468. Philosophy & Ideology for self, Compassion & Concern for all.

http://www.speakingtree.in/public/spiritual-blogs/seekers/self-improvement/philosophy-ideology-for-self-compassion-concern-for-all

Those who are close to me sometimes get really confused as according to them I am a person who talk philosophy and yet am sensitive and emotional. They accuse me of being very philosophical which at time they find it too very dicey to handle. This has indeed made me think if there is anything wrong in the way I think and is it necessary to stick to philosophy all the time. Is it a mistake to think emotionally I sometimes wonder?

In 1995 I met with an accident which was so severe that my shin bone was broken into two and fortunately it happened right outside a hospital and I was admitted for a month and an Intramedullary Rod was fixed to my femur bone. Thanks to the team of doctors whom I regard as second God with farmers and soldiers I was able to walk run and dance. I have always thought that with a lorry hitting my bike anything could have happened. It could have been worst than that. Maybe it was some kind of penitence which I had to endure with, is what I think even to this moment. There was nothing I could do to avoid that mishap since the driver of the lorry was trying to overtaking my bike from my left side and in the melee my left leg got caught in the hub of the back wheel and my femur and tibia bones snapped due to the impact.

After almost 18 years of that experience a worker in my factory had the similar type of accident in my factory his femur and tibia bone broke while he was tying to lift a steel coil which came down on his leg. Yes, the treatment was the same with the Intramedullary Rod being fixed to his bone and he also is now able to walk run and dance. But for one week in the hospital how much ever I wished to justify myself to take it as a part of destiny of both me and my worker which is at play I could not I kept on asking why did that accident happen to that young lad.

How is it that I could take the accident that occurred to me as penitence while I could not paint the same to my factory employee? Well, if everything could be viewed philosophically there are chances that emotions could get a beating. Everyone who is dependent on others has emotions and there is a quality in us to recognize emotions in others also. At times we fail to understand our emotions and sometimes overwhelmed by our emotions we fall short in read the emotions in others. And occasionally we also deceive others by talking philosophy to make their emotions look insignificant.

Emotions too have an intelligence angle in them as they supplies personal strategies that are vitally important and assist us to perceive, understand and react to the happenings around. Philosophy can be a solace to an individual for those events concerning him alone he cannot apply the same for others and shun his responsibility. While dealing with his fellow creature it is only sensitivity and emotions that are needed philosophical talks help a little then. Unless others too understand that more we ponder over the nature of emotions, the deeper the mystery becomes which can not be solved, but can carefully repay the philosophical analysis.

Do you agree….????

467. Nature can Cure: Animals & Birds know better than we Humans!!!!

http://www.speakingtree.in/public/spiritual-blogs/seekers/wellness/nature-can-cure-animals-birds-know-better-than-we-humans

There is an open field in front of my factory and Castor Seed plants are grown in abundance there. The bush is so thick that it is inhabited by snakes. An old lady brings 20 -25 sheep to graze every week. On one such occasion one sheep while eating the leaves of the castor plant was bit by a snake. The sheep became dull and sleepy, it sat down and our watchman insisted the old lady to take the sheep to a veterinary doctor.

“Thats O.K the sheep will eat that “Karitumbi Soppu” and it will get over the bite and by evening it will be all right.” She said pointing to a particular plant growing in a corner.  As she had told by evening the feverish sheep had mingled with the lot, we could not recognize which of it was bitten by the snake. Until then I had not heard of Karitumbi, I searched for it in the net and came to know that it is common Indian Catmint with botanical name Anisomeles malabarica a plant found in Malabar region. Well, I came to know that the leaves of this plant are used as remedy for snake bite but how did the sheep know? The old lady was so casual that the sheep would eat the leaves of the plant and fight the venom and sure I was surprised when the sheep had get on well despite the snake bite.  

We might have noticed dogs eat grass when they feel their stomach is upset and they are trying to cause themselves to throw up. Who guided the dogs to eat grass so that they can vomit?  These are the things that give the animals natural medications to regularize their digestive systems, rid themselves of a cold or allergies or get oily substances to take care of a dry patch of skin. We humans take medications so regular even for a common cold; we are used to taking medicine without thinking of its consequences in the form of side effect. We need to watch the animals more often to see how they cure themselves using nature. Animals have patience which we lack; we cannot tolerate even a small head ache we need a pill to take care. A small nap will take care of a headache instead we drop in a pill which lands a stomach upset as a side effect. My mother used to apply a little slaked lime on a piece of betal leaf and press it on her temple to find relief from migraine, my grandmother used to place a leaf of castor plant as a cap on her head to avoid suns heat. We consume few neem leaf on the occasion of Ugadi, neem acts as antioxidant and an immune builder.   

