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How to be a World Citizen?
One on One with Sirshree: Questions/Answers with Sirshree
Seeker: I wish to do something big for my nation? Please guide me.
Sirshree: First be a World Citizen. ’Start living for others because there is no other.’ When you see the same consciousness in every person – then you will be able to see the world as one family. The Upanishads call this Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam. One who understands what Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam is one who sees the entire world as his family inclusive of human, plant and animal kingdom. He recognizes being part of the one creation and living like a family sharing everything the world has to offer and caring for others. Seeing the world as a family also signifies being ready to work towards any problem which the world is facing.
How to be a World Citizen?
A World Citizen is a one who sees no boundaries of religion, race, gender, creed, society, sect, and nation. He respects every human life on Earth, without any prejudices and is ready to share everything that nature offers. But how will one become a World Citizen?
Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam – The World is a Family
There are three recommended steps. The first step is to develop your consciousness by recognizing the common thread binding everything on this planet. Thus the first step is the understanding of oneness.
The second step is to develop a global perspective. This can be done by reading the history of other countries, understanding their culture and appreciating their uniqueness. This will make you respect every culture and nation in this world. Interact with people of various countries and cultures. You can do this by traveling, by reaching out to expatriates in your city, through social networking websites, etc. Understand how communities, societies and nations are built. Studying the nature, environment, the balance between the human, plant and animal kingdoms will make you revere the beauty of creation and in turn shall inspire you to take effort to restore and maintain the balance of nature. You shall begin to recognise the common teachings of all great leaders, prophets and saints, pointing to the same Oneness, God and Consciousness present in each one of us. By recognising and identifying oneself with this deeper realm, you operate as a world citizen, seeing the world as one family. All your deeds then emanate from the oneness and you shall only think of the well being of everyone.
The third step is to work towards the benefit of the whole world. As mentioned in the previous chapter, this is to do with taking on impersonal projects for the benefit of others, if possible not just your country – but for the whole world.
Being a World Citizen does not mean you are no longer patriotic to your country. A true patriot is one who elevates the consciousness of his country and also of the world. A world citizen is devout to his country and to the entire world. But he is not one who is only devout to his country while demeaning other countries or is indifferent about other countries. The focus of a World Citizen is elevation of global consciousness – in which his country surely benefits.
A World Citizen works towards establishing an ideal and highly evolved society on Earth. His entire focus, his endeavours, his creation, his inventions are targeted only for the betterment of the whole life on Earth. You have now known the path fo travelling beyond, from being personal to impersonal. Being truly impersonal is when you are ‘globally – impersonal’. Practice the third step to be a world citizen by being ‘globally – impersonal’. It simply needs you to add a global perspective to an impersonal project that you undertake.
Seeker: Why Pray for World Peace?
Sirshree: Whatever you become a medium for, first manifests in your life. Similarly, when you pray for peace, it shall first touch and transform your life. If you pray that help reaches others, help reaches you. If you pray for someone who is ill, your health improves. If you pray for others to get money, money increases in your life. If you pray for the happiness of others, happiness steps into your life. When you awaken love and reverence within you for others, it will multiply and come back to you.
Prayer is an unseen power which manifests in different forms. But due to our own imaginations and preconceived notions, we fail to understand this power.
When you pray for world peace, remember you are increasing your purity of mind and causing a change in your life first.
A man once, began to pray continuously to God with great fervour. After many days, God was pleased with him and said, “I am very happy with your prayers. Ask for whatever you wish. You will get whatever you ask for, but your neighbour will get the double of it.”
The man was delighted to learn that he could get anything he wanted. First, he asked for a mansion. He instantly got a mansion. But he saw that his neighbour got two mansions. He then asked for a car. He got a car and his neighbour got two cars. He then asked for plenty of wealth, which he received, and his neighbour attained double the amount.
Seeing this, he started hating his neighbour. He began to burn in the fire of jealousy. Possessed with this hatred, he asked God to make him blind in one eye. He felt happy to see that his neighbour lost both his eyes. He then asked God to cripple him in one leg. He saw that his neighbour lost both his legs. In his desire to harm his neighbour, he went on hurting himself. But finally he began to repent his sufferings realising, ‘God was pleased with me, but I asked for all the wrong things due to hatred and jealousy. I could have asked for so much more valuable, instead, I lost my eye and leg.’
The same happens with us. Owing to hatred and jealousy towards someone, we often end up taking wrong decisions in haste. At such times we forget that the thoughts of malice and loathing, first affect the body in which they arise. Thoughts such as, ‘My country is great and yours is not’, affect you before causing any harm to others. When the mind is impure, such mistakes are bound to happen. Hence let us not be troubled by seeing others’ progress. Let us, instead, be able to participate in their happiness and share their joy. When you pray for world peace, remember you are increasing your purity of mind and causing a change in your life first.
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Blessing of a Good Character
Old Story Golden Moral by Sirshree
Saint Tukaram’s life teaches us what patience and love is. Photo taken from 1937 movie Saint Tukaram
A Brahmin named Mumbaji had come to stay in the neighbourhood of Saint Tukaram. He would always despise Tukaram but would also go to listen to his devotional hymns. With Mumbaji as their neighbour, people around are bound to face problems. People like Mumbaji want comfort and security more than knowledge. If he faced any inconvenience, he would condemn Tukaram saying, ‘You pretend to be a great saint. Your cow chewed up my corn; now you have to pay for it.’ Once he was so annoyed with Tukaram that he beat him up black and blue with a tree branch.
