A mantra that cheers

Is there anyone among us who does not wish to be happy? That’s unlikely. However,
happiness and sorrow do not drop from the skies. Your thoughts are the cause of happiness
and sorrow. Even if you are in a happy state, and a sad thought enters your mind, you
suddenly feel unhappy, isn’t it?

If you want to be ever cheerful, remember the following mantra: “Even this shall pass.” Let
this be inscribed indelibly in your heart. With the practice of this mantra you can remain alert
in the event of both pleasure and pain and stop yourself from getting engrossed in them.
Then, you can establish yourself in the supreme bliss of equanimity.

Pairs of opposites such as pleasure and pain, honour and insult, joy and sorrow affect the
body. They will come and go in greater or lesser degree so long as the body exists. Do not be
overwhelmed by them. You are the absolute Self, imperishable Atman while pleasures and
pains are fleeting. How can they ever affect you? They have no existence of their own. In fact,
they appear on the ground of your existence. You are distinct from them. Hence witness
them, withstand them, and let them pass away. Be ever blissful and peaceful.

There is no object that brings pleasure or pain. They are creations of your mind, your
thoughts and feelings. With the help of these thoughts be absorbed in your own eternal
Being, the Truth absolute and be always peaceful.

You are the Supreme Bliss, Brahmn personified. It is your Self that dwells in all. The happiness
that appears in the world is in fact just a glimpse of Self-bliss. It is your inner bliss but
because of your ignorance, you think it is obtained from external objects of sense pleasures.
Just as the sun’s reflection in water is not the real sun but is merely an illusory appearance
thereof, so also is the pleasure experienced through sense-enjoyments – it is not real bliss. It
is illusion, not real.

Supreme Brahmn alone is existence, consciousness and bliss absolute. It is the One absolute
reality which appears as existence, consciousness and bliss in different beings. But one who
has a pure heart beholds the Lord as the One, non-dual Reality. A person prayed to Swami
Ramatirtha, “Swamiji! Bless me that i become king of the world.” Swami Ramatirtha asked
him, “What will you do if you become so?” The man replied, “I will be pleased and happy.”

Swami Ramatirtha said, “Suppose you become a king, you will still come across many
miseries in your life since the things through which you seek pleasure are themselves
transient. They never remain with anybody forever, then how will they stay with you? Better
than that, if you renounce the desire for seeking pleasure from transient things you will attain
supreme bliss right now. That would be greater than the happiness you can derive from your
dream kingdom.”

The mind becomes peaceful when it overcomes desires; then you can experience
imperishable bliss. True peace lies only in the renunciation of desires.
A content person alone can remain happy. Even a millionaire is bankrupt without
contentment. A content person is the wealthiest of all. He alone attains peace. Appreciate the
present. Overcome greed and be content with what you have. Give thanks to God. Then you
could help others achieve bliss.

Get more out of life with deep silence

Silence is a valuable constituent of the game of life; silence is the key that has the
potential to open doors; it can free you of confusion. Silence empowers you think
things through and come up with solutions because it is only in silence you can listen
well. You can listen to the deepest wisdom of your soul.

In the absence of silence you tend to get overtaken by the mind and the body, and
emotions. The clutter prevents you from listening to your psyche and soul. To listen to
your psyche, your soul, your Divinity, you need to establish a strong relationship with
silence; without it we might remain unaware of many things. When we live on the
surface, the noise is overpowering.

It may be interesting to carry out a small experiment with your life. Go some place
where there is plenty of silence and quiet. Sit in silence and observe yourself. You will
find that in that silence you are beginning to get to know yourself. People go to the
Himalayas and the caves to find a silent, secluded place free of distractions. The
ambience of quiet engenders the exercise of looking within.

The life we have designed and created; the life most of us live, is an outer life. The
outside is a very beautiful world; we have created it with our consciousness. However,
the inner world is even better, more powerful, stronger, greater and bigger. Whatever
exists in the universe outside also exists inside you. The whole universe, and maybe
more, exists inside you. With our limited mental, vital and physical capacities we are
able to become a little bit aware of the outer world, but by bringing alive our inner
world we can know much more. We wish for possible happiness and success; its the
inner world that has the capacity to open many more possibilities for you.