Animals eat willow bark when they have headache it is aspirin for them. Langurs steal charcoal from household to detoxify themselves from the toxin they accumulate while eating various leaves. Beautiful Macaw nibbles on the limestone from the cliff to balance the toxin in its body. The common yellow flower weed helps in dealing with kidney stones and the list goes on and on. Natural cure and remedies are ignored by us. We are losing the thought over what nature has provided us with, it is easier for us to cut a tablet strip and swallow a pill than scratch our heads over natural remedies.  

Medication is necessary only for chronic aliments as far as acute ones we either have to have patience or look for natural homemade remedies. Taking medicine for short uneasiness is unnatural and meaningless as it might drop the level of immunity in us. They say “A common cold gets cured by a week if you take medicine or seven days without medication”.


Avoid abuse of drugs try natural way to be healthy……

466. Asking for those which does not matter much to us….

http://www.speakingtree.in/public/spiritual-blogs/seekers/science-of-spirituality/asking-for-those-which-does-not-matter-much-to-us

A cry from the infant is the indicator for the mother to feed it. Mother feeds the infant when she hears her infant cry. This is how some knowledgeable people talk when they want to put forward their logic about asking from Absolute. I strongly object to it in two counts firstly you get only if you deserve and secondly even if Absolute is sympathetic towards you He does not need you to remind Him. In case of a mother she has limited knowledge and fails to understand when the infant is hungry but it is not so in the case of Absolute He is Omniscient.

How can we say that He is knower of all and at the same time want to update Him? This is where the meaning of prayer goes for a toss. Prayer is a time when one gets to connect with Him.  Now, again does this mean that we are not connected to Him always? We are indeed connected to Him always but we are not conscious of it as our mind is busy with our daily chores. For some even these daily chores do not interrupt the connection between them and the Absolute. I bow to such Souls.

Immersed in our daily chores we have overlooked the true essence of prayer and also have forgotten what to ask for.  Once it so happened that a man used to frequent the Shiva temple in the vicinity daily before going to his shop. He would stand before the Shiva Ling and plead to grant him at least three wishes. This was his one and only prayer daily. Years rolled by and looking at his sincere request one day Lord Shiva appeared before him. Lord granted him three wishes. The man who was surprised asked for a few minutes, then immediately requested the Lord for his wife’s death. In the morning they both had a quarrel. Lord Shiva did not question him but granted his first wish. His brother-in-law came running with the news of his sister’s death. The man came to senses, “Alas! What have I done?” He thought. Then remembering the good days spent with his wife he requests the Lord to bring her back to life. Lord let the wish come true. He had used up the two wishes now he was left with only one.

Then he said,”Lord, give me some time to think; otherwise I will waste the last wish also. I will ask for it tomorrow”

That tomorrow never came everyday he postponed it to the next day. The man was so confused what to ask and he couldn't sleep. He became almost insane thinking what is that one thing which he can ask which will benefit him? He discussed with many wise and intelligent people who suggested many things, but nothing seemed worthwhile. Then one day he asked Lord Shiva himself.  “O Lord, you know everything please tell me, what is that one wish I need to ask you for. I am going crazy!”

This is what Lord Shiva told him, “There can be only one wish, which is worthwhile. Ask for desirelessness, otherwise nothing is worthwhile. Whatsoever you ask for the very next moment you will want something else, amazingly it could be just the opposite of the first.”

465. Aspire to be a leader and let Absolute alone be the SUPREMO!

http://www.speakingtree.in/public/spiritual-blogs/seekers/self-improvement/aspire-to-be-a-leader-and-let-absolute-alone-be-the-supremo-341277

We need leaders to guide and it is always right to aspire to be a leader for a group or mass. Things work well when there is a concept of guidance and management. To a certain level leadership helps to sustain social ordinance or well being of the society but when it is misused by the people around the leader to manipulate the given rights then supremacy takes over and leadership losses it’s value and falls into the category of Bossism (Dadagiri) and Vandalism (Gundagardi). Then leader s stature will start to get contaminated with the tinge of Dictatorship (Tanashahi). 

Leadership qualities are very hard to acquire and it is very easy to slip from the status of a leader to a Supremo. Leader is a self acquired status while Supremo is a superficial tool imposed by the sycophants to ensure something beneficial from the society.  It may also be a state made up by certain group of people to either set an ordinance of higher level or claim some special attributes from the said Supremo.

In simpler words a leader is given the status of Supremo by a group of people for their very own agenda. Such an incident happens in almost every group irrespective of the class, the upper or the lower class and also in any area such as political, social, religion. The leader has to have a strong hold on his followers and should not be carried away by the flatter words of the sycophants. This can happen only when the leader instead of letting the followers crown him the Supremo, if he from day one considered Absolute to be Supremo. “Absolute is Supreme” means “He is above all of us including the leader”. The leader has to believe that Absolute is the doer and the cause for all the effects and in a way he is been used as a tool by Him. He is a mere traveler on the path with Him as a guide. If he does not believe so he turns out to be a Dictator.

