Unfashionable Virtue Of Heartfelt Humility

A common argument against religion is that it doesn't work. By that critics usually mean that religion does not guarantee happiness, or even comfort, in times of distress. Strange as it may seem, those who have firm faith often tell us that religion is not meant to bring happiness.

Baron Von Heugel, an outstanding Roman Catholic theologian-philosopher wrote, "Religion has never made me happy: it's no use shutting your eyes to the fact that the deeper you go the more alone you will find yourself".

Hinduism sometimes seems to suggest that unhappiness is inevitable. The Gita says the world is "the abode of sorrow" and Ramana Maharshi described the world as "a wild and terrible forest" and a "prison".

However, there is so much beauty for which we should give thanks. I am often so struck by the majesty of the Himalayas, the serenity of a sunset over the Indian Ocean, and the uncountable stars in a clear night sky, that I am overcome by the realisation of how small I am.

At the same time I feel part of something infinitely large. This is a comforting experience because it puts my ego in place, silences my self-importance, yet does not tell me I am of no importance.

I become aware that, as the poet Gerard Manley Hopkins said, "The world is charged with the grandeur of God". There is also so much which is closer to home that we should give thanks for — family, friends, and of course food, the arts, and achievements of science and technology, too. There is the gift of life itself, without which we could not enjoy all that has been given to us.

But life is not always enjoyable and God does not necessarily comfort us in bad times. There are times when we suffer apparently through no fault of our own and we can't understand how a God who should be comforting us is inflicting such suffering on us.

There are also times when we are convinced that God can't possibly want to have anything to do with us, the times when we are thoroughly ashamed of ourselves.

Perhaps the answer to the riddle of unhappiness lies in the unfashionable virtue of humility, but a balanced humility, which represses self-esteem without falling into the miserable state of self-hatred that is responsible for so much depression these days.

Humility teaches that we can never fully understand the ways of God, that he never gives us certainty. As Welsh poet R S Thomas put it, to have faith we have to live "somewhere between doubt and certainty".

We can never have the comfort of certainty about the ways of God, nor precise answers to the question "Why is this happening?"

But we can have deep within us faith to see us through times when there doesn't seem anything to be grateful for.

When suffering a severe illness, and believing she was dying, mediaeval mystic Julian of Norwich had a vision in which she was assured that "all shall be well, and all shall be well, and all manner of things shall be well".

They were. If we have the faith to believe all things shall be well even when at the time they are far from well we will find that religion does work, that God does not desert us.

Way To Spiritual Wisdom Is Through The Heart

Make a distinction between spirit and matter. This will help you understand the different avenues leading to spiritual knowledge.

To understand matter we have material means, and to comprehend the spirit we have spiritual means. Matter is understood through mind or intellect working upon data given through different senses. The spirit, however, can be understood only through the spirit itself.

This highest form of understanding, in which the spirit enjoys self-knowledge without using any instrument or medium, is difficult to attain. The best way to approach the spirit is through the heart, as it is direct. This is in contrast to the mind-approach that is founded on sensations, proceeding through inference and proofs to arrive at conclusions.

The heart, which in its own way feels the unity of life, seeks fulfillment in love, sacrifice and service. The focus is on giving, rather than on taking. The heart derives its driving power from the innermost spiritual urge, expressing itself through immediate intuitions. The heart has no need for proofs or intellectual corroborations that the mind seeks while dealing with material objects.

In its objective handling of the material world, the mind is saturated with experiences of multiplicity and separateness. So it feeds egocentric tendencies that divide humanity, making it selfish and possessive. But the heart, feeling in its inner experiences the glow of love, has glimpses of unity of spirit. Hence it seeks expression through self-giving tendencies that unite humanity, making it selfless and generous.

Unsurprisingly, there is conflict between the inner voice and the deliverances of the intellect based upon apparent and superficial aspects of life. Between the two extremes of a life harassed by wants and a life completely wants-free, you could arrive at a practical mode in which there is harmony between the mind and heart.

When there is such harmony, the mind does not dictate the ends of life; it only helps realise those ends that are given by the heart. It does not lay down conditions to be fulfilled before an utterance of the heart is adopted for translation into practical life. In other words, the mind surrenders its role of judge, accepting unquestioningly the dictates of the heart.

The mind is a treasure-trove of learning, but the heart is rich in spiritual wisdom. The so-called conflict between religion and science arises only when there is no appreciation of the relative importance of these two types of knowledge. It is futile to try to glean knowledge of true values by exercise of the mind alone. In most persons the mind accepts ends from the promptings of wants, but this means denial of the life of spirit.

Only when the mind accepts its ends and values from the deepest promptings of the heart does it contribute to the life of the spirit.

The mind ought to work in tandem with the heart, subordinating factual knowledge to intuitive perceptions. The mind has a place in practical life, but its role begins after the heart has had its say. Spiritual understanding is born of harmony between mind and heart. Harmony of mind and heart does not require the mixing up of their functions; it is the most important condition of the integral, undivided life of spiritual understanding.

By Avatar Meher Baba

Why Few Are Interested In The Art of Dying

There are hundreds of popular institutions that teach us how to make our lives better. To make them more healthy, more organised, more productive, more stress-free and, hopefully, more happy. Interestingly, though death is such an important happening in our lives, we do not pay much attention to it and there is no institution that really teaches about death, what it means and how it affects us. There seems to be no takers for a course in the Art of Dying!

All of us fear death because death brings to an end our life on earth and also because we are apprehensive of what will happen to us after we die. To not get intimidated by fear of death we must know the art of dying.

What is death? Krishna says in the Bhagavad Gita that He is death (kala) in the form of Time (also kala). Time consumes everything, from the tiniest atom to all those mighty universes in the material world. The Vedic concept of death is that it is an integral part and a recurrent happening in the continuous life of every living entity on earth. Krishna tells Arjuna in chapter two that there is no death for the jiva or soul, "Never was there a time when I did not exist, nor you, nor these rulers of men.

Nor shall all of us cease to be hereafter". Death pertains only to the physical body and "...the soul merely changes bodies just as the body changes clothes".

The Katha Upanishad explains the Vedic concept of death and Garuda Purana deals comprehen-sively with rituals pertaining to death, graphically describing the soul’s journey after death to its next birth.

Most believe death is the ultimate happening in one’s life. But there is more, depending on your karma. Each new birth affords us an opportunity to better our circumstances through performing good karma, which means following the injunctions laid down in the shastras.

We, however, choose to fritter away our lives in mundane activities mainly to satisfy our sensual cravings.

Adi Shankaracharya says that one is very fortunate to have got human birth for it is the only vehicle by which one can attain the ultimate goal of life, moksha or liberation, and hence it must not be wasted in living a frivolous life. More fortunate is he who has a burning desire for liberation. And still more fortunate is the one to get a bona fide spiritual master to take him to this goal.

Krishna says: "What-ever object a person thinks of at the time of death, he attains to that object alone... Whoever thinks of only Me even at the time of death, attains to My state on abandoning his body. There is no doubt about this".

He once again reinforces: "He who, at the time of his death, engages himself in remembering the Supreme Lord with full devotion, will certainly attain to Him". This is possible only if one has Him constantly in one’s thoughts for which one needs to do spiritual practice or sadhana.

Some even crave a painful death so that they are forced to cry out to God, thereby remembering Him during the last moments. However, if your desire to be with Him is consistent and strong, it will manifest at the final hour so that you are united with Him.

Sit Like A Bell And Walk Like The Wind

Breathing controls the body's bioelectric balance just as diet controls its biochemical balance. Deep abdominal breathing not only calms and brings emotions under conscious control, but also greatly heightens awareness, thought, and memory. The linkage that occurs between the upper and lower parts of the body as a result of deep breathing ensures the smooth transfer of energy from the legs to the upper body, an essential requirement in yoga or t'ai chi.

'Cleansing breath' detoxifies the body and emphasises exhalation. 'Energizing breath' collects and stores vital energy and focuses more on inhalation. Whenever toxins in our bloodstream reach a critical level, we instinctively sigh, a quick inhalation followed by a long, forceful exhalation. By contrast, when we feel lacking in energy, we involuntarily yawn — a long, slow, deep inhalation followed by brief breath retention and a relatively short exhalation.

With increasing awareness of the benefits of breathing exercises, more people are making them an integral part of life. But, many don't understand the role played by the diaphragm — a resilient yet flexible muscular membrane which separates the chest from the abdominal cavity. When lungs expand, they push the diaphragm downward; when lungs contract, they pull it up into the chest cavity.

Some breathing exercises specifically promote assimilation and circulation of oxygen and chi. Others facilitate rapid expulsion of toxins from the bloodstream and lungs, some sedate or stimulate the system. Before practising different breathing exercises, familiarise yourself with the four fundamental postures: standing, sitting, lying and walking. Taoist masters suggested 'Stand like a pine, sit like a bell, lie like a bow, and walk like the wind'.

The standing posture is ideal for doing meditation and therapeutic breathing exercises. The bones of your lower body are more suited for locomotion or standing than for sitting. The sitting posture has three variations: easy lotus, half lotus and full lotus. The lotus ('sitting like a bell') is a very stable posture, which allows body weight to spread evenly on the ground with the spine rising erect from a solid foundation.

The lying posture is recommended for breathing therapy only if you are incapacitated or ill. There are two ways. One is to lie flat on your back with head slightly raised on a small pillow, legs fully stretched out, arms resting by sides. The second, more preferred method is to lie on your right side, with knees slightly bent, right hand tucked between the pillow and your temple and left arm resting along the upper side. In the side position, due to the smooth curvature of spine and legs, the diaphragm deeply massages the abdominal organs. You are 'lying like a bow'.

