Better be alone than in bad company
Hitopadesha narrates the following story. A donkey once roamed in the forest and was
content with the abundant food available in its surroundings. A wily fox
noticed this heavily built animal and desired to make the donkey a feast.
The fox befriended the donkey and gradually gained his confidence. One day, fox coaxed the donkey to move along with him to a different place to help his other friends. Little did the poor donkey know that the fox had hatched a plan to take him to the old lion.
Without hesitation, donkey agreed to accompany the fox and that was the end of it.
The fox befriended the donkey and gradually gained his confidence. One day, fox coaxed the donkey to move along with him to a different place to help his other friends. Little did the poor donkey know that the fox had hatched a plan to take him to the old lion.
Without hesitation, donkey agreed to accompany the fox and that was the end of it.
Well, it is next to impossible to
lose sight of the moral from the above story. The caution that we need to
exercise when mingling with others is not that easy to cultivate in our
behavior.
Man is a social being. We have to interact with other people for various reasons. Some occasions lead these interactions to turn into relationships. During our lifetime we will surely encounter a few who are cunning and deft in misusing the relationship. The unsuspecting poor donkeys will fall prey to their traps.
Man is a social being. We have to interact with other people for various reasons. Some occasions lead these interactions to turn into relationships. During our lifetime we will surely encounter a few who are cunning and deft in misusing the relationship. The unsuspecting poor donkeys will fall prey to their traps.
Thus it is said in an English
proverb, “Better to be alone than in bad company”. We need to constantly be
wary of our companions. They may put on a mask to appear pleasing, speak
mellifluous but at the same time conspiring to deceive the very person who is
having the utmost belief in them.
We will have to inculcate the habit of evaluating one’s motives before providing our consent on the proposal. It is better to distance ourselves from the devious ones rather than blindly following them and ending up in trouble.
We will have to inculcate the habit of evaluating one’s motives before providing our consent on the proposal. It is better to distance ourselves from the devious ones rather than blindly following them and ending up in trouble.
Laziness – the enemy within
Laziness is a state of mind which does not allow the person to
perform any action or spend energy towards anything at all. Generally one who
is affected by laziness is lethargic, inactive, and indolent.
This is different than subjecting the body and mind to rest. Laziness should not be confused with relaxation. The physical and mental activities consume energy and there has to be a means of replenishing the energy. Mind and body relaxation fulfills this need.
However laziness leads to deterioration of mental and physical health.
This is different than subjecting the body and mind to rest. Laziness should not be confused with relaxation. The physical and mental activities consume energy and there has to be a means of replenishing the energy. Mind and body relaxation fulfills this need.
However laziness leads to deterioration of mental and physical health.
One of the subhashitas states the following verse about laziness.
It goes on to
say that laziness is a great enemy that resides within human beings. The
message urges one to be always active and get involved in activities. It
mentions that hard work does not bring degradation to one’s life and that it
can be considered as one of our best friends.
The story of a lazy deer provides an apt food for thought. Once lived a deer that roamed the forest in search of food. The deer was known for his speed and thus nobody could catch & kill him. Once the deer discovered a region in the forest covered with fruit trees, lot of fresh plants & grass.
As food was abundantly available, the deer decided to stay there. Gradually he became lazy as there was no need for him to run in search of food. One day a hungry lion spotted the deer and easily preyed on him. The deer had to pay dearly because of his laziness.
The story of a lazy deer provides an apt food for thought. Once lived a deer that roamed the forest in search of food. The deer was known for his speed and thus nobody could catch & kill him. Once the deer discovered a region in the forest covered with fruit trees, lot of fresh plants & grass.
As food was abundantly available, the deer decided to stay there. Gradually he became lazy as there was no need for him to run in search of food. One day a hungry lion spotted the deer and easily preyed on him. The deer had to pay dearly because of his laziness.
Let us identify this foe
who feeds on our own actions. Once the enemy is known it is easy to fight
against and gain victory.
The Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing
We interact with many people daily. We might engage in casual
discussions with our colleagues, friends or relatives in the family. We might
deal with vendors, shopkeepers for business activities.
When we do so, subconsciously we tend to observe one’s behavior, the way in which one respond’s to our needs and then invariably conclude regarding the nature of the particular person.
When we do so, subconsciously we tend to observe one’s behavior, the way in which one respond’s to our needs and then invariably conclude regarding the nature of the particular person.
However we need to bear in mind that appearances can be deceptive.
