We all, with out exception, are greedy. It is the way we are created. It does not mean we have to live with greed. We can leave behind the greed and carry forward our life. But it may not be easy to do so. At least, we can try to understand that we are greedy and accept this fact. Possibly, this acceptance may change the way we are living, even if it is not eliminating the greed within us.
In reality none of us, may be with very few exceptions, never accept that we are greedy, but can easily point out that others are greedy. This lack of acceptance of our quality of greed may be the cause of many problems we face on daily basis. The realisation that we are greedy may be helpful to nullify at least few of our problems.
We do not like to label ourselves as greedy. Because, greed is a socially negative attribute. Hence instead of getting ride of greed from us, which is almost an impossible task, we create justifications for our greed. With this justification, what we have is not greed according to us, it is just the way of life and finally we are totally insensitive to greed itself. Now the realisation that ‘we are greedy’ itself is an enormous task, let alone the task of eliminating greed from us.
It is very important to have the knowledge of ‘what we are’, before understanding our own greediness. In other words, self knowledge is the key to understand our attribute of greediness, like understanding any other attribute. With out knowing our structure, it can not be possible to find certain aspiration of ours is greedy or not. For example, a person who is having in-built capability to understand finance can get into stock market and earn that person’s living, and more. For that person, being (playing) in stock market is not a result of greed, because there is where that person’s basic capability is present. But for a person, who is not capable of managing even the basic finances cannot have the capability for being in stock market. If such a person, enter into stock market with an idea of earning more money is clear indication of greed. It does not mean the second person is incapable. That person must be capable of some thing else. That person has to put all the effort in the field which he/she is capable by nature. Here is the importance of self knowledge, to understand our basic nature, our capability and incapability, with out any feeling of inferiority or superiority.
The prevailing education systems are not providing any education with respect to self knowledge. Usually, neither we are also concerned with self knowledge. If and only if we are bored with all the entertainments and amusements, we may start questioning our life. Even in such cases, the possibilities are that we may find another amusement with God, religion, rituals etc. Hence the possibility of we going into the realm of self knowledge is very, very remote.
Again back to greed, are we really in a profession in which we are really so involved due to our own nature? According to me, in most of the cases, the answer may be a big NO – as usual with few exceptions! Most of us may be here, where we are now, due to the opportunities available, various forces acting upon us from all our close relations, and then our own violent forcing towards the field in which we are now. Very few of us might have reached this stage where we are now, due to natural inclination. But every one has to survive economically also and hence we need to have some profession and the one in which we are right now is fine with respect to that economical sense. But, it becomes greedy and violent, when we do not understand this fact with respect to our natural tendency towards our profession and we strive to outperform/outsmart all our peers. This is the starting point of greed, which in turn induce violence in profession, and all other related problems and hence sufferings. Same is the case for almost all activities in our life.
Self knowledge is the only key which can make us to understand greed within us and hence free us from all sufferings originating from greed. We may submit the problems and sufferings to God and forget them for some time. But without self knowledge, the problems and suffering are still there and hence they will come to the surface again. By considering our nature, quest to have self knowledge may itself be greedy. But by understanding this particular greed, put forward some effort on gaining self knowledge may be worthy, if we can do that without any additional suffering! – The understanding is to avoid suffering in search of self knowledge.
Sunday, July 18, 2010
Monday, July 12, 2010
Self Esteem
An attribute, probably most talked about by self-help gurus and psychologists in the profession of counselling. Self esteem may be required for certain persons at certain mind set. It can be used as an antidote for self induced suffering. But, it may be a problem when we always live with the antidote. In such case, we may have to identify the cause of requirement for antidote and hence eliminate the cause itself for a reasonable life.
When we live with self esteem, it completely takes away the quality of humbleness. Humbleness is not the feeling of low. On the other hand, it is the attribute which makes us learners. Humbleness is one of the basic attributes require for us to experience the life. Without humbleness, we can not be active ‘listeners’ – listeners in the real sense.
As the name suggest, Self Esteem support the growth of ‘self’ or ‘ego’ or ‘I-centeredness’. The growth of ego is nothing but identifying or attaching ourselves with more qualities. More qualities, means we have more relationships. We are already having a complex web of relationships within us and this is the addition to that web of relationship. When we have more relationships, we have more to manage for our day-to-day life. Already we are deep in our relations – due to our insensitivity we are unaware of most of the things we are related with, these additional relations are new burden for us and with in no time we will be insensitive to these new relations also. For sure, we are adding to our problems and hence suffering.
Self Esteem may be advocated for suppressing the feeling of lowness. If we like not to enter into the trap of self esteem, we need to understand why we are entering into the feeling of lowness. And if we never feel low within ourselves, there is no question of self esteem.
Feeling low is the result of comparison of ‘what we are’ with ‘what we should be’. What ‘we should be’ may be a concept of ideal or a particular attribute of another person. Obviously, if one is making such comparison there can not be any other alternative other than feeling low. An ideal is always ideal, even though the ideal is another living person. One can never reach an ideal. It does not mean one should never look beyond the present state of oneself. The life itself is looking beyond what we are today. If we end our experiencing with what we are today, there will be no more life. At this stage we are dead. But this looking beyond is very much different from looking for an ideal and the desire to become that ideal. If we are sensitive enough to ourselves, we have sufficient intelligence to look beyond! – No ideal required.
The bitter reality is that no one out there to educate us on these aspects. If we want to live the life to the fullest of possibilities, we should start studying our own life and understand our own life. On this regard, we are alone in this world; for each one of us is unique creation. No body else can help us in this regard as the reality for them may be entirely different from that of each one of us.
As much as we pursue self esteem, so much the feeling of lowness gain ground deep with in us. In other words, at conscious level we feel great with our own effort, but at deeper level, we may be sinking with out any effort. The antidote may be eating away our life itself – the precious, short life! Understanding must be the only way out! What to understand? None other than ourselves - The qualities that keeps us alive, the influences of external world on ourselves, the influence of our relationships over us, The influence of our own evolution over us that is not even under our control, the beliefs and concepts we ourselves created to support the existence our ego, and so on. Such an understanding can only make us to see ‘what is’ rather than striving for ‘what should be’. Such an understanding is the seeing of truth or reality.
