EMBODIMENT OF HAPPINESS

 

The 14th Dalai Lama is known for his signature smile all over the world for the last half a century. Driven by the teachings of Buddha, Dalai Lama silently endured all the  ordeals in his personal life. Showing a bountiful of compassion on fellow beings, he stands before us as a Messiah of Peace and Compassion.  Generally the  man of his age  86 confines to one place to count the last days. But, his punishing schedules wonder anybody as he is a globetrotter through out the year without any iota of tiredness.

It is true that when a person develops an exemplary conduct, certainly he/she develops an energy center which emanates positive vibrations. Dalai Lama when he smiles, his child-like innocence mesmerizes the onlookers.

When I read his book " The Art of Happiness- A handbook for living " co-authored with Howard C. Cutler,  I cherished to meet him in person or at least take a glance of that giant personality. But the desire remained buried  until 1st December, 2013 when a friend of mine invited me to attend his lecture on ' Success & Happiness' at Greater Noida, Uttar Pradesh, India. It was my first experience to see such live packed audience of above one thousand, many of them are corporate czars, executives, academicians, diplomats and students. It seemed that all the elite class of Delhi was there. The spacious auditorium with beautiful sitting arrangements added glory to the occasion.

During his talk on ' Success & Happiness, His Holiness lauded India which practiced Ahimsa - Non-violence since thousands of years. The secular fabric of nation, he added, kept us united in the last 60 years of independence despite  many odds.

HH said that with compassion and motivation, every act becomes non-violence. He asked people to respect all religions. He equally stressed to respect non-believers. His central message is to promote basic human values in the society. He said that much of the problems are our own creation. He pointed out that the reason for insecurity is that you are less-loved. He asked everyone to train his/her own mind. His focal point which inspired me a lot is : " my best friend is my own mind ''.

 

LIVE THE LIFE YOU WANT RIGHT NOW

 

A lyric in my vernacular Telugu goes like this:

"No use to have heaven in front of you,

if you don't have liberty "

It further says that

' there could be no merriment in doing things in your 60's which you were supposed to do in your 20's'

The highest goal of human existence is perpetual bliss which Hindus fondly call  'moksha'. Why we call it as a supreme goal is, because of our entanglement with daily affairs leaving  little  to think other than material comforts of life. Only few are blessed enough to have zeal and think beyond petty survival.


The very purpose of human birth is something go beyond the mundane existence. Happiness which we cherish in every act we do, is mostly begged from others. In that begging, we become so dependable on others. In order to win the daily battles of life, we sometimes indulge in acts  which  the heart says a firm 'No'.

Suppose, a man who feels the dying need for money did amass wealth to enjoy life. Imagine what happens ? In the first place, he can not put a tab on his need for more money. The more he starts earning, the more fierce his desire becomes. By the time, he knows the real happiness lies not outside but within himself, his end may come. It happens with majority of people who repent at death-bed cherishing the things they could have done much early in life but go on postponing continuously due to one reason or other.

The world is replete with countless examples of people not being able to enjoy simple pleasures of life, irrespective of their position on the social ladder. The surprising thing is when they come at their door, they simply shoo away, only to realize their credence much after it is gone.

Robin Sharma in his great book ‘Who will cry when you die ?’gave the plight of one father (who attended his seminar in Toronto) about his not giving piggyback ride to his son. The father says that “ while my son was growing up, he constantly asked me to give piggyback rides and I was always too busy to play with him. Now he had grown up and I am prepared to give anything to give that little son (now young man) a piggyback ride”.  

So the wisdom of present moment awareness should always prevail. Henry David Thoreau, in his monumental work 'Walden' beautifully portrays that the occupation of a day-labourer is the most independent of any professions. He says that the labourer's day ends with the going down of the sun and he is then free to devote himself to his chosen pursuit, independent of his labour. But his employer, who speculates from month to month, has no respite from one end of the year to the other.

So live the life you want right now with the available means before your time is run out !

CREAM OF WISDOM

 

In the river of mind, thoughts are like never-ending ripples. In fact, they are the seeds  of our actions. That's why it is quite essential to segregate the productive ones from the  bucket list.