Our instincts may get fooled, the conclusion that we have made may not be
right. We should constantly be wary of the trap that might be in front of us.
Aesop narrates the story of a wolf to drive home the point. A wolf prowling around in a forest nearby a village found it tough to beat the shepherd’s vigil. The sheep were well-fed and heavily built thus mouth-watering to the wolf.
But one day the wolf found the skin of a sheep that had been flayed and ignored. Thanking its fortunes, the wolf wasted no time in donning the sheep’s skin over his own body.
Aesop narrates the story of a wolf to drive home the point. A wolf prowling around in a forest nearby a village found it tough to beat the shepherd’s vigil. The sheep were well-fed and heavily built thus mouth-watering to the wolf.
But one day the wolf found the skin of a sheep that had been flayed and ignored. Thanking its fortunes, the wolf wasted no time in donning the sheep’s skin over his own body.
Armed with this weapon, wolf went on to deceive the unsuspecting sheep
and enjoyed hearty meals. The moral is verily apparent. Within our own life in
different circumstances we meet cunning people.
They may sound sweet, look very innocent, however have different intentions and would not even hesitate to push us down the gorge for their own benefit. It is better to realize the wolf in innocent clothing before it pounces on us.
They may sound sweet, look very innocent, however have different intentions and would not even hesitate to push us down the gorge for their own benefit. It is better to realize the wolf in innocent clothing before it pounces on us.
Self-help is the best help
It is all too well-known that one should not be dependent on others for everything. It is an attitude that one should inculcate in every aspect of life. It is said that even God would put us to test in order to find out if we can at least attempt to help ourselves before just asking for help from the almighty!
As an example, Aesop weaves one such story about a wagoner. When he was driving his heavily loaded wagon along a muddy path, at a stretch in the street, the wheels sank into the mire. He coaxed the horses but in vain.
More the animals struggled to pull out the carriage, deeper the wheels sank into the ground. He then knelt down and prayed to Hercules the strong for help. Hercules appeared in front of the distressed man and said - "Don't just sprawl there. Get up and put your shoulder to the wheel."
More the animals struggled to pull out the carriage, deeper the wheels sank into the ground. He then knelt down and prayed to Hercules the strong for help. Hercules appeared in front of the distressed man and said - "Don't just sprawl there. Get up and put your shoulder to the wheel."
It is easy to ask for help but we should cultivate the habit of exercising our own faculties and try to resolve the problem in front of us. It is not a simple task but not an impossible one too.
Let us have faith in our own abilities and keep in mind that the lord would certainly come to our rescue when he observes that we are independently putting our best efforts.
Let us have faith in our own abilities and keep in mind that the lord would certainly come to our rescue when he observes that we are independently putting our best efforts.
Most surprising thing on earth
One of the popular stories in the epic Mahabharatha is the part of
Yaksha prashna. When all
Pandavas except the elder one don’t heed to the Yaksha’s warning they are put
to death. Yudhishtira, the eldest Pandava is known for his righteousness. The yaksha
asks him a series of questions and the answers that Yudhishtira provides are really
thought provoking.
One of the questions posed to the exponent of dharma (Yudhishtira
was also known as Dharma raja in some contexts) goes as “What do you find as
the most surprising on earth?” to which Yudhishtira replied –
Numerous people are encountering death daily. Even though people
are aware that they will have to die one day, they crave for worldly desires as
if they are permanent on earth. There is nothing more surprising than this
fact.
We are so engrossed in the material world that we do not acknowledge
that our presence on this planet is uncertain. One might be hale and hearty,
muscular and strong and likely to live for many more years but when death
strikes, the once radiating figure just bites the dust.
The person doesn’t exist anymore. But the person had accumulated so much wealth, possessed tons of gold, and owned many buildings. Will the person be able to carry all these along in the subsequent journey?
The person doesn’t exist anymore. But the person had accumulated so much wealth, possessed tons of gold, and owned many buildings. Will the person be able to carry all these along in the subsequent journey?
Everyone knows that the answer is “NO”. But the maya that
surrounds us is so much powerful that we fail to notice the reality. We
struggle endlessly to gain more and more material stuff without caring if they
are actually required.
A deceptive thinking creeps into our minds that whatever happens we will be here permanently enjoying the luxuries of life that we have grabbed for ourselves.
A deceptive thinking creeps into our minds that whatever happens we will be here permanently enjoying the luxuries of life that we have grabbed for ourselves.
We have to agree with Yudhishtira that it is surprising indeed.
