i read and thus i ponder, sometimes with clarity and the other times, i get lost in my own illusion.. the sublime vs the silly ... who knows where my head is at today ...
Musing
Sunday, July 31, 2011
Commentary
i was watching tv and heard an interesting statement;
everything said about us is simply a commentary on the way our life is perceived by others ...
now that may sound like a " well, of course ! " type of statement, but let's review the implications ...
what most deem as "life" are the experiences we pile on to our sense of being, breath after breath after breath .. and then we die. this is what we call life ... a hoarding of memories - we plan tomorrow so next week we can look back and say, i remember the day i did that...
if we get famous, earn a phd or become bad parents then all the praise, accolades or judgement is commentary from others .. but doesn't part of our precious life then go in producing commentary on someone else's life, and doesn't part of his go on judging another's existence and so on and on and on ...
therefore, between growing up, sleeping, falling ill and fading away, we seem to be left with precious little time to actually live and of course, everyone has a different definition on what it is to truly be alive; action junkies, entrepreneurs, philosophers, scientists and men of god - all claim to have life "figured" out ! and then, they die.
so all we really only know is this : we are blessed with life - right now we are experiencing the greatest miracle in all of creation - right now, this instant, we are oozing with an unknown, undefinable power of being self aware of our own right to share in this universe.
don't waste it !
don't worry about the commentary of your life and live it instead ..
live it on your own terms: either with abandonment or within your own beliefs - in any way you choose and be ready to face the consequences that your choices may bring..
but most importantly, live it with the awareness that you are alive and as such, you are blessed.
Saturday, July 30, 2011
Inspiration...
If one is given a map of the United States and requested to plot a course to Las Vegas, the first question would naturally be " where am i on this map ?" for if you are in San Francisco, you head east while if you happen to be in New York, you have a long journey westward.
before any sincere spiritual journey may be embarked upon, this self evaluation is critical and only you can truly evaluate yourself - you may present any picture of yourself to the world but the real you is known only to yourself.
next, you need to be aware of the goal - while books may use every adjective conceivable to describe what you think you want, seated at the feet of the Master, you may, should you be sincere, glance at what Is through His eyes for He exists within what you seek. He Knows and He will be the inspiration to sustain you on your journey.
there may be 5,000 years of knowledge, commentaries and words directing you but words alone cannot place salvation on a platter for you. they cannot even adequately describe a sunset, what is there to speak of when it comes to the creator of the sun itself.
the sieve of all this data has to be your guide; the one who understands not only your capacity but the circumstances within which you will begin this journey of self discovery. he may, himself, be a master or an advanced seeker...
having found a direction, do not get trapped by the words for on their own, they are useless - bring them into your life; live them, breath them in, let them find their expression in your every act... this is study - not reading and memorizing simply to quote back - there is no one to impress here - this is your journey back to your Self .. and it is a solitary path.
there should be no anxiety, over zealousness or fanaticism .. you are heading home - stroll leisurely and smell the flowers along the way - let there always be a smile ... leave others be .. they will find their own way home when the time is right.
once you are ready, He will come again - for His forms are infinite and it is He alone that flows through every Master ... He may look the same or He may look different ( depending on how long it took you to get ready ) - and in His Presence, through His Inspiration, you will take flight ... rising past the craving for objects, unfettered by the tempest of emotions and dropping the shackles of intellectualizing - you recognize you are what you seek. you are now All that Is.
live well.
Thursday, July 28, 2011
Hate and other Negativities
quote:
I saw the angel in the marble and carved until I set him free.
Michelangelo
standing in front of The Pietà one can only marvel at God's hand working through Michelangelo's.. it is sublime ... i must have stood in front of it for 45 minutes and still, still it was not enough ... there are not enough adjectives to adequately communicate the experience - and that is what it is, you do not simply view this masterpiece, you experience it.
understanding that the good is God's expression is easy for you are uplifted and your soul soars !
but what about the not so good, the horrors, the unadulterated evil ... to whom do we attribute that ?