When Mumbaji did not come for that evening’s devotional session, Tukaram asked, ‘Where is Mumbaji? Why hasn’t he come?’ He went to see Mumbaji at his place and told him, ‘Perhaps your hands are paining after beating me with that branch. Shall I massage your hands?’ Mumbaji felt deeply ashamed.
Read Book: Inner Ninety Hidden Infinity – The secret of staying at the peak of success
Understanding
This incident from Saint Tukaram’s life teaches us what patience and love is and how one ought to behave with others. The main point which features in his teaching is ‘staying in the company of virtuous people.’ When you stay in the company of virtuous people, you would automatically get rid of the five vices such as eyeing others’ wealth or others’ women, criticism of others, violence, and desiring respect from others. He says, ‘It’s no use looking at shade from a distance. You can feel it only by going under it. When you go there, you will feel the coolness, and all troubles arising out of heat and anger will disappear.’ This is why it is advised to be in the company of upright people. Only by being in their company, can we become upright.
Points to Contemplate:
- What do we understand from this story?
- What kind of company are you in?
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Peace and transcending Nationalism
The roots of Nationalism:
The root thought that promotes this discrimination is, ‘My country is great’ or ‘my race is richer’. There is nothing wrong feeling great about your country. But along with the thought, ‘My country is great”, another thought that gets roots is ‘Your country is not’. Hence a new thought is suggested – ‘My country is also great’…
The word ‘also’ communicates that we recognize the uniqueness of each and every country
The root thought that, ‘Only my country is great’ implies other countries being inferior to yours. With this root thought, people and nations indulge in actions that only widen the rift between countries. There is a need to bring in a new perspective of looking at ourselves as a ‘World Citizen’ along with identifying as an Indian or Italian or German, etc. Only then will we be able to say that ‘My country is also great’. The word ‘also’ communicates that we recognize the uniqueness of each and every country. Just like every living being is different and unique – whether a swan or a sparrow or a butterfly – people belonging to different countries are also unique and special in their own way. We are human beings first and only then respective citizens identified by the boundaries of our countries. We are humans first and only then a Hindu or Muslim or Christian or Buddhist or Jain or Jew or Indian or American or rich or poor or black or white etc. Learning to see ourselves as humans first, eliminates all discriminations.
World as one family
Within a country, though there are differences among two regions or states, people from both states unite in case of a war with a neighbouring country; the identify themselves with their nation. Similarly nations across the globe will be able to unite, think, feel and act like one Global community, if we similarly identify ourselves as World Citizens. We will then be able to gather immense strength and make a concerted effort that is required to tackle the problems faced by the world today.
We are humans first and only then a Hindu or Muslim or Christian or Buddhist or Jain or Jew or Indian or American or rich or poor or black or white etc.
Every person acts according to his individual beliefs. His actions are driven by the beliefs he keeps about himself, people around him and of the world. If he sees himself belonging to a separate religion, race, country or caste, his actions are driven by this segregation. But when he realizes his true identity as the Self – the existential consciousness beyond the limited confines of various beliefs and his body, his perspective of seeing others also changes. He does not see the other person as someone separate, but a part of the common universal consciousness that exists at all times and at all places.
Painter with a Magic Brush
Old Story Golden Moral by Sirshree
There is a painter who breathes life into all the pictures he paints, using a magic brush. One day he painted a landscape with trees, shrubs, grass, a well, a house, a scarecrow, and also a few dwarfs. To add resonance to his creation, he painted various symbols on the trees, rocks, stones, on the walls of the well and the scarecrow – all meant to communicate subtle messages. At the same time, he used his magic paint brush to create another such brush which has the power to bring alive the painted objects. This brush too he hid within the painting, giving clues as to its location. What can be more awesome than using one magic brush to draw another such brush, and both possessing the power of breathing life into the paintings created using them. It is just asking the magic lamp of Aladdin for another magic lamp!
It is just asking the magic lamp of Aladdin for another magic lamp!
The dwarfs in the painting would keep wandering around the farm, but they could not see the clues in the painting pointing to the location of the magic brush. The intention of the artist was that these subtle messages should become visible only to those people who searched for them very intently. If you focus on the branches and trunks of the trees, you will see that they form a picture, just as it is possible to discern certain shapes in the clouds if one gazes at them long enough. The dwarfs could not see the hints. So there was no way they could find the brush concealed in the picture.
The sad part was that these hidden messages were of great value for the dwarfs. If they were to look at those pictures and find the message hidden in them, their height would increase as a result.
One day, the dwarfs began to question and seek answers, and began discovering the hidden messages. They gained not only in height, intelligence and wisdom, but also found the magic brush which enabled them to express themselves to their fullest, thus fulfilling the purpose for which the painter had created the picture.
Magic of Awakening – The Book
Points to Contemplate:
- Who is the painter?
- Who are the dwarfs?
- What is the painting?
- What is the secret?
- What does the brush represent?
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Power of Prayer ( …the right decision)
Old Story, Golden Moral by Sirshree
Some pigeons used to sit on a tree in a park. Suddenly danger started lingering on these pigeons. A hunter began to frequent the park. Every time he came, he hunted down a pigeon to take home.