But after acknowledging this, the next obvious question would arise – is there
a way to get out of this trap?
Path of self-destruction
Aesop narrates the story of a frog that destroyed himself because
of his egomania. One of the frog’s friends once tells him that she had seen a
huge animal as big as a mountain with horns on its head. Apparently she had
seen a wild buffalo.
However the silly he frog made up his mind to convince her that there could be none as big as himself. So he starts blowing himself up to grow in size. “Was he as big as this?” he asked. The young friend immediately replied “Oh…no! Much bigger…”. He continued to swell himself without realizing the truth until he burst and lost his life.
However the silly he frog made up his mind to convince her that there could be none as big as himself. So he starts blowing himself up to grow in size. “Was he as big as this?” he asked. The young friend immediately replied “Oh…no! Much bigger…”. He continued to swell himself without realizing the truth until he burst and lost his life.
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Many times in life, we think & act similar to the frog. We put
lot of efforts to convince someone about something just to satisfy our ego. Pride will let us down. More often than not we end up losing a perceived battle that never existed and
it is then we realize how our past actions were so meaningless.
Contemplation would reveal that there was never a chance for us to win. The sheer insanity with which one reacts to various situations would sometimes be even fatal as we have seen it happening with the silly frog.
Is it not better to get away from this path of self-destruction as quickly as possible? We should constantly be wary of self-conceit getting in the way of our own growth. What can be termed more foolish than treading the path of self-destruction due to one’s own stupid deeds?
Contemplation would reveal that there was never a chance for us to win. The sheer insanity with which one reacts to various situations would sometimes be even fatal as we have seen it happening with the silly frog.
Is it not better to get away from this path of self-destruction as quickly as possible? We should constantly be wary of self-conceit getting in the way of our own growth. What can be termed more foolish than treading the path of self-destruction due to one’s own stupid deeds?
The rich beggar’s pride
Life brings us face to face with situations of varying
difficulties. It will not always be the same. It is the very nature of life to
be cyclic. A person who is rich today may become poor tomorrow and a beggar
this day may turn rich next day.
Wealth in terms of possession of money and material items is
just another transition in one’s journey of life. Keeping this in mind, we
should always strive to be on the path of righteousness. But unfortunately the
moment a person gets possession of such material wealth, a false sense of
superiority creeps into the mind.
If it is not curtailed in its initial stages of development, it will grow to become a monster known as pride. An egotistic feeling gets attached to any deed that is performed. The “I” factor becomes prominent in the behavior of such a person. The person would take it for granted that his possession will be with himself forever.
If it is not curtailed in its initial stages of development, it will grow to become a monster known as pride. An egotistic feeling gets attached to any deed that is performed. The “I” factor becomes prominent in the behavior of such a person. The person would take it for granted that his possession will be with himself forever.
It is well known that being excessively absorbed in oneself by
preening about one’s richness is bound to result in one’s downfall. Learned
people often draw a simile in terms of a beggar who becomes rich.
If a poor man becomes wealthy he would order a servant to hold an umbrella over his head at midnight. It may sound insane but such is life’s way of subjecting one to maya. The monster in beggar’s mind would play vicious tricks and drag him to his ruin. Before he understands the reality, he would have returned to his inferior status.
If a poor man becomes wealthy he would order a servant to hold an umbrella over his head at midnight. It may sound insane but such is life’s way of subjecting one to maya. The monster in beggar’s mind would play vicious tricks and drag him to his ruin. Before he understands the reality, he would have returned to his inferior status.
We should constantly remember the ways of nature and refrain
from becoming egotistic. When fortune smiles on us, we should be poised in our
behavior and have control on our mind in order to stamp out the pride before it
becomes a monster.
Being intelligently deaf
I’m sure you have heard of the motivational frog race story. Well,
if you haven’t, here is a gist. A group of frogs once organized a race. But it
was not an ordinary frog hopping race; the participants had to climb a tall
light pole. This was certainly a challenge for the four legged creatures.
The event started with lot of gusto however as time passed, one by one, frogs started falling down. Well, almost every frog had given up but there was one champion who never lost the focus and eventually reached the top.
Other frogs were happy that there was a winner and wanted to know the secret of this hero. They were in for a surprise. Everyone was dumbfounded when they realized that the winner frog was entirely deaf.
The event started with lot of gusto however as time passed, one by one, frogs started falling down. Well, almost every frog had given up but there was one champion who never lost the focus and eventually reached the top.