Christian belief has its concept of Satan and his temptations
Hindus have Karma and those who do bad must reap their consequences so bad things happen to bad people ...
there is a common adage, one cannot understand the ways of god. in fact, there are probably a million adages in every religion, sect or system of belief and non-belief ... but how does that help us ? platitudes are just that, little pats on the back and a gentle, " it's ok .. " They are of no real use !
so let's start with a "given" that can apply universally and take it from there:
SOMETHING must have started it all. even for those ascribing to the chaos theory, the materials to have been thrown into chaos must have first existed somehow.
Every effect has a cause.
for ease of communication, and since words are all we have at our disposal, i will use the term Consciousness. again, words like "start" etc are all limited in their ability to express an infinite concept so don't get hung up on the words... just flow with the concept...
now, Consciousness as the substratum or Source, "creates" out of Itself, for there is no "other" to draw from.
flash forward to today and we are bogged down in the mire of "our" "own" thoughts - we, each one of us, tries to objectify the very Source from which we have sprung and to add to that folly, upon That, we impose our concept of right and wrong, love and hate, etc. slowly now, who is this "we", what powered the process we call "thinking" and by which power did that thinking transform into any concept whatsoever...
the conceptualization or objectification of Consciousness is like the bulb in the torch trying to describe to a dark room the design of the batteries that power it. take out the batteries and lay them bare in front of that tiny bulb and in an instant, the lights go out .. how is the bulb ever to illuminate that which powers it ?
so go back to step one.
all that is, is Consciousness - it permeates in and through all that is and all that can be ever be imagined - there is naught else - period !
what "we" view, are all merely "modifications" interpreted by "our" minds - all that we assign to ourselves and to "others" is also just Consciousness - hence, who is hating whom ? who is afflicting evil upon what ? within Infinitely, an infinite variety expresses Itself - there can be nothing "outside" of It.
if a drop of blood is transported from my foot to my brain, have I lost any blood ? it is all contained within me ...
Division is a function of the mind which has wrapped itself up in delusion. like the schzophrenic that sees danger everywhere, we live is this concept of the other, no longer aware that there can be no "other" - ONE alone Is.
it is God's game, played within Himself ... play your role, without ego or a sense of do-er-ship ... without volition nor apathy ... feel Him flow through you, doing what comes naturally and judge not.
be aware, and be free .. let not anything have a hold on you for you are an expression of the Infinite itself, as is everything else :)
live well.
Wednesday, July 27, 2011
Everyday
i have been questioned on several occasions, "Oh, you didn't write anything today ?"
well, if it wasn't posted, i guess i didn't ... so i stay silent and then within seconds the next question is fired off :
"How come ?"
let's pause for a bit and review the process:
a page from a book is read.
the words tickle the mind, it expands and inspiration blossoms forth - now, i wish to share this joy while in the moment; so i try to wrap up the expansiveness of the concept into a little bite-size "food-for-thought" piece of candy that i hope will be attractive enough for you to want to taste ...
the source of all inspiration is timeless ... it's expression is infinite. however, the point of writing is never to impress the reader, it is to share in the glory of the source.
hence, in my own little vernacular, think through a thought until it is totally thunk !
this may, sometimes, take more than a day... sometimes, more than a lifetime.
so take it slow....
read - think - question - understand and then live it ... every day, every moment; live any 1 truth ... that's really all it takes.
1 truth lived truthfully.
Sunday, July 24, 2011
Where do i find me ?
i can see my fingers typing right now, sensations of the keypad texture being carried to my brain... i am aware of that... and now my intellect is trying to phrase the next sentence, i am aware of that too... so .. i am not in my fingers, not in my brain ( mind ) and not in my intellect as i am aware of all three... and an object of my awareness cannot be me .. so where am i ?
how strange, i am lost to myself !
my fingers type, not me.
my mind is pondering, not me
my intellect is rationalizing, not me
i can see it all happening ... i am aware of it all ... so what component of this awareness of all this other "doing" is me ?
so not only do i not know where i am, i don't even know who i am !
obviously without life, we cannot function.. but it seems that while we function, this Life principle does not get involved... electricity is prevalent, one may plug in a microwave or a microscope, the results produced are of no concern to the electricity - it empowers both, lends itself to both and yet is not involved in the results produced by either.
how does this information help us ?
if one can be aware that Consciousness IS ( like electricity in the example above ) and that without it, no thing can happen or be, then the way in which we do things will change.
we can work with an awareness that supercedes our need to worry about the fruit of our actions and revel in the experience of that Consciousness; here, work itself turns into worship.
to gear ourselves to "see" that expression of Life in every moment is to truly tune into that Consciousness and then, in every instant, do you know Who you are and Where you are -
live well.
