🕉️18 मार्च 🕉️

🕉️18 मार्च 🕉️ *तथैव कर्मकरणे कामना नास्ति धीमताम् तथैव कर्मसंत्यागे कामना नास्ति धीमताम् (88/12)* सूरज ने आगे कहा: इस प्रकार वे सभी अत्यंत एकाग्र भाव से ब्रह्मांड के कर्ता का ध्यान करते रहे। फिर उनके शरीर विदीर्ण हो गए और जो कुछ भी शेष रहा उसका जंगली जानवरों ने भक्षण कर डाला। परंतु वे अपनी अशरीरी अवस्था में भी दीर्घकाल तक अर्थात् तब तक ध्यानमग्न रहे, जब तक कल्प का अंत नहीं हुआ। कल्प के अंत के समय सूरज का ताप प्रखर और असह्य हो गया, बादल भी महागर्जन के साथ फट पड़े और फिर सब-कुछ नष्ट हो गया। परंतु वे पवित्रात्मा अशरीरी अवस्था में भी यह सोचकर ध्यानावस्थित रहे कि हमें ब्रह्मांड का कर्ता बनना है। नवीन सृष्टि के प्रभातकाल में भी वे पवित्रात्मा उसी स्थिति में रहे तथा उनकी वही अकांक्षा भी रही। वे सृष्टिकर्ता बन गए। वे दस सृष्टिकर्ता थे और उनके अपने-अपने ब्रह्मांड थे। हे प्रभु, मैं उनमें से एक सूरज हूँ। जो उनके द्वारा सर्जित ब्रह्मांडों में प्रकाश करता हूँ। वसिष्ठ ने उस सूरज से कहा: हे सूर्यदेवता, जब इन दस सृष्टिकर्ताओं द्वारा ब्रह्मांडों का निर्माण किया ही जा चुका है तब मेरे लिए करने को क्या है? सूरज ने उत्तर दिया: हे प्रभु, न आपकी कोई आकांक्षा है न कोई प्रयोजन ही। अतः आपको कुछ करने की आवश्यकता नहीं। ब्रह्मांड को निर्मित करने से आपको अंततः कौन-सा लाभ ही होने को है। आपके ब्रह्मांड की सृष्टि प्रयोजनहीन खेल के जैसी है। सूर्य बिना इच्छा या संकल्प के चमकता है, ताल का जल बिना चाहते हुए सूर्य के प्रकाश को परावर्तित करता है, उसी प्रकार आपकी इच्छा या संकल्प के बिना भी सृष्टि आपसे उत्पन्न होगी। जिस प्रकार सूर्य बिना चाहे बारी-बारी से निरंतर रात-दिन प्रकाश उत्पन्न करता है उसी प्रकार आप भी बिना इच्छा या संकल्प के सृष्टि में लगें। अपने प्रकृत प्रकार्यों को त्यागने से भी आपको क्या मिल सकता है। बुद्धिमान व्यक्ति में कुछ करने की न इच्छा ही होती है और न ही उसमें कुछ न करने की इच्छा होती है। प्रभु, उन पवित्रात्माओं द्वारा सर्जित इस ब्रह्मांड को आप अपने मानसी चक्षुओं से देख ही रहे हैं। अपने मन में सर्जित पदार्थों को अपनी आँखों से ही देखा जा सकता है, कोई और उन्हें नहीं देख सकता। जो पदार्थ मन से सर्जित किए जाते हैं वे अविनाशी होते हैं। विनाश उन्हीं पदार्थों का होता है जो भौतिक वस्तुओं को जोड़-जाड़कर बनाए जाते हैं। अपने मन में जो सत्य दृढ़तापूर्वक स्थापित होता है व्यक्ति उसी से बना होता है। वही वह होता है कुछ और नहीं।

The Pioneer Articles

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INTERESTING TRIVIA !

 INTERESTING TRIVIA !

*This Day That Year*

*Events on June 29*

1995

* *US space shuttle docks with Russia in 1995*

        The US space shuttle  docked with a Russian  space station on June 29, 1995. The two formed the largest man-made satellite to ever orbit the Earth.   The collaboration marked a rare moment of cooperation between former rivals

        

 2007

* *Sachin Tendulkar's World Record* 

        Sachin Tendulkar earned  

 the title of Master Blaster by becoming the first batsman in cricket history to register 15,000 ODI runs.