Other frogs were happy that there was a winner and wanted to know the secret of this hero. They were in for a surprise. Everyone was dumbfounded when they realized that the winner frog was entirely deaf.
The story goes on to explain that as the frog was deaf, he didn’t
hear the statements made by other frogs. And what were the fellow frogs saying?
“Ah, He will not make it to the top…” “Everyone has lost the race…he too would
fail” “Look, he’s slipping…” They were making all sorts of negative comments. No wonder, the frog won the race because he didn’t hear any of these words. The
story ends there.
Taking a cue from here, we have to acknowledge that these “other frogs” exist in our life too. We often meet people who are having a negative mindset towards what “others” do. To be the champion frog, we cannot afford to listen to them.
We face even a bigger challenge when our minds subconsciously accept negative thoughts sown by devils. But how do we figure out if a person is commenting genuinely or is there a hidden vested interest? Below tips could be helpful.
Taking a cue from here, we have to acknowledge that these “other frogs” exist in our life too. We often meet people who are having a negative mindset towards what “others” do. To be the champion frog, we cannot afford to listen to them.
We face even a bigger challenge when our minds subconsciously accept negative thoughts sown by devils. But how do we figure out if a person is commenting genuinely or is there a hidden vested interest? Below tips could be helpful.
1. Apply your own
reasoning: Don’t ever allow your subconscious mind to accept any comment
blindly. If you are upset by any comment or advice, write that down on a piece
of paper and think over it from the other person’s perspective. If, in any
angle, you find it useful consider it or else ignore it.
2. Validate: Check
the person’s consistency in terms of words and actions. If the person
“preaches” someone to do something and not doing it himself/herself, most
probably you should not pay heed to the person.
With our mental health at stake, we should consciously ignore the
other frogs who are only indulged in pulling us down. Are there any other tips
that you would like to add?
Glow behind the nimbus
In the roller coaster called life, we experience thrill and at
times are scared to death. When things don’t go our way we get disappointed and
enter into a state of depression. We jump to conclusion that the end is near
and life has come to a dead end. And that is when optimism comes to our rescue.
Similar to the roller coaster, life will move from one state to
the other. We should acknowledge that the troublesome periods will not last
forever. It should always be borne in mind that better days will follow the
difficult times. It is always darkest just before the crack of dawn. So we
should not be discouraged about ourselves when the happenings don’t meet our
expectations. Instead we have to keep the light of our hopes glowing by
lighting the candles of optimism.
When a dark cloud blocks the sunlight, there can be seen a shimmer
of silver lining on the boundary of cloud indicating that a bright light is
just behind the nimbus. Thus it is said that every cloud has a silver lining.
The cloud may be dark & thick enough to mask the sun for a while however it
doesn’t stay there forever. Even though the huge body of the cloud encompasses
the life’s difficulties which may seem unbearable, a ray of hope glimmers in
the form of silver outline. Eventually the cloud gives way to bright sunlight.
Beware the malady of hoarding
Life is
beautiful. There is so much variety in everything. We enjoy the goodies through
our antennae to external world - senses. It is of course human nature to put
efforts to satisfy one’s senses.
For majority of us, we can consider it as the driving force. We tend to acquire stuff to make ourselves happy. But sometimes we fail to set a limit to gratification and become too obsessed with our possessions. And that’s when we start turning into hoarders.
For majority of us, we can consider it as the driving force. We tend to acquire stuff to make ourselves happy. But sometimes we fail to set a limit to gratification and become too obsessed with our possessions. And that’s when we start turning into hoarders.
The dictionary
explains meaning of hoard – To accumulate as much of (something) as one can, as
when fearing a shortage. In the current commercial world, we have come to
believe that money is that magic entity which can bestow the power upon us to
buy whatever we want, live the way we wish to and ultimately lead to
satisfaction.
There is no need to further reason about importance of money. If we stop after making enough money for our survival, to keep ourselves happy, possibly all is well. By the way, the happiest person today on earth is a monk and he is not the richest in world!
There is no need to further reason about importance of money. If we stop after making enough money for our survival, to keep ourselves happy, possibly all is well. By the way, the happiest person today on earth is a monk and he is not the richest in world!