Thursday, July 21, 2011
Right AND Wrong
here is a fun one !
every one has his own set of parameters of what falls into this category .. so who is right and who is wrong :)
if you follow a religion, sect or even if you are your own god; guide lines are set out both explicit and implied.. so if right is right and wrong is wrong, why the dispute and unending controversy ? why do the lines blur even within our own "belief" framework ( evidenced through our sense of guilt ) and ultimately, why do we fail ourselves ...
let's start with the broad strokes :
we are all different; true as we obviously we have different bodies, our mental make ups differ and our intellectual concepts that steer us through the waters of our individual lives vary greatly.
we are all one; again true since the "I" who know knows the above 3 are different seems to permeate from the same source and we all seem to feel that sense of "I Am" the same way.
now, equating the above two, the ONE expressing through the many seems to exhibit an infinite combination and permutation of what comprises everyone's individual sense of "me" or of " who i am-ness " : what an apparent mess !
now, back to right and wrong.
so you have a base line and an infinite set of variables emanating from this base line ; hence, each one has a shared inkling of what is right and wrong without any need of justification for the same ; many times you will say, "I just know this is wrong" or "..but it's the right thing to do!"
however, what about the times it's not so clear - when it's not just black and white ?
here, if you have developed the courage to be honest with yourself ( forget all the "others" and "buts" ) - just the You tapping into the One; dissect the motive of what you are about to do - for an action by itself can never be considered good or bad : a doctor may slit you down your chest (to save your heart) , a madman may also slit you ( to torture and kill you ) - the act of carving up your body is the same but the motive? quite different !!
herein lies the secret : do not evaluate an action on mere face value, there must be an honest, sincere investigation of the principle behind its execution ( hopefully by tapping into the ONE spirit that you sense truly pervades all ) - this is where the right or the wrong of the action rests.
live well.
Tuesday, July 19, 2011
Passions..
many declare with great enthusiasm " i live life with a passion ! " : that is just awesome ! bravo !
only problem is that it opens you up to a whole universe of agitations and disappointments for to be passionate about anything ( noble or base ) is to subject yourself to a heightened involvement of the mind into a world of tremendous flux and the chances of your circle of passion falling into synchronicity with the tangent line of the happenings of world is exceeding fleeting, if at all.
it is like throwing a cube of salt into the ocean and trying to dictate where is should land on the ocean bed.
hence it is easily observed that "these men of passion" are also men who never seem to be happy the morning after ... they are looking for the next "high", the next event or the next "cause".... always the next, for the now is not a place they can exist - passion and contentment are two every different goals...
one who is lost in watching the drama projected on the silver screen is totally unaware of the screen that it is being projected upon. to "see" the two as distinct requires tremendous discipline - not just as a fleeting awareness but as a constant truth, one being the substratum and the other, simple images born of a coalesce of dancing light which, in essence, have no reality.
a personality, whose mind has been educated and has then gained a discipline through continuous discrimination and dispassion, does not get disturbed with the highs and lows, is not drowning in a sea of unmet expectations and above all, can live in a constant awareness of the Substratum, is the one to be applauded for he has seen the Truth ; he is equipoised and serene, ever with a smile for all.
the man who is ruled by mere passion should simply be pitied : his passion is, in fact, his poison.
live well.
