Seneca says: It was nature’s intention that there should be no need of great equipment for a good life: every individual can make himself happy. External goods are of trivial importance and without much influence in either direction: prosperity does not elevate the sage and adversity does not depress him. For he has always made the effort to rely as much as possible on himself and to derive all delight from himself.
Thus, the gifts that we believe 'Fortune' to have bestowed us with - money, public office, influence, even peace, should, in fact, be pushed to a place in our lives and hearts where they or the lack of them don't bother us at all.The lack of these things, especially, may affect us a lot...may affect those we love, a lot...still, the wise thing to do would be as Kipling says -
If you can dream—and not make dreams your master;
If you can think—and not make thoughts your aim;
If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster
And treat those two impostors just the same....
Further..
If you can make one heap of all your winnings
And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings
And never breathe a word about your loss....
And...
If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
Or walk with Kings—nor lose the common touch,
If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you,
If all men count with you, but none too much;
If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds’ worth of distance run,
Yours is the Earth and everything that’s in it,
And—which is more—you’ll be a Man, my son!
Thus, we go back to our quiet space and replenish our spirit for, it is only the disciplining of our mind which will lead to the inner stability of our spirit. And it is ONLY this inner stability that can help us to remain calm and happy no matter what the conditions around us, or how dire the circumstances in which we find ourselves. The best thing is that we have the power to choose our attitude in any condition or circumstance...we have the power to keep our monkey mind clear and clean...
30 June 2017
28 June 2017
We tend to think of work...
as tiring, sometimes tedious and often boring, and sometimes even as a waste of our time, energy, and resourcefulness.
However...
We never tire of serving (read helping) people. We can spend oodles of time doing things that we know will bring relief and happiness to people, and not even feel the passage of time. We feel good and not one bit tired when we work straight through for days on end trying to help people reconstruct their lives after some calamity. We have no trouble in giving of ourselves to those who we know are in some kind of distress.
Should we look at all that we do at 'work', be it in an office or at home, as service, we will never feel tired or dispirited. There is no chance of our slipping into depression. Our energy levels will always be high, and importantly, we will feel strong about ourselves. For, all work is, in fact, service, no matter if we work in the private sector or public sector. If we think of what we do from 9 to 5 as serving people directly or indirectly, then that work becomes service. We are sure to find our mind opening up and becoming free and this feeling is the best of all.....the free mind and spirit...
However...
We never tire of serving (read helping) people. We can spend oodles of time doing things that we know will bring relief and happiness to people, and not even feel the passage of time. We feel good and not one bit tired when we work straight through for days on end trying to help people reconstruct their lives after some calamity. We have no trouble in giving of ourselves to those who we know are in some kind of distress.
Should we look at all that we do at 'work', be it in an office or at home, as service, we will never feel tired or dispirited. There is no chance of our slipping into depression. Our energy levels will always be high, and importantly, we will feel strong about ourselves. For, all work is, in fact, service, no matter if we work in the private sector or public sector. If we think of what we do from 9 to 5 as serving people directly or indirectly, then that work becomes service. We are sure to find our mind opening up and becoming free and this feeling is the best of all.....the free mind and spirit...
26 June 2017
Words of wisdom...
easily incorporated in our daily life...
Lead a frugal life, simple and unassuming.
Live every day with Kindness, Beauty and Truth. These ideals will give us courage to face life cheerfully, no matter what comes our way.
Form bonds of kinship only with those of like mind.
Occupy ourselves with things that matter such as art and scientific endeavors.
(--these were taken from Einstein's musings)
Lead a frugal life, simple and unassuming.
Live every day with Kindness, Beauty and Truth. These ideals will give us courage to face life cheerfully, no matter what comes our way.
Form bonds of kinship only with those of like mind.
Occupy ourselves with things that matter such as art and scientific endeavors.
(--these were taken from Einstein's musings)
23 June 2017
If we check to see where our place in the galaxy is...
we'll see that we are tinier than a speck and as inconsequential.
We, however, think we are important, the world will not be able to move without us, the earth will not rotate if we are not on it. Sadly, the fact is that we - who are so indispensable - are not immortal and one day we will have to leave this beautiful world.
Here's something from Albert Einstein that made me introspect. I want to share it here:
Each of us is here for a brief sojourn; for what purpose he knows not, though he sometimes thinks he senses it. But without deeper reflection one knows from daily life that one exists for other people — first of all for those upon whose smiles and well-being our own happiness is wholly dependent, and then for the many, unknown to us, to whose destinies we are bound by the ties of sympathy. A hundred times every day I remind myself that my inner and outer life are based on the labors of other men, living and dead, and that I must exert myself in order to give in the same measure as I have received and am still receiving.
