Road & Driving

Someone said "Life is like road & Gita the set of driving instructions"

If life is a road & some are walking, other on bikes, few on cars & some on buses and everybody moving at their pace in their vehicle , alone or with others.

Gita is like a book of driving instructions & rules to be followed on the road.
If everyone followed the book ...it will be a perfect use of road, all in harmony, no accidents and everyone reaching safely in their own time.

If only few following rules - they will either get distracted by others, troubles by the non followers or tempted to not follow the rules. But with conviction that "I must do what is right" the rule followers will reach safely to the destination.

The vehicles are the tools & assistance that God has provided us on this journey of life. The bends & bumps & pot holes are to bring back awareness : to stick to the path.

Saint & Scientist

A scientist does research,  discover something that helps the society for time to come. Its a selfless act that benefits others. He toils for months but not for enjoying the fruits of his work. A scientist works in a lab & uses external elements for his research.

Similarly a saint shares his knowledge selflessly to benefit others. Knowledge which he may have acquired from research done in solitude & going internal or as a divine gift. Many masters of today are busy spreading knowledge and so are there followers. The all do that to help the society.

They sound similar and their motivation to help others and the selfless service is a pure intention too.

OM & scientific explanination

There is a scientific logic to resonating with the cosmic vibration that someone told me about.

What is Resonance? ...from Wikipedia

In physics, resonance is the tendency of a system to oscillate with greater amplitude at somefrequencies than at others. Frequencies at which the response amplitude is a relative maximum are known as the system's resonant frequencies, or resonance frequencies. At these frequencies, even small periodic driving forces can produce large amplitude oscillations, because the system stores vibrational energy.

Resonance occurs when a system is able to store and easily transfer energy between two or more different storage modes (such as kinetic energy and potential energy in the case of a pendulum). However, there are some losses from cycle to cycle, called damping. When damping is small, the resonant frequency is approximately equal to the natural frequency of the system, which is a frequency of unforced vibrations. Some systems have multiple, distinct, resonant frequencies.

Resonance phenomena occur with all types of vibrations or waves: there is mechanical resonance,acoustic resonance, electromagnetic resonance, nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), electron spin resonance (ESR) and resonance of quantum wave functions. Resonant systems can be used to generate vibrations of a specific frequency (e.g. musical instruments), or pick out specific frequencies from a complex vibration containing many frequencies (e.g. filters).

Another way to explain resonance

- sum or parts is greater than whole

- singing alone and singing with others has a different impact

- when we are joyful or having a good time with others its an exponential effect not an addition effect

We all have have a frequency and when we chant "OM" , we are vibrating at a frequency similar to the cosmic frequency hence feel closer to divine, feel calmer, feel an expansion , be closer to our natural self.

PE

What comes to your mind ??

As a kid & he will say PE lesson as in Physical education

As a banker he will think on Private Equity lines

Some one in the stock market will only think of Price Earnings ratio

A immigration or tax expert will think of Permanent Establishment rules

How about the spiritual states of mind like
Post Enlightenment!!!
or Permanent Egoist
or Pre Engagement ( with knowledge)

PE are just 2 of the 26 letters of the English alphabet but can mean different things to different people.

Human form

They say we have to pass thru 8.4 million life forms before we get the "Human form" and its precious

Animals have most senses but not all are well developed & surely don't quite have the 6th sense. And they adapt to survive only

Human's have all senses and also a 6th and they excel when we are purer or closer to divine or in satwa.

Can a tiger be a vegetarian? or can you make a lamb kill smaller animals? They are part of the ecologic system & will only change as required by nature. And takes a long period of time for that too happen.

Human's too need to change to contribute to the natures balance & they can do a lot more in one lifetime because of the intellect given to them.

Humans can learn, can change & adapt to excel & contribute towards to society.

Dog & Bone

Have you ever watched a dog gnaw at the bone?
After he has eaten all the meat it continues to gnaw. Its difficult to part.
And its really the dogs saliva & blood that is there.

After having bared the piece to bone , the dog should have dropped it. Constant gnawing & chewing makes his mouth to bleed and then he is amidst his saliva & blood.

Its like when the purpose of an object is accomplished we must drop it. If we hope to find more useful ness and be possessive of something that has outlived its purpose we will tend to result in pain.

Kids do something similar to ice lolly sticks trying to extract the last bit of flavour and never drop till they start tasting the wood which is far from pleasant.

We all need to learn to drop before the unpleasantness comes in. And we can learn from our & other peoples experience we will spare ourselves the pain.

The combinations

Every book you read is just another combination of the 26 alphabets (Only if you only read books in languages that use the English alphabet of course.)

If you think this is cool, remember that every piece of organic material on Earth - human brains, plant leaves, mushrooms, a zebras - is coded for using different combinations of the same five nucleotides.

Brings us back to the point every thing in made of one or more the 5 elements - Earth, Water, Air, Fire & Ether

Success

"I thought success was a corner office; until I got the corner office.
I thought success was a big salary; until I got the big salary.
I thought success was an important title; until I got the important title.
I thought success was the house, car, and mountains of stuff; until I got all of those.

