is NOT the same as religiosity. Religiosity is inextricably linked with a reliance on rituals. Spirituality transcends all rituals...it is a manner of living, a way of life.
A religion is a pre-packaged set of teachings, ideas and a specific lifestyle. Spirit transcends all religions and represents ways that help a person live better. For a complete life, we need to live in a spiritual manner...i.e., guided by our spirit.
So, what is this spirit?
Tao says that "Spirit represents the movement of your life."
I looked up the word in the Cambridge Dictionary, and this is how spirit is defined - it is a particular way of thinking, feeling, or behaving....all of which are movements...
In the Old Testament, the Hebrew word for spirit is ruah, meaning wind, breath....again, movement. When applied to a person, ruah means vital powers or strength....these are all dynamic. Ruah refers to feelings as well...feelings that need to be changed - discard those that don't work for us and find, adopt and keep those that do. Because the spirit is dynamic, it is life-giving. The New Testament says the fruits of the Spirit are love, joy, peace, forbearance (patience), kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control... Though here Spirit refers to being one in God, it can also be taken to mean that if we actively love, are joyful, peaceful, patient, kind, good, faithful, gentle and self-controlled, our lives will be richer with meaning. All these qualities have to be worked towards. They don't just happen. Thus, spirit is more a travel style....
A word deeply linked to spirituality is Grace. By definition, Grace is a path of growing potential; it is elegance or beauty of form, manner, motion, or action. Tao says there is nothing static about this word at all. Its definition varies from person to person, from moment to moment. The definition of grace shifts, dances and grows as you yourself grow. Dynamic....movement....
When deciding that the old ways are not working any more and there is a disconnect in more than one areas of a life, or we are feeling trapped in the old lifestyle, a transformation is required, and this transformation is all about the grace (dynamism) of seeking a better life...a life of greater potential....and becoming one's own person. Transformation is not a rushed process. It takes time. We have to move away from what is not working towards finding what will work for us and then we have to grow into that new life. We cannot act out of fear - the fear that time is slipping away and here we are trapped under mountain of ways that are not working for us any more. Fear will lead us to chase all kinds of quick fix answers and solutions which only end up diminishing us.
The secret of life is all about living in a manner and style that will help us to grow... it's a life of the spirit defined by grace...
06 February 2017
03 February 2017
Have you felt, like me...
that there are times when things that were learnt, or picked up from our environment in our growing up years, don't square up with the present? In fact, some things are downright not right for us? Some things learnt in those growing up impressionable age, are actually hurting our path of life right now? Feeling trapped between all we had accepted as gospel truth and now seeing that it isn't really gospel truth, in fact is far, far from it?
First off - don't blame anyone - especially not our parents, for they acted in our best interest and according to their lights at that particular time of life.
Second - Do something....For this, we need to think this through, even though a thousand opposing thoughts may poke their heads up. And then, start working on change.
No matter at what time of life this realization dawns on us, that it is now time to question the old ways and the old beliefs which we had blindly accepted thus far, what we are heading towards is a transformation. Our nature is going through a rebirth, as it were, and we have to go through the birth pangs slowly and gently, all the while respecting ourselves. The body is changing - growing older, and in this transformation, our mind, heart and spirit is also undergoing a changeover...a renewal. It's like, we were wearing a pair of shoes which we were told was good for us, and down the years had not changed the style. Now, the shape of the foot is changing and we have to change our shoes. In fact, we are having to decide between putting away our old comfort and support and choosing something new, better suited to the foot as it is now. So, choosing something new is going to be painful, till it fits, and we are comfortable with the fit.
While choosing, we need to free our mind to experiment with new perspectives....get out of the rut of blindly going on in the old way. Of course everything isn't going to be a good fit, or successful....failure is built into choice, but we need to make our choices, anyway. It's better than feeling trapped, isn't it?
