Guru Poornima is an important day for seekers who have faith in Guru Principle. It has special place in my life as (of course, without knowing its significance at that time) my journey commenced on this day in the year 1985 in Osho Ashram, Pune. Twenty years later, again in seemingly unplanned manner, in the year 2005, I became a disciple of another Guru, Shri Paramhamsa Nithyananda on this auspicious day.
Last weekend, I was in Bangalore. On Saturday, I was with Swami Virajeshwara (who lives in a remote village in Tamil Nadu with no contact with outside world except meeting casual visitors – prior to becoming a Sanyasi, he did his MS and Doctorate from US and worked in various top research organizations there for about a decade – after being in the state of Samadhi, he has been living alone for more than next 30 years). I keep visiting him every few months.
Sunday was the day for Guru Poornima Celebrations. Though, I knew it well that he does not accept any money from anybody, I foolishly thought of contributing something for the celebrations. Soon there was a person who insisted on giving him some money. Swamiji not only refused it, when the visitor insisted, he bluntly told him to throw it in the dustbin. With Guru's grace I was thus saved from the embarrassment which I had to undergo, if I had made the offer.
In the morning on Guru Poornima day (25th July), I went to the ashram of Paramhamsa Nithyananda, a Guru who was in a storm of controversies recently. I have been with him for last five years and was expecting it to be a low key affair as there would be few visitors because of the recent happenings. But when we reached there, it was amazing to see that there was a huge crowd of devotees and he was being taken in a procession to the place for Guru Poornima Celebrations – waiving to the devotees with broad smile (I felt honoured when he spotted me in the crowd and waived in recognition). The proceedings began with Guru Pooja followed by Aarati and Guru Poornima message from the Master. The message was beautiful. I am trying to share what he said, as I understood it (obviously we do not exactly understand what masters say as our understanding arises from our level of consciousness and the master speaks from his level of consciousness).
Every body was eagerly waiting to hear what would be his first words and he, exuding authority and love of a master, said – “Coming directly to the point (with obvious reference to the video clippings aired in visual media, criminal cases and consequent arrest by police)" and added that traditionally on this day the disciples convey their gratefulness to the master but today he is grateful to all his disciples who have stood by him in the face of ‘cyclone of sensationalism’ unleashed by the media.
Then by way of his message he went on to add that when an unexpected ‘happening’ (perceived to be negative like loss of a close relative or friend, a job or reputation) in life confronts a person, he may respond in four different ways.
One of the ways is responding by way of reaction, carrying the wounds within, loosing faith in the persons and institutions and thinking of revenge – this way one is immediately transported to hell – one shrinks and becomes like a stone – this is what happened to Ahilya when she was caught with Indra by her husband Rishi Gautam (in lighter vein he referred to it as first sex scandle).
Second way is the way of tolerance. In this mode, a person shifts his attention from the ‘happening’ (like a person trying to enjoy honey drops dripping from a honeycomb while holding on to root of tree from a mountain cliff which could give way any time and there are crocodiles in the river waiting below for their breakfast and a tiger is waiting above on the mountain cliff for his). This person, one may say, is trying to view an entertainment channel or trying to choose lesser suffering in the hell. Such person continues to be in the hell.
Third way is the way of acceptance – to put the 'happening' behind and look and work for the task ahead. This is the way all CEOs and successful politicians act – they do not carry the wounds within – but scars are still there. They are successful persons in the external world. They are out of hell but not in the paradise.
The fourth way is the way of friendliness, compassion and surrender. In this, one understands and approaches the situation and the persons in an atmosphere of friendliness and compassion. Then, on interaction with them, one finds that the players leading to unfolding of events have their own compulsions for acting the way they did. As an example, he referred to his interactions with press people who are supposed to get five sensational news everyday as a part of their assignment. Obviously they are expected to sensationalise if they find something somewhere and may sometime have to create a news out of nothing. They have to be very creative! – he remarked. It is question of survival for them! This way one knows that in their position, one may also have acted in the same way and thus has compassion for them – one sees the situation standing in their shoes.
While explaining the aspect of surrender before narrating a poem of a Tamil saint, he narrated one happening when he was in Jail. One inmate came to seek his blessings for getting bail. In a week’s time he got the bail. While leaving, he came to convey his gratefulness and suddenly a question cropped up in his mind and he asked – Swamiji how is it that I got the bail with your blessing whereas you are still inside? Nithyanandji asked him, did you have this doubt that how can a person who himself is in the jail can bless and help others? He said, no! Then Nithyanandji told him that it is his trust and surrender that worked for him.
Then reverting to the poem of Tamil saint, he said that in jail, the poet feels as if he is at the lotus feet of Lord Shiva and full of bliss. In this state of surrender one does not even wish the God to take one out of a difficult situation.
This way one opens up – one becomes part of everything and everything is one's expression – there is tremendous explosion of energy – leading to enlightenment. This is the way Lord Rama showed to Ahilya and she came back to life.
As a final message Nithyanandji added that his work will be done if he is able to enable everyone of his disciple to take one step forward, i.e., from 1st to 2nd, 2nd to 3rd, and 3rd to 4th.
In the evening we went to Shri Raj Supe Ji (a master from the lineage of Baba Sitaramdas Omkarnath) for Guru Poornima celeberations. He started with telling about different Geetas and then went on to explain some verses of Guru Geeta followed by chanting of 'Aim' Mantara (Mantara of Guru, Saraswati, and third one I have forgotten), Guru Gayatri Mantara and the Tarak Mantara (Hare Krishna …). It was a very charged and wonderful evening.