However once we
begin “accumulating” money, there is no end to the desire. We crave to earn
more; lead a lavish lifestyle; save for our future generations…
While this act of amassing money may lead to tentative fulfillment, one should realize that it does more harm than good. It gradually develops into a disease and corrupts the mind. A shloka from Sri Adi Shankaracharya’s Bhaja Govindam says:
While this act of amassing money may lead to tentative fulfillment, one should realize that it does more harm than good. It gradually develops into a disease and corrupts the mind. A shloka from Sri Adi Shankaracharya’s Bhaja Govindam says:
Oh fool! Give up your thirst to amass wealth, devote
your mind to thoughts regarding the Real. Be content with money that comes
through actions rightfully performed.
In fact, researchers
in psychology have already identified this state of illness & labeled it as
hoarding disorder. They say people experiencing this disorder will have
difficulty in discarding their possessions.
And just the thought of getting rid of their belongings makes them miserable.
And just the thought of getting rid of their belongings makes them miserable.
Let us keep a watch
on our desires consciously to avoid becoming hoarders and truly enjoy the
richness of life. What are some of your suggestions to keep away from hoarding
disorder?
The swallow within us
One of Aesop’s fables narrates the story of a Swallow – a bird well known for its forethought. A farmer was sowing some hemp (the fibre of cannabis plant, extracted from the stem and used to make rope) seeds in a field where a Swallow and few other birds were hopping about finding food. Noticing this, the Swallow warned other birds. “He is sowing hemp seed; carefully pick up each and every seed. Don’t allow it to grow or else you will regret later”.
However the birds dismissed Swallow’s
advice and continued their business. As time passed by, hemp grew up and was
turned into cords. Nets were made from the cords for capturing birds.
The birds that previously didn’t pay heed to Swallow’s words were stuck in those nets. They saw the Swallow perched on top of a nearby tree and heard it say “Destroy the seed of evil, or it will grow up to your ruin”.
The birds that previously didn’t pay heed to Swallow’s words were stuck in those nets. They saw the Swallow perched on top of a nearby tree and heard it say “Destroy the seed of evil, or it will grow up to your ruin”.
There is
also a Chinese proverb that emphasizes one to put an end to the evil in its
early stages. In English there is a saying “A small fire is soon quenched”. It
is easy to acknowledge the fact that it will take less time and efforts to
quench a small fire that has just begun. If it is allowed to spread, it will
get out of control and eventually engulf everything.
On the same
lines, we should constantly be on the lookout for “hemp” seeds in our life and
destroy them immediately. The hemp seeds may be in the form of ill habits,
wicked people in the guise of friends or anything that impacts our self-growth.
If we allow them to flourish, we are bound to face the consequences later and we will have to pay a heavy price. We ought to intently listen to the swallow within us and follow its guidance.
If we allow them to flourish, we are bound to face the consequences later and we will have to pay a heavy price. We ought to intently listen to the swallow within us and follow its guidance.
What do you
think are “hemp” seeds in your life?
Unfurling the memory riddle
Try answering these questions as precisely as possible. What did you eat for breakfast today? What did you discuss with your friends yesterday? When did you last visit a restaurant and what did you eat? How did you spend the entire day exactly 6 months ago, 1 year ago? In the last month, which day and what time were you the most happy/sad?
How many could you answer perfectly? Sounds foolish?! Well, for some of us, even answering the first question perhaps turned out to be tough.
4 Major Reasons
Why does this happen? We are dealing with one of the complex organs in human body – brain and its function of storing and retrieving information. Few reasons for why we forget are listed here. Following is a summary.
- Retrieval Failure – Information is lost because the memory trace holding the information has not been rehearsed and hence cannot be retrieved.
- Interference – Information that needs to be converted into memory competes with other memories (for possibly the same trace) and result in interference.
- Failure to store – Information does not register into a memory trace because it is considered redundant.
- Motivated forgetting – Information is forcefully removed from the memory by conscious effort because it makes us unhappy or brings pain.
Root cause?
Looking at the reasons we infer that there is “something else” that is
involved in making a decision. Whether it is concluding that information is
redundant, or deciding that specific memory trace of an unhappy moment to be
removed, there seems to be another part of us playing this role.
Possibly reasons mentioned above are just a manifestation of “something else” based on its actions. If this “something else” can be considered the root cause, it certainly holds the key to address our questions about forgetfulness and maybe more.
Possibly reasons mentioned above are just a manifestation of “something else” based on its actions. If this “something else” can be considered the root cause, it certainly holds the key to address our questions about forgetfulness and maybe more.
Boon or Bane
Just imagine what would happen if we could recollect everything vividly about our past. Would it help us make better decisions?Or would it be harmful because we would end up brooding upon the bitter memories? Perhaps there is a hidden reason as to why human brain is designed to be the way it is.
