The speaking tree - Dissolving Differences With Flowers

Pranav Khullar





As the Sufi call to the Beloved reached its crescendo the entire complex of Qutubuddin Bakhtiar Kaki's dargah seemed suffused with the mystical sound of the qawwali. You are being invited to experience another dimension, where the mind merges with the Ruh, the Soul, and the humdrum of everyday existence is forgotten in that ecstatic moment. Unsurprisingly , this dargah complex at Mehrauli has become the focal point of a unique interfaith festival of floral offerings, the Sair-e-Gul Faroshan, popularly known as the Phoolwalon-ki-Sair.
The qawwali seems to reverberate the composite strands of our cultural mosaic ­ a remarkable sufi-yogic syncretism which lies at the core of our being, and which was triggered off by the Khwaja at Ajmer and Bakhtiar Kaki at Delhi. Islam's mystical flavour is heightened in the musical outpouring of verses written in the vernacular by Sufi saints.
This festival of flowers, in the great tradition of bonding of communities, revivifies the spirit as each participant joins in the procession to offer flowers and pankhas or fans at the dargah of Qutu buddin Bakhtiar Kaki and the ancient adjoining temple of Yogmaya at the Mehrauli complex.
Tradition has it that Akbar Shah II's queen had vowed to offer a chadar and flowers at the dargah and a pankha at the Yogmaya Mandir, if her wish for the safe return of her son Mirza Jehangir from his exile at Allahabad was fulfilled. Not only did the wish come true but the incident flagged off the festival of floral offer ings at the dargah and temple every year.
The call of the Sufi is the mystical emotional outpouring of the heart which reaches out to the Self in its compassion.
Yogmaya Temple is believed to date back to the Mahabharata, that recounts the story of Yog maya, infant sister of Krishna ­ reincarnation of the Mother Goddess ­ who escapes Kansa in Mathura, and predicts his doom at the hands of the eighth born of Devaki in an akashvani before dis appearing into the ether.
Since the site is believed to be spiritually charged, the Mehrauli temple complex has hosted the sadhana or meditation of many a yogi and faqir.
It is said that a Sufi is one who possesses nothing and nothing pos sesses him except the name of God and service of humanity . It is this spirit of complete surrender and simplicity which endears the Sufi to one and all, especially the commoner, and it is this spirit which gets embodied in such interfaith bonding festivals.
This festival of flowers and floral tributes, the Phoolwalon-ki-Sair, spreads the message of spiritual bonding and brotherhood even today , through the fragrance of its offerings.It is like those few still points of the turning world to which all of us go back to, to remind ourselves of our common heritage, and revive our inner spiritual core, through festivities and music.
Phoolwalon-ki-Sair is a reminder to dissolve our differences and know that each belongs to the other, and one would be empty and bereft without the other.

Courtesy: The Times of India, October 18, 2014

How I start my day: Deepak Chopra

"Mornings are the time to inculcate a passion" 

"Morning is the time when nature sends out its most delicate messages, and you are most sensitive to them. Your nervous system has been built in a way that the sight of dawn, the still air on your skin, the faint sounds of birds and animals awakening” all set the state for renewal. Listen to what is happening around you. Be alert to the slightest influence; the whole body is silent and poised in a delicate balance. 

When you wake up, you feel alert and clearheaded. It indicates that your nervous system is ready to be renewed. It is harmful to disturb or ignore this one opportunity to be naturally recreated. Mornings are a time to inculcate a passion, this will help you achieve the extraordinary in life. Use early morning as a time to tune into your core self. The core self is where deep fulfillment arises from. If you wish to map out the ideal way to start your day, it would arrange itself naturally around the following pivotal points:

Wake up without an alarm clock 

Drink a glass of warm water (to encourage regular morning bowel movements)

Brush your teeth 

Clean your tongue if coated 

Massage your body with sesame oil 

Bathe (in warm water, not too hot or cold)

Exercise or do surya namaskar

Do yoga 

Practise balanced breathing, meditate 

Eat your breakfast 

Take a mid-morning walk (for half an hour).

