Category Archive: Philosophy

“Your life quality is affected by the quality of your thoughts.”
– MARCUS AURELIUS

Kabir – The couplet
बाहर कहाँ देखि ऐ, अंतर कहिये राम ।
कहो माहौल खलक सो, पर धनीसे काम ||

Transliterated:
Baahar Kahan Dehi Ai, Antar Kahiye Ram |
Kaho Maahaul Khalak So, Para Dhanise Kaam ||

Translation:
Why do you look outside, pray inside your heart|
The world does not need to know your prayer, their approval means nothing ||

My understanding:
In the early stages of learning any new skill, we are anxious to seek approval of our new learning from the society immediately around us. So we parade our new learning and wear it on our sleeve for all to see, hoping they appreciate and praise our displayed skill.

Prayer and meditation, however, is not for the external world. As long as we depend on finding satisfaction through the feedback received from our physical senses, we are limiting our growth and consigning ourselves to that space of opposites (joy and sorrow, passion and dispassion, love and hate, enthusiasm and apathy), for the brain vacillates between these extremes as a pendulum, unable to find emotional stability or centered peace, as long as it depends on finding approval externally.

This inability to center and stay rooted in quietude is because the search for external approval is driven by desire – and the ego always wants more, not satisfied by any level of acceptance or approval. If one likes me, why not two? If the whole world approves, are they all secretly making fun of me? If they really liked this this much, what else can I do to make them like me more? How can I please all at once?

This rapidly draws me into the whirlpool of sycophancy, which will at the end dump me into the deep ocean of desolation and despondence, for ultimately, even the greatest sycophant tires and moves on to other pastures.

Do pray for you need it, not because someone else must approve. Find satisfaction within in the resulting calmness and peace. There is no need to look for external approval – the ability to pray is reward enough!

“The battle you are going through is not fueled by the words or actions of others; it is fueled by the mind that gives it importance.”
– Shannon L. Alder

Kabir – The couplet
सकलो दुर्मति दूर करू, अच्छा जनम बनाव ।
काग गवन गति छांडि के, हंस गवन चलि आव ||

Transliterated:
Sakalo Durmati Door Karoo, Acchha Janam Banaav |
Kaag Gavan Gati Chaandi Ke, Hans Gavan Chali Aav||

Translation:
Dear all, give up negative thoughts, brighten you life |
Give up your crow-like nature, come to me as the resplendent swan ||

My understanding:
The extreme cold weather around me gave me an opportunity to see myself in a different perspective. The sense on cold on the skin automatically propels the mind to find warmth somewhere. This attracted me to the fireplace and the comfort it promised. As I got to contemplate the fire there, I soon got lost in the haze and the apparent dance of air that the heat generated, distorting the view of the space around the fire. And I was presented with the thought that negativity, like the fire, was capable of distorting my perception of the space around me, making me see things very differently from reality.

Until I step away from the generator of the distortion, I will have no conscious perception of reality. My perceived reality will have no basis in truth, and all thought and action taken from that viewpoint will brand me outside of the space I need to be.

So then the next thought – how do I gain that control to be able to quench that fire? If I am generating the fire and become the fire, I cannot quench it. To be able to step away, I have to differentiate myself from the mirage that is the anguished ego. This separation can only occur when I have seen it melt away and disappear in a prior calmer moment. So, as with everything else, practice prepares and helps make perfect. Deep breaths can only calm the external self – gaining control over a tumultuous mind that is in the firm grip of ego is a whole different level of control.

To find that calm space, one has to establish the ability to identify the first disturbance and squash it, for, if left unchecked, it will grow into the storm that cannot be abated easily. The unprepared self for sure will not be able to even begin establishing control – which is where I, the average human, will despair, give up, and explain it away as inevitability and fate. But, the reality is, I can – if I put my mind to it, AND work to affect that control.

So here is to new exercises for the mind and learning control.

“What is life? A madness. What is life? An illusion, a shadow, a story. And the greatest good is little enough; for all life is a dream, and dreams themselves are only dreams.”
– Pedro Calderon de la Barca
Kabir – The couplet
माया छाया एक सी, बिरला जाने कोई ।
भागात के पीछे लगे, सन्मुख भागे सोई||
Transliterated:
Maya Chhaya Ek Si, Birla Jaane Koi |
Bhaagat Ke Peeche Lage, Sanmukh Bhaage Soi||
Translation:
Shadow and delusion are alike, one cannot differentiate their behavior |
They chase those who chase them, but vanish once one stands up to face them ||
My understanding:
This is in continuance from yesterday.

Until we have trained and tuned our senses, they will continue to flood us with unfiltered data that will continually make us behave like a wisp of cotton in the wind – driven in whichever direction the wind decides, with no sense of purpose or destination, absolutely immobile without the wind, and very mobile but with no purpose but rather at the wind’s whim when the wind is active.

In this state of extreme activity while immersed in ignorance (for we have yet to gain control of our senses) we believe the perceived world as presented to us by our senses to be real, and convince ourselves that we are in control and enjoying the ride – all the while riding a rudderless ship whose engines are out of all control.

We first understand our predicament when we try to stop for a moment to take a breath, our figure out our location – but by then the vehicle of life has picked up too much speed and refuses to relinquish control of any sort in even the slightest measure to us. After struggling for some time to regain control, we give up that effort and then try to extract what enjoyment we can from the unpredictability of the ride, giving it fanciful names such as fate, circumstance and the belief that someone else is controlling the reins of the horses that are driving this vehicle.

In this state, we define life as our senses allow us to perceive it – and hence are convinced that life begins at physical birth (when the senses started their control mania) and ends with death (which is where the input from the physical senses finally vanishes). In the interim between those two bookends, we vacillate between pairs of emotions – love and hate, joy and sorrow, pleasure and pain, possession and loss. Joy seems to constantly alternate with suffering in our life experience. Focusing only on the presented apparent div3ersity and changing circumstance and external phenomena of the physical world (as represented to us by the physical senses), we remain immersed in a peculiar duality, with our physical selves experienced by us as the subject, and everything else outside of us perceived as the object or our experience.

It is this mislaid sense of duality of subject and object that makes us perceive God as external to us, separate and different in all aspects to our own self. However, one we start to train our senses to feed us regulated input, and then train our perception to read the input properly, instead of haphazardly and without any sense of organization, the apparent duality melts away like the delusion it really is. Once the rush and craze driven by that delusion vanishes, we finally begin to see and hear our true self – which is when we will begin to understand, simultaneously, both the finiteness of the existence and utility of the physical and the infiniteness and immortality of our true Self.

And that will mark the beginning of the next stage of the journey, of which this human life is but a small part!

“Please give me the light of your wisdom
To dispel the darkness of my mind
And to heal my mental continuum.”
– from a prayer to Buddha
 
Kabir – The couplet
पांच पहर धंधा किया, तीन पहर गया सोय ।
एक पहर भी नाम बिन, मुक्ति कैसे होय ||
 
Transliterated:
Paanch Pahar Dhandha Kiya, Teen Pahar Gaya Soy |
Ek Pahar Bhi Naam Bin, Mukti Kaise Hoy||
 
Translation:
I worked for twelve hours in the day, slept for eight |
Without even an hour spent in understanding the Self, how will I find liberation? ||
 
My understanding:
 
When born, our world revolves around eating, playing, sleeping and enjoying the company of ourselves and our parents. As we grow, friends begin to claim more of our time. Then it is classes and teachers, then games and more friends, then career, family and the woes of the external world.

We continually slip deeper into the grips of external situations in the hope of finding firmer footing for ourselves, but only succeed in stepping into the midst of hurricanes we cannot control. Pretty soon, the best we can hope for is to be able to stick our head up once in a while to take a long breath, only to be sucked back into a breathless vacuum that we cannot steer, control or stop from sucking us in. When others warn us o the danger we are stepping into, we ignore them, giving into the fancy that “they are enjoying, but do not want to share the fun”.

We love to play with the toy where, at the press of a button, the cover opens, music starts and a dancing couple pirouette in graceful movements, but have we ever thought about how we would feel if the roles were reversed?  Would we enjoy having to do the same routine at a moment’s notice on someone else’s whim? And yet we willingly accept that as the norm for our professional lives, and wonder why we never find satisfaction. Even when we are doing exactly what we want, we find that we are doing it to pay the bills, not for the sheer joy of being able to do it. And therein lies another crux – does the end justify the means?

When we find the right answer to this question, and the follow up train of thought, we will find the way to find time for ourselves, and learn to stop and smell the roses and listen to the birds. For that is our true bounty and our rightful inheritance – the ability to play in the sun with the sand under our feet, to swim in clear rivers and sing ourselves to sleep at night under the stars.

“My happiness is not the means to any end. It is the end. It is its own goal. It is its own purpose.” – Any Rand (Anthem)
 
Kabir – The couplet
भक्ति निसैनी मुक्ति की, संत चढे सब ढाई ।
जिन जिन मन आलस किया, जनम जनम पछिताई||
Transliterated:
Bhakti Nisaini Mukti Ki, Sant Charhe Sab Dhai |
Jin Jin Man Aalas Kiya, Janam Janam Pachitaayi ||
Translation:
Devotion is the ladder to liberation, all saints climb this with eagerness |
Those who got lazy, spent many lifetimes regretting their wasted opportunity||
My understanding:
Can love free me? Yes – but only when I understand and then practice love properly. Love does not bind – it liberates. Love liberates me from ego, for love drives me to do that which will make the other happy, regardless of self.

When I learn to serve in that fashion, I have crossed two bridges, conquered two peaks. I have overcome the infatuation of the self, and I have learned selfless service. These two lead me inwards to the true self within, where bliss abounds.

This love, when expressed of God, is true devotion. When the purpose of my existence is transformed to serve humanity (for that is what is to serve God), I will find the divine in every soul. That service will keep me forever joined to Self (which is another name for God) for those who have drunk at that fountain will not be able to step away for even a moment. And life will become peaceful, content and satisfied all at once.

