Friday, June 29, 2007

The path of illusion

Once when Buddha was resting and one of his followers came to him with a clay bowl.They told him that there was a saint who could levitate the bowl.They have seen with their own eyes that the saint could keep the bowl flying in the air.Buddha took the bowl and crashed it to the ground and told them never to believe in illusion.

Follow the truth and not the illusion.

Thursday, June 28, 2007

Influences

Caution
This is my personal view on movies/life.My view has been fromed by the countless number of people I have come across in Hyderabad for the 22 years of my life.The people described here are the common people you come across in Hyderabad.This post is not for the so called intellectuals who can form their own attitudes and behaviour.This post is to show the average-ness and simplistic thinking which grips the Indian society.
This is not to offend anyone ...but it is portray the society values in general.


Most of the newspapers in the world survive on page 3 and media gossip.So there is a huge chunk of people who want to know.They don't want to know the latest scientific discoveries,the good/bad things in the world...they just want to know what the actor/actress have been doing.I feel it is a kind of escapism.We want to escape our lives and live in the virtual world of stars because we think they have what we don't have.I am particularly amazed at how people form their basic belief systems from movies.There are few movies which are really admirable.Other than that most of the media portray mediocre/Average-ness

The role of women in cinema (Indian movies)is so miserable.Many(girls)form their ambitions/life goals from watching crap movies.Their personality traits ..such as voice,behaviour,attitude is defined by some movie.As I have lived in Hyderabad all my life I have seen how telugu movies effect the girls.Most of them have childish voices and they try to behave like baby-adults.I had to coin up a word because there is no word in dictionary other than mentally retarded.I don't want to insult mentally retarded people because they make more sense.(personal decision)Most of the guys use temple as a factor for impressing a girl.They may commit any number of sins...but once they go to temple (or take the girl there) all the sins are washed away.(another sequence stolen from popular telugu movies)The boy talks to the girl not in a mature way but in his talk he uses adjectives which we may use for a 3 year old baby.Innocence,childishness,fairness,and good dressing sense are the only compliments you may ever receive if you are a girl in Hyderabad.

You will rarely find girl's who actively participate in other creative pursuits.As a music addict in my 4 year's of engineering career ...lets make it 5 years(with my masters career too).I have yet to find one girl who is interested in pursuit of music through creative urge.The same thing holds good even in the fields of literature,art,history and other (unknown fields)like astronomy and astrophysics,anthropology,hiking,water rafting and so on...

I was termed as crazy by most of the people for the pursuit of my creative interest's.But after lot of talks with my Friends/classmates/city folks they told me that they never thought extra curricular activities were important(decision reached through movies).It shocks me and my heart is heavy with sadness because most of them live a virtual life guided only with movies.

The most sad incident which I can remember is this:

When one boy sexually assaulted a girl...the girl thought that ... the only necessary action she should take against such things is to scold him and make him feel guilty.He was never held accountable for his act.The boy cried ...
Many months later it was known that this guy has done to the same thing to many other girls.
So after questioning the girl for the absurd reaction to the incident she told that " Most of the movies portray that the actress should scold the villain".

Tuesday, June 26, 2007

Paradox

jab mein tha to hari nahi
ab hari hain to mein nahi
sab andhiyaraa mit gayaa
jab deepak dekhya mahi

- Kabir

When you exist ..God does not exist
When God exist's ..You dont exist at all...
When there is light
The darkness disappears

Even though Kabir would have never read a book on quantum physics.He arrived at the most important theory of quantum mechanics long back.

Heinsenberg theory states that velocity and position of an electron cannot be found out at the same time.

Humble-ness

Humility is defined as the absence of false pride.Personally I find it so difficult to practice it.

I am proud (false pride)of everything ...
from my uniqueness ,country,family,talents,education and the list goes on.On one side there is a struggle to become humble.This does not even come close to humility because it is a struggle and not the real deal.Forcing yourself is no more than putting a gun to your head and acting in that desperate moment.There is also a sense of how did this happen.How did I develop into a humble-less being.All my life I have been rewarded to compete,prove my superiority and be unique individual.But at fleeting moments I do realize the foolishness of my attitude.

One of the main ways in which we can actually proceed on the ways of humility is by being an instrument of service.We are just instruments through which the divine music plays.We are not the musicians.This thought process when it gets processed and etched in our very being then all our pride reduces to dust.All beings are instruments and we all have greatness in us.

I remember a story which actually portrays greatness through humility...

There was once a man who through his goodness earned a wish from an angel.But the man was scared that if he asks a huge wish then he may become arrogant and it would divert his way from the divine path.So he told the angel about his confusion.In return the angel granted him a wish...

The man's shadow can cure the ill's and diseases of the worldly people.But the man will never know about it.

Thursday, June 21, 2007

To say the truth always

In Buddhism right speech was considered as one of the paths of attaining nirvana.I have always suffered in the hands of lies.I lie when it comes to assertiveness.I cannot say "no" to people when they approach me for help.If it is within the boundaries of my principles and beliefs then I help them at an expense of my time.If I have other plans then I lie to get out of the situation.I shrink away from "no".But I have realised that telling the truth frees you from acting/wearing a mask.Once we accept that we are not perfect then slowly we start telling the truth.The consequences of telling the truth is not always rosy and nice.I have at times got into more trouble telling the truth.If the other person is not honest enough and does not respect the truth it is not our problem..it is their problem.But telling the truth does not mean passing cruel judgements against people.Truth should be relative to our life and existence.I personally try to avoid discussing "truth's" about others.

Wednesday, June 20, 2007

Pleasure and its limits

Life is pleasure !!!