While it is certainly okay to achieve the office, salary, title and other ‘things,’ I learned that, for me, true success is waking each day with the self-respect, happiness and fulfillment that comes from being able to honestly look at myself in the mirror and say, 'Today I did my best to be my best."  

Now from a different point of view : Success is bringing a smile to someones face or enabling someone to have a sigh of relief or re instilling faith or just giving hope.

Success is adding value : some interpret this as material value addition , some knowledge addition or incremental satsang opportunity

Now a spiritual point of view : Success is moving a step closer to our true self...closer to divine ...closer to Moksha

FANTASTIC WORDS

Interesting :

The most selfish one letter word.
" I "
✂Avoid it.✂

.
The most satisfying two letter word.
"We"
✌Use it.✌
.
The most poisonous three letter word.
"Ego"
Kill it.
.
The most used four letter word.
"LOVE"
Value it.
.
The most pleasing five letter word.
"Smile"
Keep it
.
The fastest spreading six letter word.
"Rumour"
✖Ignore it.✖
.
The hard working seven letter word.
"Success"
Achieve it.
.
The most enviable eight letter word.
"Jealousy"
↔Distance it.↔
.
The most powerful nine letter word.
"Knowledge"
Acquire it.
.
The most divine ten letter word.
"Friendship"
Maintain it....


Now lets give it a spiritual bend...

1. I - the I , me , myself approach is self centric and takes you away from divine
2. We - Nothing that "God & I " can't handle. The most powerful WE
3. Ego - Source of many problems
4. Love - its our natural ability & source of energy
5. Smile - often heard costs nothing, but invaluable
6. Rumour - all spiritual masters & books say - stay away from gossip and conversations that reap no good
7. Success - has different interpretations - money, health, friends, or a blooming garden. As someone said - if you can be the reason for a smile! or make someone breathe a sigh of relief !! or just leave the world with a positive contribution !!!
8. Jealousy - is an out come of what I think is success and when the others have it !
9. Knowledge - the source, the means & the journey with no end 
10. Friendship - you have to be friends with yourself and then with others.

God an explanation for those who know Hindi

Santa & God & Aliens

Does Santa exists? Are there Aliens?? Is there God???

These are questions and doubts we have heard many a time.

And we may have also heard , if you believe in Santa then he is there.

Or for those who believe in God no explanation needed and for those who don't there is no explanation possible.

As for Aliens I have not much interest, but for those who do , they will read every book about them and watch every movie of science fiction with Aliens. For them they exist.

So what is critical - a proof that they exist ? Or a belief that they are there???

Think about it.

Eating, Digesting & Nutrition

What we eat may be a wholesome nutritious meal. But it depends what we really digest ( which has many variables - did we eat in right combination, chew well, enzymes et all) and then eventually what nutrition did the body absorb ( again depends on age, health conditions etc).

Say we eat 100 units of nutrition what really gets absorbed could be much less dependingon various factors. But we don't stop eating!!!!

Now relate this to Shravan ( listening to knowledge) , Manan ( churning it in our heads) and Nidhidhyasan ( assimilation & application).

What we hear, only part we understand & even less is imbibed. This happens due to various factors. We have to figure out what works for us.

Co existence

Scriptures say that when opposites co-exist peacefully and in harmony, that is symbolic of divinity.

If you are crying and laughing at the same time - divinity is there!

Shivji is the best and most quoted example of Divinity

He is called Bholenath as he is one God very easy to please and requires no rituals - on the other hand he is also called Rudra because of his Raudra (angry roop)

He has hot poison in his neck and cool moon and ganga on his head

He has snake and his son Ganesha's vahan rat co-existing

He is the highest Yogi and yet a perfect householder with a wife and 2 sons...

Night and day ; Life & death??? are they opposites? or just nature in peaceful co existence?

Moral: Opposites are meant to co-exist and complement each other. They are not meant to be in conflict.

Thus believe in the fact that God has created EVERYTHING FOR A PURPOSE and EVERYTHING IS NICE. 

We just have to have the right attitude and right kind of learning to understand the purpose and use it  accordingly.

Example: electricity gives us life and so many comforts ( air conditioning, warm water & so on) in so many ways. But if we put our finger in the socket and get a shock - it is not the fault of electricity. It is MISUSE AND IGNORANCE :-)

Major Themes in Gita ( a copy edit paste)

Yoga vs. Renunciation

A number of Eastern religions preach a strict form of asceticism which involves learning to renounce action and will. Renunciation becomes a process, then, of casting off worldly possessions and obligations and proceeding on a quest for nirvana, as the Buddha did. But Hinduism, as dictated by the Gita, urges yoga instead of renunciation. Yoga is literally "skill in action," or the process of using selfless action -- action designed only to unite with the divine -- as the true process to achieving enlightenment. For we cannot help but act, says Krishna. It is our nature -- and because of that, we must learn to act in accordance with the divine, not as the result and in service to our own egos, which are nothing more than destructive illusions.