After all the leader is a mortal and his tenure has to end. The immortality of the work done and the help rendered in the form of service from that mortal leader becomes Supremo. If the leader becomes egoistic considering the count of his followers and starts imposing his ideologies on the society it will be the first stupid act from him. Having said that if a leader simply practices certain ideologies sincerely there are chances that the whole society will try to follow him. Ideologies are good for self, but when tried to impose on other they become an act of audacity.

Supremacy should never be meant for the benefit of certain individual or his family and his sycophants only, but rather it would be acceptable if it creates certain privileges to a certain province. This can be seen as the Monarchy System where the royal group has certain supremacy yet it still has had a collective benefit to the province in protecting the land, its culture and tradition.

 

Again in very remote cases supremacy even though it is superficial can be acceptable if the superficial is beneficial to all.  In contrary if it does not happen so then it remains purely superficial and fail to appeal hence it does not require the abiding and is just respected due to the awe feeling by their own people!

“Mama Swami Harir Nityam Sarvasya Patireva Cha” (Absolute is my eternal Lord and also Lord of all)---- knowledge of this will destroy Ahamkara (Ego) and Mamakara (Selfishness) in a leader. 

464. I need to experience God as I experience Pain & Pleasure!!!

http://www.speakingtree.in/public/spiritual-blogs/seekers/self-improvement/i-need-to-experience-god-as-i-experience-pain-pleasure

When I accidentally fall and get bruised and start bleeding my dear ones in anguish ask me how I feel. I can only say I am in extreme pain. If they ask me to explain how I am experiencing pain I fail to accumulate words to explain them the intensity or the inclusion of pain. Even the best of the best orators or writers are short of words to explain pain. Why is it so??? It is so because pain is a subjective experience. Hence sometimes subjective experience cannot be a substitute to what we think is an objective Truth. Same is true in comprehending Absolute also. When we confine God to one object and assume it to be true then there will be less chance of having the subjective experience.

Vedas use two words “Vyapaka” and “Vyapaya” Vyapaka is all pervading and Vyapaya is absence or devoid. These two words can be understood with an example. When I come to your house and ask you to give me water. You give me water in a container called steel tumbler. But I did not ask the steel tumbler, and you cannot offer water without a tumbler at least you have to cup both your palms and offer me water. Here steel tumbler or your cupped palms is Vyapaya, absent in the sense I am not interested in them, what is more concern to me is the water inside them. And now here water is Vyapaka which is pervading the steel tumbler. Your intention and my intention are on the water not on the container. Right??? Likewise God can be confine to an idol or in a photo frame those external inert materials are like Vyapaya, absent when I am interested in that which is Vyapaka, the all pervading God in it.

The catch is that in the example both the all pervading water and the container the steel tumbler were visible to my eye. While in an idol or a photo frame containing God the pervasive element is not visible. How can that all pervading entity be visible to me? Yes that all pervading entity is visible if I go further into the idol or photo frame leaving behind my mind which is struck in adoring the flowers or the ornaments on the idol and the outer structure of the frame and the photo art in the photo. As I experience pain and pleasure which are not visible to me I am able to experience Him as Vyapaka all pervading and the only hurdle or hindrance is the Vyapaya , the container.……..

Let us go beyond the container and drink the nectar of Bliss.... 

463. Transcending Asmita and Ahamkara to be a Nirahamkari.

http://www.speakingtree.in/public/spiritual-blogs/seekers/self-improvement/transcending-asmita-and-ahamkara-to-be-a-nirahamkari-196769

There are two words Asmita and Ahamkara. Asmita is only a sense of “I ness” without the Ego coming into play. It is just identification of the perceiver with the reflections of perception. From this identification there is a feel of “I see” “I hear” etc, this “I ness” is felt as soon as the one is awake in the morning. So Asmita rely on its association to outward appearance for its place in me. This Asmita is one of the affiliations of Mind along with Avidhya, Raga, Devsha and Abhinevesha. 

Avidhya is due to Ignorance, Asmita is erroneous identification of the Self with the intellect, Raga is getting attracted to anything outside me, Dvesha is opposite of Raga it is aversion to anything outside me, Abinivesha is an attitude to cling to life. The amazing thing is these five afflictions of Mind are due to Avidhya (ignorance). So to say if Avidhya is there the other four is also exist.  

Ahamkara refers to a sense of self that is somewhat self-existent and though it is shaped up by the information received from the external environment it does not depend on its association with it for its place in me. It is good to have a little Ahamkara; it is like salt to be added to improve the taste of bland dish, but too much of it will spoil the taste of the dish though. 

