Bookmarq

Unrequited Love

2011-04-14T22:49:00.000-07:00

Hello friends,
I cam across this question about unrequited love on Deepak Chopra's blog.
"If love is the only reality and the biggest priority, what do I do with unrequited love? I have been let go by someone I loved deeply and wanted to share a life with. Now I am overcome with grief and am finding it difficult to move on."

Here is my response:
Love is the only reality and the biggest priority, so when your love is unrequited, then it means that your love deserves a person, who would understand it and reciprocate it.
I have been on the receiving end, and I know, how painful, and heart wrenching it can be
We need to accept that, our love is unrequited, and the person, whom we want, would not come back into our lives. As long as we think he/she might come back into our live,it's difficult for us to move on. He or she is probably happy with someone else and we should be happy for them. It's better that they be happy with someone else , than be miserable with us.Love is about wanting what's best for the person you love, not what's best for you.
While going through this painful experience,it's normal to feel that , there is something lacking in us and think negatively. I know, our self image takes a beating , when a person, whom we love rejects us. But we need to stay positive, and continue to love ourselves for what we are.
Keep yourself busy in things that you love to do.Indulge yourself in your hobbies and develop new ones. Meet people, whom you haven't met in a while.
You might think, why you had to meet this person, if you were never meant to be together. At those times, remember that life is always plays fair, and we are mere puppets.
We only know about our past and our present, but life knows all.
Every life experience merely prepares us for the next experience in our future. You never know, who might come knocking at your door, one fine morning..with a heart full of love :).Make sure you are ready for it :)

Stay blessed
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Friends, let me know what do you feel about unrequited love, and how did you overcome unrequited love,if you have ever been in that situation

Increase Confidence Through Mind Power

2011-04-12T03:49:00.000-07:00

Hello friends,
How are you?
I came across this question about increasing confidence through mindpower, in the mindpower forum in Orkut.
"low self-confidence,please help
hello friends
i will be very glad if u ppl pls comment on my problem
my problem is that i've a very low self confidence.during presentations i become very nervous.m always worried abt the fact that wat others wud thing.wat if they laugh at me
my group discussion ability is zero.in abt a year i ve to face interviews
i dont know wat will happen to me.even presently m so feeling so nervous to write abt this
1nce in a week we hav class on soft skill.i always avoid that class
bcoz our teacher gives us a topic and we hav to speak on that
and it happnd 1nce that she called me and i cudnt speak a single word and i had to go back
it was very embarassing.m gud at english,m gud in gk.bt still i becum very nervous
sumtyms i feel ashamed of myself
even in my grp of frnds when 5-6 ppls speak my mouth automatically shuts
whn sum1 say sumthng wrng i cant evn fight back and many of my opponents uses this advantage
when its a grp activity i can nevr communicate to put 4wrd my ideas
i jst do wat the grp decides

i cant stay like this

PLS HELP ME "

Here is my response:

If you were to list out the thoughts that run through your mind through out the day, you would probably find that most of them are anxious thoughts are "what if " thoughts. ie,, what would happen if so n so happens..

Man is the sum total of his thoughts. If you have more thoughts of anxiety.. then you would be a nervous person full of anxiety. On the other hand, if your thoughts are focused on "I can" .. your mind will become full of possibilities, and you would be brimming with confidence.

Mind power doesn't judge whther our thoughts are positive or negative.
It just does, what we think about the most.

I think you have spent quite a few years , thinking negatively, to reach this stage, so becoming confident is going to take you some time, but will happen. Just have the faith.

Now what you need to do is, write down all the good qualities you would like yourself to have.
It could be anything like happy, humorous, friendly, confident, loving..etc

Now when you go to sleep every night and wake up in the morning..say to yourself several times, "i am becoming..happy, humorous....day by day"
Whenever you are with friends..or about to give a presentation, say the affirmation repeatedly.
Don't get stressed, if it doesn't work the first few times.

Being postive is hard work :)

People around will amazed to see a beautiful butterfly emerging out of a cocoon, and you will be surprised by the power of affirmations

Stay Blessed,
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So friends, what do you think? Is this all she can do? or are there any more tips and tricks she can adopt to grown her self confidence phenomenaly overnight...

Mind Power for Academics

2011-04-07T08:54:00.000-07:00

Hello friends,
It's been a long time since I have blogged, and it's feeling really good to be back on this page :)
Yes, work took up a lot of time, and so did marriage. Yes, I got married in Feb 2011, to a wonderful woman, and we are really happy together
So , sitting in my chair today evening, I once again went through the forums in Orkut and I found a question , which I felt ,I could answer.
The question was "i am a high school student.i want to use my mind power in studies-like to solve complex problems. how do i do that?? plz tell me. it shall be of great help. "

Here is my answer:
I understand that you are anxious to make your academic life easier, by having the ability to solve problems quicker than your classmates using your mind power.

The first thing that we need to realise is that , problems will always be there in our lives, whether we like it or not. They will be there in every sphere of our lives, academics, business, work, relationships etc.
Most of the time, we treat problems like irritants. We do not like them. We want a trouble free life. But it's life that gives us these so called troubles to polish us and bring out the best in us.So , there is no need to get anxious about problems in our lives

So , the wise thing to do is , whenever you encounter a problem, be happy. Put on a big smile, because, life is giving you a special opportunity. And if you can sieze it, then you know, you have achieved something, and have taken one step closer to your destiny.

The power of a man, lies in the power of his mind. The power of his mind , lies in the power of his subconscious mind. The power of the subconscious mind, lies in the beliefs that the man holds, and those are the keys to his destiny.

So ,believe that, since a problem has been offered to you, there is a solution. Otherwise, life wouldn't have given this opportunity to you. By solving a particular complex problem yourself, life is preparing you for another opportunity, which will come to you, in due course of time. Beleive there is a solution. Take up more and more complex problems, believing you have the solution. The more problems you solve, the easier it will be for you to solve new problems. In case,you are not able to solve a problem, after repeated efforts, turn to your guru/teacher. Seek their help , learn from them, learn their approach.

Soon, you will have your own approach, and problems will be like childs play.
Beleive...........

Gita: Chapter 7:Knowledge and Wisdom

2010-11-20T22:47:00.000-08:00

Knowledge and Wisdom

The previous chapter not only gave us the technique of Self-realisation through the methods of concentration and meditation, but also concluded with Krishna's own personal opinion upon who exactly was the noblest among the different seekers pursuing the different "path." According to the Lord of Vrindavana, a meditator who tries to concentrate his mind upon the Self is superior to those who strive to deny all sense enjoyment to this body (Tapaswins), or to those who make deep and learned investigations into the scriptural literature (Jnanis), or to those who have dedicated themselves to selfless service of the society (Karmis). The Flute-bearer has again tried to express his opinion as to who, among the meditators, is the most noble. It was declared in the concluding stanza of the previous chapter that of all the meditators, the one who has successfully merged his mind in the nature of the Pure Consciousness, through the path of single-pointed meditation, is the highest seeker, and the dearest to the Lord.

Naturally, there would be a possible doubt, in the mind of Arjuna, as to how a limited and mortal mind-and-intellect of a finite creature could ever embrace and comprehend the entire limitless Infinite. In order to remove this doubt, Krishna opens this particular chapter, with a promise that he would explain to Arjuna the entire science, both in its theoretical and speculative aspects, and clear all his possible doubts on the subject. Indeed, for exhaustiveness in treatment and thoroughness in exposition there is, perhaps, no other religious textbook that can stand a favourable comparison with the Geeta. In this sense of the term, we should appreciate the Geeta, not only as a textbook of our philosophy, but also as a literary masterpiece of beauty and erudition in the world's literature.
Here is the translation of the slokas of the 7th Chapter of Gita:

The Blessed Lord said: 1. With the mind intent on Me, Partha, practising YOGA and taking refuge in Me, how thou shalt, without doubt, know Me fully, that do thou hear.
2. I shall declare to thee in full this knowledge combined with realisation, which being known, nothing more here remains to be known.

3. Among thousands of men, one perchance strives, for perfection; even among those successful strivers, only one perchance knows Me in essence.

4. Earth, water, fire, air, ether, mind, intellect, egoism --- these are My eight-fold PRAKRITI.

5. This is the "lower" PRAKRITI; different from it, know thou, O mighty-armed, My "Higher' ' PRAKRITI , the very Life-element, by which this world is upheld.

6. Know that these (two PRAKRITIS ) , are the womb of all beings. So I am the source and dissolution of the whole universe.

7. There is nothing whatsoever higher than Me, O Dhananjaya. All this is strung in Me, as clusters of gems on a string.

8. I am the sapidity in water, O son of Kunti, I am the light in the moon and the sun; I am the syllable OM in all the VEDAS, sound in ether, and virility in men;

9. I am the sweet fragrance in earth and the brilliance in fire, the life in all beings, and I am austerity in the austere.

10. Know Me, O Partha, as the eternal seed of all beings; I am the intelligence of the intelligent. The splendour of the splendid (things and beings) , am I.

11. Of the strong, I am the strength --- devoid of desire and attachment, and in (all) beings, I am the desire --- unopposed to DHARMA, O best among the Bharatas.

12. Whatever beings (and objects) that are pure, active and inert, know them to proceed from Me; yet, I am not in them, they are in Me.

13. Deluded by these natures (states or things) composed of the three GUNAS (of PRAKRITI ) all the world knows Me not as Immutable and distinct from them.

14. Verily, this divine illusion of Mine, made up of GUNAS (caused by the qualities) is difficult to cross over; those who take refuge in Me, they alone cross over this illusion.

15 The evil-doers, the deluded, the lowest of men, do not seek Me; they, whose discrimination has been destroyed by their own delusions, follow the ways of the demons.

16. Four kinds of virtuous men worship Me, O Arjuna, the dissatisfied, the seeker of (systematised) knowledge, the seeker of wealth, and the wise, O best among the Bharatas.

17. Of them the wise, ever steadfast and devoted to the One, excels; for, I am exceedingly dear to the wise, and he is dear to Me.

18. Noble indeed are all these, but the wise man, I deem, as My very Self; for, steadfast in mind he is established in Me alone as the Supreme Goal.

19. At the end of many births the wise man comes to Me, realising that all this is Vasudeva (the innermost Self) ; such a great soul (MAHATMA) is very hard to find.

20. Those whose wisdom has been looted away by this or that desire, go to other gods, following this or that rite, led by their own nature.

21. Whatsoever form any devotee desires to worship with faith --- that (same) faith of his I make (firm and) unflinching.

22. Endued with that faith, he engages in the worship of that 'DEVATA' and from it he obtains his desire-fulfilments; all these being ordained, indeed, by Me (alone) .

23. Verily the "fruit" that accrues to those men of little-intelligence is finite. The worshippers of the DEVAS go to the DEVAS but My devotees come to Me.

24. The foolish think of Me, the Unmanifest, as having come to manifestation, not knowing My higher, immutable and peerless nature.

25. I am not manifest to all (in My Real Nature) veiled by Divine- 'MAYA. ' This deluded world knows not Me, the Unborn, the Imperishable.

26. I know, O Arjuna, the beings of the past, and present and the future, but no one knows Me.

27. By the delusion of the pairs-of-opposites arising from desire and aversion, O Bharata, all beings are subject to delusion at birth, O Parantapa (scorcher of foes) .

