Development of Children – Our Role in Bringing about Holistic Life for Them.

Bringing up a child has many facets to it. Applying ourselves to them with deepened awareness can enrich our lives to the point of making it joyous for everyone. Many parents are concerned about the welfare of the child and it is mistaken for love. The concern is part of self-interest and does not reflect a feeling for the child per se. The right attention will be given to the child only when one is not using the child for one’s own ego satisfaction. Emotional attachment can harm the child and the parent. Where there is true love, there is no room for the ego to get involved.

Treating the child as a human being in its own right would mean that it is not sacrificed to a system, no matter how intelligent the system may be. Further, as J. Krishnamurti says, the child will not be conditioned to be conformists by the truly loving parents and teachers. They will see to it that the child blossoms like a flower, unimpeded. Here we note what Khalil Gibran has to say about children:

Your children are not your children. They are the sons and daughters of Life's longing for itself. They come through you but not from you, And though they are with you yet they belong not to you.

You may strive to be like them, but seek not to make them like you. For life goes not backward nor tarries with yesterday.

The school and the home are the two predominant places where the young child is exposed to the world. If there is loving atmosphere at those places, children can grow into wholesome human beings. It is to be noted that the child comes first and then its education. In other words, it is education for the child, not the other way around. In many parts of the world, this aspect is not given the vital importance that it deserves. When it does get the right attention, everything is influenced by the tender feeling towards the child. Then, we won’t overload the child with heavy syllabus and heavier books! The subjects will be taught in a succinct way so that the child catches the essence of them rather than be lost in the details. The information overloading (especially with a lot of unnecessary things) will be out.

When the atmosphere at school is on such fostering grounds, there would be no need for any punishment. Improper behavior would be minimal and they can be handled without the child feeling condemned or rejected. A few schools are coming up along those lines in India and other countries under the name of ‘Alternative Education’. They can help the child imbibe such qualities as empathy, compassion, mirthfulness, emotional stability, and respect for all cultures. There would be an adventurous attitude towards life. They would consider themselves as citizens of the world rather than be lost in some parochial narrow-mindedness; would show interest in understanding the deeper currents of life instead of emotionally clinging to belief systems looking for satisfaction and security. They can appreciate their position on this planet in a cosmological context through attention to such esoteric subjects as astronomy, anthropology and paleontology. Such children would surely bring about global harmony and augment joyous living on this planet.

Related matters are covered in the website http://spirituality.yolasite.com

What Can Augment our Passionate Disposition towards Life?

One of the important issues to be considered in terms of deeper understanding of life is its counterpart, namely death. Many consider death as a morbid topic and avoid any discussion of it or at least show no interest in it. One of the reasons for fear of death is the ending – an ending projected by thought. Because thought is accustomed to continuity, it is unable to sense what would happen if that continuity ends. It is this uncertainty that comes up as fear. Turning away from the uncertainty is a kind of resistance to it and such refusal to look at it pushes the fear into our subconscious layers. From there it keeps sending messages through dreams and through loneliness during waking hours. This leads to psychological attachments as these attachments support the continuity of oneself through the image that one has about oneself. As a consequence, it creates images of others, gaining some comfort through the continuity sustained by interaction with those images. Thus a false base is created to feel safe and the fear of death is pushed under the carpet. However, somewhere in the deeper region, one knows it is false and so it prevents one from living fully.

Thought breeds fear, as J.Krishnamurti would often say. It is the inner transformation that can free us from the tyranny of thought. The inwardly directed movement takes us Home! That is the Home from which we came.

As we can see here, not paying attention to death affects life also, in the sense that the quality of life goes down. Living and dying are inextricably woven together and in their separation is the emergence of fear. We hear from the Masters that Truth has no continuity and that it is new from moment to moment. That is, there is a constant dying and renewal. Paying attention to death, one can move towards discovering that Truth because we then see unity in the life-death pair. In other words, attention to the content of death helps us appreciate life better.

In his book “Stillness Speaks”, Eckhart Tolle has a chapter with the title “Death and the Eternal”. His fluent presentation dwells on many esoteric items related to Death. The following lines are taken from it:

“When death is denied, life loses its depth. The possibility of knowing who we are beyond name and form, the dimension of the transcendent disappears from our lives because death is the opening into that dimension.”