Does your memory tell anything else?
Staying Humble
When I was a kid, I was fond of indulging myself in the game of snakes and ladders. It was
such a simple and beautiful game. Just a
small piece of cardboard having numbers 1 to 100 and adorned with colorful
snakes and yellow colored ladders placed randomly at different locations.
The board game was filled with various sizes of ladders as well as snakes – some very lengthy and others very short. Most of the snakes looked funny however I’ve to admit some were scary!
The board game was filled with various sizes of ladders as well as snakes – some very lengthy and others very short. Most of the snakes looked funny however I’ve to admit some were scary!
Just this
board, a few markers (for individual players) and a pair of dice were all the
stuff required to get me engaged. Going up the ladders made me happy but at the
same time, sliding down the body of venom less snakes disappointed me.
Nevertheless I continued to play and eventually reach the end. After a while I would start yet another game!
Nevertheless I continued to play and eventually reach the end. After a while I would start yet another game!
Now, grown
up, I still have a passion for this amazing board game. But looking from a
different perspective, I’ve also realized that life itself is a board filled
with snakes and ladders.
When I achieve a feat, I gain happiness. On the contrary, when I encounter failure I feel saddened. Life is a mixture of ups and downs, crests and troughs.
When I achieve a feat, I gain happiness. On the contrary, when I encounter failure I feel saddened. Life is a mixture of ups and downs, crests and troughs.
We should
discern that irrespective of one’s position, either at the top of a hill or at
the bottom of a pit, one should stay modest.
Because we never know what lies just ahead of us – it may be a tall ladder that would take us to great heights or a snake that would make us descend and stoop low!
Because we never know what lies just ahead of us – it may be a tall ladder that would take us to great heights or a snake that would make us descend and stoop low!
Elephantine Deception
When the elephant is still a calf, it is bound to a mast just by a rope. The baby
elephant struggles to escape from confinement but as the rope is thick enough
to match its strength, it can’t. Noticing that its efforts are in vain,
gradually this calf registers in its mind that it cannot tear away the rope and
eventually stops trying to escape.
Years pass and when the calf grows to become a massive elephant, it is still bound by the same rope – however the rope itself is now “tiny” when compared to the “huge” animal. The rope is no match for the animal’s immense strength.
Alas! But the elephant does not try to escape. Why? Because the elephant’s mind has been tuned to make it think & believe that it cannot tear the rope into pieces. Its mind has been deceived.
Years pass and when the calf grows to become a massive elephant, it is still bound by the same rope – however the rope itself is now “tiny” when compared to the “huge” animal. The rope is no match for the animal’s immense strength.
Alas! But the elephant does not try to escape. Why? Because the elephant’s mind has been tuned to make it think & believe that it cannot tear the rope into pieces. Its mind has been deceived.
The same goes
with us humans too. During various stages of growth, we become exposed to lot
of hindrances, difficulties. Based on the environment, we make a conscious
effort to arrive at a just judgment.
Most of these situations etch seemingly indelible marks in our mind. Unfortunately there is no straightforward way to selectively erase these blots. At later stages, we get entrapped into these historical conditions and lose clarity in current happenings.
We lose our freedom of thoughts; we end up believing that there is no other way out. Exactly like the baby elephant we accept that the bond cannot be broken.
Most of these situations etch seemingly indelible marks in our mind. Unfortunately there is no straightforward way to selectively erase these blots. At later stages, we get entrapped into these historical conditions and lose clarity in current happenings.
We lose our freedom of thoughts; we end up believing that there is no other way out. Exactly like the baby elephant we accept that the bond cannot be broken.
It is
important for us to be always conscious and take action accordingly. Each of
the marks in our mind may have their own story to tell. But instead of blindly
going with history, we should at least make an attempt to challenge ourselves
considering the current circumstances. Keep in mind the 3 tips below to avoid mind’s
beguiling.
- Write down the problem on a piece of paper and list various possibilities to address it
- Evaluate each of the possibilities with an unbiased mind. Discuss with a friend or a counselor, if you consider it helpful
- If a historical scenario pitches in, identify the differences in environment between the previous and present situation
I believe
that a little conscious attempt is sufficient to unveil the paths to tackle our
problem.
Anything
interesting that you adopt in your life?
Happiest man on earth
Do you know who the world’s happiest man is? It is Mr. MatthieuRicard. He is a French academic-turned-Buddhist monk. Scientists have conducted
many experiments on him as part of a research and after he scored significantly
above the average of hundreds of others, declared him the happiest person. Well, what was his path to this stature?