28. But those men of virtuous deeds whose sins have come to an end, who are freed from the delusion of the pairs-of-opposites and steadfast in vows, worship Me.

29. Those who strive for liberation from old age and death, taking refuge in Me --- They realise in full that BRAHMAN, the whole knowledge of the Self and all action.

30. Those who know Me with the ADHIBHUTA (pertaining to elements; the world-of-objects) , ADHIDAIVA (pertaining to the gods; the sense-organs) and the ADHIYAJNA (pertaining to the sacrifice; all perceptions) , even at the time of death, steadfast in mind, know Me.

Gita: Chapter 6- Meditation

2010-11-13T05:59:00.000-08:00

Meditation

With this chapter we are coming to the close of a definite section in the scheme of thought in the Gita. This is the opinion of some of the well-known critics and students of the Lord's Song. According to them, the eighteen chapters of the Gita fall into three definite sections, each of six chapters, and they group themselves to expound the implications and significances of the sacred Vedic mantra "Tat Twam Asi" --- THAT THOU ART. The first six chapters together constitute an explanation of the philosophical significance indicated by the word "Thou" (Twam). In the general scheme of thought developed in that section, the contents of the sixth chapter constitute a fitting conclusion.

In Chapter II, in a language almost foreign to Arjuna, in quick strokes, Lord Krishna painted the philosophical perfection which is the theme of all the Upanishads. He concluded that chapter with a vivid and expressive picture of a Saint of perfection and mental equipoise. Naturally, the interest of a seeker is excited and he seeks to find means and methods by which he too can grow within himself and reach those diviner heights of self-control and equipoise.

The Gita is personally and specifically addressed to Arjuna, a confused average man, at a moment when he felt completely confounded by the problem that was facing him. Naturally, the highest methods of subtle meditation, the mental drill by which one can renounce all one's preoccupations, etc., are not easy methods that can be practised with confidence. At the same time, it will not be true to say that Vedantic methods are meant only for a few; if they are immediately useful only to a few, there must be, in Vedanta, preliminary techniques by which everyone can steadily grow to become fit to enter the Hall of Perfection.

That there are graded lessons for one's spiritual unfoldment is not really understood by the modern lip-Vedantins. It is this general ignorance that has brought about the misconception in Hinduism that the study of the Vedas is the guarded preserve of some rare ones. But, Vedanta would have been an incomplete science if it did not contain Upasana methods for purifying the students' inner equipments.

Krishna, as a true teacher, understood Arjuna's mental debilities and intellectual incompetency at that particular moment to start right away upon the arduous lines of pure meditation and clear detached thinking. In order to bring him to the level of perfection, various lower methods of self-integration had to be prescribed. Thus in Chapter III we found an exhaustively scientific treatment of the "Karma Yoga" --- the Path of Action.

Activities in the outer world, however noble they may be in their motive, cannot but leave deep ulcerations and painful restlessness in the bosom of the worker. To mitigate the "reactions" of action (Karma-Phala) and as a balm to soothe the bleeding mental wounds, new methods of maintaining the mind in quietude and ease have been expounded in Chapter IV under the title "RENUNCIATION OF ACTION IN KNOWLEDGE." It is the theory of Krishna that, constantly maintaining in the mind the awareness of the Greater Principle that presides over all human endeavours, the worker can, even in the thick of activities, maintain a healthy and well-ventilated inner life.

Naturally, the limited intellect of Arjuna got extremely confused, since the teacher argued in the beginning for "action," and in the conclusion, for "the renunciation of action." In Chapter V, therefore, the "Way of Renunciation" is explained and the technique of guaranteeing to our mind immunity from reactions, even while it is engaged in activity, is explained. The "Yajna spirit" --- the spirit of dedicated activity for the benefit of the larger majority and not for any self-arrogating profit --- is the antiseptic that Krishna prescribes for a mind and intellect that are to work in the world. In Chapter IV is prescribed an unavoidable treatment for curing the mind of its own pox of painful "impressions of the past" (vasanas).

In Chapter V, the "WAY OF RENUNCIATION" is explained under two different categories, which show the two methods of achieving the same goal: renunciation of (a) our sense of agency in activities; and (b) our unintelligent anxieties arising out of our thoughtless preoccupations with the fruits-of-our-action. The chapter exhausts these two techniques and explains how, by the renunciation of agency or by the renunciation of our attachment to the fruits-of-actions, we can come to gain a release from the vasana bondages which generally shackle our personality during our activities.

One who could faithfully follow the technique so far unravelled by the Lord, should have thereby come to a condition wherein the insentient and inert mind has been stirred into a field of intense activity. A mind developed through this training, is taught to come under the intelligent will of its determined trainer, the seeker himself. The mind thus gathered and trained, is certainly a better-equipped instrument for the higher purposes of Self-contemplation and Self-unfoldment.

How this is done through the famous technique of meditation is, in a nutshell, the theme of the sixth chapter. During our discussions, we shall not stand in sheer surprise and wonderment and swallow down the ideas in the verses without dissecting, discovering, analysing and understanding every facet of each of those ideas. This chapter promises to give us all the means by which we can give up our known weaknesses and grow positively into a healthier and more potent life of virtue and strength. This technique is called meditation, which in one form or another, is the common method advocated and advised in all religions, by all prophets, at all times, in the history of man.

Here is the meaning of the shlokas of Chapter 6
The Blessed Lord said: 1. He who performs his bounden duty without depending on the fruits-of-actions --- he is a SAMNYASIN and a YOGIN ; not he who (has renounced) is without fire and without action.

2. O Pandava, please know YOGA to be that which they call renunciation; no one verily becomes a YOGI who has not renounced thoughts.

3. For a MUNI or sage who "wishes to attain to YOGA, " action is said to be the means; for the same sage who has "attained to YOGA, " inaction (quiescence) is said to be the means.

4. When a man is not attached to sense-objects or to actions, having renounced all thoughts, then he is said to have attained to YOGA.

5. Let a man lift himself by his own Self alone, and let him not lower himself; for, this Self alone is the friend of oneself, and this Self is the enemy of oneself.

6. The Self is the friend of the self for him who has conquered himself by the Self, but to the unconquered self, the Self stands in the position of an enemy like the (external) foe.

7. The Supreme Self of him who is self-controlled and peaceful, is balanced in cold and heat, pleasure and pain, as also in honour and dishonour.

8. The YOGI who is satisfied with knowledge and wisdom, who remains unshaken, who has conquered the senses, to whom a lump of earth, a stone and gold are the same, is said to be harmonised (i. e. , is said to have attained NIRVIKALPA SAMADHI) .

9. He who is of the same mind to the good-hearted, friends, enemies, the indifferent, the neutral, the hateful, relatives, the righteous and the unrighteous, he excels.

10. Let the YOGI try constantly to keep the mind steady, remaining in solitude, alone, with the mind and body controlled, free from hope and greed.

11. Having, in a clean spot, established a firm seat of his own, neither too high nor too low, made of a cloth, a skin and KUSHA -grass, one over the other, . . .

12. There, having made the mind one-pointed, with the actions of the mind and the senses controlled, let him, seated on the seat, practise YOGA, for the purification of the self.

13. Let him firmly hold his body, head and neck erect and still, gazing at the tip of his nose, without looking around.

14. Serene-minded, fearless, firm in the vow of BRAHMACHARYA, having controlled the mind, thinking on Me and balanced, let him sit, having Me as the Supreme Goal.

15. Thus, always keeping the mind balanced, the YOGI, with his mind controlled, attains to the Peace abiding in Me, which culminates in total liberation (NIRVANA or MOKSHA) .

16. Verily, YOGA is not possible for him who eats too much, nor for him who does not eat at all; nor for him who sleeps too much, nor for him who is (always) awake, O Arjuna.

17. YOGA becomes the destroyer of pain for him who is moderate in eating and recreation, who is moderate in his exertion during his actions, who is moderate in sleep and wakefulness.

18. When the perfectly controlled mind rests in the Self only, free from longing for all (objects of) desire, then it is said: "he is united" (YUKTAH) .

19. " As a lamp placed in a windless place does not flicker" --- is a simile used to describe the YOGI of controlled-mind, practising YOGA of the Self (or absorbed in th e YOGA -of-the-Self) .

20. When the mind, restrained by the practice of YOGA, attains quietude and when seeing the Self by the self, he is satisfied in his own Self;

21. When he (the YOGI ) feels that Infinite bliss --- which can be grasped by the (pure) intellect and which transcends the senses --- wherein established he never moves from the Reality;

22. Which, having obtained, he thinks there is no other gain superior to it; wherein established, he is not moved even by heavy sorrow.

23. Let it be known: the severance from the union-with-pain is YOGA. This YOGA should be practised with determination and with a mind steady and undespairing.

24. Abandoning without reserve all desires born of SANKALPA, and completely restraining the whole group of senses by the mind from all sides.

25. Little by little, let him attain quietude by his intellect, held firm; having made the mind established in the Self, let him not think of anything.

26. From whatever cause the restless and the unsteady mind wanders away, from that let him restrain it, and bring it back under the control of the Self alone.

27. Supreme Bliss verily comes to this YOGI, whose mind is quite peaceful, whose passion is quietened, who is free from sin, and who has become BRAHMAN.

28. The YOGI engaging the mind thus (in the practice of YOGA ) , freed from sins, easily enjoys the Infinite Bliss of 'BRAHMAN -contact. '

29. With the mind harmonised by YOGA he sees the Self abiding in all beings, and all beings in the Self; he sees the same everywhere.

30. He who sees Me everywhere, and sees everything in Me, he never gets separated from Me, nor do I get separated from him.

31. He who, being established in unity, worships Me, dwelling in all beings, that YOGI abides in Me, whatever be his mode of living.

32. He who, through the likeness (sameness) of the Self, O Arjuna, sees equality everywhere, be it pleasure or pain, he is regarded as the highest YOGI.

Arjuna said: 33. This YOGA of Equanimity, taught by Thee, O slayer of Madhu, I see not its enduring continuity, because of the restlessness (of the mind) .

34. The mind verily is, O Krishna, restless, turbulent, strong and unyielding; I deem it quite as difficult to control as the wind.

The Blessed Lord said: 35. Undoubtedly, O mighty-armed one, the mind is difficult to control and is restless; but, by practice, O Son of Kunti, and by dispassion, it is restrained.

36 . YOGA, I think is hard to be attained by one of uncontrolled self; but the self-controlled, striving, can obtain it by (proper) means.

Arjuna said: 37. He who, though possessed of faith, is unable to control himself, whose mind wanders away from YOGA, to what end does he, having failed to attain perfection in YOGA go, O Krishna?

38. Fallen from both, does he not, O mighty-armed, perish like a rent cloud, supportless and deluded in the path of BRAHMAN?

39. This doubt of mine, O Krishna, please dispel completely; because it is not possible for any one but You to dispel this doubt.

The Blessed Lord said: 40. O Partha, neither in this world, nor in the next world is there destruction for him; none, verily, who strives to be good, O My son, ever comes to grief.

41 Having attained to the worlds of the righteous, and having dwelt there for everlasting (long) years, he who had fallen from YOGA is born again in the house of the pure and the wealthy.

42. Or, he is even born in the family of the wise YOGIS; verily, a birth like this is very difficult to obtain in this world.