This understanding is the only possibility to remove the cause of ‘feeling lowness’ so that we can be free from the antidote of ‘Self Esteem’ and hence being with humbleness. Such humbleness makes as active learners – the learners of life from moment to moment.
When we live with self esteem, it completely takes away the quality of humbleness. Humbleness is not the feeling of low. On the other hand, it is the attribute which makes us learners. Humbleness is one of the basic attributes require for us to experience the life. Without humbleness, we can not be active ‘listeners’ – listeners in the real sense.
As the name suggest, Self Esteem support the growth of ‘self’ or ‘ego’ or ‘I-centeredness’. The growth of ego is nothing but identifying or attaching ourselves with more qualities. More qualities, means we have more relationships. We are already having a complex web of relationships within us and this is the addition to that web of relationship. When we have more relationships, we have more to manage for our day-to-day life. Already we are deep in our relations – due to our insensitivity we are unaware of most of the things we are related with, these additional relations are new burden for us and with in no time we will be insensitive to these new relations also. For sure, we are adding to our problems and hence suffering.
Self Esteem may be advocated for suppressing the feeling of lowness. If we like not to enter into the trap of self esteem, we need to understand why we are entering into the feeling of lowness. And if we never feel low within ourselves, there is no question of self esteem.
Feeling low is the result of comparison of ‘what we are’ with ‘what we should be’. What ‘we should be’ may be a concept of ideal or a particular attribute of another person. Obviously, if one is making such comparison there can not be any other alternative other than feeling low. An ideal is always ideal, even though the ideal is another living person. One can never reach an ideal. It does not mean one should never look beyond the present state of oneself. The life itself is looking beyond what we are today. If we end our experiencing with what we are today, there will be no more life. At this stage we are dead. But this looking beyond is very much different from looking for an ideal and the desire to become that ideal. If we are sensitive enough to ourselves, we have sufficient intelligence to look beyond! – No ideal required.
The bitter reality is that no one out there to educate us on these aspects. If we want to live the life to the fullest of possibilities, we should start studying our own life and understand our own life. On this regard, we are alone in this world; for each one of us is unique creation. No body else can help us in this regard as the reality for them may be entirely different from that of each one of us.
As much as we pursue self esteem, so much the feeling of lowness gain ground deep with in us. In other words, at conscious level we feel great with our own effort, but at deeper level, we may be sinking with out any effort. The antidote may be eating away our life itself – the precious, short life! Understanding must be the only way out! What to understand? None other than ourselves - The qualities that keeps us alive, the influences of external world on ourselves, the influence of our relationships over us, The influence of our own evolution over us that is not even under our control, the beliefs and concepts we ourselves created to support the existence our ego, and so on. Such an understanding can only make us to see ‘what is’ rather than striving for ‘what should be’. Such an understanding is the seeing of truth or reality.
This understanding is the only possibility to remove the cause of ‘feeling lowness’ so that we can be free from the antidote of ‘Self Esteem’ and hence being with humbleness. Such humbleness makes as active learners – the learners of life from moment to moment.
Sunday, July 4, 2010
Peace
Terror and Violence are so common now days and we talk about peace on next few days, whenever such violence strikes any part of world and it may be few more days, depend on the number of dead innocent people. We can not stop such violent activities until the time more of the common population have peace with in them. The term ‘more of the common population’ indicates here as a minimum number of people in a society, if all of them initiate certain change with in themselves as individuals so that the effect can be perceived on the society. In other words, it is minimum number of individual minds required to adapt a change so that the ripple effect can be perceived on the ‘Social Mind’
In my opinion we, almost every one of us, cannot say we are living peacefully – may be with very, very few exceptions. When we ourselves, the constituent of our own society, are not peaceful, can we except the society to be peaceful? If we do except, it is a clear indication of some thing seriously wrong with us.
If such question arises we may go into a defensive mode and define yardstick for measuring peace and violence. May be, the outcome shall be that if it is physical damage or loss of life, it is violence or terror activity, if not it is peace. If we happen to have such yardstick, we are just fooling ourselves. Whatever we talk about peace in society or peace in country are just for our time pass or just to prove our intellect.
For any person involving in any terror activities- not the one involving in such activities for money or similar personal gain, is doing such activity with the belief that it is the noblest activity of his life. The key point is the “belief”. The belief drives such persons into to mad state of mind. It is the strong ‘belief’ which is the reason for all violence and terror in societies. It is certain that we are all also strong believers of certain beliefs. The only difference is that the belief of them (so called terrorist) is directed to certain direction and that of us are directed to some other direction. But essentially both are same – both are source of violence. In fact, the violence with in us, the common people, is the reason for the change in direction of violence with in so called terrorists. This is not to justify the activities of terrorists or against the punishment awarded by law of court to such terrorists. Such law is indisputably required to maintain certain order of society.
But every one of us is responsible for such terror activities. We are full of violence with in us – probably unable to perceive by us due to the fact that it has become our way of life. We are nurturing such violence and terror within our children – do any thing to score in the academics, like killing their simple joy on playing, killing the evolution of their mind, killing their passions on certain field and so on. Every one of us is doing this with out exception - in most cases unknowingly and in some of the cases by imposing our own desire over the children.
How to change the violence and terror in society? As indicated earlier certain part of the society has to become violence free with in them as individuals and that will have ripple effect on the ‘social mind’ so that the violence within the society slowly disappears – probably over a period of many, many generations.
The hard fact is that we are not willing to make such changes within us. Or we are unable to recognise the field of violence within us, to initiate such change. Certainly it needs some effort from us. We need to look into our beliefs – any thing we are taking as granted with out even understanding it as our belief. The term ‘understanding’ does not mean a conceptual understanding - it means the strong perception within us with out any need to have some concepts or assumptions to prove it. Again it is not a belief that we think as we perceive! It is our being. For sure, one needs to observe oneself extensively. And understanding this is slightly complex due to the way our mind act.
