404. Don't wish to Live like a Parrot in the Comfortable Cage..!

http://www.speakingtree.in/spiritual-blogs/seekers/self-improvement/dont-wish-to-live-like-a-parrot-in-the-comfortable-cage

In a remote village at the foot of Himalaya a very wealthy businessman organized a grand pooja at his house. He invited everyone in the village and it was just pomp and show all the way. In the evening he had requested a Sadhu who lived on the mound to preside over and give a sermon on Spirituality. At the end he along with his family requested the Sadhu to bless. There was a pet parrot in an iron cage which was hung at the portico; the bird would repeat whatever one said. As the family members fell at the feet of the Sadhu they said “Please bless me” and the parrot had heard it. As the Sadhu was about the leave the house it mimicked “Please bless me” and Sadhu was surprised and as he knew to converse with the parrot with its language and he asked, “What do you want dear?”      
 
The parrot said, “Oh revered sir, this place is stinking and I would like to have a new cage which does not rust as it ages.” Then Sadhu called the wealthy man and asked him to change the cage and keep it clean always. The wealthy man was proud of his pet and said in a high voice, “See, I have a very intelligent bird as my pet.”  
 
Sadhu said, “No my child, it is not intelligence it is conditioning. The bird has a mind to think but has not got intellect to discriminate or analyze. If it was intelligent it would have requested me to open the door of the cage and would have liked to fly free.”
 
The man agreed, “Oh, yes Swamiji you are right it is not intelligent. The foolish bird could have asked you to let it free.”  
 
Sadhu said, “You and your family are no different from it, my child. Just as the parrot asked for a new cage, so did you and your family ask for material things which bind you down mentally and physically. I do not see any difference between your family and the bird in the cage.”
 
The man realized his fault and said, “Swamiji bless me and my family liberation then.”
 
Sadhu said, “My child, liberation does not come from getting the blessings of some person. It is the path which you have to tread individually. Liberation is for those who know that they are in bondage. If one is not aware that he is in bondage he will not do anything to get out of it. The irony is that the pleasures and comforts that you are experiencing will not make you aware that you are in bondage.”
 
The man got confused he said, “Then liberation that which I obtain when my life ends, right?”
 
Sadhu said, “No my child, Liberation is freedom while living in this physical body. It is not obtained in any other realm or getting something new, but realizing your True nature here and making use of it to the utmost. Liberation is got not by freedom from anything, but in the midst of everything. Vedanta emphasizes that liberation in order to be believable must be attained before death. One who dies in bondage, he will remain bound even after death and unfortunately he has to repeat the cycles of birth and death.”
 
The man now with gentle voice asked, “Swamiji, please guide me and my family. Tell us the means to practice in order to tread this path.”
 
Sadhu said, “Dispassion fuels the desire for wholeheartedness in this practice. This is the major precipitating factor in attaining Liberation. I am not telling you to donate all your belonging and stay with me in the mound, but not to crave for more, enjoy life with what ever comes in its way. At the same time do some good work which will help others around you also to be happy. You get to know all these when you are in good company.”  
 
With tears of joy the man fell to the feet of the Sadhu who turned the direction of his route by just explaining an analogy.


Sri Sri Sankara describes the benefits of Satsanga (association of good) in his famous Bhaja Govindam:

Satsangatve Nissangatvam
Nissangatve Nirmohatvam
Nirmohatve Nishchalatattvam
Nishchalatattve Jivanmuktih

“From satsanga one develops non-attachment; from non-attachment one attains freedom from delusion and mental perplexities; freedom from delusion leads to stillness and from stillness gets liberation.”

402. Balance your Life between Past, Present and Future.....!

http://www.speakingtree.in/public/spiritual-blogs/seekers/self-improvement/balance-your-life-between-past-present-and-future

Live for the present does not mean you have to discard the past or be unconcern of the future. The route to happiness is in balancing your focus between the past, present and future. To live a happy family life all the three are to be taken into consideration. Elders in the family have the knowledge of how you can use the resources available and fulfill the needs of the family, you can learn from their past. But it is so unfortunate that the parents in most of the families do not have right to give any suggestions. It is always better to keep them in the loop while taking a major decision in the family. Their suggestions may occur sometimes as outdated but they are the one who give right direction at confused situations. Besides they have also been through all the phases in life that you are going through now and know a little more about the world than you do. However much you may disagree with them, give them credit for their experience. It is obvious that you do not agree with their beliefs and the sentiments, but then remember that even this is nothing new. Over the years the younger generations have always disagreed with their elders and it is these differences are known to them when they become elders. Listen to the past as it is very helpful for the present.