Walking can be most healing and therapeutic when it is performed with deep breathing. Breathing correctly while walking trains the mind to stay concentrated on what you are doing with a high degree of focused relaxation. Therefore, it is often called 'moving meditation'. Walking synchronizes your body, breath and mind, making you feel light and nimble, as though you are 'walking like the wind'.

Ultimate faith in the divine will

Why do we pray? Some want health, others wealth. Some pray for the longevity of their parents, the safety of their children or that some other desire of theirs gets fulfilled. These prayers, like all others, have power and energy that bring them to life.

The only difference between a prayer and a desire is that a prayer is directed towards God with faith. Faith plays an important role in whether the prayer is answered or not. But do we always know what is best for us?

Suppose there is a new video game in town that every child wants. But this game is not without its dangers - it has gore, violence and profanity and might not be in the best interest of the child. But the child still wants it and repeatedly asks his parents for it. They may refuse a few times, but chances are that after a while, may give in to their child's demands. Not all parents will give in, but some will. So, the child's 'prayer' was ultimately answered by faith and perseverance. But is the video game good for the child?

We ask God for things that we want, but are those things always the best for our spiritual growth? As the saying goes, 'be careful of what you wish for, because you might get it'. We may be intensely praying for things or relationships that may not be good for us. But the intensity of our prayers creates a vibratory ripple in the Cosmos that will have its answer, its result - the fruit of the desire seed. This is why it is important for our spiritual growth to let God decide what is best for us.

When Jesus Christ was in the Garden of Gethsemane on the eve of his crucifixion, he knew the fate he would suffer the next day. Though he was divine in nature, he was also in human form and naturally did not want to die. So, in Luke 22:42, we learn that he said the following prayer: "Father, if Thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my Will, but Thine, be done." Christ put God's will above his own. "Thy Will be done" is also part of the Lord's Prayer. This is the essence of faith in its truest and purest form.

Putting everything into God's hands and saying simply, "Let Thy Will be done" requires a tremendous amount of courage. It requires a lot of faith. Because somewhere deep down inside your heart and mind, you wish and hope that the Lord's Will coincides with your own. But true and pure faith knows (not believes, because believing is not being entirely sure) that the Will of God is best for you. That is true faith. Like in the case of Christ, if he had not died on the cross, he would not have therefore been glorified through resurrection and thus his mission would not have been accomplished. So, his will in this case, would not have been the best for him. God knew what was best and since Christ said, "Let Thy will be done", it was done.

At the same time it is fine to put your request before the Lord like Christ did when he said, "If Thou be willing, remove this cup from me." So you can ask God - "If Thou Art be willing then let Thy Will be done, not mine." This prayer - if said with utmost faith and sincerity and with the knowledge that God loves you and will do whatever is in your best interest - will yield the sweetest fruit.

Marshall Different Ways To Bust Stress

How do we overcome stress? Some people try smoking or drinking. Others seek change, a vacation. Many tend to seek various temporary escapes from tension. Some of these are tamasic or inactive such as drinking, rajasic or active such as pleasure trips and others may be sattvic or serene such as going to a spiritual retreat.

If, after the retreat, we are afraid of facing life's challenges again, it was only an escape, a diversion, which did not solve our problem. When we gain a new vision at the retreat, we should become more dynamic and fearless, ready to face all challenges. Some kinds of stress are normal; they could be called objective stress.

This is perceived when we face a challenge. When a lot of work must be accomplished in a short period of time, or we have a tight schedule of engagements, though we may be efficient, because the time is limited we feel stress.

In those situations we have to "keep cool". Figure out how work can be accomplished in a short time with efficient time management. One way of overcoming stress in the objective field is to become more disciplined and organised. Waking earlier, for example, can help make our lives smoother.

When we hurry, we try to do things quickly and often make mistakes, but with planning and discipline we can act with greater efficiency and less strain. Another kind of stress is subjective. In the outer world there are only situations; in the physical world there is no stress, no tension.

The strain that we feel, which is so exhausting, is not because of the outer situation but because of our inner reaction to that situation. When does the outer situation become a problem, a threat? Worry and anxiety arise from our inability to face a particular situation and to deal with it effectively.

This is the stress we feel in many forms and we try to relieve in many ways. Anxiety comes when we are unprepared. If a student has studied well, is the examination a problem for him? No, because he is well prepared! When there is job insecurity, strained relationships within the family, or any emotional upheaval, there is always stress.

All the time there is fear. The only certain thing about the world is that everything is uncertain. Accepting the fact that nothing is certain; that all is unstable, itself relieves tension and stress. The most effective method of avoiding subjective stress is to have faith.

You could call it faith, devotion, or surrender. Faith is the clear understanding that the Lord is taking care of us. Is He not running everything? And still we worry! That is why in Bhaja Govindam it is said, "O fool! Why worry? Is there not for you the One who ordains, rules, and commands?"

When we travel by plane, the plane flies; we only eat and sleep. We know that the pilot is taking care of us; we have faith in him. When we are seasoned travellers, we are not afraid of anything; we are relaxed. We should have the same attitude in life, remember-ing Krishna's assurance: "Rest assured. Remember Me. I will take care of you. Those who remember Me with single-pointed attention I take care of; I take care of their entire lives".

The writer is head, Chinmaya Mission.

Bonding and Understanding Through Storytelling

Story does not just entertain us; it helps us construct identities for ourselves and our communities to learn, to grow, to find options and meanings, to heal, and to understand and honour our world - its environment, creatures and its different kinds of people.

Story pitches us into a space of multiple realities. "Once upon a time", or, "Long, long ago, when animals used to speak to men and men to animals, and both to God", - such 'beginnings' toss us into another, more receptive space than the defined one we live and work in.

Unlike in this 'reality', where everything must fit and make sense, story offers us other realities, allowing for the unexpected, the magical, for awakenings and insights, clarity and direction, and sometimes for the persistently inexplicable to stay just that way! Story delights and teaches people of all ages, children and adults. Story is a great medium for educators, managers, therapists, clergy, and business people, regardless of age groups.

Story communicates through images. Among storytellers, it is a known fact that stories are received image by image, not word by word. Our most enduring learnings happen through thoughts, feelings and connections generated by images. My favourite anecdote is of the story of a young boy, who when asked if he liked the TV or audio version of the same programme replied, "The audio tapes - the pictures were much better".

Story helps us in meaning-making. Story - whether about animals, fairies or humans - connects us with our humanness and links past, present and future by teaching us to anticipate the possible consequences of our actions.

While listening to story or reading for sheer joy is wonderful, sometimes we feel drawn to go deeper, to make a story our ally in meaning-making or healing. It's good to remember that while a particular story can open us all to the same idea, or teach us all a general lesson, really responding to a story is an extremely personal process. Each one will connect to different aspects of a story, responding according to a current 'nurturance need' - taking from the story what he needs at that particular time.

Story is 'healing medicine'. Not only traditional stories, but also personal narrative can be inspiring and healing, and can be a powerful basis for personal, professional, or organisational deve-lopment. Exploring and sharing true stories is valuable for self help or self improvement, even for community or organisational understanding and bonding, for team improvement, and to stimulate creativity.

Story generates true community. "An individual, an organisation, or a society that encourages and engages in story sharing invites others in. Ignoring or withholding stories shuts people out. That keeps us ignorant and isolated; it is neither practical nor wise". says Dolly Berthelot, a storyteller.

Since the time we gathered around campfires, or later collected in village squares, stories have helped teach, influence and bind people together. Stories have fostered the understanding of self, of others, and of life - which is so important for creating healthy community. This understanding is deeply needed today, as we battle divisive forces, within and without. We can recover the wisdom and power of story to help us live and work together in healthy communities.

Art of Management for Executives and Yogis

Self-management is at the base of any external management effort. It is an internal process of managing one's body, thoughts, intellect, emotions and spirit. It is a process of trying to overcome emotions like anger, jealousy, greed, ego, and undue attachment. It is a process of developing concentration, equipoise, tolerance, the ability to take calculated risks and plan long term.

Yoga aids self-management as it is a philosophy of life, not restricted to just asana and pranayama. It is a path of all-round development of an individual: physical, mental, emotional and spiritual.

Patanjali defined yoga as a technique of mind control. Vashishta said yoga is a skilful strategy to calm down the mind.

Both managers and yogis are expected to remain steadfast in situations both favourable and unfavourable. In the most-quoted verse 48 of chapter two of the Bhagavad Gita, Krishna advises: “Being steadfast in yoga, O Arjuna, perform

actions, abandoning attachment, remaining unconcerned as regards success and failure. This evenness of mind is known as yoga.

A manager is required to use autho-rity. But unless authority is combined with dispassion, the result can be contrary to expectation.

Today's manager is required to have qualities of a good leader — ability to construct a creative vision and capacity to have trusting relationship with large number of people with whose help this vision is to be fulfilled. External milieu, with all its network and artifacts, is in truth a projection of man's internal milieu. A manager with clarity of personal goals and calmness of mind can only be an able manager. This is where yoga helps.

Man is in the first part of the word manager, thereby indicating the need for man-management as the most crucial part of management. As Swami Anubha-vanandji puts it, management is an intuitive art of relating yourself with various stakeholders in a company such as staff, customers and suppliers.

Yoga teaches us the art of treating every human being as a form of the divine. Use of higher consciousness in dealing with people is sure to result in better motivation and loyalty among stakeholders.

There are certain key differences between western management concepts and yoga-based management. The former starts with the premise that a person remains inactive unless propelled by action through motivation — money, position or recognition.

Yoga-based management starts with the belief that every individual is divine by nature and the purpose of yoga is to bring out this divinity.

Any individual, by nature, wants to do good work but unsuitable conditioning may prevent him from doing so. Commitment in the true sense can only be inspired for a cause bigger and better than self.