“Self-realization is the knowing – in body, mind, and soul – that we are one with the omnipresence of God; that we do not have to pray that it come to us, that we are not merely near it at all times, but that God’s omnipresence is our omnipresence; that we are just as much a part of Him now as we ever will be. All we have to do is improve our knowing.”
– Swami Paramahamsa Yogananda
 
Kabir – The couplet
जप तप समझन साधन, सुमिरन को माहि ।
कहे कबीर बिचार कोई सुमिरन सैम कुछ नाहि ||

Transliterated:
Jap Tap Samjan Sadhan, Sab Sumiran Ko Maahi |
Kahe Kabir Bichar Koi Sumiran Sam Kuchh Nahi ||

Translation:
Chanting, austerities, restraint, all are ways to pray |
Says Kabir, realize the Self, and the object of all prayer is realized||

My understanding:
When I was first introduced to prayer, I understood God as that invisible all-powerful sky dweller who could see all I did, hear my thoughts and read my mind, granting me the wishes I deserved and punishing me with pain for my wrongs.

As I got further along my musings and interactions with prayer, I found chanting. Chanting seemed to initially put me to sleep real well – within the first few minutes of beginning chanting any time. Better than even my most difficult text books. From there I moved to meditation, austerities and the practice of restraint. All of these seemed to raise questions galore, but provided no real answers. The more I tried, the deeper in confusion I found myself.

At some point it felt pointless enough that I decided to step away from it all. And that was when I had my “eureka” moment. All the while, my questions had been directed to the world outside of me, based on the input received from my external senses. But without really understanding myself, I had neither properly tuned my senses nor taught myself to truly read the real meaning of their input. Once I understood this, I then trained myself to stop the questions so that I could really hear myself speak, perhaps for the first time. Once I heard that, it became evident that the external senses, without tuning, are slaves to the enemies of the Self, intent on misusing and destroying everything useful this body is capable of.

And there is the real heart of it all. Find the Self, recognize its voice, and prayer will be both natural and true. And you will have realized the true meaning of existence.

“There is no path to peace. Peace is the path.”
– Mahatma Gandhi
 
Kabir – The couplet
आपा तजे और हरि भजे, नख सीख ताजे विकार ।
सब जीवन से निरबैर रहे, साधु मति है सार ||

Transliterated:
Apa Taje Aur Hari Bhaje, Nakh Seekh Taje Vikaar |
Sab Jeevan Se Nirbair Rahe, Sadhu Mata Hai Saar||

Translation:
Give up pride, learn to pray, learn peace and give up all faults |
Be not an enemy to anyone, this is the way of saints||

My understanding:
Any path we embark on presents its destination as the ultimate goal. Our inherent sense of inertia forces us to believe that the destination of the path we step on has to be the ultimate goal. So we press through, gather our entire energies and put up what amounts to the ultimate effort. Then, on arriving at the goal, we realize there are more paths to take. At some point, the same sense of inertia dumps a sense of despondence on us, tells us that the paths will never end, and envelop us in all forms of negativity.

Rather than allow that sinking feeling to settle in, we need to shrug this off, and understand that the ability to walk each path is us satisfying the need of that moment. The goal is there to ensure we walk the path in the right direction. The destination is not the end – it is just the next beginning.

When we understand this, we can walk without being weighed down by our unreasonable expectations. Without that crushing weight on our backs, all paths become easy strolls in pleasant gardens on sunny paths filled with birdsong and pleasant scents. When that becomes our experience, life becomes unending bliss. And that is the best way to find our self. For we are bliss incarnate – it is not something external to us!

“When you connect to the silence within you, that is when you can make sense of the disturbance going on around you.”
– Stephen Richards
 
Kabir – The couplet
सुमिरन किया तब जानिया, तन मन रहा समाय ।
आदि अंत मध्य एक रस, भुला कबहु न जाय ||

Transliterated:
Sumiran Kiya Tab Jaaniya, Tan Man Raha Samaay |
Adi Ant Madhy Ek Ras, Bhula Kabhahu Na Jaay||

Translation:
When I meditated right, I found, a state where body and mind were dissolved |
Beginning, end and the middle were all the same, a bliss I will never forget||

My understanding:

As we begin meditation, the intrusive self immediately begins its process of disturbing the concentration – with the simple repeated question – “Am I there”? But the question deserves a response, even if the disturbance is unwelcome and distracting. How do we know we are there – that we have achieved the purpose of meditation?

A first crossroad we arrive at – light or darkness – tends to confuse us with the thought that this is our destination. If we move on, concentrate further, we are then presented with other distractions such as pleasant flavors, pleasing scents and delicate textures. Further down, we may even be treated to intensely captivating music. All of these are but distractions, side effects of starting the journey on the right path.

If the side attractions are thus, how much better can the goal be? It is indeed much better. For at some point the sense of “me” (ego) dissolves completely, and all senses merge into a formless pool of nothingness. Here there is no beginning, end, or now – there is no time, and there is no direction. There is no cause or result. There is just the sense of being, of existence at a very different space. There is only bliss (not joy, but true bliss). Not something that can be explained, only experienced.

So gently, gently, stay focused, knowing that bliss will come.

“Everything we hear is an opinion, not a fact. Everything we see is a perspective, not the truth.”
– Marcus Aurelius
 
Kabir – The couplet
सुमिरन थोर ही भला, जो करी जाने कोई ।
सूत न लागि बनवानी, सहज सेवा सुख होइ||

Transliterated:
Sumiran Thor Hi Bhala, Jo Kari Jane Koi |
Soot Na Lagi Banwani, Sahaj Sava Sukh Hoi ||

Translation:
Meditation, done right, for even a short while, is good when done with focus |
As thread woven right results in good cloth, even if slowly, so this breath focused in meditation weave a satisfied life||

My understanding:

When we first begin meditation, the one immediate block we come up against is distraction. The object of meditation keeps drifting out of focus, and it progressively seems to drift farther away after each attempt to refocus.

What is very important here is that once we notice we have lost focus, we need to **very gently** bring our attention back into focus again. It is important to be gentle – a harsh pull inevitably results in a complete loss of attention, or worse, scattered attention on a multitude of objects.

Think of a weaving machine. Worked gently, it slowly but surely produces soft fiber and weaves that into fabric. Frantic spinning generally results in frayed threads and destroyed raw material.

Gentle moves always result in an amiable easing into the desired direction. This is always good advice – slow it down, take it one step at a time, and rest when tired or overwhelmed. But return back to the object each time with refreshed body and renewed energy. Worked at properly, even a tiny ant will eventually dislodge the largest of boulders.

One step at a time, and we will slowly emerge into the glow of the true inner self.

“The saints, too, had wandering minds. The saints, too, had constantly to recall their constantly wandering mind-child home. They became saints because they continued to go after the little wanderer, like the Good Shepherd.”
– Peter Kreeft
 
Kabir – The couplet
सुमिरन की सुधि यूँ करो, ज्यों सुरभि सुतचहि ।
कहहि कबीर चर चरि,सुरभि बच्चुके पाहि ||

Transliterated:
Sumiran Ki Sudhi Yun Karo, Jyon Surabhi Suthchahi |
Kahahi Kabir Char Chari, Surabhi Bachchuke Paahi||

Translation:
Practice meditation in this fashion, like the cow grazing on grass |
Even as its teeth tear up the crass, its attention stays focused on its calf||

My understanding:
In anything as relative as human life, there can be no absolutes. From there follows the thought that absolute focus is not an initial reality – not at least till we have stepped beyond the self-doubt that continues to plague us at all times.

So how do I overcome the eventual drop of focus? By learning to recognize the telltale signs of faltering focus, and then taking appropriate corrective action. Endless distractions keep our self from focusing on a task as we struggle to get anything done. The simple answer to keep out distraction at bay is to point our attention to the one thing, completely ignoring the other things around until nothing else can find a way to come into focus.

Just as a clean space invites you to do work there, a clean mind allows for better focus. So de-clutter the mind. Recognize extraneous thoughts for what they are, and discard them. Do not file them away – trust the brain to be able to repeat conjuring up that random thought again when the need arises. Learn to tag, trash and dispose of garbage thoughts as soon as they show up. They not only clutter up the environment, they make the space unpleasant, and their odor drives away all sense and sensibility. We do not keep smelly garbage around the house – why then this morbid craziness that makes us retain all of those really disturbing memories and imagined moments? Get rid of them.

Maharishi Patanjali said:
ततः पुनः शातोदितौ तुल्यप्रत्ययौ चित्तस्यैकाग्रतापरिणामः |
tataḥ punaḥ śātoditau tulya-pratyayau cittasya-ikāgratā-pariṇāmaḥ |

The transition to one-pointedness, or ekagrata-parinamah, is the transition whereby human mutability (chitta) becomes perfectly balanced between arising and subsiding.

Focus on the joy you will find at this point, and use the energy generated by that expectation to keep the disturbances at bay.

“Never complain, never explain. Resist the temptation to defend yourself or make excuses.”
– Brian Tracy
 
Kabir – The couplet
ज्ञान कथे बक बक मरे, काहे करे उपाधि ।
सद्गुरु हमसे एनु कहे, सुमिरन करे समाधि ||

Transliterated:
Gyan Kathe Bak Bak Mare, Kaahe Kare Upaadhi |
Sadguru Hamse Enu Kahe, Sumiran Kare Samadhi||

Translation:
Why do you try to impress others by incessant demonstration of your knowledge |
The Guru has told me thus – meditate, silence and find true inner illumination ||

My understanding:
Our association with the external, physical world grows stronger every living moment, and each step in this path takes us further away from our association with our own self, our understanding or the reason for our existence. This association with the external, which we accept as our real world, is both our perceived El Dorado and our Waterloo. Why, one may ask?

Our acceptance of our physical existence as our real space is the veil that society and we have drawn over our collective eyes. It is not that the world is not real – it is very real. Neither is our perception of it unreal – we are very accurate in our perception of it.

