This is my state when I came know news touching to two extreme facets of creation, in a gap of an hour. Yes, the two extremes of death and birth. Death of my friend, another friend been blessed with a baby boy.
One of my friends met with an accident on 15th of Aug, was hospitalized, and he left his last breath in the late hours of 16th Aug. Given that his marriage was scheduled on 25th Aug, its even more painful. I only pray, he realizes his soul (if not already) atleast in his next birth.
To the other extreme, another friend was blessed with a baby boy, during the early hours of 16th Aug. Again, I can only pray, the new born realizes himself in this birth and breaks the cycle.
Both these incidents, though happened with some time gap, came to me within a hour of difference. As of now, my mind is going vary with weird feelings unable to express itself, feeling both pain and happiness or may be neither of them. I can't even say.
The most weird part is, I am here, still writing this blog, dont know what this means!! May be I am still with the false ego (this post is filled with words 'I', 'me', 'my') that I am gonna live forever and, I am above life and death. My brain does understand that success and failure are both, sides of the same coin. But even after watching so many births and deaths of various living beings around it, it does not understand that life and death are merely two points in the journey of realizing the self. My brain is really really dumb.
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
Wednesday, May 5, 2010
Sky Nature of Mind
Below is an interesting article in "The Speaking Tree" column of TOI, 5th May 2010.
Sky Nature Of Mind
By Girish Deshpande
In every sentient being the buddha mind is omnipresent. We don’t have to go looking for it. We don’t have to strive to perfect it. It has been with us since birth and it is always perfect! Just as the sky. This is the nature of our mind. Who would want to strive to perfect a cloudless sky?All of us want to be happy at all times. So why do our actions of body, speech and mind work often in contradiction to what we really want, bringing suffering in its wake?
The reason is simple; it’s because we allow them to. We could correct this; we can attempt to clear the clouds that obscure the beautiful sky.
What is holding us back from exploring the brilliance of the sky? The four faults, as enumerated below:
Too close: Have you ever tried to see your face without something that could reflect it? Not possible. Similarly, the nature of the mind is so close to our mind that it finds it difficult to see it.
Too profound: How often have you waded into unknown waters? You take a few steps and the fear of the unknown stops you. Similarly, we have no idea how deep the nature of mind would be. We cannot fathom its depth. So we don’t make an attempt.
Too easy: It is often that we have not attempted something simply because it was too easy. So it is with the nature of mind. Something that has always been with us, always perfect, gets a priority that is low amongst other worldly distractions and attractions.
Too wondrous:How many times have we left something untried because we see it as an immense task? We just don’t believe that we can actually attain enlightenment which is the essential nature of our minds.
The Tibetan word for ‘Buddhist’ is nangpa, which means insider’, that is, alluding to the fact that one has to learn of living and dying not from external sources but from knowing the nature of mind.
However, people fear to look within themselves, not knowing what they will find. Whether they will be able to face what they will find. They are afraid that they will be treated like social outcasts amongst friends, left alone to live life in solitude.
And this conceptualised, misplaced approach plays perfectly into the ploy of the wily ego that could have asked for nothing more than this. The answers you genuinely seek will come to you only from within, from the nature of your mind and not the nurtured mind.
Even if you get the most accomplished teacher, his only responsibility will be to guide you through unknown pathways with the help of teachings and practices, cutting through obscuration of a contrived mind and make you discover the true nature of your mind.
And in doing so, help you dispel the fears of sickness, old age and death and understand better the prospect of life, death and afterlife.
It needs endeavour. Let the winds of awakening blow away the clouds from the sky nature of your mind. Introduce yourself to the perfect sky that is your very own and has always been with you. This is the only happy way out from here! Buddhahood to you!
The writer is a Pune-based dharma practitioner.
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
Staying with the Question
Below is an interesting article in "The Speaking Tree" column of The Times of India, 04 Apr 2010.