Sunday, July 17, 2011
Everywhere is Everywhere
it is all well and good to say God is everywhere... but why do we not experience this ?
we all know that to see anything in particular, we need a specific type of vision; with objects illuminated by sunshine, our eyes are enough... however, there are special add-on's for infra-red, heat emanations, night vision, etc.
the same applies to this concept of "seeing" god ...
so how do we experience his omnipresence - this everywhere ?
if you hold the seed of an apple tree in your hand, all you tend to see is the seed itself. few have the capacity to expand their vision to encompass the potentiality of the seed ; to visualize the sapling, then the tree, the flowers, the fruits and their seeds leading to the entire apple grove.
to expand this further, within every atom, there exists this expression of Infinite Consciousness - and as this Consciousness is indivisible, there is, in essence, no diversity. Time, Space, Motion and Action are all just aspects, as branches are aspects of the tree...
hence, if every particle is pervaded by God, then what is laid out in front of you are just varying aspects of that one single Consciousness with the potentiality to express itself as anything and everything !
all you need to do is to be aware of it ...
currently we see through the lens of our muddied mind filled with pre-conditions and judgement - we are using the wrong equipment and hence, are unable to see what we seek just as you cannot see infrared with dark sunglasses - it would then be foolish to declare " there is no such thing as infra red ! "
purify the mind, all the methods have been laid bare in every religion - practice them, elevate yourself and with an enlightened vision, verily all you will see is God Everywhere... Omnipresent, Omnipotent : for all of creation is totally permeated with this One Infinite Consciousness !
live well.
Saturday, July 16, 2011
Moods
Pain can be pretty painful and when i am in pain, i am cranky.
pleasure is definitely pleasant, and what a great feeling that is ...
i know i am stating the obvious, but there are questions to be pondered here:
why: why when i am holding a burning match to the very end and my flesh is being seared, do i not feel it if i am thinking of something else ?
my mind is elsewhere !
so it is not WHAT is happening that is the basis of my mood , it is WHERE my mind is that will determine my reaction to the happenings around me.
and life is simply that, a series of happenings ...
since everything is filtered though this incredible mesh of the mind, trying to affect change on the outside happenings to maintain a "good mood" is futile - things will go on happening till the end of time !
your mental disposition is the key. here is where change can be affected - however, like any discipline, diligence, awareness, self-control and practice are essential.
you will fail - many many many times ... but endure...
once you can see life through the crystal clear vision of the true understanding of what encompasses our perception of the nature of life can you truly start living your life.
to be swayed by the moods of the mind is to be steeped in a life of misery interlaced with fleeting moments of apparent joy and that is no life at all.
spend time with yourself, untangle your mind, allow the tempest of wants, aversions, fears and longings to subside.
sublimate, don't suppress; get to know the difference of what is true and what merely appears to be so .. as the mind regains its equipoise, your "mood" shall be one of perpetual joy and life takes on a whole new meaning...
live well.
Friday, July 15, 2011
My Master
there is an ancient tradition in most cultures to have a Master once one chooses to embark on the journey towards enlightenment ...
today marks the day of when the student pays homage, although the teacher neither asks for nor needs any such validation - it is simply the student's way to express his love and gratitude for what else can a student offer to One who is established in the All.
books may contain words which describe the goal but the Master is an expression of that goal ... like a power socket that we can plug into and instantly feel that surge of exquisite bliss. He provides, by his sheer presence, the inspiration to move forward in our quest and within the aura of His Silence can one dissolve into the expanse of Godhood.
My prostrations to He who shared Himself with this foolish child.
Thursday, July 14, 2011
Witness
here is a wonderful metaphor i read this morning:
cease to interfere in the shadow-play of nature on the Silver Screen of God.
how marvelous :) and how poetic - unfortunately, that is where most will stop, and the day goes on, in complete forgetfulness of this gem of instruction - the reason ? because few will be able to grasp the subtle nuance of what is being advised and towards what end. it is a lot easier to do something when you know why you are doing it - don't eat fatty foods; why ? cholesterol = heart attack = misery and death. simple and easy. thank you but i'll take the salad instead !
however, what is it that is being advised here?
one must, by diligent cultivation, garner a vision of the Whole Picture ( keeping in line with the metaphor ).
the individual spark of Consciousness is within us all.
that same Consciousness appears to "create", "sustain" and "dissolve" all in conjunction with their "nature" or what is termed in vedantic philosophy as their "guna".
hence, there is an apparent double feature for all to enjoy ...
he who is able to see past the shimmering images, the song and dance, the surprise plot twists and the sad ( or happy ) endings will be able to sit back and truly enjoy the show! it is happening is a very different attitude from it is happening to me !
work and live joyously but within, be established in Truth ; therein lies a life free from likes/dislikes, pain/pleasure : witness it all in silent awareness.
be aware of the string of Consciousness through it all ( as the wire that runs through a string of pearls ) : the same substratum finding expression as you the individual, the same substratum unfolding as the world as we know it : know it to be all One and then truly enjoy His Magnificence ...
on the outside, act and be dutiful to your role in life; inside see His Play - not with suppress or repression but with an established understanding : soon the show will end and you will go Home.
live well.
