some time to selfless service, some to our family, and some time to our jobs. We will find that we will excel in all these areas and will attain our goals in a fully satisfied life.
There is a story about a young boy who was walking when he found a penny. He found no one to return it to; so he kept it as his own. He was so excited about finding the penny that wherever he went, he looked down to see if he could find more. As he grew up, he continued to walk looking down to see if he could find more. As he neared old age, he calculated all the money he had found. It was about $15. When he told his children, his daughter said, “You spent your whole life looking down and only made only $ 15, but in the process you missed out on seeing thousands of sunrises and sunsets, hundreds of rainbows, beautifully coloured trees, the beautiful blue skies and the smiles of passing people. You have missed out on so many beauties of life.”
We may not only miss out on the beauties of nature and the joys of relationships with other people, we may also be missing out on the greatest treasure of all — our spiritual riches.
There is nothing wrong with earning a livelihood. However, when earning money becomes all consuming at the cost of our health, our family, or our spiritual growth, then we may be leading an imbalanced life. We need to set priorities in life. In doing so, we can devote some time daily to meditation, some time to selfless service, some to our family, and some time to our jobs. We will find that we will excel in all these areas and will attain our goals in a fully satisfied life.
Fall in Love
~Unknown
Monday, 21 July 2014
Luck chases hard work
YOUR LUCK DEPENDS ON HOW SENSIBLY, INTELLIGENTLY AND WITH HOW MUCH AWARENESS YOU LOOK AT LIFE
At every turn of life, it is you who has to make it happen. Your peace and your turmoil is your business. Your sanity and insanity is your business. Your joy and misery is your business. The devil and the god within you is your business.
We don’t know whether you can become the richest man on this planet; but if you wish, you can become blissful and joyful. All of us have this capability; we don’t need any luck. It is not even a question of capability. It is just a question of being willing and sensible and every one of us has that much sense.
Instead of allowing our energies to express themselves to their fullest capability, we are always looking for something else which could make that happen for us. Today, from morning to evening, how it happened for you within, is definitely yours. Today, how much friction you had with people around you simply depends on how insensible you have been in understanding the situations and the people around you, their limitations and possibilities within themselves.
Your luck is definitely not decided by where the planets are standing on this day or what lucky charms you may be wearing. It simply depends on how sensibly, intelligently and with how much awareness you walk and look at life around you.
Monday, 14 July 2014
Learn to listen and win
We are all caught in a chaotic world. To maintain our sanity, we must learn to listen and use effective self-management methods. Self-management is controlling one’s activities in order to make it productive and not let life go haywire for the lack of a roadmap. In other words, self-management requires discipline, honesty and clarity of purpose. Discipline has a way of cultivating the rest of the qualities needed for self-management.
According to HA Dorfman, author of The Mental ABCs of Pitching: A Handbook for Performance, “Self-discipline is a form of freedom – from laziness and lethargy, from weakness and fears and doubts”. It allows you to feel your inner strength. And you become the master of yourself as well as of the things/ persons you are dealing with.
Self-management can be perfected by being a keen listener. Listening gives you a complete picture and understanding of the situation you are struggling with. Listening ability helps one in the management of day-to-day work and keeps us away from chaos and failure.
Listening gives one the capacity and ability to see through an issue and gives a proper perspective while dealing with it in any form. Thus, the chances of one’s meeting with success will be a great deal higher if one listens to all around and take a decision accordingly.
One must realise that selfmanagement is the only way to managing things/others. Don’t we say one should put one’s own house in order first? Once that is done, one has to have the vision to view the end while carrying out a task. And then one has to be a hard task master on one’s self; the harder you are on yourself, the greater the chances of your following the winning track. Being a hard task master of the self leaves very little chances for self-pitying and getting lost in the messy world of a loser.
True, at times, circumstances do play hard on you, but there is never a perfect chance; you have to grapple with the problems and make them your vehicle of success.
...
According to HA Dorfman, author of The Mental ABCs of Pitching: A Handbook for Performance, “Self-discipline is a form of freedom – from laziness and lethargy, from weakness and fears and doubts”. It allows you to feel your inner strength. And you become the master of yourself as well as of the things/ persons you are dealing with.
Self-management can be perfected by being a keen listener. Listening gives you a complete picture and understanding of the situation you are struggling with. Listening ability helps one in the management of day-to-day work and keeps us away from chaos and failure.
Listening gives one the capacity and ability to see through an issue and gives a proper perspective while dealing with it in any form. Thus, the chances of one’s meeting with success will be a great deal higher if one listens to all around and take a decision accordingly.
One must realise that selfmanagement is the only way to managing things/others. Don’t we say one should put one’s own house in order first? Once that is done, one has to have the vision to view the end while carrying out a task. And then one has to be a hard task master on one’s self; the harder you are on yourself, the greater the chances of your following the winning track. Being a hard task master of the self leaves very little chances for self-pitying and getting lost in the messy world of a loser.