Freeing our mind may make old thoughts and old ways surface - the force of habit is strong...the force of blindly believing all that we were taught by our parents/teachers/elders/society is strong. However, freeing the mind will not only help us resolve these childhood-adolescent-young adult-adult issues, but we will be able to give them their rightful place in the past and we can then go ahead and try out the new way.
As we grow older, many changes are happening inside our body. Choosing to change our mind and hearts at this time is heading into a total revolution - Physical, Mental and Spiritual. Accept this. This is a time for TOTAL CHANGE and we need to accept and embrace these changes and transform hitherto fossilized or almost-fossilized factors in our life and living.
This is not a quick process...it takes time and, sometimes, a very long time. But, it is better to be on this road of change and painful change-transformed-to-peaceful life rather than stuck in the permanently painful reality that the old ways are not working anymore.
A Taoist outline for working through transformation gives us these tips:
1. Stop when the painfulness of choice asserts itself. We must not allow ourselves to feel rushed or stressed because of this? Smile just for ourself.... smile that we are accepting and taking on the challenge of change. And then, let's take a deep breath and enjoy the air that fills our lungs and is released.
2. Don’t look ahead.
3. Don’t add up all the work that will need to be done...and how in the world are we going to get through this.
4. Don’t worry about the details. Free the mind from everything.
5. Pause and examine the possibilities--not in the future--but within these moments of pause. The pause is important, because it is only within the pause that each step becomes visible...the step we now need to take to change our life...the new possibility.
There are going to be mistakes....mistakes are nothing but a wrong turn we have taken...but the freedom we have worked on to possess, will help us correct these mistakes.
First off - don't blame anyone - especially not our parents, for they acted in our best interest and according to their lights at that particular time of life.
Second - Do something....For this, we need to think this through, even though a thousand opposing thoughts may poke their heads up. And then, start working on change.
No matter at what time of life this realization dawns on us, that it is now time to question the old ways and the old beliefs which we had blindly accepted thus far, what we are heading towards is a transformation. Our nature is going through a rebirth, as it were, and we have to go through the birth pangs slowly and gently, all the while respecting ourselves. The body is changing - growing older, and in this transformation, our mind, heart and spirit is also undergoing a changeover...a renewal. It's like, we were wearing a pair of shoes which we were told was good for us, and down the years had not changed the style. Now, the shape of the foot is changing and we have to change our shoes. In fact, we are having to decide between putting away our old comfort and support and choosing something new, better suited to the foot as it is now. So, choosing something new is going to be painful, till it fits, and we are comfortable with the fit.
While choosing, we need to free our mind to experiment with new perspectives....get out of the rut of blindly going on in the old way. Of course everything isn't going to be a good fit, or successful....failure is built into choice, but we need to make our choices, anyway. It's better than feeling trapped, isn't it?
Freeing our mind may make old thoughts and old ways surface - the force of habit is strong...the force of blindly believing all that we were taught by our parents/teachers/elders/society is strong. However, freeing the mind will not only help us resolve these childhood-adolescent-young adult-adult issues, but we will be able to give them their rightful place in the past and we can then go ahead and try out the new way.
As we grow older, many changes are happening inside our body. Choosing to change our mind and hearts at this time is heading into a total revolution - Physical, Mental and Spiritual. Accept this. This is a time for TOTAL CHANGE and we need to accept and embrace these changes and transform hitherto fossilized or almost-fossilized factors in our life and living.
This is not a quick process...it takes time and, sometimes, a very long time. But, it is better to be on this road of change and painful change-transformed-to-peaceful life rather than stuck in the permanently painful reality that the old ways are not working anymore.
A Taoist outline for working through transformation gives us these tips:
1. Stop when the painfulness of choice asserts itself. We must not allow ourselves to feel rushed or stressed because of this? Smile just for ourself.... smile that we are accepting and taking on the challenge of change. And then, let's take a deep breath and enjoy the air that fills our lungs and is released.