Wednesday, July 13, 2011
Not-happiness
Odd phrase, i know.
i associated unhappiness, sadness, hurt, etc as feelings associated with an individual entity.
for those who believe in their own personal god, most will jump on the "god is everywhere" bandwagon, which will inevitably lead you to one day ask, why am i unhappy or why did i get hurt, etc., for if god is everywhere and god is supposed to be bliss absolute, why am i not bathed in that bliss ? shouldn't every atom of my being ooze happiness and bliss since i am part of that "everywhere" !
hence, my use of Not-happiness; as in, how does the phenomenon of a perceived state of imperfection on a cosmic scale arise within a framework of bliss ?
this is a really tricky, slippery slope to be tackling on blog and i am pretty sure whatever is written below will be subject to an avalanche of criticism but be gentle and kindly remember, the purpose of the blog is to rekindle an enthusiasm to study and move forward on your chosen path - it is not to preach a method, but to encourage you on your own journey of self-fulfilment so interpret the concept with your own faith and apply whatever may be useful, discard whatever you consider rubbish :)
back to Not-Happiness ...
if you are a hindu, you can fall back on Karma
or a christian can revert to original sin and god's mercy or wrath
and every other faith has their reasonings for why bad things happen.
but all this is ultimately an interpretation of an observed phenomena by our minds. but what happened before the mind even was - what "started the ball rolling" as it were...
if He is All, then that All has within Itself, the potential and as its very substratum, a capacity of infinite diversity of which our being / sense of self, is an infinitesimal expression. ( words are very limiting so pause and try to grasp the sheer magnitude of such an Expression of the Absolute )
hence, you do not belong to yourself. this "yourself", itself, belongs to Him expressing within the framework of infinite diversity ( good AND evil, happiness AND sadness ).
if one can look within, through the grime of your personality ( likes/dislikes, wants and expectations ), and glimpse this very Substratum, then, in a flash, everything changes !
then you "see" God and once that vision has been bestowed upon you, Bliss becomes your nature and Not-Happiness, too, is seen as His Expression while he plays this cosmic game.
yes, He is Everywhere, all you need to do is actually SEE HIM EVERYWHERE !
live well.
Sunday, July 10, 2011
Ask...
i believe myself to be fairly intelligent.
so i take up some wonderful philosophical texts and claim to be "studying" them and pretend to be seeking God
now, this may sound like the braying of a person lacking self esteem but not so...
see, i have one severe limitation - i can only function within the confines of what my mind can comprehend.. while i may be intelligent, i cannot go past the total capacity of myself.... my mind itself will be the interpreter of what i read - i will come to a point when the sum of what i understand does not equal to what i want to KNOW ..
the flippant answers of the self proclaimed prophets will ring false - for they, too, do not Know.
where is God ? he is within - great ! where within, i don't see him ... do you ?
he is everywhere - really, but everywhere else is without and you said he is within - and who is this me that god is supposed to be within ?
and why do i even want to know god ? what will i do once i know him ?
the unqualified answers only further expand the waves of our confusion to a point where most will just give up and say these "men of god" are all fools !
all this noise primarily stems from a basic impurity of the mind - for such impurities will make it impossible for non-temporal and spatial experiences or to put it simply, god cannot be a "by-the-way" hobby !
humble yourself - be ready to sit at the feet of a Master who Knows, that Divine principle manifesting Itself as the Guru or Master/Teacher ( call him what you want ) - allow yourself to be guided and forged - only one who Knows can truly bring you into the folds of what you so desperately seek.
so prepare yourself, that is the sole purpose of study, reflection and meditation - to purge our pre-conditioning : likes / dislikes, sense of egoism; need for recognition, etc.
ask questions, seek clarifications, ponder, then ask again - ask ask ask till some clarity emerges and you inch slowly past your own massive ego so that you are available to the Master.