The Search giant Google’s Marketing czar Gopi Kallayil’s (Indian origin) foremost strategy to mange his life is: Focus on Essential.

To focus on essentials, you  have to strike a balance between left and right brain activities. The how of it is best described by German philosopher Goethe who suggests that ‘one should, each day, try to hear a little song, read a good poem, see a fine picture, and if it is possible, speak a few reasonable words. If you allow the creative activities to play their part, you know the priorities of life in a much better way which would help to bring out the best in you.

In fact the Creator is not biased and each one of us are endowed with some unique qualities which the other person has not. Therefore we should not allow our talents die inside of us. Norman Cousins says that the tragedy of life is not death but what we let die inside of us while we still live. So it is time to prevail on the wisdom, instead of drifting away with impulse which only causes  much more distraction and agony.

Gopi’s another strategy is ‘Do one thing at a time’. This is undisputedly the subtle lesson  you must learn. In the hustle and bustle of daily life, you are inclined to do more than one activity simultaneously at any given time feeling pride that you are managing time efficiently. But you don’t know how it is taking its toll. The curse of continuous partial attention  affects the quality of your life. If you set your foot on too many activities at the same time, you end up nowhere. In fact, our brains are not equipped for multi-tasking at conscious level. Alexander Graham Bell rightly says that concentrate all your thoughts upon the work on hand. He further says that sun’s rays don’t burn until brought to a focus.

In order to take the things closer to your heart, inner integrity is utmost important which one personality development guru advises us to operate ‘Daily Personal Integrity Account’ to gauge whether or not it follows the whip. Instead of plug and play syndrome, your actions should be based on your own experience learnt from life.

Gopi’s last strategy is : Friend yourself. He says that it matters little how many friends you have on  the social networking sites. He further says that it also matters little how greatly you are networked in life. Unless you are a good friend of your own self, nothing worthwhile could be achieved.  You must make your mind to recognize the fact that the daily chunks of solitude bring a new level of wisdom in life. It is the only way to friend with yourself. In those solitary times, you get an opportunity to reflect upon a day’s activities so as to prepare yourself for other day's work with more precision, vigour and alacrity. This is the cream of wisdom which you could neglect at  your  own peril.

DEATH IS THE END OF MELODRAMA OF LIFE !!

 

The trauma of my aunt’s tragic death  is still hunting me.  It is beyond words to narrate how she fell into a valley while she was going on a horse to reach  the famous Kedarnath Temple in Uttarakhund, India. The manner of death really shocked me and threw me out of gear for some weeks.   The incident had taken me to a new level of wisdom about uncertainty of life.  

Deepak Chopra says that the Prince of Death is just behind you all the time and the only difference is method of execution and length of reprieve.

We see many people who are perturbed to amass wealth in the name of security. To grab the world of possessions they stop enjoying life of present moment and hanker for accumulating wealth.

One great person sagely advises  that " live the life everyday as if it is your last day". In such a living,  you reap the benefits of distilled wisdom of enlightened masters. You need not frighten much about death when it is an inescapable event of life.   Sky is the only limit for human endeavour.  All great personalities who lived on this planet have taught this great lesson.

Steve Jobs, the iconic CEO of Apple Computers who died due to pancreatic cancer is so pragmatic in his ideology. “In his famous 2005 Stanford University speech, he says that :

 

“ When I was 17, I read a quote that went something like: "If you live each day as if it was your last, someday you'll most certainly be right." It made an impression on me, and since then, for the past 33 years, I have looked in the mirror every morning and asked myself: "If today were the last day of my life, would I want to do what I am about to do today?" And whenever the answer has been "No" for too many days in a row, I know I need to change something.”

