Mind Your Manners

Vedanta says earn and acquire as much wealth by honest means as you can but also upgrade yourself as a human being that is, as the one who can see self in other. It means cultivating pleasing manners. The least you can do is not to offend and hurt others with your behavior. To become a better and responsible person with good civic sense, to embrace virtues like honesty, truthfulness, patience, consideration for fellow human beings and compassion for those who are not as privileged as you are. However, material prosperity tends to erode character, values and behavior in some and this is something that we need to guard against.

For example, some of us are so proud of our children – who are not even eligible for a driving license – when they drive cars in by lanes at high speed. We don’t mind telling lies for petty gains. Arrogance and ego grow along with growth in income. Patience in one is seen as a sign of weakness, you are called a “loser”. You are seen as an achiever, as one who gets things done if you can jump the queue as others wait patiently their turn. The more we earn and the more things we acquire, the greedier we become.

Another distinguishing feature of our prosperity is – as we acquire wealth we start looking down on the less privileged. Suddenly we feel we’re different – and so create a separation. We change our manner and demeanor according to who we address – a VIP or someone who is less known. Test of our behavior is not how we treat VIPs or those who matter to us but how we treat the people who are less fortunate than us.

One’s behavior and conduct in society is not only about how we relate to each other but also in the way we treat public places and facilities. The Delhi Metro train service is a case in point. Within five years it has grown so much in popularity that it is almost always full of commuters. However, if it were not mandatory for Metro doors to remain closed, chances are that people would think nothing of hanging out, risking their lives and others’.

Etiquette and pleasant manners need not be restricted to the home, office or among peers and friends – it needs to be evident in public places as well. Pushing and shoving each other to catch a train or bus does not behave those who otherwise project themselves as educated or evolved people. Senior citizens and others who might be physically challenged need to be given preference in seating and so on. With material progress and technological advance, we need to also take care to nurture comparable upward evolution of our own selves.

To come back to Vedanta culture and tradition, a truly evolved human being would be perceived as one who would be sensitive to the needs of others and not only his own. This is the reason perhaps why all Vedic rituals and prayers are directed not at the welfare of any one individual but are meant for the common benefit of all. Hence, the tradition promotes the concept that all life is one family – vasudhaiv kutumbakam.

Good manners and compassionate outlooks are marks of one who is on the path of onward evolution, striving to reach higher planes of consciousness. Good ethical practices and mindful living are not the preserve of the renunciation – they are equally important for those who choose to live in the world and yet perhaps strive to rise above it.

Gardens of Enlightenment

The majesty of light is endless. After having created worms, it created gazelles. And afterwards it brought about resourceful monkeys and then humans – who taught themselves to read and write. IN due time, enthralling stories are written, which are exciting the human mind and imagination to the point that words are often more important than bread and physical sustenance.

Light is majestic, generous and clear. Human words are many and some are obtuse. Obtuse words create obtuse minds. Obtuse words and minds combined create areas of darkness. Light is clear and never obtuse. Dwell in light and you will be all right.

To see the true majesty of light, you simply have to see the endless radiance of the universe, and then the continuous radiance of your inner being…. and the glory of light all over. For the universe means light in its radiance, dignity, majesty, effervescent transcendence, in every act of your understanding, generosity, and light in its continuous giving and loving. This shining Light is but one enormous all embracing Mother.

How can you become Light, while you are already it? But think; the potency is not the same thing as its actualization. Where does the seed come from? From other seeds. And the ultimate seed – where does it come from? May be there re no answers to ultimate questions.

Yet we want to understand don’t we? Yes, but what understands? It must be nothing else but the rays of light, that illumine. Illumine what? The state of your being. From what to what? From being less illumined to being more illumined. Why is it important? Because it is the way of Light from being less illumined to being more illumined. Such is the path of the evolutionary unfolding of Light, until it becomes perfectly realized. Which means what? The end of the story of Light. Does tat mean the end of the story of the universe? Yes, it means the end of the story of the universe. And then What? And then there are no “whats” we understand everything because we re everything. No questions. No answers. When the universe arrives at the ultimate point of the Self-realization of light, there will be no problems of any kind.

