Musings: The best way to live is to wonder why!

Wonder why? thats the best way to live life!... Interested? Read on to understand why?

One day, the wind sees a man who wears a big coat walking on the beach. The wind wants to prove that he is the mightiest force of nature, so he challenges the sun.

He says to the sun, “I am mightier than you are. Let’s prove it by seeing who can blow off the man’s coat. The sun laughs and replies, “Sure, my friend, go for it.”

So the wind starts to blow strongly, trying to blow off the man’s coat. The problem is that the stronger the wind blows, the tighter the man holds on to his coat. After a while, the wind exhausts himself, gives up and says to the sun, “Well, I can’t do it, and if I can’t do it, you can’t do it either.” The sun laughs again, and says, “I don’t have to do anything. I just need to be what I am.” Then the sun quietly rises, the weather becomes so hot, the man takes off his coat.” 

Most people are resistant to change; many are like the man with his coat. They wear a big thick coat of negativity, sadness, depression, and unhappiness. If you adapt the method of wind by trying to change them with force, they will hold on to their negative emotion more than ever before. If you want to help them take off and let go of their unwanted emotions, you must learn from the sun and just BE.

This force need not necessarily be that of one individual exercising it on another. I realized it could be our own mental dispositions and prejudices, ignorance which could force us to hold on to superfluous and redundant values. We are all are conditioned to live life as if its a race to be won or a battle to be fought or a guilt to be suffered or a problem to be solved. This is totally in contrast to the "Let go" attitude which emphasis that Life is a mystery to be lived and not otherwise. 

If life is a mystery then the only way to recognize it is by wondering. Yes, wondering why? If we look around everything is unique and wonderful and yet as a moron we recognize that there are only 7 wonders in this world. Aren't we super stingy? Has not the wonderer in us died a long back?

I had a 5 hour transit wait time at Dubai Airport and scribbled this blog and the few lines below stressing the concept...

If only we realize that

Life isn't a battle to be won.

Life isn't a race to be run

But, Life is a mystery to be lived!

If only we realize that

Life isn't a challenge to be fought
Life isn't a theory to be sought

But, Life is a mystery to be lived!

If only we realize that

Life isn’t an art to be mastered

Life isn’t a problem to be solved

But, Life is a mystery to be lived!

If only we realize that

Life isn’t a sin to be punished

Life isn’t a curse to be suffered

But, Life is a mystery to be lived!

If only we realize that

Life isn’t an asset to be monetized

Life isn’t a thing to be materialized

But, Life is a mystery to be lived!

If only we realize that

Life isn't a hypothesis to be proved
Life isn't a treasure to be found

But, Life is a mystery to be lived!

If only we realize that

Life isn't a meaning to be explained
Life isn't an event to be exhibited

But, Life is a mystery to be lived!

If only we realize that

Life isn't a logic to be analyzed

Life isn't a trial to be judged

But, Life is a mystery to be lived!

If only we realize that

Life isn't a question to be answered

Life isn’t a test to be passed

But, Life is a mystery to be lived!

If only we realize that

Life isn't a fact to be established
Life isn't a market to be invested

But, Life is a mystery to be lived!

If only we realize that

Life isn't a disease to be cured
Life isn't a danger to be insured

But, Life is a mystery to be lived!

Never say life isn't fair

Never live a life of despair

Never say i deserved better

Never live with memories bitter

Enjoy the mystery in everything!

In the Sunrise & Sunset, Summer & Spring,

In the Day & Night, Dark & Light

In the infant's smile & in how a flower smell

In the mother's love like a magic spell

In the chilling wind & the chiming stream

In the noisy life & the silent mind

At the mountain's peak & the first snow fall

In the woman's heart, its mystery in all

In the shaking earth & the rising sea

In the moving stars & the burning sun
In the space between & the space within 

In the quest of knowledge the forbidden, overridden

Like the first disobedience with an apple at Eden

A nature ever changing unlike the providence eternal
A love so nourishing like the bonds paternal
Its unique & wonderful yet ever mysterious 

The more we unravel, more profound it appears

As one wise man said,

From wonder into wonder, the existence opens

For wonder implies our desire to learn

"Wondering why" is the beginning of the wisdom

Isn't a mind opened by wonder is better than closed by belief? 

