Accept the Reality for a Better Future

Monday, 25^th December 2017

The beautiful part of the life is the acceptance of the reality. The reality refers to that which happens at present. That which happed yesterday and that which will happen tomorrow, are not reality. Past and future are your memory. The present is the reality. The question is do you accept what happens at present.

You can accept the present or revolt against it. What happens at present might be unpleasant to you. Still accepting it makes you peaceful and opens a possibility to transform the situation into a positive atmosphere. If you are not ready to accept the unhappy present, it makes the situation more complicated and you will become incapable of managing the circumstances. Revolting against what happens at present is a foolish approach. It does not mean to agree with all that happens. You may disagree and try to change it in proper manner. But before trying to alter it, it is necessary to accept it as it is. Accepting what happens at present is the wise approach because of the two reasons:

1.  What is at present is the after effect of the past. You are not able to alter your past; because the past is past. The after effect of the past action will definitely befall on you. You get three hours to write a university examination. Once you have finished writing and given the answer sheet to the authority, your role is over. The consequences of what you have written on the answer sheets cannot be changed by you. If you have answered well, you will get good result. If you were bad, the marks will accordingly be unpleasant. You have no control over the after effect of an action, once it is already done.

2.  The relationship between the action and its effect is based on the law of Nature. Human beings have only one choice, to accept the law of Nature, understanding it perfectly. Realizing that you are a part of Nature and living according to the Natural laws are the ways of wise art of living.

So, accepting the present as it is, is the brilliant method in life. But you need enormous amount of internal strength to do so. Most of the people cannot accept the reality as it is, in most of the situations. That is the basic reason for all unhappiness and psychic disorder. Starting a revolt against the reality, is the restlessness and anger in human minds. Suppose you failed in an examination. You are in that reality and your mind is not ready to accept it. So you become extremely disturbed and depressed. You do not like that situation; you are not ready to face such a situation. As a result of it, you became desperate and inactive. But on the other hand, if you accept your defeat, a further possibility of preparation on the basis of your experiences is there in front of you. You are able to move on effectively only after accepting the reality as it is. Therefore, accepting the reality as it is, however unpleasant it may be, is the right path for ultimate success in life.

Accepting the reality means, respecting the power of Nature. The Nature gives you the result of your previous action. You have no choice. There are unhappy incidents which may not be the direct result of your actions. Such eventualities are also the creation of Nature. I remember the occasion of my father, ailing due to serious illness. He was not responding to the medicines. While I was looking at him, I was realizing the power of Nature. I had only one choice, that to accept the will of Nature. While the Nature was stealing the precious life of my beloved father, accepting the pathetic reality taking place in front of me, was the only one option I had. But that positive attitude kept me sane at that horrible situation and helped me to be active.

The secret of the ancient Indian value of Truthfulness (Sathyam) lies in the concept of accepting the reality.

When you accept the failure and defeat, you can learn lessons from it for a wiser attempt in the next time.

Accept the reality and observe it properly for managing it for a better turn of events.

Observe and Manage. (OM)

This is the method.

The Power of NOW

Monday, 18th December 2017

What we call the PAST is past. The FUTURE has not yet come. So the NOW is the reality.

The Nature exists at PRESENT. You cannot say that Sun exists in the past. The Sun in the past is only a memory. So the Sun you see in the sky exists at present. The wind moves at PRESENT. The ocean, the sky, the trees, the animals.. all in the Nature around you exists at PRESENT. The existance of the Nature is there only at present. The past is memory and the future is an imagination. So the Nature is the Present.

My body is a part of Nature. My body exists at PRESENT. My heart beats at present. The blood in my body circulate at PRESENT. The neurons in my brain works at PRESENT. Digestion system functions at PRESENT. All aspects of my body acts at PRESENT.

My senses function at PRESENT. I see only at PRESENT. I can hear only at PRESENT. I can touch or feel the touch only at PRESENT.