To make it even clear Ahamkara is sense of self that is related to internal experiences while Asmita is more self worth when it is related to external experiences; hence we compare ourselves and feel that we are better or worse than others. Again even here this quality is not emphatically bad as it helps us to excel and move forward. Again it should be like a pinch of salt not too much to spoil our dish. 

In deep sleep there is no Asmita hence we are at peace we do not compare our self to anyone there. How is it possible to shun Asmita at deep sleep??? It happens so because we have dropped our identity at sleep. If we are able to do it when awake we can overcome Asmita. Asmita is due to Avidhya (ignorance) as said above and this has to be annihilated and can be done with the thought of non doer-ship. But we are the doers, how can we be non-doers??

There are two ways in which I look at Doer-ship. The doer ego which I can call it as Ahamkara is when I perform a work with a sense of duty which has a tinge of responsibility in it, like suppose I have to dispatch some goods from my factory within a speculated time and I work for it. The same doer ego becomes Asmita when I try to claim the “doer-ship” and start to think that work would not have been successfully completed without me. The same work can be done without the sense of doer-ship and even as sense of duty when I do it with passion and become Nirahamkari (without Ego). To be a Nirahamkari, that is, free from self-esteem and pride I have to be a tool in the hands of the Absolute. Then total surrender is very much necessary.  

In the present day hectic life style we have come across much stress related problems due to this Ahamkara and Asmita attitudes. The doer-ship and ego of a workaholic is very strong and effective that produces more stress and strain. This is basically created by Asmita and well supported by Ahamkara. This stress problem is not in the work that is done by the individual but by the individual who claims to be the doer of the work. Hence the solution is not in giving up the work but in transcending from Ahamkara and Asmita to Nirahamkara. This is done by just thinking that I am only an instrument in the hands of the Absolute and then Ahamkara subsides considerably.

462. Creation presupposes Destruction……

http://www.speakingtree.in/public/spiritual-blogs/seekers/self-improvement/creation-presupposes-destruction

From the window of my office I can see a factory shed coming up. A few months back on the very site stood an old dilapidated house. Last week the owner of the property arranged for a J.C.B to get rid of the old house. The massive machine just did not leave even a small brick of the wall or the slab stone of the foundation; it dug up ten feet below to wipe out the memories of the old dilapidated house. In a matter of two days the old crumbling house was a history. For any new construction to take place the demolishing of the old is but necessary. Creation presupposes Destruction.

If I attempt to construct anything new on the base of the decrepit it is a futile effort, because it neither can appear new nor does it can hold the retro. If something stable has to be replace there is no alternative but to dismantle the shaky one. New construction takes place on the demolishing of the decrepit. There is no option but to destroy the rickety one to get a stable one in place. To construct myself the way I want in my life, the kind of person I want to be in my life, I have to dismantle myself first. I need to sacrifice those things which are really a stumbling block for my new construction. To construct a new personality, I have to eradicate my old personality. To accommodate a constructive thought, I have to extinguish my old unproductive thoughts. To construct a pleasing personality, I have to destroy my laziness and other lethargic behaviour. To experience a happy harmonious life I have to let go my Ego, put a stop to hatred, say no to greed, and keep away from lust.

I would be living in figment if I expect a better change with the same life style. It is natural to feel the wish for a better outcome than what is experienced, but the reality is that I have to destroy self-diminishing life style so that I can construct a new one. When the self-diminishing life style is vanquished then I am guaranteed with the expected result in my life. Though many have this zeal to construct a new way of life, but are not willing to do away with their old ones. It is not possible to construct anything new without getting the mentality of the destruction.

Destroying all those mediocre thoughts and life style makes way for the thoughts and life style of the great personage helping an individual to become a model for others to follow. Human life is a gifted opportunity to excel it cannot be left on chance for it to shape up. I need to destroy all those confinement and design afresh for the greatness, ecstasy, harmony and peace in my life. Destroying fear, fury and frustration makes way to create calm, compassion, and compose. My priorities are to find and destroy all the negativity and supersede them with the positivism. Being pessimist and looking at the dark side of the life has to be destroyed to create optimism and develop the habit of looking at the bright side of the life.

461. Does Opportunity aid an individual to indulge in Corruption?

http://www.speakingtree.in/public/spiritual-blogs/seekers/self-improvement/does-opportunity-aid-an-individual-to-indulge-in-corruption

We are having elections in our country and the electorates will decide the fate of many candidates in fray. Some might get elected as the peoples representative and get an opportunity to serve. Unfortunately those who are elected to represent would lobby to get a “Plum” ministerial berth. They go head over heels to see that they are given a key ministerial post, I wonder is it necessary for an elected representative to have a “Plum” posts to serve the electorate he represents? Could not a peoples representative work for the development of the constituency without the tag of a minister? What is the temptation which makes them go after the "Plum"post?    