Western management philosophy puts primary emphasis on competition, while in yoga way, the emphasis is on collaboration and individual creativity. In the West there is greater emphasis on goal achievement for the firm, while in yogic management, success of the firm is an inevitable by-product of the holistic goal of making this world a better place to live in with the spirit of yajna. In the former, karma is an input which can be hired, while Indic philosophy focuses on duty as one's dharma.

The writer is a Gujarat cadre IAS officer. E-mail: adhia03@hotmail.com

Practise detachment for perfection

Knowledge may or may not be Ishwara. Knowledge may take us near or away from Ishwara.

Is knowledge Ishwara ?

Knowledge may or may not be Ishwara . Knowledge may take us near or away from Ishwara . A businessman was in front of the god of Death who asked him where he wished to go ^ to heaven or to hell. The businessman replied, "I don't bother about heaven or hell, but please send me anywhere where i can earn some money." This is the state of deep attachment to money.

Kalsokarik was a renowned butcher of his time. He used to kill 500 buffaloes every day. Once he was put inside a dark cell by the king. There too, he fulfilled his deep-rooted attachment to killing buffaloes by making and killing imaginary buffaloes. This is also a sort of attachment.

When Kalsokarik died, his son Sulas became the butcher. He had to perform a ritual of sacrificing a buffalo. His whole clan was gathered and Sulas was ordered to kill the buffalo. He said, "I cannot kill." Sulas was free from cruelty and he was awakened to his knowledge. Kalsokarik couldn't exist without killing buffaloes, and Sulas couldn't kill buffaloes. The difference in their tendencies was the subtle difference in their knowledge. So the knowledge associated with delusion takes to evil. The knowledge detached from delusion flows free and such knowledge itself is Ishwara .

What is Prekshadhyana ?

It is a process of awakening one's own reasoning mind and thereby controlling one's passions and emotions, by concentration on perception rather than on thought.

How can we practise plain awareness or perceiving?

One who can perceive plain awareness is Ishwara . We identify men by positions, degrees and adjectives. We are not aware that he is consciousness, soul. We know him by his external appearances and recognise him by epithets. This knowledge is not sacrosanct. To know a being without relating him to any adjectives and epithets is real sacrosanct knowledge. As long as your awareness is associated with attachment and hatred, it will remain simply knowledge and when the awareness is free from attachment and hatred then it becomes meditation and sadhana .

Detachment is not an accidental and abrupt happening, it flourishes gradually. It is almost impossible to lead a totally detached life. We can certainly exist in the state of detachment for some moments, this is the only inclination towards meditation.

There was a Korean saint named Richhai. A young man came to him and said, "I want to do 'sadhana' . Tell me the method by which i can attain perfection." The saint said, "You will have to invest a minimum of 30 years in sadhana ." Stunned he exclaimed, "Thirty years!" The saint then said, "No it is 60 years now, and not 30 years." The sadhaka said, "What is this? How have you doubled the period of sadhana ." The saint said, "The scepticism existing in your mind has increased the duration from 30 to 60 years." The sadhaka went home and kept thinking. Then concluded that even if his whole lifespan was dedicated to achieving perfection it was worthwhile. He went back to the saint and agreed to devote whatever time was required to attain perfection. He further pleaded to be taught the methodology of meditation or sadhana .

He started sadhana and got perfection within three years. He bowed at the feet of the saint and said, "You had said that i would get perfection in 60 years and i got it within three years." The saint said, "I was correct, because as long as you are restless, and lacking in faith, the time of perfection will go on increasing. Since you managed to focus with faith, you accomplished perfection within three years."

The divine essence of darshan

Once a large crowd collected at a big city venue for darshan of a Divine Master.

The place was packed to capacity with eager devotees, including the rich and the famous. A chauffeur became curious about the person who his employer was so keen to see. Standing at a distance, he managed to get a fleeting glimpse of the 'holy man'. He thought that had he got closer he could have unburdened his problems and got blessings. However, that was not to be.

A strange thing happened after that. His life took an inexplicable turn for the better and his situation improved dramatically. Some years passed and he got a chance to travel to the ashram of the same holy personage whose brief darshan he once had. From amongst the thousands seated for darshan he was picked for an audience by this Divine Master. Face to face with him he was nonplussed when the divine personage said to him: "We have met once before, when you ferried your employer for darshan . Your plea from the heart reached me."

The story exemplifies the power of darshan the sight or vision of a holy being, experienced with sincerity. ` Darshan' is different from 'mere seeing', as it is imbued with a sacred attitude of reverence and faith. So it has spiritual consequences. Devotees testify to experiencing a sense of ineffable peace in the act of darshan of a holy being as also to a sense of being spiritually rejuvenated.

Holy personages are store houses of divine energy and just being in their presence nourishes the soul. Kirlian photography which captures the auras of human beings has recorded that the aura of light around divine masters is significantly different; it extends far beyond the normal range and is layered with incredible hues of gold and pink, signifying divine compassion and love. Anybody in the proximity of such beings is touched and enveloped by the aura.

When adharma is rampant and moral structures are crumbling divine masters restore the faith and spread the light. Krishna in the Bhagavad Gita underlined the importance of the presence of these holy souls on earth whose ordained task it is to help humanity. Saints and holy men like Ramakrishna Paramhamsa, Paramhamsa Yogananda, Meher Baba and Ramana Maharishi all helped to raise the spiritual quotient of humanity. Just being in their presence and having their darshan became an edifying experience for followers. Ramana Maharishi would sit in perfect silence in God-communion and devotees would have darshan in silent retreat. In this simple act, everything of real value was gained. In darshan , when a divine master glances at us, he's viewing our stainless parts and bestowing the grace needed to make it more manifest in our lives.

Darshan in its purest essence, however, is the vision of the Lord Himself. In most religious traditions, this darshan or blessed vision remains the central motif of devotion where the inner eye is opened and dependence on external darshan is shed. Sri Sathya Sai Baba says: "Outer darshan is essentially insufficient and transitory... but God is omnipresent. The limitations of the body and the outer senses do not hold for the inner vision. Therein you can see Him at any time and any place and receive Darshan ."

Truly, once God's invisible beauty is revealed through the Self in this manner, one is utterly charmed and is impelled to turn inward. The vision confers everything including deep satisfaction and bliss. Today  is Sri Sathya Sai Baba's birthday.

Activate Your Senses To Experience Life In Full

Senses are often seen as something contra-spiritual, as agents of the devil in the human system. Senses, the creation of God, are in fact a portal to a full life. They are therefore of value to the spiritual and the  non spiritual. Such full experience of life through the senses is the privilege of everyone, regardless of class, caste, color, gender or nationality. Where then does one err, and how can the senses be used in an optimal way for a fuller experience of life?

The error most commonly lies in fragmented use of the senses. This perhaps could be at times a fallout of education. We are taught, for instance, that the rose is red. In the mind, rose gets associated with red. It gets restricted to red.

The fact is that the redness is only general; in fact no two red roses are of the same hue. The shades are endless. The eye must be sensitive to the subtle differences in colour and be able to see a rose as the rose, something unique. Poet Hopkins called this focused habit of appreciating particularity as seeing the 'this-ness of this'.

The rose is more than mere colour. If you see the rose only for its beautiful colour, you are in effect under-experiencing it, because you are using only your eyes, only one out of five senses. The rose has an architecture, a feel, fragrance, sweetness, a whisper. Did you experience these? Did you hear the whisper? Experience the rose fully. Bend down to it, dive into it. You may see the cosmos in it. See your self in it. Commune with the rose as if it is God.

When you learn to do this, you will stop using the expression of "seeing" a rose. You will use the more comprehensive expression of "experiencing" the rose (or any other thing).

You must experience the rose with all of your senses, but the various senses should not work sequentially. It is not that first you see the rose, then you move to feeling it, and then try to listen to its whisper: No! All senses must act together and at once.

This must happen as a reflex response. At times, let the senses interchange their roles: let the eye taste the sweetness, or the ear feel softness!

Making a habit of cohesive perception for total experience is something we are all born with. The circumstances of growing up often tend to incapacitate us by fragmenting our responses.

The habit of total sense experience is not for select and special experiences only. It is also (more so) for the most humble of everyday experiences. This habit adds value to, say, your eating an apple at breakfast; or absorbing the panorama of life as seen on the road when you ride to your workplace.

Emerson described a poet as a person who can go tipsy on a glass of water! This is only to indicate the degree of sensitivity we are all capable of. The same world, the same surroundings, objects and people acquire a new, romantic charm once you re-activate your faculties to live as you were designed to live - that is, with all your senses alive and acting optimally in unison for a complete experience of whatever lies immediately before you at any point of time.

You Can Free Yourself Like The Mouse That Soared High

There's an American Indian tale of a mouse that heard a roaring in its ears and set out to discover what it was. The mouse had to first give up one of its mouse ways of seeing things in order to grow. When the mouse had given away its eyes to help two other animals and was without sight, defenceless, it was picked up by an eagle. Before the mouse knew, it was flying and could see the splendour all around. The mouse was gifted with a new vision.

When we have tunnel vision we cannot see the contrariness in things and ourselves. We do not see both the tiger and the lamb in us. We cannot see that we are both weak and strong, innocent and guilty, right and wrong. It is only when we are at peace with the conflict inside us, are we able to love all the ways the world can be outside us. "The farmer may only be planting a seed, but if he opens his eyes he is feeding the whole world", said Omaha Bee.

The mouse in the story had to discover another way of looking at itself and reality. We grow only when we replace shortsightedness with a vision that reaches out. The mouse way is to be small minded and petty. In the mouse way we are quick to label people and events. We become self-righteous and picky. We tend to see ourselves as moral guardians and so condemn "others".

Then, like the mouse, somehow we lose ourselves along the way. All the familiar landmarks of life we clung to are no longer there to prop us up. Like the mouse, we give away something that is precious to us, which is often our "mouse way" of seeing things and reality. We reach out to others or go beyond ourselves. We go deeper and search wider in the world outside to ourselves. Tunnel vision gives way to a new reality.