However, this is where it gets tricky. We rapidly begin to color perception with expectation. Where we see a rose, we immediately try to bring our nose to it to smell, and then express disappointment when the scent is not there or not right. The rose did its best to look good – why does it need to smell the way I want it to? This colored view of the external world is what makes the view wrong – and hence the statement that the world we see is not real.

We meet a person, and stick out our hand to shake. When the person does not respond the way we expect, we cloud ourselves with doubt, unhappiness and unpleasant thoughts. Who is responsible for the unpleasantness? Me. But whom do I ascribe it to? Him. And we continue our life in this fashion, ascribing our misses to someone or something else – and hence unable to resolve them. For when the nut is broken, no fixing of the bolt will resolve the problem. We need to wither fix or replace the nut – but can do that only when we accept the problem to be with the nut.

Coming back to the couplet above, rather than spout our misplaced and wrongly notional understanding of the world, or the undigested acquired knowledge that is leading us in the wrong direction, why not focus on finding that true inner quiet so that we can take of this veil that is misrepresenting the world to us?

“If someone corrects you, and you feel offended, then you have an EGO problem.”
– Nouman Ali Khan
 
Kabir – The couplet
अहंग अग्नि ह्रदय दहे, गुरुते चाहे मन ।
तिन्हो को यम न्योता देहि, तुम हो मेरे मेजमन||

Transliterated:
Ahang Agni Hriday Dahe, Gurute Chahe Man |
Tinho Ko Yam Nyota Dehi, Tum Ho Mere Mejman||

Translation:
Ego burns a devastating fire in the heart, demands respect from even the Guru |
To such does the Lord of Death send an invitation, you are my special guest ||

My understanding:
Who is the Ultimate Guru? We say God, but then also say – “Aham Bhrahmasmi”. So that clear, lustrous, untouched pure soul – which is our true and real Self – is God, and also the Ultimate Guru.

However, the false construct called ego, in the pursuit of instant gratification, demands instant reciprocation without really thinking through either demand or consequence.

To find this Guru, we need a teacher who can help us overcome the drive of the Aham for long enough to see beyond.

However, the false construct called ego, in the pursuit of instant gratification, demands instant reciprocation without really thinking through either demand or consequence. It expects the Guru to pat me on my back for every stupidity and utterance, blocking my every attempt to learn my true identity. That leads me to lose Gurus at every moment and continue my walk into ever darker corners. That walk is the definition of “living death”.

If you see a person talking to himself, even in today’s world, we conclude that he is either on the phone or delusional. Yet, through our subservience to our ego, we all practice this exact behavior every moment, and do not call or consider ourselves mad or wrong.

Once we free our self from this subservience, we can then put the ego to its true purpose – to help us work our way to finding our true self!

The Tejabindu Upanishad says:
“Öm agamya gamya karta cha Gurumanärtha mämasa.
Mukhäni trini bindänti tridhäma Hangsa uchate.”
 
One who has centered the focus on the Self finds perfect equilibrium, and feels three kinds of joy and bliss in that perfect stillness.

This is what we need to look for to find ourselves. And then let the Self lead us to our true purpose.

“Feelings come and go like clouds in a windy sky. Conscious breathing is my anchor.”
– Thích Nhất Hạnh
 
Kabir – The couplet
तू तू करता तू भया, मुझमे रहा नु हू ।
बरी फेरी बलि गई, जीत देखूं तित तू ||

Transliterated:
Tu Tu Karta Tu Bhayaa, Mujhme Raha Na Hoo |
Bari Pheri Bali Gayi, Jit Dekhun Tit Too||

Translation:
Reciting your name all the while, I forgot me completely |
My essence merged in you, my ego and troubles vaporized, everywhere I see you ||

My understanding:
A simple practice that took me forty-plus years to understand, and a few more to develop – to stay free of the deviations that desire, ego and the senses push onto me, I have to stay forever focused on the voice of the self (soul/atma/cit/God).

The wisdom of the ages teaches us to use japa (repeated chanting of the same word / name / phrase) to lead to meditative states. In that meditative state, find the true meaning of silence and the absence of ALL sensory input. At that point, you will awaken the “turiya awastha”- the state where you are one with the Self – and you can have open conversations with God/Self/Atma.

The path of worldly pursuit, recognizing the danger of allowing this, uses the ethereal construct of ego to dangle the temptations of desire in front of us, and distracts our focus in the practice of japa – hence few, if any, will truly find that true meditative/reflective state. But if you can ignore distraction for long enough (it is long enough when you connect to true silence) you can have that distraction-free conversation with the self – who will give you the direction you need to stay on the proper path to self-realization. I have walked there, and much as I keep returning back to this world’s physical spaces to take care of physical appearances and the needs born thereof, that space has so much more to offer that I find myself spending longer moments there each day.

This is not a path which you will share with anyone else – you can be shown the path, but it is up to you alone to walk it, and for each individual to make that journey all alone, divorced from all physical senses and bodily attractions and commitments. For those senses, attractions and commitments belong to the body – this is a journey of the Self separate from the physical body.

“True love is when you will do anything and everything that you can just to make your love happy.”
-Anurag Prakash Ray
 
Kabir – The couplet
प्रेम गली अति संकरी, तामे दोउ न समाई ।
जब मई था तब हरि नहीं, अब हरि हा मई नाही ||

Transliterated:
Prem Gali Ati Sankari, Tame Dou Na Samaai|
Jab Main Tha Tab Hari Nahi, Am Hari Hai Main Naahi||

Translation:
The path of love is extremely narrow, two cannot fit on it side by side |
When I was on it, Hari (The Lord) was missing, now there is Hari, not me ||

My understanding:
When I think of myself, ego surges to the fore, and places me at the center of my private version of the universe.

It took me three days of deliberation with myself to figure out how to get this statement right. So here goes where my understanding brought me to.

Our vision of love is really a sad mixture of attraction (as defined by our physical senses) and an expectation of satisfaction driven by anticipation of some reciprocation from the object of our infatuation. Love, in its true form, is when we are ready to give with no expectation of return or reward. When there is no expectation, rejection does not have existence. Love is a way to ensure that the receiver is satisfied, and it is the receiver who decides what my action will be, since the end result is the receiver’s satisfaction, not mine.

When we can learn to love in this fashion, all negativity immediately vaporizes. But ego sticks it’s thick foot in that door, and disallows such thinking. For where is its satisfaction in this play? So we need to overcome our overgrown ego before we can practice true love. And once we taste true love, ego stays subdued forever!

Which is where Kabir seems to be taking us – the egoless self is no less than God. As long as I am driven my ego, it is all about my ego. Once ego is suppressed, I can learn to understand and practice love.

“We are moving toward a dictatorship of relativism which does not recognize anything as for certain and which has as its highest goal one’s own ego and one’s own desires.”
– Pope Benedict XVI
 
Kabir – The couplet
पिया चाहे प्रेम आस, रखा चाहे मन ।
दोउ खड़ग एक मयान में, देखा सुना न मन ||

Transliterated:
Piya Chhahe Prem Aas, Rakha Chhahe Man |
Dou Khadga Ek Mayan Mein, Dekha Suna Na Man||

Translation:
The lover desires to possess (the full) love (of the lover), but also wants to retain his own heart |
Two swords in one scabbard, this is not something normal or workable ||

My understanding:
This week, as I continue to reflect on the stranglehold ego possesses on the self, I am watching the play of ego in trying to subvert the self into a confused plethora of emotions – all designed to distract, confuse, and remove the focus of the mind from the self to more immediate physical needs (which on closer inspection do not justify their presence as any need, true or otherwise).
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If this is the state when this is my primary focus, what protection does the average person have in a normal life where society, family and the “pressures” of the day rule roost on the day’s priorities?

If so, are those priorities right? I asked the question, and forced myself to stay calm in the face of the presented storm. Slowly, all of them, spent in the absence of their fuel (emotion), died down, and I began to realize that the frenzy was just a false front designed to scare me into submission, not a presentation of reality. As they died, I began to realize that calm is my natural state – not otherwise as life has led me to believe.

This allows me to look at the activity from a position of great inner strength, and has realigned my day for me.

Try it – this is truly liberating!

“When you stop living your life based on what others think of you real life begins. At that moment, you will finally see the door of self acceptance opened.”
– Shannon L. Alder
 
Kabir – The couplet
ह्रदय भीतर आरसी, मुख देखा नहीं जाय ।
मुख तो तबही देखिलो, जब दिल की दुविधा जाय||

Transliterated:
Hriday Bheetar Aarasi, Much Dekha Nahin Jaay |
Much To Tabahi Dekhile, Jab Dil Ki Duvidha Jaay ||

Translation:
There is a mirror in your heart, but you do not see your face there |
Your face will show in that mirror, only when you let go of all doubt and distraction ||

My understanding:
We have spent our whole life modeling the perceived self for achievement and success as defined by our understanding of expectations of those we live amidst, those we look up to, and those we perceive and accept as models of success and excellence.

In the process of modeling, we have plastered our entire presented exterior over and over again, till the visage bears no resemblance or relation to the original self that however still remains the driver and source of life energy for the visage.

At some point, this exterior becomes so large and onerous that it is all we can do to just provide sufficient energy to keep it running and up. Our entire life force and more is spent just maintaining the view – to the extent where we cannot take a breath or spend a moment with ourselves in peaceful quietude.

Think about it – how often did you hold back on saying something to someone, afraid of their or the community’s reaction? Even if it was the right thing or a true thought? Think of the number of actions you stopped yourself from taking, for fear of appearing foolish or being ridiculed – even when the action was correct and/or involved being genuinely helpful? Even now, can you free yourself sufficiently to walk out of the door you are currently behind, and declare to the space outside, in loud clear words, your thanks and joy at being alive and in the presence of the world? Will you worry about what someone else may think or say about your actions and words?