Times Life, The Sunday Times of India

How I start my day: Start a New Life Every Morning

OGYEN TRINLEY DORJE, His Holiness The 17th Karmapa 

We sometimes wake up fresh in the morning yet still go through the day half asleep.Our busy 21st century lives overwhelm us with a relentless stream of immediate tasks.We lose sight of how precious it is just to have a human life.This is an awareness that we need to feel in our hearts.I would like to share with you a practice that I call living your whole life in a single day. You can do this by starting with this thought in the morning: I am starting a whole new life.It begins right now.Initially,leave yourself a note at your bedside to remind you,and then slowly cultivate the habit of waking up with this thought.Your body is fresh from the nights rest;when you wake up with this awareness,so does your mind.Ask yourself what kind of person you want to be in the life that you will live today.Throughout the day,remind yourself that your life is happening right now.In the afternoon,check to see how your life is going and readjust as needed.A whole lifetime of possibilities stretches out before you every moment.This is the basic truth of interdependence.Conditions are constantly shifting,and what seemed impossible earlier can suddenly become possible.Every moment counts.Every action counts.A single kind act can have a positive impact on the future of many others you share the earth with.You can change the course of the future in any moment.Do so consciously,and the whole world will benefit.

As told to Nona Walia
Source: Times Life July 7, 2013

Self Knowledge: Sage Vasishta Educates Prince Rama

Swami Venkatesananda
Self-knowledge is not gained by explanations and descriptions,nor by the instructions of others but by direct experience.Whatever is experienced and known here in this world,all that is the Self,consciousness devoid of the duality of the experiencing and the experience.It is the Self alone that exists everywhere at all times,but because of its extreme subtlety,it is not experienced.

In all beings,it is the jiva.All activities take place in the light of the sun,but if the activities cease,the sun does not suffer loss: even so,it is on account of the Self that the body et al function,but if the body et al perish,the Self does not suffer loss.The Self is not born,nor does it die;it does not acquire,nor does it desire;it is not bound,nor is it liberated the Self is the Self of all,at all times.

That (Self) is unconditioned by time and space;how does it become bound Abandon these two false concepts that of bondage and of liberation,and live an enlightened life here.There is no liberation in the sky,on earth or in the nether world;liberation is but a synonym for pure mind,correct Self-knowledge and a truly awakened state.

The complete absence of all desires and hopes is liberation.Until one reaches this true inner awakening or Self-knowledge,one considers oneself bound and strives for liberation.Abandon these wrong notions of bondage and liberation.

O Rama,he who knows that all activities happen because of the mere existence of consciousness even as a crystal reflects the objects around it without intending to do so is liberated.They,who,even after taking this human birth,are not interested in such non-volitional activity,go from heaven to hell and from hell to heaven again.

Some are devoted to inaction,having turned away from or suppressed all action;they go from hell to hell,sorrow to sorrow,fear to fear.Others know the Self;blessed indeed are they,they have carefully enquired into the nature of the mind and overcome all cravings;they do go to higher planes of consciousness.

He who has taken birth for the last time now,is endowed with a mixture of light (satva) and a little impurity (rajas).Right from birth he grows in holiness.Noble qualities like friendliness,compassion,wisdom,goodness and magnanimity seek him and take abode in him.He performs all appropriate actions,but is not swayed if their results appear to be gain or loss,nor does he feel elated or depressed.His heart is clear.He is much sought after by people.

One,who is full of all the noble qualities,seeks and follows an enlightened master who directs him along the path of Self-knowledge.He then realises the Self which is the one cosmic being.Such a liberated one awakens the inner intelligence,and instantly knows itself to be the infinite consciousness.

Such is the normal course of evolution,O Rama.However,there are exceptions.For those who have taken birth in this world,two possibilities exist for the attainment of liberation.The first is: treading the path indicated by the master,the seeker gradually reaches the goal of liberation.The second is: Self knowledge literally drops into ones lap,as it were,and there is instant enlightenment.

Source: The Times of India, Speaking Tree 

Make Your Mind Powerful With Yoga

Radhika Ravi Ranjan

Our mind can be the solution to our problems or the source of all our problems, says Dr Swami Shankardev Saraswati. It is where all our thoughts arise, where ideas concretise, where we decide whether we are happy or sad. Therefore, harnessing our mind and our thoughts is crucial to our sense of well-being and happiness.