True, at times, circumstances do play hard on you, but there is never a perfect chance; you have to grapple with the problems and make them your vehicle of success.
...
Thursday, 10 July 2014
Flow with nature
Flowers do not struggle to bloom
Water does not struggle to flow
Sun does not struggle to shine
Grass does not struggle to grow
Struggle is UN-natural.
Be like nature.
Go with flow.
A good father is the most valuable asset
A good father is one of the most unsung, unpraised, unnoticed, and yet one of the most valuable assets in our society.
I am an Entrepreneur
I believe anything is possible.
I see opportunity when others see impossibility.
I take risks.
I am focused.
I hustle.
I know that nothing is unrealistic.
I feel overwhelming love.
I embrace my child like wonder and curiosity.
I take flying leaps into the unknown.
I contribute to something bigger than myself.
I create.
I learn.
I grow.
I do.
I believe it's never too late to start living a dream.
I am an Entrepreneur.
Problems will disappear if ...
A lot of problems in the world would disappear,
if we talk to each other instead of about each other.
Spend more time in discomfort zone for ...
The more time you spend in your discomfort zone,
the more your comfort zone will expand. - Robin Sharma
Tuesday, 8 July 2014
Emotionally reasonable
We also say as a matter of fact that what comes from your heart is emotion; and what comes from your mind is rational. Sure, there should be no contention. But what I want to raise is that emotion has its root in logic and logic too is based on emotion. They are complementary and one becomes the ‘background’ of the other, depending on whichever happens to be surfacing at a particular moment.
Helen Keller says, “The best and the most beautiful things in the world can’t be seen or even touched, they must be felt with the heart.” That means we are an incomplete lot without full use of emotion; and that reasoning too has its role in life. Just as one can’t do full justice to life with emotion alone, we will be living half a life with reasoning alone. Pure reason sans emotion has the power to lead one to insanity in a dry, logical life. After all, life is not all reasoning, all work and all success; its best aspects are hidden in the layers of emotion that we fail to uncover.
As youngsters, we were told by our elders to be emotional when must and rational when necessary. And that if you give in life a free run to emotion, you will lose control of your head too.
It is also true that persons who are emotional are their true selves without any “covering”. A rational person, on the other hand, could be, in most situations, selfish and devoid of love and compassion. That is why David Hume called for emotion to rule your reason to remain happier and contented. “Reason is, and ought to be the slave of the passion,” he reasoned. And I add, reason is nothing but tainted emotion.
I am the Peaceful ....
“I am neither male nor female, nor am I sexless. I am the Peaceful One, whose form is self-effulgent, powerful radiance.”
- From a religious Guru
- From a religious Guru
Sunday, 6 July 2014
Take pride in how far you have come and have faith in how far you can go
Take pride in how far you have come and have faith in how far you can go.
Discard fear for change
WE DON’T TAKE CHANCES, WE STICK TO THE OLD, KILL OURSELVES WITH BOREDOM BECAUSE WE ARE SCARED OF CHANGE
We all have faced fear, some of us have overcome and some of us have been controlled by it. At times, when we are about to take a decision, we are held back by an unknown string, which has ifs and buts attached to it, and that string is called fear.
Here is a story of my own which transformed my perspective. I was in a mall with friends and they proposed the idea of ice-skating, and they all were eager to go ahead. I was the one who turned pale, because the truth is I didn’t know normal skating and ice-skating was beyond question.
So I refused, but the tickets had been already bought. For the first time, I went beyond my fear and gave a yes. Then, it was show-time. I braved somehow to go ahead. Soon I saw myself battling. And, yes I fell not once or twice but four times. Every time I fell, I got up and then after the fourth time I took a perfect round without falling. It’s all about perspective. When I changed my mind and asked myself, “What if I fail?”, everything changed then and there. It’s not I didn’t have a choice to hold back, but this time I wanted to give power to “the new”.
Life is all about going beyond the fears, experiencing the new and being dazzled by the beauty of change. We don’t take chances out of fear, we stick to the old, kill ourselves with boredom, live a stagnant life because we are too scared of change.
Cut that string out of your life, shed all the old, and accept the new. New is good, challenging and something different.
The art of life is living with an art. Fears should not hold us back. Remember, every time you give power to fear, you have taken power away from a change, a new growth and a new beginning. And you have given your life a dead-end.
We all have faced fear, some of us have overcome and some of us have been controlled by it. At times, when we are about to take a decision, we are held back by an unknown string, which has ifs and buts attached to it, and that string is called fear.
Here is a story of my own which transformed my perspective. I was in a mall with friends and they proposed the idea of ice-skating, and they all were eager to go ahead. I was the one who turned pale, because the truth is I didn’t know normal skating and ice-skating was beyond question.