THEN the Master will come and He will push you past that seemingly impenetrable barrier and the peace "that passeth all understanding" becomes your own complete experience.
the knower, knowing and known are now merged into a state of Being; Godhood
live well.
Thursday, July 7, 2011
The Man in the Mirror
to judge others seems to be a universal flaw within the matrix of the mind.
we seemed compelled to comment or impose our value system on others, and conversely, be the object of assessment as well ...
here is another leaky pipe in our life force - this mental dissipation; drying out our potential and leaving us as withered, fractured personalities.
why do we do this ?
simply put, we lack vision - there is no higher calling to serve humanity as a whole or to evolve beyond our petty confines of our body, mind, intellect make up.
the path of least resistance is always downwards and so too is it with ourselves.
if we were to pause, and actually assess ourselves against the measures we so easily impose on others, we would undoubtedly fall painfully short ! but who has the courage to do this ? who will stand naked in front of the mirror of his own soul and truly look at that mangled mess that makes up our tortured persona ?
it is far easier to belittle others -
the few who do possess that mental stamina to engage their own personalities are able to forge forward in their search for what truly matters. the natural question to follow would be "so what truly matters" ?
but that would be putting the cart before the horse.
personality integration is the first step. look within, look long and look hard.
are you ok with what you see ... do you feel content, do you feel lost, are you capable of loving, is there an emptiness, are you constantly just trying to fill time, are you ok when you are alone ( just quiet - not reading or on your ipad )
lots of questions - and this is important !
question yourself - spend time with yourself
only when you know where problem lies, can a solution be sought.
only when you are whole, can you move forward...
the paths are many, the goal is one - but to take that critical step, to even have the motivation to take that first step, YOU must be available to yourself... so ask yourself, are you worth the effort ?
live well.
Wednesday, July 6, 2011
Take your Medicine !
seems decades later, our benevolent sages are still doing the same : preaching the wisdom of the ages and pleading with us - don't just listen and forget ; you have to do it !
sit quietly, withdraw your senses, quieten the mind, and then ... allow yourself to be absorbed into that Silence.
every stage may, at first, seem to be an impossible struggle : sit quietly - the minute we sit, a flood of a million unrelated thoughts will start bouncing off the wall of our mind - an uncontrollable chaos
withdraw your senses : with all 5 senses having had free reign your entire life, that is a tall order indeed !
so how do we do this : practice !
it is the same for any endeavor, whether learning to ride a bicycle or run a marathon - learn the basic principles and then practice.
every faith has their own avenue ... don't let the words of what is being described bog you down : try and experience WHAT is being described.
the medicine, laying still in the bottle, in not going to cure you - you have to take the medicine !
the paths have been laid out, the signboards have been erected, the check post guards have been posted to continually point you in the right direction ; all you have to do is start walking !
live well..
Tuesday, July 5, 2011
This Moment
life is for the living.
the dead and the unborn have no use for it.
most of us, however, seem to prefer the above 2 rather than actually living life.
for when we do , it is with a crippling fear or agitation borne out of the dead or unborn, what in layman's terms would be the past or hope.
all action done in the past layer onto our personality an imprint. this imprint would be simplistically labeled as our ego-sense : i did this ! do you know who i am ? i have achieved that ! all actions done in the past, glued together, seem to be what we call up to gauge our self worth or self esteem and what we take great pleasure in ramming down other people's throats.
what we plan to do, and of course we must all plan, is the etching we scribble of the road we hope to walk down in the future ... though whether such a road will ever materialize is of no guarantee and in most, instead of grounding us with purpose, this unknown future overwhelms us with anxiety : "what if" it isn't so.
so in the swamp of our mind, with its countless thoughts, we try to wade through the mire of our dead past and our unborn future ... both now devoid of the spark of life. this is invariably how our present is extinguished ... then at journey's end, we lament " life just passed me by " - there is no mystery here ... of course it did !
what is the solution to this dilemma ?
renounce both : stop the avenues of dissipation of your very life force.
if you plant the seeds of a mango tree, one cannot expect peaches ...
hence what has been done, will bear its own fruit. nothing can change that. so your present moment is an expression of your entire past bearing its cosmic fruit. how you act ( not react ) upon what life lays at your feet today, will be the seeds being sown at this very moment, and they, too, will inevitably be the bricks and mortar used to lay the road to your future.
so be in the moment, still your mind and act with all the grounding of your faith - without arrogance or a sense of self ( letting that ego go ). religions are many, but spirituality is universal ... within your own belief, live every breath as a beacon of an expression of that Spirit. lay your labour at his feet - then there is no anxiety of what the future may bring : let whatever come, come as His gift to you... you have done your bit, now let Him do His :)
live well.