43. There he comes to be united with the knowledge acquired in his former body and strives more than before for Perfection, O son of the Kurus.

44. By that very former practice he is borne on inspite of himself. Even he who merely wishes to know YOGA goes beyond the SHABDA BRAHMAN.

45. But the YOGI, who strives with assiduity, purified from sins and perfected (gradually) through many births, then attains the highest Goal.

46. The YOGI is thought to be superior to the ascetics, and even superior to men-of-knowledge (mere scholars) ; he is also superior to men-of-action; therefore (you strive to) be a YOGI, O Arjuna.

47. And among all YOGIS, he who, full of faith, with his inner-self merged in Me, worships Me, is, according to Me, the most devout.

Gita : Chapter 5- Renunciation of Actions

2010-10-10T02:45:00.000-07:00

This chapter opens with a doubt raised by Arjuna. It is almost similar to, but not the same as, the one he raised in the beginning of the third chapter. At the end of Krishna's discourses in Chapter II, the disturbed mind of Arjuna could not definitely come to a decision whether action had any place at all in the life of Spiritual-seeking. Here, in this chapter, the Pandava Prince only asks which of the two --- renunciation-of-action or participation-in action --- is the nobler and the greater. The very construction of the question indicates how far Arjuna has been persuaded rightly by Krishna's advocacy of "right-action and conscious resistance to all positive evil." The great Acharya had, to a large extent, hauled Arjuna out of his inward psychological disaster. He had regained a certain amount of equilibrium and had understood and accepted that action, intelligently pursued, was the right way for progress and self-development.

To Arjuna, Karma meant Vedic ritualism such as Yajnas, Yagas and Homas, etc., and Samnyasa meant renunciation of everything and total retirement to a quiet Himalayan jungle, living there in constant inactivity, a strange life of self-denial and, perhaps, conscious self-persecution. When this was the type of misunderstanding in the mind of an educated, intelligent member of royalty of those times, we can easily imagine how much more pathetic must have been the general condition of desperate ignorance into which the Hindus of that age had sunk!

Krishna's attempt is to re-vitalise these dead terms in our scriptural tradition and bring about a rehabilitation in the understanding of the Hindus (II-61). We have already found, in the previous chapter, how the elaborate ritualisms called Yajnas, have been brought out from their glass-houses of secrecy and cellars of artificial sanctity to the broad daylight of everyday activity. The secret wealth of the Vedas, which was enjoyed by only a choice few, was "nationalised" to become a free heritage to be enjoyed by all seekers among mankind. With this subtle missionary work, Krishna brought Hinduism and its scientific methods within the life of every man living in the world.

After thus describing Karma Yoga (Chapters III and IV), Krishna had to describe how one should intelligently renounce Karma and enter a nobler spiritual technique for completing the pilgrimage to Perfection. To whip man out of his sleepy inertia, vigorous activity is advised here as the first step. Activities are, at this stage, necessarily motivated by the individual's ego-centric desires. Inertia (Tamas) is thus invigorated into the "agitations of dynamic activity" (Rajas). This state is again to be transcended through the process of "non-ego-centric Divine activities undertaken in a spirit of good-will and love for all," especially termed in the Gita as Yajna. Thus sublimated, the individual reaches a certain amount of tranquillity and peace, purity and joy (Sattwa). In this mental composure alone, can one meditate properly to reach the frontiers of the finite and experience the State of the Infinite.

This theory of self-development in three definite stages, of desire-prompted activities, of desireless activities, and finally, of pure meditation, is not an original contribution of the philosopher-poet Vyasa, the author of the Mahabharata and the Gita. Even here, we find that it is only an intelligent re-interpretation of the technique already indicated in the Vedas. In Vedic literature too, we find a systematic development of the technique of Self-Perfection. If the "Mantra" portion of the Vedas expresses an all-absorbing sense of wonderment of the deluded at the sight of Nature's vastness in strength and beauty, the "Brahmana" portion prescribes ways and means by which ritualistic activities can be undertaken for the satisfaction of one's material desires. After the "Brahmana" portion, there is, in all the text-books of Vedas, a clear section called the "Aranyakas," which prescribes varieties of worship-methods called the Upasanas, which are to be undertaken by pure minds uncontaminated by any desire. These desireless activities (Yajnas) make fine adjustments in the mind-and-intellect-equipments of the seekers and provide them with a pair of wings with which they can fly across the finite straight into the realms of the Infinite.

This same technique is confirmed by the Gita, with slight adjustments, here and there, in the word-meaning. In fact, the technique remaining the same, only the garb of language has been re-modelled to appeal to the available fashions of thought at the time of the Mahabharata. This change has often been characterised by enthusiastic critics as a total revolution, which has mischievous suggestions. Revolution is a term that is generally used when the old scheme of things is totally destroyed and is replaced by an entirely new set-up. For example, the Industrial Revolution completely replaced the patriarchal scheme of social living that the West had before their wind-mills started revolving. No such destructive revolution has taken place with the introduction of the Gita by Vyasa, or by the acceptance of it as a Scriptural text-book by the AcharyAs.

And yet, the Gita represents a revolution. When a flower matures into a fruit, certainly it is a destruction of the flower as such, but in the fruit, the essence of the flower, namely, its fertilised ovary, has found fulfilment. Those who do not know the science of plant life may mourn the destruction of the flower when they see the fruit standing where the flower stood before. But a botanist clearly understands that only the unnecessary aspects in the flower have withered away and that the essential in the flower has grown to its fulfilment in the fruit.

Similarly, the elaborate ritualism, its show and mystery, its detailed preparations and arrangements, which constitute the bulk of Vedic books, have all withered away, but the essential technique, which lies almost imperceptibly in the Vedic volumes, has found a perfect fulfilment, inasmuch as it has been brought out as a complete and self-evident science in the Gita.

Lord Krishna, after indicating the Supreme Goal of Perfection, exhausts himself in the following two chapters enunciating the methods of true activity. Activity in life, intelligently undertaken, is a means to reach the highest spiritual consummation. Primary education is as unavoidable as higher secondary education for a student to fulfil his ambition to become a doctor or an advocate, an engineer or an economist. Just as a student, after his primary lessons, must enter the higher secondary classes, and after the fulfilment of which, he must again strive hard to pass the early college lessons before he can hope to enter any of the specialised branches of education, so too, from desireless activities undertaken with a Yajna Spirit, a seeker must change over to the Path of Meditation.

Chapters III and IV have described the 'Yajna' and Chapter VI will explain the Path of Meditation. Therefore, this chapter has been rightly named "the Yoga of Renunciation of Action." What is the spirit of renunciation, how the "Yoga of Renunciation of Action" can be practised, what would be the result of practising this way of activity in this special mental attitude, and how far that could contribute to the inward development and growth of the human personality --- all these are discussed in this chapter. In fact, Chapter V stands as a bridge between Karma Yoga and Pure Meditation. In the Vedas this subtle point in the chain of discussions is almost missing. Chapter V of the Gita rediscovers for us this 'missing link' in the Vedic thought. I have said 'rediscovers,' and not 'deliberately created' or 'originally supplied.'

As Shankara puts it, in many places the Lord has spoken of the renunciation of all actions and at the close of the chapter, Krishna has advised Arjuna to engage in Yoga in the "performance of actions." When thus viewed, there is, in the last chapter, a perceptible inconsistency according to Arjuna. Hence the doubt with which he opens his discussion with Lord Krishna in this chapter.

Gita- Chapter 4: Ending Action in Knowledge

2010-10-02T03:50:00.000-07:00

For the Aryan mind, novelty in the spiritual kingdom has no charm. Any new idea, however logical and intellectual it might be, is not readily accepted by the children of the Aryan-culture as a part of their Brahma-Vidya, unless the interpreter of the new idea can show that his technique has already been envisaged in the existing scriptures of this culture. In this way we can say that we are Veda-bound as a cultural unit.

In the last chapter, Krishna propounded a revolutionary idea in the form of Karma Yoga which sounded as though it was a novel intellectual theory cooked in Krishna's own brain. Arjuna, as a true student of the Hindu culture, would not willingly accept it unless his teacher gave an endorsement that, what he had lectured upon was nothing other than an intelligent reinterpretation of the ancient sacred Vedic Science. In this chapter an all-out effort is made by Krishna to bring home to Arjuna that the Lord Himself, the author of the Vedas, had been asserting the same old Truth and nothing new.

Again, whenever a teacher, in his inspiration, emphasises a particular stage of self-development, chances are that the dull-witted seekers may misunderstand the import of the words and conclude that the partial-path explained is the entire-route to the Infinite. In order to remove this mis-understanding, the fourth chapter indicates the greater path of Jnana Yoga, the "Path-of-Knowledge," which is the only main arch-way through which all pilgrims must pass in order to reach the Temple of the Self. Upto this arch-way, seekers living in different psychological and intellectual domains may walk their own "paths," but the main gate is Jnana Yoga through which all must pass to have Darshana at the glorious altar. According to Shankara, this Yoga alone forms the subject of the Lord's teachings throughout the Geeta.

A secular science can be successfully taught and ingrained on the grey-matter of the student by any teacher, and it is not at all necessary that the student must have any love for, or faith in, or reverence towards, the teacher who, in such a case, is nothing more than an "instrument of instruction." Thus, today a professor in a modern college is only a "talking instrument," with as much importance as the blackboard, or the desk, or the platform! But, on the other hand, if a cultural flavour, a moral dignity, and an ethical glow are to be imparted to the personality of the student, it is essential that the student must approach his teacher in a spirit of reverence and love, devotion and friendliness. These are the emotional requirements which alone can bring about the necessary conditions in us, so that, when the teacher drops his divine apparel, it may fall upon our shoulders.

To Arjuna, Lord Krishna was only a friend, the cowherd boy of Vrindavana. Familiarity, if it does not breed contempt, is at least sure to pull down the familiar in our estimation of its importance and sanctity. This chapter is also intended to invoke in Arjuna's mind the necessary amount of reverence and respect towards his Charioteer. In short, Krishna is here divesting himself of his work-a-day clothes and is putting on, for the first time, his full Divine apparel of Omnipotence and Omniscience, and the Aura of God, descended upon the earth.

Through an earlier training in Karma Yoga, when an individual has integrated his mind and intellect, he becomes fit for the absorption and assimilation of the greater Truth, through the process of contemplation and meditation. Therefore, there is a strong recommendation of the "Path-of-Knowledge" in this chapter.

Gita-Chapter 3: Karma Yoga

2010-09-25T03:36:00.000-07:00

So far Shri Krishna vehemently argued against Arjuna's decision not to fight but to renounce the glory of success and retire to the quietude of the jungle to live there the life of a monk seeking the Divine. In his arguments, at one moment, the Lord advised that Arjuna's duty was to work without getting himself preoccupied with its result. Krishna had also warned him, 'LET NOT THY ATTACHMENT BE TOWARD INACTION." Later on, the chapter concluded (II-55 to 72) with the inspired advocacy of the Path of Knowledge. Naturally, like any sincere student, Arjuna felt confused as to which of the paths he was to follow for his self-development.

The Vedantic philosophy of India is taught to the student during an intimate and free discussion between the teacher and the taught. In no other religion in the world do we find so much freedom allowed to the disciple --- to ask freely and openly, to contradict and to argue with his teachers.