One of the participants asked Supeji how to find a Guru when one finds that many of them are not the real ones. He said, one way is to see the lineage, whether the Guru of the Guru was a real master.
This was followed by Prasad and then I boarded the train back for Kochi.
Saturday, July 31, 2010
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
Asakti in Paramatma liberates
Responding to my view that one need not be ambitious and at the same time, seeing me striving hard in my spiritual quest, a few years back my daughter asked : “Is not striving for the inner quest also an ambition?"
Now, a few days back, Shri Raj Supe Ji (spiritual name – Shri Kinkar Vishwashreyananda Ji), a master, rang me up to say that if on the weekend (24th and 25th July) I am otherwise coming to Bangalore, he would like me to be there with him for Guru Poornima celebrations. I asked my wife to arrange tickets for me for my journey. She said – he has asked you to be there if you are otherwise going. But since you have no such programme, you need not go only for this. I said, this is the way, masters tell – they are subtle and non intrusive. In fact what he means is that I should try to be with him on that auspicious day otherwise he would not have rang me up (he normally avoids communication on phone and prefers, SMSs and emails). She said that when it comes to invitations from some relatives or friends, you say that it is customary and they make such request as a formality and that such requests need not be taken seriously but when it comes to the masters, you interpret it differently.
Yesterday, again, in response to her view that our daughter should be in India (she is working in US) - otherwise, according to her, how does it matter whether she or someone else’s daughter is working there - I said, in any case, children are going to be away and how does it matter whether she meets us once; or twice or thrice in a year like our other daughter who is in India. She again remarked, you want to be with the masters every alternate month or so but when it comes to our relatives and friends you have a different yardstick.
These questions are not the questions of my daughter and wife alone, they bother very many amongst us particularly those who are not yet initiated onto the path of inner exploration.
The answer to these questions is very short - yardsticks in external and inner world are not only different, they are opposite. As the Shreemad Bhagawatam says, mun ki vishayo me asakti bandhan ka karan hai aur usi mun ki Paramatma me asakti moksha ka karan hai [attachment of the mind with objects of senses takes one to the state of bondage (and consequent suffering) whereas the attachment of the same mind with the Paramatma, liberates one (and one experiences state of peace, love and ananda)]. The efforts (or ambition) in the external world thus binds one and in the inner world, it liberates.
One who, through experiences in life, has found that the pursuits in the external world do not take one to happier states (and finally result in suffering) and thereby feels inclined to explore other dimension (the inner one) has, therefore, to be clear that the rules of inner quest are exactly opposite to that of quest in the external world. I am of the view that if all the principles of management are turned upside down, they will help one onto the path of inner quest.
Another truth told by the Seers (Rishis and enlightened beings) is that whereas in the external world one gets only that which one has to get according to one's prarabdha (there are any number of examples where more intelligent and hardworking persons fail in material life whereas persons without much efforts and intelligence do exceedingly well or finds themselves in very good positions in material sense), in the inner quest it is one's effort (Purusharth) that removes the ignorance (it will not happen on its own - blessings of masters, of course, help those who seek and make themselves deserving of it) and takes one to the state of self realisation (peace, love and ananda).
Now, a few days back, Shri Raj Supe Ji (spiritual name – Shri Kinkar Vishwashreyananda Ji), a master, rang me up to say that if on the weekend (24th and 25th July) I am otherwise coming to Bangalore, he would like me to be there with him for Guru Poornima celebrations. I asked my wife to arrange tickets for me for my journey. She said – he has asked you to be there if you are otherwise going. But since you have no such programme, you need not go only for this. I said, this is the way, masters tell – they are subtle and non intrusive. In fact what he means is that I should try to be with him on that auspicious day otherwise he would not have rang me up (he normally avoids communication on phone and prefers, SMSs and emails). She said that when it comes to invitations from some relatives or friends, you say that it is customary and they make such request as a formality and that such requests need not be taken seriously but when it comes to the masters, you interpret it differently.
Yesterday, again, in response to her view that our daughter should be in India (she is working in US) - otherwise, according to her, how does it matter whether she or someone else’s daughter is working there - I said, in any case, children are going to be away and how does it matter whether she meets us once; or twice or thrice in a year like our other daughter who is in India. She again remarked, you want to be with the masters every alternate month or so but when it comes to our relatives and friends you have a different yardstick.
These questions are not the questions of my daughter and wife alone, they bother very many amongst us particularly those who are not yet initiated onto the path of inner exploration.
The answer to these questions is very short - yardsticks in external and inner world are not only different, they are opposite. As the Shreemad Bhagawatam says, mun ki vishayo me asakti bandhan ka karan hai aur usi mun ki Paramatma me asakti moksha ka karan hai [attachment of the mind with objects of senses takes one to the state of bondage (and consequent suffering) whereas the attachment of the same mind with the Paramatma, liberates one (and one experiences state of peace, love and ananda)]. The efforts (or ambition) in the external world thus binds one and in the inner world, it liberates.
One who, through experiences in life, has found that the pursuits in the external world do not take one to happier states (and finally result in suffering) and thereby feels inclined to explore other dimension (the inner one) has, therefore, to be clear that the rules of inner quest are exactly opposite to that of quest in the external world. I am of the view that if all the principles of management are turned upside down, they will help one onto the path of inner quest.
