Listen to the whispers of your soul

Inner silence forms the core of all kinds of meditations, whether the practice is one of transcendental meditation of Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, Vipassana or any other. Various faiths endorse silence as a means to spiritual advancement. In Hindu thought, silence is considered an important element for inner growth. Buddhism regards it as a key factor for spiritual enlightenment. Sufism insists on the importance of finding the silence within. Christian denominations also employ silence in a variety of ways.

In essence, received wisdom indicates that deep in the ocean of inner silence, one can experience the Divine and the ultimate reality of the present moment.

The Upanishads say: "There is something beyond our mind which abides in silence. It is the supreme mystery beyond thought. Let one's mind and one's subtle body rest upon that and not upon anything else.

The physical sounds of the outside world, a depressing environment, ego, anger, jealousy and greed are some factors that obstruct our journey into the realm of silence and prevent us from reaping its wonderful benefits. These stumbling blocks, therefore, need to be removed before we can actually embark on the journey.

Make up your mind like the sadhu who intended to climb the mountain to meditate there. In the middle of a storm, a sadhu reached an inn and the owner asked where he was going. ''I'm going to the mountains,'' he answered. ''Forget it,'' said the innkeeper, ''it's a risky climb, and the weather is awful.'' ''But i'm going up,'' answered the sadhu, ''if my heart gets there first, it will be easy for my body to follow.''

We all have the potential to be an observer on the top of a hill, utterly silent and alone just watching and listening to the stillness of our heart. It is the heart that can quieten the mind.

This road is traversed alone. To enter into silent mode, you don't need to perform rituals or use gadgets. You may visit a quiet place a temple, a garden, a hilltop or a tranquil corner of your home. Begin by simply withdrawing yourself from the outside world and shut out the cacophony; start moving slowly towards silence. Automatically you are led to the inner world of quiet and stillness.

Be aware of the thoughts that cross your mind but make no effort to cling to them. Behold and listen mindfully; experience the ultimate reality of the present moment. Your true self begins to surface; your contact with the Divine established in the eternal oasis of tranquillity; and ''you can'' as Sathya Sai Baba says, ''hear the footsteps of God when silence reigns in the mind''. It is here that you become the witness of silence a silence that outshines your ego and enables you to reach a state of pure awareness.

It is this quietude that Osho calls ''Just a simple, innocent silence'' an inner silence that leads you to meditation and wisdom, a process of purification and Self-realisation. As you go deeper into it, there comes a moment when you reach the very pinnacle of your potentiality. Once you overcome obstacles and delve into blissful silence, transformative doors begin to open up for you. Free of clutter, the tranquil mind leads you to peace. The light you encounter during the process fills your heart with love and sure, you begin to listen to the silent symphony of the whispers of your soul.



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Do You Have Your Own Free Will Are You Really Free

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.



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How to become beautiful

There are two kinds of human behaviour: the sincere and the insincere. Sincere behaviour is the result of adherence to principles, while insincere behaviour shows a lack of principle.

Herbert W Armstrong, the founder of Plain Truth, a magazine published in the US, observed in an article that in his long professional life, he had occasion to meet hundreds and thousands of people from different denominations. But he said that if he were asked what the scarcest quality in human beings was, he would say that it was sincerity. Sincerity is the noblest of all human qualities. But very few people would measure up to this high ideal.

Insincere behaviour or unprincipled behaviour is very easy to indulge in. When you are faced with a situation, it doesn’t require much thought to take a spontaneous decision. Without applying your mind, you can follow the advice of the situation. You can easily understand what is in your interest and what is against it. So in following the dictates of the situation, you don’t need any ideal yardstick to guide you. This kind of behaviour is like that of flowing water. The contours of the surface of the earth determine its path. The one who is insincere is always ready to accede to the demands of a given situation.

In comparison sincerity is a difficult option. When you are a sincere person, you cannot afford to go against your conscience or moral norms... It is the difference between the two that makes one a difficult option and the other a very easy option. Sincerity invites you to ponder over the situation, to try to choose the best course of action, even if it is against your desires.

In terms of social requirements, principled behaviour is very important. It makes you predictable to others, who can then anticipate your behaviour before dealing with you. On the other hand, insincerity makes you an unpredictable person. It becomes difficult to understand what kind of attitude you are going to adopt in the future.

Principled behaviour makes you a true human being, while unprincipled behaviour makes you an unpredictable character, one capable of inhuman behaviour.

Unprincipled behaviour can give you some benefits, but these are of a temporary nature. Permanent benefits can be achieved only through principled behaviour. Sincere people are able to receive divine inspiration. Sincerity develops one’s spirituality, while insincerity ruins one’s personality. The insincere person fails to have spiritual experiences in his life.

The greatest drawback of unprincipled behaviour is that it is like a form of psychological suicide. One who opts for the insincere path first kills his conscience, for without suppressing your conscience you cannot be insincere in your behaviour. Conscience is a moral watchdog in your life. It is the finest gift of nature. One who goes against his conscience is making a self-destructive choice. One should keep his conscience alive by listening to his inner voice. One’s inner voice is the voice of conscience.

Going against your conscience is not easy. It is this behaviour that creates what is called tension or stress. If you want to live with a tension free mind, listen to the voice of your conscience and follow it without any reservation.

Sincerity is not a single value. Sincerity combines all good human values. Where there is sincerity, there are all kinds of moral beauty. In contrast, insincerity makes you ugly.



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Devotion devoid of you

What is difference between love and devotion?