So I refused, but the tickets had been already bought. For the first time, I went beyond my fear and gave a yes. Then, it was show-time. I braved somehow to go ahead. Soon I saw myself battling. And, yes I fell not once or twice but four times. Every time I fell, I got up and then after the fourth time I took a perfect round without falling. It’s all about perspective. When I changed my mind and asked myself, “What if I fail?”, everything changed then and there. It’s not I didn’t have a choice to hold back, but this time I wanted to give power to “the new”.
Life is all about going beyond the fears, experiencing the new and being dazzled by the beauty of change. We don’t take chances out of fear, we stick to the old, kill ourselves with boredom, live a stagnant life because we are too scared of change.
Cut that string out of your life, shed all the old, and accept the new. New is good, challenging and something different.
The art of life is living with an art. Fears should not hold us back. Remember, every time you give power to fear, you have taken power away from a change, a new growth and a new beginning. And you have given your life a dead-end.
Thursday, 3 July 2014
The great ordinary way
These days everyone wants to get noticed and stand out from the crowd. Everyone craves for his few seconds of fame and will go to any extent to achieve it. We all want to be different and extraordinary. Parents constantly urge their children to do something out of the ordinary; and in our own jobs and careers, we don’t want to settle for the routine.
Why this mad rush to be extraordinary? Is being ordinary really to be looked down upon? Can we imagine life without the ordinary joys like the lovely fragrance of flowers, the sound of the gentle lapping of waves against the sea shore, the spontaneous gurgles of joy of toddlers, the warm hug of your loved ones . All this are ordinary gifts of daily life which makes living such an extraordinary and joyful process. And let none of us underestimate the incomparable power of an ordinary smile to a person in trouble or a simple kind encouraging word to a person in despair.
When we do ordinary things mindfully and with full sincerity, it becomes magical. Each one of us is unique and exceptional and should dance to our own rhythm , be it in the role of a housewife, doctor or sportsman. The main thing is not to strain to be different but allowing yourself to be, and your essential goodness to shine through.
As Osho says, “Everybody is after being extraordinary and incomparable. And the paradox is that the more you try to be exceptional, the more ordinary you look, because everybody is after extraordinariness. It is such an ordinary desire.”
Instead of evaluating and comparing ourselves against others and envying others’ good fortunes or talents and moaning our lack of it, we should be grateful for the umpteenth sources of joy in our daily life. We don’t need to strive to be different or recognized. Nature does not strain but grows effortlessly and gracefully. So can we.
Why this mad rush to be extraordinary? Is being ordinary really to be looked down upon? Can we imagine life without the ordinary joys like the lovely fragrance of flowers, the sound of the gentle lapping of waves against the sea shore, the spontaneous gurgles of joy of toddlers, the warm hug of your loved ones . All this are ordinary gifts of daily life which makes living such an extraordinary and joyful process. And let none of us underestimate the incomparable power of an ordinary smile to a person in trouble or a simple kind encouraging word to a person in despair.
When we do ordinary things mindfully and with full sincerity, it becomes magical. Each one of us is unique and exceptional and should dance to our own rhythm , be it in the role of a housewife, doctor or sportsman. The main thing is not to strain to be different but allowing yourself to be, and your essential goodness to shine through.
As Osho says, “Everybody is after being extraordinary and incomparable. And the paradox is that the more you try to be exceptional, the more ordinary you look, because everybody is after extraordinariness. It is such an ordinary desire.”
Instead of evaluating and comparing ourselves against others and envying others’ good fortunes or talents and moaning our lack of it, we should be grateful for the umpteenth sources of joy in our daily life. We don’t need to strive to be different or recognized. Nature does not strain but grows effortlessly and gracefully. So can we.
Wednesday, 2 July 2014
God has his own plans
On my way to Delhi recently, a young girl was sitting next to me in a bus. We were expected to reach Delhi around 9.30 am; but as the bus entered Panipat, we were caught in a massive traffic jam because of a rally.
The girl looked quite panicky: “Oh God, now I can’t make it to the interview.” As the clock ticked, her fears became more pronounced.
I asked her why she was so much worried? “Aunty, I have a test for a job at 11 am. This traffic jam has botched up my plans.”
I tried to make her comfortable by saying: “Maybe, God has some better plans for you. You should calm down.” “Aunty, nowadays, job is very important for girls. Even for matrimonial alliances, employed girls are preferred. Being the eldest, I want a job at the earliest.”
By the time we were at the ISBT in Delhi, it was already 11 am. And she was to return by 3 pm. So, I asked her to accompany me and relax for some time.
In fact, I was going to visit an elderly ailing person in our family. She spent some time with me in that house. By sheer chance, another visitor from Delhi offered to drop her at the bus station.
And then, after a week, I received a call from the family I had visited, “My sisterin-law who had dropped that girl at the station looks interested in her, for her son. Do you have some idea about the family?”
I told them that it was a chance meeting but then I had saved her cell phone number, which I passed on to them. After a month when I received a wedding invite, I was pleasantly surprised to note that things materialised so fast.
