Purpose of life

 

Certain questions indicate the maturity of our mind. They are: What is life? What is the purpose of my life? Why am I here? What do I want? These questions are vital. Where am I? Are you aware you are on this planet Earth? 

Have you ever thought “I am on planet Earth and this planet is in the solar system”? So, I am in the solar system. The solar system is just a dot in the Milky Way. So, I am in the Milky Way. This expansion of awareness to the macrocosm and being aware of where you are in this body is important. Just sit with your eyes closed and ask yourself “where am I in this body”? Am I in the head, in the nose, in the heart? Where am I in the body?

Then the sharpness of the mind happens, awareness happens. You are able to perceive that you are nowhere and you are everywhere in the body. A shift in the quality of awareness happens instantaneously. And it is this awareness that can eliminate stresses and sorrows from life. This awareness is called wisdom.

When we raise our consciousness, we become more aware of the sensation that is happening in the body and we see that the sensations change. An intense sensation that is pain and an intense sensation that is pleasure, both become pleasurable. 

Love and pain, they are very closely related. The symbol of Jesus on the cross means that the cross is pain and Jesus is love. One is with the other. The transformation of this pain into bliss, the love into bliss is what happens with awareness.

Without awareness the mind shrinks. When the mind shrinks, the joy diminishes. Whenever we are happy, we feel that something in us is expanding and the expression of sadness is the contraction of mind. Meditation is a technique where the mind expands and relaxes. And whenever we are relaxed, we are expanding automatically.

It is worth knowing this expansion because then nothing can disturb us or take our smile away. Otherwise, small things can throw us off balance. It is not worth letting your mind or your life undergo such suffering and misery.

Turning a miserable situation into prayer

 

Every time you are unhappy, miserable or disturbed, you are coming in touch with your own boundaries and what can you do? You can feel thankful, “Oh! This was my limitation. I came in touch with my boundaries.” Then, that moment, you turn the whole situation into a prayer: “Let there be peace, not just in me, but in everybody.”

Prayer comes at that moment when you come in touch with your limitations. It is the limitation and the boundary that is the real cause of your disturbance. You are peaceful, joyful, and happy, as long as you have not come in contact with your boundaries.

The moment you come into contact with them, the mind scares: “Oh! Because that person did this, this happened. This is bad, that shouldn’t be; it should be like that, it shouldn’t be this way…” At that moment, what can you do? Just say, “My Lord, make me aware of my boundaries. Now, You bring peace. You do it. I am giving it all to You.”

That very moment, you start smiling; there is such a sigh of relief! However hopeless the situation may be, you will walk through it, sing through it, dance through it. This is love!

When you come in touch with your limitations, your boundaries, or the small things that come along, then observe, are you hemmed in by your boundaries or can you maintain your freedom, your non-judgmental attitude and innocent love in your heart? Is it continuing? If you can become solid in this, then nothing in the world can rob you of peace!

Four solutions to any problem

 

The first solution to a problem is not to have the problem at all!

The second solution is to willingly accept the problem and see it as a challenge.

The third solution is to know that the problem is a bogeyman; it is not real.

The fourth solution is to know that nature has provided you the solution even before giving you the problem.

When it snows, there are no bacteria since herbs that heal you do not grow in that season. In the spring, the herbs come first and then the bugs. In the summer, the shade comes before the summer sun gets strong. So, nature takes good care of you!

Truth is contradictory

 

Truth is contradictory; if it is not contradictory, then it is not truth. The Bhagvad Gita is full of contradictions. You can understand it only if you see it in totality. At one point, Krishna tells Arjun that action is the most important thing, and without action, one will be nowhere.

But after that, He tells him that action is all right but knowledge is better! Then Krishna says, ‘You must become a yogi and drop everything around you.’ Krishna tells Arjun in Chapter Six that since he is confused, there is no use talking. He asks him to meditate. Finally, He says, he is the greatest amongst yogis who keeps Me in his heart whether he meditates or not.

He is the real yogi, because I am with him in whatever he is doing. At one juncture, Krishna says, Arjun, there is nobody dear to me, nobody whom I love. And then gives a whole list of qualifications for those He really loves! In another instance, Krishna tells Arjun to act without looking for the fruit of action.

Later He asks Arjuna to act properly, according to natural law. Then He tells him that he ought to fight if he wants to win the war. So, at this point, He is bringing Arjun’s attention to the fruit of action, but then He also tells him not to worry about the fruit of action. Everything may appear to be all contradictory from all angles. But that is reality.

Know yourself to overcome misery

 

When we are ignorant of our true nature we become miserable. When our mind is miserable we look for the cause, which could be a situation, a person or an attitude. This is a cycle of ignorance.

Our identification of the Self is limited by thoughts or emotions. So instead of blaming a situation or person for your misery wake up and see that you are caught up in small things, having forgotten who you really are.

The knowledge of the Self burns down all karma and brings you closer to the cause of all the causes which is your being. Experiences keep changing but the unchanging experiencer remains at the centre. Again and again, make the effort to know the one who is experiencing.

What is the point of war?

 

No war has done any good to anybody. 

We have not achieved anything. It’s only destroyed so many lives. 

We need to bring sense to people who are for war. We need to tell them that the whole world is standing for peace, and you should join us! 

Let’s take responsibility for our beautiful planet. This, Earth, is the only planet we have. We need to save the minds and lives of people.

Emotions and breath

 

It’s normal to get agitated. It’s normal to get upset. But we are not in control of how we feel. Neither at home, nor at school, are we taught how to manage our emotions.