To the external eye, we are all doing the same things in life - walking, talking, eating, sleeping, rising, washing, travelling, writing or driving. But internally, we are not really doing the same things at all. For some the motions of life are mechanical, done without any meaning attached to them. For others, every motion is driven by a goal or higher purpose.

Buddhist mindfulness is all about doing the same things in life in a different way. When we become less mechanical and more purposeful, the power and energy of God begin to flow through us. We begin to co-create with God, rather than remain empty receptacles that cannot receive His grace.

There are those who use language in life to create by realising the power of words to shape reality. There are others who use language to communicate - sometimes positive things, sometimes negative. Those who like to remain with the mouse way of looking at things and doing things remain at the level of superficiality.

Language and words are often used by these people to disrupt and destroy.

Plant a seed. But remember why you are planting a seed. Will your action and motivation remain like that of the farmer who could not see beyond his own field? Those who know that a seed can and does feed the whole world, will experience the splendour of the world. Build a new vision.

Sweets and cook's :D

Dhai Akshar Prem Ke: It's All About Love

 

Kabir was no scholar; yet he expressed the very essence of life: “Love's not grown in gardens; Love's not sold at market. He who wants it, king or commoner, gives his head and takes it”.

There is only one way to obtain love: the man who wants love gives his head. He will have to sacrifice his ego, his pretence, his false show.

This is what Kabir means by ‘head'. There are two dimensions to this. One aspect is that your ego - that is contained in the head - must disappear.

Love means the transformation of the centre. An egoist considers himself to be the centre. He says, “I must be saved even at the cost of the whole world”. The ego is aggressive, so when the egoist shows his love for someone he destroys him; he tries to destroy the other's individuality. In this kind of false love countless people have lost their individuality.

The second meaning is, losing your thoughts. Your head is a collection of thoughts. Your mind is nothing but a vast crowd of thoughts. And it is a very busy and active crowd indeed. Because of it your whole energy is wasted, and you have no energy left for love.

The head is an exploiter. It drains you to such an extent that the flow of energy is unable to reach your heart. And 99 per cent of your thoughts are useless; they have no substance.

When you are sitting quietly, do you ever observe your thoughts? Have you ever watched the rubbish that goes on in your mind? What do you hope to achieve by permitting all this rubbish? It goes on, day and night, in your waking hours and in your dreams. Even the most trivial thought consumes energy.

Scientists conclude that the amount of energy you would expend in one hour digging a pit is the same as the amount you expend in 15 minutes of thinking and worrying. So mental activity requires four times more energy than physical activity.

These days, man's physical activity has decreased, but his mental activity has increased. The head has become an exploiter; it does not allow energy to flow anywhere else. The head consumes all of the energy. The heart is not aggressive. It waits.

Kabir says, many people spend their lives reading. They read countless books and scriptures and finally they die, but they do not attain to wisdom. Wisdom has no relation to information. As you keep on reading and listening and accumulating facts your memory becomes very full, and you will know much without really knowing anything.

According to Kabir, a man of letters is a scholar who has only read about love. The Hindi word for love is prem , and is made up of two and a half letters. Kabir says to read these two and a half letters in a book is meaningless.

Only when a person falls in love with someone do the two and half letters of Prem become complete. One letter is for the lover, the second is for the beloved and the half is for something unknown that exists between the two.

No matter how hard you try, love never becomes complete. You are never content... It is also an indication that it is everlasting. Remember, whatsoever attains to completion, dies. To remain incomplete is love's nature. So a lover is never satisfied and therefore his joy is endless.

Excerpted from The Guest, Courtesy Osho International Foundation. www.osho.com.

Dive Into The Ocean Of Tranquility And Peace

Can peace be established at gunpoint? Never. Peace comes from the heart, and not from a machine. Peace can rest only on the foundation of empathy, mutual love and concern for all. Peace is the music of life.

It is God manifest. Peace is the essence of life. It is the symbol of nobility and greatness. It is the strength of mind and the source of all noble thoughts. One who cannot experience peace, fails to realise the mystical bliss of life.

Learn to imbibe peace within. Dive into the ocean of unabated peace. Sit quietly, closing your eyes, in solitude. Try to keep away flickering thoughts and reflect on the following lines: “I have seen enough of this mundane world with eyes wide open.

I have spent my life running after pleasure and material attainments. But where is happiness? Will my life be thus wasted, without experiencing that ultimate bliss?

All my deeds turn out to be bondage. Let me perform such deeds that will cut off all bondage so i can taste the sweet nectar of love and happiness...

“Dear God, help me plunge into the divine ocean of Your love and bless me with Your grace. Bless me such that my life becomes meaningful.

My wavering mind keeps me wandering forever...remaining attached to this mundane world, suffering pain in the pursuit of happiness.

Bless me with strength and Your love. Take away my conceit. I do not pray for material attainments, but bless me with the divine wisdom”.

Reflecting thus be at peace within. Keep mundane thoughts at bay. Slowly but steadily, you will be filled with divine ecstasy. Your mind will be at peace with itself. God is within you; you need not seek Him elsewhere. We tend to be in constant pursuit of external happiness and fail to realise that it actually resides within. Try out the above method regularly and you will discover unabated bliss within. You can even try out this at bedtime.

Don't rush off for your daily chores as soon as you wake up. Attempt the above method, closing your eyes, while still in bed. It will prove beneficial. Being fresh at this hour of the day, the mind is at peace.

Try out another approach. Wherever you may be - at office or home - take out some time and contemplate. Prayer is not a time-bound process. Let it be a perpetual state.

Let your life blossom with the divinity within. So let your every deed be guided by His thoughts. Think that you are just the means, the Lord is the doer. Do not act in haste.

Ensure that you carry out your work with a calm and selfless attitude. Work done with patience and quiescence proves to be more efficient.

In the beginning, you will tend to forget. We are so used to leading a restless life that peace continues to evade us.

To retain peace within try the above methods again and again. As they become habitual, you will feel Supreme benediction in the form of peace. You will feel one with God. All mental agitation, perplexity and fickleness will steadily wane.

(Discourse: Narayan Prem Sai)

Angry Thoughts Have A Way Of Getting Back To You

We may think that no one knows what we are thinking, but our thoughts produce vibrations that can be picked up by others at a subtle level.

Once, one of Emperor Akbar's ministers advised him to be careful about what he thought of others. The minister said, “Thoughts are very potent. Let us try this experiment. See that man coming down the road? As he approaches, I want you to think angry thoughts about him and let us see what happens”.

The emperor looked at the stranger and thought, “This stranger should be beaten up”. When the stranger drew near, Akbar asked him, “What did you think when you saw my face”. “Excuse me, emperor, but I wanted to beat you up and break your head”.

No words were spoken; no actions were done, but the angry thoughts of Akbar towards the man were picked up, and the stranger was tempted to react in a violent way.

We may not say anything, but our anger may create a negative vibration all around through aggressive body language, facial gestures, and angry tone of voice. This not only affects the recipient of our anger, it also boomerangs on us, disturbing our peace of mind.

We can deal with anger in several ways. One way is to project the long-term consequences of our anger as a deterrent. Or set a goal and then realise the effect that anger may have in preventing us from attaining that goal. A third way is to use meditation to break the physiological response to anger.

Projecting the future consequences of anger can prevent us from acting with anger. Becoming conscious of this could help us respond non-violently to situations, as did Gautama Buddha when someone abused him one day.

Buddha listened patiently and since there was no reaction, the abuses stopped coming his way.

If we set a goal to meditate every day, then we can guard against intrusion on that time. Say to yourself: “If I allow this anger to take control, then it is going to cause me to waste sitting and thinking about how angry I am. How can I calmly meditate and focus and what I am seeing within?''

To have fruitful meditation we need to overcome anger, but to overcome anger we need to meditate. It is not so much a catch-22 situation, however, as it is a cycle of success. No matter what level of meditation we are at, the time we spend meditating can calm us down so that we do not respond to a situation of anger. Meditation provides us with a physiological response to control the anger.

Our heartbeat slows during meditation, which has the corresponding effect of slowing down our brain waves. We enter a more relaxed state of body and mind. In such a state, anger has less chance to gain strength.

As we calm down and our anger subsides, we can increase our concentration in meditation. The more time we spend in meditation, the more practised we become in being calm and balanced.

Where no question is irrelevant

Greek philosopher Socrates' birthday has been declared as International Philosophy Day by the United Nations, to be observed on the third Thursday of November.

Though the whole of western philosophy owes a great deal in terms of its problems and its method to Socrates, little else is known of the historical details. In Plato's dialogues Socrates emerges primarily as a character interested in the search for wisdom. For him all other concerns of life like wealth, luxury and power are subordinate to the quest for knowledge.

From Greek historian Xenophon's accounts we know that Socrates's father Sophroniscus was a mason and his mother Phaenerate was a midwife. He served as a soldier in the Peloponnesian War. He was married to Xanithippe. He was the father of three male children. He was an ugly stout man of great endurance with no special education.

By relentlessly questioning the unwarranted confidence in the truth of popular opinions Socrates demonstrated through dialogue that the truth is contrary to them. We have to penetrate the appearances to arrive at reality. With the exception of the Epicureans who called him 'the Athenean buffoon' and disliked his philosophy everyone considers Socratic dialogical method as the paradigm of doing philosophy.

Socrates sought answers to questions like What is wisdom?, What is piety?, What is the right thing to do?, What is beauty? What is life? Why is it criminal to take someone's life? What is a number? What is space? What is time? What is morality? What is happiness? What ought to be the aim of human life? What is religion? Are all religions equal? Does God exist? Can we prove the existence of God? How to define art and beauty? Where does public domain begin and the private domain end? Why should i be moral? Why should the results in mathematics be more exact than in psychology? These and other questions which are the starting assumptions and are unexamined, form the subject matter of philosophy. Philosophy is a universally recognised academic discipline believed to be as old as the human race. In fact, philosophising distinguishes human beings from animals. The primary aim of philosophising is 'logical clarification of thoughts' and 'creative and constructive thinking'. It is concerned with the problems of our lived life and existence, taking into account the totality of experience.