Right now you are enjoying travelling. This is a possibility. You take decisions on the
basis of the possibility of a peaceful, joyful, harmonious, healthy, mindful and clear life,
without any kind of insecurity or fear, pain, sufferings, worries. That is the desire, the
aspiration every one of us nurtures. If we are searching for those possibilities in the
outer world it is not possible, because the outer world has different kinds of possibilities
also. It can give every comfort you ask for, but with every comfort, there comes some
discomfort too. With any outer joy, pain will also be there. With any outer happiness,
unhappiness would come too. Anything that comes from the outer world comes with its
opposite in tow.

Take some time off every day to be silent, even if for five or 10 minutes Feel it,
experience it, and observe it. That is the moment when you are with you, when you
available to yourself. When you are in silence you are living in the present, which we
dont do very often.

Silence does not mean absence of speech. Silence is an inner state. Something will
automatically change in your state, in your nature, and silence will establish itself. Even
if you are in a catastrophe, no one can destroy your silence; no one can take the inner
quiet away from you. Once silence starts helping you, helping your evolution, then you
can enjoy the beauty of life.

Silence is a state of consciousness. Silence is not an effort. If you are making an effort
to be silent you are making more noise. Silence is an effortless effort. It will be born
spontaneously with your understanding. Silence is the birthplace of your soul.
 Some return Gift from me on my Birth Day

Krishna overcomes Kaliya the dreaded, multi-hooded snake in the River Yamuna and begins
to dance on its several hoods. When the heels of Krishna strike the hoods, some break off and
then get replaced by new ones. All the while Krishna keeps playing his sweet flute.

Snake Kaliya with its numerous hoods symbolises the numerous desires we have. When one
desire gets fulfilled, another arises, like the new hoods of Kaliya. The hoods keep breaking
and forming, but Krishna is unperturbed. He keeps playing His flute, denoting the power of
discrimination, of wisdom, of the focus on the bliss of Self. The wife of Kaliya prays to Krishna,
that is, her prayer in which she desires her husband to come back whole leads to re-creation
of the hoods.

Kaliya questions Krishna: “O Lord! You are the Creator. You have created venomous snakes
like me; you have also created gods who drink nectar. What is my fault in this? I am
poisonous because nature has made me so.” The Srimad Bhagvatam says that on hearing
this, Krishna falls silent.

Krishna accepted Kaliya’s words of discrimination. Krishna is the true embodiment of wisdom.
He replies: “Alright, I shall not kill you, but please leave this place. You are causing distress to
many. My nature is to shower bliss and your acts are an obstruction to that.” Krishna spares
Kaliya’s life. He does not kill him or snatch his venom from him, but asks him to go to another
place, where perhaps he would learn to use venom only when absolutely necessary, in self-
defence.

In the same way, I do not ask you to eliminate desire, anger, greed and delusion that trouble
you, but to change their course. You desire to obtain something or the other. Let this yearning
be turned to attain God, to obtain inner peace, to yearn for silence and solitude or if you wish
to enter public life, yearn for the welfare of the people. The orientation of your yearning,
when changed, can lead you to God. The yearning for kama will get sublimated to attainment
of Rama. In this manner, your wisdom will be put to good use. The same applies for anger.
For how long will you try to suppress it? Just re-channelise it in a different direction. If greed
overpowers you, then channelise it towards greed for doing more japa, more meditation,
more acts of benevolence and acquiring more divine knowledge. The same goes for other
attachments and passions. Sant Tulsidas has said: “Develop attachment towards the Lord,
and equanimity towards the world.”

“O Lord, I have experienced these worldly pleasures, now have mercy...” –

Such a prayer shows your discrimination. However great may be the amount of praise,
pleasures and comforts you attain – how long will they last and what will remain in the end?
Therefore, yearn for real joy, the bliss of Self, the Atman.

Your real Self, the Atman, is bliss personified. If there is sorrow, worry or fear, it is due to lack
of discrimination. Keep awakening your power of discrimination. As you grow in
discrimination, you will also grow in dispassion and gain the shat-sampatti, the six spiritual
wealth of shama or mind control, dama or sense control, titiksha or forbearance, samadhan or
freedom from doubt, shraddha or faith and Ishwar-pranidhan or concentration of mind on
God.
Then the yearning for moksha or liberation will automatically arise. Moksha means liberation
from all sorrows forever and attainment of Supreme Bliss.
 Guru Pornima

A city without streets, a king without treasure, a merchant without business and a life without
a guru are all considered the same. Why the emphasis on guru? Why do you need a guru?

