25. Being Compassionate is the Road to Happiness

25. Being Compassionate is the Road to Happiness A Zen Master assembled his tutees at the Temple of Knowledge. The monks had completed a vigorous session on meditation were suffused with efficacious thoughts. It was time to question their cerebral robustness. “What do you mean by compassion?” he posed. Replies from the disciples varied from love, generosity, affection, care, kindness to liberality. The Zen Master went on to narrate a story. Once near a Temple of Knowledge lived a mendicant. One day an old lady dropped a coin in his begging bowl. A little later a propertied Prince happened to pass by and looking at his pitiable condition dropped in five gold coins and walked away in a haughty manner. Subsequently a small monk who lived within the precincts of the Temple of Knowledge emerged. He was carrying a few coins to buy flowers for a function in the Temple. On his way back, he handed over the bunch of flowers to the mendicant. “So friends, who was the most compassionate of the three?” In unison, the tutees proclaimed that it was the opulent prince since he had parted with five gold coins as alms. The Zen Master shook his head in disagreement and remarked, “The old lady gave a coin as an act of pity, the deep-pocketed prince brazenly displayed his haughtiness, while the young monk was deeply touched at the pitiable condition of the individual and gave the flowers meant for a ritual to be performed in the Temple of Knowledge. He felt a deep empathy within his being and parted the flowers without a degree of hesitation and could invoke a smile on the face of the alms-seeker.” “Compassion springs from the fountain of love, while lust is the bedrock of passion,” exhorted the Zen Master to the assembled disciples. Aeons ago lived a young prince named Siddhartha, belonging to the fearsome Sakyan kingdom, a noteworthy republic of the period. Sage Asita however, forewarned King Suddhodhana that his son Siddhartha would indeed become the emperor of the world, but not in battle fatigues rather by donning ochre robes as compassion was in the very DNA of the child. This forewarning acted on the overwrought Sakyan sovereign. He encircled Siddhartha with a luxuriant life, inciting carnal passion in him, simultaneously goading him to be brawny enough to take part in warfare. The monarch assumed that matrimony and parenthood would veer the mind of the strapping youngster away from monkhood. However, Emperor Suddhodhana could never truly encircle the mind of Siddhartha, as the Prince pined for the quintessential truth. One fine day, without any warning, the young heir abdicated all gross and corporeal things in life and plunged headlong into a life of tapas. The Sakyan prince not only discarded his battle fatigues but also transfigured his mind. The robust and intrepid mind had to sift through the nugatory thoughts of sorrow and happiness, logic and feverishness to become pristine, full of compassion, love and non-violence. The transmutation of his mind and self was an arduous journey of deep introspection. It was not largesse bestowed by the Universe. Non-violence became the springboard to complete the transformation into a compassionate human being. Planet Earth hosts myriad life-forms. It is the only planet which nourishes life, deriving vital prana from the Sun. Degradation of the environment and ecology on account of man’s avarice and rapacious covetousness is torpedoing the very process of living. We are no longer compassionate to ourselves, or to the flora and fauna or even the rivers, seas and farmlands. Humans spewing negativity will soon turn the host of creation into a ghost land. Once, Buddha was in the midst of an assembly. Those present were engrossed in meditation. A raging and wrathful businessman reached the spot. The magnate hailed from an opulent family and was distraught that his wife and children had given up the luxuriant ways of life and spent hours meditating at the conclave. He saw Buddha sporting a beatific and serene smile. Wrenching his fists in vexation, he spat at the compassionate one’s face much to the chagrin of all present before rushing out. But it was a tumultuous night for the entrepreneur, barely snatching a few winks. He recalled that this was the first occasion in his life that a person on whom he spat maintained remarkable poise and equanimity. His body shivered and he felt that there was an earthquake in his mind. Deeply distraught, he reached the conclave the next morning, apologising profusely. “Holy Sire, please forgive me. I did not know what I was doing.” Buddha, maintaining his calm demeanour merely remarked, “I cannot excuse you.” The assembly was taken aback. Buddha looked intensely into the eyes of the industrialist and merely stated, “Why do you ask for pardon? You did nothing counterfactual.” “Holy one! I was the mentally wrecked person who had the temerity to spit on your face.” The businessman added, “And for this wanton act I am devastated.” Buddha parried the question, dexterously stating, “Oh! That individual is no longer in our midst.” In case I ever meet that gentleman, I shall ask him to pardon the person who is currently amidst us. Son, you have done no wrong, remove the heavy stone of repentance from yourself and heart.” Compassion never mushrooms from not pardoning someone or making a person feel the victim or inducing guilt. The act of forgiveness is so subtle that the individual granted clemency is unaware of the charitable act. Compassion stands for lenity which emerges from love, while animosity and tyranny appear from lust and covetousness. Love exudes warmth and embraces all animate and inanimate objects, while lust embarks an individual on the path of sabotage and often self-destruction. “If you want others to be happy practice compassion. If