2. Don’t look ahead.
3. Don’t add up all the work that will need to be done...and how in the world are we going to get through this.
4. Don’t worry about the details. Free the mind from everything.
5. Pause and examine the possibilities--not in the future--but within these moments of pause. The pause is important, because it is only within the pause that each step becomes visible...the step we now need to take to change our life...the new possibility.
There are going to be mistakes....mistakes are nothing but a wrong turn we have taken...but the freedom we have worked on to possess, will help us correct these mistakes.
01 February 2017
Adding to Rumi...
Taoism, because Taoism too is of the heart.
Taoism is neither a religion nor a philosophy. It is just a word, and, roughly translated it means 'the way'. The way to what? It is the way to accepting ourselves. For this to happen, we need to connect with Nature, adopt simplicity as the mantra of our life, and have a free and easy approach to life. In other words, we need to explore our deep inner essence by a) trusting our intuition; b) leaving off all kinds of judgmentalism on ourselves and the world around us, as these would only hold us back and cloud our mind and heart; c) removing all conflict and anger; and d) being kind to ourselves, so that beyond a wholesome and gentle discipline we don't get into the force of routine, or the force of anything.
Sharing some Taoist life lessons:
1. Taoism is a process of healing. So, we need to take time to heal.
2. Taoism is a process of learning. Every person and situation can teach us something. We need to keep an open mind.
3. Taoism is quietness. We absolutely and most definitely need to take time off to hear ourself. We have to move away from people and situations that are noisy and disturb the calm waters of our mind and heart.
4. Taoism is not about perfection. Our own little imperfections are actually what define us...these give us our individuality and our distinction as unique persons. Taoism is about accepting the best and worst parts of ourselves and our lives.
5. Taoism teaches us to drop all expectations. Live only in the here and now. For instance: An expectation can be that we will smile. Only ONE thing. Don't add anything else to this, like, learning, or working out something, or helping someone....no...Just smile. The minute we add on anything, conflicts will start to happen. If we concentrate on fulfilling only the one expectation of smiling, there is no struggle. The minute our expectation includes anything or anyone outside of ourself, all kinds of other things come into play...differences, needs, disappointments, excitements...
6. Taoism is deeply personal. Do what feels right for us. Be open, experiment and embrace what works for us.
Taoism is neither a religion nor a philosophy. It is just a word, and, roughly translated it means 'the way'. The way to what? It is the way to accepting ourselves. For this to happen, we need to connect with Nature, adopt simplicity as the mantra of our life, and have a free and easy approach to life. In other words, we need to explore our deep inner essence by a) trusting our intuition; b) leaving off all kinds of judgmentalism on ourselves and the world around us, as these would only hold us back and cloud our mind and heart; c) removing all conflict and anger; and d) being kind to ourselves, so that beyond a wholesome and gentle discipline we don't get into the force of routine, or the force of anything.
Sharing some Taoist life lessons:
1. Taoism is a process of healing. So, we need to take time to heal.
2. Taoism is a process of learning. Every person and situation can teach us something. We need to keep an open mind.
3. Taoism is quietness. We absolutely and most definitely need to take time off to hear ourself. We have to move away from people and situations that are noisy and disturb the calm waters of our mind and heart.
4. Taoism is not about perfection. Our own little imperfections are actually what define us...these give us our individuality and our distinction as unique persons. Taoism is about accepting the best and worst parts of ourselves and our lives.
5. Taoism teaches us to drop all expectations. Live only in the here and now. For instance: An expectation can be that we will smile. Only ONE thing. Don't add anything else to this, like, learning, or working out something, or helping someone....no...Just smile. The minute we add on anything, conflicts will start to happen. If we concentrate on fulfilling only the one expectation of smiling, there is no struggle. The minute our expectation includes anything or anyone outside of ourself, all kinds of other things come into play...differences, needs, disappointments, excitements...
6. Taoism is deeply personal. Do what feels right for us. Be open, experiment and embrace what works for us.
30 January 2017
Continuing Rumi's Life-changing lessons...