Until we free ourselves from these social and self-imposed shackles, we cannot float free. Until we are free, the mind does not become quiet enough to listen to the true self. Until we are able to listen to the true self, our proper sense of discrimination does not find the light of day. And until that happens, we cannot break free of the prison of ego and desire.

So train to break free – and learn to stay free and move in the right direction. Any regression only strengthens the prison, making the next attempt to break free that much more difficult!

“Learning to let go should be learned before learning to get. Life should be touched, not strangled. You’ve got to relax, let it happen at times, and at others move forward with it.”
– Ray Bradbury
 
Kabir – The couplet
जो तू चाहे मुक्ति को, छोड़ दे सबकी आस ।
मुक्त ही जैसा हो रहे, सब कुछ तेरे पास ||

Transliterated:
Jo Tu Chaahe Mukti Ko, Chhod De Sabki Aas |
Mukt Hi Jaisa Ho Rahe, Sab Kuch Tere Paas||

Translation:
If it is liberation you desire, then first liberate yourself from desire |
Once you find liberation, you will find that all is with you ||

My understanding:
Was desire born first, or was it born from the desire for freedom?

As long as we are bound by desire, are we really free? For our desires bind our every action and limit thought to a narrow space targeted to fulfilling the desire. And every step generates new desire, until it is desire that is driving every thought, action and breath, not free will.

When the thought of free will floats to the top, desire cloaks the thought in itself, and slowly but surely bends the self to its will, rather than allow the self to emerge, free of desire, if only for a moment.

Look at our daily life, and this is borne out in our every moment. How often do you wake up because you want to? We wake up because it is time to get to do the next planned activity. That activity is planned because it will step us a little more towards a desired goal. That goal could be our job, work in the house, preparing breakfast or working out in the gym.

We do our job, not because the job needs doing, but because we want the salary the job pays. And the desire deludes us into believing that we are really doing the job because that is what we want to do. We work out, more often than not, to impress others with the results, not because the body needs to exercise. We cook to get the accolades, not because it is the right food to feed.

All of our actions are driven by a desired result, not by the purity of the action itself. Until we break out of the result-driven desire, we will not be able to open our eyes to the full potential of the action.

Realizing this is but the first step. The next few are the difficult ones – to catch the drive of desire, and overcome the drive so the thought and action flower naturally. Once we achieve that state, then we have to discipline the self to carefully nurture the newfound freedom, water and feed it and allow it to fully blossom.

“I expect to pass through life but once. If therefore, there be any kindness I can show, or any good thing I can do to any fellow being, let me do it now, and not defer or neglect it, as I shall not pass this way again.”
– William Penn
 
Kabir – The couplet
काजल कारी कोठरी, तैसा यह संसार ।
बलिहारी वोह दास की, पैठि के निक्सन हार ||

Transliterated:
Kajal Kaari Kothari, Taisa Yeh Sansaar |
Balihari Wo Das Ki, Paithi Ke Niksan Haar ||

Translation:
A cellar as dark and dirty as coal, that is how this world is |
Great is that devotee, who passes through this cellar unsoiled ||

My understanding:
Another interesting thought – what is our relation to life on earth?

The guidance the masters have continuously sought to give us is that while it looks like this is all we have at the moment, this life is but one more path we have to traverse in our journey to rejoining the ultimate.

If we take care and focus on the objective, it is possible not to get distracted, attracted to trivia or mislead the self onto incorrect paths. But each of these is a decision we have to consciously make. Each decision has a consequence. Each choice we make means we are consciously giving up something and selecting the other. Do we choose to satisfy desire in the hope of instant gratification, or suppress and conquer desire, and perhaps never know what that satisfaction of feeding desire may have felt like?

This is the stranglehold desire and ego have on us – even if we do not satisfy them or satiate them, they show us visions of a promised land and dangle it in front of us – the carrot at the end of a stick that never comes closer or moves any further away.

How do we overcome the attraction to the carrot we never will reach? By giving up any attachment to the attraction itself. Easier said than done, especially since that is the one constant feed into the physical senses. So we have to master the art of shutting down the physical senses long enough to awaken the inner senses, and focus well enough to be able to understand and follow their direction.

One more step in a long journey, one that we have to take at some time. No matter how long or when.

“Find a place inside where there’s joy, and the joy will burn out the pain.
– Joseph Campbell
 
Kabir – The couplet
हंसी हंसी कांत न पायी, जिन पाया तीन रोये ।
जो हंसी ही हरी मिले, तो कौन दोहागिन होए॥
Transliterated:
Hansi Hansi Kant Na Paayi, Jin Paaya Tin Roye |
Jo Hansi Hi Hari Mile, To Kaun Dohagin Hoye ||

Translation:
Laughing did not lead you to God, only the (realization of) the pain separation led to Him |
If worldly joy can lead us to God, why would there be any unfortunate separated from true bliss? ||

My understanding:
We often ask the question – “Where is God? Show me.” But perhaps the better question is “What is God?”

For the earlier question presupposes that you have already understood/defined the persona of God, and are now only looking for the where. But without truly understanding what God is, how can we know the true meaning of the statement “God is here” – or even more relevant, recognize God when God is in front of us?

So, hidden inside this little couplet, I am beginning to see the glimmer of a different light. It is telling me – do not be led astray by the superficiality of the external world, and its simple temporary pleasures. Laugh with the world, but do not get sucked into the belief that that is bliss. Understand that this is very ephemeral, and that there is a real joy and bliss that is forever. Let this just be a taste of what is possible, and use this to lead oneself to that greater presence and joy.

Hence the second line – if everyone did find that inner joy, the false platitudes of the external world would get burned away in an instant!

“Your living is determined not so much by what life brings to you as by the attitude you bring to life; not so much by what happens to you as by the way your mind looks at what happens.”
– Kahlil Gibran
 
Kabir – The couplet
केसों कहा बिगाडिया, जे मुंडे सौ बार ।
मन को काहे नो मूंडिये, जा में विष विकार ॥
Transliterated:
Keson Kaha Bigadia, Je Moonde Sau Baar |
Man Ko Kahe Na Moondiye, Jaamein Vishey Vikaar ||

Translation:
What harm did (facial) hair do to you, that you shave it off so often? |
Why not shave off the mind – it has accumulated so many poisons and deformities ||

My understanding:
The last few days, I have been reflecting on denying/negating/getting rid of ego. But where I kept getting stuck is that, as soon as you shut out any aspect of the self, it puts up a stiff fight to regain its place, and keeps battering at the blocks till it finds a way back. When it does, it now erects new defenses to ensure that it will not be overcome so easily the next time – making our job that much more difficult.

To succeed, we have to behave like a permeable membrane – we need to let things be, but not succumb. So the advice really seems to have to morph to – let the ego be, but do not allow it to direct life. Become the observer – listen to what the ego says, same as one listens to all else. Absorb input, but do not react. Instead, allow the self to sally forth and just be – the observer that watches, learns and absorbs, without action, reaction, or interaction.

Then our actions will slowly morph to be what they need to be, not what the ego wants them to be. This will make our attitude the right one at every juncture, and we will see the world for what it really is.

“Eventually, all things merge into one, and a river runs through it.”
– Norman Maclean
 
Kabir – The couplet
हेरत हेरत हे सखी, रहा कबीर हेराइ ।
बूँद समाई समुंद में, सो कत हरी जाइ ||
Transliterated:
Herat Herat He Sakhi, Rahaa Kabir Heraai |
Boond Samaai Samund Mein, So Kat Heri Jaai||

Translation:
Searching over and over, I got lost in Him (God)
Now this drop is merged in the ocean, where can one search for the drop? ||

My understanding:
The ego, in its infinite wisdom, insists on creating an ephemeral persona, and labels that the self. It then forces us to associate our entire existence with that which is thinner than ether, and subjugates our thinking to its attempts to perpetuate that which cannot withstand the first gust of wind.

When adversity strikes, rather than bow to the inevitable, the ego forces us to tack blame for both the cause and effect on anything external to itself – and convinces us so well of the validity of the argument that we are willing to take up cudgels with the world on its behalf.

This construct of the ego is the identity we have to give up – once we do that, we instantly find our true calling and purpose in this world as well as the next – and find everlasting peace and the joy that never depletes.

“Men stumble over the truth from time to time, but most pick themselves up and hurry off as if nothing happened.”
– Winston Churchill
 
Kabir – The couplet
कबीरा कलह अरु कल्पना. सत संगती से जाय ।
दुःख बासे भागा फिरै, सुख में रहे समाय||
Transliterated:
Kabira Kalah Aru Kalpana, Sat Sangati Se Jaay |
Dukh Baase Bhaaga Phirai, Sukh Mein Rahai Samaay||

Translation:
Says Kabir, conflict and (bad) imagination, will all vanish in the right company |
Sorrow, pain, unpleasantness, all run away, the mind stays centered in peace ||

My understanding:
We humans tend to mimic the space we are in – so goes the famous saying – “When in Rome, be like a Roman”!

When we stand on our own, we rapidly try to “correct” the situation by looking for company. And then we succumb to the company’s mode of behavior, instead of retaining our own while imbibing that which should be imbibed.

As Churchill so aptly pointed out, we do sometimes even figure out the truth/right often, but then promptly discard it because it mostly asks us to modify behavior from crowd norm.

So, here, the message is, before we learn to fix our choices, let us pick the right environment. The right company will engender and deep-seat the right behavior. We are then better armed and ready to take on the larger world with lesser scope of compromising the self and succumbing to instinct. This can help us find that lasting peace and comfort!