 
Present is such a lovely thing to live with and a gift of joy from Absolute that is why it is called a “PRESENT”. Spouse is the representation of present. It is always better to share the ideas with her/him and get ideas from her/him so that the family has a nice bonding. Also the bonding should be such that at times there should be no necessity to consult either of them if they are confident with each other. There is no question of either of them thinking that they have been taken for grant, if the understanding is at the pinnacle. This extreme bond has to be with a person whom we cannot live without, not with someone whom we can live with. There is no question of sacrificing in the life of either of them if they develop a mutual sense of values and common objectives. The bond between them makes them become the sides of the same coin even though they are not looking at each other they are together. It exerts dependence mutually, independence equally, and obligations jointly. Interact with the present as it is the link for the past and the future.    

 
Future are the kids and most important of the entire family. Children are given academic education in schools and that is not all, they need to know about morality. In recent times there is decline of morality among our children and it has reached a state of bother. There may be many social factors that have contributed to this state of affairs but one of the main causes is lack of parenting skills among the young parents. Morality is not that thing wherein a parent has to spare time and teach them, the way the parents conduct themselves in front of the child is enough for the kid to learn. What is the use if a parent who has told a good story on truth and its benefits at bedtime and asks the child in the morning to answer the mobile and tell the one on the line that is he not present in the house? Talk good and behave good to have a bright future.
 

Past has to correct the Future so that the Present is happy!!!!

400. How Far will Situational Lie Help me??????????

http://www.speakingtree.in/public/spiritual-blogs/seekers/self-improvement/how-far-will-situational-lie-help-me

A messy or a clumsy circumstance tempts one to escape from it by uttering a situational lie. As age progress a few have made it an advantage to use this as an aid to encounter an unwanted event and eventually have developed an applaudable imagination and creativity in the art of lying and are proud of it. This art will have been so ingrained in them that in the middle of the night in deep sleep if someone wakes them up they are able to produce a convincing lie. They know that lying is sin but the experience of feeling it handy in the time of crisis has made them depend on it more and has erased the thought in them that it is a sin.

Agreed that everybody on this earth plane have told a lie and some have bifurcated it as small and big.  Amazingly lying is not a big deal at all in every individuals mind but when he is grouped in a society it is a threat for him and hence he needs inventors to spend their time, energy, and money to invent a perfect lie detector machines to monitor pupil dilation, catch up the eye movements, search for voice pitch change and find variations in blood pressure among other things to know if a person is telling a lie. But is it viable to hook a lie detector machines around the neck every time when we wish to converse with anyone to see if they are telling truth???

If a person finds lying is easier and convenient for him than telling truth then do we have to be blame him for lying??? Is it not the unacceptability of the truth that is the cause for the convincing lie to sprout from a seed to grow as a big tree???

It will be very witty for me to blame others for the situational lie that I produce and also my smartness to implicate them, but deep inside me I have a feel of guilt which I have to encounter with. Guilt is a feeling that can surface at very usual and unlikely situation. This guilt feel affects my nervous system which is in connection with the immune systems. My body responds to the way I think, when I am nurturing happy thoughts my body is producing hormones called endorphins which make me feel good. The guilt of lying put me under stress and release different kinds of hormones such as cortisol, and norepinephrine. While cortisol varies the blood sugar level and suppresses the immune system in me and the stress hormone norepinephrine is the catalyst for the “eye for an eye” attitude in me resulting in increased heart beat rate and blood pressure. Many in this modern society advice the younger generation not to avoid having the guilt feel, but then the guilt is the product of the conscience not mind. Even if I avoid it, in the near future it is going to surface back and hunt me. Guilt should never be my painful companion at the time of my death. Whatever I call them deception, white lies, exaggerations, or an effort to saving my skin if it not truth it is a LIE.


I might not realize immediately that a very small and simple sentence I choose to talk could make me ill, but its reality. Situational Lie may make me habitual liar and eventually eat my soul; while truth nourishes my mind and helps in protecting the vehicle of my soul called body.


So should I be a slave to lie or set myself free by uttering truth????? I am convinced that even though there is hardship which I may have to face in telling truth I will stick to it as I want the vehicle of my soul to be immaculate until it is locked up in the garage forever. 

399. Life is not an Obligatory Living.........!

http://www.speakingtree.in/public/spiritual-blogs/seekers/self-improvement/life-is-not-an-obligatory-living

“I help my neighbour to parking his car but that fellow has not got the courtesy to help me while I am parking mine.” This thought is from obligatory living, this feel has sprouted because I have forgotten the idea of unconditional love. It is just like saying if you scratch my back I will scratch yours. If i call myself to be a part of the society some of my deeds have to be unconditional, without expecting anything from the other side. If there are any expectations it is purely a business transaction without monetary aspect.
 
If such kind of thoughts are encouraged it will step into the next inner circle, the family. That is just like saying I am on pretty good terms with most of my family members. I respect my parents and appreciate their efforts to give me and my siblings a good life. My brother doesn't speak to me and so I am not in talking terms with him, and I don't like my sister as a person. If they need any help I am ready to provide them. Many of the families are in such intrinsic family bond, with such a thought it gets them to think that if others have to be good to them they need to be good to other. From here they conclude that until they accept the family’s point of view and approve their action and don't have any obstruction, the family will not “love” them. This is just an obligatory living nothing else. If so what are the obligatory service charges that could be levied to mother’s milk and father’s sweat. Getting into such an obligatory behavior will not only cause harm to one's own family members, it also affects their neighbors, community, and on the large scale it will end up in countries fighting each other.
 