The term philosophy has two components Fielo which means love and Sophia which means wisdom and knowledge. Following the Socratic tradition, knowledge for Greeks meant knowledge of all matters ranging from the most abstruse to the most practical. In this sense, therefore, all branches of study are within the scope of philosophy. That is why there is philosophy of science, mathematics, mind, social sciences and of all art forms.

No philosophical argument ends with a QED ('that which was to be demonstrated'). However forceful, it never forces one to concede to it. There is no bullying in philosophy, neither with the stick of logic nor with the stick of language. Nor can testimony ^ whether verbal or scriptural ^ or authority ^ whether of Vedas, Bible or a public figure ^ can be regarded as the final or the absolute criterion of settling disputes or for drawing final conclusions in philosophy. Philosophy can be said to be the only branch of knowledge or human intellectual enterprise in which no answer, however comprehensive it may claim to be, is left unquestioned. In a philosophical debate answers can be wrong or incomplete but no question is wrong, or not worth serious consideration for attempting an answer. In his last conversation Socrates argued that the wise man will regard approaching death with a cheerful confidence.

Today is International Philosophy Day.

Radha's Krishna Could Be Your Love, Too

An intense lyrical outpouring set to devotional music and dance has been at the centre of Vaishnavite traditions.

This is exemplified in the immortalization of the gopi-bhav in Jayadeva's Geet-Govinda that reflects the deep spiritual state of longing of the individual soul, visualized as the intense love of gopis for Krishna.

Earlier, Jiva Goswami, one of the six great acharyas of Gaudiya Vaishnavism, formalised the divine fervour of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu into the theological concept of achintya bhedabheda. The simple, direct, and powerful poetry of Jayadeva established that to love God as one's lover is the highest form of bhakti.

The Geet-Govinda can be seen as an early forerunner of the Chaitanya form of devotion and the concept of achintya bhedabheda of inconceivable oneness and difference.

Quite close to the vishisht-advaita position of Ramanuja, midway between Sankara's advaita and Madhava's dvaita, the philosophical postulate of such a Bhakti tatva or tenet is still distinct in stating that “God is simultaneously one with and different from his Creation”.

The individual soul is intrinsically one with the Creator, yet is not the same as Him, and the nature of this symbiotic relationship is incomprehensible to the human mind.

Vishnu or Krishna is Brahmn or Sat-chit-ananda, both the efficient and material cause of the world. Though He manifests Himself differently to different kinds of seekers, a Bhakta alone can enjoy the bliss or love of a personal God. This all-consuming love is at the heart of Chaitanya Vaishnavism, the basis of gopi-bhav in the ashtapadis of Jayadeva.

Jayadeva uses physical imagery in the Geet-Govinda only to drive home his underlying principle of bhakti as an ardent desire to merge with the Self, which, he felt, could only be captured in the mood of the gopis and Radha towards Krishna. As opposed to the Vaidhe Bhakti, triggered by scriptural injunctions, Jayadeva details what has been called the raga-nuga bhakti in Gaudiya tradition — devotion filled with loving attachment.

Using amorous desire as a metaphor for the longing and union with the Self, Jayadeva's subtle imagery suggests that gopis have trans cended their body consciousness in their desire to be one with Krishna, in their mood to experience the maha-bhava or prema which brooks no separation of Radha herself.

The union, separation and reunion of Radha with Krishna is nuanced in every emotion, as if to freeze the character of Radha in time, to sketch her as the perfect epitome of this maha bhava.

The religious context in which Geet-Govinda was composed, is provided by Jayadeva himself, in Dasavatara Stotra, a hymn to the 10 incarnations of Vishnu, in the first section of the poem-drama.

The nature of the Radha-Krishna relationship makes Geet-Govinda a classic of devotional literature. Even while using physi-cal imagery throughout, Jayadeva transforms it contextually by alluding to the deeper meaning of the longing for union, the maha-bhava, of Radha towards Krishna.

To Jayadeva, the vision of Krishna through the eyes and soul of Radha, is the highest form of bhakti. This vision is captured in the graceful movements of Odissi and other classical dances.

Love is nothing but God, you and me

Love is euphoric, ecstatic, overwhelming joy. Why doesn't a newborn baby cry while in the mother's womb? Why does it start crying the moment it comes into this materialistic world?

A mother's womb for a baby is nothing less than a temple, for there is only love... of the mother. Love is euphoric, ecstatic, overwhelming joy.

Enjoying life in such a sweet atmosphere, the baby feels safe in her mother's womb.

Why then should not a place like this be called a temple? No one, but God resides in a temple. Thus a newborn is regarded as God incarnate.

When born it is separated from the spiritual and holy world of freedom and so cries to express sorrow on arrival in a world of falsehood.

God has gifted every baby with the virtue of being loved and being lovable. It's we who tend to lose and make others too lose this precious gift. The innocence of a baby fills everybody's heart with happiness. Love does not expect.

God loves us the most, and does not expect anything from us. It is up to us whether or not to offer prayers to God.

God's love is boundless and immeasurable. We pray to God because we are grateful. We have the power to understand His Creation.

Why do we think then that God also gives us sorrows? We tend to forget God in times of happiness.

That does not mean that God wants us to pray to Him; it is to learn again how to love because praying is loving, a part of loving mankind.

We do not show kindness to others once we get happiness. Service is the best way to love God.

Kindness and courage are different dimensions of love. Kindness is the virtue of being compassionate and merciful towards others.

Every living being is an image of God. It's also important to love ourselves and the life given to us by God. The spirit of God within us is called the soul.

Problems come and go. Joys and sorrows are like day and night. But if a person keeps awake all night just to see the Sun rise, he can never see it because when the Sun rises he will fall asleep.

Joy or sorrows... we must welcome every emotion that God wants us to experience, with courage.

Anything that brings us closer to God is love. The great classical dancers of our country worship God through their dance.

A farmer worships God by toiling in his field, which is his first love. Similarly, people in other professions worship God by performing their duty sincerely and honestly.

There are many who are atheists but if they perform the duties assigned to them by God their noble deeds bring them closer to Him and a person close to God is a loving person and a loving person is a happy person.

So it fills their life with happiness and prosperity. This is one way of bringing ourselves closer to God.

All her life Meerabai loved Krishna, she worshipped him. She did not bother what the world would say.

She just wished to be close to God, she just wished to be close to love. True love brings us closer to God and subsequently we become an image of love and finally an image of God in the true sense. Thus, God is love.

You, too, can become love.

Karma and Bhakti are Entirely Different

Why should we try to attain Krishna? Because if we can get complete reality, we can get everything. By getting whom, we get all; by knowing whom, we know all — that is Krishna. We will not want anything else. All our desires will be fulfilled and our problems solved.

One of Krishna’s unlimited names is Hrsikesa. That means He is the enjoyer of all sense organs and their objects. Now if we do not engage our senses in the transcendental service of Krishna, then unholy things will enter our minds through those senses. That is why we have to stop them from engaging in material matters, so that mundane thoughts don’t dominate. This can only be achieved by using our senses for the pleasure of the Lord under the guidance of a realised soul.

When Krishna is satisfied, He can give us the opportunity to see Him. That is called bhakti. This is the abhidheya, the method of spiritual practice as propagated by Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. Only by loving another person we can increase our love for him. Similarly, if we want to increase our love for Krishna, we have to practise loving Him. Krishna has no material form; his form is transcendental. If there is no form in the cause, then there can be no form in the effect either. God has infinite form. We can never find happiness independent of Him.

When we take the merits of our actions for our own self, it is called karma — it is not bhakti. The results of all our actions should go to the Supreme Lord, not to our own pocket. Someone may work throughout day and night and an observer might say, "This person is a very good servitor". But if he is doing this work to satisfy his own material ego, then it is not bhakti. We should be free from all kinds of material identification. Vinirmuktam means there should not be even a scent of material ego. If there is even a touch of material ego, there is no question of bhakti — it will be karma.

"I am from India, i am from such and such caste" — these are examples of material ego. There’s no goodness in this world; all is amangala, unholy. We become unholy when we think we are of this world. Anything done with the unholy ego is unholy. So we should have no connection with this world by completely freeing ourselves of this ego. This condition is very difficult to achieve.

However, just to be free from ego is not enough. Jnanis or knowledge-seekers also want to give up the ego. They want emancipation; they want to merge themselves with Brahmn, the impersonal, formless aspect of God. But we cannot perform bhakti just by divesting ourselves of the worldly material ego. We have to sincerely feel that we belong to Krishna and the guru in our hearts, not just mouth the words. Then we shall become sanctified, nirmalam. Bhakti is the best devotion: one should be free from non-devotional desires of any kind. We should not be entangled with jnana and karma, knowledge aimed at liberation and reward-seeking activity.

Radharani is the most perfect form of Krishna’s potency. She is the highest devotee, and we have to take shelter with Radha, her sakhis and manjaris (friends and maids). When, like them, we have given ourselves completely to Krishna, then whatever we do after that will be devotion.

Freemasonry To Make Good Men Better

Freemasonry is based on the principle of fatherhood of God and brotherhood of man, concerned with moral and spiritual values. Its precepts are taught by a series of rituals, which follow ancient forms and stonemasons’ customs, tools and allegorical guides. Its avowed objective is to make good men better.

Freemasonry is often mistaken to be a secret society but it does not conceal the time and place of its meetings, nor do its members hide their membership. Universal, its modes of recognition are of interest only to freemasons and are not therefore revealed to non-masons. They are thus no different from the passwords prevalent among Internet and credit card users to prevent misuse.