“If you want to reach a state of bliss, then go beyond your ego and the internal dialogue. Make a decision to relinquish the need to control, the need to be approved, and the need to judge. Those are the three things the ego is doing all the time. It’s very important to be aware of them every time they come up.”
– Deepak Chopra
 
Kabir – The couplet
जग में बैरी कोई नहीं, जो मन शीतल होइ ।
ये आपा तो दाल दे, दया करे सब कोई||
transliterated:
Jag Me Bairi Koi Nahi, Jo Man Sheetal Hoy |
Yah Aapaa To Daal De, Daya Kare Sab Koye ||

Translation:
There is no enemy in this world, if the mind can stay quiet and peaceful |
If we can discard this cloak of the ego, everyone will find one-ness with us ||

My understanding:
For some reason, the past few days have been days of deep introspection for me. The deeper I inquire, the more the self show that there is really no mystery to unfold or secrets to divine. The reality is, the cloaks of ego and desire start as shimmering, beautiful, ethereal cloaks, but soon harden, solidify and convince us that they are the real us – completely masking the true me hidden within.

Often times, when the real me breaks through, others are initially scared by the vision, since the real persona is fighting to come to terms with the externally brilliant chaotic physical world, so very different for the quiet cocoon we were embedded in. And even more often, before we begin the fight, we reject the external, and retire back into the cocoon, relinquishing control to the ego and desire.

The mistake we make here is that we do not recognize the fragility of the cocoon – time and age will wither and destroy it eventually, and we have to face the world – or suffer the consequence.

So let us let our real us out into the sun, and let the real us meet and greet – and make our world truly ours!

Warm regards,
Mani

[this thread of Kabir is archived at https://www.akella.org/mani/?cat=5 ]

“Time and tide wait for no man.”
– Geoffrey Chaucer
 
Kabir – The couplet
पाँव पालक की सुधि नाही, करे कल की साज ।
कल अचानक मारसि, ज्यों तीतर को बाज ||
 
transliterated:
Paav palak ki sudhi naahi, kare kal ki saaj|
Kal achaanak marasi, jyon teetar ko baaj ||

Translation:
We have no real control over the next moment, but plan for the distant future |
Death comes ant any moment (without warning), just as the eagle pounces on the small bird ||

My understanding:
I regularly succumb to the fallacy that I can direct and control time. Time is a dimension that we have only been given the privilege of using – we have no way to control over its direction, speed or the duration we are given. Yet, we somehow grow complacent, take it for granted and plan our life with little consideration for the inexorability that time really represents.

Here is a reminder of that reality, and a call to get our priorities right. The only real way to be a true master of time is to slow our life down, find the time to smell the daisies and listen to the birds, track the fish in a stream and lay down in the grass while allowing the sun to bathe us.

All our planning can give us the anticipated peace and satisfaction only if we are willing to recognize the peace and satisfaction that time presents us. IF we are always focused on the next moment, we will never be able to recognize the bounty of the current!

So slow down, enjoy this moment, and be thankful every day for the opportunities it presents as its bounty!

“Politeness is the flower of humanity.”
– Joseph Joubert
 
Kabir – The couplet
 
सुख सागर का शील है, कोई न पावे थाह ।
शब्द बिना साधु नहीं, द्रव्य बिना नहीं शाह ||
transliterated:
Sukh Saagar Ka Sheel Hai, Koi Na Paave Thaah |
Shabd Bina Sadhu Nahi, Dravya Bina Nahi Shah ||

Translation:
Peace is the virtue of the ocean, whose depth cannot be fathomed |
Without politeness one cannot be a saint, as without money one cannot be rich ||

My understanding:
Here is a simple thought – we often express, without paying attention to whether the expression is being received, received well, or even has an audience.

However, most of the time, the intent of expression is delivery to a specific audience, and more often than not, there is expectation of a reaction to the expression.

So, when the intent is not served, there is dissatisfaction or more at the end of the delivery, often leading to distraction and even deviation from the path the journey started on.

So here, the master teacher is asking us to once again pay attention to the basics. Underlying the simple term “politeness” is a deeper and very effective magic wand – “attentive listening”. Politeness is possible only if we are attentive, and pay attention to the many cues from our intended audience. When we listen, we connect. Once we connect, the rest of the conversation will be a true conversation and not a monologue. When we then spice that conversation with the gentle dressing of politeness, the message will stay for life.

So let us relearn to listen, pay attention and be polite.

“If my love is without sacrifice, it is selfish. Such a love is barter, for there is exchange of love and devotion in return for something. It is conditional love.“
– Sadhu Vaswani
 
Kabir – The couplet
 
कामी क्रोधी लालची, इनसे भक्ति क्या होए ।
भक्ति करे कोई सूरमा, जाती वर्ण कुल खोए ||
transliterated:
Kãmi krodi lãlchi, inse bhakti kya hoye|
Bhakti kare koi surma, jãti varna kul khoye ||

Translation:
The lusty, angry or greedy, these are incapable of devotion|
Devotion is for that exceptional one, who is free of denomination, affiliation or social binding ||

My understanding:
When we claim to do something because it needs doing, it behooves us to inspect closely the true drive behind the reasons we proffer.

Most all of our actions are driven by an expectation of something in return – whether it is material, sensual or emotional. All of these returns provide temporary satiation to a demand of the physical body. I term it temporary because close introspection does prove that there is no material, sensual or emotional demand that ever says “Thank you – I have had enough for this life!”

This then makes the demand truly insatiable. So our first success at receiving some return/satiation only fuels the drive to get more – till we find ourselves exhausted – but not the desire. When we can fulfill the need no more, it makes us sad, unhappy, dejected, and even negative. So that which seemed to make us happy is truly laying the seed for the opposite result in the long term.

The only way to find true peace and centeredness is to break free of the shackle of desire and the need to conform to externally imposed needs – the need to be someone in social spaces, the need to feel a particular way or the need to be able to claim victory in a specific area. These needs can only lead to Pyrrhic victory – the cost of the victory far outweighs the returns, and it leaves one with a deep sense of loss and dejection. Give up the dependence on such needs and find fulfillment and satisfaction in just being rather than acting out of expectation.

“What is important in meditation is the quality of the mind and the heart. It is not what you achieve, or what you say you attain, but rather the quality of a mind that is innocent and vulnerable. Through negation there is the positive state. Merely to gather, or to live in, experience, denies the purity of meditation. Meditation is not a means to an end. It is both the means and the end.
– J. Krishnamurthi
 
Kabir – The couplet
माला तो कर में फिरे, जीभ फिर मुख माहीं ।
मनवा तो चहुँ डिश फिर, यह तो सुमिरन नाहीं ||
 
transliterated:
Maala to kar mein phire, jeebh phire mukh maahi |
Manwa to chahun dish phire, yeh to sumiran nahi ||

Translation:
(Whether) it is the rosary beads in the had moving, or the tongue dancing in the mouth|
For as long as the mind wanders in all other directions, this is not meditation||

My understanding:
Early on, from the teaching of elders, observation of others, and all the reading we do, understand that meditation can help center us and help us find peace and the real center within us. For those so inclined, we even seek a special mantra or set of mantras, and seek, by repeated repetition, to find that true heart and meaning.

What we need to realize, however, is that it is not just the words or the action that create the magic. The magic actually happens when we step beyond the words and repetition, and learn to focus the physical and mental senses inwards, away from all external input, into the central core.

When the entire being can focus, even for just an instant, on that quiet space deep within, when we can just be, just observe, without thought, action or interaction, we find that well of bliss that we seek.

And when we can teach ourselves to repeat the exercise repeatedly, the attractions of the external world and the desires that draw us there finally show their true nature as brittle facades that fall away as easily as bark on rotting wood. Once that happens, the true self steps out in all its luminescent glory, lighting up both the individual and the entire space around. And in that brilliance, all of false ego melts away like the ice sculpture in the warmth of the sun – slowly and surely. 

“Good company in a journey makes the way seem shorter.”
– Izaak Walton
 
Kabir – The couplet
ऋद्धि सिद्धि मांगो नहीं, मांगो तुम पाई ये ।
निसदिन दर्शन साधु को, प्रभु कबीर कहु दे ||
 
transliterated:
Riddhi Siddhi Mangou Nahi, Mangou Tum Pai Yeh |
Nishidin Darshan Sadhu Ko, Prabhu Kabir Kahu Deh ||
 
Translation:
Wealth or fame I ask not, all I ask for is just this|
Every day to be spent in the company of a good man, Lord, please grant this (asks Kabir)||
 
My understanding:
We begin every journey with the most appropriate of intentions, and the best of thought. Then we encounter our first co-traveller, and our intents seem to magically merge with theirs. Along come the next, then the next, and more follow.

We complete the journey, and wonder in retrospect how we completely changed course midway and when it all went astray. But the time for the journey is done, the budget spent, and the opportunity behind us. So we just shake our heads, resolve to be more focused the next time, and move on.

This is often the story of our daily life. We start each morning with a set or priorities, which somehow drop from focus with each new person we meet (or website we visit J), until the day is behind us with none of the original planned work complete. Additionally, we have now loaded our plate with new work that we do not know how to accomplish – mostly because we took it from another’s plate without a proper understanding or content or expected result.

Kabir is guiding us here to find the right company for each of our days – for the right company will help us stay true to course while simultaneously enriching our experience and enhancing our understanding. This is as much our top priority as any other task we set ourselves.

“How strange that Nature does not knock, and yet does not intrude!”
– Emily Dickinson
 
Kabir – The couplet
दास बनना कठिन है, मैं दासों का दास ।
अब तो ऐसा होए रहूँ, पाँव तले की घास ||
 
transliterated:
Pakhaa pakhi ke kaarane, sab jag rahaa bhulaan |
Nirpakh hoi ke hari bhaje, soi sant sujaan ||

Translation:
Having chosen different paths (religions), everyone is lost in differentiating theirs as the best|
The One who is not bound by religions, not differentiating, is the true saint||

My understanding:
We begin our journey towards God with simple small prayers. From there we migrate to meditation and introspection. Just before we flower from there to enjoying the glow of the inner radiance, we trap ourselves in the prison of ritual and social one-upmanship.

The One that has provided this life does not respond to just one name or to just one form of worship or address. Do you really see a difference in one baby to the next? Are they not each full of the same joy and radiance, blessing us all with their bliss?

