Living a Purposeful life

A pianist without a piano, a businessman without business, a coach without trainee, a temple without deity, food without nutrients, a music without rhythm, a book without knowledge and a life without purpose are same. They are not what they are. They looses their relevance.

When the river is bound between two banks and flow to its source, its a river and when the banks are dissolved and there is are no direction it become flood. Same resource which is so life supporting may become the cause of destruction to self and around. Isn't it! Same is the case when life force energy has no purpose and its wondering in this world its like flooded river, all over the places. Purpose is like banks which makes a river, river; similarly purpose makes life a LIFE!

If you look around you might find their are three kind of people to this reference
One- who doesn't bother about this topic, who doesn't care about having a purpose. For them life is eat, sleep, dance and die. For them life is routine everyday and life is driven by sensual requirement or sensual pleasures.
Two- who have some purpose in their life. They want to accomplish in this life.
Three- who have rose above this and know there is no purpose. We are here to celebrate the life, to be witness to the existence.

There is huge difference between the quality of consciousness of the first and third case. Sometime people get into conceptual knowledge and become inert, dull and lethargic saying that there is no purpose to this life, they are basically running away from outer dynamism which exhibit the selfless service with inner peace. To reach to this stage of selfless service one goes through the active dynamism which exhibits self-motivated goals (2nd stage). Most of time mind get stuck into the strong matrix (Maya) created by society or this world and start living in illusion of having a purpose which is nothing but conditioning given by society. For example when you say you want to be doctor because everybody is my class for medical school or you really want to be a doctor? or you want to get married because in society everybody is getting married or you really want to get married? You want to go for shopping why because everybody is going or you really want it? You want to earn money because you need money or everybody does that so you need to do? Do you see there is huge difference in actions also.

I remember a very interesting story which put some light about the discussion. Once the Creator of this creation thought enough of drama done. Lets dissolve this creation and universe. He called for a meeting and all creatures animals, plants, mosquitoes, butterflies, tiger, horses, cow, humans, billion of creatures, everybody came.
Then, He said, "now I want to dissolve this creation since there is no purpose but before that I want to ask you all about your purpose. Do you want to share."
Everybody said, "YES."
Then He asked butterflies what is your purpose.
Butterflies said we are here so that we can add color to this creation make the garden more beautiful. Everybody cheered.
Then He asked flowers what is your purpose of existence.
Flower replied so that I can add fragrance and beauty to existence. Again everybody clapped and cheered.
Then He asked donkeys what is your purpose.
Donkeys replied so that we can help humans to carry their weights we are useful for transportation.
Same way God went around and ask all the creation and everybody added something or the other. Then He came to Humans and asked what is your purpose of existence and there was deep silence. No humans knew why they are here. They started asking each other do you know, do you know? When no answer came then God turned to other animals, plants and asked them do you what is the purpose of human being? Then everybody was shouting yes I know, yes I know, flowers were shouting yes we know why humans are here, river was saying yes I know why humans are here, even donkeys were telling yes I know why humans are here. And story end. Do you see what this story tell us.


Ask yourself are you really living the life you want to live! Are you living a purposeful life or mere existing because somehow you landed up on this planet :-) I remember once Guruji saying don't think we are mere existing here on this planet, this body, this form has a purpose! Figure out what is your purpose and go for it. Then life will flow like a beautiful river rather than a horrifying flood.

All glory to Gurudev
Dinesh

PS: If your mind is on fire to find out your purpose to be here and question comes what is my purpose of life keep introspecting. In next post I will be writing from different school of thoughts about the same.

OM Shanti Shanti Shanti

You must have gone through some unpleasant, uncomfortable moments in life when you are not FEELING GOOD about things, about situation or about people. Whether its just about salt in food or somebody around you whom you don't want in the moment or you stuck in thick traffic or somebody behaving in a way which is disturbing you or sometime for no reason we don't feel good. The most often what we do we blame others and complain about things or people about the way we feel. And this happen to most of us and most of time without being even aware about it. So what is the way out?

Here is what you can observe. Whenever you are going through some unpleasant feeling. Just give a pause to yourself and obsever what is happening inside? How is the state of your mind? Is it cluttered, agitated, heated up or heavy. In principle this is what is reflecting out (if you not ready to accept this truth say it most of the time ). So when you become aware of this disturbed state mind, just remind your mind to be peaceful and calm right now. If its too difficult give a bigger pause and just tell yourself that you are commited to inner peace, you are peace :) and first become peaceful inside. You will see immediately things will be more clearer.

