Count your Blessings

Count your Blessings : In a hot summer day taking a shower relaxes us a lot,next time you take a shower observe what is the most Enjoyable moment in it . Oh I forgot people forgot to enjoy small things in life my bad.But if you do remember this and observed it ,you will notice that those first drops that rush out and fall on you ,that cold chill you experience that is the most enjoyable moment.
once you are completely wet you no longer enjoy the starting feel ,but you still can enjoy it if you don't compare it with that benchmark.by this time you might be thinking I am crazy ,I am Proud to say yes I am.
Starting shower is like Childhood and rest is life and every one enjoys Child hood ,some may have a bad one but it will be soon forgotten,ignorance is a bliss. Once you get in to life's turmoil you no longer seem to enjoy life.why ? because you compare life with some one else's or even with your childhood.
Don't Compare your life with some one else's life you don't know what their journey is all about.Most Parents are Idiots and at some points in parent hood they even reach peaks of stupidity ,They will fill your mind with limitations and outdated Ideas and many stupid things,no matter how harm or bad things they do to you knowingly or unknowingly till they are your parents.
As J.K Rowling says hating parents comes with expiry date so,Forgive them. Most of parents sacrifice a lot for their children and In return either they expect or you decide to a lot of sacrifice for them that's is the most dumbest thing you will do in your life.
Why this ? Because once you shut the doors of past and got no one else but your self to blame for every thing in your life that's when you start counting your blessings in life.

Most of things that count in life are not things at all .

If you think ,things will make you happy you are making a mistake ,no doubt they increase your comfort zone and make life comfortable they also make you dumb.

I wept because I had no shoes, until I met a man who had no feet  — Persian proverb.

When can we count our blessings ,when we see others who don't have it or even if he is blessed and he is not recognizing it then it is more easy to realize how blessed you are.
If you are a good listener , and if you are listening to some one speaking badly then you can count your blessing : by learning how not to speak like that .See only good things in life and say no to any negative tone and Idea and you will only see blessings in life.
You can apply this law of Count your Blessing in all aspects of your life ,each and every day.Seek and you shall find ,start looking for good ,positive things and blessing in life you will be amazed to see them every where.
never let a good thing pass by you with out seeing and knowing it.This law of count your blessings can be learned from two kinds of people,people who do it correctly and others who do it badly.
from people do it correctly we can learn how to do it and from who do it badly we can learn by how not to do it .So simple isn't it ?
Keep your eyes and ears open for the good things and shut them strictly from bad things ,you life will be filled with Happiness and blessings .
Namaste Kalyan

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10 Benefits of Rising Early, and How to Do It

“Early to bed and early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise” – Ben Franklin, famously

There are a ton of other great benefits.

Now, let me first say that if you are a night owl, and that works for you, I think that’s great. There’s no reason to change, especially if you’re happy with it. But for me, switching from being a night owl to an early riser (and yes, it is possible) has been a godsend. It has helped me in so many ways that I’d never go back. Here are just a few:

1. Greet the day. I love being able to get up, and greet a wonderful new day. I suggest creating a morning ritual that includes saying thanks for your blessings. I’m inspired by the Dalai Lama, who said, ” Everyday, think as you wake up, ‘today I am fortunate to have woken up, I am alive, I have a precious human life, I am not going to waste it. I am going to use all my energies to develop myself, to expand my heart out to others, to achieve enlightenment for the benefit of all beings, I am going to have kind thoughts towards others, I am not going to get angry or think badly about others, I am going to benefit others as much as I can.’ “
2. Amazing start. I used to start my day by jumping out of bed, late as usual, and rushing to get myself and the kids ready, and rushing to drop them to school and come in to work late. I would walk into work, looking rumpled and barely awake, grumpy and behind everyone else. Not a great start to your day. Now, I have a renewing morning ritual, I’ve gotten so much done before 8 a.m., my kids are early and so am I, and by the time everyone else gets in to work, I’ve already gotten a head start. There is no better way to start off your day than to wake early, in my experience.
3. Quietude. No kids yelling, no babies crying, no soccer balls, no cars, no television noise. The early morning hours are so peaceful, so quiet. It’s my favorite time of day. I truly enjoy that time of peace, that time to myself, when I can think, when I can read, when I can breathe.
4. Sunrise. People who wake late miss one of the greatest feats of nature, repeated in full stereovision each and every day — the rise of the sun. I love how the day slowly gets brighter, when the midnight blue turns to lighter blue, when the brilliant colors start to seep into the sky, when nature is painted in incredible colors. I like doing my early morning run during this time, and I look up at the sky as I run and say to the world, “What a glorious day!” Really. I really do that. Corny, I know.
5. Breakfast. Rise early and you actually have time for breakfast. I’m told it’s one of the most important meals of the day. Without breakfast, your body is running on fumes until you are so hungry at lunchtime that you eat whatever unhealthy thing you can find. The fattier and sugarier, the betterier. But eat breakfast, and you are sated until later. Plus, eating breakfast while reading my book and drinking my coffee in the quiet of the morning is eminently more enjoyable than scarfing something down on the way to work, or at your desk.
6. Exercise. There are other times to exercise besides the early morning, of course, but I’ve found that while exercising right after work is also very enjoyable, it’s also liable to be canceled because of other things that come up. Morning exercise is virtually never canceled.
7. Productivity. Mornings, for me at least, are the most productive time of day. I like to do some writing in the morning, when there are no distractions, before I check my email or blog stats. I get so much more done by starting on my work in the morning. Then, when evening rolls around, I have no work that I need to do, and I can spend it with family.
8. Goal time. Got goals? Well, you should. And there’s no better time to review them and plan for them and do your goal tasks than first thing. You should have one goal that you want to accomplish this week. And every morning, you should decide what one thing you can do today to move yourself further towards that goal. And then, if possible, do that first thing in the morning.
9. Commute. No one likes rush-hour traffic, except for Big Oil. Commute early, and the traffic is much lighter, and you get to work faster, and thus save yourself more time. Or better yet, commute by bike. (Or even better yet, work from home.)
10. Appointments. It’s much easier to make those early appointments on time if you get up early. Showing up late for those appointments is a bad signal to the person you’re meeting. Showing up early will impress them. Plus, you get time to prepare.

How to Become an Early Riser

• Don’t make drastic changes. Start slowly, by waking just 15-30 minutes earlier than usual. Get used to this for a few days. Then cut back another 15 minutes. Do this gradually until you get to your goal time.
• Allow yourself to sleep earlier. You might be used to staying up late, perhaps watching TV or surfing the Internet. But if you continue this habit, while trying to get up earlier, sooner or later one is going to give. And if it is the early rising that gives, then you will crash and sleep late and have to start over. I suggest going to bed earlier, even if you don’t think you’ll sleep, and read while in bed. If you’re really tired, you just might fall asleep much sooner than you think.
• Put your alarm clock far from you bed. If it’s right next to your bed, you’ll shut it off or hit snooze. Never hit snooze. If it’s far from your bed, you have to get up out of bed to shut it off. By then, you’re up. Now you just have to stay up.
• Go out of the bedroom as soon as you shut off the alarm. Don’t allow yourself to rationalize going back to bed. Just force yourself to go out of the room. My habit is to stumble into the bathroom and go pee. By the time I’ve done that, and flushed the toilet and washed my hands and looked at my ugly mug in the mirror, I’m awake enough to face the day.
• Do not rationalize. If you allow your brain to talk you out of getting up early, you’ll never do it. Don’t make getting back in bed an option.
• Have a good reason. Set something to do early in the morning that’s important. This reason will motivate you to get up. I like to write in the morning, so that’s my reason. Also, when I’m done with that, I like to read all of your comments!
• Make waking up early a reward. Yes, it might seem at first that you’re forcing yourself to do something hard, but if you make it pleasurable, soon you will look forward to waking up early. A good reward is to make a hot cup of coffee or tea and read a book. Other rewards might be a tasty treat for breakfast (smoothies! yum!) or watching the sunrise, or meditating. Find something that’s pleasurable for you, and allow yourself to do it as part of your morning routine.
• Take advantage of all that extra time. Don’t wake up an hour or two early just to read your blogs, unless that’s a major goal of yours. Don’t wake up early and waste that extra time. Get a jump start on your day! I like to use that time to get a head start on preparing my kids’ lunches, on planning for the rest of the day (when I set my MITs), on exercising or meditating, and on reading. By the time 6:30 rolls around, I’ve done more than many people do the entire day.

“Put no trust in the benefits to accrue from early rising, as set forth by the infatuated Franklin …” – Mark Twain

All Posts Labeled Zen Habits are  written by Leo Babauta. Follow him on Twitter.