Vedanta being a complete and exhaustive Science of Religion, the great Rishis never by-passed the intellect of their disciples by appealing to their blind faith or insisting upon their abject devotion. The Masters of Old encouraged doubts and invited discussions. It is during these discussions that the student wrestled with the teacher in the arena of the intellect, and in this exercise he became spiritually stronger and perfectly agile in all the other layers of his personality. This Upanishadic style has been beautifully preserved and artistically employed by the great poet-Philosopher Vyasa, in his Gita.

Any student, sincerely following up the second chapter with an irresistible appetite to live and enjoy the perfections pointed out, must necessarily entertain such a doubt as Arjuna expresses at the opening of this chapter. In fact, the arguments raised by Krishna in his discourse create in us a grave doubt as to what exactly is that path which will take a seeker easily to the realisation of the Absolute in Him. Is it: (a) Knowledge, or (b) Action, or (c) both together practised in a synthesis, or lastly, (d) is it through a total renunciation of both? Such a doubt can come, as I have already said, only to a seeker who has the enthusiasm to live the life indicated earlier. According to Shankara, action and renunciation are advised in the Vedas, for a seeker to pursue SERIALLY. Ordinarily, no doubt, no living creature endowed with a mind and intellect can remain, even for a moment of his wakeful conscious existence, without doing some work or the other. Cessation of all activities is the signature of death upon insentient matter. Therefore, act we must, from birth to death.

Instinctively, in our inborn ignorance, we act, motivated by our ego and ego-centric desires. An uncultivated man acts, thoughtlessly, propelled by his own wrong tendencies, ordering for himself ever a new lease of sorrowful existence. Entertaining these sensuous desires, he acts in the world seeking joy and earning for himself fleeting happiness, endless sorrows and inexhaustible mental impressions (vasanas). These vasanas invite new fields for exhaustion through their free expressions in action.

Naturally, the way out from this non-stop vicious circle of ego-motivated action which creates vasanas (and they demand more fields to exhaust themselves, wherein the individual again fattens his ego and comes to entertain fresh sets of desires) is the Path of Right Action. God-dedicated selfless actions performed in a spirit of devotion and self-surrender exhaust the existing vasanas and do not create, of their own accord, any more fresh tragic impressions, which in their turn would order fresh fields of activities.

In the limited concept of life in the Vedic period, work (Karma) meant only the ritualistic sacrifices. These activities, pursued for a sufficiently long period of time, purified the heart; meaning, integrated the personality and brought about a single-pointedness of mind in the individual. It is obvious that such a conditioned and steadied mind alone could successfully apply itself on the Path of Self-enquiry, and come to rediscover the Self, the Divine Soul.

The Gita was written as an answer to an urgent demand in the time of Vyasa. The old traditional thoughts became stereotyped and lifeless. Dead phrases and cliches cannot nourish a culture. Thus, through the Gita, Krishna is made to give out a reinterpretation of the Vedic Truths in the context of His time, and in the language of the world in which He Himself happened to live. Arjuna, a warrior in the battlefield, is facing an army which is championing a cause, at once immoral and foul. At this moment, for his spiritual evolution --- which no doubt has been fully accepted as the goal of existence --- it is not possible for him to indulge in ritualism, unless he deserts his post of duty.

If ritualism alone was the Path, all people, at all times, would never be able to employ themselves for the Highest Goal of life. In the Gita, therefore, we have an expansion of the idea indicated in the Vedas. Krishna, in His Divine declaration, gives the sanction that ANY ACTION can be a glorious "sacrifice," if only it is undertaken with the required purity of motive, with a spirit of surrender, and with the deep emotion of love.

Apart from the glory of the Gita, as a book of original contribution inaugurating a development upon the Vedic technique, this chapter, with its opening query from Arjuna, vividly pictures his psychological confusion. We have noticed the psychosis into which Arjuna had sunk. Defining a patient of psychosis, modern psychology says: "The psychotic person loses his contact with reality. He may live in a dream-world, perhaps unaware of his identity or surroundings, or he may be unable to control his behaviour. He may have fantastic ideas (delusions); he may misinterpret what he sees or hears (illusions); he may see, hear, feel, taste or smell things that are not there (hallucinations)."

Even though the patient, Arjuna, a victim of his own delusions, illusions and hallucinations, had completely surrendered to the Divine Wisdom of his friend, Lord Krishna, the words of his Charioteer were not fully appreciated by him, all at once. His mind was so much overwhelmed by sorrow that he could not decide upon the right line of action. He had, at first, resolved not to fight the mean fratricidal war and had vigorously marshalled a set of seemingly impressive arguments in support of his decision. Therefore, Arjuna is still, and naturally too, partial to his own decision. All through the second chapter, Arjuna's intellect was trying to follow closely, the arguments of Krishna, mainly to find fault with them, if he could, or at least to seek in them some support for his own decisions.

Krishna's arguments seemed, to the pre-occupied intellect of his friend, equivocal and vague. To Arjuna, in his consummate prejudice against everything that came as a challenge to his own decisions, Krishna's discourse was not clear. At one place the Lord indicated that Karma was inferior to Buddhi; but in the same discourse in its conclusion there was a vehement support of the Path of Renunciation!

Arjuna was all the time seeking a confirmation that his cowardice was a noble emotion to be applauded and appreciated, commended and supported, by his friend and philosopher, Krishna. But unfortunately, he could not discover in the Lord's words any direct declaration supporting his own viewpoint. But, there was, however, some indirect circumstantial evidence indicating that Arjuna's decision to desert his post of duty was noble and glorious! Did not the Lord elaborate upon the glory of the Man-of-Steady-Wisdom? Arjuna means to say, "This is exactly what I wanted." But at the same time, in the same discourse, Arjuna had been pushed to the front, commissioning him to face the enemies, to take up arms and fight the bloody war. Under these circumstances, it is but natural that Arjuna should confront his Charioteer with this direct question as to why He confuses him with self-contradictory advice.

Gita- Chapter 2: Yoga of Knowledge

2010-09-18T23:18:00.000-07:00

In this Chapter, entitled "Sankhya Yoga," we get an exhaustive summary, as it were, of the whole philosophical content of the Geeta. Roughly, we may say that the first ten stanzas explain the circumstances under which Arjuna totally surrenders to the "Krishna-influence."

From stanza 11 to stanza 46 we have a digest of the Sankhya, meaning here not so much a repetition of the Sankhyan philosophy, but as a word denoting "the logic of thought in a philosophy." From stanzas 47 to 60, we have an exhaustive, though hasty, sketch of the "Yoga of Action" as adumbrated in the entire Geeta. From stanzas 61 to 70, the Path of Love (Bhakti Yoga), has been indicated, and in 71 and 72, the Path of Renunciation (Samnyasa Yoga), has been slightly suggested. Thus, the Second Chapter of the Geeta can be taken as an epitome of the entire Geeta.

We find in the Geeta all the known Paths to Perfection sketched out in the Vedas --- Jnana, Bhakti, and Karma, by which Upanishadic realisation is reached when one has fully purified oneself by the pursuit of ritualism Karma Kanda, and has spent a period of time in living the Upasana Kanda. People believed that these three are irreconcilable factors, and so many schools rose up, and each started quarrelling with all the others. This was the chaotic condition in which Vyasa found Hinduism, in the Puranic Age. In the Geeta he has tried to find for the Aryan children of the Vedas a reconciliation and a synthesis in which all can walk hand in hand.

Gita- Chapter 1

2010-09-11T08:35:00.000-07:00

Chapter 1 of Gita begins with the blind old king Drithrashta, asking his assistant Sanjaya, to tell him about the latest happenings in the battlefield of Krukshetra. Sanjaya, had been blessed by the sage Vyasa, with divine vision. With this divine vision he could know the latest happenings of the battle of Kurukshetra, while sitting in the comfort of the palace.Since the king Drithrashtra was blind, he was assigned the duty of narrating the latest events to the king.

Sanjay begins by telling him, that in the battlefield the Kauravas, the sons of Dhrithrashtra had assembled along with great warriors on one side, and the sons of the king's brother Pandu had assembled on the other side.

In the battlefield of Kurukshetra,Duryodhan, the eldest of the Kauravas begins by telling his teacher Dronacharya, that his army is majestic, and has the mightiest warriors and he was confident of winning this war.Hearing this, Duryodhana’s grandfather Bhishma tries to further raise the morale of the soldiers, and blows his conch. Soon the other warriors and commanders do the same on the side of the Kauravas, thus declaring the war.

On the other side, Arjuna and his charioteer, Lord Krishna blow their own conch declaring the war, followed by whole army of Pandavas.Arjuna, raises his bow, and is about to shoot the first arrow, but at that very moment, he decides, that he would like to have closer look at his enemy, before going into a battle with them. So he asks his friend and charioteer, Lord Krishna, to take the chariot close to the enemy lines, as he wanted to survey them.

Sri Krishna, took the chariot to the middle of the battlefield, from where, Arjuna could safely survey the army of the Kauravas. Arjuna, sees, his cousins, uncles, grandfather, and teachers, standing armed to the teeth, ready to fight the battle.

Looking at this, he starts feeling a sense of pity, and tells his friend Krishna, that he is feeling nervous, shaky and he doesn’t feel like fighting this war.He says that he could not kill his kith and kin, and says that he is finding the war pointless. He says, even if they wanted to kill him, he wasn’t willing to fight with them, and it was better to be beggar, than becoming a king, by killing all these people.

He says, this war is wrong, and if we go through this war it will be a bad example for the society. The society would get disintegrated.Saying this he drops his bow and arrow and sits down , asking Krishna to help him.

All this while, Krishna is silent, listening to his friend…………..

Thus Gita begins in the calamitous situation of a battlefield, with a dilemma of a great hero.

Gita- An Introduction

2010-09-04T06:03:00.000-07:00

The Bhagavad Gita (meaning "Song of God") is a Sanskrit text from the Bhishma Parva of the Mahabharata epic. Krishna, as the speaker of the Bhagavad Gita, is referred to within as Bhagavan (the divine one), and the verses themselves, using the range and style of Sanskrit meter (chandas) with similes and metaphors, are written in a poetic form that is traditionally chanted; hence the title, which translates to "the Song of the Divine One". The Bhagavad Gita is revered as sacred by the majority of Hindu traditions, and especially so by followers of Krishna. It is commonly referred to as The Gita.

In the story of Mahabharatha, the Pandavas had been pushed into war by the Kauravas, to fight for a kingdom, which rightfully belonged to the Pandavas. After many years of failed negotiations and humiliations, Pandavas ceded to wage a war against their own cousins, in order to get their kingdom.

In Gita, the main protagonist is Arjuna, who was the greatest archer of his time and was one of the Pandava brothers.This book is a conversation between Lord Krishna and Arjuna in the battle field of Kurkshetra. This conversation happened just after the war had been declared by both the sides, and before the first arrow had been fired. This situation, in which the conversation took place, makes it very phenomenal.

It contains the entire hindu philosophy of Vedas, Upanishads and the Puranas, and is enough to inspire a person into great vigour, no matter how despondent his life situation may be.