5 quick facts about this remarkable person
- At a young age, he was interested in classical music. However he obtained his PhD in cell genetics in Paris in 1972.
- He moved to India to study Buddhism and after several years of isolation emerged as a celebrity. He wrote a book "The Monk And The Philosopher", which became a bestseller and was translated into 21 languages.
- He has also written another book "Happiness: A Guide to Developing Life's Most Important Skill" and has several collections of photographs of the Himalayan landscape. He has translated numerous Buddhist texts. He donates all proceeds of his books to many humanitarian projects which have built schools for numerous children and provide healthcare for 100,000 patients a year.
- Neuroscientists wired up Ricard's skull with 256 sensors at the University of Wisconsin and found excessive activity in his brain's left prefrontal cortex compared to its right counterpart, giving him an abnormally large capacity for happiness and a reduced propensity towards negativity.
- Ricard spends his time meditating in isolation, scientific research and accompanying the Dalai Lama as his adviser on trips to French-speaking countries and science conferences.
His Quotes
Try sincerely to check, to investigate. That's what Buddhism has been trying to unravel - the mechanism of happiness and suffering. It is a science of the mind.
Neuroscience has proven that similar areas of the brain are activated both in the person who suffers and in the one who feels empathy. Thus, empathic suffering is a true experience of suffering.
Its quite astonishing to see that in the current hectic world, a person can get the distinction of being the happiest! If I get a chance to read any of his books, I'll update my thoughts. See my other post showing a glimpse of happiest nations.
How happy are you?
While this question may evoke many possible answers, an effort is being made to measure & quantify happiness across the world. The World Happiness Report is the outcome of such an effort and claims to be a landmark survey of the state of global happiness. The formal reporting started three years ago, in 2012, and the latest report was published in April 2015.
The authorities involved in publishing the report have even made up an imaginary country called Dystopia to help them to have a benchmark. They explain the rationale behind naming the country - Since life would be very unpleasant in a country with the world’s lowest incomes, lowest life expectancy, lowest generosity, most corruption, least freedom and least social support, it is referred to as Dystopia, in contrast to Utopia.
While the report gets wide attention to know how different countries have fared, does it really add value? Is it worth the effort to conduct the survey, consolidate, compile and publish reports? Well, happiness is just a state of mind. What makes you happy in a moment may not really mean anything the next immediate moment. Can this mental state be effectively captured by means of a survey?
This debate is not new and in fact the authors try addressing this in Chapter 2 of the report "The geography of world happiness". They also mention why the word "happiness" was used in the title instead of "subjective well-being". However the criticism and concerns continue to pour in. Anyway finally it all boils down to "How happy are you?". What say you?
Pride comes before fall
We have heard this popular saying that suggests us not to be braggers. It indicates that if a person keeps boasting then eventually that person will face downfall. And that is a certainty. But what constitutes "pride"? Neuroscientists have painstakingly studied the details of different cognitive aspects of human brain and theorize that pride is one of the social emotions. This means it is a resultant of representation of mental states of other people with whom we interact. It is about how we perceive other’s admiration for us.
Now why is pride such a bad thing that it causes one’s journey
down the hill? As one becomes obsessed with one’s own achievements and craves
for acclaim from others a false sense of confidence creeps into the mind which
plays its own tricks on the person’s behavior. The person becomes a slave of
his emotions and goes to the extremes to strengthen the position by committing
irrational actions. He fails to see faults in his deeds. In such a condition
one would only want to hear that he alone is great and be surrounded by
followers who would be interested in fueling his idée fixe. And this leads one
far away from the absolute truth. The moment a person deviates from the truth,
the downfall is inevitable.
A stanza from Sri Adi Shankaracharya’s Bhaja Govindam
says:
Do not boast of wealth, friends and youth. Each one of
these will be destroyed within a fraction of time. Free yourself from the
illusion of the world of Maya and attain the timeless Truth.
Once we get involved in the clasp of Maya, we fail to observe the reality. Our pride makes us
fallacious. We lose our mental faculties to reason and keep boasting our own
abilities, achievements, and belongings. We don’t realize that it is just a
matter of time when each of those that we would pride upon could just crumble.
They would not be with us anymore! So it is important for us to be aware of the
illusion, the Maya that surrounds us. Let us be humble always and remember that
pride comes before fall.