Isn't wonder an involuntary praise?

Just 7 wonders! Isn't a wonderer's demise? 

The naive in me can see no other way

The best way to live is to wonder why!

Yours wonderingly,

Happy reading!

Musings: Keys for the Gateless gate!

This is an attempt to imagine a conversation between an average man and a sage (Zen or a Sufi monk). I have tried to link some of the concepts and quotes i liked in this imaginary conversation and stitched it into a loooong blog.... If you like any concept or construction it was certainly quoted by "one wise man".

Unless you are extremely interested in philosophy (esp. eastern philosophies), you may find it dry and boring... Attempt it at your own risk.

Man:     Good Evening to you, Sir!..

Sage:     Welcome Son. Hmmm….. Good evening? Good and bad follow each other just like Night and day. What do you do and why are you here?

Man:     Sir, I am a business man. I make one into two and make profits.  I am mentally very tired; give me some words of wisdom.

Sage:     Son, Pursue pleasures, pressures shall follow. Pursue profits, problems follow.

Man:     Sir, fear ridden and ever stressed, I fight my tears in the mask of my manliness.

Sage:   Son, If nature did not want you to cry then it would not have endowed you with tear glands. Cry as you please. Cry at will and cry as much as you want.

Man:     Sir, please tell me how can I be at peace?

Sage:   What do I tell you?

Man:     Sir, there isn’t a resting place for my thoughts. Please tell me something from scriptures.

Sage:     So be it son, listen and understand this.

“That which is, is.

That which was, was.

That which would be, would be.

That which isn’t, isn’t

That which wasn’t, wasn’t

That which wouldn’t be, wouldn’t be…”

                 

Man:     Sir, this sounds simple, yet complicated.

Sage:    Son,

“However deep your knowledge of the scriptures,
It is no more than a strand of hair…”

Man:     Sir, Please tell me something from what was preached by ancient monks.

Sage:   So be it son, listen and understand this.

“It is nameless and formless,

Realize it,

Ever desire less one sees the mystery

Ever desiring, one sees the manifestations…”

Man:     Sir, Why is it always cryptic and confusing. Why is it this way?

Sage:   Son,  

This is because, that is.

That is because, this is.

This isn’t because, that is

That isn’t because this is…”

Man:     Sir…

Sage:   Yes Son. I know, you cannot follow this either.

“The ancient masters are subtle & profound

Because it is mysterious

All we can do is describe their appearance

And not understand their teachings….”

Man:     Sir… what is my problem?

Sage:   Son,

“Big egos shields empty spaces

Illusory masters of our piety choices

Certainly Ignorant & Ignorantly certain

Our deepest learning is in knowing

All Ignorance yet ever Ignorant is our way of living”

Man:     Sir… I agree that I am ignorant. Help me. What should I believe in?

Sage:   Son,

“When truth is forgotten, belief arises

When belief arises, priests arrive

When priests arrive, morality arises

When morality arises, kindness arrives

When kindness arises, hatred arrives

When hatred arises, fear arrives

When morality arises, fear arrives

When fear arises, desire and dislikes arrive

When morality arises, pretense arrives

May the truth prevail, renounce pretenses

May the truth prevail, renounce beliefs …”

Man:     Sir… then is believing bad?

Sage:   Son, Good and bad are subsets of the belief system. Neither it is about whether belief is good or bad nor it is about the progressive levels of truth but it is all about highest level of truth. When short on truth, you are long on belief. When the conduct weakens, then creed prevails.

Man:     Sir… I can’t understand the scriptures. I can’t follow the teachings of ancient masters. I should not believe in something. What should I do?

Sage:     Son, realize

                “There is nothing called teaching

                But it is always about learning

                Scriptures and preaching are like

                Names boards that point you right

                It can just point but not take you there 

Scriptures and preaching are like

Gardeners that protect & nurture the sprout

They can just protect but can’t make them grow

Scriptures and preaching are like

Midwives who can help you deliver from yourself

They can just help but can’t deliver for you

Scriptures and preachings are of no use

If it can’t stroke the spark within

If it can’t ignite the light within

If it can’t burn the desires within

If it can’t awaken the master within

Realize the scriptures and masters outside

Are just instruments to awaken the guru inside!