“There is always temptation to cheat in all of us, but it is up to the will power” says tennis ace Boris Becker. Does that temptation discriminate among rich and poor, civilised and uncivilised, educated and uneducated? How is that temptation overpowered by the will power? Does the social panic and moral fear aid the willpower? Does the situation make a person corrupt? Or is it a mind set to be corrupt?       

It so happened that there was a complaint against one particular person for being corrupt in the court of Akbar, the great. But the King had no proof to nail the courtier so he discussed this with Birbal. Birbal asked the King to speak to the concerned person and warn him of dire consequences. Since there was no proof Akbar preferred to put that courtier on some job where he will have no chance to get indulged in corrupt practices. Birbal disagreed telling the King no matter where the courtier is posted unless he strong feels out of realization or moral and social fear not to indulge he will find ways to be corrupt in any post. Akbar was not convinced he wanted to prove Birbal wrong.

Akbar called the courtier and put him on the job to record the number of waves of river Yamuna that hit the shore from dawn to dusk. After about a week Akbar asked Birbal if the courtier counting the waves had found way to make money. Birbal said the courtier was indeed indulging in corrupt practice sitting on the shore of river Yamuna. Shocked Akbar did not believe the words of Birbal and wanted to know the truth about that courtier. Birbal said the courtier will not reveal the truth unless the King granted that man royal pardon.

When asked about the courtier denied initially but after a lot of enticing and promising grant of royal pardon the courtier confessed that he was indeed making money. He told that after a few days of counting the waves he found the job boring and he started telling boatmen who crossed the river that he was posted there to collect the toll fee from them and to check the number of passengers in the boat while crossing the river. The poor boatmen paid the courier every time their boat crossed the river.  

The idea to narrate this story was to say that corrupt practices does not need opportunities as it is a mind set. Temptation will pull everyone to cheat but it is either will power or the right education which induce moral awareness that is required in individual level. Social panic and moral fear may help an individual to keep his temptation under check if not we have harsh punishments to nail the guilty.

460. Holy Ganga, the Compassionate Purifier....

http://www.speakingtree.in/public/spiritual-blogs/seekers/faith-and-rituals/holy-ganga-the-compassionate-purifier

Srimad Bhagavatam says when Maha Vishnu grew from Vamana (Dwarf) to Trivikrama (Gigantic Form) to measure the three worlds His foot stretched to Satyaloka the abode of Brahma. Excited to see His holy feet, Brahma immediately offered humble worship with water from his Kamandala. This holy water, purified and sanctified by the touch of the His feet, gushed down as the sacred Ganga. Today is Ganga Saptami, according to Hindu Mythology Ganga descended to the earth on this day on the request of Sage Bhagiratha. When she descended on the earth from Heaven, it was Lord Shiva who took her in His matted hairs to check her mighty force which otherwise would have swept the whole Earth away. On Ganga Saptami devotees worship the holy river and take bath in it.

Ganga is one of the major rivers of the Indian subcontinent and is the national river, flowing east through the Gangetic Plain of northern India into Bangladesh. The 2,510 km river rises in the western Himalayas in the Uttarakhand and drains into the Sunderbans delta in the Bay of Bengal. On the banks of this river are situated many well known places of pilgrimage such as Haridwar, Prayag and Kashi. It is on the banks of this holy river that many Rishis, Munis and Tapasvis have been performing their spiritual endeavours.

The minerals present in this holy river have the capacity to dissolve human bones in three months time which no other river in the entire world has. Even today scientists have not able to understand how this river water possesses certain qualities which cannot be found in the water of any other river of the world. Even many rivers that flow from the same Himalayan belt do not have the same qualities as the Ganges. The Himalayan range is the same, the suns heat is the same that fall on the ice on the peak of the mountain which melts and flows into the waters of all the rivers, but the quality of their water differs. It is difficult to prove it the difference; hence many believe Ganges is no ordinary river.

Scientists have also agreed that there is something special about its waters. To justify this Ganga water contains enormous amounts of viruses called “BACTERIOPHAGE” which kill bacteria and algae, which cause the water pollution and thus the water is potable for a long time. The river which could absorb thousands of dead bodies over so many years without stinking has been polluted to such an extent by human and industrial waste, that it is now regarded as causing cancer.

According to United Nations Development Programe (UNDP) report there are more than 29 cities, 70 towns and thousands of villages located on the banks of the river, depositing every year more than 13 billion liters of sewage directly into the river and 260 million liters of industrial wastes are added by hundreds of factories along the riverbanks. Added to it are the 6 million tones of chemical fertilizers and more 9000 tones of chemical pesticides that pollute the river.


When human bodies are not allowed to be dumped in the river so also strict warning should have been issued to all the industries that discharge effluents into this holy river. Aquatic life in the river is also affected endangering the “Ganga Dolphins” our national aquatic animal. Reverence to the Holy River is not enough lets keep it Clean.....What say????