Of course the social circles of a person vary drastically from person to person. For some, their friends are more than their family, while for some family supersedes everything. It all depends on the relationships with them. All these relationships are not eternal and the only relationship that finds a long lasting validity is that which I have with "HIM". Where shall I find Him to have a long lasting relationship? If I shun that obligatory behaviour and start extending my unconditional love, I can reach Him in everyone heart. If I can reach Him at somebody’s heart I can reach Him in the heart of my neighbour. If I can reach Him in the heart of my neighbour I can very well reach Him in the heart of my siblings and parents also.  

This relationship with Him is not a business transaction. It’s not like an arranged marriage with an exchange of compliance for a dowry of riches. It only works if you’re in love. All relationships are enjoyable when you’re in love with the inner dweller. If the inner dweller becomes more important for your relationship then the obligatory behavioral character of a person which appears on the surface will become insignificant. It’s time to stop trying to please the person with obligatory response and simply love the person who has Him as the inner dweller. This stage gets you to stop doing things out of obligation, and encourages you to do things that enhance your relationship with Him by doing things that please you because they delight Him.
 
Sri Krishna says to Arjuna, “Always think of Me, become My devotee, worship Me and offer your homage unto Me. Thus you will come to Me without fail. I promise you this because you are My very dear friend.”-Bhagavad-Gita (18-65). For years I understood the verse this way: “If you worship me, you will follow me and prove how much you love me.” But what Sri Krishna really saying is that when I start adoring Him who is in every being, my obedience to Him will flow out of that relationship and avoid my thought to go obligatory living way........ am I right to think so?????

398. The Cozy Relationship between myself and Self.........!

http://www.speakingtree.in/public/spiritual-blogs/seekers/science-of-spirituality/the-cozy-relationship-between-myself-and-self

Sage Yagnavalkya tells his wife Mitreyi, “Nobody loves anything for its own sake.” This statement has a deep meaning it says when you are incomplete in yourself you feel unhappy and do not loving anything, at the same time if you realize the completeness in you, you are happy to love all. At some some stage or the other one understands that life no longer depends on the approval of somebody. It will need the approval of one and only Inner Self. This is called true relationship while all others seem to depend on values that are mutually workable. Relationship with Inner Self is based only on Truth, about the substrata Me and all other beings which share this earth plane with me. This relationship generates the vibration that makes me and every being around me to resonate. Hence what I give bounce back to me as the resonating sound.

Just experiment this when you need to enter a government office flash a smile at the grumpy official with whom you need the work done, amazingly the response will be better. But to flash a smile you need to be happy, happiness happens when you are complete and in love with your Self. If we observe we have this tendency to be soft, gentle and caring with strangers than it is with some people we know. Why is it so??? It is purely because of the take-it-for-granted attitude in us or because we do not have a love-hate relationship with the strangers and we do not know their drawbacks. Hence without the judgmental attitude I can maintain a great relationship with anyone.

I need to consciously make an effort to be gentle and this gentleness will appear automatically if I have a cozy relationship with my Self. To be in relationship with the Self all that I need is to acknowledge the fact that this relationship has to be unconditional. If I feel that my relationship with Self is based on Truth then this Truth cannot be a condition. My relationship with my Self is the secret of my happiness. And when I am True to my Self then alone I am happy. This may not make other around me happy directly but the repercussions are going to place the other around me also in the happy zone. This is how marriages and other relationships like friendship, sibling relationship also work.

If I directly want to have a great relationship with others around me I need to make a lot of efforts in the name of compromise and adjustment. My relationship with Self needs no such efforts yet it is absolutely blissful. I need not dominate over others or feel like a leader having them under my control. If I am aware of this Truth I will not need enormous bank balance or amassed wealth to be happy, a smile from a tiny toddler can make me more than happy.

This is the reason for Sri Krishna to have told Arjuna in Bhagavad-Gita when the later asked Him the characteristics of a steadfast person.

Prajahati yada kaman sarvan Partha mano gatan
Atmani ewa atmana tushtah Sthitaprajnah tada uchyate ---Chapter 2 Verse 55

“When a man completely casts off, O Partha, all the desires of the mind, and is satisfied in the Self by the Self, then is he said to be Steadfast person.”

397. From Boom Boom State to Steady State..............!

http://www.speakingtree.in/public/spiritual-blogs/seekers/self-improvement/from-boom-boom-state-to-steady-state

Achalatvam (Steady State) is considered a negative word in the economic world. Hence Goddess of Wealth is termed Chanchale (Mercurial). The booming economy is always appreciated when compared to steady state economy. In this material world it is assumed that steady state is absence of growth while in the spiritual world steady state is the most essential aspect of growth. It is stated that with a steady mind a seeker can go deep inside and get aligned with Self.

