Happy for no reason

Happy for no reason

by | Oct 4, 2018 | Happiness | 0 comments

If there is something that distinctly stands out as a unique expression of human existence, it has to be the constant pursuit of happiness. The whole of humanity is driven by this single most all empowering desire of finding happiness. Everything we have achieved and lost is probably because of this endeavor.

Everybody is searching. Most of the time what we are searching for seems to be very close and yet always just beyond our reach. Only when we have lived long enough do we really understand that what we are searching for will always be out of reach; the very nature of our searching and desiring puts things at an unreachable distance.

There is no other greater cause of worry, frustration and anxiety than being extremely close to achieving something and always missing it. This is why we suffer. We suffer not because we are too far away from what we want and we can’t seem to get to it; we suffer because everything is just at a grasping distance and when we stretch our hands out to grab it, it moves a little farther.

“This moment is happiness”

The reason for this is, what we are searching for is not an actual physical distinguishable reality that is waiting for us somewhere in our future. What we are searching for is a product of our own imagination. We are suffering our own intelligence and imagination. Imagination is so powerful that it can generate new thought patterns and desires at a much faster pace than you can ever imagine of achieving all of them.

To understand this constant imaginative nature of our mind is probably the most important knowledge one has to possess in order to understand and find happiness. We have to recognize that our ability to create desires will always keep us in a constant state of worry, even if we are extremely efficient in accomplishing all our tasks.

This doesn’t mean that pursuit of a better life and happiness is a futile exercise. The only way we can add some meaning to our lives is by pursuing a desire that we are passionate about. Without a purpose to drive our actions, we are simply lost. But this doesn’t mean that we will find the happiness we are searching for somewhere in the future.

Happiness isn’t a destination; it is hidden in the very process of trying to pursue it. Happiness is always in the present moment, while our desires and actions are always somewhere in the future. Happiness isn’t something we can find as a consequence of achieving or attaining something. Happiness is simply a state of being. We either know how to be happy or we don’t.

Happiness is not a result of our actions; it is rather the foundation of everything we do. Only when we recognize that happiness is an instant state we can generate within ourselves, irrespective of our external environment, we can attain to happiness. To be happy for no reason is the only happiness we can truly experience.

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Power of music

Power of music

by | Oct 4, 2018 | Creativity | 2 comments

Only those who have explored the depths of music know its enormous healing power. Lovers of music know that it can cure a sick mind, body and soul. There are very few among us who have already not experienced the tremendous power of music. All of us are in some way connected to music. Music can be used in our daily life for stress relief, relaxation and self transformation.

The whole mind and body complex functions on a delicate balance of energy flow which is controlled by our emotions. The driving force of all our actions and thought processes are emotions. The underlying emotion behind action is what determines our state of mind and eventually our life.

Music has a direct power to touch and alter our emotional states. This is the reason why music resonates within us at an unimaginable depth and intensity. Music transcends the limiting and doubting thought processes of the mind to directly touch the heart of the listener. This is the reason why even while we disagree on the benefits of music, we can enjoy its tremendous power.

“Music can heal the soul”

Besides, music is never meant for analysis and interpretation. Music is concerned with a totally different dimension of life; a dimension where our true soul and self reside. Music is probably the only language of the soul. There is a part of us that understands nothing but music.

Music can comfort us when we are alone. It can bring pleasant memories from our past. It can remind us of our pain and suffering. It can transport us to a distant past and a distant place. It can make us sing, laugh and dance. Music can give us a glimpse of a life that we all dream for. Music is truly an invitation from the divine to participate in the process of life.

We live in a world of constant change and turmoil. Amidst the constant struggle for survival, recognition, power and prestige, the part of us that needs attention the most is ignored. There is a part of us that cannot be satisfied by physical and material success alone. There is a part of us that needs music and music alone.

Let us make some space for music to enter our lives. Let us spend a few minutes every day to soak in and reflect the magic of music. Let us use communion with music as a way of knowing and understanding ourselves. Let music lead our way into the deep dark dungeons of our heart to illuminate it with light, life and joy.