8. LOVE IS EVERYTHING.
“Only from the heart can you touch the sky.”
“This is love: to fly toward a secret sky, to cause a hundred veils to fall each moment. First to let go of life. Finally, to take a step without feet.”
9. RISE UP TO MEET YOUR POTENTIAL.
“You were born with potential. You were born with goodness and trust. You were born with ideals and dreams. You were born with greatness. You were born with wings. You are not meant for crawling, so don’t. You have wings. Learn to use them and fly.”
“You were born with wings, why prefer to crawl through life?”
“Be like the sun for grace and mercy. Be like the night to cover others’ faults. Be like running water for generosity. Be like death for rage and anger. Be like the Earth for modesty. Appear as you are. Be as you appear.”
10. FIND PEOPLE WHO WILL SHINE LIGHT ON YOUR PATH.
“Ignore those that make you fearful and sad, that degrade you back towards disease and death.”
“Set your life on fire. Seek those who fan your flames.”
11. DON’T TAKE YOUR THOUGHTS SO SERIOUSLY; THEY DO NOT OWN YOU.
“Be empty of worrying. Think of who created thought! Why do you stay in prison when the door is so wide open?”
“Put your thoughts to sleep, do not let them cast a shadow over the moon of your heart. Let go of thinking.”
“This being human is a guest house. Every morning is a new arrival. A joy, a depression, a meanness, some momentary awareness comes as an unexpected visitor. Welcome and entertain them all. Treat each guest honorably. The dark thought, the shame, the malice, meet them at the door laughing, and invite them in. Be grateful for whoever comes, because each has been sent as a guide from beyond.”
12. SIT IN SILENCE FOR A WHILE; EVERYTHING WILL MAKE MORE SENSE.
“In Silence there is eloquence. Stop weaving and see how the pattern improves.”
“Silence is the language of God, all else is poor translation.”
13. WE ALL ARE VISITORS OF THIS PLANET, BECAUSE WE COME FROM ELSEWHERE.
“All day I think about it, then at night I say it. Where did I come from, and what am I supposed to be doing? I have no idea. My soul is from elsewhere, I’m sure of that, and I intend to end up there.”
“We come spinning out of nothingness, scattering stars like dust.”
14. OPEN YOUR EYES TO WHAT YOU ALREADY HAVE WITHIN YOU.
“Everything in the universe is within you. Ask all from yourself.”
“I have lived on the lip of insanity, wanting to know reasons, knocking on a door. It opens. I’ve been knocking from the inside.”
“You wander from room to room hunting for the diamond necklace that is already around your neck!”
“Why are you so enchanted by this world, when a mine of gold lies within you?”
“There is a fountain inside you. Don’t walk around with an empty bucket.”
15. DON’T SEEK ANYTHING OUTSIDE YOURSELF; THE ANSWERS ARE CONTAINED IN YOUR HEART.
“Your task is not to seek for love, but merely to seek and find all the barriers within yourself that you have built against it.”
“That which is false troubles the heart, but truth brings joyous tranquility.”
“What you seek is seeking you.”
“Do you know what you are? You are a manuscript of a divine letter. You are a mirror reflecting a noble face. This universe is not outside of you. Look inside yourself; everything that you want, you are already that.”
“Only from the heart can you touch the sky.”
“This is love: to fly toward a secret sky, to cause a hundred veils to fall each moment. First to let go of life. Finally, to take a step without feet.”
9. RISE UP TO MEET YOUR POTENTIAL.
“You were born with potential. You were born with goodness and trust. You were born with ideals and dreams. You were born with greatness. You were born with wings. You are not meant for crawling, so don’t. You have wings. Learn to use them and fly.”
“You were born with wings, why prefer to crawl through life?”
“Be like the sun for grace and mercy. Be like the night to cover others’ faults. Be like running water for generosity. Be like death for rage and anger. Be like the Earth for modesty. Appear as you are. Be as you appear.”