This incident helped me believe firmly that God has better plans for us when we apparently seem to be failing in life.
What is needed is to have absolute faith in God who will never fail us.
Tuesday, 1 July 2014
Better to have loved and lost than to have never loved at all
Better to have loved and lost than to have never
loved at all
Magic of sweet words
Sweet words act like honey. Just as honey has medicinal value and cures a lot of simple ailments, sweet words too solve a host of problems if used in our daily communication.
Recently, I engaged two carpenters to get the doors of my house repaired. One was an old fellow and the other a very young one. The old carpenter had a very rough tongue. He talked to his younger colleague in a very foul language, always. But the young carpenter was the exact opposite with a sweet tongue.
To resolve a problem that took place between the two over the alignment of doors, the younger one used his extra-ordinary sweet language to bring the old fellow around his viewpoint. He addressed his colleague as “father-like- figure”, “an experienced fellow” and “a skilled carpenter”. These words cooled down the temper of the old carpenter.
Sweet words can resolve even the worst of disputes. On the contrary, the use of harsh and foul language can even tur n a friend into a foe. Our epics bear a clear testimony to this fact. Had Draupadi not taunted Duryodhana as “blindman’s son as blind”, there would have been no battle of Mahabharta. Similarly, Shishupal’s head had not been chopped off by the disc of Lord Krishna had he stopped a stream of abuse that he hurled at the Lord.
Lord Krishna had cautioned Shishupal to restrict his “unruly behaviour”. But, Shishupal did not pay heed to Lord Krishna’s advice and crossed all the limits of decency. This finally led to his fall. The LaxmanSarupnaka episode too has its genesis in bad language. When Sarupnaka’s overtures to win over the heart of Laxman failed, she resorted to uncivilised language which provoked Laxman to chop off the latter’s ears and nose.
Foul language is like poison as it kills both mind and body. It provokes anger and finally leads to an aggressive conflict. Sweet words open closed doors. They are like the magical ‘Seam-seam’ of the great Arabian tale — Ali Baba and Forty Thieves.
Monday, 30 June 2014
Turning pain into gain
All of us are hit by adversities, causing emotional and physical harm. And we wish and pray no one should be a victim of any adversity. But when it happens, then there is no way but to fight it out to survive its deadly hits and go on in life with positive attitude. It is to survive in such circumstances that we recall the saying that adversities are sometimes blessings in disguise.
Here is a cute story of a boy, as told by Dr Ramesh N Jani in ‘In Communion with Consciousness’, who braves all kinds of adversities.
The boy here is Maxim Gorky, the famous Russian author of the classic, The Mother. Young Maxim had a burning desire to study but his father won’t allow. His father was a tyrant who would beat him up as well as his mother over small issues. Maxim felt greater pain when he saw his mother being physically tortured.
Maxim was not the kind to keep crying and do nothing. He started working in a wastepaper-cum-old book shop. There he got the golden chance of reading the best of famous books. His curiosity for literature was so much that he was lost in the world of literary giants.
Soon he started penning down his thoughts. One day he showed what he had written to a friend who liked it so much that he saw in the young boy a g reat writer. And, accordingly, encouraged him to keep on writing and get it published. When it was finally published, you had what we call today with great critical acclaim, The Mother.
It is not that Maxim Gorky could not have become a great writer had he joined a formal classroom. Nobody can rule that out; but my point is that here was a boy who never lost sight of his way and took care of his interests even in the worst of circumstances. He became all the more emboldened to realise his ambition to be a writer like the ones he read with great interest and curiosity.
Maya will keep singing
As one learns someone one “knew” for years has bid adieu and has gone to the “other world”, it unsettles one. You may try to be philosophical and convince yourself that “what comes, must go”, but we are weaklings for early recovery to sanity.
We had last week this shock of learning that Maya Angelou has left us forever, after 86 years, during which time she made our world better and charming with her poetic vibes that saw no national boundaries around the globe.
If the “caged bird” wrote as many as 30 books of poetry and essays, her verses were weapons she used with great skill to fight against social injustices. She tried to get her country (US) and the world out of the bitter past of racial oppression and division. Her poetic calls were always to remind her people to dream and go ahead without looking back, so that they are in a position “To give birth/ again to a dream”.
Her moment of glory came when President-elect Bill Clinton honoured her by inviting her to compose and read a poem at his first inaugural day in 1993. ‘On the Pulse of the Morning’ that she read was a message of hope and the dawn of a new era, calling for the burial of the bitter past and looking forward to a bright tomorrow.
Also a social activist, she never forgot to see others did not have to face what she had to in her younger days. And that earned her the epithet, ‘Global Renaissance of Woman’. Giving glimpses of her own past, she wrote, “There is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside you” (I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings). She wrote no matter what happens, or how bad it seems today, “life does go on, and it will be better tomorrow.”
She believed people may forget what you said, they may forget what you did, but they will never forget how you made them feel.
