Friday, August 16, 2013

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

Monday, August 12, 2013

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 5th 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                                         
                                                                                                                                              
                                                                                          







The Winding Path

The Winding Path
Into the Unknown