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You are the relationship

You are the relationship

by | Oct 4, 2018 | Relationships | 0 comments

It is impossible to manage our relationships well if we are not able to manage ourselves. It all begins with us. Our thoughts, emotions, desires and fears drive our relationships with people around us. Not knowing enough of this inner mechanism is the root cause of all our relationship problems.

How often do you face the difficulty of being misunderstood, of being underestimated, of being ignored? You rely on your relationships for your psychological and emotional support and yet the very relations you rely so much on, more often than not disappoint you. Let us understand a few fundamentals of successfully handling relationships. Let us understand how to balance the desires of our personal life with the expectations of the people around.

“You are responsible for your relationships”

First and the most important thing to remember about relationships is that you are the only person responsible for creating, managing and breaking-up relationships. There are no good or bad people out there worthy or unworthy of your relationship. Relationships are all about you. It is of course much easier to put people into categories of good and bad and shift the responsibility of managing relationships on to others. When things get difficult, it is always the other person who is wrong, isn’t it?

Managing relationships require a slightly different approach. It requires the approach of a warrior. A warrior who is willing to fight within himself for the sake of his relationships; a warrior who is willing to first recognize and identify his own negative feelings and emotions towards people and then go about fighting them.

It is said that the greatest battles are fought in the deepest recesses of our hearts. It is truer in case of the relationships we handle. Managing ourselves amidst of endless maize of complex and different behaviors is the greatest of all battles.

Own it; take the responsibility for all your successful and failed relationships. Face the fact that everything that has gone right and wrong with people has happened because of you.  The moment you throw the blame game out of the window, you become responsible; which is the first and most important requirement for managing successful relationships.

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This is the time for individual

This is the time for individual

by | Oct 4, 2018 | Individuality | 0 comments

There was a time for kings, there was a time for warriors, there was a time for governments, and there was a time for countries; this is the time for the individual.  The whole existence has been quietly moving towards this single purpose of liberating an individual. Every change in desire, every change in lifestyle, every change in technology, every war, every invention, and every movement across the world has been towards attaining this single purpose; to give back an individual what is rightfully his; his freedom.

The whole world is deluded in believing that the object of our struggles is a better world. The fact is, individuals across the world are tossing and turning in discomfort; this is the reason for our movement, this is why we are creating, this is why we are searching and this is why we are changing.  The existence is shaking itself to a grander realization; it will not rest till each and every individual is free. We are not moving towards a better world, we are moving towards our freedom.

“This is the time for the individual”

So what is this freedom? Is it to live in a free country, is it to have a right to elect a politician, is it to have freedom of speech, is it to follow a religion of our choice; surprisingly it’s none of these. If even one of these things were to represent true freedom, all our struggles would have ended by now.

What we are searching for is something else altogether. Our search is for love and the freedom of its unbounded expression. We are meant to be something, we are here for a purpose; there are no flukes in existence. Everything has been moving towards helping us to get to this point; to help us find our true expression. There is no other better time to begin the search for our meaning and purpose than now. 

Just think about it, how infinitely easy it is for you to freely express yourself today when compared to even ten years ago. The future belongs to those who can find that inner spark of individuality within themselves and express it without fear. They are the ones who will be heard, they are the ones who will be looked up to, and eventually they are the only ones who will matter.

It simply does not matter what is your chosen field of interest. Your stamp of uniqueness and individuality are the only things you leave behind. The phenomenon of you is new. Existence has never produced another you before and the reason for it is obvious; it wanted to create something unique and different, and found its expression through you. All you need to do is be that you, you are meant to be. Everything else is ready to make way for you.

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Redefine Success

Redefine Success

by | Oct 4, 2018 | Inspiration | 0 comments

A tree doesn’t grow tall to reach the sun, nor does it grow to compete with its neighboring tree. It grows because growing is its very nature. Growing, evolving and attaining to your true potential has very little to do with what is happening around you and has everything to do with what is happening within you.

Reading a success story of somebody, and attaining to one yourself are two completely different things. Dissect a human being into thousand parts, you will find everything there except life. Dissect the life of a successful person, you will find everything there except success.

Let us understand the word success. What is success all about, who defines it, why is it necessary and is it as glamorous as people project it to be? We have heard people talk about discipline, dedication, hard work, punctuality and a host of other qualities one has to cultivate in order to attain to success. But honestly, how many of these qualities can you actually remember and practice, how many of these qualities can become the bedrock on which you can build your success.