      

Tendulkar achieved this

 milestone in  India's match against SA,  Belfast in the  second ODI of the

 three match series. Team India was chasing 227

 runs for the win. It was at that time that Tendulkar

entered the game and opened the batting for India. He went on to play a knock of 93 runs from 106 balls to reach the 15,000  run mark in 50-over cricket.

2007

 *Launch of iPhone*

       Former Apple CEO Steve Jobs brought revolution to the world of mobile phones with Apple iPhone launch on June 29, 2007. iPhone heralded the era of  touchscreens and revolutionlised the mobile phone applications. 

2007

* *National Statistics Day** 

         The day is also observed as National Statistics Day

    In  India to commemorate

 the birth anniversary of

 Prof. Prasanta Chandra

 Mahalanobis, a renowned  Indian statistician and  economist. 

      

   PC Mahalanobis was born  on June 29, 1893 and

made  immense    

contribution in India's socio-economic planning and policymaking. 

To honour the

  contribution of PC Mahalonobis, the Government of India declared June 29 as National Statistics Day in 2007.

252. *The Five Secrets* - Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

 252. *The Five Secrets* 

There are five secrets that are sacred and are guarded by the subtle beings and angels in this creation. They are: 

Jananarahasya (the secret of birth) - Birth is a secret. How a soul takes a body, the criteria for selecting the place of birth, time of birth, type of body and parents are all a secret. 

Maranarahasya (the secret of death) - Death is a highly guarded secret. Death remains a mystery. The process of separation of spirit from matter and its journey from then on is a secret. 

Rājarahasya (the royal secret, the secret of ruling) -The principles of governing, and maintaining orderliness in creation are a secret. 

Prakritirahasya (the secret of nature) - Nature is a mystery. The more you know about nature, the mystery deepens. The more a scientist knows, the more he feels there is to know. Science, though appearing to resolve the mystery in creation, has deepened it. The knowledge of particles, wave functions, black holes, the vacuum state have only deepened the mystery. 

Mantrarahasya (the secret of mantras) - The mantras and their effect, influence, method and mode of working are all a mystery. Mantrās are the impulses or rhythms of consciousness, which itself is a mystery.

A secret is usually associated with shame. But in Eastern tradition, secrets are considered sacred.

mental health issues

 We all have to be careful because many people are facing mental health issues from being isolated for too long after they retire. 

In fact, I have been discussing this with the microwave and toaster during coffee break and we all agreed that things are getting hot.

I spoke with my apartment windows this morning cos they were very open about it.

I didn't mention anything to the washing machine as she puts a different spin on everything. 

Certainly not to the fridge as he has been acting very cold and distant.

The toilet looked a bit flushed when I asked for his opinion. He didn’t say anything but the doorknob told me to get a grip. 

The front door said I was unhinged and so the curtains told me to pull myself together.

I tried to talk to the mirror as well but it asked me to go reflect on myself first.

The vacuum cleaner was very unsympathetic and told me to just suck it up, but the fan was more optimistic and hoped it would all soon blow over.

In the end, the iron straightened me out. She said everything will be fine and no situation is too pressing!

KARMA

 KARMA

 

Around the Year with Emmet Fox

 

July 1

 

Just as like attracts like, so like produces like.

This is a cosmic law, which means

that it is universally true

throughout the whole of existence

right up through the higher planes.

As Jesus put it, you do not gather grapes

from thorns or figs from thistles;

and he also said,

“Even so every good tree

bringeth forth good fruit;

but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit”

Matthew 7:17

 

So, it is with our thoughts and words and deeds.

As we sow so shall we reap,

sometimes almost immediately,

sometimes after a long interval.

But always, sooner or later like produces like.

Reincarnation also explains the differences in talents

that we find between one man and another.

The born musician is a man

who has studied music in a previous life,

perhaps in several lives,

and has therefore built that faculty into his soul.

He is a talented musician today

because he is reaping what he sowed yesterday.

In the East this law of sowing and reaping

is known as karma and the term is a convenient one.

Note carefully, however, that karma is not punishment.

If you touch a red-hot stove, you will burn your finger.

This will hurt you, but it is not punishment,

only a benign and reformative consequence,

for after one or two such experiences in childhood,

you learn to keep your fingers away from hot iron.

