Falling into the culture ...

It seems true that, we fall into the culture of the systems that surround us! Looking at what the whole movement of Anna Hazare and his team is heading toward, it appears that unless systemic corrections are made, it is just impossible for any progress in India. Evolutionary progress is possible only with revolutionary steps. And, I am hopeful that Anna and his team (India Against Corruption) will not be cowed-down by the so called infinite powers of the Government. What is happening today in India - pseudo secularism, pseudo democrarcy, pseudo almost-everything - is in all likelihood the fate of all democracies, if they dont have solid checks-and-balances governing their systems. The only apparent conclusion one can draw from observing Institutions and systems in India is that, they seem to have been created with a "you scratch my back, and I will scratch yours". All this scratching in turns (ruling parties and opposition, either singly or in coalitions), has left deep gashes on the psyche of India. The end result: a bleeding nation. Hopefully, this time around, we the determined Indians will rid it of all this neglect of 64+ years of self-rule. With Anna Hazare, aleast some one has taken a bold step in redefining Lok Shahi - People are its masters, the ones in the Parliament are our humble servants. Maybe, we lost this perspective of democracy!

Be Positive

This cannot be said in a better way without using a negative tone. "Emotions, like bitterness, fear, unresolved anger, resentment, worry and unhappiness constantly trigger stress responses. They bury in ever deepening layers of cell memories turning into habits. These footprints manifest in dreams, psyche or soul, in physical illness, or chronic health problems. Disease becomes a teacher which imparts life lessons inside-out. The choice and free will to follow this path, is yours!"

Impermanent nature of the self

The impermanent nature of the self is quite obvious even if one chooses to ignore it! Each moment changes the complex dynamics surrounding our existence. Osho Rajneesh's discourses on the Kathopanishad is documented in a well reasoned book “The Message Beyond Words”. While one might not agree with everything that is said – for instance, Osho mentions ‘Death is an absolute lie’, for, how can Death be an absolute lie when it is so sure to happen! Death must be an absolute truth. This book still makes for a very enjoyable reading on the most definitive event of all life-forms - Death. But as the Osho points out, it is easy to ‘entertain’ yourself on such matters by only engaging the intellect to such matters without practicing the art of dying or observing the process of dying by ensuring that you are consciously living the present!

Vipassana - the art and practice of conscious meditation observing the rise and fall of sensations at the gross body level, at the more subtler levels in the inner core of a person and finally at the most subtle level of the consciousness itself, a practice that I learnt in 2000 as taught by Shri S. N. Goenka holds the key to detached living within the context of Kathopanishad. There is often a doubt that has risen in my mind while practicing Vipassana whether in the process you vegetate in a meaningless state! I am not in any way suggesting a reclusive lifestyle; on the contrary. After reaching a certain stage within my saadhana, I have come to realize that everything is eventually a waste if the final definitive destination to be attained is Death. With Death, all things one holds important and dear come to an end. With Death, all things that are considered a waste and is detested, does not matter! The event of Death seems to reset everything that is ephemeral into a state of nothingness – a deep void. So what carries forward after Death, if everything that is ephemeral has to be eventually given up? Is there anything at all that will carry forward – in an after-life? If everything I now have as possessions or as materialistic accumulations is bound to lose its identity only to become relics in a sense and may only have a value as an antique, what is the purpose of such accumulation in this life? Is purposeful living in the moment, to make every wakeful moment contribute in the preparation for the after-life? What about ego? What about pride? You lose even that!

Living Life Well

"We need to cultivate positive values to live by, so that as we grow older we become better at living them well. So what exactly would be my top five picks for values to live by? Firstly, Gratitude. Gratitude is a very powerful emotion that we need to strongly cultivate as children. In merely living 12 summers, I know how many individuals have already shaped my existence on this planet. I am grateful for all their sacrifices and their self-less tiring over improving the persona that I am. Two, Self-reliance. Self-reliance is a virtue that will become more and more relevant as we grow older and become independent in an interdependent world. Self-reliance is not about developing vanity, but shouldering responsibilities we are expected to perform without shirking them so that the interdependence amongst us will become better. Third, Courage. We need to cultivate courage to own up to both, what we are strong at and what we are weak at. It just takes a very strong person to own up our weaknesses and stay focused on our strengths. Fourth, Dependability. Our word must be our bond and we must mean what we say. As is well said, ability without dependability is a liability! Finally, Strength of Character. Strength of Character, to me is the sum and substance of all that we are and for what we stand for when we are put in the worst of circumstances! Remember that as we grow older, we become more and more of what we already are. I am sure that staying focused on these values will shape our destinies better by giving a purpose and meaning to everything that we would engage in." Sitara delivered this short talk in the morning assembly on June 28th, 2009 at her school - The Hyderabad Public School, Begumpet.