Here is a clarion call to free ourselves of the bindings of social temperance, to participate without being bound, to serve without expectation, to give because it is the only thing to do. The desire for reward is the first step into a darkness that will bind us for many many lives.

When we understand that it is only the body that is time bound, and that the soul within is not a slave to the clock, we can fully open our perception to the true nature of possibilities presented to us.

“You cannot fulfill God’s purposes for your life while focusing on your own plans. ”
– Rick Warren
 
Kabir – The couplet
दास बनना कठिन है, मैं दासों का दास ।
अब तो ऐसा होए रहूँ, पाँव तले की घास ||
 
transliterated:
Daas bananna kathin hai, main daason ka daas |
Ab to aisa hoye rahoon, paanv tale ki ghaas ||

Translation:
It was difficult to serve, I am the servant of servants|
I now wish to be like the grass under each foot||

My understanding:
I have often succumbed to the temptation to be praised by serving, even to the extent of finding those circumstances where my service would be the most visibly noticed.

However, such service never gave me any peace – for it was immediately followed by the questions –
Was it well received?
Did it achieve purpose?
Was I noticed appropriately? …. And more.

When I finally turned my attention to the inside, quieted down the cacophony of the ego demanding attention, and learned to listen, the real need for my service began to show itself all around. When I began to serve because it was needed, rather than because it was opportune, a magical transformation happened – I was rewarded in ways I never understood before.

Serving because it is needed is the right way to serve. Being the servant has made me free of the chains of ego and the prison of perception.

I now see that allowing this body to be of service is helping me find the real purpose of this physical existence.

Virtue is relative to the actions and ages of each of us in all that we do.
– Plato
 
Kabir – The couplet
सोना सज्जन साधु जान, टूट जुड़े सौ बार ।
दुर्जन कुम्भ कुम्हार के, एके धक्का दरार||
 
transliterated:
Sona sajjan sadhu jan, toot jude sau baar |
Durjan kumbh kumhaar ke, eike dhakka daraar||

Translation:
Gold, a good person and the teacher, are malleable – they break and become whole many times|
The egotist, the bad person, is like an earthen pot – once broken, there is no way to make them whole||

My understanding:
In our daily life, we face adversity at many junctions. Sometimes it is our near and dear that seem to poke prod and hurt us, at other times the absolute stranger who rents large tears in the fabric of our presumed existence.

At each of these junctions, before we can turn inwards to understand that it is really our own expectation of the moment and not external behavior that causes the presumed rift, our EGO raises its head and screams out, LOUDLY, that it is hurt, and causes us to react by lashing out at anything and everything in front, often to damaging consequences.

So then, is it truly the other person that is causing us the pain – or is it our own ego, our own presumed sense of self-importance that is causing us pain?

This is the ego that the masters ask us to crush and keep under control. The ego never really dies completely. Its existence is part and parcel of the existence of the physical self – it is born with the body and will live as long as the body has life. It has an important purpose – to provide the emotional energy that is required for the body to participate and contribute in social spaces. However, that same energy that allows it to serve society can, if allowed to grow unchecked, take over and control the individual instead of being a useful contributing servant to the larger whole.

So take heed, take control, and use the energy instead of being used by it!

Don’t gain the world and lose your soul; wisdom is better than silver or gold.
– Bob Marley
 
Kabir – The couplet
अटकी भाल शरीर में, तीर रहा है टूट ।
चुम्बक बिना निकले नहीं, कोटि जातां को फूट ||
 
transliterated:
Atki bhãl sharir mein, teer raha hai toot |
Chumbak bina nikle nahee, koti jatan ko phoot||

Translation:
The shaft of the arrow that struck the body is out, but the head is stuck inside |
Without a magnet to help, it is very difficult to pull it out||

My understanding:
The soul, at birth, get’s this body as a tool to achieve its stated purpose.

Then, the world, society, our physical senses and our individual interpretation of the need to achieve something in this physical world take over. That seems to override the original programming that states the body is the tool, and instead makes it the primary purpose of existence.

The soul, now, is trapped in this vehicle it was supposed to use, helpless and confused. At some point, it succumbs to the overriding demand for physical existence, and follows the body’s lead, instead of leading the body.

The only one who can help correct the situation is the one we trust the least, and approach only under extreme duress – a true guru. For our physical programming does not allow us to trust a person who expects nothing but our own improvement as the only payment for his efforts.

However, the guru is the only magnet that can remove the trapped arrowhead and cleanse the blood of the accompanying poison and infection, without destroying the body, so the soul can still put it to effective use.

So find that guru, and hang on till you truly find enlightenment – since that is the way to find our true purpose in life.

Guru is like an axe who cuts the attachments deep within one’s heart. Real diksha means that he has no attachment to anything of this material world.
– Subhag Swami
 
Kabir – The couplet
पावक रूपी साइयां, सब घाट रहा समाई ।
चित चकमक लागे नहीं, ताते बुझि बुझि जाइ ||
 
transliterated:
Pãwak roopi sãiyãn, sab ghãt rahã samãi |
Chit chakmak lãge nahin, tãte bujhi bujhi jãi ||

Translation:
The guru, like the fire, burns as bright everywhere without differentiation |
But the soul, without the flintstone (of the guru) to light it, stays dark and lifeless||

My understanding:
Even the best and most powerful of automobiles needs the driver to insert the key and start the ignition before it comes to life. And yet, that is not enough – without the right person steering it, the automobile, despite all its capabilities, stays underutilized, or worse, ends up on the scrap heap.

The individual soul is in a similar plight. We need to be shown the path by one who can guide us without expectation. And we need constant course correction to ensure we stay on the right path, overcoming the distractions of desire and misdirection.

So it is our primary job to find the right guide (guru) and then submit without reservation to the provided instruction and guidance. This is the safest way to find true purpose in life.

“Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man’s character, give him power.”
– Abraham Lincoln
 
Kabir – The couplet
बहुत दिवस ते हिंदिया, सुनिए समाधि लागै ।
करहा पारा गढ़ में, दुरी पारा पछताए ||
 
transliterated:
Bahut diwas te hindiya, suniye Samadhi laagai|
Karha paara gadh mein, doori paara pachtaaye||
 
Translation:
The hatha yogi tries to find bliss in forced silence over long periods of time |
But like the rabbit that falls into a hole, they lay fallen and exhausted and far from their goal ||

My understanding:
We often look to emulate the stated methods of others in the hope of achieving their expected goals.

What we discount in that act is that we have not fully done the required preparation work to get ready to walk the suggested path. Without that preparation, the path, no matter how bountiful, will not reveal its bounty to us – or we are too busy looking elsewhere and miss the offered gifts.

To find bliss, do not pressurize the body, but follow its subtle cues to comfortably allow it to stay calm and allow you to look within and find the real untarnished you.

All other effort will (mostly) result in vain.

“Having a low opinion of yourself is not ‘modesty.’ It’s self-destruction. Holding your uniqueness in high regard is not ‘egotism.’ It’s a necessary precondition to happiness and success.”
– Bobbe Sommer
 
Kabir – The couplet
बन ते भागा बिहड़े परा, करहा अपनी बन ।
बेदन करहा कसो कहै, को करहा को जान ||

transliterated:
Ban te bhaga bihade paraa, karhaa apni ban|
Bedan karha kaso kahai, ko karhaa ko jaan||
 
Translation:
The rabbit, as per its nature, runs from bush to bush, and falls into inescapable traps|
Once in the trap, who can it lament to, who will listen to it’s woes? ||

My understanding:
Giancomo Casanova said “Be the flame, not the moth”.

However, humanity has largely succumbed to the trend of “following the Joneses” – we mimic those who we deem successful, and expect to find and improve on their achievements ourselves.

The first mistake – our calling them successful based on external view. The second is the lack of recognition of the effort that got them there. The third is the presumption that we can exactly trace the very same path over the same or similar period of time – and improve by compressing time.

By the time we fully recognize our folly, we have burned through much of the time this life has granted us, and do not have the time, the energy, the enthusiasm or the vim to find our own path. We then turn to blame our failure on everything else, from circumstance to fate to bad timing. But those we are complaining to have complaints of their own, and do not have the time or patience to genuinely pay attention to our woes or offer sincere advice.

Hence the guidance to find the right teacher, find the teacher when young, and then follow the prescribed path without superimposing the instinctual direction of desire on the prescription.

Only by staying true to this remedy, from this moment onwards, irrespective of age, status or ability, can we truly find success and happiness in this life and for ever afterwards!

“Be careful of living your life based only on faith and signs, or you might find yourself standing in a South American jungle holding a glass of Kool-aid. Commonsense is the foundation of any good testimony.”
– Shannon L. Alder

Kabir – The couplet
पाथर पूजे हरि मिले , तो मैं पूजू पहाड़ |
घर की चाकी कोई ना पूजे, जाको पीस खाए संसार ||

transliterated:
Paathar puje hari mile, to main poojoon pahaad |
Ghar ki chakki koi na pooje, jaako pees khaye sansaar||

Translation:
If by praying to a stone, I could find God, I will pray to the hill |
No one prays to the stone mill, it feeds the world ||

My understanding:
We, humanity, have been gifted with the wonderful presents of common-sense, intelligence and reason. However, we have tended to ignore these gifts in favor of the more mundane, but much easier path, of a flock of sheep.

The shepherd tends the flock to his convenience, not for the mental uplift of his flock. So is the case with most leaders – they drive us to achieve their goals, which may not always be in synchrony with ours (if we took the time to define them).

Kabir, here, is asking us to recognize our purpose and calling in life, once again, and give credit where it is due – rather than where it is convenient.

God helps us when we help ourselves. The teacher is asking us to recognize and attune our actions to best serve our purpose for existence.

