There are no ultimate answers

Life is often compared to a game, Shakespeare says, “We are to gods what flies are to wanton boys; they kill us for their sport”.

A person is walking along a mountain ridge. He stumbles and falls. As he tumbles down the cliff, he sees the branch of a tree projecting from the cliff-face. He catches hold of that branch. As he is hanging there precariously, he sees his guru standing on the mountaintop. He asks the guru what he should do. But there is no way the guru can help him physically.

The guru tells him: “The region to the left of the valley below you is dry and thorny. The right side is lush and green. Look to the right and try to fall there. Now that the fall is inevitable, and you may be plunging to your death, enjoy the scenery during your last leap.”

Your assessment of any situation should be realistic. At least some kind of enjoyment involves willingness to suffer unpleasantness. You go for an ayurvedic massage. Ayurveda says body massage is good for health. Sometimes masseurs use their body weight to apply different degrees of pressure on your body using their feet, not hands. It might have seemed an unpleasant prospect, but once you go through it, you feel refreshed and rejuvenated. You went through all that in anticipation of joy. I may add that a failure to enjoy adversities is one of the main reasons for the increasing tendency among today’s people to commit suicide.

A suicide is the end result of incurable anxieties. Take the case of this man who decided to commit suicide. He went to a palmist and explained his situation to him. Then he asked him to tell his fortune. The palmist was thoroughly perplexed. On being asked for the reason for the strange request, the man replied, “Well, you see, I have seen so many reverses of fortune that I want to make sure nothing would go wrong with my suicide plan!”

Life is often compared to a game, Shakespeare says, “We are to gods what flies are to wanton boys; they kill us for their sport”. Recently one of my aunts expired. She had been in deep coma for a long time following a brain hemorrhage. She was taken to her home so that she could die there in peace. She was kept at home for a few hours, but was readmitted to hospital when her condition worsened. She soon died. It was an unbearable sight, of life refusing to leave the body even as death was tightening its unrelenting grip on her. My question is, “If life is God’s game, need He be so harsh?” What kind of divine sport is this?

We cannot understand the reasons behind the occurrence of many happenings in the universe. We can probe the answer to certain whys up to a particular point. Then we come to a dead end.

We can give explanations, but they might not provide answers. Buddha gave an example: If an arrow is shot in the dark, it may strike someone. Is the injured person going to ask, “Who shot this arrow, why did he shoot it?” What is more pertinent than an answer to the why-question is the practical action of removing the arrow and dressing the wound. In a sense, any answer to a given why-question is nothing more than the formulation of yet another why-question. In other words, there can be no ultimate answer to a why-question. Your question as to why God allows tsunamis and earthquakes to kill thousands of people belongs to this category.


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Keys to Success

Keys to Success

Several factors contribute to success. Consider a few:

1. Positive Self-Concept. Imagine that you wake up one morning and your roommate is waiting to tell you something. He or she says, “I’ve been wanting to tell you what an outstanding roommate you are. You’re so kind, so thoughtful; you always keep the room so neat. Just being around you motivates me to be the most positive person I can be.”

After you recover from your cardiac arrest, you head off toward your first class of the day. Whom should you run into but your date of the previous evening, who says, “Am I ever glad I ran into you! I’d been hoping I’d get a chance to tell you again what a terrific time I had yesterday. My friends are so jealous of me. They think that I’m the luckiest person in the world to go out with someone like you, and I agree! You’re so friendly, so intelligent. You have a great sense of humor and good looks to boot! Why, when I’m with you, I feel like I’m in a dream!”

Then you float into your first class. Your professor is about to return the midterm exams you took last week, but before he distributes them he says, “I have an announcement I’d like to make. I want everyone to know what an outstanding job this student has done on this test.” He points to you in the front row and says, “You are a breath of fresh air to me as a professor. You always do your assignments on time. You often do even more than is expected of you. Why, if every student were like you, teaching would be a joy. I was even considering leaving teaching before you came along!”

