The calm and creative state must involve a very balanced and correct use of the willing faculty.
Direction of the willing faculty towards objects of the world has to be carried out with the utmost care.
The senses remain silent in the creative state.
They can't be forced into silence, but constant discrimination between the nitya(substance) and the anitya(temporary) silences the senses.
The craving comes to end.
3.31.2006
3.15.2006
This is not it. This won't do.
A life of stagnation and idiocy is not acceptable.
One must keep the highest ideals, understand them fully, live boldly, live selflessly, live fearlessly, live peacefully, live truthfully, live with perfect sense restraint.
The essence of Karma Yoga is to go beyond selfishness, to go into the fine, to become one with the universal whole, with nature.
A good way is to steadily and excellently perform one's duties without any attachment to results.
One must keep the highest ideals, understand them fully, live boldly, live selflessly, live fearlessly, live peacefully, live truthfully, live with perfect sense restraint.
The essence of Karma Yoga is to go beyond selfishness, to go into the fine, to become one with the universal whole, with nature.
A good way is to steadily and excellently perform one's duties without any attachment to results.
Inquiry into the nature of Distraction
The major question is - what causes distraction/ wavering of the mind from discrimination?
An impure intellect, identified with sensations at some level keeps on wavering from the real.
It keeps on forgetting the principles of truth and keeps on moving into the world of objects, sensations, memories, judgements.
At the root is psychological time - the understanding of all mental beings of there being a yesterday where one was, today where one is and tomorrow where one will be.
The field of becoming is alive. Efforts are made to produce desired states. Resolutions are made to produce desired states.
What man forgets is that all states are temporary. They cannot produce lasting peace.
They do not have meaning. They are transient. Achievement of such states produces temporary rest in the mind. But not much more.
Owing to such mental conditions, distraction from the real is gauranteed.
An impure intellect, identified with sensations at some level keeps on wavering from the real.
It keeps on forgetting the principles of truth and keeps on moving into the world of objects, sensations, memories, judgements.
At the root is psychological time - the understanding of all mental beings of there being a yesterday where one was, today where one is and tomorrow where one will be.
The field of becoming is alive. Efforts are made to produce desired states. Resolutions are made to produce desired states.
What man forgets is that all states are temporary. They cannot produce lasting peace.
They do not have meaning. They are transient. Achievement of such states produces temporary rest in the mind. But not much more.
Owing to such mental conditions, distraction from the real is gauranteed.
Industry
Industry is the one quality which i find completely missing in my endeavours.
Industry is the wilingness to work hard for as long as is required for the job to be done well.
The ability to plain grind through details, task after task till the goal is reached is the virtue of industry.
And this ability is an absolutely necessity for success.
Industry is the wilingness to work hard for as long as is required for the job to be done well.
The ability to plain grind through details, task after task till the goal is reached is the virtue of industry.
And this ability is an absolutely necessity for success.
One thing at a time
The key to success lies in doing one thing at a time.
This way, you retain full awareness of what you do at that given instant of time. Insight and Understanding are only possible when you are completely focussed at the task at hand.
With practice, such a habit makes life and work very smooth and effortless to carry out.
And how to keep your mind on one thing at a time?
By cultivating a desire to do things really well, with very high quality.
By understanding the importance of doing things really well.
And most importantly, by practicing doing one thing at a time.
This way, you retain full awareness of what you do at that given instant of time. Insight and Understanding are only possible when you are completely focussed at the task at hand.
With practice, such a habit makes life and work very smooth and effortless to carry out.
And how to keep your mind on one thing at a time?
By cultivating a desire to do things really well, with very high quality.
By understanding the importance of doing things really well.
And most importantly, by practicing doing one thing at a time.
3.08.2006
Focus as a reliever of misery
It just occured to me that focus could indeed be a powerful reliever of misery and psychological suffering.
Let us conduct this experiment.
Try to focus on some relevant pursuit and see if it improves my mental state.
Let us conduct this experiment.
Try to focus on some relevant pursuit and see if it improves my mental state.
The Rediscovery of Silence
Reading J Krishnamurti's words, one feels that time has ended. the sensation and desire cycle is brought to a close.
The true silence, of perfect mental clarity and lightness has been rediscovered.
The true silence, of perfect mental clarity and lightness has been rediscovered.
3.07.2006
Self enquiry alters consciousness
The constant enquiry into the nature of the subject, that is the experiencer, at all times leads to an alteration in consciousness.
The enquiry is genuine meditation on the relation of the subject to the external world, to the objects and to the experience that he has.
If it sufficiently strong, the person's response to memory changes, his experience of personal time changes(the today and tomorrow becoming irrelevant anymore).
The identification with the desires, judgements and all accumulated experience of the earlier conscious loosens.
