Sunday, December 20, 2009

Integrity

One of the dictionary meanings of the word Integrity is, ‘The quality or condition of being whole or undivided’. The basic necessity for a fulfilled life! If we ever have done any root cause analysis for any of our problems, for sure, we shall reach a point that the lack of integrity in our life and living is the root cause. The lack of integrity is due to our desires, attachments, possessiveness…

Psychologically, we are not whole. We have divided ourselves into numerous fragments – each fragment representing a small part of ourselves. We are the collection of such fragments. When we ourselves are fragments, integrity is not possible for us. On the other hand, there cannot be integrity in our life until the time we exist as fragments.

For anything and everything we have certain ideas and opinions. Once we have the ideas and opinions, we are already identified ourselves with those ideas. With that identification, each ideas and opinions are just a fragment of us. We see anything with respect to these fragments and act on anything with the fragmented knowledge gained by seeing based on ideas/opinions. Hence the action cannot be the action of intelligence, but the action of fragmented knowledge. When we act with a fragmented knowledge, we cannot gauge the necessity of that action. In fact, we cannot act, we can only react! When we act on anything without the understanding of its necessity, the outcome will be an accident. If the outcome of this accident is positive with respect to us, we celebrate and if it is negative we suffer.

When we act with integrity, all our actions will be pure and effortless. It is out of understanding of the necessity of our action. Such action does not require any effort from us.

When there is no space or interval between our thoughts, words, and actions, integrity will be established in our life. In general, almost every one of us, probably with very few exceptions, thinks something, talk something else, and act in totally different manner. The reason for this is that we do not understand the space between thoughts, words, and our actions and hence do not realize the changes happening with in that space. Due to our lack of understanding of that space, something else may enter between the spaces and hence our thoughts, words, and action are disintegrated. Such a life with disintegrated thoughts and actions is a totally disintegrated life. Suffering is inevitable in such a way of living. If we are of the type that we never complain about our sufferings, the current way of living is fine. But if we are complaining about our sufferings, the first thing we should do is correct ourselves from this disintegrated life.

For understanding the space between the thoughts, words and action, we need to have perception – Perception of our thoughts, perception of what we speak, and perception of what we do. Perception is possible only when we keep ourselves alive or when we are really living. Perceiving is living! In our current way of living, complete perception may not be possible at once. But it is possible to have perception when we keep ourselves attentive. The trap here is that if we are not able to be attentive, we may start cursing ourselves which does more harm than help. In such situations, just be aware of that inattentiveness – Which can take our perception to new levels. The basic requirement here is the understanding of need for such attentiveness and our willingness to be attentive. Once we have the understanding and willingness, integrity is our being and the space, if any, between our thoughts and action are no more occupied by anything else and hence in reality there is no space between our thoughts and action. It is a single integrated activity!

It is not a tough task to understand that whatever problems we have in our personal level or religious level or national level or global level – the basic reason is lack of integrity within the responsible personnel. For our problems, we are the responsible one. For religious problems, the so called religious leaders are responsible personnel. For national problems, the political leaders are responsible personnel and so on.

We expect those who lead us should have the quality of integrity. But are we having integrity within us. If we are totally disintegrated, what value do we have on our expectation that others should have integrity? – Whoever it may be. We are the society, we are the nation. If we are disintegrated, the society/nation is disintegrated for sure. But we may ask, if I establish integrity within myself, will be the integrity of society established? Such question is an immature question – can be asked by a mind which cannot grasp the quality of integrity within it.

Integrity is not about having a set of moral qualities. A mind entangled with morality cannot possibly understand the quality of integrity. The conflicts arises within the mind due to the urge to comply with the moral values takes away the integrity. A mind with chattering desires may not be able to have the quality of integrity. It is not that one should not have desire, but should not be within the prison of desires. A mind with fears and beliefs cannot have the quality of integrity. Fear and belief divide us into tiny fragments.

If we want the quality of integrity within our society, within our political establishments, within our religious establishments, the basic need is that we should be a person with the quality of integrity. If we don’t have integrity within us and expect others should have that quality is equivalent to that of an act of violence. When we have the quality of integrity within us, the very presence of integrity within us spread around us. The integrity within the society is thus started forming. If certain small percentage of population lives with integrity, the whole of society will prosper due to the ripple effect. Why don’t you and I start that change?