you want to be happy practice compassion,” says the Dalai Lama. 26. Be Calm and Composed Aeons ago in ancient China lived an old farmer who had worked on his land for many years. He was blessed with a perspicacious mind. Abruptly, one day his horse ran away. Upon hearing the news, a motley group of neighbours came to commiserate with him. “Such misfortune, such ill luck,” the agitated group of villagers reacted. “Maybe,” nonchalantly replied the farmer. A few days later the horse returned, accompanied by three wild horses. Another group of villagers made a beeline to the house of agriculturist to sympathise. “Maybe,” was the taciturn reply of the aged farmer. The following day, the farmer’s son tried to mount one of the untamed horses and was thrown off. Consequently, the strapping youngster broke his leg. The overwrought neighbours once again queued up to offer their sympathies at this misadventure. “Maybe,” was the desultory answer yet again. A few days later some military personnel swooped on the village to draft young men. Looking at the incapacitated stripling he was disqualified from being recruited. The exuberant neighbours congratulated the old grazier on the unexpected turn of events. “Maybe,” was the laconic reply yet again. Import of the story What could be the gravity and consequences of this unconventional Zen story? The remarkable ability of the aged farmer to remain unruffled, whatever the unwelcome turn or misadventure one may encounter in life. Second, to remain in the present moment and possess the uncanny ability to accept people and situations as they are. This transmutes and metamorphoses the mind to remain pacific in every situation and maintain equanimity. Aphorism of the Art of Living Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, the Spiritual Master has succinctly elucidated the significance of the aphorism, ‘to accept people and situations as they are’ in his teachings. Any individual who undertakes the Happiness Programme of the Art of Living is imparted this knowledge. This sutra engineers a radical change in the personality. The 4 Ds of Abnormal Behaviour Abnormal behaviour can be construed as a behaviour which is disturbing (socially unacceptable), distressing, maladaptive (or self-defeating), and often the result of distorted thoughts (cognitions), as per Wikipedia. There are four strains in this abnormal behaviour. These are deviance, dysfunction, distress and danger. Deviant behaviour is usually different, extreme, and unusual and could even include bizarre behavioural patterns. The second in the series is distressing behaviour. People who are related to such individuals feel unpleasant and unsettled in their presence. Dysfunctional behaviour discommodes the patient to such an extent that it acts as a deterrent in his day to day functioning and behaviour and interferes in his range of activities. The individual is no longer constructive to himself or to society at large. They are individuals who are plainly dangerous or even lethal in their behavioural approach. This impacts their lives and the lives of those with whom they get intertwined in some manner. Anxiety disorders and their symptoms There are five specific patterns of anxiety disorders which fall into this category. The first is termed as General Anxiety Disorder. This is a prolonged, vague, quite inexplicable fear having no objective basis, accompanied by hyper vigilance and attached motor tension of the brain. Next is what in quotidian parlance is called Panic Disorder. These are none other than perpetual and frequent anxiety disorders and attacks which are accompanied with psychological symptoms such as breathlessness, palpitations, a trembling feeling, dizziness and even a sense of total loss of control over the self. The individual suffering from such a pestilence could even harbour morbid thoughts. Next in the line of mental disorders are phobias. Humans have irrational phobias such as Acrophobia (fear of heights), Glossophobia (fear of addressing an audience), Claustrophobia (fear of enclosed spaces), Aviophobia (fear of flying). There is yet another phobia which impacts the human mind. This is called OCD or Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. In such a situation a human being is preoccupied with a wide range of thoughts, which are normally viewed by sane people as absolutely irrational. Such persons are habituated to inspecting and checking on things in their immediate surroundings, at home or outside, washing clothes in order to be absolutely freshly attired or always found counting things or even money. Last, but no less distressing – on this ill-fated checklist is Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). These individuals suffer repeated and recurrent nightmares, flashbacks, impaired concentration and emotional numbing which invariably follows traumatic or stressful events. The way out Our country is plagued by three major issues namely, addictions, women’s issues and psychological disorders. A large mass of denizens approach tantriks, babas, and other quacks hoping for a miraculous cure. In all such mephitic issues, it is essential and mandatory to meet a qualified medical practitioner. The first step to recovery is medication under the expert guidance of a doctor. Next, after a period of treatment, it would be prudent to contact self-help groups, which sustain and nourishe the treatment. For instance, undergoing the Happiness Course of the Art of Living, where a person is taught the unique rhythmic breathing technique of Sudarshan Kriya. Sri Sri Ravi Shankar calls the breathing technique as romance with the breath. Human breath has the remarkable potential to expatriate toxins and fears and paves the roadway to recovery. “No matter how hard the past, you can always begin again,” said Gautama Buddha.