I can't say if he has found a more true reality, but it certainly is one of greater calm, peace and self obervation.
It also is one of great silence.
The enquiry is genuine meditation on the relation of the subject to the external world, to the objects and to the experience that he has.
If it sufficiently strong, the person's response to memory changes, his experience of personal time changes(the today and tomorrow becoming irrelevant anymore).
The identification with the desires, judgements and all accumulated experience of the earlier conscious loosens.
I can't say if he has found a more true reality, but it certainly is one of greater calm, peace and self obervation.
It also is one of great silence.
How introversion is a weakness for most introverts.
I don't know how many people identify with this.
I think that for most introverts, their introversion is not an asset to them.
But i think we should examine why is this the case.
Many of the introverts are shy people, with definite problems dealing with the challenges presented by the outside world.
However, their desires are as or maybe even more intense than other people.
They are also likely very self-conscious, as i self confessedly am.
So their exists a constant self-judgemental pattern which is not conducive for proper functioning, happiness or for higher spiritual growth.
Most likely memory plays a fairly negative role in their actions.
The primary cause is the self judgemental tendency.
A censorship always exists in thoughts, and self image in indeed very strong.
The self image and the reservoir of feeling is likely never expressed.
So in the following ways, introversion proves to be a curse rather than a blessing for many of the introverts.
I think that for most introverts, their introversion is not an asset to them.
But i think we should examine why is this the case.
Many of the introverts are shy people, with definite problems dealing with the challenges presented by the outside world.
However, their desires are as or maybe even more intense than other people.
They are also likely very self-conscious, as i self confessedly am.
So their exists a constant self-judgemental pattern which is not conducive for proper functioning, happiness or for higher spiritual growth.
Most likely memory plays a fairly negative role in their actions.
The primary cause is the self judgemental tendency.
A censorship always exists in thoughts, and self image in indeed very strong.
The self image and the reservoir of feeling is likely never expressed.
So in the following ways, introversion proves to be a curse rather than a blessing for many of the introverts.
Examples of conditioned response
Just imagine the irritation felt due to an unpleasant sound.
Or the instant reaction looking at a beautiful girl.
Or the greed that of certainity manifests when an easy money oppurtunity is heard of.
Then there is the anguish and frustration at an unfulfilled desire.
This and a thousand other things are absolutely normal and considered natural for people.
But i seriously doubt if they add to the quality of our lives/ our experience.
So what option are we left with. Should we blindly accept such a state of affairs and continue to live a life which is nothing but a spate of reactions. Or should we detest such a life.
I think we must try and do something about the present state of affairs.
We'll try and find examples of more subtle conditioning next time.
Or the instant reaction looking at a beautiful girl.
Or the greed that of certainity manifests when an easy money oppurtunity is heard of.
Then there is the anguish and frustration at an unfulfilled desire.
This and a thousand other things are absolutely normal and considered natural for people.
But i seriously doubt if they add to the quality of our lives/ our experience.
So what option are we left with. Should we blindly accept such a state of affairs and continue to live a life which is nothing but a spate of reactions. Or should we detest such a life.
I think we must try and do something about the present state of affairs.
We'll try and find examples of more subtle conditioning next time.
3.06.2006
How do i beat Laziness?
Tamas is the state of dullness and inertia.
It means an inablilty to break out of exisintg habit.
In the worst form, it means conscious identification with things that are clearly unjustified and unreasonable.
e.g. My (a very lazy man) clinging to laziness to the extent that sometimes i find the prospect of work revolting.
I clearly know that not working is unsustainable. I clearly know that work adds quality to the lives of other people(i can't figure out how). But no work gives me joy.
Maybe i need to take responsibilty for it.
Getting aware of the stupidity of laziness is good but does not solve the problem.
I need to find a way out of this stupid habit.
It means an inablilty to break out of exisintg habit.
In the worst form, it means conscious identification with things that are clearly unjustified and unreasonable.
e.g. My (a very lazy man) clinging to laziness to the extent that sometimes i find the prospect of work revolting.
I clearly know that not working is unsustainable. I clearly know that work adds quality to the lives of other people(i can't figure out how). But no work gives me joy.
Maybe i need to take responsibilty for it.
Getting aware of the stupidity of laziness is good but does not solve the problem.
I need to find a way out of this stupid habit.
The determination of values
These values have been thought of as suitable for application to everyday life :
a) Excellence.
b) Sense restraint.
c) Maintenence of Solid Comprehension under any kind of pressure.
d) Egoless pursuit.
For these values,
Planning and Execution have to be understood.
Karma Yog must be practiced.
Sense restraint must be practiced without wavering.
a) Excellence.
b) Sense restraint.
c) Maintenence of Solid Comprehension under any kind of pressure.
d) Egoless pursuit.
For these values,
Planning and Execution have to be understood.