Another truth told by the Seers (Rishis and enlightened beings) is that whereas in the external world one gets only that which one has to get according to one's prarabdha (there are any number of examples where more intelligent and hardworking persons fail in material life whereas persons without much efforts and intelligence do exceedingly well or finds themselves in very good positions in material sense), in the inner quest it is one's effort (Purusharth) that removes the ignorance (it will not happen on its own - blessings of masters, of course, help those who seek and make themselves deserving of it) and takes one to the state of self realisation (peace, love and ananda).
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While explaining about the attainments in the external world, the scriptures also say that when one's aspirations and efforts are aligned to what is otherwise going to happen according to one's prarabdha, one has illusion of success. And if one's aspirations and efforts are contrary to what has to happen, one has illusion of failure.
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About the inner search, they say (and we also know it well) that the mind aided by the senses has a natural tendency of perceiving the objects in the external world. For it, to turn inwards is like climbing a mountain. It requires a strong resolve (normally aided by sufferings or vacuum in life) to make it look inwards. Of course, once one has a glimpse of the real self (sometimes master makes it happen through Shaktipat), mind starts enjoying this process.
One has, therefore, to make inner quest as part of one's routine by devoting an hour on meditation every day to start with (even if one's mind resists such an attempt), living life the way one has been living till now without trying to change one's conduct, as Osho says, and rest will fall in place (grass grows by itself).
One has, therefore, to make inner quest as part of one's routine by devoting an hour on meditation every day to start with (even if one's mind resists such an attempt), living life the way one has been living till now without trying to change one's conduct, as Osho says, and rest will fall in place (grass grows by itself).
Saturday, July 17, 2010
Reactions are ours – we can transcend them
To a friend who is going through a process of courtship and finds that response of her fiancée sometimes is not palatable
As beauty, love and ananda is the nature of the Self – the quality of life energy within; memory, thinking process, ego (idea of one being distinct from others), desires, anger, agitation, attachment (moha), possessiveness, greed, fear, guilt etc. and consequent experience of suffering are the attributes of mind.
We mistake moha (attachment) for love and pleasure for ananda and believe as if one can feel love and ananda through the mind. Because of this misunderstanding, many a person tries to purify the mind by avoiding negative feelings towards others and inculcate feelings of love, compassion etc. towards everyone. Many a religious texts also exhort the people to do so. But no one (except a seeker) ever succeeds in such purification. The reason is that love and compassion are not the attributes of mind – these are qualities of our Self – beyond the reach of the mind. As one cannot see through the ears – ears are not a faculty for that; peace, love and ananda cannot be experienced through the mind.
In a lighter vein, regarding nature of mind, I am reminded of an oft repeated dialogue of Prem Chopra in a film – "Bhains jab poonch oothayegi to gobar hi karegi, gana nahin gayegee" (when a buffalo lifts its tail, it will deliver only dung, not a song) – this is its nature.
Anything planned and done through mind (by a person who has not realised his Self) will be powered by its attributes and will bring about suffering and misery to him and others. One can give others only that which one has. This is the reason why efforts of all good intentioned social workers and revolutionaries [Jai Prakash Narayan (one can see what is left behind in Bihar after his work for Samagra Kranti), Gandhiji (his experiment with ahimsa could not prevent one of the greatest bloodshed of all the times at the time of partition), Communists (the workers are worst sufferers in the countries ruled by them), Naxalites etc.] do not bring about intended social change.
The limitation of mind is also illustrated by the life of Dale Carnegie, the author of most widely read books in the world (Stop worrying and start living, How to win friends and influence people) whose wife deserted him (could not win her) and he committed suicide (being unable to stop worrying). All his teachings, appreciated by millions around the world, could not even help him what to talk of others.
One has, therefore, to work for transcending the mind – efforts to refine it may give one temporary illusion of relief from suffering but such efforts are bound to ultimately fail.
Before we come to the ways of transcending the mind, some more understanding about the functioning of mind would help our journey on inner exploration with conviction.
Now for instance, some vibrations originating from someone’s throat are carried through the air to the ear drums of a person. These vibrations are converted into impulses and carried by some mechanism to the mind. The mind interprets these impulses and a response or reaction is generated. If something is said by a stranger to some other stranger, we may not even take note of it. But if the same thing is said by a person with whom we feel connected to or by a stranger directed at us, there is a response or reaction. The response or reaction will again vary depending on whether one likes or dislikes a person who uttered the words and one’s mood at that time. Thus for the same external stimulus (words or vibration) our responses or reactions vary.
Similarly two persons in similar situations react differently. It is for this reason that a person is considered a cool guy whereas another is considered as hot tempered in the same organisation. If the reaction was shaped by external circumstances, they could not have differed much in a given set up. But as we all know, it is not so. A person is shy, another is full of anxiety and fear and yet another is very bold and aggressive.
The reason is that response or reaction is solely ours. Anger or hatred cannot be triggered in a Buddha or a Christ because it is not there. Lust cannot be triggered in a small child through pornography or any other means as it is not there. External circumstances merely bring to the fore what is lying hidden inside us. They, at best, trigger an existing dormant emotion in us and cannot create it.
It is something like – children are playing in a park with fire crackers, unaware of two containers with attached leads, one packed with explosive material and another filled with water. Both the leads catch fire but only first container explodes. To stop the children from playing in the park is neither a solution nor it is desirable (though ignorant moral brigades try to do even these things). One has to remove the explosive material from the container. The triggers and inputs from the persons and situations around are too many and to control and manage them is beyond one's capacity. One cannot and need not change every person and thing around according to one's perception. In fact, one cannot endow oneself with a right to change somebody else – every person is as much an independent being as one is. The only workable solution found down the ages is – just empty the container and enjoy the play.