So, it is with all-natural retribution—

you suffer because you have a lesson to learn.

 

 

  

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Why is Lord Indra not worshiped?

 

Why is Lord Indra not worshiped?

There was a Sage named Devasarman. He had a wife named Ruchi who was very beautiful. The Sage also had a disciple Vipula.

Once Devasarman called his disciple Vipula and said

'I shall leave home (for a while) in order to perform a sacrifice. The chief of the celestials always covets this Ruchi of mine. Do thou, during my absence, protect her, putting forth all thy might! Thou shalt pass thy time heedfully in view of Purandara. O foremost one of Bhrigu's race, that Indra assumes various disguises.'

[1]

Vipula promised Devasarman to protect his wife Ruchi from Indra and Devasarman left his home for performing a sacrifice.

Vipula began to think how he can protect his master’s wife from Indra and finally came to this conclusion:

Indra cannot be kept out by enclosing this retreat of ours or fencing this yard, since he is capable of assuming innumerable forms. Assuming the form of the wind, the chief of the celestials may assault the spouse of my preceptor. The best course, therefore, for me, would be to enter (by Yoga-power) the body of this lady and remain there.

Directing his eyes then to hers and uniting the rays of light that emanated from her organs of vision with those that issued from his, Vipula (in his subtile form) entered the lady's body even as the element of wind enters that of ether of space. Penetrating her eyes with his eyes and her face with his face, Vipula stayed, without moving, within her invisibly, like her shadow. Restraining every part of the lady's body, Vipula continued to dwell within her, intent on protecting her from Indra. The lady herself knew nothing of this.

[2]

Indra assuming a form of celestial beauty entered the Devasarman 's abode. Seeing Indra, Ruchi wished to ask him as to who he was. Indra tried to communicate with Ruchi in many ways but Vipula restrained the words that she intended to utter. Indra using his spiritual eye saw Vipula in her body. Vipula then came out of Ruchi’s body and cursed Indra as follows:

"Vipula said, 'O wicked-souled Purandara, O thou of sinful mind, O wretch that hast no control over thy senses, neither the deities nor human beings will worship thee for any length of time! Hast thou forgotten it. O Sakra,--does it not still dwell in thy remembrance,--that Gautama had cursed thee in consequence of which thy body became disfigured with a thousand sex-marks, which, owing to the Rishi's compassion, were afterwards changed into organs of vision? I know that thou art of an exceedingly foolish understanding, that thy soul is uncleansed, and that thou art of an exceedingly unstable mind! O fool, know that this lady is being protected by me. O sinful wretch, go back to that place whence thou tamest. O thou of foolish soul, I do not consume thee today into ashes with my energy. Verily, I am filled with compassion for thee. It is for this that I do not, O Vasava, wish to burn thee. My preceptor, endued with great intelligence, is possessed of terrible might. With eyes blazing with wrath, he would, if he saw thee, have burnt thy sinful self today. Thou shouldst not, O Sakra, do like this again. The Brahmanas should be regarded by thee. See that thou dost not, with thy sons and counsellors, meet with destruction, afflicted by the might of the Brahmanas. Thou thinkest that thou art an immortal and that, therefore, art at liberty to proceed in this way. Do not, however, disregard the Brahmanas. Know that there is nothing unattainable by penance.'

[3]

Krishna had better choices than Arjun (all his brothers except Arjun), but he (Krishna) chose to become Arjun's charioteer. Why?

 

Krishna had better choices than Arjun (all his brothers except Arjun), but he (Krishna) chose to become Arjun's charioteer. Why?

It’s very interesting question. Every body knows why and when Arjuna chose Krishna as his charioteer - Yes it was Arjuna who chose Krishna as charioteer and not other way around. It was a masterstroke that actually many of Kouravas never imagined. Yes Kouravas knew the ‘bonhomie’ between two, they knew Krishna would do many thing for Pandavas - but no one actually imagined the impact of Krishna becoming the charioteer of Arjuna.

It was only during battle Kouravas slowly started realizing the massive impact of the decision.

For example - it was on 17th day Karna realized that he needed a charioteer who could match Krishna in chariot driving.

Before explaining that I would tell you that the major characters of Pandavas side actually wanted the same. You have to analyze the Mahabharata very carefully.