In order to move on an exploratory journey into the topic of death, as for any topic, one has to set aside all preconceived notions and beliefs and come to it afresh. Therefore, consider all things that call for deeper attention in your life as hypotheses to be verified in the light of your own awareness and curiosity to find out what lies in the dark. They are meant to kindle our eagerness for exploration rather than give fixity to ideas. After all, the phenomenon of death is around us during our lifetime and it is going to be at the end of our own. When we pay attention to the content of death, we begin to unravel its mystery, at least to some extent. There is a boldness that builds up with the understanding of its content and so the fear associated with death begins to dissolve. This brings in a strange feeling of compassion towards everyone and everything that we meet in life. This is vouchsafed by those who go through a near death experience.

The site http://spirituality.yolasite.com can be a wayside companion to those who wish to explore along the above lines.

The Two Avenues in Life that Deserve Careful Attention

Peaceful mind comes along gradually as a result of our dedicated application to two avenues in life: The Practical and the Spiritual. Usually, there are so many disturbing influences in life that people lose heart and do not pay sufficient attention to the two avenues. However, the interesting thing about it is that once we pay attention to them, matters straighten up and give us the encouragement to be in the driver-seat of our lives. What is needed is loving application to both those avenues. It is to be noted that while the rational mind is the prime instrument in our being intelligent about the practical issues, reliance on intuition is what makes us glide along the spiritual path.

There are mainly five streams along which we can apply ourselves to the practical aspects of life. Those are: health, household, career, attention to others and, the last item, the fun things. This last item would include hobbies, games and sports. Attention to others implies understanding the needs of others (near and dear ones, colleagues, even strangers) and alleviating their unhappiness to the extent possible. The more passionately we apply ourselves to the five items the richer our life would be. We would lead a cheerful life and help others do the same. The spiritual avenue is usually guided by religious beliefs. This can be helpful but there is the danger of becoming emotionally attached to a religious system or personality. That would be counter-productive. In the absence of such identification, one moves over to the philosophic side of religions and embarks on a path of enquiry. Soon he or she understands that the spiritual deepening is not due to any accumulation of satisfying conclusions, or verbal knowledge, and that it is due to non-verbal sensing of what lies beyond the apparent. They also discover what the esoteric path is and move along it, striking their own trail. They may be helped by many, including the gurus and scriptures, but they will never swear allegiance to any system or authority, because they understand that would push them into the trap of conditioned thinking. Thus, they will know the beauty of aloneness and the passivity associated with the inner development. If we pay attention to the matters as above, we will also let our children grow as human beings unspoiled by any conditioning. Their minds would be free of fanaticism and ruthlessness and their lives would be filled with humility, compassion and dignity. Related matters are covered in the website http://spirituality.yolasite.com

The Value of Spontaneity in Holistic and Vibrant Living

The conventional neurology with which human beings live is characterized by a shield of thought between them and their lives. Such a shield is made up of the residues from the past which in turn sustains the ‘I’, the ego. This means that we are not directly in contact with life but through a corrupting interface – corrupting because everything is judged based on the self-importance of the ‘I’. Understanding the value of spontaneity can bring about a change in this unfortunate state of affairs.

Spontaneity arises out of being alive to the ‘Now’. Self-awareness forms the basis for its genesis. Understanding how the habitual shield comes in and corrupts is part of that awareness. Spontaneity cannot come through the practice of any system since all systems rely on the past and so the ‘Now’ slips by. That gives the chance for the shield to come in and let the ‘I’ rule the roost. Being a conformist sustains the slavery to a system and so blocks spontaneity from streaming in. So, if not by adopting a method, how does spontaneity come about? Applying ourselves to this puzzle brings in the required awareness and the associated clarity; the shield starts dissolving. Very soon we see freshness flowing into our lives.

Once we understand the beauty of spontaneity, there is a feeling of moving closer to the soul. We see its intrinsic ability to preclude the problem-creating tendency of the mind from indulging in its habitual ways. The mind falls quiet and a strange confidence flows in. It creates space in our minds and augments stable mental peace. Abundant feeling flows towards everyone and everything. There would be the unqualified love towards all, as reported by those who go through a near death experience.

Living with spontaneity clears away many unnecessary fears that trouble us. There is the readiness to face life without the conventional armored approach. In this connection, we are reminded of a statement by J. Krishnamurti: To be vulnerable is to live, to withdraw is to die. It helps to reflect and understand the content of that statement.