One day, two pigeons were sitting on the tree. They saw the hunter come towards them, at the same time they also saw a hawk hovering above. It was a frightening situation. Both of them said to each other, “Now what do we do? If we continue to sit here the hunter’s arrow can pierce us, and if we take off in the sky the hawk may catch us.” Then one of them said, “There is only one way to get out of this situation – prayer. Come, let us pray together.” The other said, “There is no use praying now. The time to pray has already passed.” The first one replied, “It is never too late to pray.” Whenever we remember we can at least pray with feeling, understanding and reverence to be saved from the calamity.
As soon as they finished praying, they saw that the hunter was aiming at them. When he was just about to release the arrow, a scorpion bit him. The arrow left the bow, went up straight into the sky and hit the hawk. This was the result of their prayer. They got rid of both their enemies in one stroke.
In the most difficult of situations, when decision-making seems difficult or you need more time to decide, do not forget to pray, even though you do not see any signs of your prayer getting fulfilled.
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The cornerstones of Faith and Confidence
The Ladder of Supreme Faith and Complete Confidence
Faith is a feeling of trust. Faith is trust in others, faith in the universe. Conversely, faith in oneself is confidence. Thus faith is the common factor. But the invisible ladder is one of Supreme Faith and Complete Confidence—where you are beyond faith and confidence, where there is no doubt left. When you have the feeling of supreme faith and complete confidence, then you have acquired the ladder, which will take you beyond the joys and sorrows of this world towards ultimate success.
Supreme faith and complete confidence come from the inner experience
Faith
Faith is the greatest vibration on this earth. The vibration of faith helps open the body and mind of a person. He then becomes more receptive to the world around him. The vibration of faith helps him counter the negative vibrations of fear and worry.
Confidence
Confidence is faith in oneself. Self-confidence is the foremost requirement of man. It is as important as breathing. There is no fruitful existence of a human being without self-confidence. Due to lack of self-confidence, people lose out on innumerable opportunities in life.
Self-confidence is that dimension of human life with the help of which the impossible becomes possible. Self-confidence is that key which helps us to complete all that is not complete and take our life forward. Self-confidence helps us unravel all the mysteries about life and shows us how we can use them to develop our lives.
There are five types of basis from which people derive their confidence:
- Confidence acquired through physical strength
- Confidence acquired through observation
- Confidence acquired through name and fame
- Confidence acquired through money
- Confidence acquired through position
All these types are temporary, as they are dependent on external factors. This type of confidence or faith does not take a person very far in life. Every type of confidence or faith has a limit, i.e. it can guide you up to a certain extent but not beyond.
Everyone desires to posses and express 100% confidence and faith. Sometimes your confidence and faith manifests when you visit holy places, temples, churches, mosques or other sacred places. People get positive experiences at those places and then they want to return to those places time and again. They are, however, not aware how faith is expressed.
You already have confidence and faith within you; you do not have to imbibe it from outside. You just have to express it; you have to open yourself. When you have faith that something will happen and you are fully confident about it, you will surely meet with success. You will feel great about life.
Supreme Faith and Complete Confidence
Complete confidence goes beyond doubt and no doubt. Supreme faith goes beyond trust and no trust. It is not dependant on external factors. Supreme faith and complete confidence come from the inner experience. This is the confidence in self and faith in the Supreme acquired from within, through the experience of Truth. It never diminishes. This is supreme faith — faith in the Supreme. This is complete confidence—unshakeable faith in yourself. This is the biggest strength of a person. Try to understand that this is within you.
When you have complete confidence and supreme faith, you have seen and climbed the Invisible Ladder.
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The greatest freedom – the freedom to choose your response
The greatest freedom man can have is the freedom to choose the response he gives – to any person, incident, situation, or circumstance. You will experience the taste of true freedom when you are able to give the response that you want to give. Else, you will end up doing something that you didn’t want to do, and remain a slave of the habits of your mind. For example, you might have often heard yourself say: ‘I didn’t want to hurt him, but I did’, ‘I didn’t want to get angry, but I couldn’t control my temper’, ‘I had decided to eat sweets tomorrow, but I couldn’t control myself and I finished them off today’, ‘I wanted to shut off the television immediately, but ended up watching it for hours together’, etc. Man is weak because he doesn’t have this freedom. If Independence Day is able to remind you of true freedom, you will celebrate it with the right understanding; else your slavery will continue.
The decisions we take with our heart take us towards ultimate liberation.
Now the question is: How and where do we find this kind of freedom? Is there such a place, standing on which, we can choose the best response? Yes – it is in our heart, our tejasthan. The decisions we take with our heart take us towards ultimate liberation.
There are two components in every incident: the incident itself, and your response to it. Between these two, there is an interval – a gap, a space, an emptiness, a blank.
This interval is the place at which you have to take a decision about the response you are going to give. Focus on this interval. Be alert in this interval. If you are able to remain with awareness on your tejasthan during this interval and thereby give the right response, freedom will be yours. But if you move even slightly away from that place, you will lose your freedom, because your response will then be a reaction. And that reaction will be according to the hardened habits of your mind (patterns). So always be alert and aware in the interval. It is a very short duration of time; be awake in that duration. Do not get glued to the incident during the interval. Do not get identified with the incident. Detach yourself from the moment of unconsciousness.
The Seven Levels of Relationship
Seeker: In society, we live and deal with many relations. Sometimes we feel relationships are for our good, but why do we get entangled in difficult relationships? Sometimes we just drag the relationship with our partners.