When the mind is silent and peaceful, it becomes very powerful. It can become a receptor of bliss and wisdom, enabling life to become a spontaneous flow and expression of joy and harmony. However, this inner silence cannot arise while there is a continual stream of disturbing thoughts and emotions. All this inner noise has to be removed before one can truly experience the soundless sound of inner silence.

This silence of the mind can be achieved through yoga. The aim of all yoga is to help people unfold their potential and become relaxed, strong and integrated beings. The first step is managing the mind. He says most people come to a yoga class without having worked with their minds.

Indeed, many people find that their mind is their biggest problem, because it is undeveloped and undisciplined. Majority of the people are forever seeking methods to calm and manage their minds. This is not an easy task primarily because the mind is a vast, luminous and creative power.

According to Dr Saraswati, it is because the mind is so powerful that it is difficult to manage. The untrained mind has been likened to a wild horse. Once tamed, it is a great friend; but untamed, it is a wild animal that can turn on us.

An untrained and undisciplined mind is a jumble of chaotic thoughts and feelings that can lead to poor perception, confusion and destructive emotions. A trained and disciplined mind, on the other hand, is a powerful tool that can think clearly, solve creatively and work to realise its desires and dreams.

There are methods in yoga by which people can discipline as well as enlighten their minds. Gradually, they become masters of powerful, happy, compassionate, and heart-centered minds.

Before one controls the mind, one must know the mind. The human mind has two parts - the lower and the higher. The lower mind is connected to the senses and allows us to conduct ourselves in the world. This, therefore, becomes our thinking mind. The higher mind is the subtle mind that links us to our higher consciousness. This, therefore, becomes our intuitive mind.

The lower mind has three main components: a rational, thinking mind, called manas in Sanskrit, a memory bank called chitta, and an ego or sense of individuality called ahamkara. Manas measures sense impressions and stores these in our chitta. The build-up of these impressions creates our ahamkara, our sense of who we are as human personalities.

The higher mind is called buddhi. It is connected to consciousness and has the characteristics of intelligence, intuition, knowledge, faith, generosity, compassion and wisdom. Usually, it is dominated by the louder and more compelling lower mind.

A yoga teacher can impart techniques about how the higher mind or buddhi can regulate the workings of the lower mind.

A monkey mind is precisely that - that which cannot be controlled easily and that which will behave impulsively and rashly, with no logical process. An undeveloped mind has been called the monkey mind for just those reasons. It is dominated by tamas, or darkness, represented by selfish thoughts, worry, insecurity, greed, rage, and petty judgments. Emotions and desires can erupt at any time, compelling one to act and react. When the monkey mind starts jumping around, the buddhi falls asleep.

Yogic and meditative processes help calm down the thoughts and emotions arising in our mind and allow the deeper and subtler intuitive elements to manifest. In yoga, the usual way to achieve our goal is to focus on the centre-point between the eyebrows, also called the third eye or ajna chakra. This is the point that controls both the higher mind as well as the lower mind.

One way to focus on the third eye is to chant Om. The root sound has a magical effect on the meditative process. Begin by sitting in a comfortable posture and emptying your mind of all thoughts. Then, direct attention to the eyebrow centre and visualise a point of light at this place. Now, chant the Om mantra for as long as your breath allows. Then simply sit in silence, noticing your state of deep relaxation and peace.

Another way to focus on the crucial eyebrow centre is to breathe through alternate nostrils, the yog called Pranayam. Inhale through one nostril, exhale through the other. Do the same with the other.

www.speakingtree.in

Speaking Tree: Wisdom about money

Money and mansions are not the only wealth. Hoard wealth of spirit. Character is wealth; good conduct is wealth; and spiritual wisdom is wealth -Atharva Veda

If money helps a man
to do good to others, it is
of some value: but If not,
It is simply a mass of evil,
and the sooner It is got
rid of, the better-Swami Vivekananda

Money is not the only answer, but it makes a difference.  –Barack Obama

Times of India (March 6, 2013)

Speaking Tree: Your Honeymoon With Life Never Ends

Jaya Row

A very long time ago, the evolved individual in the Indic region discovered the laws that govern not only the outside world but the fascinating inner realm as well. The focus shifted from conquering the physical world to gaining control over the mind. And now and then a brilliant sage would appear periodically, to revive a society sagging from lack of values.