The most incredible thing about this book is that , the philosophy contained in this book, is very practical and applicable even in our present day, 5000 years after it was first narrated by Krishna and written by Vyasa

The entire Gita has been divided into 18 chapters. The following posts will contain the summarized version of each chapter, and the videos shall contain the original slokas.These summaries would have the influence of the commentaries of Swami Chinmayananda on Gita

Stay Tuned :)

Secret-The Power

2010-08-29T03:57:00.000-07:00

Best Seller Book: Secret-The Power
Best Seller Author: Rhonda Byrne
Book Type: Non Fiction, Spiritual

Hi it’s been a while since I have written about a book. There were lots of changes happening in my life, and I was also waiting for the right book to come to me. Well, that book finally happened, and the day I bought it, I had gone out without any intention of buying anything. I usually make a point, to visit the closest bookstore, no matter where I am. So last weekend, as I was strolling in the nearby market, I noticed a bookstore. Just as I entered, the shop, there it was sitting on top of the shelf, staring at me, and a voice inside me, said, you have to buy it now.

Once I came back home, I started flipping the pages, and after that started reading the first chapter, and the next, and the next, until today, when I read the last page, and it said,” The beginning”. That statement is so true because, this book can be the starting point of a new beginning of your life.

Even , if you have read “The Secret”, I think, it still makes sense to read this book, because, the secret gives you lot’s of tools and techniques and details about the Law of Attraction , but doesn’t talk much about the secret ingredient, Love.

If there is one thing that you can learn from reading “The Power”, then it is that the “Secret” to “The Power” is “Love” :)

In my opinion, the book should have been named love, but I guess, Rhonda Byrne realized that to make most people realize that the “Secret” to “The Power” is “Love”, naming it as The Power was the easiest way.

Where does Love come in the LOA equation? It comes everywhere, from start to finish. LOA is all about feeling. What we feel in a given moment determines our future more than the thoughts we think. So it’s important, to become happy, joyous, loving before we can manifest any of our desires.

Success is not the key to happiness; happiness is the key to success.
If the Law of Attraction is a rocket heading to the stars, then it’s the fuel of love, that’s going to take it there.

What is Love?

• Love is appreciation
• Love is kindness
• Love is devotion
• Love is excitement
• Love is gratitude
• Love is giving
• Love is all that and much more.

How do we realize that we are radiating Love? It’s simple, whenever, you are feeling good and not just OK, you are radiating love.

What happens when we radiate love?
We become magnetized. A piece of iron cannot do much for itself, until we pass electricity through it. Once it’s magnetized, it can lift more than its own weight.Love is the energy, that charges us, gives us excitement, exuberance and happiness.Once we get into the frequency of love, we become like magnets attracting all good things to us.

Can I attract money, health, good looks, the perfect partner, into my life?
Of course we can, Love is the highest and the greatest in us. Whatever, we lack in our lives, is because of lack of our love in that area.If you don’t have money and have trouble making ends meet, it’s probably because you have some negative beliefs about money. Nothing is bad in this world, only our thinking makes it so.If you do not like your body, start loving it now. If you think love has died in your relationship, start loving your partner now. You have to give to receive, that’s the law of love.

So we should love ourselves, our bodies and everything around us. Everything in this world is a miracle, right from the existence of our planet, to your existence. Everything is a gift to you from the creator. It’s time, we expressed some gratitude.

Rhonda Byrne has shown in her books, that there is a better way to live. Life is not meant to be struggle. It just reflects back our own mental attitudes and deep seated beliefs.We have the power to transform our lives. Everybody has been born with the gift of love. This gift is like a magic wand that can turn everything into gold.

It is the gift that puts us in touch with the source of life and fills our lives with joy.
Living in joy is the true purpose of our life :)

Freedom

2010-08-25T08:53:00.000-07:00

What does freedom mean to you? Does it mean permission to do whatever you like? Does it mean, you can give hate speeches, because you have freedom of speech? Or does it mean, that we can leave our duties and go and live in a hut in a jungle.

Perhaps animals are better off, because they are born free, and the question never occurs to them. But we are social beings and we have a highly developed intelligence.We may like to think that we are alone, sailing in our own boats through life but, whatever we do, creates ripples ,and they spread out and touch many other lives. Such is the fabric of our lives.

The greatest gift we have is the power to discern and choose. Our freedom comes from our ability to act on those choices. Freedom also means that we are free to use our intellect, and to act wisely. It also includes using our freedom wisely. But, most often than not, we choose to ignore it, in the name of freedom. We choose, to do things, which bring us immediate pleasure. That is also freedom, but by doing so, we reduce ourselves to the level of animals. At those times, we choose to be guided by our senses, rather than our intellect.

We have the power to choose to evolve our consciousness to the next level, or just be as we are now. We have the freedom to act responsibly in this world, while enjoying our freedom. We have the choice, to let everyone around us enjoy their freedom.

We have the freedom .What do you choose?

A Prayer to heal

2010-08-08T03:10:00.000-07:00

Hello, how have you been?

I had been busy with work last month, but also managed to take an off to visit my parents in the last week of July.
So, after my vacation, I started thinking about my next blog post.

That’s when I found a question from a girl named Rhea, related to mind power and healing. It said “.....pls help me........my mom has a problem in her backbone.....it can be cured....but psychologically she is more ill....she is a negative thinker...she’s always worrying about her health n situations around her......she gets hyper every time she listens to something bad......”

Some of the people in the forum, had asked her to pray for her mother, for healing , and so did I.

After that day, I started reading articles on studies done in the area of mind power, healing powers of the subconscious mind, prayers, to find out whether scientific progress has kept up with ancient wisdom.

So, does praying for sick people actually help heal sick people? For thousands of years some people have believed so. I believe it works and at least the some scientific studies confirm that as well.

It seems a huge number of experiments had been conducted in North America alone between 1965-2006 on the healing power of prayers. One of the few people to research this topic was Wendy Cadge, an expert on the intersection of religion and medicine in contemporary American society. Cadge discovered. some studies suggested that prayer worked, while others said it didn't.

Finally I found a recent new article which said that a team of medical doctors and scientists led by Indiana University professor of religion Candy Gunther Brown found in the study, conducted in rural Mozambique, that prayer brought “highly significant” improvements to hearing-impaired participants and significant changes to the visually impaired.

Likewise there have been several experiments, which confirm that, if the patient believes that he is getting healed, he actually becomes healthy once again, even if he is being given a sweet pill, instead of the real medicine. This is also known as the placebo effect.

There have also been lots of books written about self healing, and intercessory healing. Most of this healing is based on faith.

According to the Bible when Jesus healed the woman who had been bleeding for 12 years, he said to her, "Daughter, Your faith has healed you..." (Mark 5:34). When Jesus healed two blind men, He said, "…According to your faith will it be done to you" (Matthew 9:29).
Conversely, healing may not take place due to lack of faith. Lack of faith can be because of many things, like anger, anxiety, depression etc.

So , even if Rhea’s mother has negative thought pattern, Rhea could pray for her mother with faith, for her healing. She can pray not only her mother’s physical health, but mental health as well. She can make sure that her mother has less stress in her life. I am sure, with time her mother would find a better thought pattern, and become healthy as well.
Sometimes, it may happen that we may pray for a healing, and our prayers go unanswered. In those situations we must remember that, there are certain things we need to accept, like, we will not be young forever, we will not live forever and we have to learn to let go sometimes. God is merciful and his ways are higher than ours!

And we can only pray and say –
“How much faith there's
Let this be our prayer
In my prayer
When shadows fill our day
Lead us to a place, guide us with your grace
Give us faith so we'll be safe”

Namaste

Love , Love Me Do

2010-07-18T01:48:00.000-07:00

Since the past few weeks , I have been running into into questions from lovers, about unrequited love. The questions usually go like this.. “We were so much in love!When we were together, we were really happy..enjoying the bliss of pure love. and now he/she has left me, to be with someone else.I now feel worthless and incomplete without him/her. I am going into depression day by day..I just want my love back in my life. I keep thinking about him/her through out the day and my tears dry up only when I go to sleep..pls help.. I don’t wish to be so miserable.Pls take my pain away”

Across cultures, I have found, that there is a fascination for unrequited love, and even in a recent Hollywood flick, there was dialogue”Only unrequited love can be truly passionate”

I had also come across, some literature about recent studies being done on romantic love, by scientists, in labs across the world. So I thought, why not dig in deeper, and see if modern science sees eye to eye with spiritual truths.

The most recent studies have been conducted by Larry Young of the Yerkes National Primate Research Center at Emory University in Atlanta, Dr Lucy Brown, who works at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York and Helen Fisher, a researcher and professor at Rutgers University.

They are all experts in a relatively new field focused on explaining the biology of romantic love. And the unpoetic explanation is that love mostly can be understood through brain images, hormones and genetics.

One of the research findings isn’t so complimentary: Love works chemically in the brain like a drug addiction. “Romantic love is an addiction; a wonderful addiction when it is going well, a horrible one when it is going poorly,” Fisher said. “People kill for love. They die for love.”

But sometimes love doesn’t keep us together. So the scientists studied the brains of the recently heartbroken and found additional activity in the nucleus accumbens, which is an area of the brain even more strongly associated with addiction.

“The brokenhearted show more evidence of what I’ll call craving,” said Lucy Brown. “Similar to craving the drug cocaine.”
So when the appropriate dose of Love potion is unavailable .lovers have withdrawal symptoms. This shows up as the desperation to be together, and possess the other person. This happens for people who are dating or are still in relationships. Their thoughts are obsessive and the actions are compulsive. "I have to have you. I can't live without you. I must control you and make you mine."

While people who have been left heartbroken feel worthlessness, miserable and an immense amount of pain.
So , what is the way out? What is the solution? The solution is to realize that everything in this world is temporary, including your short life ,your body and the presence of your lover in your life.

The solution is to be aware, and absorb as much as possible of this short life and the even shorter duration, your lover is going to part of your life. The solution is be intensely present with your partner today, knowing that they may not be there tomorrow because people change, situations change ,feelings change over time and that’s the truth. So love them completely while they are there and don’t try to possess them.

When our current partner goes away, a new one will arrive because that’s the flow of life.

It requires a high degree of acceptance and surrender to life. It’s life’s way of preparing you for your future , and your future lover.The irony is the new love may not be a person at all.It maybe a new passion, that you might discover, once your lover is no longer in your life.

So we have to make the most of today, and when tomorrow comes, we will be free from misery .We will be at peace :)
Perhaps nature has designed us in this manner, as Dr. Lucy Brown says
"Romantic love, under both happy and unhappy circumstances, may be a 'natural' addiction. Our findings suggest that the pain of romantic rejection may be a necessary part of life that nature built into our anatomy and physiology. A natural recovery, to pair up with someone else, is in our physiology, too."

And our job is to be just aware about it.

Power of Giving

2010-05-08T04:53:00.000-07:00

One of the reasons I feel that people want others to change is that they are always thinking what am I getting out of it. They are always tuning into the WII FM station (What’s in it for me).

Now that I am thinking more and more about it, it is clear that it is coming from a feeling of lack inside them. So they are trying to change their external environment to suit the internal mental state. But this negative flow of energy of lack creates more lack and it becomes a vicious circle.

On the other hand, if we start focusing on what can we give to the other person, what can we offer , it triggers a different mental state. A state of having, a state of abundance and creates acceptance of the person as they are, which in turn creates love and affection.

So when you are in a state of giving, receiving will come automatically. There cannot be a energy deficit, negative or positive. There has to be a balance.