Man:     Sir… I realize my mistake. I should not have asked you to tell me something from scriptures and preachings for my problems. I should not have tried prescribing a solution to my problems. Sir, please tell what is right for me.

Sage:     Yes son. Looks like you have just arrived. Listen to me attentively. The path to knowledge starts not with teaching, not with learning but with unlearning.

Man:     Sir… unlearning?

The monkey has been reaching

For the moon in the water

Repeatedly, he'd let go the branch and

Disappeared in the deep pool

How would the monkey learn and yet unlearn?

Sage:     Son, understanding both the fundamental laws of nature and the state of being is the first step to that.

They say the laws of nature are profound and mysterious to the ignorant; it is simple and direct for the wise. You don’t have to work hard to understand them since nature on its own reveals them to those who are prepared.

·         Law of Organic whole:  Ekam Sat. The truth is only one. Always looks for un-manifested interconnections. This is the principle of interconnectedness.

·         Law of Impermanence: Recognize the permanence of Impermanence. The universe is ever evolving and hence ever changing. Seek the only truth that is ever constant.

·         Law on Non-duality:      Everything is a manifestation of energy. Energy is always bipolar, yet non-dual.

·         Law of Karma: Reap what you sow. This is the principle of reciprocity.

·         Law of attraction: Likes attract. Seek and you shall get.

·         Law of Pluralistic uniqueness: Pluralistic uniqueness is nature’s own manifestation.

·         Law of receptivity:  Let go. The more you give the more you have. In fact you only have what you give.

·         Law of perception: You are your deep driving passion. All manifestations of nature will be subject to this interpretation. Be aware of this.

·         Law of Self evolution: Nature ensures we all evolve with time and no one can escape this. This also known as the principle of self learning.

·         Law of Infinity: Among all beings humans have the ability to think of the infinite. This capacity has been diminishing and been very muted.

Your state of being is a function of interaction between 5 elements of nature, 5 sheaths of bodies and 7 centers of energy within you…

“Aligned Gravity prepares Pranic infrastructure

Pranic purity leads to emotional stability

Chakral purity leads to mental clarity

Clarity and Stability leads the internal journey

Sensitivity and Awareness accelerates the journey”

Man:     Sir… These have always been islands of information and not an integrated knowledge. How do I integrate them? I have been knocking at the door and it has not opened for me yet.

Sage:     Here you come.

A preacher was teaching his disciples:   “Keep knocking continuously at the door and it will be opened one day.”

An old monk told the preacher, “How long will you say that the door will be opened. The door was never shut.”  

Man:     Sir…

Sage:

“…Islands of information as it appears

Hidden is the thread that unites

Hidden in the daily din of our worldly lives

Some say that the truth sounds paradoxical

I say the truth never sounds

I say, the truth is buried deeply in silence

As you see one in all and all in one

You shall see that a perfect square has no corners

As you see one in all and all in one

You shall see, that there weren’t any doors

As you see one in all and all in one

Dust from the mirror

Cleansed much with care

Gone is the mirror

You naïve were focused on the dust…”

Man: …..

Sage:  In life,

Master the science of transmuting
Adversity to opportunity,

Failures to learning,
Success to humility,

Prosperity to moderation,
Authority to motivation,

Energy to goodwill

Accomplish,

Learning without words

Working without doing

Giving without hesitation,

Losing without regret
acquiring without meanness,

Learning without pride

It’s a karmic life; live in a dharmic way
with no hatred in action and harm to none
With love for all in heart and thoughts
don’t destroy the roses to avoid the thorns
don’t waste your life living at other’s pace!
Connecting to yourself ignoring the race
Hearing your breath and the silence in space!

Finally realize

Turning one to two is loss 

Turning many to one 

Seeing many in one and 

one in many is profit

Man: Many thanks Sir. Please point me to 2 qualities that can restore peace within me  and anchor me in peace.

Sage: Son, Compassion and Silence…. They are the keys to the gateless gate!

The sage thought that if this man has understood the importance of these two qualities then there shall be no more questions.

And there weren't any more questions!

Happy reading!

Musings: The law of Least effort – Part 2/2

 

This is part 2/2 of the blog. Part 1 of this blog here…Part 1

Argument 5: This is the Prativada (Counter argument) from my end.