A steady mind is that which does not react either positively or negatively to any emotions brought out by self or others. It is a way of accepting every thought and action with complete equanimity. This steady mind is achieved if one understands that the world is nothing but an illusion and is ephemeral. To get to this state a seeker has to look back and make a study of all the events that had happened in the past and realize the truth behind it. Steady mind flourishes depending on the stage of stability that a person is at. Every individual is right no matter what the conclusion since that particular matter of discussion is always subjective.

Economy with steady state is relatively stable and it happens when investment equals depreciation, hence it reaches equilibrium. Benefits of such an economy can be felt on Lifestyle, Environment and Morality. Lifestyle is enchanting as there is no gluttony, black market, slump, and unfair trade. Every person has sufficient time to focus on issues like community, society, relationships and other important life matters. Environment is in balance with nature and the life-giving resources not being exploited, the biophysical needs does not exceed and disrupt the natural ecosystem. Morally there will be no deceiving among brethren and it is not like a big fish gulping the small fish in the name of survival.

Booming economy occurs when real Gross Domestic Product (GDP) grows faster than the trend growth rate. This may induce businesses to borrow high debts from banks which will results into market break down or may also become a reason for high inflation because of the changes in growth. Booming economy creates and survives on the hype. There is abundance in it but it lacks the real substance. Economic boom creates market hype and market hype yield to booming economy, both are hindrance to the economic growth of a country on a long run.

A restless mind has lots of ideas and thoughts but it lacks peace of mind. This restless mind generates an unstable body and unstable body yield to restless mind; both are hindrance to the spiritual growth of an individual. Sense organs tempt the mind and the mind begins to identify with the sensual pleasures and is veiled by this false identity. This false identity leads to egocentric thoughts which grips the mind and make it further restless.

The ability to accept every thought and action with complete equanimity and the capacity to distinguish the real from the ephemeral is completely lost. However mind should not be underestimated to have lost the potential to understand the difference, but it just refuses to understand because it is immersed in the fantasy of the illusory world, just as a greedy investor is intoxicated in the booming economic growth.

If one concentrates on the work rather than the consequences and stop being self centered the steady state economy can be achieved. With such an exercise the world would be the best place to live...... and one can have a calm mind as well .......do you agree???

396. Stock Market, Shares and Ethics…………….

http://www.speakingtree.in/public/spiritual-blogs/seekers/wellness/stock-market-shares-and-ethics

It is very funny to know how the Stock Market operates; the only way one can make profit is from the other person’s loss. An investor is considered successful in the stock market if the shares of the company which he had bought cheap could be sold to an easy target at a much higher price. It is an art of making others a fool and reaping riches out of it. If we look at the shares of a company, actually some person would have started a company and worked hard to sustain it and then decided to go public in a view to expand it. Hence he sells the shares of the company in the market.

A smart investor make money by investing money without starting a company nor helping the company physically nor assisted the company to sell the product or sometimes even never know about product of the company. The investor essentially does nothing but only waits make profit at someone else’s loss. Stock market and Shares have been reduced to a game of gamble. Most of the investors lose while some gain. Many say that as long as investor go into the market willingly abiding the rules of the game, it’s fair that one person wins what another loses, but still, is that kind of profit worth to be proud of is the million dollar question????????

Earlier it was not so Shares and Stock Market was only for the retired and pensioners who would go through the prospectus of the company and gauge the quarterly balance sheet and then invested their Provident fund and Gratuity in the stock or buy shares to make some money from them and also see that the money is guarded safely. But now Stock Market is never safe for them as it is become an den of Gamblers.     

A small story on how this stock market and share business works was sent to me by my friend, I would like to share it.

Once upon a time in a village, a man from another village announced to that he would buy monkeys for Rs 10 each. He explained to them that he is going to export them to Indonesia where they would be trained to pluck tender coconuts from trees. The villagers who were convinced and seeing that there were many monkeys in the village started catching
them...
 
The man bought thousands at Rs 10 and as supply started
to diminish, the villagers stopped their effort. The man further announced that he would now buy at Rs 20. This renewed the efforts of the villagers and they started catching monkeys again this time they went to the nearby villages also to catch. Soon the supply diminished even further and people started going back to their farms.
 
The man again increased the offer rate to Rs 25 and the monkeys became so little that it was an effort to even see a monkey, let alone catch it! The man now announced that he would buy monkeys at Rs 50! And the villages tried hard to catch a monkey which fell to their sight.
 
One day the man announced that he was to go to Indonesia to finalize the contract of supplying monkeys to them and his assistant would now buy on behalf of him. In the absence of the man, the assistant told the villagers. Look at all these monkeys in the big cage that the man has collected. I will sell them to you at Rs 35 and when the man returns from the city, you can sell it to him for Rs 50.
 
The villagers very excited and eager to make fast money squeezed up with all their savings and bought all the monkeys. Then they never saw the man nor his assistant, only monkeys everywhere!
 