20 Things I Wish I Had Known When Starting Out in Life

“Everything has been figured out, except how to live.” - Jean-Paul Sartre

I’m nearly 35 years old, and I’ve made my share of mistakes in my life. I’m not a big believer in regrets … and I have learned tremendously from every single mistake … and my life is pretty great.

However, there are a few things I wish I had known when I was graduating from high school and starting out as an adult in life.

Would I change things? I’m not so sure. I might never have gotten into a mountain of debt, but then I wouldn’t have learned the amazing satisfaction of getting out of it. I might have made better career choices, but then I wouldn’t have all the work experience that makes me the blogger and writer that I am today.

I might not have gotten married that first time, so that I would never have gotten divorced … but then I wouldn’t have my first two beautiful wonderful incredible children from that first marriage.

I don’t think I would change any of that. However, looking back, there are some lessons I’ve learned that I would probably tell my 18-year-old self. Do I share them now to share my regrets? No, I share them in hopes that younger men and women, just starting out in life, can benefit from my mistakes and my lessons.

What follows isn’t an exhaustive list, but it’s one that I hope proves useful to at least a few people.

“I hope life isn’t a big joke, because I don’t get it.” - Jack Handey

1. How to control impulse spending. If there’s anything that got me in trouble financially, it’s impulse spending. Buying clothes when I don’t need them. Buying gadgets because I gotta have them. Ordering stuff online because it’s so easy. Buying that new shiny SUV because … well, because it was going to help me with women. I’m not proud of any of that. I’ve learned to control my impulses, at least a little better. Now, I give myself some time to breathe. I think over my purchases, see if I’ve got the money, think about whether it’s a need or a want. That would have been a useful tool 15 years ago.
2. You gotta stay active. I was in track, cross country and basketball in high school, but once I started college, the running and basketball began to slowly fade away. Not right away — I played pick-up basketball for years after high school. But even that went away, until I became sedentary. Playing with my kids outdoors winded me. And I began to get fat. I’ve reversed that trend, and am very active now, but I’m still trying to burn the fat I gained in those inactive years.
3. How to plan finances. I always knew that I was supposed to budget and track my spending, when I became an adult. I just was too lazy to do it. And I didn’t have a good idea of how to actually do it. Now, I’ve learned how to plan, and how to stick to that plan. Sure, I deviate from my plan, but I’ve learned how to handle that too. Maybe that’s not a skill you can learn from book reading. You just gotta practice. Well, I hope to teach it to my children before they go out on their own.
4. Junk food will come back to bite you in the butt. Yeah, it wasn’t just the sedentary lifestyle that got me fat. It was all the damn junk food too. I would eat pizza and burgers and Twinkies and sugar cereal and desserts and donuts and … well, you get the picture. As someone used to being able to eat whatever I wanted, it never seemed like it would be a problem. Bad health was something to worry about when you got old. Well, my jeans began to get way too tight, and to my horror, I climbed several pants sizes and developed a gut that only now is going away. I wish someone had shown me an “after” picture when I was young and downing the Big Gulp sodas.
   
5. Smoking is just dumb. I didn’t start smoking until I was well into my adult years. I won’t go into why I started, but it didn’t seem like a problem, because I knew I could quit anytime I wanted. Or I thought I could, at least, until several years later I gave it a go and couldn’t do it. Five failed quits later and I realized with horror that my addiction was stronger than I was. Sure, I eventually beat the habit (quit date: Nov. 18, 2005) but it took a piece of my soul to do it.
6. Fund your retirement, son. And don’t withdraw it. This piece of wisdom, and probably all the ones above, might seem blisteringly obvious. And they are. Don’t think I didn’t know this when I was 18. I did. I just didn’t pay it serious attention. Retirement was something I could worry about when I was in my 30s. Well, I’m in my 30s now and I wish I could slap that little 18-year-old Leo around a bit. What money I could have invested by now! I had a retirement plan, but on the 3 occasions when I changed jobs, I withdrew that and spent it frivolously.
7. All the stuff you’re doing that seems hard — it will be of use. This is the first one that might not be as obvious. There were times in my life when work was hard, and I did it anyway, but hated it. I did it because I had to, but boy did it stress me out and leave me exhausted. Hard work isn’t as easy as I wanted it to be. But you know what? Every bit of hard work I did without knowing why I was doing it … it’s paid off for me in the long run. Maybe not right away, but I’m using skills and habits I learned during those times of high stress and long hours and tedious work — I use them all the time, and they’ve made me into the person I am today. Thank you, younger Leo!
8. Don’t buy that used van without checking it out closely. I thought I was being smart by buying used, but I didn’t check it out carefully enough. That dang van had loads of engine problems, a door that nearly fell off when I was driving, a door handle that snapped off, a side mirror that fell off, no spare tire despite three tires that were ready to blow (and did), windows that didn’t roll up, rattling noises, an eventual blown radiator … I could go on and on, but let’s just say that it wasn’t my best purchase. I still think buying used is smart, but check things out closely first.
9. That guy you’re going to sell your car to? On a gentleman’s agreement? He’s not gonna pay you. I sold another car to a friend of a friend, who I was sure would pay me even if I had nothing in writing. That was smart. I still see the guy once in awhile on the road, but I don’t have the energy to do a U-turn and chase after him.
10. Make time to pursue your passion, no matter how busy you are. I’ve always wanted to be a writer, and get a book published. I just never had time to write. With a family and school and a full-time job, there just weren’t enough hours in the day. Well, I’ve learned that you have to make those hours. Set aside a block of time to do what you love, cut out other stuff from your life that take up your time, and don’t let anything interfere with that work. If I had done that 15 years ago, I could have 15 books written by now. Not all would be great, but still.
11. All that stuff that’s stressing you out — it won’t matter in 5 years, let alone 15. When things are happening to you right now, they mean all the world. I had deadlines and projects and people breathing down my neck, and my stress levels went through the roof. I don’t regret the hard work (see above) but I think I would have been less stressed if I could have just realized that it wouldn’t matter a single bit just a few years down the road. Perspective is a good thing to learn.
12. The people you make friends with are so much more important than your job or the things you buy. I’ve had a few jobs, I’ve bought a lot of things, and I’ve made a few friends over these last 15 years. Of those, the only thing that still matter to me are the friends. And I wish I could have spent more time with friends (and family) than on the other things.
13. All that time you spend watching TV is a huge, huge waste of time. I don’t know how much TV I’ve watched over the years, but it’s a crapload. Hours and days and weeks I’ll never have back. Who cares what happens on reality TV, when reality is slipping by outside? Time is something you’ll never get back — don’t waste it on TV.
14. Your kids are going to grow up way faster than you think. Don’t waste a minute. I just had an Oh My God moment recently. My oldest daughter, Chloe, is 14 going on 15 next month. I have 3 years left with her before she leaves my house and becomes an adult. Three years! I am floored by that single fact, because it really doesn’t seem anywhere near enough time. I want to go back to my younger self and whack that younger Leo on the head and say Stop working so hard! Stop watching TV! Spend more time with your kids! These last 15 years with Chloe (and my other wonderful kids) have gone by much, much too fast.
15. Forget the drama. Focus on being happy. There have been many things that have happened to me, professionally and personally, that seem like the end of the world. And while these things were bad, they get blown up in our heads so that they become major drama. They caused me to be depressed from time to time. What a waste of time. If I realized that it was all in my head, and that I could be happy instead if I focused on the positive, on what I did have, and what I could be doing … I could have skipped all the moping about.
16. Pay more attention to blogs when you first hear about them. They’re more than just journals. I first read about blogs 7-8 years ago, but when I took a look at them they didn’t seem like anything of interest. Just some people’s journals about stuff they read on the web. Why would I want to read those? I have my own thoughts about the web, but I don’t need to share them with the world. I spent a lot of time on the Internet, on various sites and forums, but every time I happened upon a blog I would brush past it without interest. It wasn’t until a couple years ago that I discovered what wonderful things they could be (I mentioned some of my early favorites in my list of influences). If I had gotten into blogging years ago … well, I wouldn’t have been wasting all that time.
17. Speaking of which, keep a journal. Seriously. Your memory is extremely faulty. I forget things really easily. Not short-term stuff, but long-term. I don’t remember things about my kids’ early years, because I didn’t record any of it. I don’t remember things about my life. It’s like a lot of foggy memories that I’ll never have access to. I wish I had kept a journal.
18. Tequila is seriously evil. I won’t go into details, but it should suffice to say that I had some bad experiences, and I’m not sure I learned very much from them or benefited in any way except to learn that tequila is the drink of the Devil.
19. Yes, you can do a marathon. Don’t put this goal off — it’s extremely rewarding. Running a marathon had always been a dream of mine, since high school … something I wanted to do but thought was out of reach. Or if I ever did it, it would be years and years later. Well, I learned that it’s not only achievable, it’s incredibly rewarding. I wish I had started training when I was young and light and fit … I could have had some good finishing times!
20. All these mistakes you’re going to make, despite this advice? They’re worth it. My 18-year-old self would probably have read this post and said, “Good advice!” And then he would have proceeded to make the same mistakes, despite good intentions. I was a good kid, but I wasn’t good at following advice. I had to make my own mistakes, and live my own life. And that’s what I did, and I don’t regret a minute of it. Every experience I’ve had (even the tequila ones) have led me down the path of life to where I am today. I love where I am today, and wouldn’t trade it for another life for all the world. The pain, the stress, the drama, the hard work, the mistakes, the depression, the hangovers, the debt, the fat … it was all worth it.