Here, our breath has a lot to teach us. 

Our emotions are linked with the rhythm of our breath. 

If we know how our breathing patterns can impact our mind then we can be in charge of our emotions. It empowers us.

Improving mental health

 

4 ways to improve your mental health:

1. You’ve overcome problems before!

Remember that this is not the first time you’re facing a problem. You’ve faced problems before, & you’ve overcome them. Learn from your experience. You’ll get over this as well.

2. Hold on to the positive.

If we’re given 10 compliments & 1 insult, we tend to hold on to the 1 insult. We need to reorient ourselves & accept that when there are 10 positives that come our way, it is inevitable that there might be 1 negative as well.

3. Active Compassion.

There’s a great joy in giving. If you get involved in action-oriented expression of compassion, you’ll feel much better. Get involved in service projects in your community.

4. Live in the present moment.

Our mind keeps oscillating between the past & the future, and then we crib about the past or feel anxious about the future. Joy & happiness can be found in the present moment.

The essence of Dharma

 

What we do affects others only to the extent that they take it. If they do not take it, then no matter what you do, it won’t affect them at all, be it good or bad.

There lived a saint named Diogenes, who was enslaved by Alexander. Alexander had him tied up in chains and handcuffed. When he was being sold at the slave market, he looked so strong and confident that the person trying to sell him looked like a slave. Diogenes did not look like a slave at all. So, whatever we do affects people only as much as they take in.

If you swear at someone and he doesn’t listen to you at all; instead, he thinks you’re talking in another language or he thinks you’re praising him, then what effect would your words have on him? You are talking about something very wise, maybe you are giving knowledge, but the other person is not listening to you at all, just sitting like a stone, then what influence will your talk have on him? Unless the person decides to absorb what you are saying and take it in, he will neither be positively nor negatively affected by it.

This does not mean you should give people grief and misery. The saying, ‘Sukhasya dukhasya nakopi daata’ (no one is the giver of happiness or misery) does not mean that you keep giving as much grief as you possibly can, to others. No! You must be sensitive.

What you do not like for yourself, why should you do unto others? This is Dharma. So, if someone swears at us, we feel sad about it. That means we should not swear at others. And, if we do not like people stealing things from us, then we should not steal from others. So, whatever we don’t want inflicted on us, we should not do to others. This simple notion is the essence of Dharma – the knowledge of one’s duty.

Real vs. Unreal

 

When something is unbelievably beautiful or joyful, you wonder whether it is a dream.

Often, what you perceive as reality is not joyful and so when misery is there, you never wonder if it is a dream. You are sure it is real. This is knowing the real as unreal and unreal as real. In fact, all the miseries are unreal.

A wise man knows that happiness is real, as it is one's very nature. Unhappiness is unreal as it is inflicted by memory. When you see everything as a dream, then you abide in your true nature.

Three signs of progress on the spiritual path

 

Being blissful is the first sign of spiritual progress.

The second is, being compassionate - not thinking about oneself. Only being blissful is not enough. You have to be compassionate & caring.

Third is, being ready to take on challenges - rather than seeing situations as problematic.

Chakras and human emotions

 

There are 72,000 nadis (channels of life-force energy) in the body, and there are various nerve centers where these channels meet. The human body has 109 such centers, also called chakras. When energy flows through these nerve centers upwards or downwards, there are different emotions, feelings or sensations that one experiences. The 7 major:

at muladhara, it’s either enthusiasm or dullness;

at swadhishthana, procreation or creation;

at manipura, jealousy, generosity, joy or greed;

at anahata, love, fear or hatred;

at vishuddhi, gratitude or sorrow;

at ajna, anger or awareness; and

at sahasrara, there’s bliss.

Normally, life energy is flowing through these chakras, but if we feel disturbed or under pressure, there’s an obstruction in the flow of energy.

Place your attention on the energy in these chakras, and you will see that the negative energy in the chakras gradually dissolves. For example, if you feel jealous and then meditate with attention on your navel, the jealousy will automatically subside.

Bring your attention to these centers, observe them and the world of worries and thoughts that trouble your mind will disappear. There will be peace.

Impact of human psyche on nature

 

All the ancient cultures around the world have honoured nature. Plants, rivers, and mountains have always been revered. Rivers were worshipped as mothers and the Earth was regarded as a Goddess. This attitude of treating nature as sacred needs to be revived in modern times.

In reality, human greed and callousness are the root cause of pollution. The greed for quick and large profits severely disrupts the ecological balance, and not only pollutes the physical environment, but also stimulates negative emotions on a subtle level.

We need to attend to the human psyche, which is the root cause of pollution. We need to revive the traditional practices that foster our connection with nature. People should be encouraged to have reverence for the planet, to treat people as sacred, and to see God in nature. This will foster sensitivity. Only a sensitive person can care for nature and nurture the environment.

The most beautiful place in the universe

 

The most beautiful spot anywhere is ‘right here’. When you come here, you find that wherever you are, everything becomes beautiful. Where is this place?

Don't look here and there for this place. It is right within you, your self. When you come here, then any place is beautiful. Then wherever you go, you add beauty there.

If you are unhappy, even the moon is irritating to you. Sweet things are nauseating, music is disturbing. When you are calm and centered inside, noise is musical, clouds are magical, rain is liquid sunshine. Book yourself on a trip to this most beautiful place in the universe. Then you find that every day is a vacation and a celebration.