Sunday, December 13, 2009

Space with in mind

Mind is the expression of brain. Whatever the brain perceives, process, and produce are expressed as mind. We are usually aware of very limited perceptions, processing, and produce of brain. The awareness is also a part of mind or perception by the brain. On the other hand awareness is the perception of brain about its own functions. Probably, at deeper level of awareness, possibly at unconscious and collective unconscious level the above statement may not be valid, but now it cannot be discussed here. The brain is capable of being aware of its complete function – from its peripheral to the deepest layer. Probably that awareness is the intelligence. The brain’s functions include creation, maintenance, and destruction. Being aware of the complete functioning of brain may be the height of ecstasy.

With respect to the discussion in this blog, the brain’s functions can be divided into three functional domains. The first functional domain is the control center of our body, where the continuous function of creation maintenance and destruction happens without any interval. It any way takes place perfectly as long as the conditions for its functions are maintained. The second domain is the perceptions beyond the limit of our body which perceives the happening around us and it is required for our living. Probably, there is one more domain which is the psychic entity within us, which is basically a stray function of brain and illusionary in nature. Unfortunately our conscious part of mind is almost completely occupied by this third domain, which is completely illusionary.

The activities of first functional domain are real, which is actually happening but we are almost unaware of it. The second functional domain is also real, due to which we are living our life on day to day basis. And third one is completely illusionary and with which we are fully occupied. This domain process the stray information belongs to second domain and may be little bit from fist domain, which then becomes our psychic entity. As our conscious mind is full of illusionary and it is functioning without any space or interval, we are unable to be aware of the other two domains of functioning of brain.

The problem with the mind or brain is that the conscious part of mind is completely occupied by unreal and illusionary things, for which there is no possibility of any kind of perception. The mind cannot perceive the illusionary images – it can only hallucinate at this level, but due to our way of life the conscious part of mind is completely with illusion or unperceivable. Whatever little perceptions we have in our life are perceived during the interval when illusions are set aside by the mind/brain. For our living, we need to have certain minimum level of perception. Hence the mind creates space for such perceptions when and where required. The success or achievements we think that we have in our life entirely depend on our brain’s capability to create space to perceive the happenings around us. And many of us yet have reluctance to give credit for our achievements to the capability of our brain. We give the credit for our success and achievements to some unknown entities or other planets and stars in the space, on the name of belief.

As mind or brain is mainly occupied with unperceivable images at conscious level, it slowly becomes dull and perception is fading away from us. As the perception fade away from us, we have to hang on with only illusions and need not say about the results. The brain or mind has to be very active and sensitive for perception at higher levels to take place. On an active and sensitive mind, illusions will not surface as it in a dull mind.

How do we know the mind or brain is occupied with unperceivable images? How do we know what we have in our conscious part of our mind is illusionary in nature? It is our real problem. We are used for this way of living and this way of thinking. It is not just us, generations after generation we are having this problem. It is hereditary. It may not be easy to perceive that what we have in our conscious mind is unperceivable. Whatever we have in our conscious mind can only been thought about- this is again multiplying the images. Here the problem is to understand and differentiate between what is thought and what is perception.

One of the reasons for some people failing in the path of spirituality is exactly the above problem. Unable to understand and differentiate between what is thought and what is perception and enter into a state of hallucination. And this problem arises due to some beliefs which they have and never tried/try to transcend, and hence anchored in those beliefs. And probably during last few hundred years the path of knowledge has taken back seat in almost all the cultures. As the path of knowledge is in back seat, the path of devotion has slowly becomes path of demand, which has no relevance to spirituality. For the majority of population in the current generation, spirituality means asking and demanding something and in return performing some rituals at most. If we fail to look beyond the path of demand, probably the whole of spirituality may be wiped out from the major part of humanity. If it happens, the knowledge repository in the form of scriptures may become nothing for a logical mind and entertainment for the illusionary mind. This scenario is inevitable.

If we can observe our mind for some time, we can get an idea about its current way of functioning. The mind is either occupied with thoughts or it is in asleep, without any perception what so ever. Suddenly it wakes up, but again just with some thoughts. It is never be active and without any thoughts - that is the space required in the mind. It may be active but without thoughts, only when we are doing any intensive work and whatever little bit of perception apart from the perception of that intensive activity is happening along with this activity. Whatever little space we have within mind is created during the time of such intensive activity, when thought may not be required for that activity, yet intensively involved in that activity. Will it possible to be without any outward activity, yet active within mind? This is the condition required for perception – the created space within our mind. All the rituals, symbols, religions, Vedas, Upanishads, etc are preparing the mind for such a state. Are we performing the rituals and following the symbols with this awareness. If not, why are we performing rituals? Why are we following symbols?