What you call as love, if you are not devoted to the person whom you love, there is really no love; it is only a mutual benefit scheme. When you truly love somebody, you will naturally be devoted; how can you not? One, who does not know devotion to the one he loves, does not know love at all. Then it is just a socially picked up word – because everybody is saying, “I love you,” you are also saying it.

Love has conditions attached to it. Only if your expectations are fulfilled, your love affair will continue, otherwise it will end. Devotion is not like that. It is unconditional. Love also genuinely becomes a fulfilling and life-nurturing process for any one only when it is unconditional. The moment it is conditional, it becomes a transaction. Human transactions at the physical, emotional and intellectual levels are often referred to as love. “You fulfill my need; I will fulfill your need.” It is just useful; it is utilitarian. People do not like to see it that way because it makes their lives ugly. So they want to give it a beautiful name, so they call it `love.’

Observe this at places of worship: What people think is devotion to God might not in fact be so. Here, too, there is a transaction. You do whatever you think God expects you to do, and then God is supposed to do many other things for you. This is deal making, and an unfair one.

Love and devotion, however, are not two different things, but people still do tend to see them as being separate because one is meant for a higher purpose and another is expected to fulfill a daily need. But there is no need to separate the two. Love is devotion and devotion is love. Without love, how can anybody be devout? Just because you have ascribed to yourself a certain religion or faith, you don’t instantly become a devotee – a devotee is just drawn.

A devotee is never thinking in terms of his own well being. Only one who can look beyond his own wellbeing can be a devotee. You cannot cultivate devotion. Cultivated devotion is deception. When you are overwhelmed by something, you will naturally be devoted to it. It takes experience for devotion to be natural. When you plant a rose plant, you don’t try to get a flower out of it immediately. You just nurture it. When it is sufficiently nurtured, it will blossom forth.

So devotion is like a flower. It is not something that you try to do. If you dig into the earth, you will not find a flower or fruit, but it all comes from there; the plant is only a passage from earth to flower. The fragrant flower does not display any trace of soil, manure or water – it is devoid of all that. Devotion is devoid of you. When you become just a conduit for life, you become an outpouring of devotion. No one has ever achieved anything of significance in any sphere of life without being devoted to what he is doing. Devotion is not only the sweetest way to be, but also the most intelligent way to be, as a devotee effortlessly perceives what one of intellect will struggle with for a lifetime.



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We’re all the same, Believe It

To be able to see all things as one, you have to be in a state of mind that does not differentiate between likes and dislikes that are manifested in those we are looking at. Vedanta says the universe is the Supreme Absolute from which all evolved.

Shankara writes in the Atma Bodha that Self of all is like the sun and the attitude we develop are like clouds that hide the sun. When we look at a person beyond his attitudes, we find that we are all of the same eternal self luminous Atma. “Sages see with an equal eye, a learned and humble Brahmin, a cow, an elephant or even a dog or an outcaste,” said Krishna to Arjuna in the Bhagavad Gita (5.18).

A merchant goes to a wood sculptor and asks him to make an idol of Krishna in sandalwood. The sculptor requests for 15 days’ time to locate the right sandalwood to commence work. Not finding a suitable piece of wood, he goes to the merchant’s house to tell him of his inability to make the idol. The merchant is away and his wife asks him to wait. The sculptor’s eye falls on a wooden log in a corner of the room. H asks the merchant’s wife if he could take it. With her permission, he chisels out an enchanting image of Krishna. On seeing the idol the merchant praises the work; he could not believe that the wooden log which was there all the time in his house was used to make the fine idol. Then the sculptor says that all he had done was to remove the unwanted parts of the wood so that what remained was the image of Krishna. Similarly, we have to remove all irrelevant identities in us so that the Self in us shines forth.

That homogeneous mass of pure consciousness that is present in all of us is termed as Atma. It is timeless and eternal, says Krishna in the Gita. The nature of Self is sat, chit and ananda. Pure consciousness continues to survive after the death of the body. It is immortal; hence it is called Sat. Consciousness is called Chit in Sanskrit. It is also known as Chaitanya. It is not limited by time or space and hence is limitless, that is, ananta. Hence it is known as ananda which means a sense of completeness, a sense of fulfillment.

The eternal Self is the ultimate phase, like gold, while the name and form of an individual is like that of gold jewellery. Some may not like the making of the jewel but the gold that is in it is not inferior. The face value of a currency note is the same even if it is soiled. Every individual is the same like gold and the intrinsic value of a currency note. This is what Shankara tries to convey through the prism of advaita philosophy.

The dvaita philosophy of Madhava endorses the need for every individual to live life in a way that enables one to take out or forge an attractive jewel out the gold or clean the currency note so that it become new and crisp. Both these great exponents of philosophy, of advaita and dvaita, have really said the same thing but in different ways. Shankara asks us to see others in the same perspective as we see ourselves. Madhva explains to us that even though others see us in the same perspective as they see themselves, it is righteousness to live a quality life.



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The only thing that overcomes hard luck is hard work. -Harry Golden

The only way out is in, so look deep within

We constantly seek a deeper experience of life, one way or the other. Whatever one may seek God, alcohol, drugs, meditation or any thing that one feels will provide relief, give pleasure or fulfillment you are only seeking to have a larger slice of life .

The intention is always the same, somehow to have a deeper experience, to extract a little more out of life, to find access to that which is not yet for you. The question is not of the intention as the intention is always the same; it is only of whether it works or not.