The universal symbol of Freemasonry are the square and compasses. As non-operative, but speculative or figurative masons, the working tools used by masons for cons-truction of buildings are applied by freemasons to their morals. The square used to prove right angles symbolises the square conduct expected to be followed by freemasons at all times.

The compasses, which are used to measure limits and proportions of the plan of the building represent the limits of good and evil within which freemasons are always expected to act. The plumb line used to prove uprights and perpendi-culars is symbolic of the uprightness of actions to be borne in mind by freemasons at all times. The level used to prove horizontals represents equality. Other working tools also teach similar lessons.

The universal motto of Freemasonry is “Brotherly Love, Relief and Truth”. Charity is the predominant characteristic of every freemason. Freemasonry teaches the practice of the virtues of temperance, fortitude, prudence and justice as well as that of faith, hope and charity. Virtue, honour and mercy are its distinguishing aspects. It is committed to extend the hand of fellowship, providing relief to those in distress. It inculcates obedience to God and laws of the country.

Freemasonry is not a religion, but it emphasises secularism through respect and tolerance for all religions and a belief in a Supreme Being without reference to caste, creed, race or religion. It is not a social club; it consists of a cross section of society, members meet and socialise on an equal footing; it also involves family members on social occasions. Anyone who is above 21 years and who believes in a Supreme Being can become a freemason.

Worldwide, freemasons are engaged in many philanthropic and charitable projects. Projects in India include a Masonic polyclinic and public school, a school for spastic children in Delhi, a children’s Masonic medical centre in Coimbatore, adoption of an entire village for all-round development in Visakhapatnam district, providing of sheds for cyclone victims in Andhra Pradesh, an orphanage for children who lost their parents in the tsunami at Karaikal, a community centre by way of tsunami relief in Kanyakumari district, dhanya dhan and ghyan dhan projects, bursaries and scholarships.

Freemasonry is a way of life which is intended to improve the personality of every one of its members for the larger good.

June 24 is Universal Brotherhood Day. Website: www.masonindia.org .

Discipline Opens Up A Whole New World

How can the mind learn to perceive its own source, the light of Consciousness or Chitprakasa? By learning to keep its energies centered. This is possible with discipline.

Krishna describes the necessity of discipline when he says to Arjuna: "The yogi should constantly discipline himself,/ remaining in solitude, alone,/ with mind and body well restrained,/ having no desires, and without avarice".

In yoga, the word discipline has nothing to do with the rigours of boarding school or military life; it means to purify thought, speech and action.

Baba Muktananda placed great importance on spending time alone: "One should abandon all thoughts and practise watching what is happening within".

This is not just a matter of distancing yourself from people, buildings and professional obligations. You must make space in the region of the mind. The mind consists of four psychic instruments: the intellect, subconscious mind, ego, and conscious mind. When you make space beyond all your mental activity, you discover the company of a deeper silence within.

Krishna began with discipline; then he asked Arjuna to remain in solitude. He added the word 'alone'. Being alone means separating yourself from the things that keep you from being with God. In this aloneness, kaivalya, there is no loneliness.

'Having no desires' is the next teaching in this verse — becoming free from the clutches of sense objects, from the desires of the senses. When desires are not under your control, they drive you into a ditch. A yogi, therefore, must develop the power to say 'no' to unwanted desires. A yogi is free from avarice. When you look at history, it is clear that greed is the cause of downfall of empires. Avarice is like a disease invading the body. For the fulfilment of yoga, to become free from desires, one-pointedness is vital, ekagra manas. A stable mind is a tranquil mind. A scattered mind can never gather enough momentum to progress on the path of discipline. When you focus the mind on something, whatever it may be, you absorb its qualities. In a very real way, you take it into yourself.

At the same time, you infuse it with your own bhav. Devotion to God is much more than a feeling. Through your devotion, God comes alive for you. Through your devotion, you also invite the one you worship into your body and mind, into your life. The formless takes on a form that you can relate to.

Krishna says: "Whenever the unsteady mind,/ moving to and from, wanders away,/ the yogi should restrain it/ and control it in the Self/ with niyama, regularity." In the Yogasutras, Patanjali lists the niyamas as cleanliness, contentment, austerity, regular recitation of scriptural texts, and the surrender of one's limited will to God.

Contentment, austerity, chanting mantras, and samarpana or surrender to God, help liberate the mind and receive God's grace. Constantly remember how much grace there is in your sadhana. It's like going for a walk and having the wind at your back. When that happens, it's as though when you are walking, the wind is behind you, supporting you.

When You Create Music, Become The Instrument

How to overcome fear when performing before an audience?

Whenever you perform, feel that... there is only one person listening to you, and imagine that that person is a child only two years old. This is the human way.

The divine way is to see immediately the Supreme before you. If you see the Supreme and feel that you also are the Supreme, then how can one Supreme be afraid of the other Supreme? There is only one Supreme. If you bow to the Supreme inside each individual in the audience, then immediately you become one with each indivi-dual. Then you will not be afraid. Because you do not feel your oneness, you are afraid. But if you are one, then you do not feel afraid. This is the divine way...

What makes music full of supreme beauty?

Remembering constantly that your music is only an extension of your inner consciousness and that it is also an expression of the divine within that is crying for manifestation. If you can be aware of the divine within you, then you can bring to your music, supreme beauty. But always feel that the divine within you has accepted music as an expression of its reality for your own perfection in life. When you play music... feel that you are the instrument and the Supreme is playing in and through you. You are His instrument and He is playing you. He is the musician and, at the same time, He Himself is the listener. You have to feel that He is the player, He is the listener, and He is the instrument itself. If you have that kind of feeling, automatically divine perfection dawns in your music... How to keep ego out of art?

Think that you are one individual and your ego is another... From experience you know that this ego is really your enemy. The ego will stand in your way when you try to run towards your goal. By feeding someone who has a different goal from you, you are only delaying your own progress and weakening your own strength.

The Supreme is waiting for you... to reach Him. Yet you are giving half your strength to somebody who is really your enemy. The Supreme gives you the opportunity and capacity to run the fastest, but you are sharing half your capacity with somebody who is running to another goal, of des-truction. If you see the ego in this way, then you can easily separate your creative capacity from your ego...

How to infuse music with spirituality?

Each seeker-musician has a golden opportunity to please the Supreme with his music. Whenever you play music, you have to know whether or not that music is going to please the Supreme. If it pleases you and you feel it will please God, then play it. If you feel it will not please God, then never play it. ...A sincere seeker needs to play only spiritual music that elevates his and others’ consciousness. Play music that inspires you, that comes from the very depth of your heart and illumines your consciousness. When you play this kind of music, you will see that in each note God Himself is blossoming like a lotus, petal by petal. When you play divine music, please feel that God is unveiling His own inner Music and fulfilling Himself in and through you...

By Sri Chinmoy  www.srichinmoy.org

Accept Responsibility For Everything. And Nothing

What happens when you take your life in your own hands? You would have no one to blame. Self-responsibility is the cornerstone of self-realisation. Achieving it is an ongoing process. We begin by placing responsibility outside self. We like to say you are responsible. We hold the doctor responsible for a treatment going awry; a friend responsible for the break-up; the govern-ment, judicial system, police, and plumber for our myriad problems. We hold the 'other' responsible.

At some point in life, this sense of responsibility expands to an accep-tance that we, too, play a part — that both, the other and self, are responsible. So we acknowledge the fact that we are responsible. Initially this is more easily discernible in personal relationships. Now comes the third phase of responsibility and understanding "I am responsible", moving from 'you' to 'we' to complete self-responsibility, which is the beginning of spiritual growth.

At this point we acknowledge our creatorhood and view how we are indeed completely responsible for our personal realities, environment and world; we view self as the cause of outer effects - as the energy field that draws from around us. Most of us are at varying stages of this self-empowering responsibility - from it being wholly intellectual to it being a larger part of our beingness. Then we would observe the friend, doctor, government, as a reflection of self, and seek to redress the outside by addressing it from within. Once self-responsibility becomes as natural a response in our personal lives as the former two, we ought to expand it further: having moved from you are responsible, to we are responsible, to I am responsible, we need to stretch this to no one is responsible. This deeper truth is yet intellectual for most; but this is where anyone on the journey to Self is headed.

There is a dawning that no one is responsible because everything is happening for the larger whole - call it larger self, universe or God. This is not a shelving of responsibility as it may appear, but a deep acceptance of the Oneness pervading all and the perfection of its functioning.

As these inner workings of Self become increasingly apparent and clearer to our waking consciousness we take one more leap - that there is nothing to be responsible for. Concepts like Maya - the play of creation, Shakespeare's 'the world is but a stage' and quantum physics theory of the 'now moment' - have tried to describe this deepest of understandings but can only point towards it. This stage cannot be an intellectual understanding but must be as experientially 'real' as the former experiences we have journeyed along. Analogies may help: you would not invade a country on awakening from a dream of being attacked, nor would you penalise the friend who jails you while playing monopoly!

For most the first two stages of responsibility are completely experiential and the last two perhaps completely intellectual - with some being poised somewhere along the middle. This centrifugal point of complete self-responsibility is what we must expand to. Once that empowering tilt happens, we would be able to make self-responsibility as natural a part of our human experience as anything else.

Action and Reaction, Cause and Effect

Karma is of great importance in the Indic tradition. It has significance in many things like work, duty, action, obligation and fate. If we accept the law of karma, we can come to appreciate that most problems are results of actions done in this life and in past lives.