Only by observing our mind by our own mind, a revelation of the content of our mind may be possible. That is the only possibility available to study or analysis ourselves. In other words the mind as observer, observe the same mind as observed. In other words, the observer and observed are same. When the observer and observed are the same, the observer needs a great deal of honesty to observe him/herself. The observer should have enough openness to see the fact when it observes itself. When such openness is not there, for sure, the observer sees only a biased opinion about the observer – the observed. This is the reason that we are fare away from truth.
For perceiving the violence within us, we need to be aware of the fact that the observer and observed are same and the problems associated with such observation. When we are observing somebody else, we can clearly indicate the problem. That is the reason we are able to identify violence with the so called terrorists. But when we are observing ourselves, being the observer and observed are same, not able to cognize the truth. The very understanding that self observation is the observation of our mind about its own existence, the mind may throw out some of the yardsticks created by it and start observing itself. Such observation may start revealing truth. As the yardstick is created by our own mind, is based on its own functioning, any amount of measurement with that yardstick can not revel any mistake in the measurement. This is because the yardsticks are created by our own mind with its content as reference.
Such an observation without any yardstick can possibly make us to understand that we are also violent in our effort to earn wealth, status, position, security of ego and such numerous factors. When we are violently suppressing our peers on our quest to earn a position in the organisation we are working, we call it normal. When somebody else violently performing some action to uphold their belief or fight back against the suppression, we call it terrorism. Is it not double standard? This is not to support the action of terrorism, but to identify that the root of terrorism is also with in each one of us.
We just want the so called terrorists to change, being ourselves as well terrorists – in the sense of violence within us. It is nothing but violence towards others (or towards so called terrorists) by us. We just want to talk about violence, terrorism, etc. We really do not want to eliminate terrorism. It is the real fact! For understanding this fact, we need to really look into ourselves – our own ego!
And one word of caution! Understanding all our problems with in as does not mean losing of our ‘self esteem’. In fact ‘self esteem’ it self is an escape from ‘what we are’, and possibly in some cases indulges violence.
In my opinion we, almost every one of us, cannot say we are living peacefully – may be with very, very few exceptions. When we ourselves, the constituent of our own society, are not peaceful, can we except the society to be peaceful? If we do except, it is a clear indication of some thing seriously wrong with us.
If such question arises we may go into a defensive mode and define yardstick for measuring peace and violence. May be, the outcome shall be that if it is physical damage or loss of life, it is violence or terror activity, if not it is peace. If we happen to have such yardstick, we are just fooling ourselves. Whatever we talk about peace in society or peace in country are just for our time pass or just to prove our intellect.
For any person involving in any terror activities- not the one involving in such activities for money or similar personal gain, is doing such activity with the belief that it is the noblest activity of his life. The key point is the “belief”. The belief drives such persons into to mad state of mind. It is the strong ‘belief’ which is the reason for all violence and terror in societies. It is certain that we are all also strong believers of certain beliefs. The only difference is that the belief of them (so called terrorist) is directed to certain direction and that of us are directed to some other direction. But essentially both are same – both are source of violence. In fact, the violence with in us, the common people, is the reason for the change in direction of violence with in so called terrorists. This is not to justify the activities of terrorists or against the punishment awarded by law of court to such terrorists. Such law is indisputably required to maintain certain order of society.
But every one of us is responsible for such terror activities. We are full of violence with in us – probably unable to perceive by us due to the fact that it has become our way of life. We are nurturing such violence and terror within our children – do any thing to score in the academics, like killing their simple joy on playing, killing the evolution of their mind, killing their passions on certain field and so on. Every one of us is doing this with out exception - in most cases unknowingly and in some of the cases by imposing our own desire over the children.
How to change the violence and terror in society? As indicated earlier certain part of the society has to become violence free with in them as individuals and that will have ripple effect on the ‘social mind’ so that the violence within the society slowly disappears – probably over a period of many, many generations.
The hard fact is that we are not willing to make such changes within us. Or we are unable to recognise the field of violence within us, to initiate such change. Certainly it needs some effort from us. We need to look into our beliefs – any thing we are taking as granted with out even understanding it as our belief. The term ‘understanding’ does not mean a conceptual understanding - it means the strong perception within us with out any need to have some concepts or assumptions to prove it. Again it is not a belief that we think as we perceive! It is our being. For sure, one needs to observe oneself extensively. And understanding this is slightly complex due to the way our mind act.
Only by observing our mind by our own mind, a revelation of the content of our mind may be possible. That is the only possibility available to study or analysis ourselves. In other words the mind as observer, observe the same mind as observed. In other words, the observer and observed are same. When the observer and observed are the same, the observer needs a great deal of honesty to observe him/herself. The observer should have enough openness to see the fact when it observes itself. When such openness is not there, for sure, the observer sees only a biased opinion about the observer – the observed. This is the reason that we are fare away from truth.
For perceiving the violence within us, we need to be aware of the fact that the observer and observed are same and the problems associated with such observation. When we are observing somebody else, we can clearly indicate the problem. That is the reason we are able to identify violence with the so called terrorists. But when we are observing ourselves, being the observer and observed are same, not able to cognize the truth. The very understanding that self observation is the observation of our mind about its own existence, the mind may throw out some of the yardsticks created by it and start observing itself. Such observation may start revealing truth. As the yardstick is created by our own mind, is based on its own functioning, any amount of measurement with that yardstick can not revel any mistake in the measurement. This is because the yardsticks are created by our own mind with its content as reference.
Such an observation without any yardstick can possibly make us to understand that we are also violent in our effort to earn wealth, status, position, security of ego and such numerous factors. When we are violently suppressing our peers on our quest to earn a position in the organisation we are working, we call it normal. When somebody else violently performing some action to uphold their belief or fight back against the suppression, we call it terrorism. Is it not double standard? This is not to support the action of terrorism, but to identify that the root of terrorism is also with in each one of us.