“Let us so live that when we come to die even the undertaker will be sorry.” - Mark Twain

Simple Living Manifesto: 72 Ideas to Simplify Your Life

“Simplicity is the peak of civilization.” – Jessie Sampter

A simple life has a different meaning and a different value for every person. For me, it means eliminating all but the essential, eschewing chaos for peace, and spending your time doing what’s important to you.

It means getting rid of many of the things you do so you can spend time with people you love and do the things you love. It means getting rid of the clutter so you are left with only that which gives you value.

However, getting to simplicity isn’t always a simple process. It’s a journey, not a destination, and it can often be a journey of two steps forward, and one backward.

If you’re interested in simplifying your life, this is a great starter’s guide (if you’re not interested, move on).

The Short List
For the cynics who say that the list below is too long, there are really only two steps to simplifying:

1. Identify what’s most important to you.
2. Eliminate everything else.

Of course, that’s not terribly useful unless you can see how to apply that to different areas of your life, so I present to you the Long List.

The Long List
There can be no step-by-step guide to simplifying your life, but I’ve compiled an incomplete list of ideas that should help anyone trying to find the simple life. Not every tip will work for you — choose the ones that appeal and apply to your life.

One important note: this list will be criticized for being too complicated, especially as it provides a bunch of links. Don’t stress out about all of that. Just choose one at a time, and focus on that. When you’re done with that, focus on the next thing.