This is how “Stock Market” works (Monkey Business you see)!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

395. Can I Train my Mind to produce only Constructive Thoughts???

http://www.speakingtree.in/public/spiritual-blogs/seekers/self-improvement/can-i-train-my-mind-to-produce-only-constructive-thoughts

Every thought that my mind crop up, even from prenatal existence and right through my life is stored in my subconscious mind until death and also thereafter. Thoughts that enter my mind are never lost, it may not appear to the surface at the required time but it is never lost; this is what is called failing memory. So it is important for me to be selective on gathering the thoughts. All that I see, hear, smell, or taste does not go into my subconscious mind without the help of my mind itself. Suppose I am engrossed in some thought and my friend happens to pass by, even though my eyes are wide open I might fail to register his presence just because my mind could be preoccupied with some other thought.
 
So now I understand that for anything to get into my subconscious mind it has to go through my conscious mind first. If I determine to have my thoughts to be constructive I have to indeed build an environment so that only such thoughts enter my subconscious mind. By carefully reflecting on this I find that to have consistently constructive thoughts I have to annihilate completely the unwanted thoughts that may encompass my mind. Jealousy, Hate and Fear are some of those destructive thoughts which devour my mind.
 
Jealousy:  Why is it that I am not happy with what I have??? Why is it that always whatever someone else has is what I want???? This universe is full of abundance overflowing and nonstop. Absolute has provided enough for the need of everyone, if I learn to go the right way about it. So being Jealous is mere foolishness and small-mindedness. By broadening my mind and feeling happy for the other who have what I do not will raise my ideals and automatically other person’s possessions will cease to trouble me mentally. It is better to live a full and healthy mental life enjoying what is supplied to me and be happy and contented.
 
Hate: Hate has no value at all. Hate neither makes me happy not the person whom I hate. Nothing is gained from hating any person it is just waste of my precious energy. Hate does not get me anything expect pampering my ego. I am human and hence a dependent being, so hating will not look logical unless I decide not to depend on the person whom I hate. But is it possible for me to live a life like that. I have come across many who hate certain person, but unavoidably as destiny could have it, might receive the blood from him for a crucial operation.
 
Fear: To be afraid is the mental state of insecure feel. It is the state where the mind is pushed to believe that it is reducing its power to resist the situation. Fear is the most unwanted and stupid emotion which makes my mind wobble and unstable. What have I got to fear when nothing belongs to me????? The insecure feel will apply for those who are in the illusion that they possess something which has to be secured. For a Yogi what is there to lose and hence why should he fear.    
 
So it is important to keep these hurdles away and question the thoughts thus, Is my thought on this subject constructive or destructive? If it is constructive give it the fullest and go forward knowing positively that Absolute is with the thought. If it is destructive immediately search for the negativity in the thoughts and if you find one change those thoughts. It will be difficult at first and you will be indecisive at it, but eventually if the constructive thought are groomed it will become your second nature

394. When Love is Unconditional …….. Then the feel is BLISS!!!!

http://www.speakingtree.in/public/spiritual-blogs/seekers/science-of-spirituality/when-love-is-unconditional-then-the-feel-is-bliss

This terrain has seen many mystics, poets and singers who have searched endlessly for the experience of Love. Great nations have cropped up in the guise of love for their people. Many new religions have flourished claiming the true path of love, but what we have missed is to relish the simplicity in Unconditional Love. Unconditional Love is the most powerful expression known to mankind through ages. Radha's love to Sri Krishna at Vrindavan was that of unconditional.
 
Love for the sake of anything is attachment and is dependent on outside extraneous factors. If these conditions suit us and are to our liking it makes us happy. But love not based on any conditions, relationships, dependencies, likes, dislikes, power-play, cravings & emotional leanings could probably be termed as unconditional; where the clear, objective welfare & well-being of others is the only concern. 

If every being on this earth plane believe in unconditional love and practice it with heart and mind, this place will become a paradise to live on. Unconditional love is an outer expression of “self” that is not conditioned to be love but simply flows innately as the warmth from the Sun in the wavy waters that tend all, alike. There is no need to project love by means of presents and gifts it is self evident if it is unconditional, hence it is the only thing for which the Cosmos responds. There is so much beauty in this term that it is impossible even to express the true perception in words.

Unconditional love is an unlimited way to elevate the mortals to Immortal. Life would be a wonderful expedition when unconditional love lights up the path.  It is an energy which propels us through the tough times. It brings the sense of universalism and annihilates the attitude of fascism. Loving is not just looking at each other, it's looking in the same direction. It is the condition in which the happiness of another person is more essential than our own. Mothers love towards her kids is unconditional love.

Unconditional love is a feeling like that of a father of a would be bride, who knows that one day his daughter will find a great man, fly the nest and get married. Every father wishes his daughter gets the perfect man, who keeps her happy beyond all that he has done to her. And when the time comes when this happens, all that the father can do is observe and expect nothing else. This is unconditional love and the feeling he is experiencing is BLISS.