Everything you've done in your life so far has been in pursuit of joy career, business, making money or starting a family. From when you were a child till now, is your joy increasing or decreasing? Now that you have grown up, you have your own life, your own family, your own bank account, everything of your own ^ has your joy multiplied? In the last 24 hours, how many moments of joy have you known?

When you came into this world, you came with no investment. So whatever happens in your life, anyway you are in profit. But the reason people are in various levels of distress is because there is no life-sense, only ego-sense. If you are miserable, it is because life is not happening the way you think it should happen. If everything happened the way you think it should, the whole existence would happen within the limitation of your limited thought. Is it not wonderful that so many things that you could never imagine are happening? What you enjoyed, your parents were distressed about. What you are distressed about, your children are enjoying.

The nature and basis of your experience is within you. Pain and pleasure, joy and misery, agony and ecstasy happen only within you. The very seat of your experience is within you. So why try to extract joy from outside? At best, the outside can provide a stimulus.

If you depend on the outside to bring joy to you, understand that the outside never happens a hundred per cent the way you want it. Those who think that there is something like an ideal situation are not in touch with reality. No situation or person will ever happen a hundred per cent the way you want it. But at least you should happen the way you want yourself to be. Then there would be no need for you to be in pursuit of your happiness. So the question is not of intention or direction, but of doing that which works.

If you did happen the way you want yourself to be, joy would be the natural choice. What we refer to as inner engineering means not seeing joy as something that we could achieve in our life but seeing joy as the very basis of our lives. Joy is not the goal; it is the square one of our life. Other things can happen only if there is joy. Otherwise, you will live constantly with the fear of misery striking at you.

What great things you achieve in your life will depend on your capabilities, the situation, and the prevailing times. Regardless of what you do or don't, my wish and blessing is that your experience of life is pleasant and graceful.


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Relationships thrive on kindness and love

Human beings are born in relationship and the lives we lead right from infancy to old age are anchored in relationships. It is in relationship that we grow and achieve adulthood and die in the final peace that comes through dying in a trusting relationship with God.

There are many views on the nature of human relationships. In practice, however, it is the day-to-day relationships that must survive the wear and tear of daily life. Sometimes we find that in order not to sour a relationship, it is better to keep a distance. At other times, a clean break becomes necessary. We need to learn to cultivate relationships in a way that there is room for love, mutual respect and space for the other to grow.

At work the equations are different. In an office or a work environment, in which hierarchy is important, relationships tend to remain at a rather superficial level. There is a certain give and take in official relationships, but they rarely survive once we are out of that particular work situation and environment.

The family, which was once the primary environment for close relationships, is no longer so for many because the sanctity of relationships is under threat. When mistrust and insecurity make demands of family life cloying, we might have to make that extra effort to strike a balance that will restore the pristine nature of the original relationship.

Relationships become our chief means of reaching God. Ritual, common prayer, worship and solidarity are all conventional ways to do this. If we wish to take the relationship still further, we might have to establish a more personal link with God. Sometimes, the give and take of ordinary relationships creates a gentle arc that connects us to the Divine.

Conversations are an important way of building up relationships. They could be silent or expressed vocally. Such relationships look beyond a given set of circumstances for a wider, deeper perspective, to understand the truth that lies beneath what is apparent on the surface.

The longer we live and the more experienced we are, our ability to discern the true nature of relationships improves. We are able to take considered decisions on whether to continue with a certain relationship or call it quits without acrimony or hatred.


When we cultivate virtues like patience, compassion, mutual respect and a loving nature, we are well on the way to touching the heart of God, whose reflection we see in other human beings. God invites us through the diversity and wealth of His Creation, to a relationship of universal love. To love His Creation is to love God.

Any relationship that is nurtured for selfish motives and which is vulnerable to feelings of jealousy, hate and suspicion cannot last for it is not founded on unselfish love. And without the ingredient of love, a relationship lacks the spark that can help take it forward towards higher dimensions.

We might remember those who built empires or created elaborate monuments for themselves in the course of remembering inconsequential details of material achievements. Immortal memories ^ in our collective consciousness ^ would however be made up of those acts of kindness and love that came unsolicited, or of those who nudged us on to the path to finding God, to share with us the divine experience of unalloyed bliss.


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Looking for a Perfect Spouse?

Once two friends met in a restaurant. One told the other that his marriage has been arranged, and he invited his friend to attend the wedding.

He also enquired as to whether his friend had considered marriage. "Yes", replied the friend, "I was quite eager to get married and set out to find the perfect wife.

I met a woman in Spain. She was beautiful, intelligent and spiritual, but she had no worldly knowledge, so I couldn't consider marrying her.

In Korea I met another woman. She was beautiful, intelligent and had both worldly and spiritual knowledge, but I couldn't communicate with her. So again, I continued my search. Finally,

I met her in Afghanistan - the woman of my dreams. She was perfect in all respects. I could even communicate with her." Interrupting, the first fellow enquired,

"Did you marry her?" "No," replied his friend.

"Why not?" asked the first fellow. "Because she, herself was looking for the perfect husband."

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Mind: Good servant, bad master

The mind is the reason behind a person's bondage or salvation. Pious and benevolent resolves and actions purify the mind, remove all faults and lead to final salvation, says Lilashahji in a discourse.

The same mind, when it becomes impure by impious resolves and actions, promotes insentience and binds one to bondage of this world.