“Do you wish to rise? Begin by descending. You plan a tower that will pierce the clouds? Lay first the foundation of humility.”
– Saint Augustine
 
Kabir – The couplet
भक्ति द्वार अति संकरा, राई दसवें भाग ।
मन तो मैंगल है रहा, कैसे आवे जाय॥
 
transliterated:
Bhakti dwar ati sankara, rai dasavein bhaag |
Man to maingal hair aha, kaise aave jaay||
 
Translation:
The path of devotion is very narrow, one tenth the width of a grain of sand |
The (egotist) mind is behaving as an intoxicated elephant, how can it (enter or) pass ||

My understanding:
As the sun enters the Makara rashi, and the cycle repeats, I am reminded of the endless bounty we are always presented – the many chances we are given. Every year, every day, every moment, we are presented with the opportunity to start afresh, to renew and reinvigorate.

Our ego, ever expanding, refuses to offer even a portion of such bounty or relent in the least on any front as we progress to life.

So the challenge in front of us is to overcome and crush that ego, so that we may grow, rather than feed an ego that will dissolve into dust at the end of this drama called life.

“Those contented souls who meditate on the Lord with single-minded love, meet the True Lord.“
– Guru Granth Sahib
 
Kabir – The couplet
इस तन का दिया करौ, बाती मेल्यु जिव ।
लोही सींचो तेल ज्यों, कब मुख देखू पिव॥
 
transliterated:
Is tan ka diya karau, bati melyu jeev|
Lohi seencho tel jyon, kab much milu piv||
 
Translation:
Make my body the lamp, my breath the wick that lights up |
My blood is the oil to fuel it, when I will I find Love (God)? ||

My understanding:
Today is the day of Bhogi – the day before Sankrathi, in the year 2015 AD.

This is the day we symbolically discard our bad habits, our negativity and the useless accouterments we have accumulated in the morning bonfire and the dances.

Today, let us also agree to give up expecting, and learn to give love instead.

When we ask, we get what the other expects will make us happy – which is not what we want. We want to join the real person within – which will happen when we give of ourselves without reservation or expectation.

When we give without holding back, what we find will be pure and truly joyous. For the reward is in the giving itself – no more is needed.

“You were born an original. Don’t die a copy. “
– John Mason
 
Kabir – The couplet
आया था किस काम को, तू सोया चादर तान ।
सूरत संभाल ऐ ग़ाफ़िल, अपना आप पेहचान॥
 
transliterated:
Aaya tha kis kaam ko, tu soya chaadar taan|
Surat sambhaal ai gaafil, apna aap pehchaan||
 
Translation:
For what purpose did you arrive, now you are all bundled up and asleep? |
Recognize yourself, fool, (before time really runs out) ||
 
My understanding:
We arrive in this world as a child, with no baggage. But we promptly start accumulating weight, shells, and covers till the original me is completely hidden, covered and soon forgotten – under the false exterior.
 
These covers take the form of aspirations of parents, expectations of society, desire-driven aspirations of the self based on input from the physical senses, our presumptions of the world’s expectations of us, our own conceptions of what might make us more acceptable, and sheer laziness – it is always easier to take the softer option, and blame failure on anything except the self.
 
Very soon, we begin to truly believe that the presented exterior is the real self, and we begin to live out that created role with the belief that that is our true calling in the theater of life.
 
Only at the time of death, when all of the accumulated accouterments wither and fall off, do we once again see the real self – but by then, the body is bereft of vim and energy and time, and can do little to help the self attain it’s purpose for this round.
 
So the master is asking us to abandon these false shells of fake identities, and to become what we are meant to be!

“Growing old is no more than a bad habit which a busy person has no time to form. “
– Andre Maurois
 
Kabir – The couplet
पहले यह मन कग था, करता जीवन घात ।
अब तो मन हंस भया, मोती चुन चुन खात ॥
 
transliterated:
Pehle yeh man kag tha, karta jeevan ghaat|
Ab to man hans bhaya, moti chun chun khaat||
 
Translation:
This mind was a crow in the beginning, pecking at life at each step |
Now it has matured into a swan, picking pearls carefully at each step ||

My understanding:
Aging is a process that begins at birth, and continues till death. It is as inexorable as time itself.

But aging does not imply the presumed accompanying growing wise. That is an external effort that each one of us has to apply to the storehouse of knowledge we collect, in order to distill out understanding and extract useful value.

Just as with churning curds to extract butter, there is a fair amount of extreme effort required – the curds do not easily give up the butter. And once the butter is extracted, the remains need to be used/discarded appropriately.

Similarly, we need to collect knowledge, and then apply clarity, rationality and experience to the store to extract understanding and wisdom. We then need to DISCARD and sometimes DESTROY the remains, so that it does not pollute later collections.

In the absence of this, we only grow old, not wise or smart.

“The life I touch for good or ill will touch another life, and that in turn another, until who knows where the trembling stops or in what far place my touch will be felt. “
– Frederick Buechner
 
Kabir – The couplet
चली जो पुतली लाउनु कि, थाह सिंधु का लेन ।
आपहु गली पानी भई, उलटी कहे को बैन ॥
 
transliterated:
Chali jo putli laun ki, thaah sindhu kaa len|
Aaphu gali paani bhayi, ulti kahe ko bain||
 
Translation:
A doll of salt went out, to measure the ocean’s depth |
In the ocean, it dissolved (merged), who can put it back together again? ||

My understanding:
Taking the thought of service to the next space – when we put our all into an action, we have no bandwidth to spare to think of or presume result. When our whole existence is focused on the act and not the result/reaction, we have become the act. When this happens we are not the individual any longer, but the service itself.

Fire exists to be used. We can choose to use it to cook food, warm ourselves or burn things down. It can be used to forge weapons, or build shelters.

No one blames the fire or praises it – they just use or suffer the result.

Service is the fire – light it and become the fire. It will find the appropriate use for itself.

When we merge into service, we have become part of a much larger space. There, the old me has burned away, to be unavailable to forge or be recast any longer.

For me, service is the greatest version of God I can present for the use of others.

“The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.”
– Mahatma Gandhi
 
Kabir – The couplet
फल कारण सेवा करे, करे न मन से काम ।
कहे कबीर सेवक नहीं, चहै चौगुना दाम ॥
 
transliterated:
Phal kaaran seva kare, kare na man se kaam|
Kahe Kabir sevak nahin, chahai chauguna daam ||
 
Translation:
Work done for a consideration, is not work done to serve |
Says Kabir, this is not service, when there is a price attached ||

My understanding:
Continuing in a similar vein from the prior post, the opportunity to serve is more than ample reward for the service offered. So why do so very few see this or accept it when presented?

We seem to crave for more than just enough. When we cook, we make more than might be needed “just in case” and then complain when there are too many leftovers in the refrigerator. We buy more, bigger, faster, heavier, lighter, greater than needed at the time, and then complain about the funds running out. We eat more than we need for the moment, and blame it on “the caveman instinct” when the excess is highlighted.

The first error is to succumb to the desire for more than the need. The next error, compounding the first, is to blame it on anyone or anything other than the self, the real culprit. When we refuse to recognize it as an error of judgment, there is no correction we will ever accept for the poor behavior.

So recognize the mistake, call it what it is, stop looking for scapegoats, and then do away with the excess. Once this cleansing is done the first time, keep repeating it, same way as we take a bath everyday, and not just the one time and then never again.

For it is only when we keep the mind clean and spotless that it can truly sense the brilliance within!

“The creative process is a process of surrender, not control.”
– Julia Cameron
 
Kabir – The couplet
राम रसायन प्रेम रास, पीवत अधिक रसाल ।
कबीर पीवण दुर्लभ है, मांगे सीस कलाल ॥

पिया चाहे प्रेम आस, रखा छाहे मन ।
दो खड्ग एक मयान में, देखा सुना न कान॥
 
transliterated:
Ram rasain prem ras, peevat adhik rasaal|
Kabir peevat durlabh hai, maange sees kalaal||
 
Piya chaahe prem aas, rakha chaahe man|
Do khadg ek mayan mein, dekha suna na kaan||
 
Translation:
God’s nectar is the nectar of love, the sweeter it gets as one drinks it |
But, says Kabir, it is difficult to drink, for its price is one’s head ||

One wants to drink this nectar, but also retain one’s pride |
But never has it been heard or seen that two swords stay in one sheath ||

My understanding:
We all claim that we want and crave love, when the reality is that we are chasing infatuation.

How do we recognize infatuation as different from love? Infatuation will attach specific returns as payment demands for the spent energy, related to the physical self. IF we get upset that the object of our affection has yet to recognize our effort and respond in a specific fashion, it is infatuation. If it were love, any reaction or none at all would be perfectly acceptable. For love works to satisfy the other, not the self.

To care for the other truly, we have to fully give without expectation or demand for anything in return. The ability to love is its own reward – it needs no other to satisfy.

Pride gets into the middle of this space. As the giver of emotion, we somehow manage to presume the role of giver/provider instead of being the one donning the mantle of responsibility. The provider needs to receive to complete the transaction – but love is NOT a transaction. To give love is the reward we get – when we are able to truly love, there is no need for something else to complete the action. Once we accept that, pride dissolves, and leaves us illuminated in the light of the soul.

“Seeking the face of God in everything, everyone, all the time, and his hand in every happening; This is what it means to be contemplative in the heart of the world. Seeing and adoring the presence of Jesus, especially in the lowly appearance of bread, and in the distressing disguise of the poor.”
― Mother Teresa, In the Heart of the World: Thoughts, Stories and Prayers
 
Kabir – The couplet
कस्तूरी कुंडली बसै, मृग ढूंढे बन माहि ।
ऐसे घाटी घाटी राम है, दुनिया देखही नाहि ॥
 
transliterated:
Kasturi kundali basai, mrig dhoondhat ban maahi|
Aise ghati ghati ram hai, duniya dehkahi nahi||
 
Translation:
Musk resides in the navel of the deer, but the deer searches the forest outside for it |
The Lord lives in the heart of each soul, but seldom do people see the God within or around ||

My understanding:
Rationality seems to have made us masters of ignoring or even denying the obvious. We have developed an almost childish obstinacy in looking beyond and searching for greater meaning where none exists, rather than accept the simplicity in front of us.