Sirshree: Have you ever thought over the meaning and nature of a relationship? How many of us have ever explored multiple dimensions of a relationship, or as you said, why are we often compelled to relate the way we relate? Let us explore the answers to some of these questions and understand how we can move our relationship to a higher level.
There are seven levels of a relationship. Let us understand the seven levels through the example of a relationship between a husband and a wife.
Let us understand the seven levels through the example of a relationship between a husband and a wife.
On the first level there are only petty quarrels happening between the husband and wife, leading to big fights. Both feel that “to get married means to fight” and try to win and have the last word.
On the second level, the couple becomes aware of the fights and know the reasons. Now things become a bit clearer and the relationship begins to clear up.
On the third level, the husband and wife begin to understand not only the cause of their fights, but also begin to solve problems jointly. Both start seeing things from the partner’s point of view. Now they identify the reason for their disagreements and try to pre-empt it by amending their own behaviour. This realization and willingness to be more adjusting and understanding takes them to the next level.
At this fourth level, they begin to dig deep and see the real reason for their conflicts, not just the superficial reasons. They realize that on the surface they may seem to be arguing about the same issue (time, money responsibility and so forth), but secretly they may be arguing about some other hidden issues. There is an evident reason and a hidden reason for their differences. On the fourth level, they go deeper and encounter themselves and their hidden motives. And then true transformation occurs and they think honestly. They become aware of why they do what they do. And now they start understanding their patterns which were subconsciously developed while watching their parents since childhood. After getting the insights, they want to get out of the tendencies and patterns of their parents by probing deeper and with high understanding.
On the seventh level, where Bright love reaches its destination. It becomes devotion. -Image via Wikimedia
At the fifth level, they get the perspective that the fights are not of their parents, but of their values and beliefs. These values and beliefs and way of living got into them by observing their parents and society. After confronting the real reason and the operating beliefs, they find the right remedy for it. The couple now enjoys the power of relationship by functioning from the same level of consciousness, from the same platform. They now live and operate from serenity, freedom, love and happiness. This is freedom from within, real independence.
At the sixth level, disputes end. What remains is not love, but Bright love. Transactional love ends, reason seeking love ends. This is the beginning of unconditional love. At this level, the relation is not dependent on give and take. Love is full and complete and the couple enjoys freedom and bliss. The focus is only on giving unconditionally.
On the seventh level, there is full expression of the unconditional love. Where Bright love reaches its destination. The highest form of unconditional love now manifests; it becomes devotion. This type of rare devotional love exists between a devotee and the Lord, as in Meera Bai, or between a disciple and his Guru.
Seeker: How to move to higher levels?
Sirshree: To move to higher levels, simply do two things. Contemplate and Communicate. Contemplate on questions such as: From which level are you operating? What are you creating everyday in your life? What are you creating in the now, around you, in the space of a relationship? Contemplate and elevate your level of relationship.
Having contemplated, now simply keep communicating and giving feedback to each other.
Cast off your blindfold – know thyself
Seeker: What is the definition of spirituality and how far is it required in life?
Sirshree: Spirituality means knowing our self and understanding our true nature. Many people think that spirituality is not really required to that extent. Let us understand this through an example. There are some people who live in a jungle. They work with their eyes covered with a strip of cloth. They make huts, pluck fruits, do some cleaning, rear animals, and carry out other such activities. However, they perform all these activities with their eyes blindfolded. Hence, while working they keep stumbling, falling and dashing against things. It is so difficult for them; yet this is the way they have always lived.
Is spirituality required in life?
Once, one of them happens to go to a place where his blindfold is removed. He begins to see! He is amazed. This person now comes back and tells everybody that they should go to this place where blindfolds are removed. They should all get the strips removed off their eyes and that will be extremely beneficial for them. If one of them replies, “I don’t feel that there is really any necessity to do this. Also, I don’t have the time for it”, then what will you say? You will say, “You are a fool! If you remove the blindfold, all your work would be completed much faster and in a better way. ”
All those people who are leading their lives blindfolded by false beliefs do not need spirituality. If you are going to live with such people all your life, then even you do not need spirituality. But, if you want to come out of that darkness, then spirituality is essential for you. When you will understand the real meaning of spirituality, this question will not arise. This question has appeared only because you do not know what real spirituality is. If you consider applying vermillion on the forehead, wearing saffron clothes, adorning garlands and rosaries as spirituality, then you are under an illusion. True spirituality is knowing your essence, recognising what you actually are.
Then the question is, how essential is spirituality? Is it really required? In spirituality, is it necessary to perform all the rites and rituals, rise early in the morning and read holy scriptures and perform worship, dip a lotus flower in water and sprinkle that water on everyone? The fact is that carrying out such activities is not spirituality; these acts are merely reminders of spirituality. People mistake these reminders (medium or channel) to be spirituality. That is why questions such as whether spirituality is necessary are asked. When reminders of spirituality become spirituality (or when the means become the end), things go wrong. The medium or channel is not the goal. The medium or channel exists for achieving the goal.
True spirituality is experiencing (not intellecutally knowing) the answer to the question, Who am I and then establishing in that experience of consciousness. It begins by casting off the blindfold of assumimg yourself to be a separate individual. All that a guru does is to help you cast off this blindfold. Everything else done in the name of spirituality is akin to leading you to do various exercises with a blindfold on. Someone who can ‘see’ can help you cast off the blindfold so that you too can see. Cast off this blindfold (assuming yourself to be a separate individual) that has clouded the Truth, shrouded the Self and eclipsed who you truly are. Nothing else is required!