Infact when you expect nothing from the other person, that’s the state you should be in,. At the same time you should also think about what do you have to offer; because that’s the state of having, the state of abundance
It is true that , people might take advantage of you sometimes, but in the end it will seem miniscule in comparison to what you have achieved in your life.

So think of giving before you think of receiving.
You will be at peace, and so will be everyone around you.

Think about it…

What can you give yourself?

What can you give your mom?

What can you give your dad?

What can you give your friends?

What can you give your dear relative?

What can you give your girl friend or your wife?

What can you give your son/daughter?

What can you give your society?

The least you can give anyone starting today is your love, your acceptance, your praise , your blessing , your smile………..they don’t cost you anything , but there is nothing in this world with which you can buy any of these.

Start giving, start loving, start living……..

Spirituality on Weed!

2010-05-02T00:31:00.000-07:00

While scouring the net for questions about spirituality, I came across this question-“Does smoking weed have any relation (good or bad) with developing deeper meditation? I know some cultures used it for spiritual purposes, but does it speed up/slow down the process of developing or tuning in?”

My first thought was. Are looking for a crutch, or are you looking for an excuse to continue smoking weed and explain the whole thing to your conscience, instead of breaking the habit?

Coincidentally, the very next day I read an article about Kumbh Mela. FYI, it’s the largest congregation of Hindus at a given time. It has a world record of it’s own cadre. It was concluded last month in Haridwar, India.
Here you would find, people thronging from all walks of life to take a dip in the holy river Ganges, to wash their sins. Along with them , you would also see Sadhus who are otherwise inconspicuous..taking the holy dip…Makes me wonder , what sins have they committed?
Anyways, while you visit the akharas of Naga Sadhus, one can have a glance of these sadhus smoking “CHILUM” (Marijuana). The consumption of bhang is also considered to be a part of the rituals performed by Naga Sadhus. The sadhus hold the view that doing so will lead them to eternity or nirvana.
I also found that in many shamanic traditions it is believed that peyote, psiloscybe mushrooms, ayahuasca and others, contain wisdom-increasing properties. It is believed that they hold sacred lessons, and an Earth intelligence that can be learned from.
I don’t know how much of that info is true about the native Americans, but for those who wish to explore drugs of any kind for spiritual purposes, do not solely rely on them for your spiritual insights and wisdoms and to access your higher self. Otherwise, you will reach a spiritual "dead end" where your only spiritual experiences are intoxicated ones which is a false path and can lead to the "psychological addiction" that shepherd warns about. This can then, in the long run, turn against you.
I think drugs can only trick the mind into thinking that it is experiencing spiritual things, I know a few people who have been on this rubbish for many years, now they have trouble sleeping and need to smoke the crap to help them sleep. It can be fun in the beginning but after a few years it can be hell.
Physical exercise and sober connection with the divine on a regular basis via meditation or whatever you do to connect is the key.Meditation is like coming home. Meditation is like a healing of a painful wound, after a long time.while weeded meditation is like you would keep the wound open, and trying to live without pain.Someday you have to face the consequences.
Personally, I do not want to be dependent on anything external for my internal experience. When I finish doing formal sit-down meditation I get up and go about my day and the meditation experience stays with me, and I nurture it again throughout the day.

The use of drugs for spiritual development may require a person to constantly use that drug to maintain their experience. In my opinion drugs may be good for a spiritual flash in the pan but not practical for building and sustaining a lasting foundation; but that‘s just my opinion.
IN OTHER WORDS, DO NOT SUBSTITUTE WEEDED INTOXICATION FOR SOBER SPIRITUALITY! I CANNOT STRESS THIS ENOUGH!

Good Luck!

Let's Love

2010-01-25T02:00:00.001-08:00

I was just browsing on the net on topics on love, real love etc.That's when I cam across this site, which is dedicated to unconditonal love. How wonderful is that!
The amazing thing is, that it defines what I personally find undefinable. The usual definitions of real love, talk about what love is not, but this one actually nails the topic, by talking about it.

I liked a particular quote in the section why unconditonal love?
"It requires practice and intent to allow this energy to fully permeate our daily experience. It begins with ourselves, for without self-love, we cannot know what true love can be."

As with lots of other texts on love, this one also says, to love others, you have start by loving yourself.
For the first time I realised, the truth of that.
Would there be wars, famines and pollution across the world, if the inhabitants of this planet were truly happy, truly loved themselves, and their brothers? We all know the answer.

I think it's time, we as a civilization take a good look at ourselves, and see the way are we heading for. Is it our sanity that is making us create bombs which can destroy the planet 100 times over, or the pollution that we are creating, which guarntees our destruction in the end.

Certainly we are missing something somewhere. Somewhere we are missing the connection with ourselves, and to everything that is. For the the things that truly matter are intangilble like love , peace and compassion. You cannot see them, but you can feel them in the smile of child, a hug of mother, and in all the things that make us human beings
in reference to:

"Unconditional Love"
- The Love Foundation Unconditional Love (view on Google Sidewiki)

Book Review of a Best Seller from Deepak Chopra

2010-01-16T22:53:00.000-08:00

Best Seller Book: Synchrodestiny

Best Seller Author: Deepak Chopra

Book Type: Non Fiction, Spiritual

Hello, I just finished reading an awesome best selling book written by the author of more than 50 books, Deepak Chopra. This is the book, that I had hinted about in my last post. Yes, this book is all about creating good luck, meaningful coincidences and making things fall into place , just when you need them.Now isn't this the perfect book that you would like to read and make this year, the year, when good luck came into your life? You may use the principles mentioned in this best seller to manifest, wealth, abundance or whatever else you consciously choose. You will realise after reading this bestseller, that reading this book and even thinking about reading this book, was in fact synchrodestiny :)

To begin with there might be a few questions that you may have:

Q. What is synchrodestiny?

Ans: Let's first understand synchronicity from which the word synchrodestiny has been derived. Synchronicity means happening at the same time, which is also the meaning of the word coincidence.From time to time, we’ve all experienced coincidences that seem to be endowed with a special meaning or significance, and that appear to defy the laws of probability. For the most part, these coincidences seem amusing or insignificant. But famous psychologist Karl Jung defined these moments of meaningful coincidence as “Synchronicity.” A synchronicity is a coming together of seemingly unrelated events.

SynchroDestiny is coincidence but it contains a purpose. It contains a meaning. It has a direction. It has intention. And where do those qualities come from? They come from you.At the most fundamental level, an understanding of SynchroDestiny can provide a sense of spiritual abundance--a sense that our lives are truly connected at every moment to the creative power of the universe. This power is the intelligence that orchestrates the whole dance of creation on every scale, from the furthest reaches of the cosmos to the events of our own daily lives. Synchronistic events weave our destinies. Once you understand the mechanics of it, you can consciously use intention to fulfil almost any desire you have

Q: Give me an example of synchrodestiny

Ans:

Example 1: You're not happy in your job. For the first time in months you check out the newspaper employment section. Your dream job is advertised.

Example 2: You're clearing out your shelves and find a book loaned to you by a friend you haven't seen for years. That night you bump into that friend at a party.

Example 3: You are walking through a new neighborhood and see the apartment of your dreams. You get chatting to a man out on the front lawn, who turns out to be the apartment owner and who tells you the flat is available for rent.

Synchro-destiny is when things "fall into place"; when events seem "fated"; when you feel as though the universe is "trying to tell you something" and you "go with the flow".

How you interpret the events in your life is up to you. You can label such events in your life as coincidence and brush them aside, or you can see them as magical ,and try to find more magic in your life. According to Deepak Chopra, the more we try to find synchronistic events in our lives, the more synchronistic events tend to happen. That's the power of intention.

Q: This seems interesting. So can we all create meaningful coincidences?

Ans: Yes we can. All of us are equally capable. Deepak Chopra talks in depth about the seven principles that underlie SynchroDestiny.

These principles are

1.Existence of the Conscious Energy Field

2.Creating Cosmic Connections: In mastering SynchroDestiny, the ability to create positive human relationships is much more than a tactic, it is fundamental, in the same way that gravity is fundamental or having air to breathe is fundamental. Creating Cosmic Connections means creating the human environment in which SynchroDestiny can take place.

3.Mastering Inner Dialogue: It concerns the way your mind literally creates reality-and the ways in which you can transform reality to create abundance.

4. Penetrating the Conspiracy of Improbabilities: It means learning to recognize meaningful coincidences and learning to see them as opportunities rather than just little breaks in your daily routine.

5.Harnessing Emotional Turbulence: Emotional Turbulence is a major barrier to the spontaneous fulfillment of desire. Transforming negative energy into a higher level of awareness is crucial for mastering SynchroDestiny.

6. learning to use the Infinite Organizing Power of Intention

7. Celebrating the Cosmic Dance

Q. What do we do when we have a synchronistic event?

Ans: When a coincidence happens, don't ignore it. Instead, ask yourself, "What is the message here? What is the significance of this event?" Don't strain for answers: Just ask the question and the answers will come easily. They may arrive as a sudden insight, a chance encounter, a relationship, or in another way. Whatever form the response takes, you'll immediately know that you're receiving an important clue.

Keep a journal of your coincidences. Writing down the coincidences you experience, whether tiny or huge, encourages more of them to unfold. More coincidences provide more clues to guide your actions and more possibilities for fulfillment.

Q: How are synchrodestiny and Law of Attraction related?

Ans: They both point to the same thing - the power of the subconscious mind and the 'collective unconscious' to draw physical matter to you.

Law of Attraction theory tells you that by asking, and by believing that you will receive something, you are actually manifesting it and drawing it to you.

Jung's partially formed Synchronicity theory is a little deeper and encompasses a wide range of psychic events. It's bigger than the Law of Attraction and more complicated. It's seriously worth a read, but in the meantime, here is a quote I think shows its connection to the Law of Attraction theory -

"Synchronicity is no more baffling or mysterious than the discontinuities of physics. It is only the ingrained belief in the sovereign power of causality that creates intellectual difficulties and makes it appear unthinkable that causeless events exist or could ever occur. But if they do, then we must regard them as creative acts, as the continuous creation of a pattern that exists from all eternity, repeats itself sporadically, and is not derivable from any known antecedents."

Ref: Jung, Carl. Synchronicity - An Acausal Connecting Principle. Routledge 1955. Reprinted 2006.

So once you have gone through the book, you might realise that we're completely immersed in a web of coincidences that guide us to fulfill our dharma or purpose in life.

At this very instant, your destiny has led you to read these words. The fact that you turned on the computer, and are reading this article is a coincidence offering potentially life-transforming opportunities. What circumstances led to this moment? Why are you perusing this article instead of one of countless others out there? What are you beginning to dream about creating in your life?

As a conclusion to all these adventures let me end with a poem. It can be considered as an "Ode to coincidence". It was the favourite poem of Corrie ten Boom.

"My life is but a weaving, between my God and me.

I do not choose the colours, He worketh steadily.

Offtimes he weaves sorrow, and I in foolish pride,

Forget He sees the upper, and I the underside.

Not till the loom is silent and shuttles cease to fly

Will God unroll the canvas and explain the reason why.

The dark threads are as needful in the skilful weaver's hand

As the threads of gold and silver in the pattern He has planned."

Namaste.