What really got me thinking is, all of us have learnt to respect and live by some positive values which were ingrained in us during our formative periods of life. If we have not been imbued with positive values of this kind, then I am sure that the society has damned us and has failed us utterly. The more and more we observe adult behaviour in our society, the more and more I am convinced that something is amiss. We observe a complete lack of respect for one another in our daily transactions; we observe a complete lack of chivalry when we occupy a seat comfortably when a mother with a child in her arms is made to stand, even though it might be a bus ride from the airport terminal to the aircraft; we absolutely do not seem to have any gratitude for all those Divine instruments who shaped the course of our existence and who are responsible for what we are today; we seem to have no commitment even to ourselves - let alone being self-reliant and sustain the process of interdependence; we are seen to crumble and shatter all the good old value systems we were supposed to stand up for even when all the comforts of modern day are made available for us - leave alone, the tough times which test our strength of character. When did we really lose these values? Or, did we really gain any values at all, if what my daughter says is true in her opening line ... "... as we grow older we become better at living them well."

Living in shameless times ...

Every other moment that unfolds on television is an assurance that we live in a shameless time. I was shell shocked to see a documentary on the BBC depicting the poor state of affairs in Ethiopia where children (dying souls) are without nutrition and food. And the next 30 minute news round-up, shows milk being poured down the drain and even being sprayed on farmlands in Europe by farmers protesting the rising cost of fuel.

If the cost per barrel of crude is today $125 or thereabouts, does it give sanction to protest by spraying milk on farmlands and letting gallons of milk go down the gutters even as a cow watches helplessly over this madness in such a dehumanizing manner ? Milk that can otherwise feed the thousands of underprevileged and malnutritioned children around the globe? How low can human thought go in a protest ?

Verbalized Memories ...

I was searching all these days for an accurate definition of 'thought' - I believe I got it today! Verbalized memories is thought. The Vipassana medidation process requires a constant observation of the breath even as you permit thoughts to enter and naturally wane-off. It takes considerable time to still your mind if one permits thoughts endlessly to enter at their will and wane-off on their own. Most memories are a result of silent conversations or dialogues that engage oneself.

Invariably, such moments of introspection either prompt the self to resist status quo and - do something in the present about an uncertain future - since remaining the same goes against the grain of traditional living. Or, such conversations are a result of the process of understanding pain or suffering. It is only when the magnitude of pain or suffering is so intolerable, that one chooses to act and do something to lessen the discomfort. The first type of introspection leads to a constant churning of the brain for ideas concerning an unknown 'state of perfectness'. Thoughts in this category manifest as expressions with an - 'I want this ... I want that ... I want that also ...' and so on. Verbalizing such thoughts spur an individual to act - many times conditioned by the probability of success/failure of the 'fruit of action'. The only way I have found, to control the randomness in such thoughts, is not to give expression through a language to memories or fantasies. Behave as if you know - no language, and see how the thought dies off! Beware, that this state of mind might also lead you to sleep.

The second type of thought wherein the self is spurred into action based on - pain or suffering - is of greater importance. It is not easy to still this type of thought - though with practice I find that the easy way out is to start by locating the point of pain! Just as much as, if suppose your leg hurts while you sit squatted, you can locate and focus your attention to the exact point where it hurts and the same goes with observing the feeling of pain anywhere else on the corporal plane. But, try identifying or locating the point of pain on the mind or spirit plane! It is very difficult. With practice, even this might become easier to still.

This process of stilling your thought, at least for 1/2 an hour a day - I have found, leads to a state of alertness to receive and a state of composure that is much desired in dealing with life's circumstances that throw themselves at you.

Inspired by J.Krishnamurti

J. Krishnamurti's discourse on Ashtha International (May 12) was a delight to watch based on the book - The Awakening of Intelligence - published by Harper Collins. I first came in contact with this great thinker through this book in 1995 while living in New York - far away from home - when such thoughts about the greatness of India strike you most! What got me thinking that compels my actions even today is - 'If there were no books, no gurus, what would you do?' A question worth its weight in platinum! His further elaboration in this discourse can be summed up as follows: 'Living a life of intelligence is to live in absolute freedom without conflict'. (I take the full blame for any gross simplification!)

This question is extremely relevant and extremely potent to the current circumstances we face in India. With the onslaught of Cable TV, there is no dearth for airtime concerning spiritual matters, rituals and spiritualism. The speakers most times on these religious channels are frivolous revelling in what Krishnamurti calls - religious entertainment lacking seriousness, merely jumping from one spectacular amusement to another! A very similar feeling got me thinking about the question - 'If there were no books, no gurus, what would you do?' - when I was exposed to Vipassana meditation in the November of 2000 that is being taught by Shri. S.N. Goenka. (http://www.dhamma.org/). A meditation technique that is very powerful and potent!

The answer I have found based on introspection to this critical question is that - 'you must become self-reliant' - a family secret or value system nurtured and ingrained in my genes by my dear father.