We just want the so called terrorists to change, being ourselves as well terrorists – in the sense of violence within us. It is nothing but violence towards others (or towards so called terrorists) by us. We just want to talk about violence, terrorism, etc. We really do not want to eliminate terrorism. It is the real fact! For understanding this fact, we need to really look into ourselves – our own ego!
And one word of caution! Understanding all our problems with in as does not mean losing of our ‘self esteem’. In fact ‘self esteem’ it self is an escape from ‘what we are’, and possibly in some cases indulges violence.
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
Relationship
We are made up of relationship. With out relation, we are not. Our entire mind must be of a web of complex relationships – relationship with our parents, spouse, children, friends, society, culture, other living things, earth, sky and every thing else in the creation which we are capable of perceiving. This relationship and reaction of relationships constitute all the layers of our mind. If the relationships do not exist, the mind is not and hence we are not; for that the psychological ‘we’ are just our mind.
In our very close human relationships, in general, we understand the relationships very well and if we really have proper understanding of that relationship, there is no problem in our life with respect to that relation ship. If we analyse our problems, it is certain that the problems are due to misunderstanding of certain relationship in our life. Does it translate to that if we understand all our relationships which make our existence, there will be no more problems in our life?
Will it be possible? – Possible to understand all our relation ships? It must be possible! But for that we need to recognise this fact that we are made up of relationship. This recognition may be possible if we can observe the content of us – the content of our mind to the extent possible for us. Once we start observing our mind, the relationships which we are made of may start revealing itself.
We are always aware about very obvious relationships which we are psychologically dependent – like parents, spouse, children, brother, sister, and friends and so on. We may recognise the relationships with street vendors, shop keeper, government employees, etc when we need their services. We recognise our relation with society and culture when some body provoke with respect to these aspects. More than that, in general, very rarely we perceive any relationships with any thing else in this world – except probably our relationship with God, with out even understanding what is God!
Do we really understand the nature of these relationships? If we do, our life must be altogether a different one, for sure! It may not be possible for anyone else to make us understand our relationships. Even though the relationships are common, the way we have our relationships are unique. No body else can understand our relationships and correct us. Hence it is we to understand our own relationships with every body and every thing.
When we understand the relationship very well, naturally we will deeply respect that relationship – the relation with whatever it may be. Unless we understand our relationship with our parent or children, we cannot respect that relationship. Unless we respect that relationship, we cannot respect them as individuals. When we are not respecting them, our action towards them will naturally be violent. When we are violent towards others, the remainder is just problems – problems in our own life!
If we go a little bit more, we are related with this cosmos and this earth. Unless we understand this relationship, we cannot understand how this earth is supporting our own life and our significance on the earth. If we happen to establish that understanding, we will be altogether a different person. We start deeply respecting the relationship between us and the earth. The relationship brings in deep gratitude towards the earth. This gratitude and showing off the gratitude will no more a formality or rituals. It will be becoming the core of our being, due to the very understanding of our relationships. Unfortunately we are going in the reverse direction and due to lack of understanding we are locked at the beginning itself. It is about the rituals we perform regularly. The rituals are to understand our life and living in its real sense. Unfortunately we stop at performing the rituals. The rituals are meaningless, if it is not taking us to the understanding it is intended for. Once we have that understanding rituals are no more necessary.
When we understand our relationship with our food, the limitless destruction of possibilities of life in each and every seed we consume for our food on daily basis, we can not but respect our relationship with our food and more importantly we cannot over consume or waste any food and with this many of our problems might have already solved. When we have such deep understanding and respect to this relation can we do any harm to anybody or any thing? – including our own earth. If we are not harming anybody or anything, there will be no conflicts with anybody and anything. When this happens, the life we live will be a heaven!
In our very close human relationships, in general, we understand the relationships very well and if we really have proper understanding of that relationship, there is no problem in our life with respect to that relation ship. If we analyse our problems, it is certain that the problems are due to misunderstanding of certain relationship in our life. Does it translate to that if we understand all our relationships which make our existence, there will be no more problems in our life?
Will it be possible? – Possible to understand all our relation ships? It must be possible! But for that we need to recognise this fact that we are made up of relationship. This recognition may be possible if we can observe the content of us – the content of our mind to the extent possible for us. Once we start observing our mind, the relationships which we are made of may start revealing itself.
We are always aware about very obvious relationships which we are psychologically dependent – like parents, spouse, children, brother, sister, and friends and so on. We may recognise the relationships with street vendors, shop keeper, government employees, etc when we need their services. We recognise our relation with society and culture when some body provoke with respect to these aspects. More than that, in general, very rarely we perceive any relationships with any thing else in this world – except probably our relationship with God, with out even understanding what is God!
Do we really understand the nature of these relationships? If we do, our life must be altogether a different one, for sure! It may not be possible for anyone else to make us understand our relationships. Even though the relationships are common, the way we have our relationships are unique. No body else can understand our relationships and correct us. Hence it is we to understand our own relationships with every body and every thing.
When we understand the relationship very well, naturally we will deeply respect that relationship – the relation with whatever it may be. Unless we understand our relationship with our parent or children, we cannot respect that relationship. Unless we respect that relationship, we cannot respect them as individuals. When we are not respecting them, our action towards them will naturally be violent. When we are violent towards others, the remainder is just problems – problems in our own life!
If we go a little bit more, we are related with this cosmos and this earth. Unless we understand this relationship, we cannot understand how this earth is supporting our own life and our significance on the earth. If we happen to establish that understanding, we will be altogether a different person. We start deeply respecting the relationship between us and the earth. The relationship brings in deep gratitude towards the earth. This gratitude and showing off the gratitude will no more a formality or rituals. It will be becoming the core of our being, due to the very understanding of our relationships. Unfortunately we are going in the reverse direction and due to lack of understanding we are locked at the beginning itself. It is about the rituals we perform regularly. The rituals are to understand our life and living in its real sense. Unfortunately we stop at performing the rituals. The rituals are meaningless, if it is not taking us to the understanding it is intended for. Once we have that understanding rituals are no more necessary.