We may consider three types of couples: Type 1. They never argue, never quarrel. Type 2. These people argue, quarrel, feel hurt, don’t talk to each other for some days and then gradually come around. Type 3. This set of couples argue, quarrel but laugh it off at the end; no residues. Peace returns almost immediately.

If asked which of the three represents the healthiest kind of relationship, most people - if not all - will point to the third set of couples. This is because people know intuitively that it is the residue from an event that destroys, not the event itself. Once we understand the value of spontaneity, residues cannot form and trouble us anymore. No doubt, all these are easier said than done. Nevertheless, it is a challenge that can be interesting. Meeting it squarely helps us move into happy and vibrant living.

The New Age Spirituality is related to these matters of universal goodness and so it would not be supportive of conformism and sectarian practices. You may ponder over these matters and also let your friends and relatives reflect on them.

Related matters are covered in the website http://spirituality.yolasite.com

Striking a New Trail – Catalytic Action towards Happiness for All.

This beautiful, blue marble of a planet is racing across space with dignity. Do we match it in dignity and, hence, deserve to belong to this planet? Obviously, We don’t! The reasons are clear too. Can we do something to change the scenario?

If we look at the degradation of human conduct in terms of the abominable destruction of themselves and of their animal brethren, the situation is far from satisfactory. While it is possible to have a very caring humanity that respects all living beings and the environment, what is happening is, obviously, a far cry. We can do something about it if we understand what it is to strike a new trail and not fall along the conventional path – the path of self-serving attitudes governed by mindless competition and callousness.

The fundamental reason for the sad state of affairs is the fact that the vast majority of human beings is living at the surface flutter of consciousness and rarely, if at all, sense the beauty of its deeper contents. The externalization of the mind through indulgence in the conventional values is sweeping across humanity and people fall an easy prey to that wave. The merely excitement-oriented cultures cannot but succumb to it. The practice of religions too toes the same line and feed the ego. Once we sense this, we begin to veer away from the well trodden road and strike a new trail. This does not mean that we shirk our responsibilities or antagonize any one. It means that we no longer run with the crowd but take stock of ourselves and observe matters from insightful perspectives. The primary factor here is the deepening self-awareness whose essential by-product is the unqualified compassion and the feeling of sacredness in all relationships.

A practical issue that can help us in this matter is the difference between joy and satisfaction. The primary difference between them is to be seen in the fact that while satisfaction is largely ego-driven, joy is only marginally touched by the ego. To be in a job that one loves to do is to value joy over satisfaction, the latter being based on chasing money or similar ego-based values. There are other similar issues for reflection and self-transformation towards a holistic life. Once we see the soul-value behind joy, we automatically strike a new trail for ourselves and no longer feed the collective consciousness with the values that degrade human beings.

The eagerness to understand what lies beyond the conventional activities is the starting point for striking a new trail. The following paragraph from the book “Krishnamurti’s Journal” published by Krishnamurti Foundation India brings up some vital issues to be reflected upon.

“The tree is cut down and you shed a tear. An animal is destroyed for your taste; the earth is being destroyed for your pleasure. You are being educated to destroy, man against man. The new technology and machines are taking over the toil of man but you may not end sorrow through the things that thought has put together.”

Do we want to be part of this thoughtless and callous rigmarole? Reflective people sense a seriousness about making a clarion call to people reminding them of the madness in which humanity is caught. That is when they see the greatness of joy as a transformer in contrast to the demand for satisfaction as a destroyer. Once we strike a new trail, life becomes enriched for oneself and others because self-transformation inevitably affects the collective consciousness. Then, when the last day comes, we can leave with a completeness feeling. The book “In Quest of the Deeper Self” deals with similar matters as above. Details can be found at the website http://spirituality.yolasite.com .

Understanding Karma the Hidden Redeemer

The hidden truths of life can help us in many ways.  Most people, however, get carried away by the apparent issues of life and rarely delve into the hidden truths. Understanding the deeper meaning of Karma can move us towards leading a peaceful and meaningful life.  All it needs is a deep interest in that direction.

Strangely, attachment to religious systems quite often discourages the adherents from impartial investigations into hidden truths, for fear of being veered away from the religion.  However, such fears keep them on the surface layers of consciousness, leading to religious fanaticism and shallowness of their psychology.   