Karma literally means "deed" or "act" and more broadly names the universal principle of cause and effect, action and reaction that governs all life. Karma is not fate, for man acts with free will creating his own destiny. If we sow goodness, we reap goodness; if we sow evil, we reap evil. Karma refers to the totality of our actions and their consequential reactions in this and previous lives, all of which determines our future. The challenge lies in intelligent action and dispassionate response. The law of karma acts in the same way as Newton's third law: every action has an equal and opposite reaction.

Karma has three levels. The first, called Sanchita Karma, is the level of past actions that are waiting to produce a reaction. The second, called Prarabdha Karma, is the level of past actions whose reactions are fully manifesting, being responsible for our present life and creating its circumstances. The third level, Agami Karma, is of actions triggered in the future by our present actions. A person cannot be free from the cycle of birth and death unless the stock of Sanchita Karma is exhausted.

In the Gita, Krishna explains Karma Yoga to Arjuna on the battlefield in Kurukshetra. He advises him to accept the fruits of deeds of past lives. Krishna, Mahavishnu incarnate, who advises Arjuna, has also experienced the workings of karmic law.

As Rama (another Vishnu incarnate), while searching for Sita, he encountered the Vanara king of Kishkindha, Sugriva, who was deposed by his brother Vali - who had also taken his wife Roma from him. Rama agreed to defeat Vali if Sugriva would assist in his search for Sita. The agreement made, Sugriva challenged Vali to a duel. While the duel was in progress, Rama who was behind a tree shot an arrow at Vali and killed him. Though it was dharma for a king to help another king in distress, Rama tells Vali that in his incarnation as Krishna, Vali would be the hunter Jara who would shoot an arrow at him and end his avatar.

In Srimad Bhagavatam, we find Krishna in his four-armed form seated beneath a a Pipal tree placing his left foot upon his right thigh. Jara, a hunter, watching from the shore of the ocean at Prabhasa, mistakes the Lord's foot to be the face of a deer and shoots an arrow, ending his incarnation. The law of karma was in action.

That does not mean, however, that to do good karma we should have an eye on the fruits that would emerge from it. Krishna says: "To do is your duty, fruit is not thy concern". Once it so happened that Krishna, while cutting a fruit accidentally nicks his finger and bleeds. Seeing this Draupadi tears off her sari-end and drapes it round the finger to stop the bleeding. For this unintentional act she was rewarded - when in the court of Dhritharashtra, Dushasan tried to disrobe her and couldn't, as the sari seemed to be of infinite length, thanks to Krishna's grace.

Bondage is attachment to action. This identification carries over to our performance and results preoccupy our minds and bring in their wake emotions of various kinds.

Enlightened Leadership Is Service Before Self

A leader is a person who can lead a group of people to achieve a particular goal. An enlightened leader leads a team selflessly towards a holistic goal, while enabling development of maximum potential of members.

An enlightened leader would be a person of strong character with emotional intelligence. He leads by example and so is a role model. Practice, rather than preaching, would be the code word of an ideal leader. He would have knowledge of the job, knowledge of the self, and the ability to deal with people and have good communication skills. A leader should also have confidence, motivation and enthusiasm to initiate new projects, with courage to take decisions at the right moment and the willpower to persist.

A good leader works selflessly to achieve a particular goal. A selfless leader is able to leave a culture of excellence in the organisation. Chinese mystic Lao-tzu said: "True self-interest teaches selflessness,/ Heaven and Earth endure because they are not simply selfish,/ But endure on behalf of creations". The wise leader, knowing this, keeps egocentricity in check and by doing so, becomes even more effective. Enlightened leadership is service, not self-interest. The leader grows more and lasts longer by placing the well-being of all above the well-being of self-alone.

Effective leaders give direction, are optimistic and courageous. They would anticipate and prepare for difficulties. They also understand the value of teamwork and effective communication. Excellence can be achieved in an institution by linking spirituality with work. Different people have different motivation levels. One might do the job - say a project to help disadvantaged children - to earn his livelihood. Another might do it because the work is assigned to him and he could get promoted if he does it well. Yet another might do the work as it gives him great happiness and job satisfaction; he feels he is able to reach out and help those in need.

The first worker is not particularly interested in the job. The second works to incentives. The third loves his job especially as it involves reaching out and helping others. The first is tamasic, the second, rajasic, and the third, sattvic.

The leader has to create an envi-ronment which transforms team members by instilling in them right values and attitude towards work so that each member of the team has sattvic attitude. In this way, excellence can be achieved. An effective leader would show evidence of high intelligence and emotional quotients (IQ and EQ). Emotional intelligence is the leader's ability to understand his own sentiments as well as those of others so that he can empathise with others and reach out to people at an emotional level and build trusting relationships. This can only be possible when the leader is able to manage his own emotions through self-awareness.

However, even these two qualities are not enough. He also requires spiritual intelligence (SI) to be able to look beyond. Trying to understand the purpose of life and the best way to serve the distressed are qualities that are found normally in a mother who understands the needs of her children. Spiritual intelligence touches the heart, mind and the spirit. When a leader develops high degree of spiritual intelligence the organisation will definitely excel. That is the secret of success of an organisation.

The writer is principal of a college in New Delhi.

From The Ridiculous To The Sublime

My first exposure to Vedas, Upanishads, yoga and general discipline was at the Ramakrishna Mission, Bangalore, as an eight-year-old. We formed groups named after Markandeya, Vivekananda, Nachiketa and others. We were assigned daily chores like cleaning and gardening. My formative years were spent in this ashram-like atmosphere; the experience is an intrinsic part of my being. This laid the foundation for my spiritual quest. So you could say Ramakrishna Paramahamsa was my first guru.

Years later, meeting Raghavendra Swami evoked a sense of affinity. He meditated most of the time; he hardly spoke. He taught me the art of dhyana and bhakti yoga. We ask ourselves so many questions. Most of them remain un-answered. Why? Because no written scripture can provide all the answers. Mukti or salvation cannot be attained with mere theoretical knowledge. A guru can guide us on this path because he can point out our mistakes. Take mantras, for instance. We can of course read them. But only a guru can teach us the right pronunciation, intonation and rhythm which can create the right vibrations. Why are most mantras repeated 108 times? So that we get it right at least once.

Reading Ramana Maharshi's Who Am I? changed my life. You could say he was my third guru, for, he answered many of my questions. Interacting with Sri Satchidananda Swami, who lived in Yogaville, USA, it took me five years to realise that he was my guru. He would say, "When a disciple is ready, only then the true guru appears".

Sometime before Swami left his mortal coil, he told me that hereafter i should look up to Mahavatar Babaji as my guru to know more about the philosophy of self-realisation. Babaji's life story goes back some 2,000 years. He imbibed the art of Kriya Yoga directly from Guru Patanjali himself, who had learnt it from Arjuna, who was in turn taught by Lord Krishna Himself. Two of Babaji's disciples learnt the art of Kriya Yoga from him and later, Swami Paramahamsa Yogananda carried forward this yoga tradition which is based on a scientific inter-pretation of sound and light.

What is so special about Kriya Yoga? It expands your consciousness; it enables you to move up from the ridiculous to the sublime - from say, matters of state, politics and petty disputes to a deeper understanding of nature of the Self. This divine intuition came to me and it prompted me to travel to Babaji's cave in the Himalayas - he used to meditate there.

It is divine dispensation that initiated me into practising Kriya Yoga. It's a rejuvenating experience. Following it up with fasting did me a great deal of good. My farm is away from the hustle and bustle of the city, with only the rustle of palm trees and Hari and Ganga (Dalmatians) for company. It is my retreat - to be alone, to reflect and meditate... We are part of this world; yet, we also need to learn to live a life apart from it. Why do people persist in asking me questions about politics, inter-state relations, cinema and what not. When we're conversing on a higher plane, why do you want to go back down there (points to the floor)? Who knows what the next divine dispensation will be?

RAJNIKANTH  Chennai-based film actor spoke to Narayani Ganesh. This was first published on October 24, 2002.

Joy Is Sorrow, Life Is Death

When knowledge or wisdom is absent, facts can be misused. If there is balance, such a situation does not arise. A balanced view takes into account as many aspects as possible. This is the anekanta principle.

The one who has perspective of anekanta does not take a single-dimensional view of things that could twist logic. In the explanation of universal laws anekanta has lent balance. Even in the world of conduct and thoughts, anekanta plays an important role. Restraint and equanimity are also results of ane-kanta. Without the anekanta view there would be no reason for restraint.

Through anekanta we accept the coexistence of opposites as a fact. Everything has its limits. There is need for equanimity. Both loss and gain are to be accepted. It is the norm that if there is gain there will also be loss and if there is loss, there will be gain, too.

The two are mutually connected. The two are, in fact, one. The difference is only in time or space. There is no distance between happiness and sorrow or life and death, they both go together. Sometimes one feels happy and life seems bright and sometimes one feels sad and life seems miserable. Where is the distance between water pulleys?

It is one single chain. The wheels bring in water, empty it and return. Wheels full of water and empty of water keep coming and going. They work together. Similarly, joy and sorrow work together. Life and death work together. There is no second that belongs entirely to life or entirely to death. The first second of life is also the first second of death. Death is not an event that is to take place only after 70-80 years. It can take place even in the first second. With the first second of birth the event of death also takes place. Creation and destruction go hand in hand. One cannot find even one man who has been only praised, never condemned, or always condemned and never praised. Both go together.

The balance is maintained. Loss and gain, praise and insults, life and death, all of them go together. We have a problem when we do not go along with them. If we learn to go along with them then we will be truly spiritual, followers of anekanta.

This way our problems come under our control. But we are very strange, we don't usually adopt a balanced view. We do not like to move along with the principle of anekanta; we want to move independently. An individual wants gain but not loss, joy but not sorrow, life but not death, and he wants praise, never condemnation.