Staying With The Question
Marguerite Theophil
While we are always encouraged to go in search of answers, we are not taught the higher-order skill of asking the right kind of questions.When solving problems, we are more likely to find relevant, wise answers if we learn first to ask “rich and juicy questions”. These, we learn, almost always start with ‘what' or ‘how' and are crafted around creating a desired outcome, rather than being framed as the kind of ‘why' questions that are mostly focused on examining what went wrong.
Accepting unquestioningly all that ‘consensus reality' offers us, we may live relatively safe lives, being fed our answers; never mind whether or not these answers are wholesome, just or humane. So, if the answers teach us that ‘the other' – anyone different in terms of religion, culture, community, gender, or whatever – is to be feared, suspected or even hated, we avoid questions like “Am i/ are we really that different?” and “When have i/we also thought or acted in a similar way?” and “How can i learn to see beyond my biases?”
These questions are scary to ask, because on the way to the answers, we might need to accept that our previous ‘givens' were not all they were made out to be, no matter where or whom they came from.
An interesting questioning process is ‘The Work' of Byron Katie, author of Loving What Is. This is a way to identify and question the thoughts that are the basis of our suffering. Part of this approach is a process of inquiry that includes ‘The Four Questions', that pull you progressively deeper into your unquestioned assumptions and really make you look closely at your habitual reactions: Is this true? Can you absolutely know that it's true? How do you react, what happens to you, when you believe that thought? And most interestingly – who would you be without the thought?
On another level, Sam Keen suggests that what shapes our lives are not just the questions we ask, but those we refuse to ask, or never think of asking. The questions we ask determine whether we will be superficial or profound, accepters of the status quo or seekers.
There are lower-order questions, and higher-order questions. Strangely, the lower-order ones give us answers more readily; but we really should be suspicious when our answers reveal how good, right or righteous, or wronged by others we are, and how wrong, misguided, cruel the other one is or other ones are. Typically, we ask: “Why me?”
Higher order questions often give us more churning, greater discomfort, or even a further lot of questions. But staying with them often gives us life-enhancing insights. Tough questions we grapple with include: What would i no longer be doing if my life were perfect in every respect? How do i become the unique self i am meant to be? How do i contribute to Life? What should i do to reduce the quantity of hate around? What will make me stronger? Which ‘rules' must i obey; which ones are healthy to disobey? What gives me true joy and peace? What are the first steps i must take to translate understanding into action?
To become a questioner is to make a commitment to search for wisdom rather than certainty. Many of these questions may not give us very clear-cut answers, but that is precisely the point; it's the act of asking them that works to shift one's consciousness.
Monday, February 22, 2010
No need to dread death
Below is a beautiful article by Mr. Rajiv Vij published in "Mind Set" column of Times Of India on 21st Feb 2010. The article tries throws light up on a paradigm on "Death" which I never came across. It was a total of-the-box experience for me.
Being aware of dying does not mean fearing it but realizing that it’s a part of the renewal process of the universe, says Rajiv Vij.
Death is not a subject we often think about or are even comfortable talking about. In fact, a number of contemporary sociologists believe that despite widespread liberalization of thought in modern times, death is one of the topics where the extent of taboo has actually grown.
There are two keys perspectives to understanding death. Firstly, that death is an integral part of life. All organisms are evolving and renewing simultaneously in some way; we are dead and alive at the same time. How conscious are us of the fact that despite our feeling completely healthy while reading this article, millions of cells in our body are dying right now? Our body is made up of cells, and cells are made of atoms, which in turn are made of electrons, protons and neutrons. These subatomic particles, moving about at amazing speed, zoom in and out of our existence all the time.
Simultaneously, these atoms and molecules vibrate, dance and reconfigure continuously. Same goes for our cells that break down incessantly, only to regenerate: 98% of atoms in a human body are replaced annually, the stomach lining partly packs up whenever we eat food and rebuilds itself about every five days, the skin, nails and hair cells are dying all the time and are made afresh every month. These individual cells die and renew frequently so the whole (our body) can live on. Similarly, we are a small part of the bigger whole (the universe), and we die and renew to keep the bigger whole alive.