Rendezvous with destiny
Destiny
is explained in the dictionary as something that is to happen to a particular
person or predetermined, usually inevitable course of events. It is also known
as fate which is the force or agency that predetermines the fortune befalling a
person.
As the events are apparently inevitable, nobody has the power to manipulate these events. Now the obvious question would arise in a person’s rational mind: Who is behind the destiny and is there a basis for deciding on the seemingly fixed events in one’s life?
As the events are apparently inevitable, nobody has the power to manipulate these events. Now the obvious question would arise in a person’s rational mind: Who is behind the destiny and is there a basis for deciding on the seemingly fixed events in one’s life?
Action vs Destiny
Numerous theories exist. Lots of pages have been written on this topic in an attempt to explain this reasonably. While going through so much of information, I encountered another question. “Is everything predetermined or only some events are destined?”Pondering over this question, my brain’s logical faculty responded in the negative. Right now, right here I could perform an action, which if it is predetermined, will have no meaning on my action. Rather I cannot even call it my action.
It is someone else’s action. And who could be this someone interested in nothing but slavery controlling everyone’s actions? It doesn’t make sense.
Free Will
It is then I discovered the concept of free will. This free will is something that I can exercise to perform a deed. Nobody else but I have the control over it. The adage “Where there is a will there is a way” is so true. It need not be always in the form of a physical action; thinking can also be a form of free will.And we know actions in abstract form are thoughts. Now let us return to the original question. If free will is in my control why would some events be predetermined & who is responsible for this decision?
Conscience
In my opinion, it is only fair & logical to relate our own self as the answer to this question. The particular individual who has the ability of exercising free will is the one who is also responsible for creating the destiny. Sounds absurd? At the outset, possibly yes. To explain this let us now focus on the term conscience.
It is defined as a person’s moral sense of right and wrong. It would act as a guide to one’s behavior. The universe we live in is a closed loop system.
When the free will exercised by an individual is in synchronization with the conscientiously right part, the feedback will positively boost the will. But when the free will is in opposition with the right part of conscience, a negative feedback will ensue.
Let us take an analogy of a huntsman. With his limited application of free will, he hunts animals for his livelihood which results in positive feedback. However if he kills human beings or kills animals just for amusement when he intrinsically knows that it is not righteous, then he will receive negative feedback.
Let us stop blaming fate or destiny when things go
wrong. We should not forget that we are creators of our destiny. The reins of
life are in our control and let us resolve to guide ourselves in the righteous
path.
Pale Blue Dot
What is our purpose?
Ever since my intellect prompted me to think about life on earth, I've been wondering why we, human beings, have turned a blind eye towards our origins and purpose. We have made superb advancements in science and technology. We have built huge, powerful telescopes to look into the sky and understand the universe. We have even witnessed creation of planets.We have gathered information about a star's life cycle, solar system, asteroids & comets, moons of different planets, galaxies, black holes and the list goes on. Never before we did have access to so much information about Earth, our own home, and our surroundings.
Armed with this information, now we know how puny our own planet is in comparison with other celestial bodies. But does each one of us realize this ? Perhaps not. And that's one of the reasons why earth is plagued today by hatred, corruption and other social evils.
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| Image source: Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:PaleBlueDot.jpg) |
Carl Sagan & his work
This precisely is one of the topics articulated by Carl Sagan, a famous American astronomer & cosmologist. A few years ago, one of my friends introduced me to the great work done by Carl Sagan and one particular piece struck a chord with me - "A pale blue dot". The Pale Blue Dot is the title of a photograph of planet Earth taken on February 14, 1990, by the Voyager 1 space probe from a record distance of about 6 billion kilometers.In this photograph, Earth's apparent size is less than a pixel; the planet appears as a tiny dot against the vastness of space, among bands of sunlight scattered by the camera's optics. In his book by the same title as the photograph, Sagan reflects that "Think of the rivers of blood spilled by all those generals and emperors so that in glory and triumph they could become the momentary masters of a fraction of a dot."..."To me, it underscores our responsibility to deal more kindly with one another and to preserve and cherish the pale blue dot, the only home we've ever known..."
Please go through this impressive short video that shows
a glimpse of Sagan's work with a beautiful narration that would certainly
captivate us. I believe it would help in appreciating the deeper meaning of seemingly
just another photograph, prompting our minds to think in the right direction
and enable us to lead a peaceful life thereby making Earth a better place.
Video source: Youtube (https://youtu.be/p86BPM1GV8M)
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