1st Incident - Remember when Krishna first time visited in the forest to meet Pandavas, Krishna got angry when he saw the situation of Pandavas and Arjuna tried to calm him down. That in turn made Draupadi angry and she blasted Bhima and Arjuna for failing to protect her. Krishna made a promise that he would lend his power to her husband and would ensure her husbands avenge her. He promised Bibhatsu would kill her enemy - carefully look the promise he made. KMG Translation further mentioned that when Krishna made the promise Draupadi looked at Arjuna and he technically promised that it would happen exactly as Krishna said.

2nd Incident - When Jayadratha tried to abduct Draupadi she mentioned that no one can abduct her when two Krishna ride on same chariot come for her rescue. Now the question is how did she knew Two Krishnas (Arjuna and Krishna) would ever ride on same chariot to go for war? Or why did she ‘imagined’ liked that?

3rd Incident - After killing Karna when they returned to meet Yudisthira, Krishna informed us that Yudisthira wanted him to be Arjuna’s chariot driver. Please be patient and I am not transferring the credit for Arjuna choosing Krishna as his charioteer to any one else.

Now the question is why? Both Draupadi and Yudisthira knew about Pandavas very well and both had their own judgement. They knew the fate of their win depends on Arjuna. It’s going to be an absolute battle where every strength and weakness count. Arjuna was the best in class Archer - best in skill and best in knowledge of weapon but he had certain weakness.

Let me list down that here -

• He fears committing sin. He would be in doubtful state if he fails to guess an act would be regarded as sin or good deed. He wanted to remain sin less.
• He was compassionate and emotional at same time. I won’t say it is bad characteristics but for a man on whom an entire side depend has to be more stable.
• His refusal to fight against his Acharyas such as Drona or Kripa, His refusal to fight properly against Bhisma, his sudden rash act of taking a vow after he got the news of Abhimanyu’s death or his 17th day fight where he had almost killed Yudisthira or himself would be regarded as weakness in battle ground however good it morally sound.
• Every man has his own flaws and it depends how correct it. Arjuna’s remedy was Krishna. It is Krishna alone who understand Arjuna fully. It Krishna who knew Arjuna better than Arjuna knew himself. Krishna was great strategist and a great chariot driver. But his real impact was how he find solution to each of Arjuna’s weakness.
• For example Kunti tells Krishna to keep reminding Arjuna of Draupadi’s humiliation? Why? It was Krishna who kept reminding him of Draupadi’s insult in an ultimate time. Think how Krishna spoke of Draupadi’s insult when Karna asked Arjuna to stop war and let him pull chariot wheel. In that moment Krishna recounted the the humiliation of Draupadi and it worked like double edge sword - it silenced Karna and equally made Arjuna rage. Before that Arjuna treating him as competitor of archery, that rage made him take Karna just enemy who need to be killed. Now it’s not that Arjuna reluctant to avenge Draupadi. By being a positive guy revenge always takes lesser priority for him. But same time the urge of justice or vengeance some times provide extra power inside people - it makes people more determined. By reminding Draupadi’s humiliation Krishna psychologically changed the way Arjuna was looking at the duel.
• It was this that made Arjuna absolutely invincible who can’t exploited by any means. When I say absolute power which includes characteristic weaknesses - Bhisma had problem with Sikhandi, Drona had problem with his son - when he heard the death of his son in rage he ended up misusing divine weapons and lost them.
• Now if we say Krishna can be remedy to every one then where lies the credit of Arjuna? No. That is a mistake. Krishna was remedy only for Arjuna and no one else - none tried to listen to Krishna. No one was flexible to bend.
• Where as Arjuna could be corrected as he was more flexible but only Krishna could argue and convince him.

So be it Draupadi, Yudisthira, Bhima more likely wanted to see Krishna becoming Arjuna’s chariot driver. Staying long for many days each of them personally knew others very well.

Krishna himself wanted that. And he knew given a choice between an army or unarmed Krishna - Arjuna would make second choice and make him his own charioteer. This was necessary for the win of Pandavas.

Really, inspiring....