459. What is the Vocabulary of the Thoughts?????

http://www.speakingtree.in/spiritual-blogs/seekers/mysticism/what-is-the-vocabulary-of-the-thoughts

Psychologists say on an average a person will have as many as 60,000 thoughts per day. Thoughts emerge out of our mind making it busy and often babbling constantly. Have you ever made an attempt to know the vocabulary of your thoughts that emerge out of your mind? If one thinks deeper was it not the thoughts which were the threshold to the vocabulary? If so, what was the vocabulary of the primeval thought?

Did a thought need a language or is it vice versa? To answer this question we have to realize that even a deaf and mute person can compose great music. So, the deficiency in the senses need not hamper the expressions of the mind. Vocabulary is the expression of the thought from the mind. Thought could be the father of the vocabulary, and we have had many vocabularies in the world.

I have always wanted to know in which language my mind is projecting the thoughts. Even though an individual is well versed in many vocabularies he does think in his native vocabulary. Thoughts that my mind project are by and large about things I know. I rarely think of that which what I don’t know. Now how do I know? What are the providers which supply the ingredients for my mind to project a thought? Often it is my senses that offer all the required components for my mind to create a thought. Since my senses are protruded towards the outer world they grasp or realize what is present outside me to my mind.

There is no need of vocabulary for my senses to convey that which they perceive to my mind. The intimacy between the senses and mind is like that of husband and wife who love each other considering themselves as two bodies and one soul, here Bhavana (feelings) supersede Bhasha (language). And in the same way there is no need of vocabulary for the mind to express thoughts. 

Suppose I am walking along a street and I happen to pass by a chat shop and my nose grasp the smell of Gol Gappa automatically I salivate, in which language did my nose convey the smell to my brain and in which words did my brain tell the saliva glands to secrete excess saliva in my mouth? As soon as my nose got the smell my brain quickly processed the information and directed the salivary glands. Now what does processing mean? Processing is just the communication between the neurons in my brain and conveyed to the entire body through axons. This communication is by the means of electro-chemical signal pulse. The processing speed depends on the quantity of the information that my senses provide to my brain. All this is happening without a script or vocabulary. Although to express the same to others, I need the help of words which are based on the expressions of my thought.

All that I blog is just the experience of mind that can be expressed in few words if I try to do so, but how can I express that which is felt beyond mind, I fail to express them in any language. That is because it is just “Bhava Tanmayattva” (feel of ecstasy). In that bhava tanmayattva stage the mind loses its relevance as well as its existence.  Bhava Virakthi (Detachment) and Bhakti (Devotion) are such experiences which cannot be expressed in any language but has to be felt by every individual all by themselves.

458. Lets us understand Emotions but not be Sentimental about it!!!!!

http://www.speakingtree.in/public/spiritual-blogs/seekers/self-improvement/lets-us-understand-emotions-but-not-be-sentimental-about-it

Emotions are experiences that are felt due to the direct inner feelings while sentiments even though are inner feelings, but have their dependency on the others feelings as well. Bhava is emotion while Rasa is sentiment. Emotions induce action while sentiment wonders on what happened. Emotions are changing agents and thrive to see the change in the working world and is self driven. A sentiment ends up working only when driven to action or when their back starts to burn. Emotions are driven by the future and pounce upon the injustice that is encountered. Hence it looks for solution on what the sentiments talk and gossip with the available people around it.

Emotion drives and empowers to be the cause for the change, while being sentiment is to disconnect, distance and dislocate with what is happening after giving some lip sympathy. To illustrate an example: A person on the street can become sentimental when he looks at a small hungry puppy wandering on the street and think, "It is disgusting that with so many people around none care for the poor creature. God I doubt your existence. What did that mute animal do to you? Why not provide food and shelter to it? Why should humans act so mean? They say they love animals and have expensive breeds at their home but there is not even a single person to take care of this poor puppy. What has this little puppy done to lead such a disgraceful life? What is the use of being civilized if we do not have a heart to a creature like this? What happens if the poor creature is run over by a truck?" And when there is a call on his mobile he just forgets all that he was thinking and starts to talk to the person on the phone and rushes back to his work. This is sentimental attitude.

An emotional person takes the puppy to the safe place and feeds it and then carries it to the nearby animal shelter home and hands over the puppy to them. Emotional person wants to see the solution while sentimental person is more worried about the incident rather than finding means for the solution. Emotional being loves his parents and takes good care of them till they are with him so that they remain in memory for long, while sentimental person would like to preserve and revere their relics as a part of remembering them.   