This I observe after reading Guruji's one knowledge sheet where He says, "Forget about knowledge, God, service any good thing in life, first comes the PEACE. If there is no peace nothing can happen." And to my experience this is so true and striking peace at first place make a tremendous difference. Its so amazing.

So next time you feel any unpleasant moods or moments: give yourself a pause and remind yourself about inner peace and chant inside Om Shanti Shanti Shanti! (Om Peace Peace Peace)

And Share your experiences.

All Glory to Gurudev

Achieving Quality Living

If we look around in history also in life around us, there are people who have created history or who are creating history. These are handful of people which you count on fingers while other part of population seems mere existing on the this planet rather than living the life. Just look closely any inspiring figure whether a social workers, reformers, spiritual leaders or Business Tycoons you can take any name say it Martin Luther king or Mother Teresa, or Sri Sri Ravi Shankar or Swami Vivekananda, Bill Gates, Henry Ford All these people have same number of minutes in a day as we have. Then why these people able to deliver much more than we do? What make them different from other people. Now this is a wider issue. I am catching one thread of discussion in this post.

If you realize in life we do kind of actions one which are life supporting and other are life degrading. Life supporting actions help us to move forward life life degrading actions bind our legs and put us back. And not doing those things which we supposed to do doesn't hurt us how much we suffer from doing the things which we don't supposed to do. Wrong actions come with consequences which takes a huge amount of time and energy to clear it up and come to the ground zero again. Whether these are wrong habits, wrong patterns or wrong decisions.

Sri Sri rightly says, "people spend half of the health to gain the wealth and then spend half of the wealth to gain back health." Not a wise things to do. Same is the case with most of refreshment and entertainment means in society like alcohol, smoking or explicit sex, too much of movies or drugs; all of them come with huge toll on the nervous system. Momentary excitement of senses doesn't give a bliss, yet once mind is trapped in the habit to enjoy these excitements; not doing these things causes huge pain: that's the bondage where most of population has stuck and then there is huge fight to come back to our ground zero state. Similar is the case when we ruin our relationship with somebody and then it become a hassle to recover it. Everybody want good relations with all yet some where we screw it up and then it take so much of efforts to put it back on track and sometime even life time doesn't suffice to recover few issues. So watch carefully next time you choose your words or actions or decision and remember a fact not doing those things which we supposed to do doesn't hurt us how much we suffer from doing the things which we don't supposed to do.

Slowly when we drop the things which we don't supposed to do, life become much more peaceful and expression of success all around.

All Glory to Gurudev
Dinesh

Rishi Wisdom-1

Here are few amazing sutras for happy and peaceful journey of life from Rishi Vidhyadhar ji.

1. What should one talk about?
When ever you hav a conversation talk about
blessings, knowledge/self, guru stories, delegation of work, praising

Any thing other than this is not at all required
What should one not talk about ?? opposite gender, atheist, enemies, money. All of this has karma attached to this.

2. How to praise others?

when ever you are praising any one praise in positive degree and not either in comparative or superlative degree. He said when ever Guruji praises some one He always says GOOD GOOD GOOD !!

3. How to ask question to Guruji?

When ever you ask guruji a question do frame it as it starts from How and not why !!

4. Advicing people

"Unless ones really helpless he wont listen to your advice so stop giving advice to every one "

5. Dealing with different people

He said for

duhki (unhappy) people stay away from them

sukhi (happy) people be friendly people

who are doing nice work praise them

people who are doing some bad work educate them and ignore

6. Hurry and Worry

"hurry and worry make you loose your center." Hurry and worry depends on plan and not on the target. work hard. Hurry comes with doership.

7. Problem
"every problem has a solution and every solution has a problem with it." Any obstacle in life is change in divines plan and accept it as a blessing.

8. Presence

Make people happy by your presence and not your presentation."

9. Judgment

See judgement as judgement and not as a reality.

10. Spiritual Path
When ever you come to a spiritual path first your feelings change, then your speech, and finally your behavior change. Smile and move in devotion !!!

All Glory to Gurudev

Love

Dinesh

Are you afraid of making mistakes!

A life spent making mistakes is not only more honorable, but more useful than a life spent doing nothing.