 The most famous broadcaster in America is Oprah Winfrey. She announced her retirement, and they held a festival honoring her in a football stadium, but the surprise was to discover that she had sponsored 65,000 poor people for a quarter of a century without anyone knowing...   Many of them attended the stadium and 450 people came out with candles... !   Five of them were professors at Harvard University who gave a short sermon summarizing it: “If it were not for Oprah, we would now be in a different place than this...”!!!   One person changes the lives of 65,000 people? And in secret?   Humanity is not a religion, but rather a rank that some people reach.   Over to those who are  millionaires and billionaires. Build human capacities instead of competing in building castles and buying exotic vehicles which will become old models in a few years.  Be an epitome of humanity. 

Really, inspiring....

Successful People 1

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  Mind and Successful People

Successful People 1

Success can be measured materially and metaphysically . Physical success is being triumphant   and victorious . A non achiever is called a loser . Humans and human mind always pine to be associated with success and be in the company of successful persons. That is the characteristic or nature( chitta) of mind.  Humans aspire and hunger to achieve the pinnacles of glory and  success.

” Success is simple . Do what’s right the right way at the right time” writes Arnold H Glasgow .

Metaphysical success is equivalent to  spiritual success . A state where , results do not matter. One is oblivious to the final outcome . A seeker just gives his 100% and is satisfied  and contented with that, continuously doing his Sadhana. In case  an individual is  a practitioner of Yoga , he would unflinchingly follow the path of Ashtanga Yoga( the eight limbs ) as laid down by sage  Patanjali.  These include Yama, Niyama, Aasana, Pranayama, Pratayahara, Dharana,Dhyana and Samadhi. It is just not performing  the physical exercise  but far beyond that. Further the seeker needs to disciplined  , alert and wakeful. The food he partakes should be Sattvik and not Rajasik or Tamasik. To achieve bliss ,  the practitioner should be endowed with enormous patience.

If a seeker is following the  tenets the of Art of Living , he needs to continuously follow the path of Sadhana,  Sudarshan Kriya , Satsang, Seva, Meditation , Spiritual Practices and Silence. And this is true of whichever  path one adopts without getting distracted and venturing into ‘spiritual shopping’. Then the mind would be in the present moment, contented , blissful and happy.

” Success is not final, failure is not fatal : it is the courage to continue that counts ” wrote Winston Churchill.

Successful people enhance their productivity through relentless practice and honing  their skills . Skills are augmented  through  continuously  updating  knowledge , reading  quality  literature ,    evolving with  the latest  technology , being alert and aware of the rapidly changing environment   which is  us. The world is truly flat in this age of software, mobiles, apps and cloud( SMAC).

Moreover such people  maintain good  and intelligent company . Good company is like  being owners of precious  and priceless  books which nourish and nurture  a person with information and increase the repository of knowledge. Over a period , one can be a proud owner of a library of  outstanding friends and books unlike mere acquaintances  brawny relationships. Only strong willing people can become successful. ” Failure will never overtake me if my determination to succeed is strong enough” wrote Og Madino.

Imagine  a person aspiring to open for the Indian cricket team  and  has no clue about Sunil Gavaskar or  Virendra Sehwag  among other openers ! An achiever should be fully abreast with the culture and history of the environment he inhabits. ” A people without the knowledge of their past history , origins and culture is like a tree without roots” says Marcus Garvey.

The individual should be fully adept with the intelligence and emotional quotient of his environment   apart from the social behavioral.

An eye for the  specifics and details separates chaff from the grain . An achiever minutely captures in his amazing photographic memory all that is unfolding around him  , without missing anything even the minutest detail. You need to know more than your juniors and peers and perhaps more than your seniors . However one should not be boastful and pompous about knowledge acquired . Humility wins you friends and their loyalty acts as a stepping stone in achieving additional milestones.

Never forgetting the family,   the inner circle of friends and close relationships is the quintessential hallmark  of a successful man. As these were the very individuals who helped the achiever , when there were dark clouds hovering  ,  when the mind was clouded with doubts and apprehensions. The empathy and bonding of the family transports the individual  to a different platform and zone. They were with us , are with us and will be with us should be the Mantra. Discarding them or abandoning them will be only at the individual’s peril.  This should be particularly remembered by artistes and those working in the tinsel world. Arrogant behavior will never pay. At any cost , a successful person can never outpace, outdistance or outstrip events . There would be periods of conflict and turmoil , when we would desperately need the succor  and comfort of our family and friends.