Source : Extract from The Magic of Awakening, a book authored by Sirshree and published in English by Penguin India and further translated into 9 Indian languages and featured in the Limca Book of Records for a book released in multiple languages on the same day.
The First Thought
The first thought that arises within us when we wake up in the morning is the ‘I’ thought. There are variations of this ‘I’ thought – I woke, I got up; Now what is the first thing I should do?; Though my eyes feel a bit heavy today, is it time for me to wake up?
The first thought is the ‘I’ thought. (Photo via Flickr)
The words could be different, but all of them are only those pertaining to the individual ‘I’. With the advent of the ‘I’ thought, other thoughts also begin to follow. By then, the senses are awake too. It is only after the ‘I’ thought that the contrast mind appears, which then judges everything as good or bad. This mind assumes a separate identity for itself and says: my work, my name, my actions, my religion, my country, my sins, my virtues. It compares and contrasts every event, every thought. This is precisely what brings unhappiness and bondage. This is ignorance and illusion. This is the obstacle to attaining the truth. This is the black cloud over the sun (the true self or the truth). This is what causes the eclipse. This is the speck that has got into your eye and is not allowing you to see even something as obvious as the largest mountain.
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See the reflection of the Self in kith and kin
Seeker: Do we need to be associated with kith and kin in order to live in this world? When man knows that he has come alone and will exit from this world alone, why then does he get into marriage? why does he beget children? Why does he toil for getting name and fame?
Sirshree: Yes, it is indeed essential to maintain associations with kith and kin in order to live in this world. Let us understand this with an example. You make friends and acquaintances with fellow passengers whilst you are traveling alone by train. Why do you do so? It is so that your journey transpires smoothly. However, this is an obvious reason. The other reason is so that you can learn the lessons that you have come to learn in this world.
See the reflection of the Self in kith and kin. Image courtesy: EzykronHD
The deeper reason for the creation of so many relations and relatives is that you (the individual) are crooked from eight angles (Ashta-vakr). What do you do, so as to straighten your crooked aspects? An individual with the eight fold crookedness (Ashta-vakr) is also Ashta-ark. Let us understand the meaning of these two terms. Within us, there are certain aspects that are crooked and certain aspects that are our nature. The term Ashta-ark means the Self and Ashta-vakr refers to the ego-sense. The individual is crooked in eight ways due to the eight fold illusion (Ashta-maya). The notions of ‘I’-‘Mine’-‘To me’-‘You’-‘Your’-‘To you’-‘They’ and ‘To them’ are the eight crooked aspects. How do you get rid of them? For this you first need a mirror that enables you to see all the crooked aspects. Without a mirror, you will never able to know of them.
When people see their own photographs, they exclaim “’Hey! Do I look like this? … Do I think like this? … Do I walk like this? … Do I walk like this? … do I have such eyes? … such hair?’ People come to know about many of their own aspects only when they see their own photographs. When one hears his own recorded voice being replayed on an audio player, one would exclaim ‘Oh! Is this my voice?! … I never knew it is like this! … I never knew it’s so harsh!’ in the same way, the bad qualities, i.e. the eight fold crooked aspects that exist within the individual should be brought to light. If we do not get a chance to observe our own shortcomings, it will seem to us that we are absolutely perfect and absolutely right. For this reason, it is necessary that we get the real picture.
You need a mirror to visualize the crooked aspects within and also to see yourself
For example, if a judge, who passes verdicts in the court of law, continues to pass his judgments at home as well, it could be unacceptable to his family. He then leads an unhappy life. One day, he will try to analyze and see what are the mistakes he is making. He will see where he is going wrong. He will then realize that the world, comprising all the people he has to deal with, is indeed a mirror. In the court of law, no one can dispute his verdict as he benefits from the position of the judge. However, at home, he does not have the rank of the judge. At home, he is what he actually is. His designation does not come to his rescue. Thus, at home, he is able to see the reflection of his nature. He will not be able to impose his verdict on his child. His child will not adhere to his verdict. The child will naturally be obstinate. The orders that he commands at home are not final. The child will remain adamant and will force him to change his mind. It is possible to experience all these aspects only amidst kith and kin. If someone is telling you something, you are getting irritated … if someone is telling you something else, you are pleased… sometimes you do not carry out the task assigned to you by a particular person… you can witness all these vagaries of the mind only amidst relationships. What happens when you are dealing with your neighbor or the grocer? What is happening when you are shopping for clothes? What are you doing when you are buying medicines from the pharmacy? What are the questions you are asking? What are the underlying fears that that are evident from the questions you ask? Our kith and kin serve as a mirror to reveal ourself and the fears that lurk within us.
Ashta-ark indicates that when you get rid of the eight-fold crookedness your essential nature (Ark – essence), the self reveals itself. These very relations can then become the medium as well as the opportunity for the expression of the Self. This will be the beginning of heaven in life. When you are overflowing with boundless love, it will naturally be shared with those who are close to you. When the clouds are full of water and precipitate, where do they rain? Obviously, the land that is directly below the clouds will receive the rain.
By now, you must have understood that your essential nature is veiled by the eight-fold crookedness (Ashta-vakr). You therefore, need a mirror to visualize the crooked aspects within and also to see yourself. Your kith and kin serve as such a mirror in your life to enable you to see your nature.