---George Bernard Shaw

These were the words from Shaw which really inspire us to rethink our approach for life. Look around people why they don't take initiative? or why they don't want to take responsibility? or why they don't want to do something new? One simple thing fear of failure, fear of committing a mistake! Then look around the world and find out a single person who never did a single mistake. Do we find anybody who never did a mistake. No everybody some or other time in their life at some moment while cooking, driving, talking, in job, in relationship or name it people fall short of perfection and commit what we call MISTAKE. So why to stop yourself for any job in the worry of committing a mistake.

Here important to note is that it's not a deliberate intentional act which is being done to go out of way to disturb the system (perhaps that's we called crime in society) while mistake is unintentional disturbance created due to lack of awareness or ignorance.

What important is not to hold yourself in the fear of not to commit a mistake. Take a action, ready for new things and ready for failure but with open mind and with sense of learning we can move in life from they space of mistake to space of new discoveries. If you never did a mistake in your life know that you never took a new path because that's the one avenue where people miss the road maximum. Best thing could be taking a lesson from mistake and moving forward with clear mind. Never hesitate to make a new mistake but never repeat the mistake. Introspect if inaction due to fear of not making mistake not become the biggest mistake of life.

With Love
Dinesh

Happy Diwali: A message

Wish you all very happy and prosperous Diwali

Total Freedom

There are two ways to look at this world and that brings complete FREEDOM.

1. Look as if Everything is divine, everything is part of divine. This take way all the aversions and puts us in love with everything around us.

or if this doesn't work.

2. Look Everything is a charm of illusion/maya and Everything is taking you away from your center and draining your energy. This help dropping all the craving in mind and put us back to center.

I hope one of these works and bring peace and FREEDOM to mind.

All Glory to Gurudev

Please remember Everything is the Key :)

Guru Story from Guru Purnima 2009

On the day of Guru Purnima in Chicago after grand magnificent satsang and soul soothing puja and dinner which was served as if it was heaven’s banquet when celebration was done and Guruji went to His suit and some of us from Pittsburgh Art of Living Family went there in the hope that we could get in and be with Him for sometime but all in vain there was so much of policing outside the His door so disappointedly we came back and I was walking in lobby and soon I saw 3 fellow teachers and just started following them and asked Birjoo where were those guys going :) he said to Guruji's suit and I with low heart responded हमारे लिए तो दरवाजा नहीं खुलेगा (door will not open for us) too much of policing :) then Birjoo replied that ऐसा बोल कर अपना दरवाजा ख़ुद से क्यों बंद करता है (by saying this why are you closing door for yourself). This struck me :)

Next day TRM started and 11 AM Guruji came for session :) we had good time and when He ended the session again the same words struck me again and a flash of light pass through my eyes and I could see, Guruji was getting up from seat and I saw that YELLOW...... Guruji’s Asan. I just jumped to stage and picked up the asan in my hand folded it and kept on my forearm and started walking like a king behind Guruji :) wow :) 3 or 4 people jumped on me to take it away from me (another flash of thought passed through me that this is test how badly you want this) and with smile I protested and told other teachers not this time, this is my turn then HIS security Naveen, another teacher asked me have you ever carried the Asan. I said NO and he announced to other fighting devas (angels) to stop and let me take Asan and I smilingly started walking behind Him. We walked to lobby and reached to elevator and many people wanted to get into it as Guruji supposed to get into it but nobody allowed but ME :) and I was just standing beside HIM. Some energy from His Asan was flowing into me and as soon as we reached 23rd floor I ran to HIS room 2302. Again many people standing outside I knocked the door and one devotee opened the gate, saw Asan in my hand and let me and alone me walk IN :) I walked straight in. Digvijay was there, Tanu ma was there I asked one devotee where to put asan they pointed on one sofa I put it there :) Guruji came in a minute and sat there I was standing along with some 10-12 devotee in His room and I was realizing (मेरे लिए दरवाजा खुल गया) Door is opened for me :) and a undying smile and wet eyes and choked throat and some giggle in my stomach I guess some blend of all good things together was happening to me. How amazing it was! :). It gave me realization that His door is always open, its only our mind which keep us away from HIM.