Adi Shankara was one such outstanding master. While he wrote commentaries on the subtle upanishads and the Bhagwad Gita, he also composed original texts that re-presented the same knowledge in a modern context. The Bhaja Govindam is one such  that brings to us timeless vedic wisdom in nuggets.

Shankara begins by focussing on the two main aspects of human pursuits – wealth and enjoyment. You chase wealth and once you acquire it you wish to enjoy it. The Bhaja Govindam dispels the misunderstanding that spiritual life entails shunning of wealth, family and all good things of life. Do not renounce wealth. Give up the thirsting, craving, lusting after wealth which comes in the way of acquiring wealth.

Be content with what you have. Swami Rama Tirtha said, ‘If you are not happy as you are, you will never be happy’. Be aware of all that you have been blessed with. Then you will develop the irresistible urge to share, contribute, and give. Often, the richest people are tormented by the feeling of deprivation while those who have nothing feel supremely abundant. The law is – You give, you gain. You grab and you lose.

The whole world is in frenzy, chasing after enjoyment. The more you indulge, the less you enjoy. Vedanta restores the enjoyment you have already lost. The way out is mindful, regulated contact with sense objects. So the thrill of a sense enjoyment does not diminish. Your honeymoon with life never ends!

Vedanta helps maintain wonderful, meaningful relationships. It identifies attachment as the root cause of all conflict. Attachment springs from a deep sense of insecurity. When you are not self-sufficient you need the support of spouse and children; you become dependent on them. You feel threatened by others with whom they relate; you imagine they are your enemies. You are nasty and hateful to your greatest benefactors and are tormented by toxic thoughts. You are then shunned by the very people for whom you did all this to begin with!

Attach and you suffer, you lose. Your closest relationships become conflict-ridden and finally you lose them. So attachment is not an option. The way out is ‘detachment’ or true love. Love people for what they are. Have no expectations, make no demands and do not imprison them. True love begets love. The love you give is returned in ample measure and you have amazingly satisfying relationships.

Life is as uncertain as a drop of water on a lotus leaf. Any moment death may occur. Even during your life you are consumed by disease, sorrow and arrogance. Insure yourself by investing in higher thought. Keep the company of good people, loving and uplifting thoughts. This ‘As you think so you become.’

To be happy, some resort to extreme indulgence. Others abstain, and still others live a mechanical life. But the way is karma yoga, bhakti yoga and jnana yoga. Act in a spirit of service and sacrifice; enlarge your circle of love and constantly reflect on the distinction between the permanent and impermanent aspects of life. Follow this up with meditation. You will move to the state of infinite Bliss. 

Source:Times of India March 6, 2013

SB Special: The History of Kumbha-Mela by Lokanath Swami

The Inhabitants of the earth benefit from a cosmic fight for immortal nectar.

THE LORD'S pastime of protecting the devas (demigods) from the asuras (demons) by producing nectar from the ocean of milk is described in detail in the Srimad-Bhagavatam, Canto 8, chapters 5 through 11.

Millions of years ago, the sage Durvasa visited the capital of Indra's kingdom in the heavenly planets. While Durvasa Muni was passing on the road, he saw Indra on the back of his elephant and was pleased to offer Indra a garland from his own neck. Indra, however, being too proud of his material wealth, took the garland and placed it on the trunk of his carrier elephant. The elephant, being an animal, could not understand the value of the garland. It threw the garland between its legs and smashed it. Seeing this insulting behavior, Durvasa Muni cursed Indra to become poverty-stricken.

The asuras, the natural enemies of the devas, took this opportunity to attack Lord Indra and steal all the riches and virtuous possessions in his kingdom. A fierce battle for supremacy of the heavenly planets raged. Bereft of all influence and strength, the devas were defeated.