On death, jobs says that “ remembering that I'll be dead soon is the most important tool I've ever encountered to help me make the big choices in life. Because almost everything — all external expectations, all pride, all fear of embarrassment or failure - these things just fall away in the face of death, leaving only what is truly important. Remembering that you are going to die is the best way I know to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose. “

He further says that “no one wants to die. Even people who want to go to heaven don't want to die to get there. And yet death is the destination we all share. No one has ever escaped it. And that is as it should be, because Death is very likely the single best invention of Life. It is Life's change agent. It clears out the old to make way for the new. “

About life, Jobs says that “your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life. Don't be trapped by dogma — which is living with the results of other people's thinking. Don't let the noise of others' opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition.”  

So don’t fear death which you can't escape and do to unleash your potential !

A BOOK REVIEW : LIGHT FROM MANY LAMPS

Great lives give great inspiration.

If wisdom of ages is properly archived, it would definitely help to the succeeding generations.

The book Light from many Lamps, edited by Lillian Eichler Watson' is a perfect blend of wisdom of East and West. It is a storehouse of inspiring quotes with caricature of world’s renowned personalities.

This book is a result of long labour by Watson in culling out the wisdom of past centuries. As the cover flap truly suggests, it is a book of infinite richness and abiding values.

This book is not meant for casual reading. It is a book which you have to come back and forth to endure your sufferings and lift your spirits.

Reading this prose will change the trajectory of your thoughts. The starting page itself is a minefield of timeless wisdom . "Who is a wise man ? In reply, Talmud says that ' He who learns of all men'. The contents of this book is broadly divided into interesting chapters like 'Happiness and Enjoyment of living' and "Faith and inner calm etc . The labour involved in writing a book is better explained by Samuel Johnson ' A man will turn over half a library to make one book'.

While reading this book, the reader gets an opportunity to know the lives of some of the greatest philosophers of past centuries. These immortal words of Charles Kingsley would inspire anybody : " Thank God every morning when you get up that you have something to do which must be done whether you like it or not. Being forced to work and forced to do your best, will breed in you temperance, self-control, diligence, strength of will, content and a hundred other virtues which the idle never know' and "Faith and inner calm etc.

The book also has chapters on Rome's best known philosopher Seneca. America's best known President Abraham Lincoln finds place twice in the book. It has chapters on Ralph Waldo Emerson, Henry David Thoreau, Franklin D. Roosevelt, Shakespeare, Hippocrates, ST. Paul, Confucius and many more epic personalities.

Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam in his book "My Journey : Transforming Dreams into Actions" mentions this book as one of his three favourite books. Befitting to its tile "Light from many Lamps", truly gives you 'Inner Light' !

STOMACH WISDOM

 

The other day, I fell ill, because, I ate cold curd in the mid-afternoon. My gut feeling cautioned me not to take it but impulse drove me and I bore the brunt of the situation. A sore throat accompanied by stomach ache showed me the hell.

After a long time, I was plagued by ill-health on so flimsy ground and I decided to tighten my belt. What I realized after deep contemplation is that my mouth is my guard post and the sentry there should be much more vigilant to protect the treasure called: Stomach. I took the vow to be more cautious for any faulty decision.

Being happy and falling ill takes a fraction of second. Though Nature is offering so many lessons, I rather half-shut my eyes so far and it is time wake up.

What I see is that I feel uncontrollable pangs of hunger at 6 pm in the evening and I must be alert and not to eat junk food during those crucial hours.

Health experts say that realizing what goes wrong would put you on a higher pedestal. The umbrella rule for taking food is this: Take food as medicine, otherwise, you are perforce take medicine as food.

BUDDHA'S WISDOM

In the long chequered history of human civilization, one man whose teachings created ripples in the world and a religion took birth by his name - Buddha.

According to Wikipedia, Buddha was born either 563 BCE or 480 BCE in Lumbini (a place in present-day Nepal) and died in 483 BCE or 400 BCE which means he probably lived about 80 years on this planet. His marathon life helped the mankind to juice out his wisdom.

If we go into important landmarks of Buddha's life, we see that except his birth, all other phases of his life journey centered on India only.

- He attained enlightenment at Bodh Gaya, India

- Gave his first sermon at Sarnath, India.

- Finally, he left his mortal frame at Kushinara or Kashia in Uttar Pradesh, India.