When we understand our relationship with our food, the limitless destruction of possibilities of life in each and every seed we consume for our food on daily basis, we can not but respect our relationship with our food and more importantly we cannot over consume or waste any food and with this many of our problems might have already solved. When we have such deep understanding and respect to this relation can we do any harm to anybody or any thing? – including our own earth. If we are not harming anybody or anything, there will be no conflicts with anybody and anything. When this happens, the life we live will be a heaven!
Friday, June 25, 2010
Health
All along, the discussion in this blog is mainly with respect to psychological health. May be it is time to have a look on our physical health also. It may be very important to have physical health, if we wish to have psychological health.
The life expectancy of human population increased considerably compared to that of few decades ago thanks to the availability and accessibility of medicines and medical systems. Does it translate to more healthier human population? According to my perception it is not. Of course, the better affordability and availability of nutritious food to economically weaker section of population has increased their health considerably and reduced the child death rate enormously – still this section have to do physical activity. For the economically privileged section of population, it may be the opposite due to many factors. In spite of this deteriorating health, the life expectancy has increased just because of the availability of medical systems.
Probably understanding the term ‘Natural Selection’ with respect to evolution may be helpful for this discussion. ‘Natural selection’ is a key term in the process of evolution of living beings in earth. It is the process by which certain heritable traits—those that make it more likely for an organism to survive and successfully reproduce —become more common in a population over successive generations. For more details on natural selection refer the link http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Natural_selection
Human beings are also susceptible to the process of natural selection. Just remember, this process of change happen over hundreds of generation. It can not happen with in few generations. From the time of evolution of human being until few decades ago, physical hardship is essential for survival of human being. Hence the natural selection has to favour for hard physical activities and it is the case. Our body is designed for performing hard physical activities, for our own survival. Now it is no more at least for a so called elite group. If the body designed for physical activity is not performing the function intended, due to the design, the body goes into havoc. But we are capable of holding it in to a survivable structure by means of medicines. If generations of this group do not perform hard physical activity and survive in this earth, the natural selection favour a design change – through gene modification slowly over hundreds of generations. But the chances are that such group may not exist for so long, due to the very nature of design of human body.
The Director’s report section of the annual report of one of the pharma company for the year 200-09 was stated as follows.
"............ ......... .Tighter controls on pricing envisioned in the new drug policy threaten to reduce margins and impact business. However, factors such as rising prevalence of lifestyle related diseases coupled with improving health awareness and purchasing power, will continue to drive growth in the pharmaceutical market...... ......... ......... ...."
Hence it is an established fact that lifestyle related health disorders are increasing steadily and it is going to be the main growth driver for Pharmaceutical companies in the future. On the other hand, by the name of lifestyle, we degrade our own body and earn profit out of it, by owning the shares of Pharmaceutical companies. What a contradiction in our basic way of living?
It is not that we are just degrading our own body due to our lifestyle, but are encouraging to degrade the body of our children also. It is the height of violence we are executing over the next and future generations. On the contrary we think imposing a little bit control over our children to channel their energy and focus to the possible right direction as violence over them.
Those are in the age group of thirty and above as on now, even though grown up in cities, might have had reasonable physical activities and opportunities to learn life independently during their growing up stage. The life of younger one seems to be real pity. The major part of such population in the middle class and above has absolutely no physical activities. Even if the elite class is having some physical activities, it is just couple of hours on weekly basis. The major part of their time is spent on academics even at the level of primary classes and whatever remaining time available is in front of visual media. The human body had undergone hundreds of thousands of years of ‘natural selection’ not for such a life style. Neither the body can be adjusted by itself for such a life style with in few generations. In such cases, the body can not sustain itself for the period intended for its survival – It has to be supported by medicines. If this is the case, is it not violence the lifestyle we are imposing over our children?
Another alarming fact is the way we are damaging our ears. The ear is designed to sense certain amount of longitudinal vibrations during the life span of body. But the way we are imposing violence on our ear drums by means of ear/head phone for each and every thing over considerable duration in any day, it is inevitable with in couple of decades to become the ear aids as common as eye glasses on today.
We are bombarding our body from every direction by the name of lifestyle. The more alarming fact is that we are encouraging the next generation to bombard their body from every direction on the name of same lifestyle. It is not that there are positive aspects of life style. For sure there are many, many positive aspects. But if we are not aware of these few negative aspects, especially the effect of lifestyle on our body and mind, all these positive aspects are nullified. If the body and mind are not in healthy condition to enjoy the lifestyle change, then what for these lifestyle changes?
The life expectancy of human population increased considerably compared to that of few decades ago thanks to the availability and accessibility of medicines and medical systems. Does it translate to more healthier human population? According to my perception it is not. Of course, the better affordability and availability of nutritious food to economically weaker section of population has increased their health considerably and reduced the child death rate enormously – still this section have to do physical activity. For the economically privileged section of population, it may be the opposite due to many factors. In spite of this deteriorating health, the life expectancy has increased just because of the availability of medical systems.
Probably understanding the term ‘Natural Selection’ with respect to evolution may be helpful for this discussion. ‘Natural selection’ is a key term in the process of evolution of living beings in earth. It is the process by which certain heritable traits—those that make it more likely for an organism to survive and successfully reproduce —become more common in a population over successive generations. For more details on natural selection refer the link http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Natural_selection
Human beings are also susceptible to the process of natural selection. Just remember, this process of change happen over hundreds of generation. It can not happen with in few generations. From the time of evolution of human being until few decades ago, physical hardship is essential for survival of human being. Hence the natural selection has to favour for hard physical activities and it is the case. Our body is designed for performing hard physical activities, for our own survival. Now it is no more at least for a so called elite group. If the body designed for physical activity is not performing the function intended, due to the design, the body goes into havoc. But we are capable of holding it in to a survivable structure by means of medicines. If generations of this group do not perform hard physical activity and survive in this earth, the natural selection favour a design change – through gene modification slowly over hundreds of generations. But the chances are that such group may not exist for so long, due to the very nature of design of human body.