That was she, the caged bird, now free to sing out of worldly bondage.
Stillness speaks loudly
BEYOND SOUNDS IS A SACREDNESS THAT CANNOT BE UNDERSTOOD BY THOUGHTS ALONE
Eckhart says when we see something really beautiful or a breathtaking scenery, in that state of intense alertness, there is no mental commentary running simultaneously. It is this continuous mind activity that keeps us imprisoned in the world of form and becomes an opaque screen that prevents one from becoming conscious of the unmanifested.
However when we are intensely present, we don’t need to be concerned about the cessation of thinking , for the mind then stops automatically to behold that vision.
He says to bring our attention to a tree or flower doesn’t mean to think about it or label it, but simply to perceive it or hold it in your awareness.
Something of its essence then transmits itself to you. You can
sense how still it is, and in doing so, the same stillness arises within
you. You sense how deeply it rests in being and is completely at one
with what it is and where it is. We don’t have to always go to the
mountains or beaches to appreciate the beauty of nature.
When walking or resting in nature, we can honour that realm by being there fully. “Be still, look and listen. See how every animal and plant is completely itself.” However, he also cautions that for us to appreciate it, we need to go beyond the mental habit of labeling.
We bring awareness to the many subtle sounds of nature like the rustling of leaves in the wind , raindrops falling , the humming of an insect. We should give ourselves completely to the art of listening for beyond the sounds there is a sacredness that cannot be understood by thought.
So you need not always escape to the hills to enjoy nature; create it yourself around you.
When walking or resting in nature, we can honour that realm by being there fully. “Be still, look and listen. See how every animal and plant is completely itself.” However, he also cautions that for us to appreciate it, we need to go beyond the mental habit of labeling.
We bring awareness to the many subtle sounds of nature like the rustling of leaves in the wind , raindrops falling , the humming of an insect. We should give ourselves completely to the art of listening for beyond the sounds there is a sacredness that cannot be understood by thought.
So you need not always escape to the hills to enjoy nature; create it yourself around you.
The right way of life
AN IDEAL EXISTENCE IS ONE IN WHICH WE UNDERSTAND THE ALMIGHTY’S CALLING NO MATTER WHAT STATE OF MIND WE ARE GOING THROUGH
We human beings are God’s finest creations, bestowed with all the qualities. But we are so self-engrossed in our materialistic endeavours that we forget the real purpose of our existence.
We live with the least gratitude towards the Almighty; wrongly considering ourselves responsible for all that is happening in our lives, remembering Him only in times of trouble.
A construction supervisor, standing on the 16th floor of a building, was trying to call a worker on the ground floor. Since there was a lot of noise, the worker did not hear his call and did not respond.
After repeated calls, the supervisor, in order to draw his attention, threw down a
10 note. The worker immediately picked up the note and put it in his pocket and continued working without seeing where it came from.
In order to draw the attention of the worker, the supervisor now threw a 500 note and the worker did the same.
This offended the supervisor so much that he picked up a small stone and threw it on the worker.
The stone hit the worker on the head and this time the worker looked up and the supervisor communicated with him.
This story holds a lot of similarity with our lives. God, who is in our hearts and everywhere else, wants to communicate with us in order to direct our lives in doing good deeds, but we totally ignore the calls.
He showers us with so many big and small gifts, which we happily grab without showing any gratitude, instead we proudly feel that it is purely our luck and nothing else.
Then, when one day we are hit with a stone, let’s call it a problem, we look up and try to communicate with Him. We pray and ask for His help.
It is rightly said, “He gives, gives and forgives; and we get, get and forget.”
So, one can say an ideal existence is one in which we always understand His calling, no matter what state of mind we are going through.
We human beings are God’s finest creations, bestowed with all the qualities. But we are so self-engrossed in our materialistic endeavours that we forget the real purpose of our existence.
We live with the least gratitude towards the Almighty; wrongly considering ourselves responsible for all that is happening in our lives, remembering Him only in times of trouble.
A construction supervisor, standing on the 16th floor of a building, was trying to call a worker on the ground floor. Since there was a lot of noise, the worker did not hear his call and did not respond.
After repeated calls, the supervisor, in order to draw his attention, threw down a
10 note. The worker immediately picked up the note and put it in his pocket and continued working without seeing where it came from.
In order to draw the attention of the worker, the supervisor now threw a 500 note and the worker did the same.
This offended the supervisor so much that he picked up a small stone and threw it on the worker.
The stone hit the worker on the head and this time the worker looked up and the supervisor communicated with him.
This story holds a lot of similarity with our lives. God, who is in our hearts and everywhere else, wants to communicate with us in order to direct our lives in doing good deeds, but we totally ignore the calls.
He showers us with so many big and small gifts, which we happily grab without showing any gratitude, instead we proudly feel that it is purely our luck and nothing else.
Then, when one day we are hit with a stone, let’s call it a problem, we look up and try to communicate with Him. We pray and ask for His help.