I can do all these only when my mind stays at PRESENT. Unlike my body, my mind can travel to & fro in TIME. My mind travels through PAST (as memory) and FUTURE (as imagination). The mind has the connection with the PAST and FUTURE through the TIME and it can move back and forth as it wants. Mind can move to the past, because the past exists only in my mind. It exists only in my memory. Similarly the future also exists in the mind or in the imagination.

The PAST exists in my memory; but my memory functions at PRESENT. I remember a past incident at PRESENT. So even the PAST is existing at PRESENT. Similarly even the FUTURE is existing in the imagination which happens at PRESENT.

You can be at PRESENT only when your mind stays inside your body. But very relevant question is that why should I be at PRESENT? The answer is that you can be practical in life only if you are at PRESENT. To be practical, your mind needs to be in your body. Once your mind is inside your body, you are at PRESENT.

There are some people who live only at PRESENT. They cannot think properly. They are ready for any kind of physical labor. But there are other kind of people who live either is past or in future. They are good in theories. But they would be very bad in practical matters.

Being at PRESENT when it is needed and being in PAST or FUTURE according to the requirements is the ideal behavior.

Observe yourself and realize when you are at PRESENT, in PAST or in FUTURE. That self awareness helps you to function effectively in life. You can develop the habit of being at PRESENT or being not at PRESENT according to the necessity in life.

Observe and Manage. (OM)
This is the method.

Tip to Manage the Mind

Monday, 11^th December 2017

Mind Awareness Management (MAM) teaches you how to develop the awareness about the mind and manage it effectively.

Mind needs to be trained to be controlled effectively. Both clear intention and constant practice are inevitable for practicing the usage of mind. The intention should be to manage the mind for its higher usage. Mind is an instrument with which the individual can know the world and function in life. The effective usage of mind is possible only when you train it properly. The practice should happen with the right intention.

There are three levels to manage the mind. 1. Debate level 2. Observation level 3. Realization level.

1. Debate level (verbal in nature)

Mind is interested in various aspects that exist around the individual. In the beginning stage of trying to manage your mind, building up a positive attitude towards everything is inevitable. You can do that only through positive thinking. It is necessary to find out positive reasons for everything around you, for being peaceful. Bad thoughts should be transformed into good and positive thoughts. The wicked and anti-social minds should be transformed into socially committed mentality. Lust, Jealousy and Competition must be replaced with Patience, Open mindedness and Compassion.

Reading is the effective practice at this stage. Focus the mind upon reading and thinking, reflecting and understanding. Language is the most important aspect in this stage. So selection of the books which you are reading is very important. Good books must be selected with a clear purpose. Reading good subjects for more than half an hour continuously leads to self awareness and management capability. Good subject refers to those which cause to develop positive thoughts and emotions.

Reading in the internet cannot be considered as reading here. Reading in social media or websites is just understanding a number of various subjects in short period of time. Your mind is not fixed on a single subject and the train of thoughts is not usually centered upon a single subject. It travels from one subject to another according to the interest of the individuals who surf the internet. Internet surfing is necessary and useful but what I suggest as an exercise is different kind of reading. Usually book reading would be more focused on a single subject. Only such a focused reading will help to manage the mind.

2. Observation level (Silent in nature)

There is an observer inside all human beings. Strengthening that aspect and keep it alive always is the higher method to manage the mind. Keeping the body still, without even a small movement, observing the thoughts and emotions as they are, accepting them and understanding the significance of them, is this method.

There is a chattering in the mind of each individual. Someone from inside, speaks to you without intervals. That inner chattering should be managed. It should be under your control. When the inner mind is silent, you can be said to be in silence. Otherwise, even if you are not uttering a single word, as long as your inner mind is chattering non-stop, you are not in silence. So the experience of the inner silence is the deeper observation of your mind. The silence between the words of the inner chattering should be observed and understood. And gradually it is widened. This is the method to develop inner silence. This can be developed with the help of watching your breath. Important warning for the beginner is that practice of silence should not exceed 30 minutes at a time. There should be at least four hours duration between each session of practice.