Take your mind to task everyday! Constantly counsel your mind. "O restless mind! Now be quiet and steady. Why do you disturb me by wandering all the time? Time and again you run after sense pleasures and worldly relations, seeking company in relationships but don’t you know that they are short-lived? You have been forced to abandon them in all of your previous lives and will have to abandon them in this life as well. So immerse yourself in meditation of your True Self that is always with you, that is Bliss Supreme.”

The mind is deceptive. Never trust it. Keep a constant watch to see whether the mind is following your commands. Keep a vigil on its activities at all times. You have to always be ready to discipline the mind with the stick of insightful discrimination, ready to take preventive action and restrain the mind from engaging in any act of transgression against established principles and time-tested social norms.

Never allow the mind free rein because it is an incredible treasure house of tremendous powers. It is such a fast horse as can easily and quickly simply gallop towards its goal if only given good direction by keeping it in control. Without restraint, it is most likely to go berserk and throw you into a pile of thorny bushes. Always keep a tight vigil on the mind. Do not give it free time at all; otherwise it will suck you into undesirable activity. As the saying goes, 'An idle mind is a devil's workshop'. Therefore, always keep the mind engaged in some worthwhile pursuit, something that requires application of the mind.

Ruminate on the Self, study the scriptures, listen to the discourses of the wise and those with positive knowledge and engage yourself in chanting the name of the Supreme Being. Never allow the mind to run free. And when it strays, as it frequently will, prod it and rein it back. Just as a large animal can be controlled with a goad, the mind will also come under your complete control with constant monitoring and discipline. The mind has no sovereign power of its own; you yourself have created it. It is your own child whom you have spoilt with excessive pampering. Insightful restraint is the key to keep a loved one from straying. A sapling must be protected until it grows and turns into a tree. Similarly, your constant vigil is required to protect the mind from going berserk.

Towards accomplishing this, the following experiment could prove instructive: Lie down flat on a blanket. Leave the body loose and relaxed. Keep yourself completely calm. Forget the whole world and when you’ll think with a tranquil mind, you will see that all events of happiness and sorrow are the results of your own past deeds; and friends or foes are only instrumental in bringing to you what is your due. When you are awake, the world exists; and when you are asleep, it ceases to exist. In effect, the world is unreal; it’s like a dream. This is the Truth and this is ultimate reality.

As the mind comes to realise the Truth, it will become calm and silent. A silent and serene mind is always pure.



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How to Stop negative thinking and enjoy life.........

Our mind has a tendency to brood over the past and slip into the future. This is the reason people are sad and worried most of the time. It brings up a chain of negative thoughts to our mind and when we emotionally react to these thoughts; our body feels drained and fatigued.

We seldom enjoy life as we either stay in the past or future; hardly ever in the present moment. The best way to be in the present is to put your awareness in your breath. As one always breathes in the present, never in the past or the future; this awareness will help you remain in the present moment.

Practicing Awareness By Buddhist Meditation

There is a well-known Buddhist Meditation called Annapaan,where you just observe your normal breathing process. Sit in any relaxed position with your body and spine erect. Take a few deep breaths to move your diaphragm, which will relax your body. Close your eyes and focus on your breath. To do this, first bring your awareness on the inside of your nostrils, and feel a touch of cool air while inhaling. Then focus your awareness on the upper lip and feel a warm air touching it. Try to concentrate completely on inhalation and exhalation. When your mind is completely focused on observing the beginning and the end of inhalation and exhalation, it will lose connection with the past or future. You will not get other thoughts because the mind can only do one thing at a time. So, if your mind is busy observing the breath, other thoughts just disappear.

The objective of all meditations is to bring down the number of thoughts. If there are no thoughts, there will be no judgment and reactions. Your mind will be calm and still. Sometimes, while focusing on the breath, your mind may drift, and thoughts may appear. Don't worry, just acknowledge these thoughts, and bring your mind back to the breathing. With practice, the thoughts will soon lessen and the mind will experience a calm and quiet state of mind.

Countdown Method

Initially, many people find it hard to focus on the breath continuously because of a wandering mind. A simple way is to count the number of breaths you take. Try the countdown method from 10 to 1 and not from 1 to 10. This is because counting upwards sometimes feels stressful, while countdown is always relaxing. Once you are comfortable with 10 to 1, try counting from 20 downwards. Slowly, with practice you will be able to focus on your breath, quite effortlessly.

Breathing Meditation

In the beginning, try meditating on your breath just for five to ten minutes, and slowly increase the duration to 30 minutes. Not only while meditating, you can also try bringing your awareness on the breath, with your eyes open. You can keep your awareness while doing some routine work at home, which does not require much focus. After several months, the awareness will start coming on its own, without taking much effort. You will start enjoying any work you do.

But the real challenge is, how to keep your mind on breathing during the day, when you get a wave of negative thoughts. Here’s my example: I used to meditate every morning and focus on my breath. As long as my mind was focused on some work, it was fine, but in between when I sat idle, many negative thoughts started to flood my mind. Whenever I got upset, there were more negative thoughts, and I started reacting to them. After few months of Breathing Meditation and regular practice, I managed to take command of my awareness, and put a stop to the stream of thoughts, and my mind became quiet and calm.

Anchoring Your Breath Awareness

There is a scientific tool you can use to bring your mind to breathing easily. If you anchor your breath awareness to some physical action or gesture, it will be much easier to bring your awareness to the breath. This is based on the Principles of Neurolinguistic Association (NLP). I practiced it myself, and this is how it worked.