1. Make a list of your top 4-5 important things. What’s most important to you? What do you value most? What 4-5 things do you most want to do in your life? Simplifying starts with these priorities, as you are trying to make room in your life so you have more time for these things.
2. Evaluate your commitments. Look at everything you’ve got going on in your life. Everything, from work to home to civic to kids’ activities to hobbies to side businesses to other projects. Think about which of these really gives you value, which ones you love doing. Which of these are in line with the 4-5 most important things you listed above? Drop those that aren’t in line with those things. Article here.
3. Evaluate your time. How do you spend your day? What things do you do, from the time you wake up to the time you go to sleep? Make a list, and evaluate whether they’re in line with your priorities. If not, eliminate the things that aren’t, and focus on what’s important. Redesign your day.
4. Simplify work tasks. Our work day is made up of an endless list of work tasks. If you simply try to knock off all the tasks on your to-do list, you’ll never get everything done, and worse yet, you’ll never get the important stuff done. Focus on the essential tasks and eliminate the rest. Read more.
5. Simplify home tasks. In that vein, think about all the stuff you do at home. Sometimes our home task list is just as long as our work list. And we’ll never get that done either. So focus on the most important, and try to find ways to eliminate the other tasks (automate, eliminate, delegate, or hire help).
6. Learn to say no. This is actually one of the key habits for those trying to simplify their lives. If you can’t say no, you will take on too much. Article here.
7. Limit your communications. Our lives these days are filled with a vast flow of communications: email, IM, cell phones, paper mail, Skype, Twitter, forums, and more. It can take up your whole day if you let it. Instead, put a limit on your communications: only do email at certain times of the day, for a certain number of minutes (I recommend twice a day, but do what works for you). Only do IM once a day, for a limited amount of time. Limit phone calls to certain times too. Same with any other communications. Set a schedule and stick to it.
8. Limit your media consumption. This tip won’t be for everyone, so if media consumption is important to you, please skip it (as with any of the other tips). However, I believe that the media in our lives — TV, radio, Internet, magazines, etc. — can come to dominate our lives. Don’t let it. Simplify your life and your information consumption by limiting it. Try a media fast.
9. Purge your stuff. If you can devote a weekend to purging the stuff you don’t want, it feels seriously terrific. Get boxes and trash bags for the stuff you want to donate or toss. Here’s my guide on decluttering. Here’s a post on starting small. More on purging below.
10. Get rid of the big items. There’s tons of little clutter in our lives, but if you start with the big items, you’ll simplify your life quickly and in a big way. Read more.
11. Edit your rooms. One room at a time, go around the room and eliminate the unnecessary. Act as a newspaper editor, trying to leave only the minimum, and deleting everything else. Article here.
12. Edit closets and drawers. Once you’ve gone through the main parts of your rooms, tackle the closets and drawers, one drawer or shelf at a time. More here.
13. Simplify your wardrobe. Is your closet bursting full? Are your drawers so stuffed they can’t close (I’m talking about dresser drawers here, not underwear). Simplify your wardrobe by getting rid of anything you don’t actually wear. Try creating a minimal wardrobe by focusing on simple styles and a few solid colors that all match each other. Read more.
14. Simplify your computing life. If you have trouble with too many files and too much disorganization, consider online computing. It can simplify things greatly. Read more.
15. Declutter your digital packrattery. If you are a digital packrat, and cannot seem to control your digital clutter, there is still hope for you. Read this guide to curing yourself of this clutter.
16. Create a simplicity statement. What do you want your simple life to look like? Write it out. More here.
17. Limit your buying habits. If you are a slave to materialism and consumerism, there are ways to escape it. I was there, and although I haven’t escaped these things entirely, I feel much freer of it all. If you can escape materialism, you can get into the habit of buying less. And that will mean less stuff, less spending, less freneticism. Read more.
18. Free up time. Find ways to free up time for the important stuff. That means eliminating the stuff you don’t like, cutting back on time wasters, and making room for what you want to do.
19. Do what you love. Once you’ve freed up some time, be sure to spend that extra time doing things you love. Go back to your list of 4-5 important things. Do those, and nothing else. Read more.
20. Spend time with people you love. Again, the list of 4-5 important things probably contains some of the people you love (if not, you may want to re-evaluate). Whether those people are a spouse, a partner, children, parents, other family, best friends, or whoever, find time to do things with them, talk to them, be intimate with them (not necessarily in sexual ways).
21. Spend time alone. See this list of ways to free up time for yourself — to spend in solitude. Alone time is good for you, although some people aren’t comfortable with it. It could take practice getting used to the quiet, and making room for your inner voice. It sounds new-agey, I know, but it’s extremely calming. And this quiet is necessary for finding out what’s important to you.
22. Eat slowly. If you cram your food down your throat, you are not only missing out on the great taste of the food, you are not eating healthy. Slow down to lose weight, improve digestion, and enjoy life more. Read more.
23. Drive slowly. Most people rush through traffic, honking and getting angry and frustrated and stressed out. And endangering themselves and others in the meantime. Driving slower is not only safer, but it is better on your fuel bill, and can be incredibly peaceful. Give it a try. Read more.
24. Be present. These two words can make a huge difference in simplifying your life. Living here and now, in the moment, keeps you aware of life, of what is going on around you and within you. It does wonders for your sanity. Read tips on how to do it.
25. Streamline your life. Many times we live with unplanned, complex systems in our lives because we haven’t given them much thought. Instead, focus on one system at a time (your laundry system, your errands system, your paperwork system, your email system, etc.) and try to make it simplified, efficient, and written. Then stick to it. Here’s more. Another good article here.
26. Create a simple mail & paperwork system. If you don’t have a system, this stuff will pile up. But a simple system will keep everything in order. Here’s how.
27. Create a simple system for house work. Another example of a simple system is clean-as-you-go with a burst. Read more.
28. Clear your desk. If you have a cluttered desk, it can be distracting and disorganized and stressful. A clear desk, however, is only a couple of simple habits away. Read more.
29. Establish routines. The key to keeping your life simple is to create simple routines. A great article on that here.
30. Keep your email inbox empty. Is your email inbox overflowing with new and read messages? Do the messages just keep piling up? If so, you’re normal — but you could be more efficient and your email life could be simplified with a few simple steps. Read more.
31. Learn to live frugally. Living frugally means buying less, wanting less, and leaving less of a footprint on the earth. It’s directly related to simplicity. Here are 50 tips on how to live frugally.
32. Make your house minimalist. A minimalist house has what is necessary, and not much else. It’s also extremely peaceful (not to mention easy to clean). More here.
33. Find other ways to be minimalist. There are tons. You can find ways to be minimalist in every area of your life. Here are a few I do, to spur your own ideas.
34. Consider a smaller home. If you rid your home of stuff, you might find you don’t need so much space. I’m not saying you should live on a boat (although I know some people who happily do so), but if you can be comfortable in a smaller home, it will not only be less expensive, but easier to maintain, and greatly simplify your life. Read about downsizing your home here.
35. Consider a smaller car. This is a big move, but if you have a large car or SUV, you may not really need something that big. It’s more expensive, uses more gas, harder to maintain, harder to park. Simplify your life with less car. You don’t need to go tiny, especially if you have a family, but try to find as small a car as can fit you or your family comfortably. Maybe not something you’re going to do today, but something to think about over the long term.
36. Learn what “enough” is. Our materialistic society today is about getting more and more, with no end in sight. Sure, you can get the latest gadget, and more clothes and shoes. More stuff. But when will you have enough? Most people don’t know, and thus they keep buying more. It’s a neverending cycle. Get off the cycle by figuring out how much is enough. And then stop when you get there.
37. Create a simple weekly dinner menu. If figuring out what’s for dinner is a nightly stressor for you or your family, consider creating a weekly menu. Decide on a week’s worth of simple dinners, set a specific dinner for each night of the week, go grocery shopping for the ingredients. Now you know what’s for dinner each night, and you have all the ingredients necessary. No need for difficult recipes — find ones that can be done in 10-15 minutes (or less).
38. Eat healthy. It might not be obvious how eating healthy relates to simplicity, but think about the opposite: if you eat fatty, greasy, salty, sugary, fried foods all the time, you are sure to have higher medical needs over the long term. We could be talking years from now, but imagine frequent doctor visits, hospitalization, going to the pharmacist, getting therapy, having surgery, taking insulin shots … you get the idea. Being unhealthy is complicated. Eating healthy simplifies all of that greatly, over the long term. Read about how to simplify your eating habits.
39. Exercise. This goes along the same lines as eating healthy, as it simplifies your life in the long run, but it goes even further: exercise helps burn off stress and makes you feel better. It’s great. Here’s how to create the exercise habit.
40. Declutter before organizing. Many people make the mistake of taking a cluttered desk or filing cabinet or closet or drawer, and trying to organize it. Unfortunately, that’s not only hard to do, it keeps things complicated. Simplify the process by getting rid of as much of the junk as possible, and then organizing. If you declutter enough, you won’t need to organize at all.
41. Have a place for everything. Age-old advice, but it’s the best advice on keeping things organized. After you declutter. Read more here.
42. Find inner simplicity. I’m not much of a spiritual person, but I have found that spending a little time with my inner self creates a peaceful simplicity rather than a chaotic confusion. This could be time praying or communing with God, or time spent meditating or journaling or getting to know yourself, or time spent in nature. However you do it, working on your inner self is worth the time.
43. Learn to decompress from stress. Every life is filled with stress — no matter how much you simplify your life, you’ll still have stress (except in the case of the ultimate simplifier, death). So after you go through stress, find ways to decompress. Here are some ideas.
44. Try living without a car. OK, this isn’t something I’ve done, but many others have. It’s something I would do if I didn’t have kids. Walk, bike, or take public transportation. It reduces expenses and gives you time to think. A car is also very complicating, needing not only car payments, but insurance, registration, safety inspections, maintenance, repairs, gas and more.
45. Find a creative outlet for self-expression. Whether that’s writing, poetry, painting, drawing, creating movies, designing websites, dance, skateboarding, whatever. We have a need for self-expression, and finding a way to do that makes your life much more fulfilling. Allow this to replace much of the busy-work you’re eliminating from your life.
46. Simplify your goals. Instead of having half a dozen goals or more, simplify it to one goal. Not only will this make you less stressed, it will make you more successful. You’ll be able to focus on that One Goal, and give it all of your energy. That gives you much better chances for success.
47. Single-task. Multi-tasking is more complicated, more stressful, and generally less productive. Instead, do one task at a time.
48. Simplify your filing system. Stacking a bunch of papers just doesn’t work. But a filing system doesn’t have to be complicated to be useful. Create a simple system.
49. Develop equanimity. If every little thing that happens to you sends you into anger or stress, your life might never be simple. Learn to detach yourself, and be more at peace. Read more.
50. Reduce your consumption of advertising. Advertising makes us want things. That’s what it’s designed to do, and it works. Find ways to reduce your exposure of advertising, whether that’s in print, online, broadcast, or elsewhere. You’ll want much less.
51. Live life more deliberately. Do every task slowly, with ease, paying full attention to what you’re doing. For more, see Peaceful Simplicity: How to Live a Life of Contentment.
52. Make a Most Important Tasks (MITs) list each day. Set just 3 very important things you want to accomplish each day. Don’t start with a long list of things you probably won’t get done by the end of the day. A simple list of 3 things, ones that would make you feel like you accomplished something. See this article for more.
53. Create morning and evening routines. A great way to simplify your life is to create routines at the start and end of your day. Read more on morning routines and evening routines.
54. Create a morning writing ritual. If you enjoy writing, like I do, make it a peaceful, productive ritual. Article here.
55. Learn to do nothing. Doing nothing can be an art form, and it should be a part of every life. Read the Art of Doing Nothing.
56. Read Walden, by Thoreau. The quintessential text on simplifying. Available on Wikisources for free.
57. Go for quality, not quantity. Try not to have a ton of stuff in your life … instead, have just a few possessions, but ones that you really love, and that will last for a long time.
58. Read Simplify Your Life, by Elaine St. James. One of my favorite all-time authors on simplicity. Read my review here.
59. Fill your day with simple pleasures. Make a list of your favorite simple pleasures, and sprinkle them throughout your day. List here.
60. Simplify your RSS feeds. If you’ve got dozens of feeds, or more than a hundred (as I once did), you probably have a lot of stress in trying to keep up with them all. Simplify your feed reading. See How to Drop an RSS Feed Like a Bad Habit.
61. But subscribe to Unclutterer. Probably the best blog on simplifying your stuff and routines (along with Zen Habits, of course!).
62. Create an easy-to-maintain yard. If you spend too much time on your yard, here are some good tips.
63. Carry less stuff. Are your pockets bulging. Consider carrying only the essentials. Some thoughts on that here.
64. Simplify your online life. If you have too much going on online, here are a few ways to simplify it all. Article here.
65. Strive to automate your income. This isn’t the easiest task, but it can (and has) been done. I’ve been working towards it myself. Article here.
66. Simplify your budget. Many people skip budgeting (which is very important) because it’s too hard or too complicated. Read more here.
67. Simplify your financial life. Article from a financial planning expert here.
68. Learn to pack light. Who wants to lug a bunch of luggage around on a trip? Here’s an article on using just one carry-on.
69. Use a minimalist productivity system. The minimal Zen To Done is all you need. Everything else is icing.
70. Leave space around things in your day. Whether they’re appointments, or things you need to do, don’t stack them back-to-back. Leave a little space between things you need to do, so you will have room for contingencies, and you’ll go through your day much more relaxed.
71. Live closer to work. This might mean getting a job closer to your home, or moving to a home closer to your work. Either will do much to simplify your life.
72. Always ask: Will this simplify my life? If the answer is no, reconsider.

In Golf, so in life play a positive game

The old master was already there when the golfer reached the course at daybreak. He had sought the master’s help because more than a pleasurable activity, golf had become a torment for him.

Master: First, the basics. In many ways golf is life itself. Think of the ball as your soul which craves salvation, represented by the hole in the green. The 14 clubs in the golf-set symbolise five elements — earth, fire, water, air and space — of which the human body is composed, five senses, instinct, ego or the lower mind, intellect or the higher mind and the consciousness...

You play well when they work in tandem. In other words, you should strive to achieve harmony within and without. See the rising sun, smell the fresh air and feel its moist kiss on your cheek and feel the cushion of the soft grass under your feet. Then, close your eyes and feel yourself as a part of all this.

When the golfer opened his eyes, the master resumed.

Master: There are many approaches to the goal. Take that which suits your strength and weakness as denoted by your handicap. Be ever conscious of your handicap and you’ll be humble. Shall we start?