The devas then went to Lord Brahma for help. Unable to offer a solution, Lord Brahma took them to Svetadvipa, the abode of Ksirodakasayi Visnu in the ocean of milk.

Snake-And-Mouse Logic 

Lord Visnu advised the devas to cooperate with the asuras and churn the ocean of milk to attain an immortal nectar that would make the devas invincible. He told the devas to follow the logic of the snake and the mouse in dealing with the asuras. A snake and a mouse were once caught in a basket. The snake said to the mouse, "Look, I could eat you very easily, but it's more important for me to get out of this basket. So why don't you make a hole so that we can both escape?" The mouse agreed and started working. But as soon as the hole was big enough, the snake ate the mouse and came out of the basket.

Similarly, the Lord wanted the devas to take help from the asuras, but He had no intention of giving any of the nectar to the asuras. He would appear as Mohini-murti and cheat them.

The asuras and devas uprooted Mandara Mountain to use as a churning rod and requested Vasuki, the king of the serpents, to serve as the churning rope. With the churning, the mighty golden Mandara Mountain began to sink slowly into the ocean of milk. The devas and asuras became discouraged at the turn of events.

Then the Lord took the form of a tortoise, known as Kurma-avatara. He entered the water and held the great mountain on His back. The mountain moved back and forth with the churning motion, scratching the back of Lord Tortoise, who, while partially sleeping, was pleasingly experiencing an itching sensation.

Soon a fiercely dangerous poison was produced from the ocean, covering all directions. The compassionate Lord Siva drank the poison and held it in His throat, turning his neck bluish and earning him the name Nilakantha, "one who has a bluish neck."

Products of The Milk Ocean

The milk ocean then produced many wonderful items: a surabhi cow, a beautiful horse named Uccaihsrava, the elephant Airavata, eight great white elephants that could go in any direction, eight she-elephants, the crescent moon, a conch shell named Pancajanya, a bow named Haridhanu ("the bow of Hari"), the goddess Varuni, the precious Kaustubha jewel, a desire-fulfilling parijata flower, Apsaras (the most beautiful women in the universe), Laksmi (the goddess of fortune), and Dhanvantari.

A partial incarnation of the Lord, Dhanvantari rose slowly from the ocean. Srimad-Bhagavatam (8.8.32-33) describes his beautiful form:

He was strongly built; his arms were long, stout, and strong; his neck, which was marked with three lines, resembled a conch shell; his eyes were reddish; and his complexion was blackish. He was very young, he was garlanded with flowers, and his entire body was fully decorated with various ornaments. He was dressed in yellow garments and wore brightly polished earrings made of pearls. The tips of his hair were anointed with oil, and his chest was very broad. His body had all good features, he was stout and strong like a lion, and he was decorated with bangles. In his hand he carried a jug filled to the top with nectar.

The jug of nectar was the prize everyone was waiting for. The asuras quickly stole the jug, and they began to fight over who should take the first drink. While they argued, the Lord assumed the form of an extremely beautiful woman known as Mohini-murti and slowly approached them.

Mohini-murti said, "The demigods are very miserly and are excessively anxious to take the nectar first. So let them have it first. Since you are not like them, you can wait a little longer. You are all heroes and are so pleased with Me. It is better for you to wait until after the demigods drink."

The asuras, overwhelmed by Her beauty and charm, gave Her the jug of nectar, and She promptly delivered it to the devas.

The asuras were furious at the deception and attacked the devas with all their force. According to the Skanda Purana, at one point during the fight, Jayanta, a son of Indra, took the kumbha (jug) and ran away toward the heavenly planets. The asuras followed, eager to retrieve the nectar, and the fierce fighting continued. From time to time during twelve days of fighting, circumstances compelled Jayanta to place the kumbha at four places on earth: on the bank of the Godavari River in Nasika, Maharashtra; at the Shipra River in Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh; at the Ganges in Haridwar, Uttar Pradesh, and at the Triveni-sangam in Allahabad, Uttar Pradesh.