How to allow the space within mind? It is possible only by understanding what ‘space in mind’ is and what is ‘not allowing the space within mind’. Once we understand the element which takes away whatever little space available in mind, the very understanding starts providing the space for mind and hence allowing the brain to function. If we are willing the ecstasy of perceiving the complete function of our brain is not far away from us! This possibility is available for every one of us. Not only for just a selected, handful of beings!

Sunday, December 6, 2009

Complexities in approaching spirituality

What is Spirituality? For me, spirituality is the way of life in which the brain is allowed to reach the limit of its potential. Memory, by the way of thoughts is not allowing required space for the brain to function at the peak of its potential. When we reach the stage of having complete freedom from our memory and hence thoughts, the brain will be having sufficient space to function without any blockage. I am not sure anyone can accept this definition!

Every one of us has our own view on spirituality based on the plane in which our thoughts and perception are anchored. This plane is based on our belief systems, our environment in which we are grown, the culture which we belongs and so on. Only very few might have dared to go beyond this plane of understanding due to the very fact that this plane of life provides enormous psychological security. Under the warmth of such psychological security, we consider all our suffering as natural part of our life and never look forward towards reality or truth, upon understanding which there will be no more sufferings. Under the psychological security provided by the belief systems, even many of the people who talks about spirituality, live a life far away from truth or reality.

During at least the last ten thousand years of human existence, there were people who were living with reality. Even at current date, there are many such beings, at least very few are in the lime light. Few of these beings who were close to reality wanted to take the reality closer to the whole of humanity. The result is the scriptures of all the cultures and all the religions. The unfortunate reality is that there experience with reality had to be expressed as words. Possibly, the experience with reality cannot be expressed with the available words of any language or they might not have the linguistic expertise required to take these reality to the humanity. Hence the only possibility is expressing them in a subtle way with the words available with the languages and the linguistic expertise they had. Anybody who has no idea about what the reality or truth is, these expressions of those realized people have no meaning. At best the common population can create their own pictures from these expressions of realized masters and hence a belief system.

Now we are left with the task of interpreting those scriptures, if at all we have any urge to understand how they felt about reality. But in reality, it has no meaning for the common population except getting an idea of the possibility of experiencing something called reality or truth. As almost all the interpreters relied on their linguistic skills rather than the understanding of reality or truth, the real meaning of the scriptures might not have been revealed to us and it cannot be. The unfortunate is that with those interpretations, the majority of the human population entered into one or other belief system and distanced themselves from reality or truth. At the current moment, the only possibility available to us is transcending all these belief systems, if at all we have any inclination towards reality. Please note that it is not just ignoring them, but transcending them. If we are not doing that, we will be left with just some beliefs which do not have any meaning except providing some psychological security. Such psychological security is destructive to the spiritual growth.

There are few genuine spiritual gurus trying to impart the spiritual process to humanity. But unfortunately a cult is getting created, may be due to the irrational devotion of their followers. Of course, they need followers to carry on their social activities and spread their messages to public. Again the unfortunate event is that most of the people touched by their teaching/methods entered knowingly or unknowingly in the realm of hero worship even though those spiritual gurus are advocating against such hero worship. Also they tend to take the spiritual Guru as their spiritual authority. Once an authority is accepted for spirituality, there is no more spirituality for that person. This is because the authority takes away the freedom required for spirituality. Almost every one touched by those spiritual gurus, start emulating that guru with respect to that attribute which influenced that common person. Those people forget that they are entirely different from the guru and trying to emulate that guru with respect to any of the attributes of that guru has no meaning and any such attempt will be futile for their own spiritual growth.

The spiritual gurus have to address people who are in many planes of understanding. Hence the followers have to use their wisdom while taking the teaching of spiritual guru. Otherwise the effort of the spiritual guru may mislead the followers instead of taking them closer to reality. Due to the blind belief or hero worship or acceptance of authority the people have with the guru, they fail to recognize the subtle messages from the guru and the message addressed to the plane in which they are and hence the possibility offered by the spiritual guru is being nullified. Even the close associates of those gurus might not been anywhere near reality due to the mere following, worshiping and acceptance of authority of spiritual guru- may be with very few exceptions.