Saatva vs. Rajas

The three gunas, born of the body, offer three different qualities which can either support or infect our lives on Earth. The ideal, or the least destructive guna, is saatva -- which supports harmony, purity, and balance in the body. Rajas is its opponent, born of passion and often a primary driver of ego, anger, greed, and lust. And finally, there is tamas, or disconnection -- a person eagerly clouds themselves in ignorance and darkness to avoid the process of reaching yoga. These three gunas present a person's natural inclinations. As long as a person is aware of which one he is naturally born to, as a result of his karma, then he can slowly move toward saatva and eventually toward a yoga which is free from the burden of the gunas.

Karma vs. Dharma

The terms dharma and karma often get confused by introductory Hinduism students and with good reason -- they are both products of the samsaric cycle of birth and death, but they have entirely different spheres of purpose. Karma is the accumulation of debt of action in the course of a person's samsaric cycle. Every action has a reaction and over the course of a lifetime, if one is accordance with the divine, he will gradually work off his or her karma. If he is acting selfishly and for ego, then he will accumulate more karma to work off. Reborn, each person finds their "dharma" or duty in order to work off this karma. Some are born to wealthy families, others to poor ones, some to spiritual families, others to evil-doing ones. The question isn't what you are born to, but how you use your life to dissolve as much karma as possible in order to end the samsaric cycle.

Proof vs. Faith

One of the more subtle themes in the Gita is the contrast between faith and evidence -- and humanity's inclination to want to "see" something in order to believe it. Indeed, one of the central tenants of Buddhism is that we must believe what we see -- and spend our lives trying to see as clearly as possible. But Arjuna keeps asking for evidence, or practicalities of how to achieve yoga and meditation, and Krishna finally offers him the sight of him in his most powerful form. Why Krishna doesn't demand total faith is an interesting tension in the Gita, and one that requires careful attention.

Theory vs. Action

Arjuna is constantly asking Krishna for pragmatic advice of how to put the Gita into concrete action. This emphasis on action is at the core of the entire work. What Krishna gives Arjuna, then, are clear steps and hierarchies for achieving the path of yoga. First off, he says meditation is the most important element, for meditation allows a focus on the divine that will inform every aspect of one's life. Second, there is selfless service, and finally, though not as powerful, one can also turn to blind renunciation. Krishna sees an enlightenment as a process that requires self-control and self-discipline in a series of concrete steps.

Seen vs. Unseen

Krishna makes the distinction between the seen world and the unseen world -- both products of his divine lila, or play. The unseen world is the purusha, of which all things are born. It is the spiritually unseen realm that informs everything that comes of prakriti, the material world. As humans, we have a tendency to put a primacy only on what we see instead of believing in a higher realm. Krishna wants Arjuna to have faith in the unseen as the guide of all his actions.

Jinana vs. Vijanana

Jinana is knowledge - and Krishna preaches knowledge as the first step towards true nirvana. The self-awareness that comes with understanding the role of the divine in everything we do will help guide a person towards yoga. But this is not enough. Krishna also encourages vijanana, or the act of using jinana in life, as the key to finding spiritual peace. Vijnana is simply yogic action -- or being able to maintain self-awareness at every moment in life -- even at the moment of death.

Respond , not React ( a copy & paste)

RESPOND NOT REACT - The Cockroach Theory for Self-development

Response Vs Reaction - The Cockroach Theory for Self-development At a restaurant, a cockroach suddenly flew from somewhere and sat on a lady. She started screaming out of fear. With a panic stricken face and trembling voice, she started jumping, with both her hands desperately trying to get rid of the cockroach. Her reaction was contagious, as everyone in her group also got panicky. The lady finally managed to push the cockroach away but ...it landed on another lady in the group. Now, it was the turn of the other lady in the group to continue the drama. The waiter rushed forward to their rescue. In the relay of throwing, the cockroach next fell upon the waiter. The waiter stood firm, composed himself and observed the behavior of the cockroach on his shirt. When he was confident enough, he grabbed it with his fingers and threw it out of the restaurant. Was the cockroach responsible for their histrionic behavior? If so, then why was the waiter not disturbed? He handled it near to perfection, without any chaos. It is not the cockroach, but the inability of the ladies to handle the disturbance caused by the cockroach that disturbed the ladies. We have to realize that it is not the shouting of your father or your boss or your wife that disturbs you, but it’s your inability to handle the disturbances caused by their shouting that disturbs you. It’s not the traffic jams on the road that disturbs you, but your inability to handle the disturbance caused by the traffic jam that disturbs you. More than the problem, it’s your reaction to the problem that creates chaos in your life. Lessons learnt from the story: I understood, I should not react in life. I should always respond. The women reacted, whereas the waiter responded. Reactions are always instinctive whereas responses are always well thought of, just and right to save a situation from going out of hand, to avoid cracks in relationship, to avoid taking decisions in anger, anxiety, stress or hurry. Let's all Practice this - Let's RESPOND, NOT REACT !!!"less