A tree doesn’t grow tall to reach the sun. Growing is its very nature.

History has given us all kinds of successful people. Success of simplicity in Gandhi, success of stupidity in Hitler, success of innovation in Edison, success of imagination in Disney, success of silence in Buddha. If at all we can learn something from the rich vibrant past of human evolution, it is that with forceful assertion of your individuality, you can turn anything into success. It is not a certain quality of yours that will determine your success; it is the understanding of yourself and your individuality. To attain to any kind of success, knowing who you are is infinitely more important than knowing what you do.

Success is simply the afterglow of your individual creative self shinning bright in the darkness of human struggle. You cannot spread the light, unless you possess it yourself. You cannot succeed in the world unless you find success within yourself first. In reality, success is simply a journey inward. The deeper you reach within yourself, the farther you can go in the world. Finding the method, system and process of self-discovery is the first step on your ladder of success.

The day you understand yourself fully, every single expression of yours becomes a source of creativity, inspiration and drive. You don’t have to strive to succeed; success simply becomes your second nature. Then the word success will only make sense to those who are trying to understand your life. As for you, it just doesn’t matter.  Anyways success is neither the destination nor the journey; it is simply the footprints you leave behind on the sands of time.

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You are dreaming

You are dreaming

by | Sep 28, 2018 | Spirituality | 0 comments

Everything you are is a thought. That is why Buddha said, “You are nothing but your thoughts.” The inquirer has not even taken birth. It is thoughts who are inquiring. That is why to break away from the clutches of thoughts you need a trick, not just effort. You need to figure out a way to trick your own mind into letting you be all alone. One part of your mind should leave another part of your mind alone. That is the biggest challenge in meditation, because all thoughts are interconnected.

This is where silence comes in. By introducing silence into your world of thoughts you are saying, “No, this is my zone of silence and I don’t want thoughts to interfere.” That zone of silence will eventually expand and you will entirely step away from your thoughts. When the first cloud breaks and you watch the sky, that will be the moment, and it always happens suddenly.

Just keep seeking. Remember, it is not you who is obsessed with thoughts; it is thoughts that are obsessed with thoughts. And they just keep passing like clouds. They are never still. They never ask one question long enough. If they ask one question long enough, then they will realize the sky that contains them. They are simply going somewhere, and in their unconsciousness they are asking questions like: Where are we going? Where do we come from? Why do we look like this? In all their inquiries the sky is not involved at all.

“In a spiritual inquiry, you have to observe your very questioning process.”

So, that is why a spiritual inquiry is different from all other inquiries. In a spiritual inquiry, you observe your very questioning process. In a spiritual inquiry, it is not the question that is so important, rather it is the one who is asking the question. Being with the question, and continually asking the question are the most important things. You have to continue to ask a question till it dissolves completely.

When you realize the truth, you will see how simple it is. You will wonder as to how stupid you must have been to think that all this was real. How idiotic we must be to believe that all of this is actually physical and is happening somewhere outside. Everything is a part of our imagination. Everything, including our bodies, our minds, and the world we live in belong to the imaginary realm.

You have been projecting this whole reality on your screen of consciousness. You have been giving it the perception of depth, the perception of space, and the perception of distance; you have been supplying all of this to your dream. If only you can become still and watch what is happening, you will realize how close you are to the truth.

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You are something else

You are something else

by | Sep 25, 2018 | Spirituality | 0 comments

Question: Why am I obsessed with my thoughts?

You are actually not obsessed with thoughts. Try and understand this. You do not even know that there are thoughts. You are so far away from thoughts that you do not even have a clue that all of these thoughts are happening to you.

What you think you are, at this point in time, is itself just a thought. Therefore, one thought is contemplating on another thought and asking the question, “Why am I obsessed with another thought?” It is because they are in the same family, they share the same origins, and they are all living together. You are not at all in thoughts. In reality, you are somewhere far away from thoughts. You never indulge in a thought, and you never want to entertain a thought.