We, however, think we are important, the world will not be able to move without us, the earth will not rotate if we are not on it. Sadly, the fact is that we - who are so indispensable - are not immortal and one day we will have to leave this beautiful world.
Here's something from Albert Einstein that made me introspect. I want to share it here:
Each of us is here for a brief sojourn; for what purpose he knows not, though he sometimes thinks he senses it. But without deeper reflection one knows from daily life that one exists for other people — first of all for those upon whose smiles and well-being our own happiness is wholly dependent, and then for the many, unknown to us, to whose destinies we are bound by the ties of sympathy. A hundred times every day I remind myself that my inner and outer life are based on the labors of other men, living and dead, and that I must exert myself in order to give in the same measure as I have received and am still receiving.
We need to make our brief sojourn here meaningful...
21 June 2017
During WWII...
Albert Camus, while reflecting on the strength of people's character in turbulent times wrote: "We must mend what has been torn apart, make justice imaginable again in a world so obviously unjust, give happiness a meaning once more.”
WWII had brought with it deadly injustices which engulfed Europe. Camus believed that mending the world required patient, steadfast, and often unglamorous work. "It is the work of choosing kindness over fear, again and again, in the smallest of everyday ways, those tiny triumphs of the human spirit which converge in the current of courage that is the only force by which this world has ever changed," he said.
We live in turbulent times too. All kinds of turbulence and injustice hit and completely put out of countenance our ordinary, everyday lives. We are shaken to the core as the world literally seems to have gone off the rails. We can and we must take strength from what Camus says and in our own little spheres and worlds do our bit of mending and give happiness a meaning again.......and again......and again...
WWII had brought with it deadly injustices which engulfed Europe. Camus believed that mending the world required patient, steadfast, and often unglamorous work. "It is the work of choosing kindness over fear, again and again, in the smallest of everyday ways, those tiny triumphs of the human spirit which converge in the current of courage that is the only force by which this world has ever changed," he said.
We live in turbulent times too. All kinds of turbulence and injustice hit and completely put out of countenance our ordinary, everyday lives. We are shaken to the core as the world literally seems to have gone off the rails. We can and we must take strength from what Camus says and in our own little spheres and worlds do our bit of mending and give happiness a meaning again.......and again......and again...
19 June 2017
Dance...
“Dance, when you're broken open. Dance, if you've torn the bandage off. Dance in the middle of the fighting. Dance in your blood. Dance when you're perfectly free.” ~ Rumi
To dance...
We need to choose not to ever become victims of our reality. We need to believe that there is a reason for our being here - in the exact spot where we are right now. We won't see why right away, but our being where we are is part of a pattern in the tapestry of our lives. For the pattern to work out, we need to clear up all that is blocking us - guilt, anger, sadness, fear, hurt...anything that is making us feel like victims - and let the Creator's Light come in. When the Light comes in, we feel at peace with ourselves and the place we are in.
And, we need to sing.
To sing...
Ethel Wilson of the COWICHAN tribe shares this piece of Native American wisdom: "Your power comes from the songs." She says, "Get yourself a drum. When you sing a song and play the drum, you'll be surprised how your mind, body, and spirit will react. Everything becomes calm and joyful. Our bodies love the songs. The songs allow us to touch the hand of the Creator. When we sing and touch the Great Spirit's hand, He gives us power."
To dance...
We need to choose not to ever become victims of our reality. We need to believe that there is a reason for our being here - in the exact spot where we are right now. We won't see why right away, but our being where we are is part of a pattern in the tapestry of our lives. For the pattern to work out, we need to clear up all that is blocking us - guilt, anger, sadness, fear, hurt...anything that is making us feel like victims - and let the Creator's Light come in. When the Light comes in, we feel at peace with ourselves and the place we are in.
And, we need to sing.
To sing...
Ethel Wilson of the COWICHAN tribe shares this piece of Native American wisdom: "Your power comes from the songs." She says, "Get yourself a drum. When you sing a song and play the drum, you'll be surprised how your mind, body, and spirit will react. Everything becomes calm and joyful. Our bodies love the songs. The songs allow us to touch the hand of the Creator. When we sing and touch the Great Spirit's hand, He gives us power."