Wouldn’t that help you have a great attitude about yourself? And wouldn’t it motivate you to be a better roommate, a better date, a better student? You’d say to yourself, “Why, I’m one sharp person. After all, my roommate, my date and my prof all think so … and they’re no dummies!” You wouldn’t argue with them for a minute! {1}

Of course, some people think so highly of themselves that their egos become problems. Nevertheless, many psychologists agree with Dr. Joyce Brothers when she says, ” . . a strong, positive self- image is the best possible preparation for success in life.”{2}

2. Clearly Defined Goals. Aim at nothing and you’ll surely hit it. Aim at a specific goal and, even if you don’t hit it, chances are you’ll be a lot farther along than if you’d never aimed at all.

The U. S. Space Program has produced many successes and, sadly, a few tragic failures. The successes of NASA help illustrate the importance of goal setting. Perhaps you’ve heard of the three electricians who were working on the Apollo spacecraft. A reporter asked each what he was doing. The first said, “I’m inserting transistors into circuits.” The second answered, “I’m soldering these wires together.” The third explained, “I’m helping to put a man on the moon.”

Which one was more motivated and satisfied? Probably the one who saw how his activities fit into the overall goal.

Without a clear life’s goal, daily duties can become drudgery. Knowing your life’s goal can increase your motivation and satisfaction as you see how daily activities help accomplish that goal.

In the early 1960’s, President John F. Kennedy set a goal of putting an American on the moon by the end of the decade. In 1969, Neil Armstrong took his “one small step.” A specific goal helped NASA achieve a major milestone in history. Someone who desires success will set specific goals.

3. Hard Work. Any successful athlete knows that there would be no glory on the athletic field without hard work on the practice field. A true test of character is not just how well you perform in front of a crowd, but how hard you work when no one notices-in the office, in the library, in practice. President Calvin Coolidge believed “nothing in the world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not … Genius will not … Education will not … Persistence, determination, and hard work make the difference.” {3}

“A true test of character is not just how well you perform in front of a crowd, but how hard you work when no one notices.”

“What is success?” asks British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher. “I think it is a mixture of having a flair for the thing that you are doing … hard work and a certain sense of purpose…. I think I had a flair for … (my work), but natural feelings are never enough. You have got to marry those natural feelings with really hard work.” {4}

The heavyweight-boxing champion of another era, James J. Corbett, often said, “You become the champion by fighting one more round. When things are tough, you fight one more round.” {5}

Success requires hard work. Of course you can overdo it and become a workaholic. One workaholic businessman had a sign in his office that read, “Thank God It’s Monday!” We all need to balance work and recreation, but hard work is essential to success.

4. A Willingness to Take Risks. Theodore Roosevelt expressed the value of this asset in one of his most famous statements: “Far better it is to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs, even though checkered by failure, than to rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy much nor suffer much because they live in the great twilight that knows neither victory nor defeat, ” {6}

Ingemar Stenmark, the great Olympic skier, says, “In order to win, you have to risk losing.” Consider this question: “What would you do if you knew you could not fail?” That question can expand your vision and enlarge your dreams. Maybe your desire is to be a great political leader, an entertainer, a top businessperson or academician, a star athlete. What would you do if you knew you couldn’t fail?

Now ask, “Am I willing to risk a few possible failures in order to achieve that goal?” Success often involves risks.


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Solid Ground

We’ve all had moments when we’ve wished the ground would open up and swallow us. For one family in Quebec that’s exactly what happened. According to reports on CNN.com a 500 yard sinkhole opened up threatening five homes in the town of Saint-Jude. One home was sucked into the hole and a family of five lost their lives. They were in the basement, just watching a hockey game when the ground beneath them fell away.

Makes you think doesn’t it?

Life is always fatal, but most of us don’t spend a great deal of time thinking about how we’ll die. I remember my Nanny telling a story of flight she and my Granddad were on. They hit really bad turbulence and the plane started to drop. My Nan says she remembers taking hold of my Granddad’s hand and thinking “thank God we’ll die together”. The plane righted itself and that was not the end of the line for my grandparents but I can understand her sentiment. I don’t know if I would be that calm in the face of death.

For all the things that we know in this modern world, most of us will not see death coming. For some there is an illness, or simply old age that lets us know we’re getting close, but no one can tell us just how long we have. I’ve always thought it was a mercy not to know. Others try to find answers anywhere they can.


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Law of Giving and Receiving

The universe operates through dynamic exchange . . . giving and receiving are different aspects of the flow of energy in the universe. And in our willingness to give that which we seek, we keep the abundance of the universe circulating in our lives.