Life sometimes seems very complicated. There is pleasure, pain, happiness, suffering,
generosity, greed, passion and dispassion. When our life is full of such opposing values, our
mind sometimes becomes unable to handle these complications and just breaks down.

It is then that you need wisdom to guide you through troubled times. Guru is that wisdom.
You might have noticed you give great advice when you are not involved in a situation but
the same is not true when you are in trouble. This is because wisdom dawns when you are
out of the mess. Guru is one who is out of the mess. He watches the chaos, amidst the chaos.

Guru is like a circuit breaker. When you cannot handle life, your guru comes and saves so
that you remain sane and balanced. If there is a compelling desire that bothers you, your
guru is there to offer solace. You offer all your desires and pain to your guru. Having a guru
means being able to relax and smile all the time, walk with confidence, be fearless and have
a vision. That is wisdom.

Guru is a tattva -- an element, a quality inside you. It is not limited to a body or form. Guru
comes in your life in spite of your refusing or being rebellious. The guru principle is so vital in
life. There is an element of the guru in every human being. That wisdom in each has to be
invoked, awakened. When this element is awakened, misery in life disappears. In our
consciousness, wisdom comes to life when guru tattva comes to life. When we have no
desires of our own, then the guru tattva dawns in our life. Wake up and see that our life is
changing every moment and feel grateful for whatever you have received.

Guru Purnima is to review your growth. This review will give you encouragement. If you think
you haven't grown enough on the spiritual path in the past few years, then you have not
utilised the knowledge. If you feel you are stuck somewhere, then the realisation that you are
stuck is also growth.
That is why we celebrate Guru Purnima. It is the day when the devotee arises in full gratitude
and feels grateful for the great knowledge he has received from the Master. It is time to
review how much knowledge you have ingrained in your life and how you are growing in
knowledge. This may bring about a realisation for scope of improvement, which in turn will
bring humility in you. Be grateful for the way this knowledge has transformed you. Just think
how you could have been without this. Gratitude and humility together make bloom a
genuine prayer inside you

On Guru Purnima, remember all gurus of the past. When your life is full, you get a feeling of
gratitude then you start with the guru and end up adoring everything in life. On Guru Purnima
the devotee wakes up in full gratitude. The devotee becomes like an ocean moving in itself.
Guru Purnima is a time to celebrate and rise in devotion and gratitude.

Here today, gone tomorrow

Nothing in life is as certain as death. Everything living is bound to die one day. We appear on
the world scene only to disappear after a short span of time. This is the cycle of terrestrial
life.

Finally a time will come when even the earth would cease to exist. Indeed, nothing physical
can escape the march of time and remain fixed in its place without decay, death or
transformation. This is settled by Nature.

The transient and ephemeral nature of life is a universally known existential reality. Yet we
are hardly bothered about it, and we continue to live as though we are here forever. We try to
‘make hay while the sun shines.’

We spend our lives as we please. The world is all the time with us. We tend to give free rein to
desires and ambitions so much so that they sometimes extend out even beyond the confines
of death encircling us. Plans and programmes are laid out years in advance when no one is
sure of what is going to happen tomorrow. We construct huge buildings and palatial homes
that outlive us by many, many years.

While we are running after everything temporal and transient, it is ironical that we should be
oblivious of what is most certain and which is going to terminate all our activities and
connections with things we have been in love with. A life without a vision of mortality is
incomplete and flawed because it could create a lot of remorse.

The way we hanker after life is the central weakness of our life. It is because of this that we
are so afraid of death, of what is predestined and so inevitable. It keeps us always restless. It
prevents us not only from acting decisively during critical moments but also from enjoying the
pleasure and excitement of undertaking bold adventures in life. It is the root cause of many of
our setbacks due to ego, greed, pride, hatred, dishonesty, ostentatious living as against
simple living. All these things cause problems and misunderstandings. They tie us down to
the earthly plane; it does not allow our imagination to soar high above to catch a glimpse of
sublime truths and beauty at higher planes. It is, therefore, a major of obstacle in the way of
great artistic creations. It is because we have staked every thing on life that we are so
incapable of living.