When you do regular Breathing Meditation every morning, you can use these hand gestures called Chin Mudra or Gyan Mudra – Join the index finger with the thumb in both hands and let the soft part of your fingertips touch each other. You must have observed many spiritual people use this gesture while meditating. The spiritual relevance is that the index finger symbolizes ego which brings arrogance; this is why we use the index finger to point at others. The thumb, on the other hand, symbolizes Universe or Cosmic Intelligence. Therefore, when you join the index finger with the thumb, you are surrendering your ego into the Universe, and, by doing so, you will become complete or whole. This gesture connects you with the Universe and you will be logged on to the Higher Intelligence.

When you regularly practice your awareness through this gesture, your brain will develop neuronal connections between Breathing and the Gesture. Later on, whenever you make this gesture, you will find your awareness will automatically reset itself to the breathing. This is a kind of positive conditioning you can develop over a period of time, which will keep you aware of your breath, and you will stay more in the present moment



Why do some people seem to be so happy and full of life while others seem to hate living? The happy people have not been poisoned by negative thinking. Negative thinking is a personal power zapper, leaving the victim with nothing but despair. Simple joys escape a negative thinker and cynical thinking is the rule of live.

How do you become a motivated positive thinker? Changing your perception of your life, your work and your relationships will go a long way in slowing and then stopping your negativity. Do the following exercise every day for thirty days and see what great things are in your life.

Get an index card and write on it in bold letters "What I am most happy about in my life". Under this question write a one or two word reminder for each and everything you are happy or grateful for. DO NOT ALLOW ANY NEGATIVITY to enter your answer.

On the other side write "I, (fill in you name), am a happy, outgoing, highly motivated person that recognizes mistakes, and failures are events and DO NOT define me as a person. I take responsibility for my actions and work hard to bring happiness and cheer to all those in my life INCLUDING myself." Now sign the card and put it in your pocket.

Each morning you will take the card out and read what you are most happy about. I want you to really feel the emotions associated with each item you wrote. Allow yourself to feel and be happy. It is your gift to yourself.

Now turn the card over and read the back while standing in front of the mirror. Draw yourself to your full height and say OUT LOUD in a firm confident voice. "I, (fill in you name), am a happy, outgoing, highly motivated person that recognizes mistakes, and failures are events and DO NOT define me as a person. I take responsibility for my actions and work hard to bring happiness and cheer to all those in my life INCLUDING myself."

Carry the card with you for the next thirty days. I want you to pull it out at certain times of the day. At least 5 other times throughout the day. You pick the times, but use certain things you do every day as a reminder. For example if you drive to work, read the card before getting out of the card and going in to work. Then read the card before going in your home after work. Read it at lunch, read it every time you go to the bathroom. Remember to read and FEEL the emotions.

Finally as you are getting reading for bed use the card and again read it OUT LOUD. Then retire for the night and only think of the great things in your life as you drift off to sleep.

If you are saying "I can't do that because..." then pretend you are an actor and act as if you are in a movie and say it convincingly for the audience. DO it every day until you have convinced yourself.

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What Is Happiness?

Love and compassion lead the way.

Happiness, nirvana, or moksha is freedom from suffering, from negative emotion, from the serfdom of ignorance. This is the concept of Dharma, especially in Indian philosophy, where liberation from ignorance—happiness—is the goal. All beings are equal in the sense that all, including animals, have a right to be happy.

People believe that economic difficulties, illiteracy, and ill health lead to unhappiness. They pay a lot of attention to material development. However, even in the developed countries of the West, people are experiencing loneliness, anxiety, and fear deep inside, often due to greed, discontent, and mental unrest. Neither money nor technology can help to develop inner peace, which requires the right kind of mental attitude. The problems are caused by human intelligence, and we must find the answer also within human intelligence.

Today, scientists inform us that increased movements in certain parts of the brain are positive. Soon people will realize that inner tranquility is based on a more open mind and heart, a sense of concern toward all humanity as one entity. With such a concept, to achieve our own happiness we have to respect the rights of others to be happy. This may seem idealistic, but human history has shown us that many things that have looked unrealistic as a blueprint have worked out eventually.

We want happiness, the happiness that comes from within us—inexpensive isn’t it? A happiness and peace that nobody can destroy, steal, or take away. This inner peace is most precious. The basis of inner peace is love and compassion

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Death and the afterlife

Everyday in your sleep, nature provides you a tiny glimpse of death. Death is akin to sleep. Sleep provides you deep rest. Sleep heals you, comforts you, and makes you fresh for the next day. Similarly, death provides rest to your soul. What is death? It means dropping the past. You drop one body and get into another body. Everything in this universe is changing; everything is dying.

Death creates a void. When someone dies a vacuum is created suddenly, and being totally with that vacuum you know that you also are that vacuum. What are you? What is your life? It's a total void. Not only is death a void, but life too is a void. This realisation is Nirvana.

Buddha said that life is a void and void is truth and that forms are illusive and they have no existence. The formless is the only existence and it governs the form. The mind is formless, and is it not the mind that is ruling your body? For example, is the body or the mind moving a car? It is the mind. If the mind is not in the body, the body alone cannot do anything ... There is a greater formlessness overseeing entire Creation. You are the centre of that greater formlessness; whatever you call it.

In ancient days people were asked to meditate in burial grounds. This gave a sense of dispassion, a feeling of void so your mind did not wander. In meditation you realise that you are not just the body, but you are more than the body. This realisation annihilates the fear of death.