The Director’s report section of the annual report of one of the pharma company for the year 200-09 was stated as follows.
"............ ......... .Tighter controls on pricing envisioned in the new drug policy threaten to reduce margins and impact business. However, factors such as rising prevalence of lifestyle related diseases coupled with improving health awareness and purchasing power, will continue to drive growth in the pharmaceutical market...... ......... ......... ...."
Hence it is an established fact that lifestyle related health disorders are increasing steadily and it is going to be the main growth driver for Pharmaceutical companies in the future. On the other hand, by the name of lifestyle, we degrade our own body and earn profit out of it, by owning the shares of Pharmaceutical companies. What a contradiction in our basic way of living?
It is not that we are just degrading our own body due to our lifestyle, but are encouraging to degrade the body of our children also. It is the height of violence we are executing over the next and future generations. On the contrary we think imposing a little bit control over our children to channel their energy and focus to the possible right direction as violence over them.
Those are in the age group of thirty and above as on now, even though grown up in cities, might have had reasonable physical activities and opportunities to learn life independently during their growing up stage. The life of younger one seems to be real pity. The major part of such population in the middle class and above has absolutely no physical activities. Even if the elite class is having some physical activities, it is just couple of hours on weekly basis. The major part of their time is spent on academics even at the level of primary classes and whatever remaining time available is in front of visual media. The human body had undergone hundreds of thousands of years of ‘natural selection’ not for such a life style. Neither the body can be adjusted by itself for such a life style with in few generations. In such cases, the body can not sustain itself for the period intended for its survival – It has to be supported by medicines. If this is the case, is it not violence the lifestyle we are imposing over our children?
Another alarming fact is the way we are damaging our ears. The ear is designed to sense certain amount of longitudinal vibrations during the life span of body. But the way we are imposing violence on our ear drums by means of ear/head phone for each and every thing over considerable duration in any day, it is inevitable with in couple of decades to become the ear aids as common as eye glasses on today.
We are bombarding our body from every direction by the name of lifestyle. The more alarming fact is that we are encouraging the next generation to bombard their body from every direction on the name of same lifestyle. It is not that there are positive aspects of life style. For sure there are many, many positive aspects. But if we are not aware of these few negative aspects, especially the effect of lifestyle on our body and mind, all these positive aspects are nullified. If the body and mind are not in healthy condition to enjoy the lifestyle change, then what for these lifestyle changes?
Sunday, June 20, 2010
Fulfilment
Fulfilment is a state of mind, which every one wishes to have. Now the question is how do we get into such a state of mind? For that, we need to understand what is fulfilment and why are we seeking it. The very understanding it self may change our thoughts on fulfilment or may cease such thoughts itself. If it happens, there will be no more seeking on fulfilment!
We seek fulfilment only when we are discontent with what we are. It is a state of mind where the discontent or the thought of discontent dominates. The feeling of discontentment is a psychological phenomenon which gets strengthened when we compare ourselves materialistically or qualitatively with others. It may be that we compare ‘what we are’ with ‘what we should be’. We get into the idea of ‘what should be’ by means of ideals we have. The comparison triggers our ego, either in the positive or in the negative direction with respect to the current state of ego. In other words, the discontentment is an activity of our ego.
The ego is the “I centeredness” or the qualities we attach ourselves to identify ourselves. When we start understanding our ego or the qualities we attach with ourselves, we start approaching the maturity level of accepting ‘what we are’ and live the life of our own – not to imitate or try to live the life of any body else and hence there is no struggle for reaching ‘what should be’.
The state of mind corresponds to fulfilment is momentary, but the struggle for that state of mind is too long and this struggle in turn deteriorate our mind further. In this cycle, the state of mind corresponding to the feeling of fulfilment may not be possible. When we are content with ourselves, there may not be any feeling of emptiness and hence no need arises for filling any emptiness. Hence there is no requirement arises for fulfilment. On the other hand, when we are content, there will not be any thoughts with in us which demands for fulfilment. In other words the mind is completely calm. This means, the brain has its energy to spend on useful action rather then spending on deteriorating thoughts.
The action induced by the quest for fulfilment or due to discontent is a trap. As noted above, discontentment is due to our urge to move from “what we are’ to ‘what we should be’. ‘What we are’ is the truth and ‘What we should be’ can never be the truth. When our action is towards ‘What should be’, it is towards an illusionary point. But the action towards this illusionary point also produces certain result, which we must accept any way – and in most cases we welcome those results. As the action is towards a point far away from ‘what we are’, the result will also be far away from ‘what we are’. Now we are entangled with this result, as we did our action for that result and keep moving away from ‘what we are’. Now this result demand for many more actions which will be much against the fact ‘what we are’ and there is no escape… we are in a trap! We may not realise this trap, but start suffering from the chain of actions/events due to this trap.
The process of conceptualisation may lead us to the conclusion that if we are content with ‘what we are’, we may not seek and hence our progress in any direction stops at the point where we are content. Being content with “what we are” is not a substitute for activeness. Living is being active. We can live content with ‘what we are’. In fact that is living! When we are living, we are active and hence there is no standstill in our progress in any direction and that progress will be in the right direction. If our action is induced by the discontentment it can never be the right action and hence it can induce only suffering – the progress we can see on such actions are jut virtual progress, induced by the feeling of discontentment.
We seek fulfilment only when we are discontent with what we are. It is a state of mind where the discontent or the thought of discontent dominates. The feeling of discontentment is a psychological phenomenon which gets strengthened when we compare ourselves materialistically or qualitatively with others. It may be that we compare ‘what we are’ with ‘what we should be’. We get into the idea of ‘what should be’ by means of ideals we have. The comparison triggers our ego, either in the positive or in the negative direction with respect to the current state of ego. In other words, the discontentment is an activity of our ego.