If we believe in the universal truths advocated by most religions, a belief that starts with self-
realisation, death is not an end but the beginning of a new life. It is rather a point of
transformation. The world we enter upon death is different with an altogether different set of
requirements and standards. It is eternal and exists in both space and time. It is not
discernible to us as the world we now live in was nowhere in sight when we were in our
mother’s womb, protected and secure. What are the norms and requirements by which the
dead are going to be judged? This is a question we ask ourselves time and again. We must
find out the answers and transform our lives in the light of their revelations, if we are not to
jeopardise our chances in the life hereafter.

The wise man, as the prophets say, is the one who remembers death and keeps himself in a
state of preparedness to face this eventuality. Death might then be an occasion for rejoicing
rather than one of sorrow and repentance.

Ask yourself just how free you are

Most of us would say that we do have free will. We can do anything we wish. If we want to
wear a red shirt instead of a blue one, we can. If we want to eat a sandwich instead of a
pizza, we can. If we want to take off from work and sit at home today, we can. If we want to
marry the girl or boy we love, we can. If we have enough money, we can buy any house, car,
or gadget. Likewise, we can travel wherever we want to. Obviously, it looks as if free will
exists.

According to Ramesh Balsekar, all the choices that we make are from the act of exercising
the will. How free is free will? Whatever we call free will or choice is finally determined by a
mix of two things, nature and nurture, or by our heritage and conditioning. We can’t choose
our parents, and hence we have no choice over the genetic material they gift to us. Also, from
birth, we are exposed to conditioning and belief systems. These are required for survival.

In the process of growing up, we are conditioned and led to believe a great many things by
family, friends and strangers, the media, commercials, books and what-have-you. As an adult,
we are thus a mixture of our genetics and all these conditionings. This is our programming,
our code. And all our decisions, our choices, our thoughts and acts, originate from this
programmed mind. A part of this programming is done by nature and the environment does
the rest of it. Really, there is nothing sacred or pure about our decisions.
Is this a good thing or a bad thing? By itself, this is difficult to say. But at least we should
realise that what we normally consider freedom or free will, is itself a slave of our
programming. If you were to ask a vegetarian "Why don't you like meat?” he would most
often answer: "Because it is bad to eat meat". "And how have you come to this decision that
eating meat is bad"? "I have always been told that eating meat is bad and should be
avoided.” As one can see, the decision not to eat meat may seem an act of freedom or free
will, but the conditionings of childhood are holding us in slavery, unknown to us.

If two like-minded friends were asked: "What would you do if you were walking together, and
saw one man killing another?" One of them might reply: "I will immediately go to the victim's
rescue, even if it means risking danger to myself", while the other might say, "I will run away,
find the nearest telephone booth, and call the police, without identifying myself". The two
friends are close; they often think alike but o this occasion they react differently.

This could be because of their basic natures that have been shaped by their respective
circumstances and upbringing. What each of them would do seems to be a free act, but is
actually already pre-decided. Real freedom would be if the first fellow would run away or if
the second fellow would wait and fight. But usually, our pre-programmed brain acts only in
the way it is programmed to.

True freedom and free will come only if we are able to go beyond our programming. To
override our basic genetic make up is near impossible. But it is indeed possible to go beyond
our conditionings, beliefs, indoctrinations and ideas. Once we can un-condition ourselves, we
will be able to respond freely.

Speaking tree - TOI

The tide is shifting. Society is no longer about unity; it’s about individual isolation. The mantra
seems to be: “Everything only for me.” As this selfish attitude becomes more firmly
established, we find that our happiness is slowly slipping through our fingers.

Unity is the law of Nature. Without give-and-take there is no life. When the sun shines, rivers
flow, birds sing, and trees bear fruit, they do so without expecting our acknowledgement or
praise. Everything in Nature gives as much as possible. Our tendency to swim against the
natural flow fills our minds with tension, sorrow and fear. Hence there is the rich-poor divide
and so much conflict and suffering.

Earlier, there was no ownership of land. The indigenous American people and others like them
in other parts of the world believed: “The earth does not belong to us; we belong to the
earth.” They didn’t understand how land could be measured, divided, bought and sold. Then
how has it come to be that we are now willing to kill each other over even the smallest of
property disputes? How come children don’t flinch when they take their parents to court over
inheritance matters?