When the kumbha was lifted at each location, some drops of nectar fell onto the earth. That same nectar appears at these sites during certain planetary configurations. Even today, millions of people come to partake of the nectar, to become immortal by bathing in the holy rivers and drinking the nectarlike waters. Because the fighting between the devas and the asuras lasted for twelve earth years (twelve demigod days), Kumbha-melas are held at each of these sites once every twelve years.

Lokanath Swami is the director of ISKCON Padayatras ("walking pilgrimages") worldwide and the author of the recently published book Kumbha: The Festival of Immortality.

Sw. Brahmdev: Pick Up The Broom,Start Cleaning

It is customary for us to spring-clean our homes during this festive season, in the run-up to Deepavali. Cleaning is essential activity. All unwanted stuff is disposed of; what can be given away is set aside and homes are given a good wash and some get painted  too. So pick up a broom and as you sweep the dust away, tell yourself that this is your consciousness that you are cleaning. Internalise the outward process.

We have heard it said that cleanliness is godliness. It is, for when we live in clean surroundings, don't we feel happy and energetic. Isn't it heavenly. But when we are in dirty places we feel miserable. We want to get out as soon as possible. We cannot feel peace. So too with our internal state of affairs.

Nature teaches us all the time to engage in cleaning. Dust here, pick out the weeds here, wipe off the stains there; cleaning is an endless process because this is nature’s way of ensuring we do not go to sleep; we do not slip into complete inertia.

But how often do any of us undertake to clean something ourselves we delegate the job. We busy ourselves in gaining knowledge... or so we think.

So much we read and study, all the time but how much of it is really relevant to our life. We are constantly gathering information; we need to stop and do some spring-cleaning here. All that information is useless if it does not help you uncover your consciousness.

There are three types of dust that we gather within ourselves. One is our own negativity. We think negatively, act and perceive negatively. This accumulates inside of us, changing our responses. Secondly, we gather negative influences from our surroundings, from the people we meet, and pick up negative vibrations from them. Sometimes we let ourselves slip into unethical activities because we have cluttered our lives. Hence we need to clear the clutter and confusion to be able to think and act with a clear conscience.

The third type of dust is perhaps the hardest to get rid of misuse of powers vested in us. We use our senses to fulfill our instant pleasures. We know it is wrong but we seek immediate gratification, for selfish ends. In this manner we cause great injury not only to ourselves but to all of society.

We, each of us, have tremendous potential within us. We have the divine within us. Once we know that we have allowed soot and dirt to accumulate inside and that it is obstructing us from experiencing the divinity within, we will instinctively know how to do it.

There is no one method that can be applied externally. The first step is to be aware that we need to initiate the cleansing process. The process of cleaning outside and suggesting to yourself that you are also cleaning within will help initially to actually get it done.

A selfless attitude is helpful in cleaning out the consciousness. In fact, it is the best form of cleaning. When you give, you recognize the universal divine nature. Just like nature gives of herself at all times, when you give, you automatically get cleaned. In today's world of competition, people fear that if they give, people will exploit their kindness and walk all over them. This will not happen. Human progress takes place only when the consciousness is clean and disciplined.

Courtesy: The Times of India

Speaking Tree: Spiritual Is Being Inwardly Awake

Swami Sukhabodhananda

To live life is to be related and in every relationship there are three factors, the subject, object and their connection.  If the relationship is harmonious, life is harmonious; if not, life is disharmonious. The art of wisely relating to life and heightening the spirit is being spiritual.

Q:But our spirits are low and sometimes high, is it not?
A: If the content of our consciousness is low then our life is low and if the content of our consciousness is high life is high. If our content of consciousness is hurt, jealousy, anger, ego… it pulls us down and if it is love, gratitude, compassion… then one’s life will be high.

Reflect on this story: A washerman was going along with his donkey. In the dark the donkey fell in a pit. The washerman could not stand the cry of the donkey and so he decided to bury it. He started filling the pit with mud. After some time he was taken aback to see the donkey out of the pit. Whenever the mud was thrown, the donkey would shake it off and climb on top of the mud pile and thus it climbed out of the pit. In the same way if people throw muck at you, shake it off and go up. If the content of consciousness is good, every difficulty will be an opportunity for you to grow and if poor, every opportunity will be a difficulty.