That's what most of the advertisements in the television and newspapers tell you.Few of the ways in which a customer is enticed is ridiculous.The fact is that they want a individual to buy new pair of shoes when the individual has already 5-6 pairs rotting around in the house.Satisfaction and pleasure are two different concepts.The opposite of pleasure is pain.Even after purchasing the pair of shoes after the initial euphoria has died down the individual reaches the same emptiness stage.Then may be the chances are that he/she may run behind someone else for love/friendship,will get scared of silence,go shop for other items or indulge in mindless hobbies which keeps the reality far away.The age we live in can be described as the age of marketing ...through which things can be bought to temporary fill in the void which exists.

This does not mean that we leave this world and start existing in a forest.Even then this attachment may take another level.We may depend too much on sticks and leaves and may be turn the forest into a desert.Satisfaction lies in the fact that we use what we need.We survive with minimum attachments and dependency.A miser is not a satisfied individual.A miser has the same attachment as a shopaholic.When our outer needs decrease and become more simplistic and profound we are surely progressing on the inner journey.

Monday, June 18, 2007

The existence of grace

Grace in western terms and consciousness in eastern terms is the guiding force of our life.It is said in most of the religious books that a human beings life is said to be a waste if it is not utilised to achieve the highest level i.e God -hood/Brahman/Atman/samadhi and to glimpse the ever present infinity within us.Why people run back of money and fame rather than finding their true selves.This state of grace can never be achieved by running back of it or by training for it.It is a gift.When we receive it we become humbled.

This is one of the biggest contradictions of life.The ultimate aim of human is to become God .All of us have equal opportunity to become God.The sinner and the saint have equal opportunity.

There was once a conversation between U.G.Krishnamurthy and Ramana Maharishi...

UG went to Ramana Maharishi and asked him

Whether he can give what he has?

In reply Maharishi replied..

Can you take it?

This is the problem with the whole world ...I guess.We are not ready to take it.Grace gives us a lot of things and when we receive it we are so overpowered by humbleness because our ego has no share in it.There is no victory.But a total surrender and total defeat which ultimately leads to realization.

The existence of hate

There is a very thin line between dislike and hate.I was having a small debate with one of my friend's and I suddenly discovered that what I thought was dislike towards a particular kind of person/culture was actually hate.Owing to my honesty and straight forwardness I continued with the argument supporting my dislike.I could have switched sides or may be left the conversation half way,but did not do it.Our ego's act in a strange way.When we start arguing we always want to win.I always felt that I was right.But the fact is that the other person also considered themselves as right.Logic gets mixed up with personal agenda.Our experiences combine with our statistics to form a good counter response.A mind fighting against the mind.But mind's beliefs are not permanent.Belief structures are so fragile.Until the illusions are existant and the truth is not viewed our minds control our being.Our win is also a loss because we have acted from the base of an egoic response.The truth which is actually a private endeavour can be realized by the individual themselves.Most of the discussions which are done to prove something right has something wrong built into it ...

It is duality.It exists everywhere.

May be next time we gear up to give a sound opinion lets try to find something good in the other person so that the ego does not obstruct our heart from loving.
The easiest way to win anything is to use love...not hate...

Sunday, June 10, 2007

Birthday Wishes...

Every year I receive lot of wishes for my birthday. It is always the same conveying happiness and success. But this year when one of the professors came to know that it was my birthday he told me that I should be happy that I had lived one more year. I was so happy and humbled by his talk. Most of the time we take life for granted and plan of doing everything in the future. The present is the all powerful and is one of the channels for our awakening. Death is a constant reminder of the illusion we live in. Birthdays are constant reminder that the illusion is continuing.

Friday, June 08, 2007

Humans and Spirutuality

WE ARE NOT HUMAN BEINGS GOING THROUGH A
TEMPORARY SPIRITUAL EXPERIENCE.

WE ARE SPIRITUAL BEINGS GOING THROUGH A TEMPORARY HUMAN EXPERIENCE.

Pierre Teilhard de Chardin.

Wednesday, June 06, 2007

Unity in Diversity

Our awakening lies in the truth of oneness.The path to realization is the most difficult path which we as humans can ever take.It is not required that we isolate ourselves from the world or meditate day and night.We can do all spiritual practices perfectly and never attain enlightment.There are few basic questions which awaken us.The questions are based on self introspection of our basic identity.As the identifications reduce we start seeing a new self which does not depend on beliefs or thoughts.The mind can ramble but the truth will set us free.We all are already enlightened.We all are pure.Then
Why the journey?
Why the awakening?
Why the dream?
Why the illusions?
May be there is no answer because when we know it there is no need for answers.

Good references on this subject are www.adyashanti.org

Friday, June 01, 2007

The Pursuit of Adventure

We all want to do adventurous things which shoots up the adrenaline in our bodies. I also thirst for adventure and the love of nature makes it more interesting. But I sometimes wonder why is that we have to go to a far off jungle to experience this amazement. One reason is that cities are populated and natural resources are being depleted. The most obvious reason stated by Eckhart Tolle is fear of death. I fully agree with the fear of death theory. Most of the roller coasters also simulate this experience. But this experience also puts us into the present moment. Most of the time when you are on a roller coaster or doing a free fall from 100 feet your mind stops. There is complete attention to the present moment. Most of the time the past and the future dissolves. This moment which is a highly profound spiritual experience can help us look at life in a better way. But continued exposure to the same environment dulls the experience and we are again left with boredom. It is not necessary that we have to take risks in our life or climb the highest mountain to experience the power of the present moment. Once we reduce the number of identifications we use in our life and once we accept the past most of our every day moments will surely become adventurous and pleasurable.