Scientists and governments are promoting cutting edge research that would enable greater
exploration of the universe – we want to be able to travel to Mars and beyond. We’ve
succeeded in reaching the Moon, and many such efforts have led to exciting discoveries in
the universe. Regardless, just as we are reaching for the stars, we should also strive to bring
ourselves back to Earth.

We rush about, with packed schedules and back-to-back appointments. There’s so much to do
and so little time. But if we lose our peace of mind and happiness as a result, what is the
point? It is not enough to be on the fast track; we also have to go in the proper direction.
Otherwise the whole trip is a waste of time. Because of our obsession with speed, many
precious opportunities are passing us by without our being aware of it.

There are two important days in our life. The first is the day we are born. The second is the
day we realise why we are born. But for many people, this second day never comes. They live
mechanically from the day they are born until the day they die. We will only be able to
appreciate the beauty and magnitude of life when we realise its true purpose.

Worrying has become second nature to us. Once a thought enters our mind, it quickly
establishes a dictatorship. Soon, we lose our freedom to think in a discriminating manner with
the result the mind becomes a slave. When a virus infects a computer, we are unable to
access information in our folders or files. Such is the condition of our mind, infected with
unwanted thoughts.
To enjoy freedom, to be more aware, we need to liberate the mind from needless thoughts.
Most of our phones have a caller identity option. With this, we can see either the name or the
number of the person calling us. We can accept the calls we want and ignore the calls we
don’t. Similarly, when we develop awareness, we gain the ability to accept and nourish
healthy thoughts and reject bad ones. Through awareness, we can even develop the ability to
witness all the various functions of our mind and, ultimately, realise our true Self.

Strong and silent string

While driving from Brisbane to Sydney, apart from feasting my eyes on the beautiful images
of the rich countryside, sign boards that simply said “Stop, rest, revive!” at regular intervals
also caught my attention.

The terms almost seemed like friendly advice to us, caught up as we are in our self-indulgent
hectic lifestyles. In the hustle and bustle, the very purpose of life is often pushed into oblivion.
We are all the time chasing targets, meeting deadlines, competing, climbing, running, and
getting exhausted. Do our trajectories have a central idea or purpose?

We could look to an interesting parallel in music. During the process of fine-tuning a musical
instrument like the sitar, it is absolutely important that the strings are tuned keeping the
naad or the sound of a single string called the “Jod ka taar” as the anchor. This string is tuned
to note shadj or sa and the rest of the strings are beautifully blended to its sound such that it
evokes harmonious music. Perfectly tuned strings then create different raagas.

Inlife, too, we are all operating to different vibrations evoking very distinct emotions.
Sometimes states in life are as vibrant as a raag Basant, melancholic as raag Bhairavi,
intense as raag Darbari, heroic as raag Sohini, vigorous as raag Hamir, simple as raag Yaman,
or complex as raag Puriya Dhanyashri. Nevertheless the effect of the combination of swaras
captures the mind and this melodic output draws out the senses to a state of meditative
contemplation. Just like each stage in our life evokes diverse experiences, every raag has a
very unique effect on listeners. The artiste, submerging himself in the melody, transports his
audience to share the same experience. Thoughts merge and are in sync with the rhythm and
music thus taking it far away from the challenges and stress of day-to-day life.

The magical outcome is the result of fine-tuning to a basic sur whose sound blends with our
mind. When we adopt this method of fine-tuning to living, anchoring our lifestyles around our
core values, not falling prey to herd instinct, it will definitely keep our thoughts anchored,
focused and disciplined. It gives you a unique identity and more importantly peace of mind
that you are on a path that you wish to embark on. Again, the basic sur here is the focus
point, the base or the foundation. It only provides the silent support or the harmony but at the
same time, it is the sound that amalgamates all the sounds of the strings and the tones of
various raags so that melodious music is created.

In this entire process there is also embedded a deep philosophy. The creative rendering of the
various ragas happens on the Baaj ka Taar, the first string, while the Jod Ka Taar, the second
string gives the continuity. When the artiste very aptly uses the support of this silent string
while his fingers move with practised dexterity in the first string the result is pure melody or
naad. In the hectic pace of life it is imperative that we get acquainted with the silent Jod ka
Taar and always stay in tune with its silent presence. But that will happen only when we stop,
rest and revive ourselves in the journey of life!