It was our lunch break and soon He went for lunch in His private room and even the slightest of thought didn’t came to me that I should go for lunch perhaps left brain was telling if you go once out from here you will not come in again and right brain telling me where you will get better lunch like this so I stayed back waiting there for Him to come out He came out and this time He was supposed to meeting west coast people in TRM and I took the Asan again and just went with Him it was small room with almost of 100 people and I was in front just sitting in His lotus feet and some policing devotee announced only west coast people I felt like this instruction is not for me and I stay seated :) just looking at him 2 1/2 hr there with west coast then somebody told this is time for east coast people and so I AM :) I STAYED SEATED :) many people looked at me made funny faced made funny comments and left but I STAYED SEATED :) again 2 1/2 hr Wow and from there again I winded up the meeting I ran into HIS room with His Asan and one policing devotee asked me why I don’t give chance to somebody else to carry the Asan I didn’t say anything but SMILED. What a day many thoughts emotions, logics came but I was in just a soaked in bliss :)

I was physically so close to HIM that my mind went through all logic and thought and settled I saw him laughing smiling yawning tapping His leg hiding Hus feet from me as I was taking pics pulling some of fellow teachers, cracking jokes, rubbing eyes everything this was going in my mind so physically how usual all this is for any human being yet HE seems so normal human and yet deliver so super human results. Again reminds me UNSEEN IS PLAYING MAJOR ROLE isn’t it :) How amazing is this Guru story…!

All Glory to Gurudev!

Love

Dinesh

PS: The last two pics of Guruji and Guru pada I clicked from my mobile camera sitting next to HIM :)

Swami Vivekananda Said...

More strikingly here are some of his quote which has power to transform the lives:

* “Take up one idea. Make that one idea your life - think of it, dream of it, live on that idea. Let the brain, muscles, nerves, every part of your body, be full of that idea, and just leave every other idea alone. This is the way to success, that is way great spiritual giants are produced.”

* “We are responsible for what we are, and whatever we wish ourselves to be, we have the power to make ourselves. If what we are now has been the result of our own past actions, it certainly follows that whatever we wish to be in future can be produced by our present actions; so we have to know how to act.”

* “Never think there is anything impossible for the soul. It is the greatest heresy to think so. If there is sin, this is the only sin ? to say that you are weak, or others are weak.”

* “You cannot believe in God until you believe in yourself.”

* “The first sign of your becoming religious is that you are becoming cheerful”

* “In one word, this ideal is that you are divine.”

* “The Vedanta recognizes no sin it only recognizes error. And the greatest error, says the Vedanta is to say that you are weak, that you are a sinner, a miserable creature, and that you have no power and you cannot do this and that.”

* “All the powers in the universe are already ours. It is we who have put our hands before our eyes and cry that it is dark.”

* “When an idea exclusively occupies the mind, it is transformed into an actual physical or mental state.”

* “That man has reached immortality who is disturbed by nothing material.”

* “External nature is only internal nature writ large.”

* “God Gave Me Nothing I Wanted , He Gave Me Everything I Needed.”

* “When I asked god for peace, he showed me how to help others.”

* "Weakness is the one cause of suffering"

* "What I want is muscles of iron and nerves of steel, inside which dwells a mind of the same material as that of which the thunderbolt is made."

* "Awake, Arise and Not Stop till the Goal is Reached"

Please follow the link and you will find the complete work of Swami Vivekananda and Uplift of consciousness is Guaranteed.

Swami Vivekananda: A warrior Monk

"He was a soul of puissance if ever there was one, a very lion among men, but the definitive work he has left behind is quite incommensurate with our impression of his creative might and energy. We perceive his influence still working gigantically, we know not well how, we know not well where, in something that is not yet formed, something leonine, grand, intuitive, upheaving that has entered the soul of India and we say, "Behold, Vivekananda still lives in the soul of his Mother and in the souls of her children." said Sri Aurobindo Ghosh about Swami Vivekananda.

While Subhash Chandra Bose described this warrior monk in following words:

"I cannot write about Vivekananda without going into raptures. Few indeed could comprehend or fathom him even among those who had the privilege of becoming intimate with him. His personality was rich, profound and complex... Reckless in his sacrifice, unceasing in his activity, boundless in his love, profound and versatile in his wisdom, exuberant in his emotions, merciless in his attacks but yet simple as a child, he was a rare personality in this world of ours"

This was a short introduction of this Great personality who was spiritually elevated, physically and mentally strong like lion and served humanity tirelessly till his last breath. He was the first one who took the vedanta teachings to the west in late 19th century and we know him as Swami Vivekananda.

I remember my childhood when I used to play the role of this Great personality in the school plays and recently I was reading his work and I feel his words has fire to burn the lethargy of life times in mind and create one pointed focus in right direction for our life. Here are few of interesting facts about this Great Patriot yet unattached to anything in this material world, Swami Vivekananda.

* His personality was greatly influenced by his parents: the father by his rational mind and the mother by her religious temperament.