The ego is the “I centeredness” or the qualities we attach ourselves to identify ourselves. When we start understanding our ego or the qualities we attach with ourselves, we start approaching the maturity level of accepting ‘what we are’ and live the life of our own – not to imitate or try to live the life of any body else and hence there is no struggle for reaching ‘what should be’.
The state of mind corresponds to fulfilment is momentary, but the struggle for that state of mind is too long and this struggle in turn deteriorate our mind further. In this cycle, the state of mind corresponding to the feeling of fulfilment may not be possible. When we are content with ourselves, there may not be any feeling of emptiness and hence no need arises for filling any emptiness. Hence there is no requirement arises for fulfilment. On the other hand, when we are content, there will not be any thoughts with in us which demands for fulfilment. In other words the mind is completely calm. This means, the brain has its energy to spend on useful action rather then spending on deteriorating thoughts.
The action induced by the quest for fulfilment or due to discontent is a trap. As noted above, discontentment is due to our urge to move from “what we are’ to ‘what we should be’. ‘What we are’ is the truth and ‘What we should be’ can never be the truth. When our action is towards ‘What should be’, it is towards an illusionary point. But the action towards this illusionary point also produces certain result, which we must accept any way – and in most cases we welcome those results. As the action is towards a point far away from ‘what we are’, the result will also be far away from ‘what we are’. Now we are entangled with this result, as we did our action for that result and keep moving away from ‘what we are’. Now this result demand for many more actions which will be much against the fact ‘what we are’ and there is no escape… we are in a trap! We may not realise this trap, but start suffering from the chain of actions/events due to this trap.
The process of conceptualisation may lead us to the conclusion that if we are content with ‘what we are’, we may not seek and hence our progress in any direction stops at the point where we are content. Being content with “what we are” is not a substitute for activeness. Living is being active. We can live content with ‘what we are’. In fact that is living! When we are living, we are active and hence there is no standstill in our progress in any direction and that progress will be in the right direction. If our action is induced by the discontentment it can never be the right action and hence it can induce only suffering – the progress we can see on such actions are jut virtual progress, induced by the feeling of discontentment.
Saturday, June 12, 2010
Conceptualization
In the technical world, conceptualization is a basic and fundamental process necessary for any technical development. Almost all our day-to-day activities lies on this technical world, which is basically required for our survival. In addition to survival, it forms the basis of our comforts and luxury we are enjoying and hence supporting the growth of our ego in leap and bounds. When it comes to our inner world, conceptualization is a process that destroys our journey towards truth – if at all have we ever started such a journey.
At this point, I would like to bring the words of sage Pathanjali and J.Krishnamurti (JK) on this subject of conceptualization into this discussion. It is to indicate that over a time span of about 2000 years, the purpose (of inner journey/study) remains the same.
Sage Pathanjali gave us the famous “Yoga Sutra”, which contain four sections with about fifty sutras in each section. In the first section called “Samadi Pada”, sage Pathanjali indicates the purpose of Yoga and in first few sutras indicates few of the hindrances for Yoga. The following are first few verses of Yoga Sutra
I.2. Yogesh citta-vrtti-nirodaha
-Yoga occurs when the mind field is liberated from patterned fluctuations/distortions
I.3. Tada drashtuh svarupe avasthanam
-Then the seer abides in true form/nature
I.4 Vrtti-sarupyam itaratra
-At other times the mind fluctuates/distorts with the forms.
I.5 Vrttayah panchatayah klishtaklishtah.
-These mental fluctation/distoration can be placed within five categories which are afflictive or non-afflictive
I.6 Pramana-viparaya-vikalpa-nidra-smrtayah
-These five categories are adherence to fixed belief systems, faulty/confused assumptions, conceptual thought constructs, inattentiveness/mental dullness and past-nonintegrated memories.
According to sage Pathanjali, conceptualization (vikalpa) is one of the five hindrances for yoga to occur.
JK has spoken in length about concepts, conceiving concepts and their effects on our mind. The following is a small extract of JKs words about concepts.
JK: ……….. you are saying it is still a concept. Is it? When the house is burning, is it a concept? When you have pain, is that a concept? When you are faced with danger, is it a concept? Concept only comes when you avoid the fact of 'what is'. When you are confronted with 'what is', there is no concept. You act, or you run away from it. Concepts exist only when you cannot understand the fact, the 'what is' and try to translate that 'what is' according to your background of your conditioning.
In our current way of living, we conceptualize any thing and every thing. It may be about God, Life, Yoga and likes on one side of the spectrum of conceptualization and personnel behavior, materialistic requirement for living and likes on the other side of the same spectrum.
Why are we conceptualizing every thing? Can’t we live our life with out conceiving concepts? - We do not have the humbleness to say, “I don’t know”. Hence we have to know about any thing and every thing. In any conversation, we have unlimited urge to project that we are knowledgeable in the subject of conversation. The only possible way of knowing every thing in our current way of living is conceptualization. Once we have some concepts, we have the right arguments to justify our knowledge and hence the ego is satisfied. We can live without conceptualization when we are matured enough to have the humbleness so that saying “I don’t know” will no more hurt our ego.
We need to take the trouble of freeing ourselves from concepts, if we intend to live a complete life in its real sense. If our intention is just carry on our life – the way we are living now, may be with little more physical comfort and luxury, there is no need to take any trouble in freeing ourselves. In that case, why are we talking about God, religion, ancient wisdom, morality in public life, corruption and so on. We need to just carry on our life. God, religion etc. are not required for carry on our life. But we cling to God, religion, morality etc, yet we are not taking any initiative to approach truth. By way of conceptualization, we hide all our ignorance, inabilities and capabilities, and live within the shadow of concepts. What a conflict in our life at its basic level itself!