It is like this. Let us say that you are the sky, and being the sky you ask, “Why am I obsessed with clouds?” I will say that it is not you who is asking this question, but rather it is a cloud. One cloud is asking the question, “Why am I obsessed with other clouds?” However, as the sky, you do not even know that clouds exist; you are so far away from clouds. You tend to think that clouds are inside you, but clouds are not inside you. Clouds occupy one small layer of you. You are vast. You are much bigger than clouds. Similarly, when you inquire about thoughts, it is basically one layer of thoughts that is inquiring about another layer of thoughts, although you yourself are much, much vaster than thoughts.

“Only a process of being silent and still can reveal what is hidden behind the cloud of thoughts.”

That is why only a process of being silent and still can reveal what is hidden behind the cloud of thoughts. You will never be able to intellectually answer the question of why you are obsessed with thoughts, because you are not obsessed with thoughts, you are too transcendental. You are just a pure consciousness, a pure awareness, and you never indulge in anything. You just know how to be alive and observe everything, that is all.

But thoughts can conspire against you. They can gather in thick clouds and completely block you out. Just like a bunch of clouds can block out the sun. Even though the clouds think they have blocked out the sun, we know how vast and far the sun is from the clouds? If the clouds try to get any closer to the sun they will just disappear, they will just evaporate. It is the same relationship between the Self and thoughts. Thoughts occupy a certain layer that you call your mind. Your body is also a part of that. Everything you know as of now is a part of that layer of clouds. The real you is somewhere very far away, simply sitting, and experiencing everything. You are too close to your thoughts when you are inquiring. As you step away from thoughts, you will leave them far behind.

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Gift of knowledge

Gift of knowledge

by | Sep 23, 2018 | Life | 0 comments

The root cause of suffering is ignorance; ignorance being the lack of a clear understanding of what we are doing, where we are going, and who we are. This ignorance is the single biggest reason for our suffering. On the other hand, knowledge is the light that illuminates everything. The wider and deeper our knowledge and understanding of life is, the less pain and suffering we experience.

Ignorance brings such deep suffering with it that it penetrates every single aspect of our lives. Not understanding our job brings suffering at work; not understanding our friends brings suffering in relationships; not understanding our family brings suffering at home; not knowing our purpose brings suffering in our actions; and not knowing who we are brings suffering to life.

“We are suffering our ignorance”

In that sense, everybody is suffering just one thing—not knowing. An ignorant man has never been able to find joy and happiness, because ignorance is a painful dark shadow of life. Ignorance plunges the soul into deep, unknown dungeons of suffering. Suffering is an absolutely natural state for an ignorant mind. The only respite for an ignorant mind is the momentary joy that comes when one ignorance triumphs over another. The only resting place for an ignorant mind is that single moment when it is suspended in midair, while jumping from one ignorance to another. In that moment, an ignorant mind says, “Ah! I am so happy now.

The way out of misery is acquiring knowledge. A seeker of knowledge discards a little bit of his ignorance every day. He grows in understanding and wisdom, he learns his way out of misery, and he conquers his ignorance using the light of understanding. The seeker of knowledge constantly gains a deeper understanding of himself, his life and the world around him. He moves beyond ignorance to eventually bask in the glow of knowing.

If we acquire enough knowledge about how to do something, we will eventually become good at it. If we acquire enough knowledge about running our business, we will become a successful businessman. If we acquire enough knowledge about our friends and family, we will become successful in handling relationships. If we acquire enough knowledge about the world, we will become successful in the eyes of the people around. And if we acquire enough knowledge about ourselves, we will become happy and peaceful.

The most important thing one has to remember is that, acquiring knowledge is not just about gathering ideas. For most, acquiring knowledge simply means reading books and being more informed. Reading is just one type of knowledge. Reading illuminates only the intellectual dimension of life. There are other streams of knowledge that one has to pursue to understand life fully. That knowledge can be acquired through observing, traveling, failing, dreaming, meditating, playing, laughing, and crying. Let us keep learning and let us one day go beyond all our suffering. Let us give ourselves the gift of knowledge.

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Expedition in search of love

Expedition in search of love

by | Sep 21, 2018 | Love | 0 comments

A human journey is nothing but an expedition in search of love. Everything we do is a way to move towards love. Therefore, it is important to understand what exactly love is. It is so easy to confuse love with all of the other emotions. Love seems to be very subtle, internal, and feels like an emotion, but love is independent of all human emotions.