393. NOTHING IS ILLEGAL UNTIL YOU GET CAUGHT ………………..

http://www.speakingtree.in/public/spiritual-blogs/seekers/self-improvement/nothing-is-illegal-until-you-get-caught

The T-shirt slogan on a college student who was caught cheating in exam read “NOTHING IS ILLEGAL UNTIL YOU GET CAUGHT.” I wondered if the student had not been caught cheating in the examination hall, and had secured distinction marks was it legal as his T-shirt slogan proclaimed.

I do not understand why our youngsters do not realise that there is Conscience in everyone which is always aware of what they are doing. Whether got caught or not an illegal act is still illegal. Knowing this is like having a clear conscience. Even though being aware of conscience does not prevent an individual from committing an unacceptable blunders out of impulse, conscience will reprimand the act and may prevent him from doing it again. Instead of looking at an illegal act through the eye of conscience, the society today is inclined towards the thought that criminals are only those who get caught doing illegal act. If so then there are many people in the world with criminal tendencies, but they don't get caught and so they are not criminals?

The illegal activity in a person would have sprouted with petty acts like there are some who might have started by stealing some things from some person under some circumstances while it would have encouraged him to steal anything from anybody if they start to feel they can get away with it. In contrast if they give heed to the thought flashing in them that what they have done is wrong then they would not do it again.

I do read a lot of books on Mind and its activities and am personally interested in knowing about the element of guilt that an individual feel when he is aware that he has done something wrong. There are many questions that surface in me like; do conscience produce guilt feel? Is the conscience inbuilt in all humans? Does guilt feel provide some type of accountability, or does it simply tell about the consequences that unfolds? If it does provide accountability, to whom is it submitting it? If guilt feel is objective is it answering to the subjective Conscience? I know these are a lot of questions but then I am interested in getting to know the answers because in the core it is the debate between atheists and theists on the part of human conscience which ultimately leads to morality. I know that both sides seem to make good points, but with all due respect to either side, most theists look at it from philosophical view while other find it as a psychological occurring. I wish to take the philosophical angle to get the answers to my questions because I feel that conscience is a cultured set of rules and ideals that are laid for every individual to follow. It is taught to a child by rewarding it for doing a good act and warning it when doing an unwanted act. I guess when the rules are broken then the unpleasant though of guilt creeps in because everyone over the time has associated themselves to punishment when breaking the rule. Conscience and guilt feel surely is not present in every individual but mostly who are taught to differentiate between good and bad do have. Amazingly a psycho-criminal may not possess this because if we conclude conscience is learned process then it can be unlearned too. But most of the individuals who would want their life to be harmonious with the fellow beings seldom forget the lessons of conscience that they are taught and hence rarely they lose it.

At the end all I can say is that I know that there is Conscience in me even though I have not put it to test. Many would agree with me I suppose……………????

391. If Mind is Ocean, Thoughts are Waves and Emotions the Wind……

http://www.speakingtree.in/public/spiritual-blogs/seekers/self-improvement/if-mind-is-ocean-thoughts-are-waves-and-emotions-the-wind

A Master and his disciple were walking on a beach besides an ocean. It was a cold full moon day and the wind was blowing strongly over the ocean, raising very high waves.

After walking for some distance, the master stopped, looked at his disciple, and asked: “What does this jerky ocean remind you, my son?”

“It reminds me of my mind. Its waves are as restless and as unpredictable as my Thoughts,” answered the disciple.

“Yes, of course mind is as stormy as this ocean and the waves are the thoughts, but mind is neutral like the water. It is neither good, nor bad. It is the wind that is the cause for the waves, exactly as desires and insecurity produce our thoughts,” said the master.

“I pray I never want to be on a boat in the middle of the ocean with such a storm,” Exclaimed the disciple.

“You are always there in such a situation.” Responded the master and continued, “Every human being is on a boat without a rudder in the middle of a stormy ocean but are not aware of it. Most of the people have their mind as restless as this ocean. Thoughts both good and bad come and go constantly agitating the mind like this stormy ocean's waves.”

“Very true,” disciple interrupted, “I know that the thoughts and mind disturb me hence I am with you. I want to calm down the waves of my mind.”

Master looked at his disciple for a while, smiled, and said:
“It does not make much sense to calm the ocean by holding the water still and not letting it move. It is also not wise to stop the wind. The wind is like emotions that are made of the thoughts, desires, and insecure feel. Do not let them rule your life. If you learn to control them by controlling your attention towards them, and then the ocean of your mind becomes calm. In the middle of the ocean the waves are smooth because the water ignores the wind, but when it is near the shore the water is passionate towards the land and hence allows the wind to drift it towards the shore in a hurry. If you learn not to let the emotions rule over you than you have won.”

“How do I do that Master?” asked the disciple.