Monday, July 4, 2011
Cravings
even the tone of the word conjures up a negative aura.
yet we are all consumed by them, all the time.
we want this, we want that - we want it all !
as a child we wanted that blue bicycle or that long haired doll; as a teenager we wanted that stunning girl or a flashy car; as adults we want bigger homes and recognition or power ; as old people we want someone to care for us and then, it's over...
everything seems to change, our wants, our needs - that doll simply won't do at 70.
sounds like an exhausting life of constant flux !
yet we do it, all of us. oddly enough, when we get what we have "always" wanted, we get bored of it and then want something else .. the car for a jet, the apartment for a house, the Louis Vuiton for the Channel ...
why ? because we are in search of something that will give us happiness
however, simply put, an inert object is incapable of "giving" us anything - its only value it that which we endow it with ... and as we "change" our value system changes - something so precious ( the doll ) can become utterly worthless ! we went through all that mental anguish while craving, planning how to get it, imagining how much better our lives would be once we had it and then worrying about its preservation and anxious about its protection only finally to be frustrated in trying to dispose of it !
such a waste of mental energy - such a drain on our very life force - all that precious time: gone !
yet, we start that cycle all over again, every day, with a hundred new cravings - one can only smile at the irony.
our physical expression ( body ) is drawn to the myriad of the world's objects
our mental world oscillates in the typhoon of our emotions
our intellect consumes itself in rationalization and trying to hold the floodgates in check of the above 2.
the fire of all 3 being ceaseless fed by the fuel of the perception of our world - for we all know we perceive the world differently and as such, we all go through our own hell of the vortex of objects, emotions and thoughts.
hopes, fears and cravings - our constant companions.
but i feel happy when i get it : really ? look closely... all that really happened is that once the craving ( be it physical, emotional or intellectual ) is satisfied, the mental oscillation that spurred us on is momentarily stopped - we perceive this respite as happiness. in truth, it is a fleeting moment of a lack of agitation - big difference between the two.
within moments of buying the house, worries about renovations start - fights about colors and brand named appliances ; furniture has to be chosen, dining chairs are never comfortable enough, everything is too expensive - and when its done, someone will damage something, anger flares up - oh, the frustration of it all ! where has all the joy gone ?
we exist in a realm of fear : fear of not having, fear of preserving / protecting and fear of loss ...
yet all we wanted was to be happy ... is that too much to ask ? not at all, it is your right to exist only in a state of perpetual joy -
so where did the plot go wrong ? we all need things; we need money, we need a home, we have to pay for our kids education, we need to vacation - true, no arguments there - so we apply ourselves, we persevere - but where did the happiness go ?
well, first, you need to weed out the needs from the wants.
then apply a little intelligent self control
finally, with the staff of dispassion in one hand and discrimination in the other, walk though life knowing the difference between what is real and what is perceived : non apprehension can only lead to misapprehension - and that, is your glittering road down to nothingness.
a rope in the dark may look like a snake and hence evoke fear but what is there to fear if you know it is simply a rope.
raise your awareness, be vigilant against the deluge of the pair of opposites ( likes / dislikes, wants / aversions ) and most of all, discriminate between what is real ( constantly true ) and what is fleeting ( subject to the ravages of time ) ... once you get an inkling, apply it your life and see the change !
these are several complex concepts all strewn together - if the desire to evolve is there, you can apply yourself, investigate them : convert the information you garner into knowledge and then into your own wisdom and if not, that's ok too :)
be happy and live well.