Human consciousness has been a marvel of creation of Light. It has shown flashes of genius and extraordinary depth. As it was the cane with the illuminati. Yet the consciousness of the whole species is another mater. This consciousness has a long way to go.

At present there is no such thing as Absolute Consciousness with which we can connect. For the time being Absolute Consciousness is but a myth. Human consciousness is evolutionary as everything else is. It will reach its apogee of enlightenment at the end of time.

In the meantime we need to cultivate our small gardens of enlightenment, for we don’t truly know what ultimate enlightenment for they are real – an anticipation of greater things to come. Above all, we should seek the Great Peace within, which is available to all human beings and which is a precondition of any form of enlightenment.

Don’t be Hurry

A man who was very found of trees wanted to see a green tree in the courtyard of his home. He thought that if he planted sapling, it would take a long time to grow into a tree. So he went to a garden and selected a fully grown tree. He then employed several laborers to dig it up and then transport it to his courtyard where he had it planted.
The man was very happy. He thought to himself; “I have traveled a long journey in a single day. Planting a sapling or a seed would have been a lengthy business and now I have found quick way of having a lush green tree”
But the next morning when he looked at the tree, he found that its leaves had begun to wither, and after a few days the whole tree dried up. He was disappointed. When one of his friends visited him, he found him in a very sad mood. When he asked the reason he said: “I am in a hurry, but God isn’t”
This story instructs us about the law of nature, which is based on gradual development and not on sudden leaps. One who follows this law of nature will be successful, while the one, who fails to follow it, will be doomed to failure.
This law of nature is applicable not only to tree; it is a universal law. In every field, one must follow this natural course; otherwise one cannot attain any worthwhile goal.
Why is it that when the tree was in the garden, it was green, but when the same tree was transferred to another place – the courtyard – it dried up? The reason is that when the tree was in the garden, it had its roots intact, but when it was transferred to the courtyard, it had very few of its roots left. And it is roots that give life to a tree.
This is a law of nature and this law of nature applies to all human activities. It is the need of every business, every profession, and every institution to have proper roots, that is, a sound basis. There is no exception to this law of nature.
For example, education is the basis for a job, reputation is the basis of a business, and infrastructure is the basis of national development. Constructing a really solid foundation requires a long period of time; you cannot have such a foundation by just taking wild leaps.
When you are in a hurry to achieve something. It means that you are denying the law of nature. You want to build a world on your own and this kind of procedure is not possible in this world. Those who engage in a gradual process will find support in nature and without such support no achievement is possible in this world.
Why did God decree this nature? He did so for the purpose of consolidation. If you try to achieve something by leaping into things, the final result will be like an uprooted tree. But when you adopt the gradual process, you consolidate your achievement.
An agriculturist once rightly pointed out that it requires only six months to grow a kakdi plant, but if you want to grow a tree like the oak, it will take 50 years to produce a fully grown tree. From this example one can understand how the law of nature functions.

The Flower and Its Fragrance

The most beautiful thing on earth is our gratitude to divinity. Children always see more beauty than grownups do; because of their tremendous inner purity they see beauty in everything. Therefore we have to appreciate and admire them because they are still in the world of the soul.

When the mind is “developed” it also goes through conditioning and so begins to find fault. We love to see ugliness and impurity even in things that are really beautiful and good. If an artist has created something, we look for anomalies. The child however regards everything as his very own, so he sees beauty in everyone and in everything. He feels that there is nothing in comparison with other thing is beautiful.

Divine love and divine beauty are inseparable. Love is the flower, beauty is the fragrance. They go together. A flower is an object, God’s creation. But the flower has to offer its quality, that is, its fragrance. Only when you come near a flower will you see and appreciate its beauty. But even when you are far away, its fragrance can permeate the air. If a flower does not have any fragrance, half its divinity is gone. Beauty comes forth from the flower which is love. Flower and fragrance are inseparably one.

When earth’s cry and heaven’s smile meet, beauty’s perfection dawns. Joy is a bird that we all want to catch. It is the same bird that we all love to see flying. What is the difference between pleasure and joy? Pleasure is followed by frustration, whereas joy is always followed by peace and more joy. There are two kinds of joy, outer joy and inner joy – there’s a subtle difference between them. We feel that the possessor of outer joy is somebody else, not ourselves. Very often we want to snatch this joy from others.

Inner joy is not like this. When we meditate or contemplate, at that time we feel that we are the soul of joy. This joy that we possess inside is like a fountain; it comes spontaneously. Inner joy has no fear. It can, if it wants transform our human nature in the twinkling of an eye.

If we can experience true inner joy even for a second we will feel that the world is totally different. Now, we feel that we will have to change our attitude towards certain aspects of the creation if we want to have joy, because the world is constantly fighting and doing all un-divine things. But if we can look at the world with our inner joy, we will see that the world has already changed?

How can we get this inner joy? If we really feel that inner joy is the breath of our life, if we feel that we cannot exist without joy and we will die at this very moment if we do not have it, then God showers his choicest blessing, which is joy, upon us.

Real joy comes from the feeling that we are constantly in the lap of the Supreme. Twenty-four hours a day we cannot meditate. But on the strength of our imagination we can feel that 24 hours a day we are in the lap of the Supreme.

Experiences

If some of us have felt the essence of love, the difficulty arises in keeping the flame of love alive. The very moment one transfers the experience of love into words and memory, the mind takes over only to end up in creating an unreal picture of love.

It is imperative to understand the fact that love can be felt only in the present. And all thoughts of love deny love and push the individual to ignorance so that one is in the unreal world of love.

The individual gets mired in the web of thoughts which is basically of attachment and dependency. The built up thoughts about love which bring false happiness, inexorably give way to pain and suffering arising out of losing it. Only an individual who is integrated, harmonious and sensitive can keep the flame of love going. It becomes indispensable for the individual to stay rooted in the present, so as to be in the pool of love. And only an individual who is in love with himself can know the art of loving others.

After knowing that love blossoms and expresses itself in the present moment, the question of whether one is rooted in the present becomes inevitable. If one is in the present and in love with himself and others, then meditation does not mean anything to him.

If you feel that you are not in peace, harmony and in exuberance, then meditation is a tool that can bring you back to love and life. Meditation creates the space in you so that you can witness your own insensitivity and habits. This very seeing of your own insensitiveness opens the doors of sensitivity in you.

This sensitivity of seeing one’s own shortcoming triggers the channel of intelligence. Seeing yourself and others without the interruption and interpretation of the mind frees the mind so as to be active and alert. The natural flow of moving along with the life source makes you supple and receptive.

False images which were products of the mind break down in front of reality. As an individual you once again regain your original innocence of being with yourself and flowing with the present. This being in the present inexorably opens the doors of love which comes along with pure intelligence to face reality without remorse.

Meditation cleanses the dust of ignorance that accumulates over time. The more you use meditation to get back to your source, your inner self, the more you become aware of your unconscious repressions which were hindering you from knowing your potential. Once the unconscious repressions are brought out and they pass through the channel of the conscious mind, you become free of bondages. Without this release, any attempt to love yourself and others becomes an exercise in futility.

Meditation bridge the conscious and unconscious, helping the individual to set himself free from his own bondage. And only the one who has freed himself from the fetters of mind can come back to his natural state – which is love itself. Only a loving person can be with reality and face it intelligently. Meditation becomes the tool which takes the individual to merge with the very ocean of love which is in one.

Ultimately the individual comes to face the truth that meditation is in love personified.

Focus on Your Breath

Concentration is the key to success. The student taking an exam but distracted by a popular song running through his head; the businessman trying to write an important contract; but worried over an argument that he had that morning with his wife; the judge distracted by the fact that a teenager to whose defense he is trying to listen bears  striking resemblance to his own son. All of these persons could tell us something of the disadvantages of poor focus.

A focused mind succeeds not only because it can solve problems with greater dispatch but also because problems have a way of somehow vanishing before its focused energies, without even requiring to be solved. A focused mind often attracts opportunities for success that to less focused (and therefore less successful) individuals appear to come by sheer luck.

Concentration awakens our powers and channels them, dissolving obstacles in our path, literally attracting opportunities insights and inspirations. In many ways, subtle as well as obvious, concentration is the single most important key to success.