“The wind causes waves on the surface of the ocean by transferring some of its energy to the water by creating friction between air and water molecules. Stronger the wind huge is the wave. Suppose if the ocean is to ignore the wind, what would happen then?” asked the master.

“There would be no waves. However, it is impossible to stop the wind, which are the emotions.” said the disciple.

Master looked at him with a mysterious smile and said: “Why not? The wind, the ocean, and thoughts are all within the realm of the mind. If you can control the mind, you can control everything within it. But it is important to control your mind first, which means you have to control your attention.”

“Yes Master,” said the disciple, “I am trying to do the same. You say whoever controls his mind can also control the wind also. Can I do that too?”

“First learn to calm down the ocean of your mind, and then find out if you can calm down the ocean. It is better to learn to control the mind by controlling the attention towards your emotions, the more you give prominence to your emotions good or bad, and then you are either enjoying or suffering from the tricks that the mind plays. When you calm your mind, you can calm down everything else.” said the master as he walked.

”How can I be inattentive to my emotions, Master” asked the disciple.

“By simply being a Nirvikari, a person who has no modifications in the mind due to emotions.” told the master. A person who is a Nirvikari has no interest in his thoughts this leads him to become Nirvishayi, disinterested in sense pleasures. This does not mean he is going to shun all the pleasure which come his way. He is very solicitous and experiences the pleasures as the gift from Absolute but will never go after it. He is so because he has understood the Upanishad verses “Dhyanam Nirvishyam Manaha” Meditation is the state of mind where there are no sensuous thoughts. With Vishyaaskti (dissoluteness), a seeker can never obtain the will to calm his Mind, just as the wind causes the waves to occur in the ocean. 

389. Where do you want to reside today in HEAVEN or HELL?????

http://www.speakingtree.in/public/spiritual-blogs/seekers/self-improvement/where-do-you-want-to-reside-today-in-heaven-or-hell

Almost all of us have heard of stories referring to heaven and hell in our childhood days. We were told that if we do good to others we are taken to heaven after death and in contrast if we do anything wrong we are pushed into hell. Such notions were good and revered until recent times. With all the materialistic knowledge that we have acquired now, we conclude the concept of hell and heaven as unrealistic cock and bull stories that are best as a bedtime story. Yet one good thing about the mentioning of hell and heaven in that tender age was to restrict the young mind from getting negative thoughts. The fear of hell or the fantasy of heaven created a new world in the thoughts of the young and helped in taking them on the righteous path.

But instead what happened when the younger generation started to heed to rational thoughts, the fear of doing wrong and moral fear has completely vanished. The concept of hell and heaven is no longer appealing. Alternative to calling the concept of hell and heaven as baseless, if we carefully observed we would understand that indeed we get to experience heaven and hell in this present life itself.

Goodness in me makes my surrounding happy and in turn I am happy and that is heaven. Since goodness does not allow anger or hatred to reside in my mind every experience I endure is heaven like. Unlike if I am immoral I make a mess of my surrounding and those around me experience hell and in the process I also will be experiencing hell. If there is anger, hatred, greed, jealousy, voracity and audacity there is no place for the goodness to reside in me. With no goodness there is guilt feel in whatever I do this irritates me and affects my actions, with all these facilities I am in hell.

Once there was a Sage meditating peacefully in a forest. Suddenly his meditation was interrupted by the sound of approaching horse's hooves. The Sage gently opened his eyes to find the King of the region on the horse. The King had come on hunting, as he had heard of the yogic powers the Sage possessed and wished to check his greatness. Without ascending from the horse the King asked the Sage, “I have heard a lot about you and your yogic powers. Using your power can you show me heaven and hell while I am alive?”

“O King, you have a crazy desire of have a look at heaven while you are still alive” asked the Sage. “I do not think you are kind enough for me to take you to heaven. Even if I take you there you will be pushed out of the gates, let go allowing you inside.”

Hearing those words from the Sage, the King drew his sword and raised it high above his head. With eyes red in anger, his face fuming, veins on his neck standing out prominent and sweat dripping from his nape the King was about to sever the head of the Sage. “That is hell, now you are exactly in hell” said the Sage gently, pointing towards the King.

King did understand what the Sage was referring to as hell. In about a fraction of a second, the King was overcome with admiration, compassion and love for this gentle being who had dared to risk his life to give him such a lovely and lively teaching. His heart was filled with joy, his face went gentle and his eyes were damp. He lowered the risen sword and stood with his eyes filled with tears of gratefulness. “And this, O King” said the Sage, “is the heaven. Heaven and hell aren’t those places we get to experienced after death but it is our own creations. We create heaven and also hell every day in our life.”

The King got down from the horse and bowed to the Sage….....

Where do you want to reside today in HEAVEN or HELL?????