16 June 2017
The other day in the gym...
one person stopped me to tell me about his visit to Sri Lanka and how he could not get over the fact that missionaries had gone there against all odds of climate, and distance, and all the other troubles and problems, to work among the native people.
Was it religiosity that drove them or were they so intensely spiritual that they could overcome all odds to do what they believed in.
There is a huge difference between religiosity and spirituality.
Religiosity is belief in God - whatever form God may take. It is a belief in a Supreme Power that rules the Universe. It is belief in a Universal Consciousness from which we all come and to which we all go back. One's religion is a deeply personal matter.
Spirituality helps us to live in the right way. We try to make the right choices and do the right thing. St Paul summed up the nine attributes of a Christian - these are universal in nature:
Love - Benevolence and goodwill. To seek the highest of the other and to give without asking anything in return without considering the worth of the object.
Joy - Serene and stable. Not like worldly happiness, which is merely emotional and lasts only for a time.
Peace - Peace is more than an absence of conflict. It is the tranquil state of a soul fearing nothing and content with its earthly lot.
Forbearance - Patience, which can be translated into longsuffering or endurance.
Kindness - Kindness is goodness in action, sweetness of disposition, gentleness in dealing with others, benevolence, kindness, affability. The word describes the ability to act for the welfare of everyone regardless of what they do (even if they tax your patience).
Goodness - The state or quality of being good, regardless. Goodness would include kindness, generosity, not hurting anyone, looking at the best part of everything.
Faithfulness - Commitment to something or someone. This would involve moral strength and a personal resolve not to wander away from commitments or promises.
Gentleness - Even-tempered, tranquil, balanced, unpretentious. Gentleness is not an indication of weakness, but of power and strength under control.
Self-control - The ability to control one's thoughts and actions.
One can be deeply religious, but in order to live a complete life one needs spirituality. Spirituality in its deepest essence is a belief that God or a Higher Power is in control for we cannot truly go it alone. In fact, there is no limit to what we can be or achieve...
Was it religiosity that drove them or were they so intensely spiritual that they could overcome all odds to do what they believed in.
There is a huge difference between religiosity and spirituality.
Religiosity is belief in God - whatever form God may take. It is a belief in a Supreme Power that rules the Universe. It is belief in a Universal Consciousness from which we all come and to which we all go back. One's religion is a deeply personal matter.
Spirituality helps us to live in the right way. We try to make the right choices and do the right thing. St Paul summed up the nine attributes of a Christian - these are universal in nature:
Love - Benevolence and goodwill. To seek the highest of the other and to give without asking anything in return without considering the worth of the object.
Joy - Serene and stable. Not like worldly happiness, which is merely emotional and lasts only for a time.
Peace - Peace is more than an absence of conflict. It is the tranquil state of a soul fearing nothing and content with its earthly lot.
Forbearance - Patience, which can be translated into longsuffering or endurance.
Kindness - Kindness is goodness in action, sweetness of disposition, gentleness in dealing with others, benevolence, kindness, affability. The word describes the ability to act for the welfare of everyone regardless of what they do (even if they tax your patience).
Goodness - The state or quality of being good, regardless. Goodness would include kindness, generosity, not hurting anyone, looking at the best part of everything.
Faithfulness - Commitment to something or someone. This would involve moral strength and a personal resolve not to wander away from commitments or promises.
Gentleness - Even-tempered, tranquil, balanced, unpretentious. Gentleness is not an indication of weakness, but of power and strength under control.
Self-control - The ability to control one's thoughts and actions.
One can be deeply religious, but in order to live a complete life one needs spirituality. Spirituality in its deepest essence is a belief that God or a Higher Power is in control for we cannot truly go it alone. In fact, there is no limit to what we can be or achieve...
12 June 2017
There is...
a powerful week ahead.
How can we make it work for us?
1. Empty ourselves completely and totally of all thought--preconceived or as they arise, of all kinds of judgmentalism, of all planning, of all promises to be this, that or the other kind of person, of all the notions we have acquired, of all bias, of all negativity, of all that we claim to know, of all that we think we are... totally empty ourselves. It's what the Zen Master told a student who had come to meet him for the first time: I cannot teach you until you empty yourself of all that you think you already know.
2. Remove all negativity...indeed, ignore all the prods from within to be negative. One can find negativity in just about everything and everyone. STOP. Don't do this. This is actually counter to life. Just see the Creator's hand in everything. If you are not a believer, remember that all things...people...circumstances...have good in them. Concentrate only on the good.