Most importantly successful people work in teams . Synergy of teams breed positive thoughts and originality . This infuses fresh ideas  and visualisation which are extremely useful for the self and the organisation . The symphony and orchestration of  a soccer team on the pitch is a celebration to the eyes of cynosure  as they play in harmony and unison. Imagine the plight of a football team, where players play  an inward-looking game where they do not pass the ball……

The car man, Henry Ford , correctly states,” Coming together is a beginning ; keeping together is progress , working together is success.”

Successful individuals are synthesizers like ants , who work to build  beautiful  anthills .

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mind Management 3

 

 

 

 

 

Mind Management 3

Recently I received a message on my cell," I am the son of Lord Krishna , I keep visiting Tirumala , yet I take drugs, why do I suffer, please help me?"

My terse response was," Meet a psychiatrist , undergo counselling , practice  medication and undergo the Happiness Programme of the The Art Of Living".

But the caller was unsatisfied and kept pestering me with a flurry of such messages.

This person was positively in a state of misery and fear. Fear is an unpleasant emotion caused by the threat of danger or pain. His crutch and life boat was Lord Krishna. To my mind , it seemed a state of hallucination , perhaps because of medicines and drugs. The mind of the caller was both fragmented and deeply disturbed. He appeared to be in a state of imbalance . No one in his right frame of mind would come up with such outlandish prepositions.

He refused to take proper medication, meet a psychiatrist or undertake the Art Of Living programme. Here was a challenge staring me in my face. The individual positively required attention and help.

The Patanjali Yoga Sutras have identified the following as root causes of miseries in life- Avidya, Asmita, Raga, Dwesha and Abhinivesha.

1) Avidya- This is nothing but lack of knowledge or ignorance. Everything around us keeps changing constantly. It could be our cells , blood, stomach linings, hair to name some. But we are oblivious of the change. The only permanent thing in life is impermanence said Buddha.

2) Asmita- Is our intellect and our self. We get stubbornly stuck to our opinions. Like the caller was fixated with the idea that he was the child of Lord Krishna and stay put at Tirumala. Yet he was partaking drugs. We are unable to comprehend life beyond a state of our stubbornness and ignorance. Unfortunately the mind is stuck in our mirror image of stubbornness. We too become " Pictures of Dorian Gray".

3) Raga- This is nothing but craving. Normally craving arises out of certain pleasurable experiences of the past . It has deep imprint on the mind. But such impressions only aggravates our wants and misery. It is a vicious cycle of pleasure begetting more pleasure  and ending up in a cachet of misery.

4) Dwesha- Is nothing but hatred . Hatred is antithetical to craving. Though it arises out of craving , the premise is an unpleasant experience. Some kind of an oxymoron like situation. This could be because of certain tragic moments in the past  or unrealistic expectations which do not materialise.

5) Abhivivesha- This is fear of the unknown . An emotion which affects all of us. Only a saint or  an insane person has overcome this barrier. Fear can also help as a protecting cloak  when it is in  relatively small measure. This helps us to not indulge in chest thumping bravado. Erudite scholars too live with this primordial instict.

The above points have been explained in a succinct and elaborate manner by HH Sri Sri Ravi Shankar in his commentary on Patanjali Yoga Sutras.

The caller proclaiming to be the son of Lord Krishna was in obvious pain and agony. He could experience ecstasy only through scientific help that is, consulting a psychiatrist  , taking proper medication and undertaking  an Art Of Living course. That was of course my suggestion. However his escapist response was that the course would be expensive  and where could he locate a centre . This is how a how a fragmented and an escapist mind reacts. That is primarily looking for excuses and not accepting the reality. I suggested that through the Art Of Living website  a centre could be identified and a course undertaken . Further there are free courses like Nav Chetna workshops which he could attend.

The caller continued to escape and dodge the inevitable. This is how human mind reacts. It keeps hunting for excuses, alternatives . Invariably the cloak of negativity and ignorance shrouds the mind from combating the problem.

Exercising all love, caution and care , I asked him to chant " OM NAMAHA SHIVAYA" - 108 times thrice a day to purge his mind from all negative thoughts and making positive affirmations by writing" I AM HAPPY, HEALTHY AND PEACEFUL". This task also to be done thrice daily 108 times; and the Tapas to be done for 41 days. In case a day is missed for some reason , repeat the process again for 41 days. Such signals to the mind are extremely useful and powerful . The mind then responds to positive thoughts and discards negative feelings and emotions.