Sunday, July 3, 2011
Savitri
It is a huge work and most will never get through the entire piece : here is his attempt to put into verse his protagonist's expression of That... i find it hauntingly beautiful and each line can stand as a theme of meditation.
expanding your mind, here is a chance to "see" from His standpoint ( not possible, i know, hence the work is written in verse thereby bestowing upon the author poetic license )
one can find fault anywhere if you look hard enough, so don't.... just enjoy and allow yourself to be enveloped by his rapture...
live well.
Passionless, wordless, absorbed in its fathomless hush,
Keeping the mystery none would ever pierce,
It had no kinship with the universe:
There was no act, no movement in its Vast:
Life’s question met by its silence died on her lips,
The world’s effort ceased convicted of ignorance
Finding no sanction of supernal Light:
There was no mind there with its need to know,
There was no heart there with its need to love.
All person perished in its namelessness.
There was no second, it had no partner or peer;
Only itself was real to itself.
A pure existence safe from thought and mood,
A consciousness of unshared immortal bliss,
It dwelt aloof in its bare infinite,
One and unique, unutterably sole.
A Being formless, featureless and mute
That knew itself by its own timeless self,
Aware for ever in its motionless depths,
Uncreating, uncreated and unborn,
The One by whom all live, who lives by none,
An immeasurable luminous secrecy
Guarded by the veils of the Unmanifest,
Above the changing cosmic interlude
Abode supreme, immutably the same,
A silent Cause occult, impenetrable,—
Infinite, eternal, unthinkable, alone.
Saturday, July 2, 2011
Points of View
we all have them - as cognitive, living beings, they are part and parcel of who we are.
what is deemed right by rationalists could be an expression of pure evil by moralists..
all, without exception, defend their own - even those who say they are men of god, will defend their own god !
so who is right ? what is wrong ? and more importantly, what makes it so ?
decades of religious strife would seem to indicate that there is no answer... so let us put that on the back shelf for now - that falls into the category of what "others" think or feel.
the question is : why do YOU hold a particular point of view of right or wrong or believe in this god or that one or none at all ?
most would pause at this question and stay silent, some will deflect, some will instantaneously and aggressively launch into the defense of their point of view with meaningless cliches ( "it is written", "it is my family tradition", "isn't is obvious" and my favourite "that is how god intended it to be" ) but few will actually be able to answer...
what that would indicate is that a large part of who we are, we are without knowing why !
yes, we have a point of view, but is it a reactive one or a considered one ? i slap you, you slap me back - that is a reaction, like dogs barking at passing cars. i slap you and you pause, ask me why and then decide to slap me back - that is an action after due consideration :)
what differentiates the 2 ? the pause. what occurs doing that pause? which part of you is accessed and brought to bear ?
if what you think and feel is the bedrock upon which you live, wouldn't it behoove you to think about why you think and feel this way ?
yet most don't.
again cliches like " god's will", " it was meant to be" and "who cares" will fall plentiful from the tongues of the obtuse. and that is fine if you are happy to live that way. but if you are not, then you may want to re-evaluate and reconsider or re-affirm and benchmark yourself to a higher standard - one that you have actually studied, applied and found to have merit in elevating not only your own existence but that of creation as a whole ...
this has nothing to do with religion or metaphysics - we are not priests or prophets, saints or sanyasis - we are normal everyday folk, all trying to do the best we can to get through the day, put food on the table and keep our families safe and maybe find a little time to watch TV. we have responsibilities, we have problems and for most, life is really tough.
so where is this extra time going to come from ? this time to think ? this time to reflect ?
it's tough to find the motivation to "waste" the precious time we have to spare on "these things".
here's the way i see it: if you had cancer, you would find the time to go for chemo - why ? well, you don't want to die just yet. in truth, we are all dying all the time ... ever day lived, is a day less left to us.
so the final question is, how to do YOU really want to live this short and precious life you have been blessed with and please, forget about how others "should" live !
take a little time to ponder and you may just change your point of view.
live well.
Friday, July 1, 2011
Ssshhh...
so much said.
suggestions.
directions.
aspirations ...
today be still.
within, choose to be at peace
see the silence as the substratum of all - every action of others, every sound to make its way to your ears, every vision that falls upon your eyes ... see the Silence as its bedrock ...
awareness of this Silence absorbs you ... gradually you fade away
all that is left, is Silence.
live well
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