The golfer came to the tee. Placing the ball on the peg he took aim, fixing the spot where he must send the ball.

Master: Also picture your ball going there and then hit.

The golfer did that and swung the club. The ball lifted nicely but went right into the rough. The golfer looked at the master.

Master: The slice was caused by the arc of your swing which was from right to left. It was as if you were trying to avoid the right rough. Were you?

Golfer: Yes, but why does the ball go into the area which I wish to avoid?

Master: It’s because of negative thinking. When you tell your mind, ‘Don’t do this’, you have to picture ‘this’. The mind registers the picture of ‘this’ more easily than the command of ‘don’t’. The slightest distraction or tension would make the mind forget the ‘don’t’ part and it would do what it had been told not to.

Golfer: How does one avoid the hazards, then?

Master: By focusing on the positive! Picture only what you wish to happen and take the shot. Practise that, and it’ll become a habit.

They walked up to ball. It lay buried in the leaves. The golfer thought of recovering by hitting the ball hard, through the narrow gap between two trees. But as he took the practice swing...

Master: What are you attempting?

Golfer: A full shot through the trees!

Master: How often can you pull it off?

Golfer: About four times in 10.

Master: Then, don’t try. Bad patches are to test your patience. It’s the time to play safe than to take risk. Just roll the ball into the fairway with a low quarter shot.

The golfer relaxed. He followed the master’s advice. Two shots later, the ball was 12 feet from the pin and glistened like a gem on the green.

Master: The ball is destined to go into the cup. Picture it going there and putt gently.

The golfer went into a trance. He came to only when he heard the sweet sound of the ball dropping into the cup. Filled with a sense of calm, He looked at the master.

Master: (Smiling) Despite a bad tee-off you’ve made a bogey, which is par for your handicap. Play for joy and your card will look better than your handicap.

Do good and expect nothing in return

I am a happy youth and like to do good, but sometimes i feel why help another when the receiver doesn't respond?

To help others is a humanitarian attribute the proof of our being human beings. Your conscience knows the truth behind this statement. Otherwise, you would not have raised this issue. Only it seems that, perhaps, someone whom you trusted and helped intimately has broken your heart! Therefore, on this issue, your perspective is a bit sour! If your intention is to really help others, then your entire concentration should be on the word 'others'. No scope to think about oneself! The ideal of helping others is not like the give and take business it is not a barter transaction. If we entertain the selfish idea of receiving something, even a warm 'thanks', the whole of idea of 'helping' loses its charm and worth. That's why it is said: 'Do a good deed and throw it into the well!' Meaning, do good and forget about it.

One day Jesus Christ cured 10 lepers of their disease. But, do you know how many of them stayed on to express their gratitude or even say a word of thanks to Jesus? Just one! Read the account of Luke in the Bible; it says that Jesus turned and enquired of his disciples, "Where are the other nine?" The disciples answered ''Master, their selfish interest is fulfilled and, therefore, they have now gone from here.'' Jesus smiled and proceeded to help other persons, telling his disciples ''Do good unto others.'' Help for the inner joy of helping.

Nature will return your goodness in mysterious ways. A farmer in Scotland, by the name of Fleming, heard a voice calling for help. He immediately ran towards the call for help, and there he saw a boy neck-deep in quicksand. Fleming struggled and pulled the boy out of the quicksand; he affectionately patted him and told him to go home. Then, he returned to his farming job again.

Next day, a well-dressed gentleman visited the farmer and thanked him for saving the life of his son. He wished to reward the farmer. Fleming declined, saying he had only done his duty. Looking at a little boy, the gentleman asked Fleming if that was his son. Fleming nodded and was told: "This boy, one day will make you proud!"

Then on the gentleman took full responsibility for the upbringing and education of that boy. He grew up to become a world-renowned scientist. He was Alexander Fleming. He benefited humanity by his invention of penicillin. A few months after this invention, the son of that gentleman was hit by a severe attack of pneumonia! You know how his life was saved (for the second time)? With penicillin! He was Winston Churchill.

So, it is true that what goes around, comes around. Nature doesn't retain anything. It returns everything with interest.

If the helpful deed extended by you to others is not responded to, the Super Conscience becomes active to make good happen. Jesus Christ would say to his disciples: "Happy are those who long to be just and good, for they shall be completely satisfied...don't let your left hand know what your right hand is doing. And your father who knows all secrets will reward you.''

The very act of doing good is reward enough; it is not a commercial transaction that looks to profit and loss. So do good without expecting something in return and you will reap the benefit in some way or other.

The ambitious mind and the becoming mind

All our life is based on choice. We choose at different levels of our existence, between white and blue, between one flower and another flower, between certain psychological impulses of like and dislike, between certain ideas, beliefs, accepting some and discarding others. So our mental structure is based on this process of choice, this continuous effort of choosing, distinguishing, discarding, accepting, rejecting. And in that process, there is constant struggle, constant effort. There is never a direct comprehension, but always the tedious process of accumulation, of the capacity to distinguish, which is really based on memory, on the accumulation of knowledge and, therefore, there is this constant effort made through choice.

Now, is not choice ambition? Our life is ambition. We want to be somebody, we want to be well thought of, want to achieve a result. If i am not wise, i want to become wise. If i am violent, i want to become non-violent. The "becoming" is the process of ambition. Whether i want to become the biggest politician or the most perfect saint, the ambition, the drive, the impulse of becoming is the process of choice, is the process of ambition, which is essentially based on choice.

So, our life is a series of struggles, a movement from one ideological concept, formula, desire, to another, and in this process of becoming, in this process of struggle, the mind deteriorates. The very nature of this deterioration is choice, and we think choice is necessary, choice from which springs ambition.

Now, can we find a way of life that is not based on ambition which is not of choice, which is a flowering in which the result is not sought? All that we know of life is a series of struggles ending in result; and those results are being discarded for greater results. That is all we know.

In the case of the man who sits alone in a cave, in the very process of making himself perfect there is choice, and that choice is ambition... We are not trying to find out whether ambition is right or wrong, whether it is essential to life, but whether it is conducive to a life of simplicity. I do not mean the simplicity of a few clothes; that is not a simple life. The putting on of a loincloth does not indicate that a man is simple; on the contrary, it may be that by the renunciation of the outer things, the mind becomes more ambitious, for it tries to hold on to its own ideal, which it has projected and which it has created. So if we observe our own ways of thinking, should we not inquire into this question of ambition? What do we mean by it, and is it possible to live without ambition? We see that ambition breeds competition ^ whether in children, or among the big politicians, all the way up. This ambition produces certain industrial benefits, but in its wake, obviously there is the darkening of the mind, the technological conditioning, so that the mind loses its pliability, its simplicity and, therefore, is incapable of directly experiencing. Should we not inquire, not as a group but as individuals, should we not find out what this ambition means, whether we are at all aware of this ambition in our life?

...The becoming mind is a mind that is always growing, becoming, enlarging, gathering experience as knowledge. Talk: Jiddu Krishnamurti

The Trika Tradition Of Kashmir Shaivism

Since Rudra is One, the knowers of Brahmn did not wait in anticipation for a second deity, says the Svetasvatara Upanishad, thereby setting the tone for early Shaivite thought. Unique in its overtly theistic strain, this Mantra Upanishad as it is called by Adi Shankara, is the first to allude to Shiva-Rudra as the Parama-Purusha, and can be considered as a poetic forerunner of the later philosophical tenets of Shaivite traditions, especially the Trika school of Kashmir Shaivism. From Sage Svetasvatara to the philosopher Abhinavgupta there is an unbroken chain of thought which sees Shiva as the Inexpressible Truth which the yogis realise by focusing their minds on the Self.

The Trika tradition of Kashmir Shaivism puts Shiva at the centre of this matrix of Being and Becoming - there is only one Being, Shiva, who is the nature and existence of all beings, filled with the infinite light or prakasha of universal consciousness. The external world, too, is seen as a reflection of this Shiva consciousness, Pratibimbavada, the theory of reflection, where Creation, the Shakti is not external or independent of God-consciousness, but is a mirror of this Shiva principle. It is not separate but one only just as fire is one with its heat, in contrast to the Shankara-Advaita proposition that the outer world is merely a projection of maya or illusion.

Shiva himself forms the basis of this unique monistic thought, since he is shown as being synonymous with the Purusha principle, the underlying Self of the universe, from whom emanates the manifest world, the Prakriti-Shakti principle, and into whom everything dissolves back. The Trika tradition does not stress on the need for a devotional worship of Shiva, but sees the relationship of Shiva and Jiva as one of an inherently existing Oneness and identity. This interplay of the soul and world is defined as Shiva's 'dynamic' first impulse, arousing himself from his static samadhi, in which there is no outer world to manifest.