He has not contacted me so far. Presumably , he has embarked on the journey of Tapas and hopefully has found support and a beacon of light in the dark tunnel. His Ishta Devata , Lord Krishna wielded Sudarshan Chakra wading through negativity and impurity. Sudarshan Kriya , Pranayama , Yoga and Meditation will certainly swathe through the cobwebs of his troubled mind and increase his Prana, Chi or energy to obliterate the negativity.

I am waiting for the 41 days to end so that he can be happy , healthy and peaceful. Jai Guru Dev.

Mind Management 2

 

 

 

 

 

                    Mind Management 2

 

Sometime back I had written a piece on “ Mind Management” and   received  certain queries about  generation of multiple thoughts and the acceptance by people that  mind was not at ease. It was frightening and troubling that several   people of various age groups  were plagued by all kinds of  negative thoughts and  were not living lives in the Present Moment.

People  were troubled by thoughts arising during  the whole day and particularly at night time. Thoughts arising at bed time reside  with us and seep deep into our consciousness and   the following morning  we are again troubled by those very  thoughts   and  are not like fresh dew on petals.

Ashtravaka Gita  ( a  dialogue between King  Janaka and sage Ashtavakra) says that “ all  action resides in the mind “  and this is further  corroborated by modern science. Modern science  amplifies that there is no difference in the activity of the mind; whether you slap someone or merely think of slapping someone .It is actually the brain’s limbic system , which is where the  motor control  gets expressed . Just thinking of slapping  someone activates all muscles that would  be employed to undertake that   specific action.

Jesus adds   further   that a  sin gets committed by the mere thought of being unfaithful to your spouse. On an average we  are bombarded by 50 to 60 thousand  thoughts a day. And we seem to have   no control over them.

These thoughts arise on account of  our  memory bank (   past impressions and Karma) , the  company we keep ,past and current experiences and  also the food we partake.

According to Ashtavakra Gita  , enlightenment occurs  only when we live in our hearts. Heart is synonymous  for a point of inflexion where there is no past or future . There is only a present. Sri Sri Ravi Shankar says that “  the  Present moment is inevitable.” And   this state is  true enlightenment. A state where you a become a witness to the actions . From an   actor  or doer , we  become witnesses to what is happening around us.

How does one reach that state of Present Moment . Before dwelling on some techniques , let us witness    a  few stories.

Two Buddhists monks  were riding  cycles and  were on their way to meet   a Zen Master. Monk one ,  described the number of trees, clouds, waft of cold breeze striking his cheek, mountains , beautiful blue sky , fruits plucked on the way, village folk he encountered  among others before meeting the Zen Master. While the second monk in all trepidation , meekly replied that he only cycled to meet the Zen Master. Immediately , the Master proclaimed the second monk to be the next Zen Master. Why?  , because he was only cycling ! He was in the present moment. How many of us have seen Virendra Sehwag   despatch the red cherry all over the park . He is in that present moment zone , where the  mind is not cluttered. That is true consciousness.

Yet  another Buddhist story . There were two Buddhist monks travelling through a  dense forest . On their way they came across a naked woman . The older one removed his apparel and clothed the  bare woman and carried her across the river and left her on the other side of the  bank. The younger monk was greatly troubled by this act of his senior. He kept chiding the senior monk, literally  accusing him of  for what he perceived as an act of  sacrilege . The older one just smiled and remarked that, he carried the lady across the river , while  the other monk was still carrying the lady in his mind. Obviously the older monk through his “ Sadhana”   achieved a state of  being in the present moment.

I would recommend , readers and all the callers to  undertake the Happiness Programme of Art Of Living . Read, Sri Sri Ravi Shankar’s , Celebrating Silence and  knowledge sheets of Guruji   to acquire this wonderful knowledge of being in the present moment.

Practising  Pranayama , Sudarshan Kriya, Yoga ,  undertaking vigorous exercise , pursuing hobbies, contemplating, praying , observing  nature  and  just  being a spectator or a witness  will help also help a  seeker  and those with troubled minds   to live  in the present moment. Once in the present moment , unwanted thoughts dissolve and a person  is  at peace.

Confucious says” Life is really simple, but we insist on making it complicated.”