Balance of The Left and The Right

Balance is a wonderful quality to be developed-often ignored in life.

The balance I’m talking about can be   physical , mental as well as emotional .

The Buddhists advocated moderation in everything, a sort of  an in between path.What they probably meant is maintaining a balance in life.

In Hinduism there is the Triguna terminology…. All matter is either Satvic,Tamasic or Rajasic ,not in an absolute sense but in a balance of the three.To reach the absolutely satvic state ,you have to go through a state which contains all the three in the proper proportions or in balance.

The Chinese Yin and Yang is also a sort of Balance-between male and female- between the left side and the right side.

Even the body has a biological balance between the left side and the right.Understanding this balance is crucial in understanding health and well being.There is a delicate balance between sanity and insanity and understanding balance is vital in remaining on this side of sanity.Medical terminology also uses the word unbalanced to denote a mental state of a patient.

The left side of the brain and the right side of the brain are known to have separate functions but the balance between the two is important.

So become more aware of the left side  and the right side of your body and always maintain a physical balance of the two.Even yoga recognises the value of balance and if you see a perfect yogi,all his asanas will convey  BALANCE if you are  a keen observer.The Natraj Asana,of Lord Shiva standing on one leg,is also a perfect example of perfect balance.Garuda Asana is another important asana of Balance or Ek Pada Pranamasana.

So recognise the importance of balance between the left and the right, and practice it at all times.Sitting ,standing , lying down or moving around-be aware totally of the  balance in you.

Start with the physical.The outlook  change  will also happen mentally and emotionally gradually.

A Bird’s eye view of your life

In period war movies of ancient times you often saw the Commanders on top of a cliff ,with a bird’s eye view of the battlefield,planning their modus operandi for battling the enemy.It made it easier for the audience also to understand and enjoy the battle better once you know which side are the heroes and which the villains.

Its the same in life.Its very necessary  to have an overview or bird’s eye view of your life to answer or clarify various questions.

Are you going in the right direction? Where are you now in relation to where you wanted to be?

Are the major relationships in your life working out to your satisfaction?

What changes would you like to make in your existing life?

What were the major turning points in your life so far?

What do you want to be doing for the coming portion of your life?

Its like a recap of the story of your life so far and the strategies you should follow from here onwards.

This quality of having a bird’s eyeview is an important quality to develop…..Of being a witness to your own life unfolding.

Enlightenment Level ?

I had earlier written about Spiritual level and asked what is your spiritual level?
In the same vein,I would like to think of what is enlightenment level?
How close are you to enlightenment or really how far?
But before that I would like to ask the following questions .
1.Is enlightenment total or can it also be partial?
2.If one is partially enlightened or totally enlightened,is it permanent or it could be temporary?
3.Is enlightenment obtained gradually or suden ? If gradually is it over a long period of time or a short period ?
4.Does enlightenment appear and then disappear if you dont know how to hold on to it properly or if you misuse it or brag about it ?
The questions are serious and not in a lighter or sarcastic vein.
Coming back to the main issue of enlightenment levels ,I am making the following hypothetical measuring scale.
Lets assume that the scale is from 0 to ten,going on a reverse scale.
Zero is the level that Buddha reached,that is,full enlightenment.
In Buddhist terminology,Shoonya is an important word which means emptiness,or void or a zero.Thats why I have kept zero as the ultimate in enlightenment level.
Lets keep level ten the highest level of unenlightenment.
Each person has to ask himself this question what is my level? if he is into setting himself on the path of enlightenment.
Most of mankind is not into this.How much money have you made,how successful have you been in your career,how famous have you become,how happy are you with your family,how compassionate are you,how much you have returned to society,how environment friendly are you,these are the types of questions generally asked.How much have you refined your inner being towards enlightenment is hardly ever asked.The science of the inner world has not been investigated enough.Why not?

Developing The Distant Gaze

 

Walking on a beach,or jogging in a park,when  crossing  people in the opposite direction,the normal human tendency is to look at the person passing by.

There is a certain mind energy drain in this process as the mind  gets activated  and starts a judgemental process about that person.This starts an unneccessary chain reaction . 

So also ,if you are seated at the back, in a car or a train ,you will see all the advertising billboards passing you by, and your mind will pass silent  comments on them  like good,bad, etc. etc .

To avoid unneccesary mind activity in these type of situations,learn to develop the distant gaze.

The Distant Gaze is to be practiced only when you are on your own.And obviously,not while driving a car.

Look at a faraway point,and let people,buildings,trees,all pass you by.Do not observe any specific particulars.Try and make your mind vacant at that point,like a no-mind meditation.

This will  also develop  a certain detachment. A distancing device that will make you more alert ,more aware,as a witness.It will sharpen your mind as there will be no other mind activity during the period of Distant Gaze.

You often see it in films when a person is in a state of shock.People go out of focus or they hear only distorted sounds because  they are not in full control of their senses.

But  here you are practicing the Distant Gaze, in full control,with great awareness and only during certain periods,when you wish to meditate but cant close your eyes.

The Distant Gaze is a meditation technique with your eyes open.

The real world will slowly become a dream world and the dream world will become more real.