Karma is not to be treated merely as a religious belief.  Either it is Intrinsically true or it is not.  Only those who impartially examine their own lives and the lives of the others understand the truth about it.  Beyond the mere reasoning ability, intuition plays a significant part in revealing hidden truths.  Sustained interest in examining (along with consistent association with the matter for a while) is needed before intuition starts making its impact.  This world’s truly happy people are those who have sensed the value of intuition and who allow it to guide them in their lives. These are the people who understand Karma and harness it to help them rather than be at loggerheads with it.     

The truth of Karma has a great deal to offer in terms of leading a fanaticism-free vibrant life.  Edgar Cayce, known as the Sleeping Prophet, lived in the US during the first half of the twentieth century, and has written some revealing essays on Karma and how it has been misunderstood.  He was able to help many who sought his advice (about 3000 in number) free themselves from problems by reading their karmic connections from their past life incidents.  He did this reading by himself getting into an hypnotic state while the subject sat near him.  Edgar said that to think of Karma as a punishing agent can only be a most unfortunate conclusion.  His essays on Karma go a long way to bring clarity in that direction.  One sees how one is accountable for one’s actions while not misinterpreting Karma by attributing ‘a tooth for a tooth and a nail for a nail’ kind of false content to it.              

Karma is energy – the energy generated by nature flowing through our physical and psychological system, through the other living beings, through the inanimate things etc.  That flow is governed by the laws of nature.  In that flow there is no room for chance happenings; nothing can be a random variable.  Things appear to be random only because of unawareness of the hidden truths.  Therefore Karma is like a river flowing through many geological and geographical terrains letting a score of things take place on the way. 

From the above analogy, we can perceive some hidden truths.   When a river is in floods, it overflows the banks, hits the cattle, destroys the crops, drowns the people and so on.  But, if we can construct a dam at the right place, the dam will function as a flood control measure and release the flood in a phased manner.  Then, all the destructive consequences of the flood are effectively eliminated.  Other advantages such as power generation and water for irrigation also ensue.  Construction of a dam needs the understanding of the static and dynamic nature of water.  The same way, to harness the energy of Karma needs our understanding of its characteristics - its live movement.  Then, we find that Karma is a great friend of ours and that it is actually a hidden redeemer. All these things can help one lead a peaceful life in which one knows how to be happy and how to make others happy.

These matters are dealt with in a detailed way in my book "in Quest of the Deeper self". Please visit http://spirituality.yolasite.com

The Journey of Life – Wonderful Possibilities Open Up with the Willingness to Explore the Ride

                                                              

People tend to adopt satisfying conclusions and stay with them rather than have a free mind to explore the journey of life.  The wall they thus build around them ends up as their psychological prison.  Open minded investigation becomes impossible.

Life on this planet offers many opportunities, outwardly and inwardly. Most human beings, however, are lost in the externalization of the mind and remain unaware of their inner realms. While religious practices take us somewhat inside, they too soon become organized into activities that feed the ego.  Thus, notwithstanding the true import of religions, the mind continues to remain externalized. Then there are the meditative systems which do better than the religions, in the sense that ‘Group Fanaticism’ does not manifest in their practices. No doubt, the meditative systems put a brake on the ceaseless swirling of thoughts and thus help produce a calmer mind.  However, unfortunately, the meditative systems too feed the ego in the form of expected achievements in the spiritual realm.  It means that the ego gains ground while giving the impression that it is quitting.  This self-deception escapes notice in the vast majority of people. 

In order to understand the journey of life, we should embark on an inward journey towards the unspoiled consciousness in us. Dissolution of the externalized state of mind takes place when there is simple self-awareness.  It is a spiritual awakening not based on any man-made system.  The inward dive is not one of psychological introspection, nor is it one of intellectual analysis.   

During the inward journey, deep passivity characterizes the mental state.  Its quiet potency is observed in its ability to melt the crystal that the mind is hardened into by repetitive thought in the form of ‘I’, ‘me’ and the ‘mine’. It is something like the iceberg.  When that crystallized entity melts under sunshine and dissolves in the surrounding waters, its contents return to the source and the crystal disappears.  There are many issues in our lives that can give us a push in that direction.  They serve as guide-posts and keep us focused on the intriguing puzzle of the inward journey.  Some of these arise as questions in the following manner:

1. Why is it that, even after practicing a religious system for years, freedom from fear, attachment and hatred does not take place?   The practice only puts a lid on them and makes it appear as if they are gone.  (Smug satisfaction may be there in the thought that one’s seat in heaven is confirmed!)  