I keep asking my friends “Tell me the difference between Yoga and Aerobics / running or more broadly Internal Arts and External arts. If you are coming across some of the following concepts for the first time, then you are doing a favor to yourself by reading this further. This is not stated with an air of arrogance, but my conviction in the following concepts are so deep that these basics are lost in the din of our materialistic and fast paced life. This blog may just point you in the right direction as something like this acted as a pointer to me few years back.

• The fundamental difference from a metabolic and fitness angle between Internal and external arts is that Internal arts are ANABOLIC and the external arts are CATABOLIC. In one angle they both represent two sides of the same coin but their effect on our physiology and psychology are different. Some of the other characteristics of the Internal arts as understood by me are as follows:
  • Internal arts believes that the everything evolved from a single source and in this universe everything is a manifestation of energy from that source and this energy can be cultivated and nourished for the well being of the society / individual. As Tamil poet Bharathiyar said, “Engu kaaninum Shakthiyada”. Internal arts takes you closer to nature and merges you with it over time.
  • Internal arts refers to Yoga, advanced forms of martial arts like Tai Chi, in my opinion even Indian classical dances like Bharatnatyam…
  • Indian scriptures emphasizes that there are many ways to achieve Nirvana / Samadhi. Apart from Bhakthi Yoga, Karma Yoga and Jnana Yoga it highlights that disciplines like Ashtanga Yoga, Music (nada Brahman) and more interestingly Bharatnatyam and Wrestling (Mal Yudh) are also means to the ends.
  • How do we nurture this energy for vitality or to perform miracles? My understanding is that its a 4 step process.
    • Step 1 - Preparation of our mind using techniques like Yama and Niyama as stated by the Ashtanga Yoga. These are observances and abstinences that cultivates a pure energy within us which is cultivated with qualities like love, kindness, compassion and mercy. Every religious, spiritual or arts school insist on this as the first step at different depths.
    • Step 2 - Preparing the body so that its fit and aligned with the force of gravity. If you have been wondering why i have been harping on the concept of gravity so much in the earlier part of the blog is explained here. The fundamental requirement for any development for fitness or for meditation or even for performing miracles is to understand where your center of gravity is and align yourself perfectly to that.

If your Yoga master has not talked about the importance of gravity and the need to align your body with it, then I strongly recommend that you quit the class NOW. The ultimate objective of all the Asanas is to train the body in such a way that the body is perfectly in shape and alignment with gravity.

Sage Patanjali defined Asanas in just 2 words “Sukham Sthiram Asanam”. It requires extreme levels of wisdom to be so concise and stingy with words yet it conveys the entire meaning.

Sukham means that which is comfortable. Sthiram means that which is stable. Any posture that meets these 2 criteria qualifies to be an Asana. Yet both the qualities can be fulfilled only when our body weight is aligned and distributed along the center of gravity. All instructions to sit like a bell in lotus posture (Padmasana) that keep your back straight, align your neck blah blah are only to align your center of gravity perfectly.

This is not just in Yoga, if you see the stance, forms and movements in Bharatnatyam or in Tai Chi it is the same concept. You just need to be sensitive to this and you would find every thing like Sumo, Wrestling, Judo are all not about brutal force being applied but use techniques and understand the force leverage points so that one can take opponent’s alignment out of place.

Hence fundamental to any fitness program is the alignment of our weight to gravity. This is not the end but necessary condition as a starting point. Alas, we have been living a life that is so gross that subtle force of gravity which has been acting on us since we are born is either ignored or absolutely strange to us that we blink and scratch our heads when some one asks us to find our center of gravity.

There is an higher concept called “rooting” which we will avoid in this discussion. Lets go to the 3rd step in the 4 step process.

• Step 3 - This is the classical Pranayama or Chi development program (Chi Kung, Qigong as called in Chinese). One can start this only when they have mastered the art of alignment with gravity. Today we see people offering meditation and Pranayama classes on the fly which is at best would not offer any result and at worst may do some irreversible damage to the students.

Its difficult to explain the power of Chi / prana.. I am sharing few links below. These videos changed my perception about life and have had a great impact on me. You would realize that the “Miracles are the science of subtlety subject to the laws of nature which we don’t understand and nothing more”.