Through this leela or divine play of Shiva through his Shakti or Creation Shiva himself is able to recognise his own universal consciousness - for otherwise, Abhinavgupta says, there is nothing to recognise, for that consciousness is already there. The Kashmir Shaivite believes that even though every being has this intrinsic knowledge of his Shiva nature, it is overshadowed completely by the mind, the cogito, and its act of incessant thinking by which all beings have got into the habit of defining themselves. To transcend the mind is to find the Shiva nature within oneself, which is to realise that the 'you' and 'i' are actually the same.

This transcendence of mind, Trika says, can be achieved through anavopaya, disciplining the ego or anava through meditative practices, or through the method of saktopaya wherein energy centres are sought to be activated by centring one's attention to the silence which comes up between the end of one thought and the beginning of another, usually not even felt, but ever-present, the Kundalini path.

The path of Grace through total surrender is the third means of recognition - pratyabighna darsana - of one's Shiva consciousness, and Trika believes this to the most effective, the sambavopaya, freedom from thought through the Grace of Sambu-Shiva.

This turning inwards into the origin of thought itself leads one to the fulfilled state of anupaya, where the Jiva sees himself reflected in the image of Shiva himself, and knows that Shiva and Shakti are identical.

Human relationships matter the most in life

To build lasting relationships is not an easy thing to do. Relating to others involves sensitive, complicated, social behaviour. Relationships are fluid. The individual tends to be self-centred, leading us to believe that everything in life is dedicated, and with the assumption that it needs self-gratification every time. We keep looking for comfort zones. This is a grave mistake.

Psychological dependence is a burden, where individuals look for external support. This is dangerous and will take possession of our senses. The ability to function independently and to risk consequences will disappear.

In symbiotic relations, interdependence is inevitable, and any upheaval results in ruptures. This syndrome works superficially to a near clockwork mechanism. It looks to be an ideal state of being, but in reality, it is a pseudo security built on each other’s frailties. These are highly volatile conditions where the mind becomes inconsistent and so can be misled.

An introspection of self and a keener study of the implications with respect to society would enable a clearer understanding.

A selfless mind, with the awareness of other people’s needs and requirements and with an awareness to make others happy, will create a climate of co-option without having to sacrifice one’s desires and aspirations. A strong will and maturity of mind and body can take care of itself, under any circumstance. The ability to decide what went wrong and why it went wrong will show light at the end of the tunnel. Human emotions such as self-pity and self-persecution must not interfere in the process of resolving problems.

Think good for all, do good for all, and thrive in all-round happiness. To live best for yourself, you must live for others, too. To exist in a happy world, you must take care that every living being is taken into confidence. Your friends, neighbours, relatives, all come into the picture. If anyone needs help, do the very best you can, without expecting anything in return. Therein lie profound wisdom and a life of happiness for everyone.

If you do well, the heavens will open up for you, the angels will support you. Your own chemistry will change for the better. Never hurt others by your actions and deeds, the law of nature will turn against you if you do otherwise, it will punish you, unfolding many hardships. You will become a victim for your own mistakes.

We have been given this wonderful planet so that we live in harmony and create meaningful human bondage by loving each other and sharing resources. Most wars and conflicts are the result of selfishness. By being selfless and compassionate, people of the world can come together to face challenges together.

Wherever we go we carry the burden of ego with us. We transact business, interact with fellow human beings, and deal with domestic issues with a complex personality. This dismantles all sensitivity, and lets out a stream of negative energy. We distance ourselves from our true nature.

To have good, healthy human relationships, we need not get too personal and depend on internal security. We can retain relationships without having close attachments, as long as our mind is pure.

There are no short cuts to achieving peace and harmony. A healthy mind is one that is in a state of unbiased, unperturbed calmness, capable of seeing the big picture. The human mind is a divine, sacred experience; we must treasure its potential and explore it for common benefit by living meaningfully.

Radha Soami faith: The Sant tradition

Water in the clouds is pure but when it falls on the ground as rain, it mixes with mud and gathers impurities.

It then completely loses sight of its original purity, and begins to think that it is itself nothing but muddy earth. When, however, as a result of the heat of the suns rays it rises as vapour, it merges in its source, the clouds. The soul is in the same condition as that of the rain. The soul was originally pure but because of its association with the mind, tarnished with desires and attachments, it has become impure. And when the soul begins to overcome the mind, it begins to know itself.

Self-realisation is considered as the first essential step towards God-realisation. There is one way to detach the mind -- to give the magical touch of the Nam or word, through the technique of surat-shabad-yoga as highlighted by the Radha Soami faith.

The word 'Radha' refers to the name of the first or primal ray of surat or consciousness and Soami is the original source of the stream of Shabad . The Radha Soami faith, also known as Sant tradition, revolves around guru-bhakti and the technique of surat - shabad - yoga is considered the best way to realise the power.

Three conditions--- satguru, sadachar and sadhana -- must be fulfilled before attaining the stage of surat - shabad yoga. The first condition leads to the necessity of having a true guru who is not only adept in the mystic science of surat - shabad-yoga but also provides a link between the individual and the Supreme Reality. Sadachar , which requires self-discipline, stands for the good and humble life, suggesting purity and simplicity. The only way to reach the Lord is through freeing oneself from all other attachments like karma or desire, krodh or anger, lobh or greed, moh or attachment and ahankar or pride. The link with the inner self is not to escape from life and its responsibilities. Surat - shabad - yoga explains sadhana , the third cornerstone of the perfect science.

The surat -shabad-yoga technique consists of three elements--- sumiran or internal repetition of the Word or Nam, dhyan or contemplation of the Lord's form and bhajan or listening of sounds of the higher region. The simiran or internal repetition of the Nam awakens spiritual tendencies. The successful completion of the process of simiran itself leads to dhyan or concentration. Dhyan is derived from the sanskrit root dhi, meaning " to bind" and "to hold on". Dhyan has inward as well as outward form. Darshan of the living guru refers to the outward form of dhyan . However the Lord seen within or during dhyan is more beneficial.

Simiran and dhyan are considered as preliminary stages which lead the self towards, bhajan or an intent, focused, inward 'listening' to the sounds that emanate from the celestial levels. The final stage or bhajan acts as a link between the devotee and the self-being. This sound or bhajan takes on different forms as it passes through different levels and if the disciple has been able to reach the stage of bhajan then the listening of the subtle sounds takes him or her upward. Hence, the individual soul can resonate to the sound current which pulls it up through the various 'mansions of the soul' till it reaches the highest realm of consciousness. This is the whole technique of surat - shabad - yoga which is equal to the awakening of the Kundalini.

Re-incarnation: Another life, another chance

The subject of re-incarnation or rebirth has always evoked tremendous fascination and curiosity. Rebirth removes finality from death, reaffirms the imperishable nature of the spirit and affords a second chance.

Some philosophers have argued that birth is but a one-off phenomenon and all the actions get absolved with confession at the end of the term. The approach is not only simplistic; it also posits birth as an accident. It fails to probe the leitmotif of the picture of complexities sketched so diligently by the Supreme Power.

Hindu spiritualism regards reincarnation as a compelling tool for emancipation of soul from the karmic fetters. But within this school of thought, there are different approaches. Advaita, however posits that tne supreme consciousness pervades the entire universe like a limitless ocean and all the myriad manifestations arise like waves and submerge within this cosmic ocean. To grant these waves name, identity and title and grade them in any manner is give in to delusion and ego. Hence there is no admission of birth or death in its progression towards achievement of the unison with that single entity, Atman or Brahmn. The stress is on getting past illusion through the process of self-inquiry and letting the light within to glow, illumine and enlighten. Know yourself and all is known is the dominant theme.

In another approach, the sage of Arunachala, Ramana Maharshi said that Advaita in theory is possible but Advaita in action is not. In contrast, both Ramanujacharya and Madhavacharya enumerate various steps for a seeker to escape from the cycle of birth and death and a tacit admission of rebirth could be inferred therefrom. Both Visistadvaita and Dvaita prescribe the path of devotion and complete surrender and admit to rewards and retributions in the form of higher grades of life when probation on earth ends.

Before looking at yet another aspect, it might instructive to reflect on the germination of life. Organisms are born out of organic substances under certain conditions. Life begets life. All organic substances, which are in the nature of food, are pregnant with life-force, with the potential to create and procreate.