Karma Yog must be practiced.
Sense restraint must be practiced without wavering.
Proactivity Is the KEY
It is becoming more and more clear to me that passive living is not good enough.
It is simply not sustainable or productive of happiness.
Proactivity is the key to the next step in living.
Deciding what to do and what makes sense with urgency and purpose.
What prompted this thought is the discussion i had today with my uncle.
It is clear that either you make your own choices or the world does it for you.
The spine to carry things through inspite of odd circumstances is of utmost importance as well.
It is simply not sustainable or productive of happiness.
Proactivity is the key to the next step in living.
Deciding what to do and what makes sense with urgency and purpose.
What prompted this thought is the discussion i had today with my uncle.
It is clear that either you make your own choices or the world does it for you.
The spine to carry things through inspite of odd circumstances is of utmost importance as well.
Living at the level of cause
This is an idea taken from Walter Russell.
The gist is that a successful, healthy and correct life is lived at the level of cause.
The fundamental mistake we make is that we identify with effects, that is results.
Whether be it the result of an exam or the money we receive or any of our multifarous desires,
we live completely identified with effects, we re emotionally bound to them.
Enlightened living involves proactive removal of identification with effects, which are compounds.
This is verily the philospohy of karma Yoga put into other words.
Karma Yoga says that one must perform action without expectation of reward.
The intellegent man should therefore live at the level of cause. That would entail comprehending causes of all external and internal phenomena. It would also require us to act at a totally causal level, that is totally removed from the effects.
This would require a very fine understanding of all mental phenomena as well as the ability to not identify with them.
Such understanding will remove all our misery which stems from not what we do, but from what we expect.
What we do is actually our potential, our power. but what we expect is actually a bondage that stops us from getting as high as we should.
The gist is that a successful, healthy and correct life is lived at the level of cause.
The fundamental mistake we make is that we identify with effects, that is results.
Whether be it the result of an exam or the money we receive or any of our multifarous desires,
we live completely identified with effects, we re emotionally bound to them.
Enlightened living involves proactive removal of identification with effects, which are compounds.
This is verily the philospohy of karma Yoga put into other words.
Karma Yoga says that one must perform action without expectation of reward.
The intellegent man should therefore live at the level of cause. That would entail comprehending causes of all external and internal phenomena. It would also require us to act at a totally causal level, that is totally removed from the effects.
This would require a very fine understanding of all mental phenomena as well as the ability to not identify with them.
Such understanding will remove all our misery which stems from not what we do, but from what we expect.
What we do is actually our potential, our power. but what we expect is actually a bondage that stops us from getting as high as we should.
Simplicity and Innocence
I cna't help but think that all of our running after ability, excellence, truth or whatever we like is just totally vain.
Simplicity and Innocence are higher things than these, it seems.
And they are proboably the most difficult to retain. They can't be attained to.
The true beauty and joy of activity(whether work or play) can only be realized in innocence and with a simple approach.
Planning, Executing and the desire for results could actually take us away further from the real substance that is the joy, the spontaneity, the creativity which is not present when we strive.
Simplicity and Innocence are higher things than these, it seems.
And they are proboably the most difficult to retain. They can't be attained to.
The true beauty and joy of activity(whether work or play) can only be realized in innocence and with a simple approach.
Planning, Executing and the desire for results could actually take us away further from the real substance that is the joy, the spontaneity, the creativity which is not present when we strive.
Negative Prudence
It is a great challenge to do good work.
It is an equally great challenge to figure out what is unnecessary and paying no heed to that.
That is what we mean by negative prudence.
The art of figuring out what can't or doesn't work.
What isn't necessary.
What doesn't really add to the quality of life.
Carried to the extreme the idea leads to nihilism, as in that mode of thought no phenomena are thought to be of any use.
However, the idea may have applications even in modern everyday life.
A very great application of negative prudence could be curtailment of anger.
Thinking on this theme, it appears that if we clearly see that our anger does no-one any good at any time we see that justification of our anger even in the heat of the moment is totally unreasonable. With practice, we could eliminate such an unnecessary behaviour that reduces our effectiveness and burns our nerves.
It is an equally great challenge to figure out what is unnecessary and paying no heed to that.
That is what we mean by negative prudence.
The art of figuring out what can't or doesn't work.
What isn't necessary.
What doesn't really add to the quality of life.
Carried to the extreme the idea leads to nihilism, as in that mode of thought no phenomena are thought to be of any use.
However, the idea may have applications even in modern everyday life.
A very great application of negative prudence could be curtailment of anger.
Thinking on this theme, it appears that if we clearly see that our anger does no-one any good at any time we see that justification of our anger even in the heat of the moment is totally unreasonable. With practice, we could eliminate such an unnecessary behaviour that reduces our effectiveness and burns our nerves.
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