Strong and silent string

Diffusion is the law of nature. It takes place when there is inequality and non-uniformity.
Since our world has plenty of the above traits, diffusion is bound to happen. However, it is not
free from obstructions; it has to overcome barriers that oppose diffusion.
Consider the diffusion of knowledge. Knowledge developed at one place must diffuse to
places devoid of it. This helps its spread and contributes to its growth. Similarly, wealth
created at one place must also diffuse to places where it is absent. In the process, equilibrium
is maintained, which contributes to stability of the system.

Society that jealously guards its wealth and knowledge, without making these available to
others is bound to disintegrate. Strong isolated places of affluence do not serve the interest of
humankind. Diffusion is a spontaneous process.

In the Bhagavad Gita, the cosmic form visualised by Arjuna of the Supreme Being seems
infinite. It is the diffusion of an infinite energy. It is undiminished everywhere and all the time,
hence is omnipresent and omnipotent because of its infinite power. Before assuming
Vishwarupa, Krishna says: “All of the universes are pervaded by me in imperceptibly subtle
manifestation.” Thus, in the realm of spirituality, one could interpret the omnipresence of the
Supreme Energy as being due to diffusion.

In real life, however, we experience limited diffusion. The spread of a flower’s fragrance in the
air and the dissolution of ink in water are examples of diffusion in gaseous and liquid states of
matter. Diffusion takes place in gases and liquids due to their flexible nature. Diffusion does
take place even in a solid matter, in spite of its rigidity. Diffusion takes place in the material
world irrespective of its nature; however, the degree varies.

Unlike diffusion, drift is a driven process. There are both positive and negative drifts. If a
person is swayed away by bad company or habits, it is a negative drift. If influenced by
something good, it is a positive drift. It does well to both the doer and its recipient.

Good action done without attachment to results in sattvik drift. Drift resulted from a fruitful
action may be termed as rajasik drift. However, its degree of positivity is much less than the
former. Inaction is a tamasik drift, which is negative.

What is the signature of drift in inanimate matter? Electric current in a metallic wire is driven
by a power source and is a drifted motion of conduction electrons, negatively charged
subatomic particles, bound in an atom but free in a metal. There’s a philosophical angle: The
electron which conducts in a metal does not do so in an isolated atom.

Stretching it to life one would conclude that society makes one dynamic, whereas isolation
does the opposite. Thus, if society does such a good thing for us, we should work more for it,
rather than only for ourselves.

Diffusion and drift sometimes oppose each other. It is not bad. Together they create a
balance in life. In matter, drift and diffusion together does wonders. Solid state electronics
results from this joint action. In solid state, not only particles but also atoms, which are much
heavier, diffuse. Hence no barrier is strong enough to stop spontaneity.

Life is a queer mixture of drift and diffusion. Both have their advantages and disadvantages.
Roger Moore said: ‘Teach love, generosity, good manners and some of that will drift from the
classroom to the home and who knows, the children will be educating the parents.”

(The writer teaches Physics and Materials Science at Berhampur University, Orissa)

Reaching for higher ground

What is spirituality, or, rabbaniyat, to use the Quranic term? It is the elevation of the human
condition to a plane where the mind is focused on the higher, non-material realities of a godly
existence.

The one who gives all his attention to worldly things and who centers his attention on mere
appearances is regarded as being material-minded. Conversely, one who rises above material
things or appearances, who finds his focus of interest in non-material things, is regarded as
being spiritual or godly. The latter is one who follows the injunction of the Quran: ‘Be devoted
servants of God’ (3:79). That is, one who lives a God-oriented life.

Spirituality can answer the questions, ‘Who am I? What is the purpose of my life? What is the
creation plan of the Creator?’ A seeker is able to find true spirituality by finding rational
answers to such questions, whereby he receives spirituality at the mind or thinking level. True
spirituality is based on contemplation and reflection, it is an intellectual activity. When the
seeker discovers the truth, his life enters a new phase -- that is, building his personality
according to spiritual principles. This intellectual journey is two-fold, one is to solve the riddle
of why human beings undergo negative experiences in this world and the other is to offer
positive solutions. It addresses the paradox of human beings having been given the freedom
to make their own moral choices, and their frequent misuse of this freedom -- a course of
action which causes them to repeatedly face situations in which people do each other harm;
losses are incurred because others’ injustice; severe provocations are suffered because of
untoward experiences. At such times spirituality helps us to convert negativity into positivity.