10. FIND PEOPLE WHO WILL SHINE LIGHT ON YOUR PATH.
“Ignore those that make you fearful and sad, that degrade you back towards disease and death.”
“Set your life on fire. Seek those who fan your flames.”
11. DON’T TAKE YOUR THOUGHTS SO SERIOUSLY; THEY DO NOT OWN YOU.
“Be empty of worrying. Think of who created thought! Why do you stay in prison when the door is so wide open?”
“Put your thoughts to sleep, do not let them cast a shadow over the moon of your heart. Let go of thinking.”
“This being human is a guest house. Every morning is a new arrival. A joy, a depression, a meanness, some momentary awareness comes as an unexpected visitor. Welcome and entertain them all. Treat each guest honorably. The dark thought, the shame, the malice, meet them at the door laughing, and invite them in. Be grateful for whoever comes, because each has been sent as a guide from beyond.”
12. SIT IN SILENCE FOR A WHILE; EVERYTHING WILL MAKE MORE SENSE.
“In Silence there is eloquence. Stop weaving and see how the pattern improves.”
“Silence is the language of God, all else is poor translation.”
13. WE ALL ARE VISITORS OF THIS PLANET, BECAUSE WE COME FROM ELSEWHERE.
“All day I think about it, then at night I say it. Where did I come from, and what am I supposed to be doing? I have no idea. My soul is from elsewhere, I’m sure of that, and I intend to end up there.”
“We come spinning out of nothingness, scattering stars like dust.”
14. OPEN YOUR EYES TO WHAT YOU ALREADY HAVE WITHIN YOU.
“Everything in the universe is within you. Ask all from yourself.”
“I have lived on the lip of insanity, wanting to know reasons, knocking on a door. It opens. I’ve been knocking from the inside.”
“You wander from room to room hunting for the diamond necklace that is already around your neck!”
“Why are you so enchanted by this world, when a mine of gold lies within you?”
“There is a fountain inside you. Don’t walk around with an empty bucket.”
15. DON’T SEEK ANYTHING OUTSIDE YOURSELF; THE ANSWERS ARE CONTAINED IN YOUR HEART.
“Your task is not to seek for love, but merely to seek and find all the barriers within yourself that you have built against it.”
“That which is false troubles the heart, but truth brings joyous tranquility.”
“What you seek is seeking you.”
“Do you know what you are? You are a manuscript of a divine letter. You are a mirror reflecting a noble face. This universe is not outside of you. Look inside yourself; everything that you want, you are already that.”
27 January 2017
Life-changing lessons from Rumi...
Rumi was a 13th-century Persian Sunni Muslim poet, jurist, Islamic scholar, theologian, and Sufi mystic.
It was his meeting with the dervish Shams-e Tabrizi on 15 November 1244 that completely changed his life. From an accomplished teacher and jurist, Rumi was transformed into an ascetic.
There is solace, and restoration and rejuvenation of the spirit in Rumi's wisdom and insight. His words are as relevant today as they were in the 13th century.
“Stop acting so small. You are the universe in ecstatic motion.”
It was his meeting with the dervish Shams-e Tabrizi on 15 November 1244 that completely changed his life. From an accomplished teacher and jurist, Rumi was transformed into an ascetic.
There is solace, and restoration and rejuvenation of the spirit in Rumi's wisdom and insight. His words are as relevant today as they were in the 13th century.
Here are some of his words of wisdom:
1. DON’T AVOID TOUGH EXPERIENCES; THEY ARE WONDERFUL TEACHERS.
“The wound is the place where the Light enters you.”
“These pains you feel are messengers. Listen to them.”
“You have to keep breaking your heart until it opens.”
“The moon stays bright when it doesn’t avoid the night.”
“What hurts you, blesses you. Darkness is your candle.”
“Don’t turn away. Keep your gaze on the bandaged place. That’s where the light enters you.”
2. DON’T ALLOW THINGS OUTSIDE YOURSELF TO CONTROL YOUR EMOTION.
“If you are irritated by every rub, how will you be polished?”