He then forgets the universal rule. In this dualistic world, nothing comes alone. Everything is in pairs. Man is ignorant. He wants to break the order of anekanta and wants only a single dimension. When the world and nature have a rule, how can it be broken? Yet man makes his own single-dimensional perspective. Under pressure of not wanting loss but wanting gain, not wanting insults but wanting praise, man falls victim to unidimensional perception. As told to Lalit Garg. By Acharya Mahaprajna

Divine Facilitator For Universal Harmony

When you love your guru unconditionally, his grace flows to you automatically. The guru's words never fail to come to fruition. The trouble is, the human mind wants instant gratification, unmindful of the fact that only when circumstances are appropriate, the guru's words bear fruit.

The guru communicates through words and gestures and through his physical actions. Devotees often assume that the manifest form of the guru is what does all the work. We need to realise that the guru works at subtler levels. It's a different realm altogether.

Devotees often tend to stray from the path of love when they engage in worthless pursuits, enamoured by material acquisitions. They shore up their personal ego by making physical offerings to the master. All that a devotee can truly offer to the guru is his love which is unmanifest and which is the latent force in every human. That is a true offering.

There are those who seek gurus to bless them in their pursuit of position, power, progeny, cure of physical and mental ailments. How many people care to understand the real purpose of existence? We have been sent here to do good karma in order to be able to come face to face with our eternal Guru.

The guru has no religion; he has only the faith of love. A realised guru steps down from his higher state into the pond of samsara to help alleviate the suffering of his devotees. We must constantly engage in dialogue with death, as that is something that we must all face. We however perform actions and deeds out of malice towards others not realising that death can knock at our door any moment.

The guru does not have to speak to bestow his grace. His mere physical presence and aura help start the process of transformation. He is aware of our inner life through silence. Distance does not act as a hindrance to this process because inner knowledge comes to us through the transmission of the guru's own energy.

The guru acts as a divine messenger; his outer bearings are of no consequence. What we need to understand and feel is that true love lies inside each of us. What is important for a guru is to silently transform the heart and mind of each of his devotees. It does not matter how many discourses or lectures we attend, what really matters is the pace at which the devotee gets transformed and this is directly correlated with the flow of grace.

One needs to be practical in life and practical spirituality is the answer to today's sorrows. One must remain happy and be in a joyful state because this helps overcome negative thoughts. A person does not have to be a hermit to become spiritual. We must live in the world and yet remain detached from it.

Contemplation of God must be done in complete silence. Keep repeating the name of God over and over again. Having a family or a large fortune should not stand in the way of contemplating God's name. If both husband and wife are spiritually inclined, this comes as a great boon towards following a spiritual path. A happy married couple will prove a source of great joy and support to each other. We must live in harmony with nature and with each other. The world is transformed into a beautiful place if we live in harmony with ourselves and with the universe.

By Nirmal Guruji  Who attained Maha-samadhi on May 31, 2007.

Learn Where To Look For Happiness

The morning sun was accompanied by a cool breeze. The rain overnight had soaked the earth. Crimson rays of the rising sun played on patches of water to create a riot of colours on the ground. Chirping birds sang in chorus. Butterflies flitted about in step with the song of the birds. It was a mix of wonderful sights and sounds. A bird invited me to its world of melody.

Why is love a stranger in our lives? Where is the urge to overcome separation in love? When physically apart, we can feel the separation — we pine for the loved one who is far away. At the spiritual level, however, physicalities do not matter. At this level, you do not have to strive to become One, for you are One. The urge to become One at the physical level alone is a great source of unhappiness.

A young man once asked me: "Is it possible to be happy in this competitive world? It appears that we succeed only when we cheat others. Can one really build a happy life on a foundation of distrust?" An Indian maxim goes like this: "However hard you search in the mouth of a crow, you will not find any teeth there". Many of us search for happiness where it does not exist. The Bible says, "The Kingdom of heaven is within you". The Gita says, "Happiness is within". But we search for happiness not within ourselves but outside. We get lost in the details and forget the essence... that lies in ourselves.

Most of us are busy with the trivialities of life and in the process miss the essential. We are unhappy in life because we are victims of our expectations. We have to learn the art of side-stepping our expectations. You might ask: "How can we live without expectations?" My question is: "Have expectations made our life easier or more difficult?" We suffer on account of expectations. We do not trust our intelligence; but we trust our expectations.

Have expectations, but let not your happiness depend on them. Operate from love, not expectations. Love provides caring energy. This energy will make you effective and happy.

There was a Zen master. He was frail but had a powerful presence. He could push huge boulders effortlessly. Someone asked him, "What is the secret of your strength? Where does it come from?"

The Zen master replied, "Before pushing a boulder, i communicate with it, request its permission and support in my effort. And then the boulder gets moved miraculously...."

Power comes from the mystery of love, not from our expectation of how others should behave.

A carpenter from China created a unique piece of furniture. It was a piece of art, and was liked by many. When asked how he made it, the carpenter replied, "Before cutting a tree in the forest, i talk to it and take its permission, intuitively understanding which tree would submit to being felled. The furniture made out of such a tree will always be a piece of art".

Love has power, the power to create. It is this power we should learn to draw from. If our expectations emerge from love, we become masters of our expectations. Otherwise we are slaves to them. Misery is not a product of a cut-throat world; it is the result of expectations from a world bereft of love.

The Contradictory Nature Of What We Call Truth

There is much philosophical debate and bitterness arising out of debate over what is truth for truth lies beyond the pairs of opposites. One could make two contradictory statements and yet, both could be true. To know the truth one has to see both sides but this seems particularly difficult. We prefer the linear. It is so comfortable to see the old, the usual, the obvious, the one-sided. A balanced view is as rare as it is valuable.

Take for instance the popular philosophical concept of staying in the present. ‘Don’t think of the future’ we are advised. But if one did not think of the future would we not be like a feather in a summer breeze? Blown by circumstance rather than guided by design? Where would we be without planning? Yet it is obvious that if our minds ran into the future while we performed any task, our concentration would be impaired, we would not perform well. A batsman thinking of his century on the pitch puts his wicket at risk.

To score runs he needs to stay focused on the ball. So here we have two stances: Stay in the present and plan for the future. The truth is therefore both. Planning is what happens before an action starts. Staying focused is what we do during an action. Once the action starts, forget the future and focus on the task. But the task was chosen in the first place because of a goal and a plan. Hence, two apparently contradictory views are both aspects of truth.

Similar is the popular debate between individualism and un-selfishness. The West is typically shown as being individualistic. The East is supposedly more family and community oriented. So which principle is right? Again, both. The two principles are applied in two different choices. In the choice of a field of activity, we must go by our ‘swadharma’ or inherent nature but actions in the field must be unselfish. If one's nature is to be a doctor, choose medicine. Nothing else should influence our choice of what to do. However, having chosen the field of activity, in it, in the choice of individual actions, it is vital to be unselfish.

We express our concern for others in the field we have chosen. In other words, we must be unselfish in our chosen field of activity. In it we must train ourselves in the mental attitude of 'apres vous'. In the choice of becoming a doctor the only factor to be considered is his nature or inclination. Having become a doctor, he must practise concern for others. Thus must individualism and unselfishness co-exist.

If one does not understand the all-pervasive nature of truth one is like the six blind men who went to 'see' the elephant. If they had tried to understand how the elephant could have been both like a rope and a fan, they might have understood the elephant better. Listening and reflecting gives us comprehension of the truth. But they were too busy asserting their own views and ignoring others'.

Truth being what it is, is unlikely to be encompassed in single words. That which is to encompass the whole world must take a little longer in the telling because its very nature is multidimensional.

Experience Peak Intensity By Simply Sitting

Don't believe anything that's not in your experience. Don't also believe that what you know is everything; there could be a lot more to life. The fundamental question is: How to enhance your perception from its present level.

If you want to see more of life, your life energies should function at a higher level of intensity. Without intensity, it is no use making effort, it will be wasted. You will become hallucinatory, imagining that people are saying things. So don't believe the stories. It does not matter who said it. Whether i said it, or Krishna, Rama or Jesus said it, it doesn't matter; do not believe the stories.

When i say intense, most people become intense only when there is danger. Let's say you are driving your car, pushing it to 120, 125 miles per hour. You are going like this real fast, now suddenly something comes in your way. Now those last few moments before the possible crash, you are trying to do something, either break, or try to avoid the object in front of you.

Let's say you did not crash; you are alive, sitting here today. Still, you can never forget those few moments. Somehow they were so intense that if you just think about it, it comes fully alive. Or let's say you are standing at the edge of a tall building, just about to fall. Do you see how intense you become? If the consequence of the fall is taken away, the fall is a damn great thing, isn't it? If the consequence of the car crash is taken away, every day you will want to crash. But since your car breaks up, your body breaks up, you want to avoid it.

Suppose those consequences are taken away, won't you like to experience it all the time? All the adventure sports, what do you think it is? Accidents without consequences... You jump off an airplane, at the last moment you pull the parachute. But you want to experience the fall because it makes you so intense.

So generally, only in moments of danger people know intensity. Now what i am talking about is without doing all those fanciful things like jumping off a mountain or crashing your car or doing something else, just sit here in the peak of your intensity. If you can become that intense, then if you close your eyes even the need to open your eyes does not arise any- more because life is happening at such a tremendous intensity.

People close their eyes and do not open for a long time not because they are not interested in life, simply because they are experiencing life in such a peak way. To do anything else does not occur to them, that's all. People think somebody is meditating means he is hibernating. Hibernation means lowering life. Meditation is about pushing it towards the peak. If you are in such a peak state of intensity, this is the most exciting thing you can do — just sitting.

Shiva sat like this for millennia because of this — it did not occur to him to get up and do something. So if your voltage increases, then naturally you will see everything that is worth seeing. Because he took his voltage up really high, that was how his third eye opened. The 'third eye' does not mean a crack in the forehead; it means that things that others cannot see became available to him. It will become available to you also, if you raise your voltage.By Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev