How Green is My Valley

Looking forward rather than looking backwards, we find that maturity consists in focusing on the positive aspects of our lives and then dealing with the negative aspects in an effective manner. In order to remain evergreen like the evergreen tree, we can choose the good, avoid what is evil and distance ourselves from what is not helpful. Looking back at our life experiences. We will find that our lives whenever they have remained evergreen, were so precisely because of the difficulties and trails we overcame and the spiritual strength that we gained.

For those of us who have learned to live with a positive attitude, our valleys have remained green because we have translated our experiences, built on our weaknesses and converted them into strengths, nurtured our souls and watered them with the life giving water of compassion and wisdom.

With the passage of time we learn to be less harsh and judgmental with ourselves and others. We look at ourselves not through the prism of a demanding master. But through the prism of a loving, faithful and compassionate God. As we grow older, we become more content and satisfied with what we have done so far and ready to take on other tasks and responsibilities. The wisdom and understanding that comes with age is not automatic. We have to grow intellectually, emotionally and spiritually so that we can develop a discerning mind and spirit.

Like fruit that has ripened, we mature and with the water of our imagination and enlightened soul we create for ourselves evergreen valleys. We sometimes ask ourselves. How green is my valley? We do not wait the moment of death to do that; we try to know the answers now.

Where does the inspiration come from? Prayer now becomes a life giving force. In prayer we connect with the infinite and also with the community. Meditative living not only brings us face to face with the Divine. It permeates all aspects of our lives.

When we follow nature’s course, not fighting our destiny, we are like the perennial spring that waters the earth. Then we tend to transform and transcend our diminishments, frailties and vulnerabilities. However, self condemnation is so common. The guilt trips and the regrets tend to pull you down. But for those who can ask; “How green is my valley”? There is opportunity to learn from and rectify misconceptions. We should be able to recognize several occasions, when we were kind and helpful, considerate and empathetic. And the other times when we were quite withdrawn and self centered. As we traverse the spiritual path, there will always be crags, nooks and crannies, uneven turf and barriers, but there are also live giving waters and springs, foliage and greenery that are ever present in the soul.

Every situation and circumstance in our life calls for an appropriate response. It is with our lifetime choices that we create either fecundity or bareness and aridity of spirit. Struggles and hardships will perforce come our way, but they could be transformed to become instruments of peace and success.

The end of a calendar year is a good time to look back as well as prepare to look ahead and resolve to transform past negativities to future positive opportunity that would make life more meaningful and cheerful rather than full of guilt, regrets and resentments.

A new beginning brings with it a freshness that’s hard to ignore as it brings with it fresh hope and the promise of bright day ahead.

Feeling Sad? Accept it

Q. I am so tired of people telling me that I look sad. When I feel happy they still tell me that there is sadness there too. I just don’t know what to do about it?

Osho: Do not think whenever anybody says it, accept it with deep gratitude and tell them that they are right, that you are sad. You are avoiding the fact. That’s why you are feeling just; otherwise you would not be. If somebody says that you are beautiful, you are not hurt. You feel grateful it is a compliment.

Why do you feel hurt when somebody says you look sad? Because you don’t want to be sad, and you are and you want that nobody should know that you are sad, even if you are.

Nobody is hurting you; nobody wants to hurt anybody. People are beautiful. If they say that you are sad, they are simply saying that they would like you not to be sad… They would like you to be happy because your sadness will make them sad also.

Whosoever comes near you – a friend, a neighbor, a lover… if you are sad you make him sad also. You create a sad situation. And if someone enters your arena he is bound to become sad. If he goes on laughing in spite of your sadness, it will be offensive. Even if he wants to laugh, even if he had come to laugh with you, he cannot just to be polite, as part of etiquette. And if you are really sad and the person feels for you he will feel for you. When he says you look sad, he is simply saying that it is not good that you feel like this.

You feel hurt because you were trying to avoid the fact and now he comes and brings the fact before you. Thank him! Feel grateful that he brought it to your notice. And don’t try to hide it. What can you do? If you are sad, you are sad. Don’t smile and hide behind it, don’t create any screen, camouflage, no façade

Once you accept it you will find that by and by there are moments when you forget that you have to remain sad, and you have become happy, just a moment before you had forgotten. When I told you to hang a sign around your neck, you had forgotten completely; you were not sad at that moment.

Sadness is not anybody’s nature; just a mood, a habit, a pattern. It can be broken. It is because you have chosen it. But the way is not to fight it. The way is to transcend. So accept it. Be really sad for three days. If you find yourself becoming happy, immediately become sad, because you have to follow the sigh. Otherwise people will ask what you are doing. If you catch what you are doing. If you catch yourself getting a little smile or something feel guilty!

It is just an old habit that you slip into again and again. Habit needs unconsciousness, a habit lives in unconsciousness. If you become conscious of it, it disappears. So for three days you be consciously sad, consistently sad, and persistently sad. Don’t go here and there; immediately catch hold and come back and be sad. You will fail!

Wave and the Ocean

God or what we perceive as the supreme energy is never an object of isolation but the very core of your being. The difference between self and God is just like the wave and the ocean.

If you think you are just the body – don’t for the body has its limitations. If you think that you are the mind – don’t for the mind, too, has its limitations. It is just another layer of our existence.

Just like your body is made up of proteins, amino acids, and carbohydrates, you are made up of love. Every little atom of your body is made up of love and that is what is God and not someone sitting somewhere in heaven. God is here and now; He is love, and space. When you are meditating feel at peace, at home with everyone, you are in touch with the Divine force. In the Upanishads, it is said ‘kham kham brahma’ – space is Brahman, in which everything is and into which everything dissolves. It is universal consciousness.

God is omnipresent, omnipotent and omniscient; therefore wanting to see God as something or someone separate from you is also an illusion. God is not an object of senses but the feeling the presence, the sound of silence the light of life and the essence of the world and the taste of bliss.

God is to be felt in the depth of your heart; He cannot be perceived through your senses or through the mind for He is the Seer. As space He is everywhere, and everything is in space. Nothing can tough space. Nothing can destroy space. And you cannot see space as a separated object.

There are three types of space, bhuta aakash or outer space space in which the universe exists, chitta aakash or the world of impressions, thoughts and dreams that exist in your mind; chida aakash or the sky of consciousness that is all permeating every consciousness – everywhere – consciousness, the basis of all Creation, that is Divine that which knows all.

The whole of existence has a mind of its own. This mind is what you call Atma or God and that is what you are. As Generator; Operator and Destroyer; as Brahma, Vishnu and Maheshwara. God has generated the present moment; the present moment is operating and the present moment destroyed the past. So you are in God and Divinity is in you. There is a place for everybody in the heart of the Divine.

Divinity is the very core of your being. Like an onion, if you start peeling the layers one by one, when you reach the centre there is nothingness and everything is made up of that space. Universal consciousness is present everywhere. That being, that space, that very consciousness is what people look up to because it is present everywhere at all times.

In the body there are many cells and each of them has its own life. New cells are coming up and old cells are dying but they have no knowledge of you. Yet they are affected by you and you are affected by a single cell. In the same way, know that the big life and the big mind which encompasses all our minds and all our lives, is what we call as God.

Need to Uphold Dharma

Hindu Tradition is based not on acceptance of particular gods, dogmas, revelations and religious structures but on reverence for Dharma which is the rule of law and the ethics of the age. In the Hindu way of life there are no God, or prophet given laws. Dharma is not immutable but is liable to times- hence, the concept of Yuga dharma. Today’s ethics, formulated by the constitution, is secularism – that is the Yuga dharma. Violators of it cannot be considered Hindus; they can only be looked upon as enemies of the Hindu way of life.

The true Hindu way of life is in danger today but not from those who follow other religions. It is threatened by those who want to imitate others and abandon its essence, because they have misinterpreted it through the prism of dogmatic faiths. For those who assert “Brahmasmi” and “Tattvamasi”, it does not matter if the temple at the birthplace of Rama comes up a few years or a few years or a few decades later, if it comes up at all.

Why is Rama the most popular of all the nine avatars? Because he was a Maryada Purusha, who gave Ram Rajya (good governance) and defended Dharma (rule of law). Rama cannot be venerated by those who transgress Dharma by killing innocents. A way of life which highlights the birth and death cycle, allows one the freedom to worship God in any form or not to worship at all, proclaims the cosmic university with its Advaita cannot be reconciled with the killing of innocents.

The Hindu way of life will survive because it is the natural, free, inquiring way. The reverence for life, which is the essence of birth and death cycle, the worship of Ishta devatas and the ability to see God in all things living and non-living, has to be restored. The temptation to imitate others by trying to straitjacket the free Hindu way of life, into structural frameworks must be resisted. Dharma the rule of law – must be restored. Ram Rajya – good governance – should be established and nourished. The Hindu way of life is not the same as accepting an organized religion. Therefore, this way of life can be propagated, cherished and practiced without having to come into conflict with other religions. Comparing the Hindu way of life with other religions is like comparing apples and oranges. The Hindu way of life is the essence of secularism, its thought processes and philosophical reflection are meant to be observed privately; in public, Dharma, the rule of law, has to be respected.

Recently, the prime minister referred to two kinds of Hinduism – the self-styled “Hindu” extremists. The latter is in the same class as the extremist clergy of religions. There is no difference between list clergy of Semitic religions. Part of the problem is that the Hindu way of life has not been explained to our children as a secular way of life and that it is not the practicing of a religion as understood elsewhere in the world.

Family Matters

Supporting one’s father and mother, cherishing wife and children and a peaceful occupation; this is the greatest blessing

Sutta Nipata 262

Lord, give us joy in our spouse and children, and make us models for the God-fearing

Quran 25-74

May in this family discipline overcome indiscipline, peace discord, charity miserliness, devotion arrogance, the truth spoken word the false spoken word which destroys the holy order.

Avesta Yasna – 60.5

Gita and Business Ethics

The word ‘ethics’ comes from the Greek word ‘ethikos’. It refers to one’s moral character and the way in which society expects people to behave in accordance with accepted principles.

Business ethics is the code of good conduct that a business adheres to in its daily dealings both with other businesses and with customers.

Most philosophers conclude that ethical failure occurs because of lack of character. Virtuous people will live ethically. Therefore, we need to think about the desired virtues and how one can develop those virtues.

In the month of Magha (December) 5,000 years ago, on the battlefield at Kurukshetra just before the start of Mahabharata war, Krishna outlined to Arjun a system of ethics that has withstood the test of time. In the Bhagavad Gita, Krishna tells Arjuna not only how to build character but lso the rood cause of ethical failure and how to avoid it.

Krishna outlines 26 qualities of a gentleman to be merciful, obedient, truthful, equitable, saintly, magnanimous, mild-mannered, clean, simple, charitable and peaceful. He should have surrendered to God and not be greedy or possessive but remain steady and determined, free of the six bad qualities not gluttonous, sober, respectful, humble, grave, compassionate, friendly, eloquent, expert and concise.

It is easy to give a list of positive qualities that we can all agree upon. Yet, even though hundreds of trainers work day and night to teach people good character, when it really matters people’s character still fails why?

Krishna answers in chapter three, verses 37 and 38, “O Arjuna, it is lust… later transformed into wrath, which is the all devouring sinful enemy of this world. As fire is covered by smoke, as a mirror is covered by dust, or as the embryo is covered by the womb, the living entity is similarly covered by different degrees of this lust”

To maintain good character, we must overcome kama, that is lust or selfish desire. Most people think kama means just sexual craving, but it simply refers to an overwhelming desire for anything, such as lust for power. Greed, dishonesty and corruption are all by product of lust. To be happy, successful and well situated, the Gita says one must control lust.

Gita’s solution to the ethical failure and downfall of corporations and society and family is controlling the senses with spiritual strength. Ethics is linked to spirituality. For the last century or more western business separated work and spirituality. Kurukshetra was also about mind control. Every one of us, whether s manager or employee, is fighting his own battle, his own Kurukshetra. The Gita can help us to learn to regulate our senses, control our minds and gain spiritual strength.

The Gita is as fresh in insight and as relevant today as it was 5000 years ago. If only every manager, administrator politician employee, worker and others pick a copy of the Gita and spend a few minutes daily reflecting on its message, one can experience the positive transformation. Who doesn’t wish to be disciplined, to achieve home work balance and bring peace and harmony in a secular environment?

Experience Life’s Rhythm

A Hoysala king on a hunting expedition captured a gorgeous white baby elephant that got separated from its mother. The elephants of noble breed belonged to the king of the neighboring region. The calf had imbibed the noble traits of its mother. But gradually the baby elephant was turning out to be naughty and ill mannered. The king who was concerned about its impudence with the mahout, irregular food habits and rudeness handed his minister the responsibility of tracing the cause of this sudden change in behavior. The minister hoisted himself on a tree close to the baby elephant to keep a watch on him through the night. As night approached, he saw some men of ill repute sitting near the baby elephant. They were badmouthing people, exuding anger and vengeance. This went on for several days. The minister duly reported this to the king who had the men barred from that place. He now sent a group of wise people to keep the baby elephant company. Very soon the baby returned to its natural state of goodness and virtuosity.

Can we hope to always be surrounded by good people or be in a good environment? Life is unstable and unpredictable. We are all the time being impacted by what is happening around us. How can we insulate ourselves from the bad effects?

The solution is to have a “living mind” a mind that is watchful and observant. When the mind is dominated by suspicion, anger, fear, hurt or anxiety it becomes dead and fossilized. It loses its ability to enquire into anything, be it an event or an emotion. It becomes compulsive, mechanical and repetitive. Such a mind devoid of awareness and alertness is prone to fall a victim to the vagaries of the world. It is weak and helpless. A mind that is awake and watchful nurtures goodness, virtue, joy and love within a human being in all aspects of life. A dead mind can only brag about its ideals of goodness and integrity but in reality its actions are prompted by fear, confusion and rigidity. It is fossilized thinking. Awareness is what can give you an extraordinary quantity of life.

There are different views about life. Some say it is predestined. Others say it is an accident and that it has no destiny. But there is a destiny and it is crafted by our thoughts. This is how we create our destiny.

Thoughts- emotion- moods- temperaments- actions-destiny.

When we do not throw the light of awareness onto our thoughts regarding a particular situation, it precipitates emotions like anger, hurt and fear. When these emotions are not attended to, we get used to them and they cause mood swings. Thereafter, it becomes our second nature, our temperament. Just as layer upon layer of sedimentation solidifies into rock, continuous unawareness and ignorance go to make our personality. We become defined, limited and controlled by them. Our actions would then be directed by our moods. Such unintelligent action would lead to a poor destiny, devoid of love, joy, abundance or success.

Hence, “a living mind” which is vigilant about what it thinks and feels is of utmost importance to create a great destiny. Destiny is also not created in one moment; it takes shape with each situation life throws up and with each response you give to it.

So come alive, live consciously, be aware of every movement, and be awake to every rhythm of life. In living life every moment that you see is each time a new beginning.

Unburden Yourself of Ego

When a person carries baggage more than his capacity to carry weight, his face becomes distorted in pain. Similar is the case when one’s personality carries the heavy load of ego and self interest. A constant conflict, a feeling of perpetual dissatisfaction and irritation with the self and the rest of the world are some of the obvious outcomes. This creates a huge barrier between the person who carries the baggage and all others who are around him. He becomes unpopular, unpleasant and emotionally volatile. We are aware of all this, yet we don not make efforts to reduce the weight of the baggage.

The Sankhya system of Nepalese philosophy mentions the concept of jivam mukti, that is attainment of salvation while still alive. In this state of mind, there is freedom from bondage. The mind has to be free of ego and its natural instinct to pursue self interest based activities. However, that state of thoughtlessness has to come spontaneously and through practice for which simplicity of mind is a prerequisite. The more selfish we are, higher is the losing simplicity of mind. Being materialistic the beauty of the dawn and to remain engrossed in it. If one cannot become engrossed, the state of thoughtlessness cannot prevail.

The Gita suggests the path of complete surrender in order to get rid of ego. Ramakrishna realized how difficult it is to surrender ego since our way of life makes it an indispensable part of our existence. So he says if it has to stay, let it remain as a slave. I am here to serve the Almighty in thinking this let that ‘I’ become subservient. Tagore shows the path of taking pride in the love of God. Tagore glorifies ‘self’ in such a wider and greater context that it loses its independent existence and merges with the universal.

If each one of us pursues self interest there can be possibility of conflict as two objectives can be contradictory to each other, leading to violence. Yet, two opposite beliefs can continue to appear rational in their own places and right and hence, it will be difficult to reject one of them on the ground of rationality. However, selfless action – the capacity to think beyond ‘I, ME, and MYSELF’ and to pursue action beyond those limits – can reduce substantially the possibility of such conflicting customs. Selfless action is therefore an important way of attaining salvation in life.

Altruistic individuals in a society dominated by self centered people can get exploited. But that does not mean one has to give up the altruistic attitude or the desire to pursue selfless action.

Every time the sage picks up the scorpion from the water to save its life, it stings the sage. In the process his hands shake and the scorpion again fails into the water. But the sage does not stop there. He bends down again to pick it up from the water. When asked why he was doing this repeatedly, the sage replied he was only doing his dharma just as the scorpion was doing his.

Only selfless action can deliver peace and bliss. Sharada Devi, therefore suggested if we need peace in life let us not find fault with others; we need to identify our own pitfalls first. If we cut down on our heavy baggage of ego and self interest a bit it won’t be difficult to realize the vastness within us and find joy in life.