It is rightly said, “He gives, gives and forgives; and we get, get and forget.”
So, one can say an ideal existence is one in which we always understand His calling, no matter what state of mind we are going through.
Search for the mystic within you
I used to get confused about mystics and their spiritual experiences. But it was over after I met a person with serenity, calmness and a godly look. He was able to unite himself with God and communicate his will to people. I asked him, “What makes you so tranquil?” He replied: “Silence, prayer and meditative union of my inner being with the Supreme Being.”
Since then I have been ‘in touch’ with the mystic within me. Take a deep dive within yourself and get in touch with your inner being . The voice calling you from your heart is your inner being. It’s in this mirror of true self that you see your genuine personality or image. It is here; your mystic is waiting to have an encounter with you. And finally, when faith takes a deep root in ones belief system, then through this language of faith, the revelation-event becomes a reality.
Some call this mystic the guardian angel or spirit who shows the way towards truth. It’s a spiritual or supernatural experience of God in oneself to realise godliness in one’s inner core. A mystic is someone who has passed beyond the veil of appearances into the eternal world of spirit. He is one who has undergone an enactment of his own death and has received knowledge of the divine life.
The word ‘mysticism’ comes from the Greeks. Originally, it was applied to those who had been initiated into some kind of esoteric knowledge of things divine. Today, mysticism has been defined as an attitude of mind, which seeks to transcend reason and experience directly the ‘ultimate reality’.
Ultimately, a human gets so fused in the Divine Being that s/ he turns out to be a true mystic while performing normal chores of daily life. The modernistic era of 21st century invites every one of us to get united with the mystic within us. Get going.
Since then I have been ‘in touch’ with the mystic within me. Take a deep dive within yourself and get in touch with your inner being . The voice calling you from your heart is your inner being. It’s in this mirror of true self that you see your genuine personality or image. It is here; your mystic is waiting to have an encounter with you. And finally, when faith takes a deep root in ones belief system, then through this language of faith, the revelation-event becomes a reality.
Some call this mystic the guardian angel or spirit who shows the way towards truth. It’s a spiritual or supernatural experience of God in oneself to realise godliness in one’s inner core. A mystic is someone who has passed beyond the veil of appearances into the eternal world of spirit. He is one who has undergone an enactment of his own death and has received knowledge of the divine life.
The word ‘mysticism’ comes from the Greeks. Originally, it was applied to those who had been initiated into some kind of esoteric knowledge of things divine. Today, mysticism has been defined as an attitude of mind, which seeks to transcend reason and experience directly the ‘ultimate reality’.
Ultimately, a human gets so fused in the Divine Being that s/ he turns out to be a true mystic while performing normal chores of daily life. The modernistic era of 21st century invites every one of us to get united with the mystic within us. Get going.
Wednesday, 25 June 2014
Give your worries to God
A thief enters your house and you manage to catch him. What do you do with him? You are not allowed to punish him; you have to hand him over to the police. Another story: A tiger has begun to prowl around a village. What are the options for the villagers? Can they handle the situation by themselves?
Most probably, they will alert the wildlife authorities who could handle it as we can’t on our own.
Similarly, worrying is a very serious problem, which we are unable to handle and suffer greatly. Who can we give our worries to? The answer is: to God.
Many questions arise. Can we do this? Will God acce pt them? What will God do with them?
The answer to the first question is that we can do so even though it is not the same thing as tackling a problem, which we are supposed to do on our own. We can only seek God’s help in that, not entrust it to Him. Worrying is seriously dangerous when we don’t act but keep on getting obsessed by some problem, real or imagined.
The answer to the next question is: God will accept our worries if we are His devotees. God have promised such help in the Bhagavad-Geeta. Yes, we have to qualify for such a favour, which is not too difficult. God does not wish us to worry. He says so in the verse #18.54. He also states in the verse # 6.6 that using the mind for worrying is being an enemy of the self.
And the answer to the last question is simple: God is all-powerful; He can handle what no one can. If we cannot handle a problem, we have to give it to someone who can. Shouldn’t we do so if we wish to be freed from worries? But of course, you have to complete faith in the power of God and His willingness to save you from any kind of harm arising from a real or imaginary source. That is why we say: God bless you!
The answer to the first question is that we can do so even though it is not the same thing as tackling a problem, which we are supposed to do on our own. We can only seek God’s help in that, not entrust it to Him. Worrying is seriously dangerous when we don’t act but keep on getting obsessed by some problem, real or imagined.
The answer to the next question is: God will accept our worries if we are His devotees. God have promised such help in the Bhagavad-Geeta. Yes, we have to qualify for such a favour, which is not too difficult. God does not wish us to worry. He says so in the verse #18.54. He also states in the verse # 6.6 that using the mind for worrying is being an enemy of the self.