Above abridged excerpts from "As Chance would Have it - Study in Coincidences" - by Hans C. Moolenburgh - The C.W. Daniel Company Ltd.

Have You Found Your Soul Mate?

2010-01-04T18:46:00.000-08:00

Hello everyone. Wish you all a Very Happy New Year.Hope this year brings lots of happiness, prosperity and love to you and your family. I know , I should have posted a book review at least a few days back, but the best selling book I am reading right now happens to be pretty thick. So I thought while I am reading about how to create good luck this year ;) (*Hint) and blog about a book review on another bestseller I will blog about a topic which lots of young people tend to think about these days, especially the ones who are dating or are in a relationship.
The question is do soul-mates exist?

Actually I found this question in the Orkut community on Deepak Chopra. Here is the actual question asked by Dr Kanwal "I am inquisitive to know something about this soulmate business....is this for real or just a bollywood hype....if there is one then how does one know this is the one....if not how does a person decide if he or she really wants to be with someone.......opinions on this?????? "

Almost all ancient cultures have written about the existence of soul-mates, and I guess they just forgot to write about, how to find them, even if they really existed.
In his book Brida, Paulo Coelho talks about the followers of the dark night (witches or wizards),who could identify their soul-mates by seeing a small bright light above the left shoulder of a person.If they could see it, then that person was their soul-mate. I wish it was that simple. It would have saved all of us so much of hassle in finding our soul-mates and money on Hollywood and Bollywood movie tickets :) .Unfortunately we are neither witches nor a wizards.Thank God!!
Maybe, we have to become a soul-mate rather than find one :)

So I did some research on the internet, on how to become a soul-mate, and found this article .
It has some interesting insights about becoming a soul-mate .Here are some interesting lines-“The truth is, a soul mate isn’t something you find,”. “A soul mate is someone you intentionally become. To have a soul mate and the marriage we are looking for, we must work at it. Real and lasting love is something you do, not something you mystically have. Falling in love is a great thing. After the spark and the commitment of ‘til death do us part’ couples have to set their course for the future and commit to be soul mates. You have to learn how to stay together – this is when you really learn what it means to be soul mates.”

Hmm..nice but I was not giving up yet and neither was Dr.Kanwal. So she had a follow up question for me the very next day .She commented,".thanx a lot for that ......helped me solve a lot but still not able to understand how to become a soulmate I agree that marriage is all about compromises and adjustments you make but what if you realise that you are the only one doing that with absolute no adjustments from your partner.......i mean only gives but no takes......you attune yourself ......... may be try to become his idea of soulmate then what!!!!!.......is it not like turning into a door mat wife...is marrying someone like loosing yourself?"

Hmm good thinking. Now I am not sure what situation Dr Kanwal is in, but I am sure lot's people find themselves in similar situations.

So the question is what if only one person is making all the effort,and the other person is just siting on the couch watching TV and you end up feeling like a doormat. What do you do then??You know , how we consider relationships about give and take,have some drama..make our lives more like Bold and the Beautiful..right..

Well, how you want make your life is upto you. As long as we are identified with the mind and have ego based relationships, it will always be based on give and take.It's not uncommon to see people saying,"I did so much for him, what did he do for me?" and cling emotionally to their partners.We even do some of these things unintentionally, without realizing,especially when our egos are running our lives.This bring "drama" in relationships and turns our relationships into daily soaps

On the other hand in a heart based relationship, you do something for the other person, because it comes from unconditional love. So the act of doing anything is charged with love and wisdom, and not "what's in it for me".It really doesn't matter how big or small the act is.If there is something required to be done that is beneficial for both you do it, and if it harms anyone, then you don't . In a way it's a rehash of the 4th principle of "Think Win Win" that Stephen Covey mentioned in his highly successful book"Seven Habits of Highly Effective People"
Now does unconditional love exist..that's a whole new topic altogether :)..I can tell you it does.

Eckhart Tolle devoted an entire chapter on enlightened relationships in his book "The Power of Now". He also talks at length about unconditional love throughout his book
But if there are people out there , who are unaware of love or not experienced it in anyway..I can only say one thing..you have to give to receive and it all starts with the self.

So the moral of the story is..yes soul mates do exist as long as people are willing to make the commitment to become one and the way to become a soulmate is by loving your partner unconditionally.

Namaste

Book Review of a Best Seller From Deepak Chopra

2009-12-25T08:53:00.000-08:00

Best Seller Book: The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success

Best Seller Author: Deepak Chopra

Book Type: Non Fiction, Spiritual

Hello, it's good to be back after 2 weeks of work. Yes, I do have a full time job.I am so glad, I managed to find sometime and read a book in the meanwhile.This time I wanted to write a book review on a best selling non fiction book related to spirituality, but also wanted to relate it's teachings to creating wealth and manifesting our desires.
So I guess, I attracted the right book to me :) I also decided to answer some questions regarding this book and it's concept, which I found on various forums. Hope you guys like it. I also encourage you to visit Deepak Chopra's site and go through some of Chopra's best selling books.

In this best seller, Deepak Chopra has taken some of the age old Vedic Indian philosopies and expressed them in a very simplified manner.This book is very helpful, for people who are not accustomed to reading about spirituality or people interested in learning only about how to have better life and create wealth.

According to the book success in life could be defined as the continued expansion of happiness and the progressive realization of worthy goals. Success is the ability to fulfill our desires with effortless ease. And yet success, including the creation of wealth, has always been considered a process that requires hard work, and it is often considered to be at the expense of others. We need a more spiritual approach to success and to affluence, which is the abundant flow of all good things to us. With the knowledge and practice of spiritual law, we put ourselves in harmony with nature and create with carefreeness, joy and love. True success is the experience of the miraculous. It is the unfolding of the divinity within us. It is the perception of divinity wherever we go, in whatever we perceive--in the eyes of a child, in the beauty of a flower, in the flight of a bird. When we begin to experience our life as the miraculous expression of divinity--not occasionally, but all the time--then we will know the true meaning of success.

Now let's go over The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success mentioned in the book and some of the related questions

1) The Law of Pure Potentiality
Q: How do we realize our true nature, that Deepak Chopra talks about in his best selling book Seven Spiritual Laws of success?

Ans: Do not try to define your true nature, but try to realise it. Realization is a slow, but enjoyable process.One way is through the daily practice of silence, meditation and non-judgment. Spending time with nature will also give you access to the qualities inherent in the field: infinite creativity, freedom and bliss. Gradually you will come to realize that we all are in fact pure consciouness.

2) The Law of Giving
Q: I have heard there is immense power in giving. I have heard quotes saying give before you receive, but I am unable to practice it.

Ans: We are nothing just pools of energy. In fact , everything around you in the manifested universe is just energy , vibrating at different frequencies. Now imagine the human body as a conduit or a channel through which the this energy flows. When we try to hoard anything, we might attract it for a while, but then, it begins to coagulate like blood.This is because, like the blood needs to flow to give us life, we must give, to keep receiving. By giving we open up channels for the life energy to flow to and through us.By hoarding we squeeze those channels. It's not always necessary to give money, we can even give a smile that can make someone's day brighter :)

3) The Law of Karma (or Cause and Effect)

Q: How do we get bad karma? How can we get rid of it?

Ans: "Karma" is both action and the consequence of that action; it is cause and effect simultaneously, because every action generates a force of energy that returns to us in kind. So, if you do good, in thought and action you accumulate good karma,otherwise the opposite.
We can transmute our bad karma by bringing awareness into our deeds. You have to step back and listen to your heart, about the possible consequences of your action. If it feels good, the go ahead, else you need to introspect, whether the action is going to harm or benefit anyone.
If you do this on a regular basis, then you are making full use of this law. The more you bring your choices into the level of your conscious awareness, the more you will make those choices which are spontaneously correct--both for you and those around you.

4) The Law of Least Effort
Q: How do I start using the power the Law of least effort.
Ans: The first step is decide. You have to consciously decide that you are going to use this law and it's principles.
Here are the principles:
a) Acceptance- Make a commitment that today I will accept people, situations, circumstances and events as they occur. This means I will know that this moment is as it should be, because the whole universe is as it should be.
b) Responsibility-This means not blaming anyone or anything for your situation, including yourself. This allows you the ability to have a creative response to the situation as it is now. All problems contain the seeds of opportunity, and this awareness allows you to take the moment and transform it to a better situation or thing
c)Defenselessness- his means that you have relinquished the need to convince or persuade others of your point of view. If you relinquish this need you will in that relinquishment gain access to enormous amounts of energy that have been previously wasted.

5) The Law of Intention and Desire

Q:Deepak.Chopra in many places uses the words "intention" and "desire" to mean different things. I am not able to understand how they are different ? Can someone pls explain that to me in plain english ?

Ans:Intention is much more fundamental than desire. Desire can have its source in the ego self. But, pure Intention always arises from real being and is much much more powerful. Desire can just remain a desire if there is no Intention to realize it.
For example I "desire" to have money and I "intend" to achieve my desire by doing so-and-so ,for example, not harming others or by being true to my myself or by "intending" to use my "desire" to achieve higher purpose in life or using that money (desire) to help oneself and others in a positive and uplifting way (intention)

6) The Law of Detachment

Q: Why do we need to be detached? How does it help in manifesting our desires?

Ans :This law says that in order to acquire anything in the physical universe, you have to relinquish your attachment to it. This doesn't mean you give up the intention to create your desire. You give up your attachment to the result. This is a very powerful thing to do. The moment you relinquish your attachment to the result, combining one-pointed intention with detachment at the same time, you will have that which you desire. Anything you want can be acquired through detachment, because detachment is based on the unquestioning belief in the power of your true Self. Attachment comes from poverty consciousness, because attachment is always to symbols. Detachment is synonymous with wealth consciousness, because with detachment there is freedom to create. True wealth consciousness is the ability to have anything you want, anytime you want, and with least effort. To be grounded in this experience you have to be grounded in the wisdom of uncertainty. In this uncertainty you will find the freedom to create anything you want.

7) The Law of "Dharma" or Purpose in Life

Q: How do we find our dharma?

Ans:Dharma means your purpose in life. Your purpose is in a way defined by the unique talents that you have. Every human being born in this world has one unique talent. Some have more.How do we find out , what is or are our unique talents? Start with thinking about what you would do, if you didn't have to make a living, you had all the money you needed. Think about how you could put that talent in the service of humanity. That's your dharma

The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success are powerful principles that enable us to attain self-mastery. If you put your attention on these laws and practice the steps outlined above, you will see that you can manifest anything you want--all the affluence, money and success you desire. You will also see that your life becomes more joyful and abundant in every way, for these laws are also the spiritual laws of life that make living worthwhile.

Thanks for visiting Bookmarq

Book Review of a Best Seller from Stephen Covey

2009-12-13T03:22:00.000-08:00

Book:7 Habits of Highly Effective People

Author: Stephen Covey

I had first picked up this book a few years back , but probably wasn't ready for it back then and I was yet to develop the habit of reading. So I could never read beyond the second chapter. It's only when I started blogging about bestselling books that , my father recommended to try this book again and I am glad that I listened to him . I started searching for a copy of the book and found a friend who was willing to lend me his audio book.

Back when I had first started reading this book I was probably paying more attention to others opinion. Most of the time people say that books of this kind are motivational, it's nice to read them, it's nice to talk about them, it's nice to even think about them, but you can forget about implementing them.