The Power of Wise Discrimination
Wield the sword of Viveka
Wield the sword of Viveka
A thought comes to your mind, “I am very much disturbed.” Then the intellect steps in saying, “Are you really disturbed, or are you allowing yourself to get disturbed?” A second thought arises, “Oh! I am getting bored.” Then Viveka (power of wise discrimination) will say, “Are you really getting bored, or are you allowing yourself to get bored?”
Thus when the sword of contemplation works, you will be astonished. No sooner you look at your thought in this manner, “Oh! I am allowing myself to get bored, is it necessary to get bored?” If it is not necessary, you will find that those thoughts will disappear instantly.
When a thought emerges, “That person is disturbing me,” then Viveka will think, “I am giving an opportunity to that man to disturb me. Should I allow him to do so?” When you ask this question to yourself, the sword of Viveka works. When the sword of contemplation starts operating, a question will immediately arise, “Should I give him that opportunity?” The answer will come from Viveka, “I will not allow him to disturb me.” Then the person in front of you will not be able to disturb you and you will see that you have stopped getting disturbed, you have stopped becoming unhappy. This is the sword of contemplation. Whenever thoughts arise, this sword will operate and a division between the truth and untruth will occur.
In this way, with the help of Viveka, you will be able to bring every belief, tendency and pattern to light. These patterns and tendencies will then begin to break. With the awakening of the power of discrimination, nothing will disturb you ever.
The Art of Averting Double Unhappiness
(Sirshree’s article in Speaking Tree on May 8, 2007. Click here to read this article on the Speaking Tree website)
Why are you unhappy? You could be unhappy because of double unhappiness. Suppose you are troubled by something… suppose your body is under pain — this is the first unhappiness.
But on that unhappiness the mind becomes unhappy, “Why this pain? Why me? When would this pain go away?” Then the unhappiness of the body increases many times over.
Non-acceptance of unhappiness is the point where double unhappiness begins.
The body is in pain. The body is curing it too. Nature has its own way of healing. But the mind made it “my pain”, “my unhappiness”.
Instead of working on curing yourself of unhappiness, work on curing yourself of double unhappiness. Children get angry. But you also see them playing peacefully the very next moment.
Now compare that to an instance where you have gotten angry. You got angry. It does not trouble you as such. The episode is over. But you are thinking, about it.
Even after the incident has passed, what you think gives you trouble. This means you get angry over anger and this troubles the mind.
As your understanding increases, you get rid of this double unhappiness. Unhappiness alone cannot trouble you. Unhappiness in and of itself does not possess the capacity to trouble you.
Non-acceptance of unhappiness is the point where double unhappiness begins. That is where there is unhappiness over unhappiness as to why you are unhappy.
When there is acceptance of this unhappiness, then unhappiness over that unhappiness doesn’t happen. Depression doesn’t occur.
The understanding will arise that it is only non-acceptance that is unhappiness and that it is only acceptance that is happiness.
Accept moments of unhappiness and let it go. How do you let them go? You let unhappiness go without resisting it by asking a simple question, “Can i accept this?”
This question propels the release of unhappiness. In most cases, the answer you shall receive within is that you can accept this.
You immediately release your unhappiness and change your focus. What if you cannot accept your unhappiness? What if the answer to the question, “Can i accept this?” is a ‘no’?
Then, ask yourself a second question, “Can i accept that i cannot accept this unhappiness?” Be alright with your non-acceptance. Do not become unhappy over not being able to accept.
Then you are not accepting non- acceptance. Accept the non-acceptance and you shall be able to release your level of happiness instantly. What is true at one level is true at all levels.
As in small, so in big. As in the microcosm, so in the macrocosm. When you answer “Yes” to the “Can i accept this?” question, then you have let go of negative feelings associated with it.
You may think that this is just a small step. But when you do so, it causes a giant shift in your consciousness. At that very moment, a lot of other unrelated things open up for you and you begin to attract more positive things.
The smallest letting-go action helps us in every facet of our life. Not only do you become mentally free, but it affects you at the physical, emotional, social and financial levels, setting off a chain reaction that reverberates through your entire being and leaves you in quite a different place than you were before.
1st April : The most spiritual day of the year
(Sirshree’s article in Asian Age and Deccan Chronicle on 1st April. Click here to read this article on the Speaking Tree website)
April 1 is celebrated as All Fools’ Day all over the world. On this day, people try to play pranks on others and laugh at the jokes situations create. But what if the joke is on you? April 1 can be taken to represent the day of the cosmic joke. The biggest cosmic joke is maya… the illusory nature of reality. So, the joke is on humanity and what better day to celebrate this joke than on April 1. Let us first understand what this cosmic joke is all about.
The world is nothing but Self in Action (Shakti) brought forth by Self at Rest (Shiva). The very purpose of the creation of the body and mind is for consciousness to experience itself. But, the beauty of creation is such that the mind has also been made self-aware. Hence, the mind forgets its very purpose and becomes externally focused and mired in the world. This is the cosmic joke… the mind assumes itself and the world to be real and wants to control and experience the world. True spirituality is about allowing the mind to drop so that consciousness can experience itself.
Look who's fooling you (Photo by sravenk)
However, the joke is so real that the mind forgets its very purpose. If you break a mirror in front of a particular mirror every day, that particular mirror forgets that it too is a mirror and is brittle. It forgets that it shall break too. One can say that the mirror has been April fooled. Because, every night the mind dreams, it assumes itself to be real. The illusion created for expression of consciousness assumes itself to be reality. The mind forgets that it too is a part of a dream and is a mere visualisation of consciousness. The mind (humanity) has been April fooled. This is the biggest joke of all.