Secondly, the universe is totally fluid and there is no fixed solidity anywhere — and so, everything and every organism is constantly transforming. When we eat an apple, its essence does not disappear, its nutritious elements just get transformed into energy inside our body.
Similarly, if it falls to the ground, it decomposes into soil, perhaps to turn into nourishment for another apple tree one day. Ice peaks turn into rivers, and oceans into clouds — while their underlying composition remains constant, the changing frequency of vibration of the hydrogen and oxygen molecules results in different physical forms of ice and steam.
Similarly, an adult was once a child, and the child once a fertilized egg. Through all these forms, of an egg, child and adult, the only constant is the underlying consciousness. All external appearances are impermanent — the only thing eternal is the formless consciousness which manifests in different forms from time to time.
It’s another matter that based on our conditioned beliefs, we tend to identify rather strongly with our physical form — the body, the mind and the senses. We fail to recognize that the physical form is not solid matter, even though it appears so, but essentially made up of fluid energy — the same energy that runs the universe. This energy (or consciousness) is unborn and undying and irrespective of whether we are dead or alive in the human form, we remain this consciousness. How else would you describe the transformation of forms in the above examples?
Would you say the apple died; or the egg or the child died, even though they physically ceased to be so at some point in time? So, while we may die in the physical plane, we never die in the spiritual one. Once we realize this, we can appreciate, as is said, “We are not human beings having a spiritual experience but spiritual beings having a human experience.”
As we become familiar with this thought process, it gives us a perspective on the purpose of our existence. As we see the ephemeral nature of all our sensual experiences, we start to become less identified with our physical self. Then, we also realize the futility of many of our vain pursuits after titles, power, money and external success. When we are even slightly prepared for death, we can appreciate each moment of life’s beauty better. The purpose of reflecting on death is not to fear it all the time, but to live in the awareness of the fragility of our existence. Reflecting on death guides us towards focusing on how we want to dedicate our lives towards more meaningful objectives. Only when we begin to know about death, do we actually learn to start living. As David Wolpe, an accomplished Rabbi, said, “The aim of life is not to know whether there is immortality, but to live so you deserve it.”
Often this wisdom about death begins to dawn on us only when we grow old and notice the limitations of our selfish existence. That’s when people start to realize the impermanence of their egoistic pursuits and acquisitions. As death draws near, the attachment to possessions and form begins to fade. That’s when people tend to become more compassionate and focused on serving others.
For the most part of our lives, we ignore paying attention to these issues. Guess, we are somewhat like the Buddha’s father, King Suddhodana, who hoped that as long as his son wasn’t exposed to death, sickness or any other suffering, he would never give up worldly ambitions.
In a way, we all think as long as we don’t think about death, life is quite okay. Also, sometimes people fear that if they focused too hard on these questions, they may lose interest in life in general — including in their work and family. This fear then makes us cling to the world of attachments and physical form. However, when we reflect deeply on death, we realize that this need not be the case. In fact, as we thus conduct ourselves with an attitude of let go and surrender, our productivity at work goes up and our relationships blossom further.
The point here is that if living this way and becoming spiritually aware is important at a later age, how can we learn to live that way throughout our lives? “Are you not ashamed,” said Seneca, the Roman philosopher “to reserve for yourself only the remnant of life, and to set apart for wisdom only that time which can’t be devoted to any business? How late it is to begin to live just when we must cease to live.” If only we could start to live this way when we are younger, we can create a meaningful life for ourselves.
Being aware of dying does not mean fearing it but realizing that it’s a part of the renewal process of the universe, says Rajiv Vij.
Death is not a subject we often think about or are even comfortable talking about. In fact, a number of contemporary sociologists believe that despite widespread liberalization of thought in modern times, death is one of the topics where the extent of taboo has actually grown.
There are two keys perspectives to understanding death. Firstly, that death is an integral part of life. All organisms are evolving and renewing simultaneously in some way; we are dead and alive at the same time. How conscious are us of the fact that despite our feeling completely healthy while reading this article, millions of cells in our body are dying right now? Our body is made up of cells, and cells are made of atoms, which in turn are made of electrons, protons and neutrons. These subatomic particles, moving about at amazing speed, zoom in and out of our existence all the time.