Love is a certain quality; it is the underlying reality of a person. You can almost say that an individual is nothing but love; all we want is give and receive love. The most important thing about love is that unless you have love within you to give, you cannot get it from outside. The only way to get love is to give love; it is a simple rule, it is the most ancient rule, and it is never going to change. A relationship should be about giving love, not just requesting love, or demanding love.

“A human journey is nothing but an expedition in search of love.”

Then, where does this love come from, which makes it possible for us to share it? Love is that blissful moment when we are beyond all our doubts, fears, and prejudices about another person. When we can experience that pure state of being in the moment, love is a natural and effortless outflowing. It is impossible for someone else to fill our cup of love fully, because another person will always add his/her own emotions, judgments and desires to the process. Another person will always add something more than what is needed.

Love is something you have to find within yourself. You have to observe your thought process and your way of life. You have to go deeper into silence to connect with that zone of pure love. Once you know what that wellspring of love is and how to access it, every relationship of yours is sustainable because now you will have something to give. Once you find this wellspring of love within, you will not ask and crave for love, rather you will try and find every opportunity to give and share love.

Let’s say there are two individuals, one of whom is filled with love more than the other. She is filled with love for no reason, and that love is keeping her happy and in a positive state of mind; that love is urging her to give and share. Now imagine how easy it would be to fall in love with this person! All of us want to receive, so when there is a giver of love in the relationship, the relationship is automatically sustained.

In fact, one individual can have so much love to give that it can even compensate for the lack of love in another person. More often than not, relationships are sustained by individuals who have slightly more love to give than the other partner of the relationship. So in moments of conflict, in moments of confrontation, the individual with more love to give compensates for lack of it in the other. At the end of the day, love is simply a consequence of knowing ourselves fully. The more we know ourselves, the easier it is to love.

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You can remake that cup of coffee

You can remake that cup of coffee

by | Sep 21, 2018 | Mind-Body | 0 comments

Let us, without any doubt, come to an understanding that we are not our minds. The moment we separate ourselves from our minds, we give ourselves an opportunity to learn about and understand our minds. It is impossible to be objective and learn about our minds if we simply assume that we are our thoughts. When we separate ourselves from our thoughts, it becomes easy to see the flaws and shortcomings of our thought process. It also gives us the opportunity to clearly see what is wrong with our thinking patterns, and change them if we want to. We all know we can alter or remake a bad cup of coffee into a better one because we are not that cup of coffee. Similarly, we can alter and change our minds because we are not our minds.

The way to separate ourselves from our minds is to keenly observe our thought process moment to moment. When we stop assuming that our thought process is there to support our desires and goals, we can become critical of our thinking process and observe what is happening moment to moment.; we can begin to observe our thoughts and stop assuming that our thinking is always right. This makes it extremely easy to identify negative and irrelevant thinking patterns and eventually change them into positive and useful ones.

“The moment we separate ourselves from our minds, we give ourselves an opportunity to learn about and understand our minds.”

After all, the secret to our success and happiness is hidden in our own thought process. What we think, we become. We are nothing but the end result of our continuous thought processes. If we are not able to identify the mistakes in our thought process, then we will eventually become its victims. That being said, there is no point in blaming ourselves for our ineffective thinking. It is better to watch our thoughts regularly in order to make the necessary changes, and to point them in the right direction.

Additionally, dealing with our thoughts is like dealing with a mob. It is extremely difficult to control a mob and direct it towards a certain purpose. We need to have a strong understanding of what we really want, before directing this collective mob of thought processes. If we ourselves are not sure about what we want, then it is impossible to have control over our thoughts. 

Practices like mindfulness and meditation make a huge difference to the quality of one’s living. When we spend some time every day to sit quiet and watch our thinking patterns, we will be giving ourselves an opportunity to understand how thoughts actually function. Now, why is this important? It is important because it is impossible to solve a problem if we cannot identify it clearly.

Observing our thoughts throughout the day will help us identify our problems. The secret to our happiness is hidden in our thought process. The more we are able to understand our thoughts, the easier it is to bring them under our control. When we can say with absolute certainty that our mind is fully under our control, then it is not that difficult to accomplish something we want, and experience a richer and fuller life.

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