A merchant once invited a jeweller to assess the value of his wealth all converted into diamonds. The jeweller informed him that alas all his diamonds were fake. The merchant began to lament his fate. The jeweller proposed a solution, “I know it is a fake. But others don’t. So, why don’t you organise a bumper sale for the world where you offer the diamonds at one-third their value?” The wily merchant jumped at the idea thinking he would at least make something. He organised this sale and every time someone would buy a diamond, the merchant would wring his hands in glee. “Oh look. Another one has been fooled. I am making a fortune even by selling them at one-third their value.” What the merchant did not realise is that all along he was the one who was being fooled. The jeweller had lied about the diamonds being fake. All those men who had, one by one, bought out the entire stock from the merchant were all the jeweller’s men buying on behalf of him.
Thus, this April Fools’ day, do not laugh at the expense of others. Instead ponder on how you are being fooled by the cosmic joke. Here are three special ways to celebrate April 1 to make it the most spiritual day of the year:
- Contemplate to celebrate: Celebrate this special day by contemplating on the illusory nature of reality. Contemplate on how maya has fooled you.
- Meditate to celebrate: Celebrate this unique day be meditating and attaining the “no mind” state. When the mind drops, then the Self shines. Then the purpose for creation of the mind is fulfilled since consciousness experiences itself through the body and mind. The mind is no longer being April fooled.
- Investigate to celebrate: Celebrate this novel day by investigating your foolishness. What follies do you have? What false beliefs are hindering your spiritual growth?
One may ask why celebrate? The answer is why not? Celebrate because April 1 signifies creation… when the cosmic joke was put in motion. Celebrate so that you are upbeat and happy.
In Hindi, April is pronounced as “uprail”. The world is a journey where the rails of life progress upwards, not downwards. Instead of being downrailed, depressed or dejected by the illusion of this creation, contemplate, meditate and investigate. Then, this April 1, you can laugh with the creator by being the creator.
– Sirshree is the founder of Tej Gyan Foundation and an author
Quiet Acceptance Works
This article was published in Speaking Tree on 12.2.2012.
Make acceptance your mantra and tide over your troubles effortlessly
– says Sirshree.
Can I accept this?
‘Can I accept this?’ This is a small but powerful mantra, which can help you in times of crisis. Whenever you find yourself depressed by the happenings around you, ask yourself this question as if it were a mantra. In life, we come across many unwanted situations that cause unhappiness. To come out of that unhappiness, we can make use of this mantra. While asking yourself this question, ‘Can I accept this?’ make the symbol of a bracket using the thumb and index finger of your right hand. Here ‘this’ implies whatever is happening at present. Put in the bracket that what is affecting you. In this way, when we accept a situation, our power to tackle it is enhanced to a great extent. Whenever an unfavourable situation arises, you should ask yourself this question; you will find that the answer will be ‘yes’ most of the time.
If you find yourself saying ‘no, I cannot accept this,’ then you should accept the non-acceptance as well. If you feel you can’t tolerate someone, ask yourself, ‘Can I accept my unacceptability?’ If you don’t get an answer and are still worried, just ask yourself,‘Can I accept this worry?’ When you accept the unacceptable about yourself, something new is created. You will be amazed by the results of this acceptance.
It is possible that you will get a negative answer in some situations. In that case, give yourself some time and after an interval, ask again. A positive answer may not arise immediately, but after a few minutes or a few hours, you will get ‘yes’ for an answer.
You have to understand the power of this mantra and how to use it. Otherwise, you may wonder why should you accept everything and not try to change the circumstances you are in. If your child is not focusing on his studies or the boss is not giving you a promotion, your health is not improving, so shouldn’t you try to do something to change the situation? You should definitely try, but do so after accepting it with all your heart. If you don’t take the first step right, all your other steps could go wrong. That is why you have to first learn the art of acceptance and then work towards improving the situation.
Sirshree's article in Speaking Tree
When you answer ‘yes’ to the ‘can I accept this?’ question, you have released any negative feelings associated with it. You may consider it just a small step, but it causes a giant shift in your consciousness. At that moment, a number of related and similar issues are also automatically accepted by your mind, and you begin to attract more positive things towards you as a result. The smallest act of letting go helps you in every aspect of your life. It not only frees your mind, it also affects you at the physical, emotional, social, financial, and spiritual level.
It sets off a chain reaction that reverberates through your being, taking you to a different plane from where you were before.
Liberation from the fear of Death
How to kill the fear of death ?
Everyone seems to fear death. In fact, fear of death is the root of all the different fears that people have – be it the fear of darkness, the fear of animals, the fear of future or the fear of old age.
The main reason behind the fear of death is incomplete knowledge. The lack of knowledge about death makes death appear frightening. If we truly understand what death is, then death itself can teach us the art of living. To live life well, one must understand death. When we fall asleep, we lose all awareness of the body. We actually go through a mini-death. However, we are not afraid of falling asleep because we understand sleep. Once we understand death, we will stop fearing death too. Sleep is a short death that happens every day. Death is a long sleep that happens once. What we call death is actually a stage in life. Just as childhood, adolescence, adulthood, middle age and old age are various stages of life… death is also a phase.
What after Death?