And the answer to the last question is simple: God is all-powerful; He can handle what no one can. If we cannot handle a problem, we have to give it to someone who can. Shouldn’t we do so if we wish to be freed from worries? But of course, you have to complete faith in the power of God and His willingness to save you from any kind of harm arising from a real or imaginary source. That is why we say: God bless you!
Repent and be happy
All of us throughout our lives, knowingly or unknowingly commit mistakes or do acts that may hurt someone or the other. A candid examination of our lives and deeds can be quite painful if we choose to wallow in our own mistakes.
To repent for our sins is to recognise and turn away from those actions and thoughts that no longer serve us; those barriers that we try to put up between God and ourselves. When we examine the word 'mistake', we discover a golden opportunity for a new life. We see that there has been a mistake and that we are allowed to retake the thought or the action for a more desirable outcome for all.
Repentance is the act of changing one's mind, to feel sorry for or reproachful for what one has done or has not done, or to feel such regret and dissatisfaction over some past action or intention as to change one's mind about it or to change one's way. It involves changing one's attachments - from earthly things to heavenly things.
It requires the right attitude towards sin. It is the right attitude towards God, self and others.
Repentance is not quitting a sin for a season; it is totally turning from an act of sin. One of the hardest things for men and women to do is to repent for their sins. It is a direct challenge to man's will power. It demands that he humbles himself before God and gives up everything that is contrary to His will.
Repentance also includes confession - acknowledgement of our sinfulness before God. The most important trait of a sincere seeker of truth is that he has the courage and humility to look straight into his feelings and frankly express his shortcomings. Humility gives the strength to fight and conquer them. All men sin and, as a result, all men need to turn from sin to righteousness. When man sins, he must either repent or perish. There is no other way. Happiness is all about realizing your mistakes and repenting.
Laugh Off your anger
Julius Caeser was a haughty king. He had no control over his language and he normally used harsh words to scold his subjects. His uncivilized behavior made him unpopular. One day, one of his ministers handed him over a dossier.
The dossier was written by one of his bitter critics in which he had made an attempt to tarnish the image of the king. The king reacted normally; took the dossier and consigned it to the flames. Surprised at the strange behavior of the king, the minister asked, “My Lord, why you throw the dossier into the fire?” “Had I kept this booklet with me, it would have busted the volcano of my anger. And this would have reduced me to ashes,” replied Caeser coolly.
The theme of the story is that the root cause of anger need to be uprooted before it uproots us. Darayodan's easy-to-loose temper and his failure to tame his anger led to fratricidal war. Ravana – the king of Lanka also succumbed to his anger and abducted Sita. Had he not allowed his anger to overpower him, he would have saved his life and those of his subjects as well.
Anger is fire. It engulfs those who fall in its trap. It blunts your mind; badly affects the power of reasoning and hampers its magical ability to sieve good from bad. A bout of anger is self destructive. It twists muscles and hits their strength. And this hastens the process of ageing. It raises blood pressure and sugar level which in turn leads a lot of ailments. Anger releases those hormones in the blood stream which prove fatal for the body.
Anger can be tackled in several ways. Try to manage your time by planning. Avoid bad company and bad habits. Do not be a part of unhealthy and cut-throat competition. Do mediation and learn to socialize. Take exercise daily and laugh off your worries.
The dossier was written by one of his bitter critics in which he had made an attempt to tarnish the image of the king. The king reacted normally; took the dossier and consigned it to the flames. Surprised at the strange behavior of the king, the minister asked, “My Lord, why you throw the dossier into the fire?” “Had I kept this booklet with me, it would have busted the volcano of my anger. And this would have reduced me to ashes,” replied Caeser coolly.
The theme of the story is that the root cause of anger need to be uprooted before it uproots us. Darayodan's easy-to-loose temper and his failure to tame his anger led to fratricidal war. Ravana – the king of Lanka also succumbed to his anger and abducted Sita. Had he not allowed his anger to overpower him, he would have saved his life and those of his subjects as well.
Anger is fire. It engulfs those who fall in its trap. It blunts your mind; badly affects the power of reasoning and hampers its magical ability to sieve good from bad. A bout of anger is self destructive. It twists muscles and hits their strength. And this hastens the process of ageing. It raises blood pressure and sugar level which in turn leads a lot of ailments. Anger releases those hormones in the blood stream which prove fatal for the body.
Anger can be tackled in several ways. Try to manage your time by planning. Avoid bad company and bad habits. Do not be a part of unhealthy and cut-throat competition. Do mediation and learn to socialize. Take exercise daily and laugh off your worries.
Speak like a Lion, never a sheep
Speak like a Lion, never a sheep.
Talk like a leader, never a victim.
- Robin Sharma
Talk like a leader, never a victim.
- Robin Sharma
Tuesday, 24 June 2014
Greed is your enemy
As the saying goes, as we sow, so shall we reap. And yet we forget this principle time and again. Very often we think of our own selves first, even claiming undue favours at the cost of others. Nature is great that she keeps guiding us, and yet we ignore her warnings. It is only when it is too late that we realise our follies, but of what use then?