* He often quoted one of the saying of his mother "Remain pure all your life; guard your own honor and never transgress the honor of others. Be very tranquil, but when necessary, harden your heart."

* Dr. William Hastie, the principal of Scottish Church College, where he studied during 1881-84,wrote, "Narendra is really a genius. I have traveled far and wide but I have never come across a lad of his talents and possibilities, even in German universities, among philosophical students. He was regarded as a srutidhara—a man with prodigious memory."

* For five years 1881-85 he stayed with His Guru Sri RamaKrishna Paramhansa. During the course of five years of his training under Ramakrishna, Narendra was transformed from a restless, puzzled, impatient youth to a mature man who was ready to renounce everything for the sake of God-realization. That's the power of Guru Shakti.

* After the demise of his Master he stayed in for 3 years in Baranagar Monastery from 1885-88. The living style in the monastery described by him as "We underwent a lot of religious practice at Baranagore Math. We used to get up at 3:00 am and become absorbed in japa and meditation. What a strong spirit of dispassion we had in those days! We had no thought even as to whether the world existed or not"

* In 1888 Swami ji left the monastery and took the life of Parivrâjaka—the Hindu religious life of a wandering monk " without fixed abode, without ties, independent and strangers wherever they go" and he lived rest of his whole life like this serving the man kind.

*His two favorite books-Bhagwad Geetaand The Imitation of Christ.

* In the parliament of Religion in 1893 he began his brief address with "sisters and brothers of America" which won the heart and soul of all delegates and unequivocally he became as the source of light for many as he talked about hinduism and universality of religious tolerance. Here is the first Address he made in Parliament of Religion in Chicago Sept 11, 1893



* Later on he started Ramakrishna Math-the organ for propagating vedanta teachings and Ramakrishna Mission-the organ for social service.

On the Next Post you will find some of his most striking quotes which has power to Transform the lives.

For More information please visit: Swami Vivekananda

Love
Dinesh

Peaceful Warrior

I saw this movie, amazing source of inspiration. Anybody who is on any kind of spiritual path and have been practicing for some time may be from 1 year to decades can see the time zapped in 2 hour in this brilliantly done movie. If you are in art of living for some time and want to see you journey including you part 1 course, advanced courses interaction with Guruji and your own ups and down perhaps you can get a overview of your journey in the movie. That’s my experience. Thanks to Bawa who shared about this on his blog. He always has contributed for the uplift of the consciousness of the people around him. Once again thanks to him as well to that unbounded pure consciousness which govern EVERYTHING and sometime called universal consciousness or sat-chit-ananda (सत्चिदानंद)

Here are few most stunning quotes or pearls of wisdom used in the movie.

1. Everything has a purpose, even this, and it's up to you to find it.

2. This moment is the only thing that matters.

3. There are no ordinary moments.

4. Take out trash from your mind. Anything which you don't need in this moment is TRASH.

5. If you don't get what you want, you suffer; if you get what you don't want, you suffer; even when you get exactly what you want, you still suffer because you can't hold on to it forever. Your mind is your predicament. It wants to be free of change. Free of pain, free of the obligations of life and death. But change is law and no amount of pretending will alter that reality.

6. The journey is what brings us happiness not the destination.

7. There is only the journey.

8. It's the journey, not the destination.

9. There is no starting or stopping - only doing.

10. There's no greater purpose than service to others.

11. Those who are the hardest to love, need it the most.

12. Pain is a relatively objective, physical phenomenon; suffering is our psychological resistance to what happens Events may create physical pain but they do not in themselves create suffering. Resistance creates suffering. Stress happens when your mind resists what is…the only problem in your life is your mind's resistance to life as it unfolds.

13. Life has just three rules? Paradox, humor, and change.

Paradox: Life is a mystery. Don't waste time trying to figure it out.

Humor: Keep a sense of humor, especially about yourself. It is a strength beyond all measure.

Change: Know that nothing stays the same.

14. Death isn't sad. The sad thing is: most people don't live at all.

15. Sometimes you have to lose your mind before you come to your senses.

16. Do you know, what's the difference between me and you? You practice gymnastics, I practice everything!

17. There is never nothing going on.

18. A warrior does not give up what he loves, he finds the love in what he does.

19. A warrior is not about perfection or victory or invulnerability. He's about absolute vulnerability.

20. I call myself a Peaceful Warrior... because the battles we fight are on the inside.

21. Where are you? Here. What time is it? Now. What are you? This moment.

Find your answers from inside.

You tell me which one stuck you most.

And Here is the link where you can watch it online.