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.

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.

Finding Your Voice

The story of caedmon, the first documented poet to compose in the English language in the late sixth century, is about an ordinary man whom God took aside from his busy everyday activity and from his own limited sense of who and what he was, and spoke to him in the quiet of the night.

Caedmon worked as a lay brother in the community of Abbess Hilda of Whitby. The singing of psalms and hymns played central role in the community, and at a feast it was an accepted tradition that all should sing in turn.

It bothered caedomon so much that he knew no songs and could not sing that whenever this began, he would quietly slip away.

Once frustrated by his inability to contribute to the songs of praise to God, he left the gathering and went to the stables, falling asleep among the horses.

As he slept, he dreamt that someone addressed him by name saying, “caedmon, sing me something”. He answered “I cannot sing” that is why I left the feast and came here…. The voice insisted. “Nevertheless you must sing”.

Feeling strangely compelled to obey, Caedmon asked, “What shall I sing” And was told: “Sing. His hymn was new, pouring from his heart: “Now we must praise Heaven kingdom’s guardian/ the maker’s might and his mind’s thoughts, the work of the glory-father as he established the beginning of every wonder. He first shaped for men’s sons. Heaven as a roof, the holy Creator; then middle earth mankind’s guardian, eternal Lord afterwards prepared for men the earth the Lord almighty”

Walking from his sleep, Caedmon remembered all that he had sung in his dream. He went to his superior and told him of the dream. His superior took him to Hilda, who recognizing the grace of God at works, instructed Caedmon to set aside his secular clothes and to take monastic vows.

She received him into the community and ordered that he should be instructed in sacred history and the scriptures. He learned all he could by listening to the lesson, and then”…. Memorizing it and ruminating over it, like some clean animal chewing the cud, he turned it into the most melodious verse, and it sounded as sweet as he recited it that his teachers become in turn his audience”

He composed more verses in the same manner, “praising God in a worthy style”, and went on to become a creative and dynamic force in the spiritual community a poet and a beloved teacher.

It was Caedmon’s fear of not measuring up – maybe to his standards or to those of those around him – that held him back. It was his trusting the ‘voice’ that allowed him to make that first attempt.

Even if only just one of Caedmon’s poems survives, that it is still in publication some 1,300 years after his death and continues to touch us, speaks of how even a small legacy can have a huge impact.

Caedmon’s story tells us too of our ordinary selves, afraid to find our true voice; but by heeding the call of ‘the other’ – divine prompting, - we can give voice to out previously withheld beautiful creativity - whatever shape or form this takes.

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.

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.