Next, are you restless or restful in your daily activities of life? Being restful, being calm, being inwardly silent and not noisy is an important quality of a spiritual being. If one is restless inwardly, mind pollutes perception. If the mind is calm, one sees situations objectively; if disturbed, one sees things in a distorted way. Hence it is said, we don’t live in the objective world, we live in our subjective world. We don’t live in God’s world; we live in our private world of hurts and upsets.

Can you experience anything without the experiencer? When one looks at a flower, we word it, we silently say, I like it or don’t like it and by that inner language, we are not in touch with the flower, we are in touch with our version of the flower, polluted by our internal words, our likes and dislikes. A spiritual way of looking is -- I see an object, without wording an object, and then I am in touch with the object in a different level. If my boss scolds me, I listen to him without any internal words and get objectively what he is saying. But when he scolds me and I am crowded with my thoughts, with my internal words, then the overtone is louder than what is said.

Can I be alert to the sensations that are happening and keep it bright in my awareness? If I interpret it in a particular way, by liking or disliking it, then my sensations become dimmer and internal words becomes louder. I am disconnected with what is and caught up in what should be. What should be is a non-fact and the fact is present sensations. Be with fact and not with non-fact.

To live a life of gratitude is an enlightened way of living. Be grateful and not greedy. If one is grateful, one is sensitive to life; if not, one is sentimental. Being grateful, one will not be egoistic and being sentimental, one becomes egoistic.  Drop the arrogant self to be truly spiritual.

Courtesy: Times of India

THE SPEAKING TREE: Listening As Spiritual Practice

Marguerite Theophil

If we can tell our story to someone who listens,really listens,we find it easier to deal with our circumstances.Anton Chekov brings home this message poignantly in his short story Misery.Iona Potapov earns his living driving a horse-drawn cab.First to some passengers,then to someone he passes on the street,and finally to a fellow cab driver,this pained man repeatedly attempts to tell the story of his son who died just a week before,but no one wants to listen.

Potapov,we learn,has not really talked to anybody yet.He yearns to tell someone,anyone,about it;how his son suffered,what he said before he died,how he died;the father wants to describe little details of the funeral,of how he went to the hospital to collect his sons clothes.But there is no fellow human being who would listen to his story.

Finally,Iona goes to the stable to feed his mare and begins narrating his story.Chekhov writes,The little mare munches,listens,and breathes on her masters hands, and we feel the desperate sadness in the last words: Iona is carried away,and tells her all about it.

Chekov doesnt lecture us about how sad this is,how wrong;just lays out the story.And we are touched;perhaps shamed.

Listening appears such an easy thing to do,but we know from trying to really listen and trying to be listened to,that it isnt always so.Even those of us who imagine ourselves to be good listeners fall short.If your listening strategy is to launch into commiseration,expressions of sympathy or support,or,heaven help us advising,then you may need to review this.Even telling people Oh yes,that happened to me,too... even if we mean well,may not be the best thing to do.We cut their flow,perhaps through our own need to fix things,our need to get out of the discomfort of anothers pain,our need to appear understanding.And sadly,our needs make us ignore or marginalise the others needs.We need to learn that the greatest gift we can bring to the listening process is ourselves.Yet paradoxically the most important thing to do in order to listen well is to keep ourselves out of the way.

Often children understand better than we do.I once heard a delightful story about a little boy who was late getting home one day.When his mother asked why he was late,he explained that he had stopped to help a friend whose bicycle had broken down.
But you dont know how to fix a bicycle, his mother said.No, the little boy said,But I stopped to be with him while he cried.

Margaret Wheatley,who wrote Turning to One Another: Simple Conversations to Restore Hope to the Future,has talked about this as an enduring truth: great healing is available when we listen to each other.Listening is such a simple act.It requires us to be present ... we don't have to do anything else.We don't have to advise,or coach,or sound wise.We just have to be willing to sit there and listen.If we can do that,we create moments in which real healing is available.