Rabbaniyat provides us with the right philosophy of life. It is a guide book, leading us out of
the darkness of ignorance, and ushering us into the light of reality. Spirituality is our helpful
companion in times of difficulty. It saves us from succumbing to adversity. It is the art of crisis
management, from which we derive intellectual inspiration when in need. Everyone is in need
of spirituality, whether rich or poor, powerful or powerless. Spirituality provides a man with a
starting point for life. Anyone who is deprives of spirituality will also be deprived of this
starting point.

The spiritual path enables us to see things that remain invisible to the physical eye. It enables
us to learn lessons from the past and see the future in the present. It is the source of human
progress.

Repeatedly, we find occasions in life, when we feel helpless. It is when we feel that life has
become rudderless and without direction, that a spiritual savior holds out hope, as a source of
courage and conviction.

How is that one who seeks out the divine and who treads the path of enquiry is able to
acquire superlative human qualities? The answer is that the ends of a seeker and what he
seeks are inseparable from God who is the source of all goodness. God is thus the source of
inspiration for everyone.

Spirituality produces God-oriented thinking in him. His life thus becomes a God-oriented life.
This is what makes a spiritual person unassailable. A spiritual person enters into such
profound communion with God that he becomes very powerful indeed.
 (The writer teaches at Jamia Millia Islamia, Delhi.)

Face to face with fear

A woman dreams every night that she is being chased through an old haunted house by a huge, hideous monster. Night
after night, it endlessly chases her, coming so close that she feels its icy breath on the nape of her neck.

Then one night, though she runs madly, the monster corners the terrified woman. Just as it reaches out to tear her apart,
she turns around, finds her voice and screams, "What are you? Why do you chase me? What will you do to me?"

At that, the monster stops, straightens up, and with a puzzled expression, shrugs and says, "How should I know? It's your
dream."

The Tibetan Buddhist teachings of Chogyam Trungpa state plainly that in order to experience fearlessness, it is necessary
to face our fear; in fact, “the essence of cowardice is not acknowledging the reality of fear.” In his Shambhala teachings,
he holds that discovering fearlessness comes, paradoxically, from “working with the softness of the human heart”.

We open ourselves vulnerably to what we are afraid of, and learn from the challenges and lessons it brings.
Fear has many names like dread, worry, panic, anxiety, and it manifests itself in varied ways as in avoidance,
procrastination, perfectionism, judgement, control, agitation and violence. Fear usually prevents us from living up to our
true potential. Whether we are afraid of the dark, of being abandoned, failure, commitment, flying or public speaking, fear
can affect nearly every decision we make.

In ‘Embracing Fear’, psychotherapist Thom Rutledge tells us that sometimes fear is part of the problem, sometimes fear is
the problem – but when we are really paying attention, fear is usually part of the solution.
We easily forget that fear is an essential part of our nature; an alarm system, there to get our attention, to push us out of
harm's way. So we need to learn to distinguish between unhealthy or neurotic fear that holds us back, and healthy fear that
helps us to move on. Unhealthy fear is persistent, exaggerating and even inventing potential dangers; healthy fear stands
guard responsibly, informing us immediately of real danger. While unhealthy fear nags us endlessly about everything that
could possibly go wrong now, tomorrow, the day, week, month or year after, or years later even, healthy fear inspires us to
do what can be done in the present.

It is only through facing, exploring, accepting and responding to fear that we free ourselves from its paralysing grip. If
befriending or embracing our fear seems too much, then as a first step, one can simply acknowledge it: Yes, I feel fear. I
recognise it, but I do not have to be led by it.

We can also work with our fear by recognising it as a sign of the inner work we need to do. What is this fear waking me
up to? What am I being asked to develop in myself? What old habits and reactions must I abandon or transform?