All sages from Pathanjali to JK, even before and after them, were exposed this problem. Yet we are unable to integrate their findings into our life. But we take a great pride on saying they are our ancestors and create one more shadow over the possibilities and hence safeguarding our ignorance. Until the time we bring in some awareness on what we are doing and thinking, we can’t escape from the ignorance, which wrapped our entire life. Are we really interested in an intelligence life?
If this problem is looked at from another angle, we need to get into concepts to understand any thing. Hence we cannot ignore conceptualization completely. But need to be free from those concepts. For example, when we are talking about creation, existence etc, getting into the concept of God is inevitable. But if we enclose ourselves within that concept, we cannot really understand the truth of creation and existence. Instead of that, if we are free from the concept of God itself, our knowledge about God itself may change. At the end what we call as God may be entirely different from the God of today. Yet it is a concept and have to be free from that concept also, if we intend to live our life.
And, if we do not have freedom from sage Pathanjali’s sutras or JKs concepts, we create another set of concepts and enclose ourselves with in those concepts. This is the case with followers of any spiritual system. The followers conceptualize the system they are following and alas, they are inside a trap – a trap, which they believe, will free them from all other traps. This is evident from the fact that in any spiritual system, only the master might be the realized one, seldom the followers reach the stage of realization. Only a handful of followers who are managed to free themselves from the concept of the system they are following itself reach the stage of realization.
At this point, I would like to bring the words of sage Pathanjali and J.Krishnamurti (JK) on this subject of conceptualization into this discussion. It is to indicate that over a time span of about 2000 years, the purpose (of inner journey/study) remains the same.
Sage Pathanjali gave us the famous “Yoga Sutra”, which contain four sections with about fifty sutras in each section. In the first section called “Samadi Pada”, sage Pathanjali indicates the purpose of Yoga and in first few sutras indicates few of the hindrances for Yoga. The following are first few verses of Yoga Sutra
I.2. Yogesh citta-vrtti-nirodaha
-Yoga occurs when the mind field is liberated from patterned fluctuations/distortions
I.3. Tada drashtuh svarupe avasthanam
-Then the seer abides in true form/nature
I.4 Vrtti-sarupyam itaratra
-At other times the mind fluctuates/distorts with the forms.
I.5 Vrttayah panchatayah klishtaklishtah.
-These mental fluctation/distoration can be placed within five categories which are afflictive or non-afflictive
I.6 Pramana-viparaya-vikalpa-nidra-smrtayah
-These five categories are adherence to fixed belief systems, faulty/confused assumptions, conceptual thought constructs, inattentiveness/mental dullness and past-nonintegrated memories.
According to sage Pathanjali, conceptualization (vikalpa) is one of the five hindrances for yoga to occur.
JK has spoken in length about concepts, conceiving concepts and their effects on our mind. The following is a small extract of JKs words about concepts.
JK: ……….. you are saying it is still a concept. Is it? When the house is burning, is it a concept? When you have pain, is that a concept? When you are faced with danger, is it a concept? Concept only comes when you avoid the fact of 'what is'. When you are confronted with 'what is', there is no concept. You act, or you run away from it. Concepts exist only when you cannot understand the fact, the 'what is' and try to translate that 'what is' according to your background of your conditioning.
In our current way of living, we conceptualize any thing and every thing. It may be about God, Life, Yoga and likes on one side of the spectrum of conceptualization and personnel behavior, materialistic requirement for living and likes on the other side of the same spectrum.
Why are we conceptualizing every thing? Can’t we live our life with out conceiving concepts? - We do not have the humbleness to say, “I don’t know”. Hence we have to know about any thing and every thing. In any conversation, we have unlimited urge to project that we are knowledgeable in the subject of conversation. The only possible way of knowing every thing in our current way of living is conceptualization. Once we have some concepts, we have the right arguments to justify our knowledge and hence the ego is satisfied. We can live without conceptualization when we are matured enough to have the humbleness so that saying “I don’t know” will no more hurt our ego.
We need to take the trouble of freeing ourselves from concepts, if we intend to live a complete life in its real sense. If our intention is just carry on our life – the way we are living now, may be with little more physical comfort and luxury, there is no need to take any trouble in freeing ourselves. In that case, why are we talking about God, religion, ancient wisdom, morality in public life, corruption and so on. We need to just carry on our life. God, religion etc. are not required for carry on our life. But we cling to God, religion, morality etc, yet we are not taking any initiative to approach truth. By way of conceptualization, we hide all our ignorance, inabilities and capabilities, and live within the shadow of concepts. What a conflict in our life at its basic level itself!
All sages from Pathanjali to JK, even before and after them, were exposed this problem. Yet we are unable to integrate their findings into our life. But we take a great pride on saying they are our ancestors and create one more shadow over the possibilities and hence safeguarding our ignorance. Until the time we bring in some awareness on what we are doing and thinking, we can’t escape from the ignorance, which wrapped our entire life. Are we really interested in an intelligence life?
If this problem is looked at from another angle, we need to get into concepts to understand any thing. Hence we cannot ignore conceptualization completely. But need to be free from those concepts. For example, when we are talking about creation, existence etc, getting into the concept of God is inevitable. But if we enclose ourselves within that concept, we cannot really understand the truth of creation and existence. Instead of that, if we are free from the concept of God itself, our knowledge about God itself may change. At the end what we call as God may be entirely different from the God of today. Yet it is a concept and have to be free from that concept also, if we intend to live our life.
And, if we do not have freedom from sage Pathanjali’s sutras or JKs concepts, we create another set of concepts and enclose ourselves with in those concepts. This is the case with followers of any spiritual system. The followers conceptualize the system they are following and alas, they are inside a trap – a trap, which they believe, will free them from all other traps. This is evident from the fact that in any spiritual system, only the master might be the realized one, seldom the followers reach the stage of realization. Only a handful of followers who are managed to free themselves from the concept of the system they are following itself reach the stage of realization.
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