Some are afraid to go to bed. They fear they may not wake up. Knowledge of death will improve the quality of your life. It makes you stable and strong and roots out fear. The Self is beyond death; the knowledge makes you immortal – rather, you become aware that you are immortal and that there is something in you which never dies. The first law of thermodynamics says that 'energy can neither be created nor destroyed'. Our mind is energy and thus it cannot be destroyed ...

Why are some people born in violent environments and others in comfortable environments? These come from previous impressions. It doesn't matter how your life has been, but the last thought is very important. You might have noticed the last thought in your mind before falling asleep will be the first thought when you wake up. Similarly, your last impression will be the first impression in your next life.

At the last moment, all we did in life will come to us in a flash. If you always do things that are life-supporting, the same impressions will carry on. That is why all human values, like friendliness and compassion are given great importance; they are investments for the future. The human body is precious because in this body you can carry as well as erase all negative impressions.

No one knows when their last moment is. When it comes, you cannot have a new impression; the last or strongest impression is what will pop up. In the Gita, Krishna says: “Look Arjuna, you don’t know, you never know when the last moment comes, so don’t wait for the last moment. All the time, keep me in your mind, and meditate to make that as the strongest impression.” So don't wait for the last moment to have a good impression.



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A loving relationship

With consciousness we have created very beautiful concepts, and one of them is the idea of relationships.

Whatever we create, whatever we discover is to make life more comfortable, beautiful, peaceful and happy. We invest our mental, spiritual and psychic energies in building relationships.

The first relationship has to be with you. You must have a very clear relationship with yourself, knowing why you feel the way you do, why you think in a particular way and so on. The first step is to be aware of your own self.

Second, why do we want a relationship? Is it for happiness, for security? If that is so, the best source of what we call happiness and security is the Divine. So establish a relationship with the Divine. What is Divinity? Divinity is present everywhere, also in those you consider close to you. And having a close relationship with your psyche can give you everything you need.

In daily life, how do you find divinity in your spouse or companion, for instance? Be sincere and faithful. The key is to give without expectation. These things are possible if your understanding is healthy, if your consciousness is full of light and brightness.

How are relationships established? Even hunger can create relationships: you enter into relationships with food, don’t you? Grow with relationships, and at the same time remember that all possibilities are inside, they are not coming from the outside, what you are looking for outside you is inside you.

Your body is like a television set. It displays visuals all the time. So when you display negative things, it is in your hands to change the channel.

When we do meditation we are feeding the soul, and when you feel the hunger of your soul then constant meditation begins, and it becomes effortless. When your stomach is empty, all you think of is food, all your being is looking for food, but when you are full you don’t think about food at all.

The food for the soul is the Divine. Right now we are making an effort to remember the Divine, but when we start feeling the hunger, we will not have to make any effort; it will come naturally.

Aurobindo gives this concept of Divine life: he didn’t say that life is an illusion, that we have to run away from life, or go to the Himalayas. He just said that life is beautiful, and the future of life is life divine, sooner or later, when the psychic hunger starts. And life divine means that here, in this world, with these situations we have to awaken to the hunger of our being, listen and find that hunger. When we do that we will start seeing the Divine everywhere. Then there will be no ego.

Relationships sour primarily due to ego. Use your ego. But do not allow your ego to use you. It is a tool, if you know how to use it, it will build you and give you many wonderful things.

If the ego is using you, you will see ego everywhere. Only ego sees ego. Ego is without substance: a lack of knowledge, a lack of light. Hate is too much love. You never hate someone you don’t know. We call it hate but hate has also substance of love there. It is too much connection.



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What is difference between love and devotion?

What you call as love, if you are not devoted to the person whom you love, there is really no love; it is only a mutual benefit scheme. When you truly love somebody, you will naturally be devoted; how can you not? One, who does not know devotion to the one he loves, does not know love at all. Then it is just a socially picked up word – because everybody is saying, “I love you,” you are also saying it.

Love has conditions attached to it. Only if your expectations are fulfilled, your love affair will continue, otherwise it will end. Devotion is not like that. It is unconditional. Love also genuinely becomes a fulfilling and life-nurturing process for any one only when it is unconditional. The moment it is conditional, it becomes a transaction. Human transactions at the physical, emotional and intellectual levels are often referred to as love. “You fulfill my need; I will fulfill your need.” It is just useful; it is utilitarian. People do not like to see it that way because it makes their lives ugly. So they want to give it a beautiful name, so they call it `love.’

Observe this at places of worship: What people think is devotion to God might not in fact be so. Here, too, there is a transaction. You do whatever you think God expects you to do, and then God is supposed to do many other things for you. This is deal making, and an unfair one.

Love and devotion, however, are not two different things, but people still do tend to see them as being separate because one is meant for a higher purpose and another is expected to fulfill a daily need. But there is no need to separate the two. Love is devotion and devotion is love. Without love, how can anybody be devout? Just because you have ascribed to yourself a certain religion or faith, you don’t instantly become a devotee – a devotee is just drawn.

A devotee is never thinking in terms of his own well being. Only one who can look beyond his own wellbeing can be a devotee. You cannot cultivate devotion. Cultivated devotion is deception. When you are overwhelmed by something, you will naturally be devoted to it. It takes experience for devotion to be natural. When you plant a rose plant, you don’t try to get a flower out of it immediately. You just nurture it. When it is sufficiently nurtured, it will blossom forth.