His teachings / insights in nutshell are:

Three Great Truths:

1. Nothing is lost in the universe. Matter turns into energy and energy turns into matter.

2. Everything changes.

3. Law of cause and effect. We receive exactly what we earn, whether it is good or bad.

Four Noble Truths:

1. Suffering is common to all.

2. We are the cause of our suffering.

3. Stop doing what causes suffering.

4. Path to end suffering is to get enlightened.

Noble Eightfold Path:

1. Right View.

2. Right Thought.

3. Right, Speech.

4. Right, Conduct.

5. Right Livelihood.

6. Right Effort.

7. Right Mindfulness.

8. Right Concentration.

So, no outside interference is necessary to blossom which is a self-driven process.

ZEN WISDOM

 

Let your neighbors discover you before you make yourself known to them.

                                                                           - Zen wisdom on modesty

Generally there is a tendency in all of us to show to the world that we are great and unique and there is nothing wrong with it. But the problem with majority of folks is they want frequent validation from outside world to gauge their self-worth. A person who wants to grow spiritually must not cling to this trait.

Zen wisdom offers more such insights on life. In fact, it is a school of Mahayana Buddhism that was developed in China during the 6th century. It emphasizes the value of meditation and intuition to grow spiritually. It recommends that we, instead of mere ritual worship or study of scriptures must transcend to a level where our life exuberates with joy at every moment.

The word Zen, in fact, originated from Sanskrit root word dhyana which means meditation.

Do we really care ourselves to grow in life in terms of abilities and talents the Creator has endowed ? Many complain that they are riddled with so many problems in life which if we see in correct perspective, are not problems but opportunities.

Experience defines our quality life. If the experience is sore, we naturally switch to an action which gives joy. The experience is the lens through which we discriminate people, choices and situations. That lens could turn into a third eye and guide you if you keep it clean with the path shown by Wisdom Masters.

Success and Spirituality go hand in hand. Those who are successful are more spiritual because they know the impermanence of success and they profoundly believe in a Higher Power that dictates their destiny.

What is success ? Anthony Robbins, America's prominent personality development guru says that "success is the result of the good judgement; good judgement is the result of experience; and experience is often the result of bad judgement"

How you perceive the bad experience is all that matters. Why Buddha is often talked about? Because, he is the person who worked on his own mind before he shared that wisdom with the world. His words: better to win over yourself than to win a thousand battles' illustrate the point of how difficult it is to control the mind.

Is there any connection between game and spirituality. The answer is obviously ''yes''. Experts say that if there is any game that inculcates spirituality, it is Golf. Amy Alcott, an American professional golfer and golf course designer who won five championships quotes that "Golf is a spiritual game. It is like Zen. You have to let your mind take over.

We have very prominent golfers amongst them is Deepak Chopra, the famous Indian-American doctor and rock star of spirituality. He wrote a book "Golf for Enlightenment: The Seven Lessons for the Game of Life.'' which is one of the best sellers.

Modesty is the key to Zen way of living. If you give too many swings to happier moments, then you are bound to let down in moments of sorrow. Striking a perfect balance to dualities is where the wisdom lies and Buddha is a state of mind, which is a possibility field open to everyone!

WHAT IS WISDOM ?

Wisdom has no fixed meaning. It is the summation of your matured conduct at every moment of life. American educator and writer David Starr Jordan (1851-1931) defines : “Wisdom is knowing what to do next, skill is knowing how to do it, and virtue is doing it.”

Your decision-making ability is directly linked to the wisdom you accumulate in life. Age is not a barometer rather it is your intensity of effort to learn.

Having too much bookish knowledge is of no avail to you. Unless you are pragmatic with your self- knowledge, it will not elevate you. Generally, we judge others constantly, and if such energies are diverted inward,  life exuberates with joy.

Wisdom means feeling blessed all the times both in happy and sorrow moments. Each of us is unique and it is better not to fall into comparison mania especially on material aspects.

Wisdom means standing at a correct vantage point where there is no superior or inferior. It is simply respecting life in whatever form it is.