Bubble Energy demonstration: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B2DXdFYDXCk

Discourse on Heart Sutra: This is a 4 part series, try watching all the 4 parts in Youtube.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=26pJkYhHGek&feature=related

Ask some one to run for life and demonstrate anything that remotely resembles this capability.

• The 4th step in the process is to enhance our consciousness, mindfulness and awareness through Dhyana and meditation. Even for Chi gung exercises the importance of applying our mind and mentally being there in the exercise is very very critical.

Without mentally being there you cannot achieve anything. If you agree to this then tell me how someone running with an iPOD hanging out of their hips listening to music, oblivious of where and how one is running can generate any useful energy within our body?

• Its generally accepted that Internal arts are superior to external arts for the above mentioned reasons and the point i was trying to make was there are more evolved forms of exercises available to improve our fitness levels and enhance our consciousness than the mindless running.

Now let me spend some time to highlight the “Law of Least Effort”.

• You would agree Prana / Chi management is more evolved than the Asanas and meditation is more evolved than Pranayama. If this is the case you would notice that from movement this evolution leads to stillness. In Asanas body moves and aligns itself. In Pranayama breath moves and body is more or less fixed. In meditation movement of both the body and breath are minimal. So more evolved your efforts are the lesser the outward / physical movements. By the same logic walking is more evolved than running and Asanas more evolved than walking.
• Notice people doing Tai Chi the movements – they are so slow and it is called as Moving Meditation.
• The law of least effort is fantastically highlighted by Lao Tzu: “Sit still and do nothing, the spring comes and the grass grows!”. We need many life times to understand and appreciate the wisdom in this quote.

• As Deepak Chopra puts it “In Vedic Science, the age-old philosophy of India, this principle is known as the principle of economy of effort, or "do less and accomplish more." Ultimately you come to the state where you do nothing and accomplish everything. This means that there is just a faint idea, and then the manifestation of the idea comes about effortlessly. What is commonly called a "miracle" is actually an expression of the Law of Least Effort.
• Nature's intelligence and actions are effortless, frictionless, spontaneous. The earth rotates around its axis and revolves around the sun effortlessly. It is non-linear; it is intuitive, holistic, and nourishing. And when you are in harmony with nature, when you are established in the knowledge of your true Self, you can make use of the Law of Least Effort.

To sum up, the current day mindless marathon / running is not the best form of keeping fitness and there are more evolved forms available and known to mankind. As our consciousness grows and ignorance reduces we tend to become more evolved and in the process we engage our mind in everything we do and give a new meaning to the word “BEing”. Once the awareness is full and mind is in the present moment then physical movements become superfluous as vitality and wisdom dawns on us without any great effort. This is what many call “The law of least effort”.

More evolved forms (aka) lazy beings like me practice Sukhasana or Shavasana for better levels of fitment :). A bean bag may help you in the process to attain Nirvana. This takes you closer to the ultimate level of “DO NOTHING and ACCOMPLISH EVERYTHING”.

If you agree with come join the club and promote the concept and philosophy The law of Least effort as a way of life :)…

As I am completing this blog, my kids are getting impatient and I am “running” now to play with them.

 

Yours Runningly,

Happy Reading!

PS:

As a post script I am adding this beautiful interpretation of Einstein’s theory of relativity supporting the expressions on this blog, which i read today from OSHO’s book “Emotional Wellness”. I am quoting from the book…

…” When you sit in the lotus posture (Padmasana) the gravitation has the least effect on you…. your spine is absolutely straight and the whole body relaxed. And it is the gravitation that kills you; the more you are affected by gravitation, the more you are pulled towards the grave. It became perfectly clear when Einstein declared that if we can create vehicles that move at the speed of light, then people who travel in those vehicles will not age – not at all….. His idea was that at the speed of light, aging stops…. But Einstein was not aware of the yoga explanation. The yoga explanation is that the person would come back to the earth - the same age because he was out of the field of gravitation …. thousands of yogis have lived longer than anybody else, just sitting in that posture, gravitation has the least effect on them…..”

The key message in this blog is,  “As a nation with rich tradition, culture and phenomenal science & metaphysical knowledge we do have most of the things which are better / superior than what we have imported few decades back… more so in the world of fitness and good living. Let realize it.