I will put the Law of Giving into effect by making a commitment to take the following steps:

1. Wherever I go, and whomever I encounter, I will bring them a gift. The gift may be a compliment, a flower, or a prayer. Today, I will give something to everyone I come into contact with, and so I will begin the process of circulating joy, wealth and affluence in my life and in the lives of others.

2. Today I will gratefully receive all the gifts that life has to offer me. I will receive the gifts of nature: sunlight and the sound of birds singing, or spring showers or the first snow of winter. I will also be open to receiving from others, whether it be in the form of a material gift, money, a compliment or a prayer.

3. I will make a commitment to keep wealth circulating in my life by giving and receiving life’s most precious gifts: the gifts of caring, affection, appreciation and love. Each time I meet someone, I will silently wish them happiness, joy and laughter.


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Happiness is within you, Stop Searching around..........

All the misery we experience can be attributed to our failure to understand that true happiness can be attained only when one is able to harmonise with the best thing in him, with the Supreme Divinity, and not with the brute. Happiness constantly eludes one who is dominated by base instincts and in the process suppressing the inner voice of conscience.


“We are all conscious that there is another inside of us; that there accompanies us through life a divine, silent messenger – that higher, better self which speaks from the depths of our nature and which gives its consent, its ‘Amen’, to every right action and condemns every wrong one,” wrote Marden. Men and women in all times have tried to attain happiness by ignoring their conscience that keeps reviewing all their good and bad actions on a constant basis. Therefore, all efforts to buy its approval; to silence its voice in nervous excitement; to drown it in pleasure, with intoxicating substances are bound to go in vain.


The Supreme Being created us along the lines of truth and justice; therefore, in order to gain true happiness it is imperative that we do not violate the laws that constitute the very core of our existence. So long as we continue to indulge in negative practices, for example, to earn money through unlawful means – by accepting bribe or exploiting others – so long as our aspiration is to amass wealth by any possible means, we can never attain true happiness, simply because we have deviated from the path of righteousness.


The thought that we can indulge in corrupt practices and then beg the Lord’s forgiveness through prayer or by bathing in a holy river; the thought that we can do wrong and be forgiven without atoning for wrong actions, has done more harm than good. He who has a clear conscience, leads a clean life, and is able to obliterate the negative traits of selfishness, jealousy, envy and hatred from the mind.

We tend to make happiness too complicated an affair. Most people are governed by the understanding that happiness can be derived by doing something on a grand scale; from making a big fortune; and from ostentatious display of wealth with the purpose of showing off one’s affluence and high status in society. But happiness can be attained from the simplest and most unpretentious things. Pleasure can never be forced; it must come in a natural way, from uncomplicated living.

One often hears the statement: “He has the money, but cannot enjoy it.” Helping colleagues and friends without expecting anything in return; acts of kindness towards animals; conducting oneself with utmost humility; performance of one’s duties with utmost sincerity; protecting the gifts bestowed upon us by bountiful nature; living in a spirit of togetherness with fellow beings – all these are simple things, yet they are what constitute true happiness. And this is what leads us to bliss that lies within reach if only we knew how to access it.




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Listen to the whispers of your soul

Inner silence forms the core of all kinds of meditations, whether the practice is one of transcendental meditation of Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, Vipassana or any other. Various faiths endorse silence as a means to spiritual advancement. In Hindu thought, silence is considered an important element for inner growth. Buddhism regards it as a key factor for spiritual enlightenment. Sufism insists on the importance of finding the silence within. Christian denominations also employ silence in a variety of ways.

In essence, received wisdom indicates that deep in the ocean of inner silence, one can experience the Divine and the ultimate reality of the present moment.

The Upanishads say: "There is something beyond our mind which abides in silence. It is the supreme mystery beyond thought. Let one's mind and one's subtle body rest upon that and not upon anything else.

The physical sounds of the outside world, a depressing environment, ego, anger, jealousy and greed are some factors that obstruct our journey into the realm of silence and prevent us from reaping its wonderful benefits. These stumbling blocks, therefore, need to be removed before we can actually embark on the journey.