388. The Visible God Sun and our gratitude to Him………..

http://www.speakingtree.in/public/spiritual-blogs/seekers/god-and-i/the-visible-god-sun-and-our-gratitude-to-him

Sun the huge mass of fire is approximately 149,600,000 kilometers from earth and its light takes 8.3 minutes to reach the earth. The inhabitants of this earth plane depend on the Sun’s energy by tapping it in numerous ways. The plants use its energy for photosynthesis, to prepare food. We humans get the invaluable doze of Vitamin D, generate power, bask in the sun to get rid of skin related problems as rays from the Sun has antiseptic properties, Sun rays are used as disinfect our cloths and water. Nature also uses its rays to convert fossil into fuels. Without Sun entire life forms would be affected. We humans lose the life-sustaining vitality and there will be lack of nourishing substances which may eventually lead to the end of creation. This is the reason that Sun has been considered relevant in the cosmos and is revered for its life supporting features.

Since ages the inhabitants of this earth plane have regarded Sun as God. He is called Surya by Indians, Helios by Greeks, Apollo by Romans, Ra by Egyptians, Utu by Mesopotamians, Mithras by Persians. Call Him whatever; He is the symbol of Power, Glory, Brightness, Life Force, and Vitality to the entire living entity. He is the universally accepted and visible God, but the respect and reverence offered to Him is different in different region and religion.


As far as the Indians are concern we believe that on the seventh day of the Magha masa the chariot of Surya is near to the earth and hence we celebrate it as Ratha Saptami (today is Ratha Saptami). We recite Surya Gayatri Mantra which is as follows:


OM ASHVA DHWAJAYA VIDMAHE,

PASHA HASTAYA DHIMAHI,


TANNO SURYA PRACHODAYAT.


This Surya Gayatri mantra consists of three parts. In the first line there is the description of the flag on the chariot which has a horse in it and the second line is about the mention of His attribute namely the noose. And in the third is the request by us to Him to bestow us with all the vital energies for our survival.


Tradition says that one has to take bath by keeping leaves of Arka plant (Calotropis Procera) that has many medicinal benefits on the shoulders and head. These leaves can cure skin diseases, strengthens the root of hair and cools the scalp. This plant is symbolical representation as Sun as healer, since it has all the healing qualities as that of Sun rays in it.

Let Sun, the abundance of energy give us all health and vigor..................

387. Self-Realisation happens only if Mind is in Equipoise.......

http://www.speakingtree.in/public/spiritual-blogs/seekers/self-improvement/selfrealisation-happens-only-if-mind-is-in-equipoise

How much ever we get to know by inquiry it does not satisfy us until our senses has experience of it. But the most amazing thing is that the information collected from ear or eye has to go to our mind and then it is our intellect which will analyse and make a discrimination of it. The mind that is getting the information from our sense is very busy and always either happy or sad depending on the information, but this is the outside feed that the mind is receiving. There is yet another side for the mind to experience from, it is the very quite and enchanting Self.    

The mind has to turn a bit to “THIS” other side to experience deep sense of contentment. After experiencing this, the experience got from the outside world seems to be insipid. This is direct experience of the Self that is an ultimate finishing line for the craze of experiences we yearn to get. After this there is no surprise if the seeker has stopped to crave for anything from the outer world. This does not mean he is going to shun the worldly pleasures but the worldly pleasures to him will be a necessity not a luxury anymore.

The experience got from the senses from outer world may bring sorrow but majority of the time it is happiness only, but the direct experience of the Self will never get us sorrow or happiness but it will place us in Blissful state. This direct experience of Self is achieved only when the mind is not distracted by the senses. The experiences got from outside disperse our thought pattern and hence always the thoughts multiply and yield more and more thoughts with many more flips and flops. In contrast the direct experience of Self makes the thought process as steady as a silent valley stream flowing down without hurdles or interruptions.

Once this situation is reached then the outer world experiences are just events happening and will not have any impact either inspirational or remorseful. As they seem to be just things happening nothing else more. 

The word of the Lord in Bhagavad-Gita, “Whatever happened in the past, has happened for the good; whatever is happening, is happening for the good; whatever shall happen in the future, shall happen for the good only. Do not weep for the past; do not worry for the future, concentrate on your present” seem to take relevance at this stage. The confluence of the enthusiastic outer life and the silence of the inner self create abundance and totality in life and this totality is the purpose of being born as a human.

To achieve the ability to make the mind turn inward to experience Self one has to develop a mental equipoise which does not get disturbed either by adversity or prosperity. This state can be achieved only by completely surrendering ourselves to Absolute. And for the mind to surrender to Absolute one need to relieve it from the bondage of material world. If the mind is always madly running behind the worldly pleasures all efforts to make it turn inward will be like pouring sweet water into a pot with a hole. To make the task of turning mind inward it is essential to work on the five external looking senses that provide information to the mind. If they are made to understand that the objects outside are momentary and will last only for the limited period of time, then the mind can be relieved from their temptations.

Who has to do this Job?????

It is the job of the Buddhi (Intellect) to guide the Senses through the Mind. The process of Mind listening to Senses should have to be reversed; Mind should take the place of the master with the help of the grand master Buddhi to educate the Sense.