How do ants arrive at a spot where sugar is spilled or stored? Do they have radar? The little secret is that the sugar itself gives birth to the ant which feasts upon it. The ants, perhaps, derive even their color from the carbon content in the sugar. A piece of bread may decay with time but it is the progenitor of variety of species. Birth, growth, decay and rebirth is the unending chain that holds Nature in a state of equilibrium. The consumer is consumed in the process of consumption is the Upanishadic declaration.

All living species are born out of food and, in turn, become food for others. The Rig Veda begins with this assertion. How is food produced? The friction between wind, water, fire and earth in space produces food and the sense of consciousness is imparted by the nature of the food essence or the flavour according to Nisargadatta Maharaj. The myriad permutations and combinations of three gunas is give rise to a wide spectrum of living organisms with clear distinctions of traits, habits, personalities, disparities and diversities.

Reincarnation or rebirth does not occur at a future date but is co-extensive and simultaneous. It is here and now. The originator of the karma takes over the unfinished task through his progeny.

Would you travel in a car without brakes?

My officer teases me about the various discourses I attend. Some members of his family, too, he says go to satsangs but he sees no inner change in people like us.

"So what if I indulge in eating food that's not sattvic and drink a bit - so long as I don't lose control?" he asks.

Often we feel we are in full control of ourselves but then a moment comes in life when one loses all control. It is the fear of that moment that makes wise men advise us to abstain. But more than one's food and drinking habits, it is emotions like anger, greed and lust that one must fear. In anger we devour the very soul of a person, in greed we take all we can lay our hands on. Trees are being cut randomly because those in control become uncontrollable. They see money in cutting trees, not realising that future generations will suffer.

Due to previous samskaras - habits of past births - we are unable to rid ourselves of anger, greed, lust and jealousy. Sattvic qualities appear difficult to cultivate. It takes great effort. One morning two sadhus sitting on the banks of the Ganga saw a black blanket floating towards them. One of them decided to take the blanket while the other told him not to bother with possessions. The first sadhu stretched his hand but the blanket turned out to be a black bear. His friend asked him to come back. "How can i come back, the blanket has caught me," shouted the sadhu. In the beginning we run after desires but later desires overpower us and the result is suffering. It is not so easy to loosen our grip on desires. Why should we not fulfil desires when we have the money to do so? Don't we earn to fulfil desires?

The answer, says the guru, is because desires are like the rubber band. Once a desire is fulfilled, the mind feels elated and produces many more desires. The mind stretches itself and stops only when it breaks. It is like a car with no brakes. Will you sit in a car if it has no brakes? Desires are like the accelerator and the inner self is the brake. If our inner consciousness has no say then our senses, mind and intellect will not know where to draw the line. A guru is not a spoilsport who does not want you to enjoy life. His wish is that you live, enjoy as well as realise that infinite bliss is got only in the company of the Divinity within.

Only a realised guru can help us find our inner Self. A boy was getting married when his guru asked: ''Are you firm?'' "Yes, of course!" he replied. But at night he found himself going to a woman's house with the intention of spending the night there, unable to resist the temptation. A gatekeeper stopped him saying she was getting ready. Later he said she had guests. And still later when the boy returned, the guard said she was resting and thus the night passed. At dawn he rushed to his guru's hut. The guru who was always awake at Brahma muhurta was still sleeping. Concerned, the disciple woke him up. "I was awake the whole night trying to stop you from succumbing to temptation. Son, you are still not firm." answered the guru.

Satsangs with self-realised saints activate our inner self. Yet it is entirely our own choice to follow the right or wrong path.

Why pilgrimages help you navigate life

Elvis Presley, John Lennon, Princess Diana and more recently, Michael Jackson, were cult figures when alive. After their demise their absence became localised, assuming a 'presence'. Long lines form outside their homes or memorials of fans waiting to pay homage to their 'gods'. In these secular spots, people do not look for blessings; they are emotionally driven by nostalgia for a certain connection.

At another level, people visit the tombs or samadhis of seers and saints. Here the focus of the pilgrims is on being energised, healed, or perhaps even accruing credit in the world to come, rather than understanding the place as linking more transparently to a higher reality.

Where a pilgrimage is made not for true spiritual purposes, our definitions and understanding of that concept get further blurred. The intention of the pilgrimage is not so much horizontal - ending with a personage, religious or otherwise - but it is vertical, with a deep intention of connecting one's soul with the ultimate Source.

Over the years what were once exclusively spiritual pilgrimages in certain places seem to have turned to a vacation, becoming one more talking point in our conversations with friends, adding to our photo and video collection. Today, many sacred sites double as tourist attractions. Will tourism pose a threat by neutralising the ambience of spirituality?

What is the purpose of pilgrimage? Mystics are unanimous in saying it is a progressive awakening of the soul from the slumber of heedlessness. It is about parallel exterior and interior movement towards the deep self. "And in the earth are 'signs' to those of real faith, And in yourselves. What! Do ye not see?" asks the Quran (51.20-21). Hence the hidden meanings flash upon a person's inward eye. This is what the Sufis call istinbaat, an intuitive deduction; the mysterious inflow of divinely revealed knowledge into hearts made pure and filled with love, and with thoughts of the Divine.

The Persian mystic 'Attar has a tale to illustrate this. He tells of the legendary and elusive king of birds, the Simorgh. The story unfolds with a sizeable number of birds undertaking to find this great one. The journey is torturous, many give up half way, several perish and a determined few make it to the mountain abode of the Simorgh. Soon they realise that only 30, or si, of the morgh or birds, remain. In a clever interplay of the words, si-morgh or 30 birds became Simorgh, and an idea similar to the relationship between the atma and Paramatma, is established.

The Sufis had reflected on this and came to the understanding that if the final aim is to connect with the Supreme, there is a site right within each one, the sacred heart. Almost all traditions speak of it.

Rumi talks about journeying to various religious places of different traditions in search of the Source, but all proved to be ineffective; when he turned to his heart, he found it there. A similar indication appears in the Sikh tradition where the seeker need not visit sacred shrines or bathe in sacred rivers, because the guru has revealed 68 places of pilgrimage within the heart, where the pilgrim takes a cleansing bath.

What lies at the heart of pilgrimage or for that matter a spiritual journeying? Ultimately each of us has to come out of exile. With all the blessings from gurus and visiting sacred sites, the work, our journey to our true home, is ours and ours alone. A geographical journey is symbolic of a deep and meaningful inner journey.

(e-mail: orientationsquest@gmail.com )

The Hindu way of life: Science of salvation

There really is no such thing as Hindu-ism. This term and concept are of recent coinage.

The Hindu civilisation was born on the banks of the river Sindhu, known as the Indus today. When the Persians came, they introduced the term 'Hindu', derived from the Sanskrit word Sindhu, to denote the people who live beyond the river Sindhu. It was a geographical and cultural identity. It had never been a religious identity. Basically, the culture was oriented towards realising one's full potential.

It is only recently that attempts have been made to transform a geographical and cultural identity into a religious identity. Hindu was never an 'ism', and the attempt to organise it as a religion cannot succeed because the Hindu way of life, Sanatana Dharma or universal law, is inclusive by nature. It is not an organised belief system; it is a science of salvation.

The conflicts in the world have always been projected as good versus bad, but really, the conflict is always one man's belief versus another man's belief.

In the past, religion was far more important to people than it is now, but still there were no theocratic states in this culture; the ruler had his religion and the subjects had the freedom to follow theirs. There was no conflict.

There is no belief system to the Hindu way of life. You can believe in God or not. Individuals can work out their own way to salvation. If there are five people in your family, each one can worship a god of their choice, or not worship and still be a good Hindu. The Hindu culture is rooted in the spiritual ethos of each individual working towards ultimate liberation as the fundamental goal in life.

In the East, spirituality and religion were never an organised process. Organisation was only to the extent of making spirituality available to everybody - not for conquest. A farmer worshipped his plough, a fisherman worshipped his boat; people worshipped whatever aspect of life they related to most, and that was perfectly fine. Essentially, in the East, religion is about you, it is not about God. Religion is about your liberation. God is just one more stepping stone that you can use or skip towards your ultimate liberation.

The essential purpose of the God-belief is to create reverence in a person. What you worship is not important. It is not about liking something or disliking it. The object of reverence is irrelevant. If you make reverence the quality of your life, then you become far more receptive to life. Life will happen to you in bigger ways.

Hindu culture recognises human welfare and freedom as being of paramount importance as against the prominence of God. People understood that God is of our making and not the other way around. Hence the whole god-making technology evolved into the science of consecrating various types of forms, energy forms and spaces.