Make up your mind like the sadhu who intended to climb the mountain to meditate there. In the middle of a storm, a sadhu reached an inn and the owner asked where he was going. ''I'm going to the mountains,'' he answered. ''Forget it,'' said the innkeeper, ''it's a risky climb, and the weather is awful.'' ''But i'm going up,'' answered the sadhu, ''if my heart gets there first, it will be easy for my body to follow.''

We all have the potential to be an observer on the top of a hill, utterly silent and alone just watching and listening to the stillness of our heart. It is the heart that can quieten the mind.

This road is traversed alone. To enter into silent mode, you don't need to perform rituals or use gadgets. You may visit a quiet place a temple, a garden, a hilltop or a tranquil corner of your home. Begin by simply withdrawing yourself from the outside world and shut out the cacophony; start moving slowly towards silence. Automatically you are led to the inner world of quiet and stillness.

Be aware of the thoughts that cross your mind but make no effort to cling to them. Behold and listen mindfully; experience the ultimate reality of the present moment. Your true self begins to surface; your contact with the Divine established in the eternal oasis of tranquillity; and ''you can'' as Sathya Sai Baba says, ''hear the footsteps of God when silence reigns in the mind''. It is here that you become the witness of silence a silence that outshines your ego and enables you to reach a state of pure awareness.

It is this quietude that Osho calls ''Just a simple, innocent silence'' an inner silence that leads you to meditation and wisdom, a process of purification and Self-realisation. As you go deeper into it, there comes a moment when you reach the very pinnacle of your potentiality. Once you overcome obstacles and delve into blissful silence, transformative doors begin to open up for you. Free of clutter, the tranquil mind leads you to peace. The light you encounter during the process fills your heart with love and sure, you begin to listen to the silent symphony of the whispers of your soul.



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Do You Have Your Own Free Will Are You Really Free

Most of us would say that we do have free will. We can do anything we wish. If we want to wear a red shirt instead of a blue one, we can. If we want to eat a sandwich instead of a pizza, we can. If we want to take off from work and sit at home today, we can. If we want to marry the girl or boy we love, we can. If we have enough money, we can buy any house, car, or gadget. Likewise, we can travel wherever we want to. Obviously, it looks as if free will exists.

According to Ramesh Balsekar, all the choices that we make are from the act of exercising the will. How free is free will? Whatever we call free will or choice is finally determined by a mix of two things, nature and nurture, or by our heritage and conditioning. We can’t choose our parents, and hence we have no choice over the genetic material they gift to us. Also, from birth, we are exposed to conditioning and belief systems. These are required for survival.

In the process of growing up, we are conditioned and led to believe a great many things by family, friends and strangers, the media, commercials, books and what-have-you. As an adult, we are thus a mixture of our genetics and all these conditionings. This is our programming, our code. And all our decisions, our choices, our thoughts and acts, originate from this programmed mind. A part of this programming is done by nature and the environment does the rest of it. Really, there is nothing sacred or pure about our decisions.

Is this a good thing or a bad thing? By itself, this is difficult to say. But at least we should realise that what we normally consider freedom or free will, is itself a slave of our programming. If you were to ask a vegetarian "Why don't you like meat?” he would most often answer: "Because it is bad to eat meat". "And how have you come to this decision that eating meat is bad"? "I have always been told that eating meat is bad and should be avoided.” As one can see, the decision not to eat meat may seem an act of freedom or free will, but the conditionings of childhood are holding us in slavery, unknown to us.

If two like-minded friends were asked: "What would you do if you were walking together, and saw one man killing another?" One of them might reply: "I will immediately go to the victim's rescue, even if it means risking danger to myself", while the other might say, "I will run away, find the nearest telephone booth, and call the police, without identifying myself". The two friends are close; they often think alike but o this occasion they react differently.

This could be because of their basic natures that have been shaped by their respective circumstances and upbringing. What each of them would do seems to be a free act, but is actually already pre-decided. Real freedom would be if the first fellow would run away or if the second fellow would wait and fight. But usually, our pre-programmed brain acts only in the way it is programmed to.

True freedom and free will come only if we are able to go beyond our programming. To override our basic genetic make up is near impossible. But it is indeed possible to go beyond our conditionings, beliefs, indoctrinations and ideas. Once we can un-condition ourselves, we will be able to respond freely.



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