There are chances for an emotional person to think practically but a sentimental person can seldom think practically. To be practical one has to be in action and emotion drives for action while sentiment only talks. Sentiment is organized feeling which mainly wants things not to be so without its involvement. It is highly socialized and is developed out of its inborn state of extensive thinking. It is a combination of involuntary response with the self and society kept in mind. Emotion is instinctive response triggered by situations and induces physical reply with only self appraisal in mind.

It is better to be an Emotional Idiot than a Sentimental Fool....... What say????

457. A True Sharana follows the ideologies of Sri Basaveshwara ……

http://www.speakingtree.in/public/spiritual-blogs/seekers/philosophy/a-true-sharana-follows-the-ideologies-of-sri-basaveshwara

There are numerous great reformer saints in this land who have marked their ideologies for the well being of the society on the whole and for the spiritual elevation of the individual in particular. Jagad Jyothi Basaveshwara is one such reformer saint who lived in 12th century in Karnataka, India. 

A true visionary with ideas ahead of his time; he envisioned a society that flourished enriching one and all. He was a mystic by nature, an idealist by choice and statesmen by profession. He was the prime minister in the kingdom of the Kalachuri King Bijjala (1156-1167). He could balance his life as a bureaucrat and as a spiritual reformer so well without one interfering with the other. To bring about social justice for the uncared, Basava founded Lingayatism including every one from the high class to the untouchables into the sect and called them all Sharanas (a surrender, exhibiting egoless surrender to Lord Shiva, the Deity of Lingayatism). Hence Basava is popularly called as Vishwa Guru (Teacher of the World) and Bhakti-Bhandari (Champion of Devotion). Basava coined the famous quote “Kayakave Kailasa” Work is Worship.  Today (02-05-2014) happens to be His appearance day.

In this age of pomp and show some have a notion that building temples or arranging grand celebrations is being very religious.

But Basava has a different way of relating to a temple he says so in one of his vachanas:

People who have money build temples
What can, a poor man, like me do?
My legs are pillars
My body itself is the temple
My head is the golden tower
Please listen O, Kudalasangama (Basava’s Ankitanama, pen name)
The static has an end, but the dynamic has none.

The rich can build temples. What can a poor man like me, do? But I build a different kind of temple. My body itself is the shrine, with legs as pillars and head as the golden tower. The temple that is built of bricks, mud, and sand is stationary. My body moves. It is with me wherever I go. That is why it does not perish. What is made of matter perishes but my soul is everlasting. That this body itself should be made a holy shrine is a message of immense value. We should be able to see Absolute in this temple of our body. Basava never attached importance to outward form of worship, rituals, and religious observances.

Once it so happened one night Basava was writing some accounts related matters to present it to the King the next day. One of his relative from the far village wanted to talk to him. Basava was in the middle of his work and asked the relative to wait as he would want to finish the work. At that era there were only oil lamps. After some time Basava finished his work and blew off the oil lamp and lit another one next to it. The surprised relative asked the reason. Basava said the lamp which was burning until then was from the kingdom give to him for his official work, and the one which he had lit after finishing the official work was his personal. Now he can talk to the relative with the light emitting from his personal lamp not the official lamp. Such was the ideologies Basava had.

We find bureaucrat using their official vehicle to get vegetables and groceries, and politicians misusing their official residence and offices. Where have the ideologies that were implanted by the great reformers gone???? Why are we the way we are????? Is not a true follower of a philosopher or a reformer the one who accepts and practices his ideologies???? Many of the bureaucrats and politicians are the followers of Jagad Jyothi Basaveshwara but are they the true SHARANAS who act the way Basava would have appreciated??????? 

456. A Labourer becomes a Meditator if he is a Karma Yogi…………

http://www.speakingtree.in/public/spiritual-blogs/seekers/science-of-spirituality/a-labourer-becomes-a-meditator-if-he-is-a-karma-yogi-336153

Mayday has its origin in the French word “Maidez” which is pronounced almost as “mayday” and which in French literally means “Help me!” A labourer is a person who helps the society and is a part of its wellness. Every individual is a labourer in that sense.

On the face of it we humans persue “Artha” (Economical gain) which is one of the “Purusharthas” (Objectives of life), but money is only Nimmitta Karana (Instrumental cause) for the work to happen. The wages, bonus, and the incentives are the hidden means to encourage a being to thrive for the society through his labour. A Karma Yogi looks for satisfaction in the work done he is more interested in the accomplishment of the task rather than the returns from it. Just as the third law of motion indicates that for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction, so does the act yields a labour subsequent result without fail. Sometimes the result may be in favour and some time it may be adverse also. But the action that we do should bring solace to the self, no work should bring a remorse feel.        