A learned Brahmin was giving this kind of sermon to his followers. He told them whatever we do for others’ benefit, the same would return to us manifold. Everyone praised the Guru for providing them such a profound wisdom.
One day, the same Guru disguised himself as an astrologer who would give amulets for wish fulfillment, and went to the house of one of the followers. The follower posed to be a religious- minded person, and fell flat at the feet of the astrologer to seek his blessings. The astrologer felt pleased and asked the fulfillment of whatever he wanted.
The astrologer could understand how the follower hated his brother who was his neighbour. So, the astrologer smiled and said: “You would be blessed with whatever you desire to have, but you would have to ask in just three installments one by one, and don’t forget that your neighbour would get double of what you get. So ask with due care.”
After sufficient thinking, the follower said, “Great gracious Sir, why should I envy my neighbour who is my brother? Grant us a big bungalow.” A furnished bungalow stood there. Secondly, he asked for a well in his bungalow’s compound. And finally, he asked for losing his one eye.
While the neighbours had two bungalows, they managed to enjoy living in the one having no wells. The follower’s whole family fell into the well one by one leaving their own bungalow too for the neighbours.
Moral of the story: Greed and jealousy are our worst vices. We must try our best to free ourselves from them for our own good.
You are what you do
One can’t dispute that you are what you do. You are known for your action and that is what matters in life. And manners and mores come handy as guiding factors.
One who cultivates good manners and always sticks to the accepted and adorable norms, right conduct surely follows as a natural outcome.
I attended a lecture/video show on education and holistic development recently by Dr Manishi Mishra, an expert on value-education and professional ethics.
The crux of the session was on how education can or should help one in becoming a better human being.
A better human being is one who sees, always, others in one’s own image. You maybe a great scholar with several impressive degrees but you will be known only for your human aspects, your capacity to relate with others and be one with them.
Your etiquette/behaviour should have gone drastic changes with every degree you acquired. Knowledge in itself is good but not good enough.
Whenever I think of good conduct, I think of Mark Twin, “Laws control the lesser man, right conduct controls the greater one.” This brings out the goodness aspect to be seen and followed.
To be polite costs you nothing, but its dividends come in incredibly high degrees. In fact, politeness is a way of good living; and you are doing a favour to yourself, more than to the one you are dealing with.
It is only through your good manners that many a difficult challenges come to pass as if you played a magical trick.
But, as social mores keep on changing depending on the requirements of time and other social dynamics, one has to be on constant guard and be relevant with the times.
However, within the changing dynamics, one thing should remain constant: Courteous behaviour. Amy Amy Bernstein, author of Behave Yourself, says our manners don’t change, our etiquettes change with the evolution of the self and the world around.
“Once you understand that, you can pretty much figure out the rest”, asserts Amy.
Face suffering to rise
When we see our house has caught fire, we need to extinguish it immediately instead of wasting time over investigation into the reasons behind the fire. Suffering is said to be caused by Karma as it is intended to shape us as better human beings. But instead of going into a philosophical probe into the rootcause of suffering, we must first of all learn how to face it without being broken by it.
We all suffer in life. But we have the tendency to magnify suffering and ignore good things we have. A man unhappy for not having a pair of shoes becomes happy after seeing a man having no foot at all. We must count good things we have to offset the unhappiness.
Suffering comes with a lesson we need to learn. We must thank God
for giving us an opportunity to learn through suffering. While happiness
makes us dull, superficial and stagnant suffering makes us reflective,
introspective and unattached to anything external.
Along with suffering comes strength and endurance. So the stones of suffering are indeed the stepping stones to go higher and higher. Mercy and the healing touch of God invariably follow suffering. It may not always be possible to see the hidden blessings behind suffering but we must look beyond the myopic vision and pray for better understanding.
Maharshi Patanjali identified five root-causes of suffering — spiritual ignorance, egoism, attachment, aversion and clinging to life. We can overcome these by spiritual practice for root-cause remedy and attain transcendental bliss beyond suffering.
Along with suffering comes strength and endurance. So the stones of suffering are indeed the stepping stones to go higher and higher. Mercy and the healing touch of God invariably follow suffering. It may not always be possible to see the hidden blessings behind suffering but we must look beyond the myopic vision and pray for better understanding.
Maharshi Patanjali identified five root-causes of suffering — spiritual ignorance, egoism, attachment, aversion and clinging to life. We can overcome these by spiritual practice for root-cause remedy and attain transcendental bliss beyond suffering.
Friday, 7 March 2014
Never beg people to stay against their will.
Never beg people to stay against their will.
Sometimes the gift of goodbye opens another door for you.
Move on and create the next chapter in your life.
Always remember that an idiot...
Always remember that an idiot who makes you laugh in his absence will definitely make you cry in his absence because those idiots are your real friends.
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