Probably that's where this book comes in. It talks about habits that all of us can develop. These habits are built on principles and values. By aligning ourselves with these principles and values we can bring more efficiency in our work life and joy in our personal lives.
This book teaches us how to develop the life skills and traits that all of us need to develop.

You see, habits, skills and traits are like muscles. We develop the muscles we use most often. Similarly the habits, skills or traits we have today are the results of the way we have done things in the past, repeatedly. Just like we can tone our bodies and build new muscles where we need them,we can build new habits or skills , which add value to our lives. And we all know, habits build character. This what this book is all about. It's not about some quick fixes, like smiling, nodding your head, or chanting some mantra in your head. It's about building a character which can bring sustainable success to us. Agreed this requires a lot of work, and we don't know how long is it going to take.That's where Covey likes to use the analogy of the Chinese bamboo,which stays like a small shoot above the ground for 5 years, while building it's roots underground and then grows 80feet in one night. Habits are like our roots, they help us stay anchored and face challenges that life throws at us. The result ,of this perseverance, is the success that comes eventually.

We can start with just one habit, say having a personal vision and mission, or empathic listening or thinking win-win. Once we start with any of the habits, we will find that the other habits come naturally and it becomes easier to adopt them one by one.

One of the benefits that I found is ,that the habit of empathic listening makes you treat people like people and not things ,or means to an end.Covey uses the word effectiveness as a synonym for success. Most of us want to be more efficient rather that effective. But we cannot be efficient with people, we need to be effective. In fact, as Covey puts it, with people, slow is fast and fast is slow. I think this is a very important principle to grasp, in this age of sms, emails , twitter , where we are spending less and less time face to face and giving less attention to peple who deserve it and becoming less effective with people. By empathic listening we try to understand the other person before we expect them to understand us (another habit).By truly understanding another person we can build synergies and have win-win solutions(another habit).

As we read the book you will also find that most of the habits that Covey talks about, are common sensical, and we are aware of them at some level. But it becomes easier for us to identify them and follow them when someone like Covey, puts them in front of us. Once we make it our life long mission to build and sustain these habits the results start showing up everywhere automatically. As a result, we can be more effective in our work, spend more time with our family and contribute more to the society.

So please go ahead and pick up this book and start reading it today. I would be glad to know what habits your have decided to adopt and the changes that they are bringing to your lives.

Thanks for visiting.

Book Review of a Best Seller from Napolean Hill

2009-12-06T00:15:00.000-08:00

Book: Think and Grow Rich
Author: Napolean Hill

Think and grow rich has probably resulted in more number of millionaires than any other book in history. Since it was first published in 1937, around the time of the great depression,it has inspired several individuals to rise above mediocrity to unfathomable wealth and continues to do so till this day.

Napolean Hill was probably one of the first authors on the subject of Law of attraction, even before that term had been coined.This book can be used for manifestation of wealth, gaining confidence, love,overcoming anxiety and depression, healing physical illnesses etc.

Napolean Hill wrote not just a self help book, but a manual, which needs to be read and re read again and again, until the principles get completely absorbed by the mind.
Any person, who chooses to spend time in reading this book, will find his life transformed. For in the pages lie the secret to wealth,abundance and prosperity, which have been gathered through painstaking work for 25 years by the author, by studying the lives of 500 highly successful people of his time. The list includes Ford, Edison and Carnegie, who had very humble beginnings like the author himself.

The beauty of the book is that it doesn't give out the secret in loud and clear text. Instead it is found, between the lines.It is for the reader to discover the secret fully. Whoever reads the book will find that the principles can be applied to everything in life and not just for creating wealth.
But wealth is what most of us desire.
We want to be wealthy, or we want wealth + happiness, or wealth+ happiness + love..The +s can go on.
But here are a few questions we should ask ourselves:

Do we truly know what we desire? Do we know what we love to do? Do we know what is our purpose?
Do we have a plan to execute that purpose? Do we have a burning desire to see that our desires are fulfilled?
Do we have confidence in ourselves?Do we have faith in ourselves or in God?
Do we have the persistence to keep on going when the going gets tough?

Napolean Hill says, if the answer to any of the questions is no, then we are in the way of the manifestation of our desires.How long will we sit at the fences and accept what life doles out to us and keep hoping for good luck? It's time we start making our own luck and this book shows us how.

The author says all desires start with an idea , a thought, and our thoughts determine our destiny.Either we control our mind or it controls us.True riches lie in the deep recesses of the mind and not in the banks.
By accessing the mind power we can manifest all our desires.
It doesn't matter where we are, what is our education, this mind power is accessible to each and every human being in equal measure. The only thing is that can we realize this power?People who have , have risen to great heights, and people who chose fear, have been swept out.
We can start by managing our thoughts and repeating them again and again, until they become deeply grooved in our thought patterns

By doing meditation on good thoughts, loving thoughts of health,wealth and abundance for us and everyone around us we can create our own life ,as beautiful as we want it to be. We can become free from anxiety, depression and ill health and become full of confidence and life and bask in prosperity.

Let's discover this power in ourselves.

Cheers,
Anupam
NB: I will talking at length on affirmations in my future posts.(D8UQ8UAMWRSF)

Book Review of a Best Seller from Eckhart Tolle

2009-11-29T01:35:00.000-08:00

Book: A New Earth- Awakening to your life’s purpose

Author: Eckhart Tolle

What is the purpose of my life? How do I make my life more meaningful? How often have we asked ourselves?Countless times for most of us. Yet most of the time we do not have an answer.Yet there is this book which claims to have the answer what we are searching for.After the highly successful book “Power of Now” and several other books, Eckhart Tolle has written this new spiritual book.

The word awakening in the title has not been used in the traditional sense. Rather it is a sign post to enlightenment. Now is that really the purpose our lives?To get enlightened? Then what about money, what about power, what about my job, we ask ourselves? Am I supposed to sit down all day and meditate? Is this meditation going to fill my purse or stomach?

If I could put all that I have learnt from this book in one line it would be “True success is giving your full attention to what you are doing right now”

Now imagine, how your job would be, if you were to focus on it completely for 8 hours in a day, 5 days a week and 52+ weeks in a year. Is it possible that you would ever produce a low quality work? Is it possible that , you would be unsuccessful?

What would be the quality of your relationships, if you focused only on your wife, spouse or children when you are with them? What if you listened carefully to each and every word every time without bringing in any judgment.? Would your life be ever deprived of love?

The answers are obvious aren’t they?

Yet why do we ignore the present and live in the past or the future? Why are so many people “Waiting for something to happen, to start living”? It’s the way we are.

Through out the book he uses quotes from Budhhist philosophy, Bible, Taoism, Hinduism, Sufism to stress that all philosophies point to the same essential truth. What he is saying is not some new age mystical stuff, but has been said repeatedly by the torch bearers of consciousness like, Jesus, Buddha, Vivekananda and in recent times by Deepak Chopra and Dalai Lama.

What Eckhart is saying through this book is to start living our lives in a different manner. Because when we start giving our whole hearted attention to what we are doing now, it opens up the dimension of consciousness, the sacred to come into our lives.

According to Tolle, most of us confuse our life situations or problems with our lives. Our lives and us are in fact one. What we can do is, accept the life situation, remove ourselves from the situation or change the situation. But no matter what we do , we should give it our fullest attention. This never means denial of the situation or doing nothing. But it is in fact the most empowering thing that one can ever do. Acceptance of a situation negates any kind of negativity, and puts us in the touch with the power of God and brings in the sacredness in our lives

On the outer level of form, our purpose can always change. Our outer purpose is always transient. But inside ourselves our only purpose is to be in the Now, to be one with life and let it flow through us.

Living in this way, we become the hole in the flute, that God’s breath flows through.
Living in this way, makes, doing anything a joyful experience.

Let's make, each step in our lives joyous and beautiful.

Cheers,

Anupam

NB: Oprah became a huge fan of this book and started an Oprah web class on the new earth along with Eckhart Tolle. I suggest you check them out on You Tube.

Book Review of a Best Seller from Eckhart Tolle

2009-11-19T01:39:00.000-08:00

Book:The Power of Now

Author: Eckhart Tolle.

Have you ever picked up a book, feeling unsure about how it's going to be? But,as you begin to flip through the pages, it begins to grip your attention, as you begin to see every aspect of your life in a new light. The more you read it, the more you feel like a portal opening up into an unknown domain, yet it's possibly the best thing that could ever happen to you. Now, as you try to folllow what this book is saying, you realize it's transmutation power as it begins to permeate through every aspect of your life.
That's the power of now.The essence of this book is none other than the power ,of your presence.

The reason I chose this book as my first post, is it is one of those rare books which have true transformational power. It has truly touched all aspects of my life,just as it has touched millions of other people world wide. Since it was first published , it went on to become an underground best seller and has been translated into 30 different languages, catapulting it to the position of New York times best seller list and to the world stage.Perhaps it is the best testimonial to the success of the person, who has shown the world how to go beyond the mind and the success it can bring.

According to the author Eckhart Tolle, all of us confuse ourselves as the ego or the mind, as propounded by Descartes's famous saying"Cogito Ergosum" which in English means "I think, therefore I am". This is the core error. We are in fact consciousness, God or being , the one life force that is present through out the universe.

The mind is merely masquerading as the true being. It is conditioned by the past and loves to be in the past or the future.The power of consciousness can be accessed only in the now, the present moment. According to Eckhart Tolle, the mind is dysfunctional. We don't recognize it merely because all of us are suffering from the same disease. The Power of Now says,"The collective egoic mind is the most dangerously insane and destructive entity ever to inhabit this planet, and is now destroying the planet that sustains it".This can be deeply unsettling for some readers, as it threatens their identity, who they think they are.
But if they really choose to follow the book, and allow presence to come into their lives, they will realize the truth said plainly in the words of this book. Eckhart Tolle shows three ways in which we can allow presence to come into our lives
1. Be a witness to your thoughts 2. Focus on your breathing 3. Feel the inner body.
All three of them are equally powerful and can be practiced in our daily lives.
The chapter which caught my attention was on Enlightened Relationships.I have been in relationships and I have seen people being in relationships.Have you ever asked yourself why do relationships get soured after the initial euphoria?What changes after marriage?

The Power of Now says, true love relationships cannot exist as long as we operate primarily through the mind.Love relationships actually turn into love/hate relationships.Ego is very cunning and resorts to all sorts of emotional balckmailing and drama if it's needs are not met. Emotional clinging and neediness are other aspects which we can see in relationships today.When both partners bring presence into their relationship they can bring peace, joy and love comes into their home.

Birth and death, creation and destruction are part of the cycle of life. It is true for a star, a planet, a tree,the biggest mountains and all relationships.When we resist change in our lives, we actually go against the flow of life itself,and cause suffering. Acceptance of the now brings peace. After dissolution there is another cycle of growth. Only in the now we have creativity. Only in the now we have life .Only in the now we have love.

Even if I have failed to convey to you the true essence of this book, I want you to consider this now.Imagine having no memory of your past from this moment and no future .This is the only moment you have today . How much free would you feel? How much joy would you feel once you are unburdened by the heavy emotions that you carry inside you? Let me know your comments below and if you choose to read the book or have already done so..let me know your story..

Cheers,

Anupam