Thus, if one is miserable it is because of the reaction produced in one’s mind to an external situation or to a bad memory or some apprehension for the future and not because of an external situation as such. If mind stops churning bad memories of the past or apprehensions of the future, our true nature – ananda – is revealed to us.
The secret thus lies in stopping the mind from visiting the past and travelling into the future. Mind is ours. Reactions are ours. So we have the capability of doing away with our reactions. And this is the most beautiful aspect of life that we are not dependent on anybody or anything for doing away with our reactions and thus attain a state of joy in our lives. It is solely in our hands. We can do it.
As beauty, love and ananda is the nature of the Self – the quality of life energy within; memory, thinking process, ego (idea of one being distinct from others), desires, anger, agitation, attachment (moha), possessiveness, greed, fear, guilt etc. and consequent experience of suffering are the attributes of mind.
We mistake moha (attachment) for love and pleasure for ananda and believe as if one can feel love and ananda through the mind. Because of this misunderstanding, many a person tries to purify the mind by avoiding negative feelings towards others and inculcate feelings of love, compassion etc. towards everyone. Many a religious texts also exhort the people to do so. But no one (except a seeker) ever succeeds in such purification. The reason is that love and compassion are not the attributes of mind – these are qualities of our Self – beyond the reach of the mind. As one cannot see through the ears – ears are not a faculty for that; peace, love and ananda cannot be experienced through the mind.
In a lighter vein, regarding nature of mind, I am reminded of an oft repeated dialogue of Prem Chopra in a film – "Bhains jab poonch oothayegi to gobar hi karegi, gana nahin gayegee" (when a buffalo lifts its tail, it will deliver only dung, not a song) – this is its nature.
Anything planned and done through mind (by a person who has not realised his Self) will be powered by its attributes and will bring about suffering and misery to him and others. One can give others only that which one has. This is the reason why efforts of all good intentioned social workers and revolutionaries [Jai Prakash Narayan (one can see what is left behind in Bihar after his work for Samagra Kranti), Gandhiji (his experiment with ahimsa could not prevent one of the greatest bloodshed of all the times at the time of partition), Communists (the workers are worst sufferers in the countries ruled by them), Naxalites etc.] do not bring about intended social change.
The limitation of mind is also illustrated by the life of Dale Carnegie, the author of most widely read books in the world (Stop worrying and start living, How to win friends and influence people) whose wife deserted him (could not win her) and he committed suicide (being unable to stop worrying). All his teachings, appreciated by millions around the world, could not even help him what to talk of others.
One has, therefore, to work for transcending the mind – efforts to refine it may give one temporary illusion of relief from suffering but such efforts are bound to ultimately fail.
Before we come to the ways of transcending the mind, some more understanding about the functioning of mind would help our journey on inner exploration with conviction.
Now for instance, some vibrations originating from someone’s throat are carried through the air to the ear drums of a person. These vibrations are converted into impulses and carried by some mechanism to the mind. The mind interprets these impulses and a response or reaction is generated. If something is said by a stranger to some other stranger, we may not even take note of it. But if the same thing is said by a person with whom we feel connected to or by a stranger directed at us, there is a response or reaction. The response or reaction will again vary depending on whether one likes or dislikes a person who uttered the words and one’s mood at that time. Thus for the same external stimulus (words or vibration) our responses or reactions vary.
Similarly two persons in similar situations react differently. It is for this reason that a person is considered a cool guy whereas another is considered as hot tempered in the same organisation. If the reaction was shaped by external circumstances, they could not have differed much in a given set up. But as we all know, it is not so. A person is shy, another is full of anxiety and fear and yet another is very bold and aggressive.
The reason is that response or reaction is solely ours. Anger or hatred cannot be triggered in a Buddha or a Christ because it is not there. Lust cannot be triggered in a small child through pornography or any other means as it is not there. External circumstances merely bring to the fore what is lying hidden inside us. They, at best, trigger an existing dormant emotion in us and cannot create it.
It is something like – children are playing in a park with fire crackers, unaware of two containers with attached leads, one packed with explosive material and another filled with water. Both the leads catch fire but only first container explodes. To stop the children from playing in the park is neither a solution nor it is desirable (though ignorant moral brigades try to do even these things). One has to remove the explosive material from the container. The triggers and inputs from the persons and situations around are too many and to control and manage them is beyond one's capacity. One cannot and need not change every person and thing around according to one's perception. In fact, one cannot endow oneself with a right to change somebody else – every person is as much an independent being as one is. The only workable solution found down the ages is – just empty the container and enjoy the play.
Thus, if one is miserable it is because of the reaction produced in one’s mind to an external situation or to a bad memory or some apprehension for the future and not because of an external situation as such. If mind stops churning bad memories of the past or apprehensions of the future, our true nature – ananda – is revealed to us.
The secret thus lies in stopping the mind from visiting the past and travelling into the future. Mind is ours. Reactions are ours. So we have the capability of doing away with our reactions. And this is the most beautiful aspect of life that we are not dependent on anybody or anything for doing away with our reactions and thus attain a state of joy in our lives. It is solely in our hands. We can do it.
Sunday, July 11, 2010
Source of joy and mental curtain
The truth that joy is the nature of the Self and it does not come from outside needs to be understood a little more deeply.