So devotion is like a flower. It is not something that you try to do. If you dig into the earth, you will not find a flower or fruit, but it all comes from there; the plant is only a passage from earth to flower. The fragrant flower does not display any trace of soil, manure or water – it is devoid of all that. Devotion is devoid of you. When you become just a conduit for life, you become an outpouring of devotion. No one has ever achieved anything of significance in any sphere of life without being devoted to what he is doing. Devotion is not only the sweetest way to be, but also the most intelligent way to be, as a devotee effortlessly perceives what one of intellect will struggle with for a lifetime.



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Ocean Of Knowledge In A Pot Of Water

Ocean Of Knowledge In A Pot Of Water


A seeker went to a master one day and begged him to enlighten him. “I am obsessed with seeking out God. I can neither rest, work nor be at peace. Can you help me find God?” The master gazed far away with half-closed eyes for a while, and said slowly, “Go with a pot to the ocean in the mornings, gather some water in it and, sitting on the sands, meditate for some time before beginning your day’s chores”.

Thanking the master, the seeker immediately bought a pot and eagerly went to the ocean near his house. He filled the pot with seawater and sat down on the beach. On what should he meditate, he wondered. He had tried many supposedly potent verses and powerful mantras earlier, to no effect.

The master had, however, not given any special mantra. Just relax, he had said. Meditate and relax! The two seemed to him a little contradictory. Meditating, to him, meant concentration and action, and relaxing meant idling and letting go. He thought over this dichotomy for some time but suddenly remembered an important chore. He poured the water back on the sand as he had been told to do, and hurried home.

Contradiction notwithstanding, he somehow felt a little soothed and relaxed. He even felt a tad energised. So he went again the next morning, and every morning thereafter. Now this became his routine. Every day, he felt a little better and even learnt to relax fairly well. Repeatedly, the contradiction between relaxation and concentration presented itself to him and each time he slipped a little deeper in its grips. He was not aware that, unknown to him, the cogitation itself had become a mantra.Effortless, unwavering, natural, a relaxed concentration.

The seeker looked meditatively at the ocean that stretched far to the horizon, almost endless. Now it surrounded him too and encompassed him. He looked at the water in the pot. That water too came from the ocean, and although a minuscule part of it, it was the very same. One was vast and infinite, and the other, a tiny part of it. One was called the ocean, and the other, a pot of water. But the contents were the same. The difference was in the measure. The infinite sustained a multitude of life, even untold filth, all turbulence, and yet, a deep silence and calm beneath. The ocean itself was not affected by any of this. It remained pure and clear within itself, full of energy and dancing with joy.

Suddenly it hit him, This is God! Vast, endless, pure and knowledgeable, engulfing everything, including himself. Only, instead of water, now it was Consciousness. Immaculate and crystal clear, despite all the festering scum of anger, violence, hatred, prejudice generated by the murky mind.

The seeker poured the water back into the sea. It disappeared in the lapping waves and became one with the sea again. The seeker saw that he, too, was part of that vast ocean of Consciousness, had merged in it and become Consciousness itself, infinite, eternal, pure, sheer joy, and knowledge.

He was in every atom, every cell, in every individual. His persona was micro and macro, the Entirety. He was here and he was everywhere. He was the past, the present and the future. He was the elements of the universe. He was time and he was space. He was knowledge incarnate.




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Enlightenment Can Make You Beautiful

Enlightenment Can Make You Beautiful


While beauty might well lie in the eye of the beholder, there are certain aspects which do mandate conventional assessment by those engaged in the business of judging who is beautiful. There was a time when beauty was actually graded in terms of millihelens — 1,000 millihelens making one helen, measuring beauty in units of Helen of Troy, believed to be the most beautiful woman ever to have existed. Quite in contrast is the glow and brilliance emanating from deep within and rather than being in the eye of the beholder is a more universally accepted trait more felt than seen.

One such legendary figure whose beauty captivated all is Lord Mahavira. A “samavasarana” traditionally is the palace where every tirthankara delivers his first sermon. Lord Mahavira had his at Pavapuri. A samavasarana is basically a circular structure constructed by gods that consists of linked tiers with surrounding balustrades, in which the audience listens to the tirthankara who is seated in the middle. Incidentally at that very time, Saumil was organising a big yagna nearby, where 11 elite Vedic scholars of the time were to participate. Indrabhuti was the senior most and most erudite amongst them.

Seeing the gods moving their chariots ahead, towards the place of Mahavira’s sermon, peeved Indrabhuti. Being deeply immersed in self-pride and fully confident that his knowledge was infinite and that there was no branch of knowledge or scripture that he hadn’t studied, he wondered if the gods had lost their balance and become bankrupt in their “avadhi gyana” — knowledge of clairvoyance — to drift past the holy place without bowing to him and listening to his discourse.

This little dialogue between two gods: “We have got to hurry to the samavasarana, so as not to miss even a little part of the discourse of the tirthankara” incensed him still further. Unable to resist the temptation to see for himself who the greater omniscient could be, he, too, made his way to the place of the sermon.

Seeing the exuberant personality before his eyes, Indrabhuti’s ego got the first major blow. There, seated under the Ashoka tree, on a golden throne embedded with jewels and covered with three celestial umbrellas he saw Lord Mahavira. Verses describe him to be in a state of serene calmness, with the glow of a full moon and simultaneously of an intellectual dazzling brilliance like that of the midday sun.