2. Why are the antagonists too – the atheists and agnostics – who put themselves against the ‘religionists’, do not find that freedom?

Both the protagonists and the antagonists of religion seem to be barking up the wrong tree!

3. Do the shocks in life point to something that we are unwilling to see or acknowledge?

4. Can the philosophical content of Death serve as an affectionate teacher?

5. What roles do light-heartedness and cheerfulness play in the inward journey?

6. Is the beckoning of sorrow in life an invitation to visit the hidden corners of ourselves?

7. Unknowingly, we build a psychological wall around us through self-importance.  Are there pointers in our daily life that can alert us to that fact and, perhaps, open a door in that wall?

A strange self-awareness begins to settle in us as we apply ourselves to these puzzles.   A natural tenderness towards everyone and everything becomes a concomitant factor. The book entitled “IN QUEST OF THE DEEPER SELF - A Joyous Adventure” can be a wayside companion to those who find the above puzzles interesting. Details of the book can be found in http://spirituality.yolasite.com .  The author may be contacted at gopal.tc@gmail.com

Sincere Application Brings About Vibrancy in Life

Many human beings, young and old alike, seem to get into depression because of the psychologically tough circumstances in life.  This is unavoidable on this planet.  However, something can be done to reduce the intensity of it. There are many articles on this theme in magazines and in websites.  What is given here is just yet another exposure to the associated matters.

I saw a poster in the office of a friend of mine.  The caption appearing amidst a beautiful natural scene said, “The World Belongs to the Cool Enthusiast”.  When we reflect on this message, we gain some trust - in the sense that we can do something to face life with cheerfulness and confidence.  It means essentially that we must understand the value behind sincere application to the many things within our purview.  There are at least six items where we can involve ourselves with enthusiasm.  These are the following:

1.     Health

2.     House Making

3.     Career (Profession, Business, Industry, Sport)

4.     Attention to our relatives and friends (See if we can add some cheer and vibrancy to their lives psychologically, and otherwise too.)

5.     Soul Search (Philosophic studies and quiet reflections)

6.     Hobbies

The above items offer wide scope for creative application; the interest we show there can bring about a robust psychology in us so that the difficulties in our life can be faced with equanimity.  What counts there is the love with which we apply ourselves to those items. 

The item of soul search can particularly help us face difficulties with maturity and intelligence. It prevents us from merely clinging to some belief systems hoping to develop a shield against life.  One becomes an explorer and so adopts an adventurer’s attitude in discovering hidden aspects of life.  In this connection, we now look at two items from literature (given below).  One is a poem by the Indian poet MahaKavi  Kalidas and the other is a passage from the American philosopher Ralph Waldo Emerson.  Reflections on these and similar passages can move us into enthusiastic application of ourselves to the daily life and thus lead us into healthy psychology.

Kalidasa is considered as one of the greatest poets in Sanskrit who lived around the 5^th century AD.   The following poem ‘Salutations of the Dawn’ is attributed to him.

Listen to the Exhortation of the Dawn

Look to this Day!  For it is Life, the very Life of Life.      

In its brief course lie all the Verities and Realities of your Existence                                The Bliss of Growth,                                   

The Glory of Action,  

The Splendor of Beauty;    

For Yesterday is but a Dream, 

And To-morrow is only a Vision 

But To-day well lived makes 

Every Yesterday a Dream of Happiness,  

And every Tomorrow a Vision of Hope  

Look well therefore to this Day 

Such is the Salutation of the Dawn!   

Ralph Waldo Emerson was an American essayist, lecturer and poet who led the Transcendentalist movement of the mid-19th century.  Emerson gradually moved away from the religious and social beliefs of his contemporaries. The following excerpt is taken from one of his essays:    

     

"To laugh and laugh much; to win the company of intelligent people, the affection of children and the appreciation of honest critiques; to know the best in others, to withstand the betrayal of false friends; to leave the world a bit better by way of a garden patch, a healthy child or a redeemed social condition; to know that even one life breathed easier because you lived - this is to have succeeded in life."                            

When we pay attention to the above two quotes, we feel deeply drawn to leading a good life.  Similar matters are covered in the website http://spirituality.yolasite.com