By their very nature, all our senses perceive things outside us [taste, touch (sex), smell, music, beauty]. Whatever experience of pleasure (taken for happiness and joy) we seem to have, appear to be coming from outside (eating something delicious, having a good sexual experience etc.) and that is why each one of us seeks happiness through external pursuits. All our (worldly persons) efforts are directed towards achieving this happiness alone. But as the years pass by, instead of reaching happier states of existence, one becomes tense and miserable.
If one sees a group of children, one finds them to be full of energy and their smiles are divine. Teenagers have good relationships with their friends (our most intimate friends are often those with whom we get associated with at this stage of our lives), they believe in each other and look forward to life with optimism. The young working persons are optimistic about changing the situations for the better in their sphere of activity. In their quest for happiness though success, they become ambitious and competitive, would not easily believe others and would not mind achieving their goals by riding over the shoulders of others. As mentioned the preceding article, the success gives one a brief spike of happiness and the life is routine again. The failure on the contrary makes one sad and frustrated which linger on for longer time. Some total of one’s efforts (zero for success and negative for failure) is thus negative and the graph of happiness shows a downward trend. This is the reason why, though many a young person achieves success in the material world, instead of reaching happier states, one feels tense and empty from within – making one wonder if one’s efforts are not enough and that one needs to reach still greater heights. And as one becomes a little older, one slowly but certainly develops cynicism (even hatred) and no more believes in others and is miserable. It is surprising that although all our efforts are directed towards attainment of happiness, result is misery.
The net result of our efforts thus show that there is something basically wrong the way we set ourselves onto this task of achieving happiness in our lives. Our efforts are going to fail as their direction is wrong – we are seeking in the wrong place – seeking without instead of within. In a lighter vein, a song expresses this situation well where a girl wishes to calm herself by bathing in the rain – “aise jo bujhani ho mun ki agan, amber ke badalon ka pani hai kum (if one wishes to satiate one’s passion by bathing in the rain, water of all the clouds in the sky will be inadequate)”
In fact, the happiness that appears to be coming from outside is something like taste of blood for a dog chewing a dry bone. Nothing comes out of the bone but trying to bit it hard to extract something out of it (as this is all what he has), hurts the teeth and the gums and blood starts dripping from the gums. He smells and tastes the blood. The dog feels as if it is coming from the bone. Any attempt by other dogs to snatch the bone is resisted by the dog with all its might. This is the root of all the conflicts.
As discussed in the previous article, the truth is that an external situation merely helps remove the mental curtain (or make it a little transparent) and one has a glimpse of the real Self – peace, beauty, love and joy being its attributes. Without such understanding, one would continue to be fully entangled in managing the external situations and relationship and continue failing.
Another truth to understand is the process of formation of this mental curtain [without going into the concept of Maya and past samskaras(Sanchit Karma)].
A person is borne with survival instincts which include craving for food and water and emotions like fear and violence. Besides, one is borne with sexual instinct for procreation.
Soon one picks up the ideas of good and bad, beautiful and ugly, right and wrong, moral and immoral etc. from one’s social environment. This power of discrimination is considered as unique to human beings as it distinguishes them from animals. He also picks up ideas about the aims and goals in life. The natural tendencies of a person are thus modified to an extent.
With such tendencies and learning, he aims to become somebody in life and happens to pick up some occupation. The occupation, in many a case, is at variance with his natural talent and tendencies. He has to thus struggle to achieve the aim of finding a place in the society and a meaning to his life. But for this, he has to compete with others which brings about a ‘feverishness’ in actions – actions which do not appear to have an end.
Likewise to receive appreciation and love from others also appears to be an important need of an individual. In the name of patriotism, religion, welfare of the society, help to others etc. the society fully exploits this need of an individual. For receiving appreciation and love from others, one has to compromise – act in a manner contrary to one’s natural tendency. This gives rise to ‘hypocrisy’.
Through the development of power of discrimination or interpretation picked up from the society, the mind classifies every thing, thought or perception into good or bad, beautiful or ugly, right or wrong. Once this happens, likes and dislikes naturally follow. Then one would try to acquire and keep (yoga and kshem) what one likes and try to avoid what one dislikes. This cannot happen as this infinite existence is the way it is – it will not change according to arbitrary likes and dislikes of an insignificant human being. Further in trying to acquire and keep what one likes and trying to avoid what one dislikes one is bound to come in conflict with others. The external situations thus trigger emotions like fear, anger, jealousy, hatred, attachment, greed and possessiveness etc. leading to suffering.
Interpretation or discrimination by the mind is thus the starting point of all suffering. And this discrimination itself is based on the ideas one borrows from the society. One thing or idea can be considered good or beautiful in one society and bad or ugly in the other. Even the same thing or idea may be considered as good in the same society at one point of time and not so at some other time. For example, idea of a beautiful person in Africa is different than what it is in China. Some of the values which are considered good in Muslim community are considered bad by Hindus and vice-versa. It is, therefore, not difficult to understand that the ideas of beautiful or ugly, good or bad, moral or immoral are mere beliefs.
But, with time, the beliefs become so overbearing on an individual that in the face of a belief he even ignores his own experience or intelligence of his body. For example, infants have a great craving for milk and they obviously like it. But by the time a child is over two and half years of age, production of an enzyme (lactase) which helps digestion of milk stops. After this age, therefore, children do not want to have milk. But every parent says, every book informs the child that milk is a complete food. If you do not have milk, how will you grow and become strong? As if all grown up and strong elephants and horses are taking milk! But mothers make life of the children miserable and do not stop until having milk becomes their habit and they start liking its taste. Thereafter these very children, who through the intelligence of their bodies did not wish to take milk, force this habit on their children. Similarly one does not relish the taste of alcohol at first instance. But because of imitation and social acceptance for it, develops a taste for it. Thereafter he starts enjoying having liquor including its taste.