As person who have experience in running and working along with my co workers in my industry for past 20 years I have experienced that the monetary matters are important to run an industry but that is not all. The most important requirement to be a success in any field is the intent to have commitment.  I can close the factory for a last few days of the month if I think I had made enough money for that month, but if I think deep I would understand that it is the chain process that is hurt. The clients depend on the finished products that I have had to dispatch which are raw materials to them at their work place and if we do not dispatch at correct time thier work is affected. And so also my supplier is affected as the raw materials at my factory are not consumed, so his supplies to my factory is got stuck at his place.        

A Karma Yogi is the one who has trespass the realm of thinking of himself and his near and dear ones. Whatever he does he makes sure it benefits the whole society, not in the intention of personal benefit but in the process if it is yielding him some comforts he never shuns those. He selflessly acts without any kind of expectations, but in reality does he do it that way or is it possible to really work that way??????  There is only one expectation from the work he does he needs satisfaction from what he has done. Job Satisfaction is the ultimate for a genuine Karma Yogi and hence Ralph Waldo Emerson has quoted “The reward of a thing well done, is to have done it”

With such kind of attitude a Labourer is then free from lust, greed, anger and egoism which provide him a spotless character. It makes him have a large and kind heart, friendly, loving social nature, is perfect in adaptability, and very well adjusts to other nature and habits. This tolerance and attitude of adjustment helps him maintain a cool and balanced mind. This balanced mind triggers a creative vision in him and he has always a presence of mind in the work he does. This creative vision and the presence of mind make him successful in every venture he attempts at. With success he is definite to lead a life of luxury without any mental disturbance from the troubles and turbulence at his work place. 

455. Destination is ONE but PATH & ways to REACH are different..!

http://www.speakingtree.in/spiritual-blogs/seekers/science-of-spirituality/destination-is-one-but-path-ways-to-reach-are-different

Some say work is worship and some insist that a seeker need to perform ritualistic worship to a deity in the form of an idol to merge with Truth, while others plead that the ritualistic worship is not needed to attain Absolute. There are chances that when a young seeker who listens to the three statements get confused and at times these talks intimidate him to some extent. But for one who has understood Vedas well there is not even an iota of doubt and he simply tread forward choosing that path which he is capable with. 

Let me try to explain: There is mention of Karmakanda (Path of Rituals), Upasanakanda (Path of Worship) and Jnanakanda (Path of Knowledge) in Vedas to attain the Truth.

 

 

Karmakanda is for those under the sway of their mind feeling happy and sad as the situation prevails, who have likes and dislikes and hence are attached to delusions and illusions. Such seekers need some kind of a support to comprehend Truth. That support is their mind. With the mind there is a need to retain "I" ness and practice discipline, attend discourses and cleanse the mind regularly and polish it always. This way of attainment is called “Pipilika Marga” the way of the Ant. One can observe that an ant slowly climbs up to the trunk of the tree and marches forward to the branch and finally reach the fruit and enjoys the taste of the fruit.

 

 

Upasanakanda is where the seeker deals with “why” aspect of rituals in addition to “how” and stage by stage moves forward towards comprehending Truth. This path includes concentration and meditation on deities, mental worship. This is an intermediate state for a seeker; if Karmakanda cleanses the mind of impurities, Upasanakanda helps the mind to gain single pointedness, to concentrate. This way of attainment is called “Markata Marga” the way of the Monkey. A monkey jumps from one tree to another lands on the branch which has fruits and grabs the fruit and tastes it.

 

 

Jnanakanda is the ultimate state. A seeker here in this state realizes that there is higher authority that is controlling the natural forces such as Volcano (Fire), Tornado (Wind), Torrential Rain (Water), Tremors (Earth) and Avalanche (Space). The seeker is convinced that just doing good deeds is not the ultimate goal of human life. The only way to end sufferings of human life is to get liberated and end the cycles of Birth and Death once and for all. This liberation yields the final merger with Brahman, the Supreme Being. This way of attainment is called “Shuka Marga” the way of the Parrot. The parrot fly down from the sky lands on the branch of the tree with fruits and pecks at a fruit with its beak and starts relishing the fruit.

 

 

In the Karmakanda the support of mind is always there just as the branch is there for the ant to climb the tree to get the fruit. In Upasanakanda the support of the mind is occasionally needed just as the monkeys need the branch of the tree to jump and grasp the fruit. In Jnanakanda the support of mind is needed very little, just as the parrot seldom needs the help of the branch except for landing on it and relishing the fruit.

 

 

But one has to notice that the fruit is attainable in all the three ways, it depends on the faith and endurance in the path a seeker has. Ant may not be as quick as monkey or monkey may not be as quick as parrot in getting the fruit but importantly all the three finally get the fruit. If the ant try to imitate the money and try to jump or if monkey looks at parrot and try to fly and if the parrot ties to climb the tree like the ant it will delay its approach in reaching the fruit.

 

 

Every seeker attains the ultimate if he treads the path in whichever way he is comfortable……… Do you agree???