The possible way to reach reality or truth through a spiritual guru is probably being with the guru and his teachings yet emotionally away from the guru. Now the question is, is it possible for the common population who are emotionally attached with all worthless things in life, being emotionally away from a spiritual guru who may be able to transform their life itself? It may not be possible. This is where the common population has to enhance their knowledge about spirituality while attempting spirituality. And here lies the core complexity in approaching spirituality. Due to this complexity, a commendable ratio of population who claims that they are spiritualist may not be anywhere near to spirituality. The unfortunate part is that they have no means to find it out. If spirituality is approached without the awareness of the traps in this path, it is very easy to get into one or the other trap. Once we are in the trap, the whole life will be a complete waste, whether or not one is in the arm of a Spiritual Guru. The way we are living now may be much better than the life within that trap.

Why do we need such a complicated spirituality? First up all, spirituality is not complex; our mind made it as complex with all the beliefs, opinions, and slavery. Secondly with spirituality, we have a possibility of living our life.

Wednesday, December 2, 2009

Opinion

For any happening around us and anything around us we would like to have our opinion and views. If we are unable to form any opinion or our own view about the happenings or things, we feel inferior, but most of us somehow create certain opinion within us. If anybody interacting with us is not having any opinion or reluctant to express their opinion, we make them feel inferior. We and our education system continuously insist us to have opinion to anything and everything we come across. The media of present day create opinion about worthless maters and doing business out of that. As we are educated to have opinion about everything, we borrow the opinion of media and help the media to blossom their business.

What is opinion? Is it has any relation with perception? Is it has any relation with truth? If not, why are we having opinion about everything and why are we forced to have opinion about everything? Answering these questions may not be an easy task. Having opinion about everything and then doing anything and spend all our energy to substantiate our opinion has become our way of life.

Opinion is nothing but building an image about the object of interest based on what is seen, heard or read. If the opinion is exactly same as what is seen or heard or read, it is fact. It is not an opinion at all. We shape our opinion based on what is seen, heard or read plus the images we already have within our mind, which could be related to the object of interest in some way. For validating this opinion we may use any image we have with in our mind. Hence we never have facts with us. We are always having opinions and views. Even for the facts, we convert them as opinion and views.

What way this image helps us? Probably it may help us to show off that we are knowledgeable. Probably helps others to build a superior opinion about us, which in turn may earn respect from others. May be helps us to gain few more such petty things also. But to recognize these things as petty things, we may have to look into our life from another dimension. Unless we recognize these as petty things, which don’t have any value for our life and living, we keep on accumulating opinions.

If we really see into the opinions, we can clearly understand that they are diverting us from living. They are deflecting us from perception. They are preventing us from seeing/understanding truth and keep us away from truth. Unless we see the significance of living, perception and truth there is no possibility for us to see what is keeping us away from living - from possibility of complete perception and from truth or reality. We are never going to recognize the role of our opinions in keeping us away from living and truth.

Upon a clear examination of facts, we can understand that a life of ecstasy is not only gifted to very few selected beings. It is possibility is given to every one of us. The way to achieve it is also very easy. Only thing we have to do is just understand the possibility of such ecstasy in our life and create the space within our mind to capture it. Creating the space is that just understand the significance of our activities in our life and aware of our activities. Once we are capable of doing this, other dimensions of life will open for us.

Coming back to the subject of discussion, opinion keeps us away from seeing the reality. When we have opinion about something, we will not look into it any more with the longing to know. We take the opinion as the knowledge of that particular subject and move on without even looking into it. Even though we know change is a constant process, we fail to recognize the fact that the subject might have changed from its property when we looked at it last. We go on with our opinion and hence fail to capture the current reality of the subject as our opinion blocks us from seeing the subject with the urge of knowing. When we don’t have the intention of knowing, knowledge is not possible.

If we want to be anywhere close to reality, we must come out of the trap of opinion. While coming out of the trap of opinion, others around us may be building a negative opinion about us. To face this situation, we must be aware of the fact that others opinion about us are also just opinion and should be capable of ignoring those opinions also. This is possible only if we are very much clear about what we need and have a very clear perception that the opinions are not at all facts.

The opinion we need to come out may be the opinion about our parents, spouse, children, friends, other people, God, heaven, Guru, philosophies, religions and the list is limitless as we have opinion about each and every thing we encountered in our life. If we see this list with an opinion, it may looks like a mission impossible. But if we can really see the destructive role of opinion in our life, it is an easy task to leave all our opinions about anything and everything. Once we are free from opinions, we will be start seeing everything with delight, like a child. The delightedness on looking at our life entirely changes the quality of our life. Hence the real problem is not leaving the opinion behind us, but understanding the need for leaving them behind us.