By reading the above facts that have been explained just briefly in this article, one should not contemplate suicide so that the astral body can be experienced. Incomplete understanding is very harmful. Though it is essential to understand what death is, more essential is to understand the purpose of human birth. Till we have learnt all that we are to learn in this physical form, trying to go prematurely to the astral form is not only wrong but presents a lot of difficulties in our journey in the other world. The understanding of truth acquired while in the physical body proves most helpful in the onward journey of the astral body. We must understand that the wisdom acquired here continues with us in the life after death. The bliss achieved here is multiplied manifold in our onward life after death.
The purpose of telling the above is to drive away the fear of death. Death is a natural, necessary event in the evolution of each individual. It should neither be feared nor embraced prematurely. Some normal fear of physical injury or disease is natural and is essential for the safety of our body. Only on understanding the whole truth about life, can you be liberated from this fear in the true sense.
Read more:
Liberation in labour
Sirshree’s article appeared in Asian Age on 29th April on account of Labour day (May 1)
Sirshree
This Labour Day understand various stages of labour and what sort of labour you are doing. Whether you are a chief executive officer (CEO) or a carpenter, you are doing one or the other form of labour. The work that a CEO does can be called the “Central Eye Opener”. That is what the words CEO stand for.
Opening the eyes of the organisation and the people associated with the organisation is the labour that a CEO does. Each one of us is labouring — be it the mother at home or the manager at work. The question is what sort of labour do you do. From the spiritual viewpoint, there are four stages of how one approaches work.
The first stage can be called “Survival Labour”. Here one is merely working for the sake of himself/herself or for family. The only focus is on survival. Those who see their work as merely a money-making mechanism fall in this category. Their motto is “Live for yourself”.
The next stage is “Inspirational Labour” where though the focus is on bread winning, there is pride in the job, too. Let us understand this with an example. Once there were three labourers involved in breaking stones. They were striking the stones with a massive hammer all day long under the hot sun for constructing their king’s pet project. When they were asked what is it that they were exactly doing, the first labourer replied, “I am just carrying out what has to be done as per my miserable fate”. “I am breaking stones for construction purposes”, retorted the second labourer. When the third labourer was asked the same question, he said, “It is my privilege that I am building the temple, the pet project of our king”. The third labourer had pride in his job. This is “Inspirational Labour”, where you are inspired by your work and where your body language in turn inspires others. Those at this stage have fallen in love with their work. The motto of those at the second stage of labour is, “Live for your job”.
Most people are stuck at the survival level or at the inspirational level. They do not look beyond. Let us see another example to understand this. Four friends had to use one boat to travel to a village. They sat in the boat and used the four oars to row all night. In the morning, they realised they had not moved at all. This is because they had not untied the boat. This is what happens at the first or second stage of labour. Though there is apparent effort, you have not really moved in life. It is important to move on.
The third stage of labour is “Impersonal Labour” — means labour that is not done only for personal benefit. It is not exclusive work — but inclusive, where you include the benefit of others. It is not individual labour, but universal in nature. The motto of those who are at this stage is, “Live for others”.
Work done for the benefit of others is Impersonal Labour. But don’t stop just there. Progress to the next stage. The fourth and final stage is “Liberational Labour”. This is work that happens after you realise your true nature. After self realisation, self expression follows. Here, work is not work at all. In this stage, labour arises from liberation. It is effortless effort. Stabilised in the Self (your true nature), you work for establishing the experience of Self in everybody. You no longer live a selfish life. In fact, you live a “Self-ish” life — where the individual is transcended and one lives established in the Self. In the fourth stage, the motto is, “Live for others because, there is no other”. The word ashram (meaning hermitage) in Hindi exactly signifies this liberated labour that happens at this stage. “Shram” means labour. Ashram is absence of labour.
So, this labour day, decide to move towards ashram. It does not mean you have to physically relocate to live in an ashram. It means you take an intention to move, at least, to the next level of labour from wherever you currently are. Have the intention to move from lamenting about your labour at the first stage to the next level of inspirational labour. If you are already at the second stage, take on an intention to move from lusting for labour to the next level of impersonal labour. If you are already at the third stage, take on an intention of moving from the lusture of labouring for others to liberation. Let this Labour Day be a reminder for liberated labour arising out of Self realisation.
— Sirshree is a spiritual master and founder of the Tej Gyan Foundation. He can be contacted at ma@tejgyan.com, or through his website: www.tejgyan.org
Why are festivals created
Q&A with Sirshree
Festivals are created when someone is born whose life leads to a revolution in the world. Merry Christmas!
Seeker: Why are festivals created?
Sirshree: Festivals are created when there is declaration of final liberation or enlightenment. Or when people feel that it reminds them of their ultimate goal in life – Liberation. Festivals are not created for just any occasion. Festivals are not created if someone builds a mansion. No one celebrates a festival on the day when a monument like Taj Mahal was built or some other grand palace was built. These occasions are not celebrated because of the fact that these things are done for personal reasons. They are not impersonal. Those are the personal property of someone. The launching of a movie does not become a festival. The beginning of a new television serial does not become a reason for celebrating a festival. A grand dream that one sees does not become a festival. Someone returning home from an intensive care unit having fully recovered also does not become the cause for a festival. There are only a few occasions which are celebrated as festivals. Festivals are created when someone does something after which people understand and attain liberation. Or when someone is born whose life leads to a revolution in the world, after which meaningless rituals come to an end, and people experience the Self or Truth and are reminded of the true purpose of human life. Festivals are created with only this reason in mind.
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