“Don’t grieve. Anything you lose comes round in another form.”
3. LEAVE BEHIND A LEGACY WORTH REMEMBERING.
“Forget safety. Live where you fear to live. Destroy your reputation. Be notorious.”
4. DON’T ACT SO SMALL WHEN YOU HAVE THE WHOLE UNIVERSE INSIDE OF YOU.
4. DON’T ACT SO SMALL WHEN YOU HAVE THE WHOLE UNIVERSE INSIDE OF YOU.
“Stop acting so small. You are the universe in ecstatic motion.”
“Become the sky. Take an axe to the prison wall. Escape.”
5. FOCUS ON CHANGING YOURSELF, AND THE WHOLE WORLD WILL APPEAR DIFFERENTLY.
“Yesterday I was clever, so I wanted to change the world. Today I am wise, so I am changing myself.”
6. ALWAYS FOLLOW YOUR HEART; IT WILL TAKE YOU WHERE YOU NEED TO GO.
“Let yourself be silently drawn by the stronger pull of what you really love.”
“When you do things from your soul, you feel a river moving in you, a joy.”
7. YOU HAVE A PURPOSE HERE FAR BEYOND WHAT YOU’VE BEEN TOLD.
“There is a candle in your heart, ready to be kindled. There is a void in your soul, ready to be filled. You feel it, don’t you?”
25 January 2017
A number of deaths one after another...
have been too much for me. With my head I can understand that for some it is a blessed release, but my heart aches for those who are left behind who are trying to cope with loss - not only of a dearly loved person, but a whole lot of other things as well. One of these people has to start life all over again, as it were, with two small children.
My faith teaches me - and I do find solace in this - The Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away. Blessed be the name of the Lord.
Talking about loss and grieving with one of my young nephews, I was quite taken aback by what he said. He asked me to look at death this way: Death is not the end. It's just a way to wake us up to a new beginning.... This is God telling us to forgive those we haven't forgiven and love those whom we don't.
These words gave me a jolt and went round and round in my head. I finally accepted them.
We need to grieve. But then, while we can never let go fully of the person who has left us, we can prevent ourselves from getting paralyzed by our grief....as it often happens. We can use his/her passing to start anew. Look at life with a new perspective, sort out issues that have long been festering in our mind....there may be something rankling in us, and we could force ourselves to face up to it. Accepting the reminder that we too will one day go away, we could catch up with people we have long been neglecting, read that book which we have wanted to, but kept postponing, do things we have long wanted to do, change aspects in us which are not working out, do a complete checklist of our beliefs and values, remove the bitter and harsh, forgive, instead of holding on to a grudge that is anyway years and years old, give ourselves a bold makeover, face up to the hard/harsh deals that Life has given us and find a way around them or through them, write someone a letter of love and appreciation - something which should have been done long back, re-connect with people who've got left behind....... These are all new beginnings... They won't cause us to forget our loved ones who have passed on, instead, we will be actually paying them a tribute because we are channeling our grief to make our lives better... they are forcing us to look at our lives anew...
My faith teaches me - and I do find solace in this - The Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away. Blessed be the name of the Lord.
Talking about loss and grieving with one of my young nephews, I was quite taken aback by what he said. He asked me to look at death this way: Death is not the end. It's just a way to wake us up to a new beginning.... This is God telling us to forgive those we haven't forgiven and love those whom we don't.
These words gave me a jolt and went round and round in my head. I finally accepted them.