Be In Sync

“May I speak what I think,and may I think what I speak.”

-The Invocation Prayer Opening lines  of the Nirvana Upanishad.

What the above quote is saying is ” Be in sync”.

Let your mind(what you think) be in sync with your body(with your actions.)

Let your speech(what you speak) be in sync with your heart(What you feel)

If you dont like a person dont spend too much time with that person.

If you dont like a company,dont work for that company.

To be sincere is to be in sync.To be honest is to be in sync.

To be in sync with yourself is to be in sync with your family.

To be in sync with your family is to be in sync with your environment.

To be in sync with your environment is to be in sync with the universe.

To be in sync with the Universe is to be in sync with God.

That is the ultimate ” to be in sync.”

Interestingness

What is it that makes a person interesting?
Is it money? Or fame? Or wisdom ? Or clever talk ? Or spirituality ?
Or individuality? Or a combination of all of the above?

What is important is not how interesting you are to others (which is what most people focus on) but how interesting you are to yourself. This is what makes a study of interestingness interesting….

To be Spiritual-what does it mean?

Spirituality has been made too esoteric…..

It has become a retirement plan.

When I’m 60 ,then I’ll read about it ,find out what it is and then I’ll become spiritual….Thats the thinking pattern…

Spirituality has been distorted…..It has to be redefined, it has to be reunderstood,it has to become commonized and more universal…

Look at a new born baby….It is so spiritual…eyes full of wonder…quiet and peaceful(when not hungry),always playful,and when you see a new born you are always in awe,of something,of God,of the spiritual.

But by the time the child grows up the spirituality in the child  is lost.How ? Why?

Because no one taught the child to preserve its spirituality….no one knows how to teach babies spirituality….First of all we have to look at spirituality in a new way ourselves…. So what exactly does it mean to be spiritual? A definition is impossible ,like trying to define God.

I will attempt it only partially ,in one liners, as it is too wide a subject for one person.

1.To be spiritual is to be joyful to be alive.

2.To be spiritual is to be silent and natural.

3.To be spiritual is to understand the presence of the divine.

4.To be spiritual is to be kind and understanding.

5.To be spiritual is to be humble and prayerful.

6.To be spiritual is to be loving .

7.To be spiritual one has to keep the poisons like anger,hatred violence,jealosy etc out of the system. 

This can go on and on…..I would like more definitions,if anyone cares to join in….

Its a mad mad world

This post is not for everybody-only for those who understand a certain type of madness. There are many types of madness but I am talking only of a certain type of creative madness.

Everybody has a potential madness within themselves.

Everybody is fifty fifty.

I have never met anyone who is not partially mad in some way or the other,who  has not talked to himself  in his whole life. 

This madness is what pushes our lives forward.If we did not have this madness we would have all committed suicide.

This madness not only keeps us alive but pushes our creativity. How we use this madness determines how far we have gone as far as use of our brain is concerned.

But for this madness to be converted into creativity there has to be a certain method in the  madness.

All the past geniuses of the world had a certain method in their madness.

There has to be control.If the madness control’s you,then you have succumbed to the level of ordinariness. 

Use your madness without anyone becoming aware of it and your madness will be one up over anyone else’s madness.

Either you get it or you dont.No one can explain it to you.

Wisdom is yours for the asking.

Wisdom is far too generalised and made far too esoteric.The way to remove this problem is to categorize wisdom in its many forms.To start with:

Spiritual wisdom or soul wisdom…This is what is shown in movies as what men with long flowing hair possess…the wise ones…..People are under this impression that this is the only type of wisdom available.

Body wisdom:Knowing what is good for your body and what is,nt…Being totally in tune with your body…

Mind Wisdom: Intelligence….a high I.Q. level…

Maths Wisdom: A sub group of Mind Wisdom

Professional Wisdom: Being very clever in your own profession…Doctors,Lawyers,Accountants etc.

Financial Wisdom: Knowing how to make money in the world.

Social Wisdom:Public Relations,making friends easily,politicians,social climbers,popular persons…..

Travel Wisdom: These people know how to get around the world…great story tellers,narrators…easy going in all places..

Cooking wisdom….can cook up a great meal with whatever you give them.

This way you can go on and on….

The human brain has so many areas and people tend to develop certain areas more than the other areas.

The point is each one of us have the potential to be wise in very many different spheres if  those areas are focussed upon and  developed.

Wisdom in not elite or for the old.The young can be equally wise.Wisdom is yours for the asking,if you pursue it.Unfortunately, most of us pursue cleverness,not wisdom.

Accept stress and stress reduces

Stress is a very modern word.It may have existed in other forms but when we talk of stress today it means too much tension emotionally,physically,psychologically,financially,or mentally.So stress management is a modern method to control stress.You will not find it in the Tao,nor any Upanishads nor in the Bible or the Koran.

Anger Management is only one aspect of stress management.Too much stress may cause anger unless you become aware of it.But it is important not to let stress lead you to anger.

The best tool of stress management is accept stress and cope with it on a daily moment to moment basis .Do not let problems lie unresolved ,do not delay decisions or let the pressure build up.