The teacher is guiding us to give up our childishness, and re-awaken the childlike innocence that allows us to recognize the radiance of the souls all around us. Do that, and God is always in front of you!

“Bad teachers distance themselves from the subject they are teaching—and, in the process, from their students.

Good teachers join self, subject, and students in the fabric of life because they teach from an integral and undivided self; they manifest in their own lives, and evoke in their students, a “capacity for connectedness.”
-Parker J Palmer
 
Kabir – The couplet
गुरु बेचारा क्या करे, सीखहि माहि छूक ।
भावे त्यों परमोधिये, बांस बजाये फूँक ॥
 
transliterated:
Guru bechara kya kare, seekhahi maahi chook|
Bhaave tyon paramodhiye, bans bajaye phoonk||
 
Translation:
Are the faults of the student due to the teacher, or despite him?|
A broken flute produces no music, an un-teachable student benefits not from a good teacher ||

My understanding:
A true teacher is not one who imparts knowledge, but rather points the direction and allows the student to find it on his own. The best of teachers is a guide to the seeker, one who has the patience to let the student falter but is able to provide appropriate support before the final fall, and let the student re-embark on the path of discovery.

Most students come looking for answers, and turn away from the teacher who works to make them ask the right questions instead. These teachers, instead of being revered, are shunned, especially in our current world of instant gratification and easy solutions.

Because it is easy does not make it right, and that is truly the hardest lesson to learn.

So, the next time you find such a teacher, hold on tight and let go only when the teacher asks, for then the teacher has been convinced that you are ready for the next stage. Trust not instinct over the wisdom of the guru – else blame not the guru for your lack of courage or conviction.

“You’re in love when nobody can understand the way you feel.”
-Unknown
 
Kabir – The couplet
अकथ कहानी प्रेम की, कहत कही न जाए ।
गूंगे केरी सरकार, खाए और मुस्काए ॥
 
transliterated:
Akath kahani prem ki, kahat kahi na jaye|
Goonge keri sarkara, khaye aur muskaye||
 
Translation:
The story of God’s love is indescribable. No description is befitting|
Just as the dumb person, having eaten candy, smiles in joy but cannot describe it ||

My understanding:
Some emotions have to be experienced to be understood. No one can understand the pain of childbirth, far less explain the look of transcendent joy on the mother’s face on first contact with the newborn, despite the ordeal just completed.

No words can completely describe the emotions running through a marathon runner’s mind on having completed the run – or fully explain the look of achievement on the face atop a completely drained body.

When we cannot find words for emotions and experiences we humans see repeatedly in our life, how can we expect to find words to describe the union, meeting and communion with that energy that no physical senses can sense? For our words limit their story to the more basic of the physical world’s experience, no more.

Try to read not much into the story of other’s experience, and find similitude – look rather to create your own experience so you may truly understand.

“The greatest enemy of knowledge is not ignorance, it is the illusion of knowledge.”
-Daniel J. Boorstin
 
Kabir – The couplet
बूँद समाई समुन्द में, जानत है सब कोई ।
समुन्द समाये बूँद में, जाने बिराला कोई ॥
 
transliterated:
boond samai samund mein, jaanat hai sab koi|
samund samaye boond mein, jaane birala koi||
 
Translation:
When a drop merges into the ocean, everyone understands it |
But when the ocean merges into the drop, seldom does one understand it ||
 
My understanding:
Our presumption of knowledge is our greatest weakness, our most glaring fault. We (mostly) define our understanding based on our sense of rationality and the input from our five physical senses. So what does not fit into our modes of understanding is mostly discarded as “impossible”, “unreal”, “fantasy” or some other such fancied definition. This despite the fact that all the great inventions known to man would not have happened if the inventor had subscribed to this way of thinking or rationality. If we all still lived under the belief that metal is heavier than air, no planes would ever fly. If we did not believe in energy we could not touch, feel or see, we would have no electricity.
 
And yet, we still continue to deny the existence of the soul, our innate metaphysical abilities, or the teachings of the old books.
 
That we cannot see the ocean of the this world’s students merge into the single consciousness of the single teacher is the loss of the student – for the master will patiently continue to teach, and wait for the student to learn to truly still the physical senses so the student begins to see.
 
Until then….
 

Dost thou love life? Then do not squander time, for that’s the stuff life is made of.
– Benjamin Franklin
 
“I have only just a minute, only sixty seconds in it
Forced upon me, can’t refuse it
Did not seek it, did not choose it,
But it is up to me to use it,
I must suffer if I loose it,
Only just a tiny minute,
But ETERNITY is in it!”
-Unknown
 
Kabir – The couplet
कच्छी काया मन अथिर, थिर थिर काम करत ।
ज्यों ज्यों नर निधदक फिरे , त्यों त्यों काल हसत ॥
 
transliterated:
Kacchhi kaaya man athir, thir thir kaam karat|
Jyon jyon nar nidhadak phire, tyon tyon kaal hasat||
 
Translation:
The body is like an unbaked pot, and restless is the mind (in it)|
This man is action-less faced by worldly fears, while inexorable time watches and chuckles||

My understanding:
Time – a one way street, with no looking back, and moving at just one pace – one inevitable step after another. No break, no pause, not even a stop to breathe.

And I, the traveller, in ignorance, have made a art of the ability to ignore, postpone, and even deny the existence of time (except as an abstract thought for later consideration at an appropriate time?).

While time watches on, and smiles at my stupidity, I claim mastery over my existence, which only time owns.

So I need to stop, perish this folly, and fully accept that this physical life is temporal, and that I have already burned through a considerable portion of it in the pursuit of ephemerals. Let me now focus on understanding its purpose, meaning and teachings, so that I am ready for what comes after. For each phase of existence is but a preparatory school for what is to come next.

Do not repay evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary, bless, for to this you were called, that you may obtain a blessing.
– 1 Peter 3:9 (New Testament)
 
“Nothing is easier than to denounce the evildoer; nothing is more difficult than to understand him.”
-Fyodor Dostoyevski
 
Kabir – The couplet
आवत गारी एक है, उलटी होत अनेक ।
कहे कबीर न उलटिए, रहे एक की एक ॥
 
transliterated:
Aawat gari ek hai, ulati hoth anek|
Kahe Kabir na ulatiye, rah ek ki ek||
 
Translation:
A verbal abuse is one, but responding to it will make many|
Kabir says: “Do not respond to the abuse and it will remain one.”||

My understanding:
In our daily life, we often find ourselves surrounded by negativity in some form. A look may seen accusing, or a stray comment may seem to dig into our deepest secrets to lay us open and bare for the world to see.

Too often, we seem to ignore our relative insignificance (1 of 7 billion people) and instead, behave as if the world centers on us. In the real world, how many of them know me? How many should? And will they all be interested in my daily life?

If I can teach myself to respond back to the perceived jibe with a smile, or take it a step further and respond with a heartfelt thank you, I have taken a step closer to realizing the God within me.

The metaphoric mind is a maverick. It is as wild and unruly as a child. It follows us doggedly and plagues us with its presence as we wander the contrived corridors of rationality. It is a metaphoric link with the unknown called religion that causes us to build cathedrals — and the very cathedrals are built with rational, logical plans. When some personal crisis or the bewildering chaos of everyday life closes in on us, we often rush to worship the rationally planned cathedral and ignore the religion.
– Einstein
 
Kabir – The couplet
मानुस जनम दुर्लभ है, मिले न बारम्बार !
पक्का फल जो गिर परा, बहुरि न लागे दार ॥
 
transliterated:
manus janam durlabh hai, mile na barambar|
pakka phal jo gir para, bahuri na lage dar||
 
Translation:
Human life is difficult to obtain, not something one gets again and again|
Once the ripened fruit falls to the ground, no science can reattach it to a branch||

My understanding:
Very often, we take life for granted – for it is not in our face every moment clamoring for attention. However, the world around us is – through the incessant input to our physical senses. From this input, our mind (the rational component) creates the construct we call ego, and then ascribes to it character, social status, and then assigns it a separate existence of it’s own. This ego then takes over the role of master, and enslaves us to itself for the duration of our physical life.

At the end of the physical life, as soon as the physical body is no more, the construct, ephemeral as it was, dissolves into nothing, and the soul is left to answer for the time spent in vain pursuit, in the absence of the master that drove the pursuit.

Try this experiment today – for 5 minutes, focus on just the breath going in and out of you – to the exclusion of everything else. Once in a more peaceful state, look at your day, detached from the ego we call ‘me’. Critically answer the question “Was every action done because it needed to be done, or with an anticipated/desired result forethought?”

More often than not, we act with the expectation of specific results. However, the results, even if we achieve what we want in the immediate time frame, do take on their own life and generate further consequences that were never part of the plan. However, as the generator of the original action, we hold the real responsibility of ALL the consequences. However, the ego helps us divest of responsibility of the later consequences, putting that blame on the other “who should have thought it through before they acted”. But did we? Did we really think it through the first time? The second time? The third time? Ever?

If this is the way we choose to spend our life (and yes, we do have the freedom to make that choice), then why blame the result on the cosmos, God, or whatever else? We made the choice, we are responsible for the consequence. But this is where we get squeamish. And the rest of life becomes an artificial construct where we dream up excuses to explain away our choice as someone else’s fault. A favorite of all is “fate” – poor fate never does get a good reputation. But this is not fate – it is a tale of poor choices, and of even poorer shirking of responsibility.

At the end of this life, we do not get the opportunity to reset the clock and start all over again. So treat each day, each hour, each moment as a new beginning. Look backwards only to learn and understand, not to carry forward burden or blame.

Act because you need to, think so as not to do that which need not be done. Let the requirement of the moment drive thought and action – not the carrot of result.

Surrender the result of action and thought to the need of the time, and move on with a clear heart. Life will begin rewarding you in ways unthought-of from that very instant. And from that instant, fear finds no more space in us, for we are filled with the light of the divine, the true glow of Consciousness.