Simultaneously, these atoms and molecules vibrate, dance and reconfigure continuously. Same goes for our cells that break down incessantly, only to regenerate: 98% of atoms in a human body are replaced annually, the stomach lining partly packs up whenever we eat food and rebuilds itself about every five days, the skin, nails and hair cells are dying all the time and are made afresh every month. These individual cells die and renew frequently so the whole (our body) can live on. Similarly, we are a small part of the bigger whole (the universe), and we die and renew to keep the bigger whole alive.
Secondly, the universe is totally fluid and there is no fixed solidity anywhere — and so, everything and every organism is constantly transforming. When we eat an apple, its essence does not disappear, its nutritious elements just get transformed into energy inside our body.
Similarly, if it falls to the ground, it decomposes into soil, perhaps to turn into nourishment for another apple tree one day. Ice peaks turn into rivers, and oceans into clouds — while their underlying composition remains constant, the changing frequency of vibration of the hydrogen and oxygen molecules results in different physical forms of ice and steam.
Similarly, an adult was once a child, and the child once a fertilized egg. Through all these forms, of an egg, child and adult, the only constant is the underlying consciousness. All external appearances are impermanent — the only thing eternal is the formless consciousness which manifests in different forms from time to time.
It’s another matter that based on our conditioned beliefs, we tend to identify rather strongly with our physical form — the body, the mind and the senses. We fail to recognize that the physical form is not solid matter, even though it appears so, but essentially made up of fluid energy — the same energy that runs the universe. This energy (or consciousness) is unborn and undying and irrespective of whether we are dead or alive in the human form, we remain this consciousness. How else would you describe the transformation of forms in the above examples?
Would you say the apple died; or the egg or the child died, even though they physically ceased to be so at some point in time? So, while we may die in the physical plane, we never die in the spiritual one. Once we realize this, we can appreciate, as is said, “We are not human beings having a spiritual experience but spiritual beings having a human experience.”
As we become familiar with this thought process, it gives us a perspective on the purpose of our existence. As we see the ephemeral nature of all our sensual experiences, we start to become less identified with our physical self. Then, we also realize the futility of many of our vain pursuits after titles, power, money and external success. When we are even slightly prepared for death, we can appreciate each moment of life’s beauty better. The purpose of reflecting on death is not to fear it all the time, but to live in the awareness of the fragility of our existence. Reflecting on death guides us towards focusing on how we want to dedicate our lives towards more meaningful objectives. Only when we begin to know about death, do we actually learn to start living. As David Wolpe, an accomplished Rabbi, said, “The aim of life is not to know whether there is immortality, but to live so you deserve it.”
Often this wisdom about death begins to dawn on us only when we grow old and notice the limitations of our selfish existence. That’s when people start to realize the impermanence of their egoistic pursuits and acquisitions. As death draws near, the attachment to possessions and form begins to fade. That’s when people tend to become more compassionate and focused on serving others.
For the most part of our lives, we ignore paying attention to these issues. Guess, we are somewhat like the Buddha’s father, King Suddhodana, who hoped that as long as his son wasn’t exposed to death, sickness or any other suffering, he would never give up worldly ambitions.
In a way, we all think as long as we don’t think about death, life is quite okay. Also, sometimes people fear that if they focused too hard on these questions, they may lose interest in life in general — including in their work and family. This fear then makes us cling to the world of attachments and physical form. However, when we reflect deeply on death, we realize that this need not be the case. In fact, as we thus conduct ourselves with an attitude of let go and surrender, our productivity at work goes up and our relationships blossom further.
The point here is that if living this way and becoming spiritually aware is important at a later age, how can we learn to live that way throughout our lives? “Are you not ashamed,” said Seneca, the Roman philosopher “to reserve for yourself only the remnant of life, and to set apart for wisdom only that time which can’t be devoted to any business? How late it is to begin to live just when we must cease to live.” If only we could start to live this way when we are younger, we can create a meaningful life for ourselves.
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