This is particularly true in yoga practice. The mind in meditation especially, must be so perfectly still that not a ripple of thought enters it. God cannot be perceived except in utter silence. Much of the teaching of yoga therefore, centers on techniques designed specially for developing concentration.

Of these techniques my guru Sriram Sharma Acharya Yogananda, considered the most effective to be one which involves attentiveness to the natural process of breathing…. The simplicity of this technique causes many a beginner to ignore it; yet in its very simplicity lies much of its greatness.

Concentration implies, first an ability to release one’s mental and emotional energies from all other interests and involvements and second an ability to focus them on a single object or state of awareness. Concentration could be dynamic outpouring of energy to perfectly quiescent perceptions and in its higher stages. It becomes so deep that it is no longer just practice. The yogi becomes so completely identified with the object of his concentration that he and it, as well as the act of concentration itself, become one.

In this way he can even temporarily become one with something external to himself, gaining thereby a far deeper understanding of it than would be possible by scientific objectivity. But focusing on our own higher realities, identification with them becomes lasting. For we are the infinite light, and love and joy and wisdom of God. Consciousness of diligent practice ought to be refined into an effortless process of divine becoming.

The most effective technique of concentration will be one which both interiorizes the mind, and permits a gradual transition from technical practice to utter stillness. The technique of watching the breath fulfills both of these requirements – better perhaps than any other technique possibly could. For not only is the breath one of the most natural focal points for attention, the more deeply one concentrates on it, the more refined it becomes, until breathing is automatically and effortlessly suspended in breathlessness. Mediator, the act of concentration, and the object of concentration, become one.

Body Mind and Spirit

Human existence is trifarious, a combination of three currents, physical, mental and spiritual. Most people may not transcend the limits of their physical existence; they get enmeshed in crude worldly pleasures, tormented by desire. Subtleties of life expression and practice are perhaps beyond their reach. Their world is limited to their bodies and physical requirements.

There are others who are more concerned with their minds as they feel that it is the supremacy of mind that sets them apart. Their lives are guided by their desires for mental satisfaction. By virtue of their endeavors they create poetry, art, music and sculpture, for instance. They express the finer human feelings of mercy, sympathy, love, friendship, and pity. They believe that the mind flows for the sole purpose of attaining the infinite and hence they focus their energies on the contemplation of the Transcendental Entity. They are spiritual aspirants. Drawn by the magnetic attraction of Cosmic Consciousness they speed forward and reach the stage which marks the end of mental existence and the beginning of spirituality. At that stage one is no longer a human being, one is a veritable god.

It ought to be the mission of every person to achieve confluence of the mental and spiritual strata. It is the pinnacle of human progress. It is the beginning of divine existence. The meeting point of the highest attainment of humanity and the blossoming of divinity is the base on which the cardinal human principles re established.

Looking back, it is evident that nowhere have human values been truly honored. What is worse, nobody has looked upon humanity with sympathy. Only those were respected who, by serving their self-interests, climbed onto the higher rostrum of society. It is difficult to step down from the high position of the vainglorious to rub shoulders with the less privileged. The neglect of humanity was particularly acute towards the end of each era of the social cycle. The progeny of the noble kshatriyas, the physically strong, on gaining power, engaged themselves in the pursuit of pleasure and comforts utterly neglecting their cared duty to serve their people. They never cared to know people’s suffering.

King-hearted and philanthropic kings did exist, but very few, if any met the psychophysical needs of his people and opened the gateway to realization of the infinite. For self aggrandizement and in a bid to conquer the world they invaded countries, one after another. How could they afford to inquire into the tragic plight of the common people? The Vipra era or intellectual era illustrated the same thing; the scholarly Vipras were hardly accessible to the common people. The innocents were busy appeasing the Vipras with oblations, honorariums and floral offerings.

Service to the needy might not yield immediate results but the potential for future benefit is immense. Rabindranath says, “By standing aloof from your fellow man daily, you have hated the God enthroned in his heart”. Instead of hating anyone, the Sadvipras – physically fit, mentally strong and spiritually elevated – will encourage every one to build good careers. This will be Sadvipra’s principle duty. None should feel that they have been doomed forever.