What scares or threatens us can easily cause us to become aggressive and selfish, to react in violent ways, to step off the
Path. Most spiritual traditions teach us that fear is to be ‘met’ if we are to understand it in any measure and work with it to
grow in understanding. On the way to achieving compassion or equanimity or peace or fearlessness, we are called upon to
face and get to know that which is disturbing, threatening, disagreeable or fearful; only then can we reach and experience
what those end states really are.

The writer is a Mumbai-based personal growth coach. weave@vsnl.net

Working with values

Professional life flowers best in situations where collaboration and partnership with others is the norm and where there is
mutual trust and understanding.

However, when employees are driven to deliver results on the basis of unhealthy comparisons, there is trouble. When the
Bhagavad Gita speaks of the need for action and remaining detached from the fruits of one’s action, it is saying what our
elders often repeat to us: To work with detachment.

Sometimes, hierarchy can help smooth the flow of development. An atmosphere of mutual trust and give and take can
ensure that participation is democratic. There are spiritual models of functioning based on hierarchy that do promote
spiritual growth. There are, however, also holistic models that are more flexible and that ensure a two-way flow, where
every aspect of our lives – physical, psychological, emotional and social – is integrated.

This model requires participants to have spiritual and emotional maturity. A head honcho would combine intellectual
prowess with compassion and kindness and enforce discipline without stepping on toes. The strengths of each individual
would be tapped and together a family of employees is created, anchored to eternal values.

A value-driven organisation has a different mindset. The open way of functioning ensures that each individual is valued
for what he can contribute. No unfavourable comparisons are made. If at all, comparison is only meant to create a higher
benchmark and so is aspirational.

Too much emphasis on academia and brilliance and on rewarding results has sometimes given rise to lopsided priorities.
What often get rewarded is superficial success, and not long-term commitment and loyalty to the organisation or mission.

The business world is changing. Management practices are now increasingly including a spiritual perspective. There is so
much more listening than talking. There is a greater sense of cooperation and collaboration in a spiritually empowered
marketplace.

Although the younger generation is much more market savvy than the previous generation, they do require spiritual inputs
to cater holistically to changing environments and values. The words love, acceptance and transformation are back in
circulation in the workplace, thereby giving less room for authoritarianism.

New Age spiritual teachers are faced with the task of conveying in contemporary easy-to-understand terms the priceless
messages contained in sacred texts of yore that explain eternal values, so important for right thinking and living, whether
at home or at the workplace. There is an effort to find what unites rather than divides. The quest for eternal values like
love, peace, joy and fulfillment are being given fresh lease of life.

In the pursuit of holistic development of employer and employee, a professional worker is required to be not just excellent
in his job but also display evolved qualities that make him less militant and more cooperative, less of a complainer and
more of a doer. The more the employee is engaged in service of others, the less he tends to focus on selfish motivations
and ends that might sometimes egg him to veer off the straight path. And service thus rendered with a positive and
wholehearted approach can only add to common benefit.
Definitely, there is a place for professional excellence in your working life. But that has to include also spiritual progress
that will get reflected in the quality of work you do as well as in the manner in which you relate to others in the workplace
and outside.
Whatsoever you see creates its echo within you, and in some
deep sense you become like that which you see.

Thoughts can create such a barrier that even if you are standing
before a beautiful flower, you will not be able to see it. Your
eyes are covered with layers of thought. To experience the
beauty of the flower you have to be in a state of meditation, not
in a state of mentation. You have to be silent, utterly silent, not
even a flicker of thought - and the beauty explodes, reaches to
you from all directions. You are drowned in the beauty of a
sunrise, of a starry night, of beautiful trees.

This is the way of meditation: encountering the present in all its

tremendous beauty, just being in the present. Inside, the mind
stops. Outside, the world changes totally. It is no more the
ordinary world you have known before. In fact, you have not
known it at all. Your mind was distorting everything; your mind
was creating fantasies. Your eyes were full of fantasies and you
were looking through those fantasies. They never allowed you to
see that which is there. If the mind is gone, even for a moment,
suddenly the whole existence explodes upon you.

Meditation means removing all your prejudices, putting all your

conclusions aside, seeing without any hindrance, seeing without
any curtains, seeing clearly without any mediation of any
thought, seeing without Buddha standing between you and
reality, or Krishna, or Christ.

Religion has only one answer and that answer is meditation. And
meditation means how to empty yourself.