Real,deep,healing listening can be likened to a spiritual practice that involves developing awareness,some serious un-learning and adopting new practices.Three practices are essential to cultivate for this spiritual discipline : a comfort with silence,non-verbal empathy,and being wholly present to another.

Courtesy: Times of India

Speaking Tree: Nurture With Nature

Nature’s mystic power can elevate our soul to a consciousness by which we can discover ourselves, writes APARAJITA BHOOSHAN

Far from the maddening crowd, rainbows shine through silver clouds, songs of birds echo across flowering valleys, waterfalls cascade down majestic mountains and we pause to wonder about the poetic painter whose imagination creates sheer miracles on the canvas of the Universe.

As the sunflower turns towards the sun to soak in its energies, when we surrender to the warm embrace of nature, fatigue gives way to vigour and the mind finds new strength.

‘Nature cures, not the physician.’ Hippocrates recognised the powerful attribute of nature. In its pure, unpolluted state, nature contains all the energetic and spiritual elements needed for life and vitality!

Why do wind and water, trees and ether have this wondrous effect on us? It’s because all of creation including the human body comprise of the very elements that prakriti or nature is made up of. Prakritiand Purusha are the two different aspects of the manifest Brahmn, known as Iswara. Purush sets in motion the entire creative process and Prakriti gives shape and signifies pure energy.

Nature consists of life force or prana, by which all living entities are upheld, and, on manifestation, nature takes on the forms of earth, water, fire, air and ether. When we are physically and emotionally depleted, we lose these life-sustaining energies and negative energy accumulates, resulting in disease and disharmony. But nature automatically helps us discharge negative energy and recharges us with its life giving force! John Muir, the naturalist says, ‘Nature is always lovely, invincible, glad. Whatever is done and suffered by her creatures, all scars, she heals’!

Here’s how different elements of nature help rejuvenate and heal us:

Trees & Air: The energy converting activity of photosynthesis — the constant cycle of conversion by green plants — maintains the earth’s natural balance of carbon dioxide and oxygen. In the midst of green trees, our negativity is absorbed, and replenished with positive energy, making us feel better. A simple walk in the woods, or sitting under the shade of trees enhances our wellbeing.

Flowers: Flowers are powerful energy givers. When someone is unwell, we bring them flowers, helping them feel better. We also send flowers, along with loving thoughts to comfort the bereaved. And countless, invaluable herbs like basil and thyme are used in healing.

Earth: Just as we try to reach up to the heavens to receive its blessings, we need to reach down to mother earth to take away our negativity. Spending time in the garden gives us a calm connect with all of life. As we dig our fingers deep into the soft earth, we can feel its energy and our spirits soar! Walking barefoot on the ground or along the beach saying our meditation mantra is also a powerful way to heal.

Water: Rivers, lakes and oceans make us part of the flow, washing away resentment and help us cleanse ourselves physically and emotionally. Bathing is a sacred renewal, discarding the old and embracing the new.

Fire: Fire is an active force reflecting the passion and creativity within us. It can animate and create with its colours of red, orange and yellow. Thus, lighting diyas or earthen lamps in our homes, helps keep the environment pure and free of negativity.

Mountains: Nature’s peace and the pure air refresh us as we climb up the mountains. They influence us with their sense of stability and strength as we climb up. We find the will to touch skies, which otherwise seem unreachable. Sir Edmund Hillary said, ‘It is not the mountains we conquer, but ourselves’.

Ether: The fundamental element is ‘Akashik Intelligence’. Turning our hands upwards and consciously drawing in the blessings from the power we believe in, will enable the channels in our fingers to open and we will feel life flowing in with a tingling sensation.

If constraints do not allow us to ‘get away’, we can receive similar benefits by gazing at a blue sky overhead or a scenic painting, and practising visualisation. ‘God writes the gospel not in the Bible alone, but on trees and flowers and clouds and stars’, said Martin Luther.

The luminous star of Bethlehem led the wise men of the East to the manger where Jesus was born and Buddha found enlightenment under the Bodhi tree.

Nature is the flautist and we the flute! When there is no disharmony and ego within, nature plays incomparable divine music through us.

Coutesy: Times of India