3. Realization level (contented in nature)

Once you have started experiencing the first and second levels of the mind management, you will realize that you are not your thoughts or emotions. You start dis-own your thoughts and emotions. They will have no power upon you there after. You will observe that you are the Observer. That is the stage when you start observing the Observer in you. You start knowing the Nature of the Observer. The observation should continue through prolonged periods and such sessions of observation, silence, vision and awareness are needed to gradually understand the depths of the Observing Self.

The transformation of the individual from one level to the other is not in a linier format. It is not like if you graduate the first level, you will be passed to the next. All these three levels are happening simultaneously.

Observe and Manage. (OM) Basically, this is the method..

Win yourself to be successful in life..   

Tip to the students and to the Saadhaka-s

Monday, 04^th December 2017

Saadhaka is a spiritual seeker. He/she is in constant seeking. He/she seeks the reality of existence. You become a seeker only when you start experiencing the mystery of life. The true mystic experiences make you a seeker. You want to know the secret behind all these. That is why you start the seeking.

The most important value of a seeker is his/her truthfulness. A Saadhaka needs to be truthful. Truthfully he/she must accept that he/she doesn’t know much about himself/herself or about the Universe. There begins the seeking. Here truth refers to the straight-forwardness. Accepting the reality as it is; without interpretation or justification.

A Saadhaka/spiritual seeker is not a believer. He/she is in search of the truth behind his/her experiences. Experience it; Remember it; Reflect on it; Understand it; Realize it; Know it. This is the process.

The Saadhaka is seeking deeper experience and knowledge. His/her faculties of experience must be sharpened for effective Observation, Memory, Reflection and Understanding. That is the importance of a disciplined life of a Saadhaka. Without having sharp internal instruments, he/she cannot go on with seeking.

There are three levels of practices for the disciplinary life of a Saadhaka. 1. Self Restrictions 2. Self Study and 3. Complete Surrender.

1. Self Restriction:This involves in Observation and Management of the most important five habits of your life;

i. Food habit

ii. Sleep habit

iii. Sex and other relationship habit

iv. Relaxation habit/Hobbies

v. Work habit/Duties.

These are the five essential habits of human beings. All these are necessary. But the excess or scarcity any one of them may affect the Saadhaka in a negative manner. But it is very important that the restriction must be from the Saadhaka himself/herself. It should never be from outside, from another person. Restriction from external centres will cause adverse effect.

2. Self Study: This refers to the efforts for self observation and to understand the nature of the Self. Here Self does not mean only the soul. Self means the body, senses, organs, thoughts, emotions, intellect, memory etc. This is the study of your own body and mind; to know exactly how they function in your day-to-day affairs. There are three facets of activity for Self-Study.

i. Physical/Breathing/Verbal exercises (Physical exercises and breathing exercises are very common now-a-days. The practice of Manthra/Prayers can be considered as Verbal exercises.)

ii. Reading/Listening

iii. Reflecting on Memory (Some people have the habit of thinking over and over upon what they heard or read. They are doing so for going deeper into the experience of what he/she heard or read. This is Reflecting on Memory).

3. Complete Surrender: This is the realization that Man can act only according to the will of Nature. Man must be active always. But all his/her actions are led by the Natural laws. This realization gives tremendous peace at heart, which helps the Saadhaka to go ahead with his self-enquiry. This obviously is not the belief that “man is nothing and God is all”. Not at all. But, man has to do his works, respecting the Natural Laws. This is what the meaning of the Surrender. It is not a belief or faith. It is a realization of the utmost importance of the Natural Laws and respecting It.  

Whatever I have written here is useful to a student as well. If he/she wants to win an examination, he/she needs to observe all these three levels of self-discipline for achieving the essential sharpness to the internal faculties and this will definitely lead to the success.

Observe and Manage. (OM).

Make your journey towards success effective..