We need to grieve. But then, while we can never let go fully of the person who has left us, we can prevent ourselves from getting paralyzed by our grief....as it often happens. We can use his/her passing to start anew. Look at life with a new perspective, sort out issues that have long been festering in our mind....there may be something rankling in us, and we could force ourselves to face up to it. Accepting the reminder that we too will one day go away, we could catch up with people we have long been neglecting, read that book which we have wanted to, but kept postponing, do things we have long wanted to do, change aspects in us which are not working out, do a complete checklist of our beliefs and values, remove the bitter and harsh, forgive, instead of holding on to a grudge that is anyway years and years old, give ourselves a bold makeover, face up to the hard/harsh deals that Life has given us and find a way around them or through them, write someone a letter of love and appreciation - something which should have been done long back, re-connect with people who've got left behind....... These are all new beginnings... They won't cause us to forget our loved ones who have passed on, instead, we will be actually paying them a tribute because we are channeling our grief to make our lives better... they are forcing us to look at our lives anew...
23 January 2017
Continuing with Swami Vivekananda...
His very humanness is engaging...he doesn't prescribe any complicated set of metaphysical mental, psychological or emotional acrobatics. One trusts, one learns to believe and one wants to live what one has learnt to believe...
Here are 10 Life lessons given by him:
1. You cannot believe in God until you believe in yourself.
2. Arise! Awake! and stop not until the goal is reached.
3. You have to grow from the inside out. None can teach you, none can make you spiritual. There is no other teacher but your own soul.
4. In a conflict between the heart and the brain, follow your heart.
(The wisdom of the heart that we reap in that vulnerable state is of a wholly different order to the intellectual insight we synthesize through deliberate rational thought (Brain Pickings). The insights we get through our intellectual activity and acumen have to be filtered into the heart so that the wisdom of the heart may then, finally, help us to take the right decision, or cope with the effects of a wrong decision.)
5. They alone live, who live for others.
6. Neither seek nor avoid, take what comes.
7. Comfort is no test of truth. Truth is often far from being comfortable.
8. The fire that warms us can also consume us; it is not the fault of the fire.
9. Ask nothing; want nothing in return. Give what you have to give; it will come back to you, but do not think of that now.
10. Do one thing at a time, and while doing it put your whole soul into it to the exclusion of all else.
Sync-ing the Swamiji's teaching with Native American wisdom. See what Willaru Huayta, an Incan Spiritual Messenger from Cusco, Peru, says. (Huayta was born a Quechua Indian; he learned to receive esoteric truth during his spiritual quests in the Amazon jungles.)
"The most important thing now is to reveal the inner temple of the soul with right thinking
and right activity."
Just like a tree, in order to grow strong and tall needs a good system of roots, so, too, we need a good set of Life lessons to help us stand straight and withstand the winds that buffet us...
Here are 10 Life lessons given by him:
1. You cannot believe in God until you believe in yourself.
2. Arise! Awake! and stop not until the goal is reached.
3. You have to grow from the inside out. None can teach you, none can make you spiritual. There is no other teacher but your own soul.
4. In a conflict between the heart and the brain, follow your heart.
(The wisdom of the heart that we reap in that vulnerable state is of a wholly different order to the intellectual insight we synthesize through deliberate rational thought (Brain Pickings). The insights we get through our intellectual activity and acumen have to be filtered into the heart so that the wisdom of the heart may then, finally, help us to take the right decision, or cope with the effects of a wrong decision.)
5. They alone live, who live for others.
6. Neither seek nor avoid, take what comes.
7. Comfort is no test of truth. Truth is often far from being comfortable.
8. The fire that warms us can also consume us; it is not the fault of the fire.
9. Ask nothing; want nothing in return. Give what you have to give; it will come back to you, but do not think of that now.
10. Do one thing at a time, and while doing it put your whole soul into it to the exclusion of all else.
Sync-ing the Swamiji's teaching with Native American wisdom. See what Willaru Huayta, an Incan Spiritual Messenger from Cusco, Peru, says. (Huayta was born a Quechua Indian; he learned to receive esoteric truth during his spiritual quests in the Amazon jungles.)
"The most important thing now is to reveal the inner temple of the soul with right thinking
and right activity."
Just like a tree, in order to grow strong and tall needs a good system of roots, so, too, we need a good set of Life lessons to help us stand straight and withstand the winds that buffet us...
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