In fact on receiving any stimulus, a sense organ sends an impulse to the mind. On the basis of its old data bank, the mind classifies an impulse as pleasant (positive or good) or unpleasant (negative or bad). Development of taste for something only means that the classification of certain impulse is changed in the mind from negative to positive. These impulses are a form of energy. By its very nature, the energy is neither negative nor positive. To consider it that way is only based on our belief systems. This is the reason why a dislike for something or someone can be changed into liking for it or him and vice versa. If we look back and examine our experiences, it would be evident that there were many things, persons or ideas which we liked earlier and do not like them any more. The reverse is also true.
That is why whoever explored the mystery of this existence, always found that everything in this universe is manifestation of one reality, whether the seeker or the explorer came from the field of religion or from the field of science. Religions born in east call it Om [a vibration, consciousness (chetan) or energy] or God and other religion call it God. Science calls this one reality as energy (matter is manifestation of energy – matter and energy are inter convertible).
Everything and everyone is thus manifestation of that One as they spring up from one source. If we think and analyse it would not be difficult to understand that the ideas of good and bad, moral or immoral are mere rules of convenience created by the society to have some order – nothing is intrinsically good or bad. That is why they say that social norms of conduct do not apply to Yogis. It is another matter that one may follow these rules as it is convenient to follow them. There will be lesser problems (reaction from the society) and one would be able to devote his energy and time to do something worthwhile (earning livelihood or inner exploration). For example, if one drives on left side of the road following the rule, it is convenient for everyone. But there is no sin (punishable with a term in the hell) if someday one drives on right side of the road. Of course for this, one may be caught by the traffic police involving consequent unnecessary effort for resolving the matter.
If one understood ideas and beliefs as being mere social rules of convenience, there would not have been much of a problem. But with time, one becomes so identified with the borrowed ideas and beliefs that one starts considering them as one’s own. One has an image of Saraswati (though he has never seen her) and when someone portrays her in a different manner, sentiments are hurt. History is replete with instances where disagreement on these borrowed ideas or beliefs caused wars and destruction bringing about untold sufferings to the mankind and others. The same is true of our daily lives. One feels hurt if even most beloved member of one's family or friend does not agree with one’s views or beliefs. This triggers anger, violence, depression etc.
When one follows one’s instincts and natural tendencies, which may sometime not agree with the social norms, inner as well as external conflict may arise. A person usually thinks that an act defying the social norms and following one's instincts is an act of independence. But this is also not so. Where is the question of independence when one is forced into an act by the instincts and beliefs which are all borrowed!
Life goes on getting messed up in conforming to borrowed ideas, aims and code of conduct and following one's instincts and emotions. One is left with nothing but conflict, feverish action and hypocrisy. These in turn trigger emotions like desire (sex, ambition), anger (violence), jealousy (hatred), greed (attachment and possessiveness), fear (anxiety), guilt, depression etc. These constitute that dark opaque mental curtain which hides the Self and one feels lost (finds no purpose in life) and miserable.
By their very nature, all our senses perceive things outside us [taste, touch (sex), smell, music, beauty]. Whatever experience of pleasure (taken for happiness and joy) we seem to have, appear to be coming from outside (eating something delicious, having a good sexual experience etc.) and that is why each one of us seeks happiness through external pursuits. All our (worldly persons) efforts are directed towards achieving this happiness alone. But as the years pass by, instead of reaching happier states of existence, one becomes tense and miserable.
If one sees a group of children, one finds them to be full of energy and their smiles are divine. Teenagers have good relationships with their friends (our most intimate friends are often those with whom we get associated with at this stage of our lives), they believe in each other and look forward to life with optimism. The young working persons are optimistic about changing the situations for the better in their sphere of activity. In their quest for happiness though success, they become ambitious and competitive, would not easily believe others and would not mind achieving their goals by riding over the shoulders of others. As mentioned the preceding article, the success gives one a brief spike of happiness and the life is routine again. The failure on the contrary makes one sad and frustrated which linger on for longer time. Some total of one’s efforts (zero for success and negative for failure) is thus negative and the graph of happiness shows a downward trend. This is the reason why, though many a young person achieves success in the material world, instead of reaching happier states, one feels tense and empty from within – making one wonder if one’s efforts are not enough and that one needs to reach still greater heights. And as one becomes a little older, one slowly but certainly develops cynicism (even hatred) and no more believes in others and is miserable. It is surprising that although all our efforts are directed towards attainment of happiness, result is misery.
The net result of our efforts thus show that there is something basically wrong the way we set ourselves onto this task of achieving happiness in our lives. Our efforts are going to fail as their direction is wrong – we are seeking in the wrong place – seeking without instead of within. In a lighter vein, a song expresses this situation well where a girl wishes to calm herself by bathing in the rain – “aise jo bujhani ho mun ki agan, amber ke badalon ka pani hai kum (if one wishes to satiate one’s passion by bathing in the rain, water of all the clouds in the sky will be inadequate)”
In fact, the happiness that appears to be coming from outside is something like taste of blood for a dog chewing a dry bone. Nothing comes out of the bone but trying to bit it hard to extract something out of it (as this is all what he has), hurts the teeth and the gums and blood starts dripping from the gums. He smells and tastes the blood. The dog feels as if it is coming from the bone. Any attempt by other dogs to snatch the bone is resisted by the dog with all its might. This is the root of all the conflicts.