Pages are then devoted as to how Indrabhuti started wondering if the personality before him was Brahma, Vishnu or Shiva. Indrabhuti then thought of other gods —Kamadeva, Indra, Kuber, Vidyadhara — but failed to recognise the beautiful person’s identity. The comparison then went on with elements of nature where again it turned out that each had some or the other minor defect — the sea was too salty, the Moon has blemishes, the Sun gets too hot, the Sky is invisible, the clouds are empty at times, but the one before his eyes was devoid of any shortcoming. Though there was not a single ornament on his body he seemed most attractive and handsome. His speech was so powerful and effective that even wild animals had abandoned violence.

Beauty nurtured with diet, cosmetics and exercise pale in comparison with the pristine quietude and sublime equanimity one could experience through contemplating unremittingly on the soul, the ultimate truth of being


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Pride of Performance

Pride of Performance

In today's world, pride in performance has fallen by the wayside because it requires effort and hard work. However, nothing happens unless it is made to happen. When one is discouraged, it is easy to look for shortcuts. However these should be avoided no matter how great the temptation. Pride comes from within, which is what gives the winning edge.

Pride of performance does not represent ego. It represents pleasure with humility. The quality of the work and the quality of the worker are inseparable. Half-hearted effort does not produce half results; it produces no results.

Three people were laying bricks and a passerby asked them what they were doing. The first one replied, "Don't you see I am making a living?" The second one said, "Don't you see I am laying bricks?" The third one said, "I am building a beautiful monument." Three people doing the same thing gave totally different replies. The question is : did they have different attitudes? And would their attitude affect their performance? The answer is a clear yes.

Excellence comes when the performer takes pride in doing his best. Every job is a self-portrait of the person who does it, regardless of what the job is, whether washing cars, sweeping the floor or painting a house.

Do it right the first time, every time. The best insurance for tomorrow is a job well done today.
Michelangelo was working on a statue for several days and he was taking a long time to retouch every small detail which seemed rather insignificant to a bystander. When asked why he did it, Michelangelo replied, "Trifles make perfection and perfection is no trifle."
Most people forget how fast you did a job, but they remember how well it was done.

If a man is called to be street sweeper, he should sweep streets
even as Michelangelo painted, or Beethoven composed music,
or Shakespeare wrote poetry. He should sweep streets so well
that all the hosts of heaven and earth will pause to say, here
lived a great street sweeper who did his job well.

--Martin Luger King, Jr.

One cannot compromise on quality and service. It is said that Ray Kroc, founder of McDonald's, found a fly during one of his visits at a franchise. Two weeks later the franchisee lost his franchise. Ray Kroc said, "You should work for pride and accomplishment. I was brought up to understand that reward will come later."

The feeling of a job well done is a reward in itself. It is better to do small things well than do many things poorly.


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Nothing belongs to me

Who is responsible for action that takes place? If you think that you are, you will need to reflect on the question. Never consider yourself as the doer of actions.

God himself is the doer and the one undergoing action. You have not made this world and the weight of this world is not over you. If you surrender to the One who has made this world and who is taking care of this world, then whatever you do will be noble and good for everybody.

Krishna said to Arjuna in the Bhagvad Geeta: “Give up your pride, beliefs and attachment to body and then come to my rescue. I am all-knowing and am the supreme soul. By doing so, you will experience divine peace and reach the supreme blissful state.”

By believing God to be the doer, the karta and the one undergoing action (Bharata), one surrenders to God completely. If you feed a beggar and then think that you were the one who fed the poor beggar, then this reflects petty behavior, it’s tamas. A believer in rajas or action will think that he was fortunate to feed the beggar and thanks God for giving him this opportunity to offer his service.

While a believer of satva or truth will think that he was just a mediator, it was God who gave strength to his hands to feed the God who is in the beggar. Your heart will become pure if you believe that by serving your mother or a guest or anybody else you are actually serving God in another form. Don't think that you served the helpless mother or guest. Those people appear to be helpless in their physical form but in reality the all-knowing God is present in them. God is the doer and the one undergoing action.

You will be successful every time you believe in the presence of God behind every action. One enjoys meditation, japa, worship or service when there is the belief that, "My dear Lord is doing and He only is getting that done!"

Whenever you come in submission to God knowingly or unknowingly, your work becomes divine, you are able to complete work without being worried and after completion also you feel the sweetness of that work. The result of selfish and evil work is unhappiness, depression and loss of peace of mind.

People may praise an officer using attractive words even if he is not praiseworthy, in order to get their work done. The officer then starts thinking that he is indispensable to the work being done. But when that officer retires, nobody recognises him.

God is the only true officer of all. If somebody praises you that you are a big person, then you should understand that you are not big, He is big who is making your heart beat and brain work.

If you sit down for meditation for two hours and spend the rest of 22 hours in inflating your pride, there will be no spiritual growth. It is good to devote time to prayer and meditation, but the rest of the time one should think: “There is the hand of God in whatever work is being done, that very God is the doer and is the one undergoing action.” If you start contemplating on this thought, then you will soon realise the true self of God.

There is nothing mine in me, whatever is there is yours.



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Stagnation

I looked upon a sea, and lo! 'twas dead;
Although by Hermon's snows and Jordan fed.
How came a fate so dire? The tale's soon told,
All that it got it kept, and fast did hold.
All tributary streams found here a grave,
Because that sea received, but never gave.

O sea that's dead, teach me to know and feel
That selfish grasp and greed my doom will seal;
And help me, Lord, myself to give
That I may others bless--and like thee live.

-unknown