Hindu gods and goddesses are numerous, from the subtlest to the weirdest. Everything has been explored. The best compliment for this culture came from Mark Twain who had heard so much about Indian mysticism that he decided to travel to India and spend some time here. He said: "Anything that can ever be done either by man or by God has been done in this land." If you explore mysticism in India, it is incredible because it does not come from an organised belief system. It happens as a scientific means to explore dimensions beyond the physical.

With meditation you can become the Akashvani

Twenty-two years is a long time. For that many years his father and guru, Ustad Shahmir Khan Saheb, did not allow Ustad Amir Khan Saheb to sing the ragas in the aakaar ^ that is, aa-wise, or with his mouth opened to the 'aa'.

He was made to sing in sargam only ^ that is, using the note-names. The word sargam comes from putting together the first four notes of the scale, sa, re, ga and ma. It was a penance.

However, the single most profound foundation that went into the making of one of the most strikingly meditative styles or schools of the khayal in the history of Hindustani music was the Indore gayaki.

As he would recall many a time, there had been this one instance when Ustad Amir Khan Saheb had sung in the aakaar, in an impromptu recital at a sammelan, a music festival close to his father's place of residence at the court of Indore. For this he received great accolades, but he had sung the aakaar without his father's permission. He returned home only to be so severely beaten up by Ustad Shahmir Khan Saheb that he had to run away from home and stay in hiding for several days after that, for fear of the rod being used on him again!

Twenty-two years were not yet over! Perhaps this is how he wished to keep his son grounded in the swaras. Perhaps it was a symbolic period in the configurations of the abhyas or practice time-cycle, one year of practice for each of the 22 shrutis or micro-tones that went into the making of the seven swaras, corresponding to the 22 ribs in the breathing cage.

Whatever the reason, Ustad Shahmir Khan Saheb's profound method of swara-gyan, or study of the swaras, was meant to lay such an extraordinary foundation of the notes in his son, that when Ustad Amir Khan Saheb did sing in the aakaar, it was pure meditation. There was nothing more left to know about the swaras. There were no more doubts about the distances between the notes, the relationships of the shrutis or microtones when they connected with the interconnectivities of the tones or notes, differently in different ragas. There were no doubts about how the notes had to be produced and applied vis-a-vis other notes, to produce the divine hues and colours of the ragas... Once the doubts are cleared, what remains is pure and simple meditation. The musician does not have to merge. He has already merged. His singing becomes the akashvani, the speaking of the heavens.

Sargam and aakaar were complimentary. And when Ustad Amir Khan Saheb did create a style of his own ^ an abstract and deeply introspective style of singing ^ he turned the sargam-aakaar sequence the other way round. He would sing the raga in the aakaar, as usual, and then proceed, mid-way, with the sargam, ''so the listener could also understand what had been going on in the aakaar''.

Here, he did away with the traditional bol-bant or singing of lyrics in a divided format with a faster tempo, which he felt was chewing the words, making them crude. The sargam part was conducive to his meditative temperament. It "began to function as a torch, giving you the specific inside picture of the aalaap, how it was being conceived, and what was going on, all of which immensely heightened your enjoyment of the aalaap in the aakaar. It was no longer awesome. You were with it just like the musician himself", explained Pandit Amarnath, master of the gharana, to his students when teaching this 'sargam ang ka khayal', a connoisseur's delight.

Everything is possible with divine grace

Grace plays a significant role in our spiritual evolution. So say seers and scriptures. The Katha Upanishad mentions that only one who is chosen by the atman or consciousness, realises the Truth.

Ramana Maharshi mentions that God's ways are inscrutable. In the presence of the Sun, which is ever shining, some buds blossom, not all. The fault however does not lie with the Sun, though it is true that the bud cannot blossom by itself. It requires the sunlight to do it. Grace is thus recognised as a key ingredient for deliverance.

Faith and unconditional surrender help us to receive Divine Grace. Whether it is meditation, prayer, introspection or self-enquiry, the route used would depend on a person's temperament and inclination. What is encouraging is that sincere steps taken on the spiritual path lead to progress that we might not even be aware of.

Psychiatrist Scott Peck who wrote The Road Less Travelled reveals an interesting perspective to the aspect of Grace and healing. He points out that much as one examines, the workings of Grace cannot be ascribed to a set pattern. Try as we might to obtain grace, it may elude us, yet it might find us when least expected. He talks of neurotic patients who, on an average, are easier to treat than those who suffer social behaviour disorders. Surprisingly, he also reports of cases of complete turnaround amongst psychosis patients, while those suffering from the milder forms of neurosis have made insignificant progress, despite prolonged treatment. The element helping the revival process has been identified as the "will to grow" akin to earnestness and faith demonstrated by a spiritual aspirant. This concept again has an element of mystery shrouding it as evidence is rather inconclusive on the dominant role of parental nurturing and love.

Scott ascribes a lead position to the role played by Divine Grace, which in some cases operates throughout a person's life. The remarkable survival stories of Jewish prisoners of war in concentration camps substantiate this. The assertion of Jesus Christ that "Many are called, but few are chosen", can also be interpreted as "All of us are called by and to Grace, but few of us choose to listen to the call."

Grace transports one from the platform of understanding of Truth to its full realisation. Speaking of the unpredictability of Grace, Jesus is reported to have told Nicodemis, a believer in Christ as the true Messiah, amongst the Pharisees, a sect of non-believers, "Just as you can hear the wind but can't tell where it comes from or where it will go next, so it is with the Spirit. We do not know on whom He will next bestow this life from Heaven." Suffice to say that we are vastly limited from the dimension of our minds to find answers to the ways and workings of the omnipotent force.

Ramana Maharshi said that to try and understand the nature of Self-realisation with the mind is presumptuous. Dependent as the intellect is on the light of the Self, it is incapable of understanding the magnificence of the entire manifestation, of which it is but a limited part. It is like trying to measure the sunlight at its source by the standard of the light given by a candle.

Instead of limiting oneself to the intellect, the wise one opts for the path of devotion or inner reflection, conscious of a higher power. The door of Grace unfolds when the mind bows in wonder, reverence and gratitude to the power of the divine.

A guru can help us get connected

The external world is only a reflection of our inner world. Our thoughts and feelings dictate the way we perceive and experience life.

People and the environment only respond and correspond to the kind of vibrations we generate. Trapped by emotions and mood swings, we suffer and make others suffer. Though controlling the mind may seem as impossible as harnessing the whirlwind, through the grace and guidance of a guru we can gain complete mastery over it. The guru can totally transform our inner and outer worlds and fill it with bliss, contentment and peace.

In the Guru Gita, Shiva tells Parvati: "It is the existence of the guru that lends reality to our inner world; it is the radiance of the guru which illumines 'That', the Cosmic Consciousness; it is the ananda of the guru that makes all beings blissful. Therefore, offer your salutations to the guru with utmost reverence." The guru is not a vyakti or personality. He is the shakti or energy that connects our soul to the Supreme Soul. Ever one with the Universal Consciousness, he enfolds the cosmos in his being. He is the all-encompassing power of love, the fount of compassion. The guru always propels our minds towards peace and Self-realisation and anchors us in total stability. The brilliant searchlight of his wisdom illumines the hidden recesses of the mind, revealing both the filth and wealth we have accumulated over lifetimes. His grace strengthens our power of discrimination, ignites our willpower and enables us to discard vices and nurture virtues.

To the guru each Soul is precious. Even if we forsake Him, He does not forsake us. Many people relate to us through our body, mind and intellect, but it is only the guru who is interested in our soul. Whether others value us or not, the guru accepts and cherishes us. For this we have to invoke the guru through our love and devotion. If we already have a guru, we start feeling his grace intensely and instantaneously. In the Guru Gita, Ishwara says: "Though the devoted disciple of a Guru may be a fool, all his actions like initiation, vows and penance bear fruit because of the immense Grace of his Guru."

The guru's grace offers refuge to our body, mind and soul, giving us complete protection. Selfless service turns to reverence and this helps us to identify our ego which is preventing us from attaining Self-realisation This reverence dawns with the knowledge that the guru's word is the truth. In the Guru Gita, Shiva says: "The Vedas and scriptures are scintillating jewels at the lotus feet of the guru. His wisdom is the Sun that illumines the highest truths. The word of the guru is the source of all mantras and the grace of the guru is the source of Self-realisation." When we surrender completely to the guru, He balances everything inside us and brings out the sweetness of bliss, the essence of the Soul. He liberates us and shows us how to expand our constricted world into an endless expanse of joy so that we become one with the One with love.