As discussed in the previous article, the truth is that an external situation merely helps remove the mental curtain (or make it a little transparent) and one has a glimpse of the real Self – peace, beauty, love and joy being its attributes. Without such understanding, one would continue to be fully entangled in managing the external situations and relationship and continue failing.
Another truth to understand is the process of formation of this mental curtain [without going into the concept of Maya and past samskaras(Sanchit Karma)].
A person is borne with survival instincts which include craving for food and water and emotions like fear and violence. Besides, one is borne with sexual instinct for procreation.
Soon one picks up the ideas of good and bad, beautiful and ugly, right and wrong, moral and immoral etc. from one’s social environment. This power of discrimination is considered as unique to human beings as it distinguishes them from animals. He also picks up ideas about the aims and goals in life. The natural tendencies of a person are thus modified to an extent.
With such tendencies and learning, he aims to become somebody in life and happens to pick up some occupation. The occupation, in many a case, is at variance with his natural talent and tendencies. He has to thus struggle to achieve the aim of finding a place in the society and a meaning to his life. But for this, he has to compete with others which brings about a ‘feverishness’ in actions – actions which do not appear to have an end.
Likewise to receive appreciation and love from others also appears to be an important need of an individual. In the name of patriotism, religion, welfare of the society, help to others etc. the society fully exploits this need of an individual. For receiving appreciation and love from others, one has to compromise – act in a manner contrary to one’s natural tendency. This gives rise to ‘hypocrisy’.
Through the development of power of discrimination or interpretation picked up from the society, the mind classifies every thing, thought or perception into good or bad, beautiful or ugly, right or wrong. Once this happens, likes and dislikes naturally follow. Then one would try to acquire and keep (yoga and kshem) what one likes and try to avoid what one dislikes. This cannot happen as this infinite existence is the way it is – it will not change according to arbitrary likes and dislikes of an insignificant human being. Further in trying to acquire and keep what one likes and trying to avoid what one dislikes one is bound to come in conflict with others. The external situations thus trigger emotions like fear, anger, jealousy, hatred, attachment, greed and possessiveness etc. leading to suffering.
Interpretation or discrimination by the mind is thus the starting point of all suffering. And this discrimination itself is based on the ideas one borrows from the society. One thing or idea can be considered good or beautiful in one society and bad or ugly in the other. Even the same thing or idea may be considered as good in the same society at one point of time and not so at some other time. For example, idea of a beautiful person in Africa is different than what it is in China. Some of the values which are considered good in Muslim community are considered bad by Hindus and vice-versa. It is, therefore, not difficult to understand that the ideas of beautiful or ugly, good or bad, moral or immoral are mere beliefs.
But, with time, the beliefs become so overbearing on an individual that in the face of a belief he even ignores his own experience or intelligence of his body. For example, infants have a great craving for milk and they obviously like it. But by the time a child is over two and half years of age, production of an enzyme (lactase) which helps digestion of milk stops. After this age, therefore, children do not want to have milk. But every parent says, every book informs the child that milk is a complete food. If you do not have milk, how will you grow and become strong? As if all grown up and strong elephants and horses are taking milk! But mothers make life of the children miserable and do not stop until having milk becomes their habit and they start liking its taste. Thereafter these very children, who through the intelligence of their bodies did not wish to take milk, force this habit on their children. Similarly one does not relish the taste of alcohol at first instance. But because of imitation and social acceptance for it, develops a taste for it. Thereafter he starts enjoying having liquor including its taste.
In fact on receiving any stimulus, a sense organ sends an impulse to the mind. On the basis of its old data bank, the mind classifies an impulse as pleasant (positive or good) or unpleasant (negative or bad). Development of taste for something only means that the classification of certain impulse is changed in the mind from negative to positive. These impulses are a form of energy. By its very nature, the energy is neither negative nor positive. To consider it that way is only based on our belief systems. This is the reason why a dislike for something or someone can be changed into liking for it or him and vice versa. If we look back and examine our experiences, it would be evident that there were many things, persons or ideas which we liked earlier and do not like them any more. The reverse is also true.
That is why whoever explored the mystery of this existence, always found that everything in this universe is manifestation of one reality, whether the seeker or the explorer came from the field of religion or from the field of science. Religions born in east call it Om [a vibration, consciousness (chetan) or energy] or God and other religion call it God. Science calls this one reality as energy (matter is manifestation of energy – matter and energy are inter convertible).
Everything and everyone is thus manifestation of that One as they spring up from one source. If we think and analyse it would not be difficult to understand that the ideas of good and bad, moral or immoral are mere rules of convenience created by the society to have some order – nothing is intrinsically good or bad. That is why they say that social norms of conduct do not apply to Yogis. It is another matter that one may follow these rules as it is convenient to follow them. There will be lesser problems (reaction from the society) and one would be able to devote his energy and time to do something worthwhile (earning livelihood or inner exploration). For example, if one drives on left side of the road following the rule, it is convenient for everyone. But there is no sin (punishable with a term in the hell) if someday one drives on right side of the road. Of course for this, one may be caught by the traffic police involving consequent unnecessary effort for resolving the matter.
If one understood ideas and beliefs as being mere social rules of convenience, there would not have been much of a problem. But with time, one becomes so identified with the borrowed ideas and beliefs that one starts considering them as one’s own. One has an image of Saraswati (though he has never seen her) and when someone portrays her in a different manner, sentiments are hurt. History is replete with instances where disagreement on these borrowed ideas or beliefs caused wars and destruction bringing about untold sufferings to the mankind and others. The same is true of our daily lives. One feels hurt if even most beloved member of one's family or friend does not agree with one’s views or beliefs. This triggers anger, violence, depression etc.