3. Build self-esteem. Remember that what others say or believe about us actually says a lot about them than about us. Likewise, what we say about others actually says a lot about us..... So, good time to do a little checking up on ourselves!
4. Keep the capacity to learn open. We have to guard ourselves into getting locked into any one kind of thinking. It could be something that happened to us at some time, it could be an idea, it could be a notion we have acquired, it could be a lesson some personal experience taught us. Never mind. Just push them out and view whatever comes our way with fresh, clean eyes......We may learn something about ourselves that we never knew.
5. Go to the trees: The trees are the Elders of the Earth. Find a young
tree. Spend some time with it. Then find an old tree and sit by it and listen to the thoughts that come into the mind. Native American wisdom says that just by being in the presence of an old tree we will feel calm. Our thoughts will contain wisdom and our answers will be deeper.
How can we make it work for us?
1. Empty ourselves completely and totally of all thought--preconceived or as they arise, of all kinds of judgmentalism, of all planning, of all promises to be this, that or the other kind of person, of all the notions we have acquired, of all bias, of all negativity, of all that we claim to know, of all that we think we are... totally empty ourselves. It's what the Zen Master told a student who had come to meet him for the first time: I cannot teach you until you empty yourself of all that you think you already know.
2. Remove all negativity...indeed, ignore all the prods from within to be negative. One can find negativity in just about everything and everyone. STOP. Don't do this. This is actually counter to life. Just see the Creator's hand in everything. If you are not a believer, remember that all things...people...circumstances...have good in them. Concentrate only on the good.
3. Build self-esteem. Remember that what others say or believe about us actually says a lot about them than about us. Likewise, what we say about others actually says a lot about us..... So, good time to do a little checking up on ourselves!
4. Keep the capacity to learn open. We have to guard ourselves into getting locked into any one kind of thinking. It could be something that happened to us at some time, it could be an idea, it could be a notion we have acquired, it could be a lesson some personal experience taught us. Never mind. Just push them out and view whatever comes our way with fresh, clean eyes......We may learn something about ourselves that we never knew.
5. Go to the trees: The trees are the Elders of the Earth. Find a young
tree. Spend some time with it. Then find an old tree and sit by it and listen to the thoughts that come into the mind. Native American wisdom says that just by being in the presence of an old tree we will feel calm. Our thoughts will contain wisdom and our answers will be deeper.
05 June 2017
“When you learn to accept instead of expect...
you’ll have fewer disappointments.” ~ Unknown
Not only fewer disappointments, but not having expectations takes the pressure off relationships - no matter which relationship it is: Parents-children; friend-friend; teacher-student; salesperson-customer; boss-employee...any relationship at all. Either we are expecting things of them, or they are expecting things of us...and the circle goes round round entangling us in unhappiness.
Now we need to check and see how we think. When something goes 'wrong' or 'awry' in a relationship, do we instantly start blaming ourselves? Do we start thinking that we can never do anything right? Do we tell ourselves that we are all wrong? Do we find ourselves taking the blame?
Why do we do this? Because we were expecting something out of the relationship, that we didn't get. We were looking forward to something that we see is not going to happen. In fact, things probably went totally off course from what we were anticipating or imagining. Could be we were presuming something, or we thought we deserved something better and that was not happening...
The thing is that things do go wrong, but if we immediately point the finger at ourselves, then we gradually start internalizing the sentences we use to tell us we are all wrong. Also, we put a huge burden on the other person (the person from whom we had all these expectations) and the result is a strain on the relationship.
What happens next is that we either gradually withdraw into ourselves and build a wall around us...not going out ourselves, nor letting anyone in. Or, we dig ourselves deeper and deeper into the mire of being the 'wrong' person. And so 'everyone else is better and first and I am dreadful and last.' Otherwise things would be different, right? Strain-strain-strain all around!
To get out of this, we need to keep telling ourselves that we are different from others - each person is different - and therefore there is no need for me to apologetic about myself or put the other person on a pedestal. As we repeat this over and over again to ourselves, a strong feeling of respect for ourselves starts to grow. This helps us get to know ourselves better too! And we realize - slowly but surely - that it is not any particular relationship that is giving us grief, it is the way we are viewing the relationship that is causing the problems.
Once you let go of all expectations and take each moment as it happens, without tying it to the past or the future, it becomes a freeing experience. You also start seeing the other person as a person in his/her own right.
Try it. Fight for it. We have only this one life and we really can do without binding our self-esteem and happiness to someone else's expectations...and likewise if we give up our expectations of others, we will find huge reservoirs of fun and happiness inside of ourselves... better still, we will be able to keep a relationship going stress-free...
Not only fewer disappointments, but not having expectations takes the pressure off relationships - no matter which relationship it is: Parents-children; friend-friend; teacher-student; salesperson-customer; boss-employee...any relationship at all. Either we are expecting things of them, or they are expecting things of us...and the circle goes round round entangling us in unhappiness.
Now we need to check and see how we think. When something goes 'wrong' or 'awry' in a relationship, do we instantly start blaming ourselves? Do we start thinking that we can never do anything right? Do we tell ourselves that we are all wrong? Do we find ourselves taking the blame?
Why do we do this? Because we were expecting something out of the relationship, that we didn't get. We were looking forward to something that we see is not going to happen. In fact, things probably went totally off course from what we were anticipating or imagining. Could be we were presuming something, or we thought we deserved something better and that was not happening...
The thing is that things do go wrong, but if we immediately point the finger at ourselves, then we gradually start internalizing the sentences we use to tell us we are all wrong. Also, we put a huge burden on the other person (the person from whom we had all these expectations) and the result is a strain on the relationship.
What happens next is that we either gradually withdraw into ourselves and build a wall around us...not going out ourselves, nor letting anyone in. Or, we dig ourselves deeper and deeper into the mire of being the 'wrong' person. And so 'everyone else is better and first and I am dreadful and last.' Otherwise things would be different, right? Strain-strain-strain all around!
To get out of this, we need to keep telling ourselves that we are different from others - each person is different - and therefore there is no need for me to apologetic about myself or put the other person on a pedestal. As we repeat this over and over again to ourselves, a strong feeling of respect for ourselves starts to grow. This helps us get to know ourselves better too! And we realize - slowly but surely - that it is not any particular relationship that is giving us grief, it is the way we are viewing the relationship that is causing the problems.
Once you let go of all expectations and take each moment as it happens, without tying it to the past or the future, it becomes a freeing experience. You also start seeing the other person as a person in his/her own right.
Try it. Fight for it. We have only this one life and we really can do without binding our self-esteem and happiness to someone else's expectations...and likewise if we give up our expectations of others, we will find huge reservoirs of fun and happiness inside of ourselves... better still, we will be able to keep a relationship going stress-free...
02 June 2017
The fundamental belief...
of Buddhism and Sikhism.
Buddhism does not preach an extreme way...nor does Sikhism.
The beauty of Buddhism lies in The Eightfold Path:
The beauty of Sikhism lies in the three beliefs proferred by Guru Nanak. Like the Eightfold Path, these are to be practiced in our daily life:
It is living a life founded on decency and controlled by high spiritual, moral and social values.
How will we know if we are on the right track? When we do things according to the very do-able ways these wise men recommended, a very special calmness fills us and we know in our bones that we have done the right thing or been the right kind of person.
Both the Buddha and Guru Nanak knew that true morality could only be gauged in terms of one’s interaction with one’s neighbours. And who is our neighbour? Jesus said any man in distress or stumbling on life's path is our neighbour...
Buddhism does not preach an extreme way...nor does Sikhism.
The beauty of Buddhism lies in The Eightfold Path:
Right Understanding
Right Intent
Right Speech
Right Action
Right Livelihood
Right Effort
Right Mindfulness
Right Concentration
These are the eight aspects of life and if consciously integrated in our every day living....in every thought we have....in everything we do....in how we are with ourself and with others, it will definitely make life understandable and allow for quiet peacefulness and happiness.
The beauty of Sikhism lies in the three beliefs proferred by Guru Nanak. Like the Eightfold Path, these are to be practiced in our daily life:
- To selflessly serve and share with others especially with those less fortunate than yourself. “Share and Consume together”. Every Sikh has to contribute in whatever way possible to the common community pool.
- Earning/making a living honestly, as a householder, without exploitation or fraud.
- Meditating on God's name to control the weaknesses of the human personality.
It is living a life founded on decency and controlled by high spiritual, moral and social values.
How will we know if we are on the right track? When we do things according to the very do-able ways these wise men recommended, a very special calmness fills us and we know in our bones that we have done the right thing or been the right kind of person.
Both the Buddha and Guru Nanak knew that true morality could only be gauged in terms of one’s interaction with one’s neighbours. And who is our neighbour? Jesus said any man in distress or stumbling on life's path is our neighbour...
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