When one follows one’s instincts and natural tendencies, which may sometime not agree with the social norms, inner as well as external conflict may arise. A person usually thinks that an act defying the social norms and following one's instincts is an act of independence. But this is also not so. Where is the question of independence when one is forced into an act by the instincts and beliefs which are all borrowed!
Life goes on getting messed up in conforming to borrowed ideas, aims and code of conduct and following one's instincts and emotions. One is left with nothing but conflict, feverish action and hypocrisy. These in turn trigger emotions like desire (sex, ambition), anger (violence), jealousy (hatred), greed (attachment and possessiveness), fear (anxiety), guilt, depression etc. These constitute that dark opaque mental curtain which hides the Self and one feels lost (finds no purpose in life) and miserable.
Monday, July 5, 2010
Game of life
At one time or the other each one of us have experienced beauty, peace, love and joy in our lives. If one looks back, one would find it invariably happened when either the mind was overwhelmed (seeing a beautiful flower, smile of child, whole range of snow clad mountains or expansive sea for the first time in our lives etc.) or when one need not keep one defence mechanism on (being with one’s beloved, listening to some music, dancing with friends in care free atmosphere etc.) or in a state when there is no desire (when one has achieved what one was aspiring – old desire is fulfilled and the new one is yet to arise and take roots – the time gap between fulfilment of old desire and arising of next one). These are the situations where the mind is not active as it is overwhelmed (stunned into silence) or there is no need for it to be active. In such a situation the mind accidentally stops – in that moment there is no thought or the thoughts are few and far between – the mind does not travel into the past or future. When in a state like this, mental curtain is absent, we get a glimpse of our real Self (like when there is no cloud the sun, moon or stars become visible) and experience beauty, peace, love and joy – all attributes of the inner Self. Experiencing the Self is the state of meditation. Whether we know it or not, each one of us has experienced this meditative state.
But the problem is that such experiences in our lives appear once in a while and that too accidentally. Soon mind comes back, the real Self is hidden and life is routine again. A song aptly describes this state of our lives when it says – sukh hai ek chchanv dhalati, aati or jaati hai, dukh to apna sathi hai (there are fleeting moments of happiness in our lives but sorrow is our continuous companion).
To elaborate a little on the brief and transitory nature of these glimpses, as for the situations which overwhelm the mind, once we experience something like that in a particular setting or situation, we try to create same setting or situation to replicate the experience but by that time mind has memory of the setting or situation and does not get overwhelmed and the experience is not that great. If one tries to repeat it again and again it may become boring and even troublesome.
In our relationship with others (spouse, children, parents, friends), the moments when one is actually in the state of love – where nothing else matters – are few. By very nature of mind, this state is not sustainable for long. And thus mind comes back in a while.
As for success in the external world, one may achieve a success (not necessarily) after huge effort and may feel a high for a while (when one does well in exams, achieves a position of power or breakthrough of some kind) and then one has something else to do. Life again becomes routine and burdensome. And if one does not succeed, one will feel frustrated and miserable. This is huge cost to pay (in terms of long time and effort) with fleeting reward in terms of a brief high.
That is how all our efforts to attain peace and happiness in the life by managing our external situations come to a naught.
Sadguru Jaggi Vasudeva beautifully describes this situation when he says that these accidental glimpses of happiness are like sweet spots on the skin of a fruit. The source of sweetness is in the fruit within. The existence believes in our intelligence and expects us to reach for the fruit and do not remain stuck in the skin.
It is something like a game in which a few things are hidden in various locations and the participants are expected to find them out. One who finds them is a winner and the game is over.
But the problem is that such experiences in our lives appear once in a while and that too accidentally. Soon mind comes back, the real Self is hidden and life is routine again. A song aptly describes this state of our lives when it says – sukh hai ek chchanv dhalati, aati or jaati hai, dukh to apna sathi hai (there are fleeting moments of happiness in our lives but sorrow is our continuous companion).
To elaborate a little on the brief and transitory nature of these glimpses, as for the situations which overwhelm the mind, once we experience something like that in a particular setting or situation, we try to create same setting or situation to replicate the experience but by that time mind has memory of the setting or situation and does not get overwhelmed and the experience is not that great. If one tries to repeat it again and again it may become boring and even troublesome.
In our relationship with others (spouse, children, parents, friends), the moments when one is actually in the state of love – where nothing else matters – are few. By very nature of mind, this state is not sustainable for long. And thus mind comes back in a while.
As for success in the external world, one may achieve a success (not necessarily) after huge effort and may feel a high for a while (when one does well in exams, achieves a position of power or breakthrough of some kind) and then one has something else to do. Life again becomes routine and burdensome. And if one does not succeed, one will feel frustrated and miserable. This is huge cost to pay (in terms of long time and effort) with fleeting reward in terms of a brief high.
That is how all our efforts to attain peace and happiness in the life by managing our external situations come to a naught.
Sadguru Jaggi Vasudeva beautifully describes this situation when he says that these accidental glimpses of happiness are like sweet spots on the skin of a fruit. The source of sweetness is in the fruit within. The existence believes in our intelligence and expects us to reach for the fruit and do not remain stuck in the skin.
It is something like a game in which a few things are hidden in various locations and the participants are expected to find them out. One who finds them is a winner and the game is over.
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