The divide between religion and atheism is one that is becoming increasingly prominent in today's world, and also one that often appears to be absolutely irreconcilable. However, an under-the-surface look reveals that the chasm between these two positions is largely a result of our overreliance on our mental faculties, and that many staunch athiests and religious conservatives are more alike than either would care to admit.
There is a part of very human being that craves some kind of organising principle to make sense of the world. The Western world has always held the mind to be the most developed part of our being, and so this organising principle tends to get formulated on a mental level, accompanied by a constant search for justifications and arguments to back that position up. Personality psychologists have detailed the process of how we form a narrative of self-constructs which we idify with as being 'us' (including belief in or lack of belief in God). George Kelley, pioneer of this 'personal construct' school of thought, wrote "Man looks at his world through transparent templates which he creates and then attempts to fit over the realities of which the world is composed." Kelley also noticed how these constructs often have a dichotomous nature - the nature of the mind is to dwell on extremes, and being "for" something often means you are "against" something else (indeed, it might be argued that the "against" forms a much more potent part of people's constructs than the "for").
Over time we are too attached to these constructs to change them if they happen to conflict with reality, and we get incredibly defensive if someone else challenges them, because we do not want to undergo the painful process of changing our view of the world: "Any experience which is inconsistent with the organization of the structure of the self may be perceived as a threat, and the more of these perceptions there are, the more rigidly the self structure is organized to maintain itself" wrote Carl Rogers, another pioneer in the field of personality theory. Most of the arguments between athiests and religious people are characterised by this rigidity, and people on both sites often respond extremely defensively to any percieved criticism because they feel that their very sense of self is being threatened.
However, if one were truly to approach the issue of the existence or non-existence of God from the purely mental level, then the only conclusion you could reach is to be an agnostic. God is certainly not something that can be rationalised or argued into existence, as the pale attempts of Western philosophers down the centuries dramatically show. However, on the other hand, atheist attempts to mentally hammer the last nails in God's coffin invariably have a 'straw man' feel to them, attacking a caricature of God as some kind of overseeing dictator which many God-believers simply do not recognise from their experience. On the mental plane, there is simply no clinching evidence one way or another - the human mind is certainly useful in many fields, but not in this one, it appears.
The key to resolving this dilemma, in fact, lies not within the mind but in something much deeper. As mentioned before, it has been a shibboleth of Western thought down the years that the mind is at the apex of our being, and this is something that has largely gone unquestioned over the years. However, when we look at all the finer impulses of human nature - empathy, love, kindness - and observe ourselves to see where they come from, we see that they come from that space in the middle of the chest we often call the heart. This 'heart' is what we generally point to when we refer to ourselves; it seems to be more 'us' than any part of our being. But what is it? It is, quite simply, another way of seeing the world. Whereas the mind works by dividing and categorizing, the heart instead empathises and 'stands in the shoes' of that which it is focusing on. When we see someone in trouble, this is the part of our being that reaches out to him. When we view a beautiful sunset, this is the part of our being that becomes one with the beauty and silence (before the mind butts in and ruins it). When we act from this part of our being, we feel our awareness expanding - we are no longer in the narrow confines of some ego-construct and begin to see the world free of these filters.
And it is here and only here that the question of belief or non-belief in God can be decided. Many people who pray or meditate enter into this part of their being, and as their familiarity with being in this space grows, they feel a growing sense of human interconnedness and being part of some higher reality that cannot be put into words. On the other hand, the finer impulses behind the humanist movement also comes from the heart, such as its faith in the ultimate nobility of the human spirit and its ability to do the right thing independent of religious dogma. We see inside the heart the answer reveals itself according to the temperament and level of inner development of each person - for some this reality has a very personal aspect which they can feel a very deep and intimate connection to, for others relate better to viewing it as some kind of universal force without any personal attributes, and then others just want to leave any sense of God out of the picture, and just explore the vastness of being. "We say that someone is an atheist because he says that there is no God", meditation teacher Sri Chinmoy writes. "When he goes to that extreme, he will see that his negative feeling itself is a form of positive feeling. At the extreme, he says that there is nothing. But what he calls nothing is, for us, something; and that very thing we call God."
The problem is that many (perhaps most) people on either side of the debate never have this heart experience. And the people without this experience tend to be the most vocal and drown out everyone else, simply because bereft of experience, they have to keep talking to convince themselves and maintain their ego-constructs in place, like the shark that must forever keep swimming just to stay afloat. On the other hand, people who have had these experiences of the heart are more secure in their belief (in fact, belief is hardly the proper word, since these kind of experiences change 'belief' to 'knowing'), and tend less to focus on criticizing what others believe and more on seeing what they can do to improve themselves and be of greater service to their fellow world-citizens.
Unless one enters into the heart, any debate over the subject of God's existence is like two blind men arguing over what colour the sky is.
(Photo: Pranlobha Kalagian)
Advertising, friends, relatives, world leaders, religious leaders, scientists - the world is full of different voices telling us we should do this thing or that, or we should go in this or that direction. In the midst of this cacophony, it is very easy to forget we have our own inner voice or conscience, which is acutely aware of our life's purpose and always tries to prompt us in the direction of our ultimate happiness. In this article, we present some tips on how to bring this inner voice to the fore and act on it effectively.
1. Still the mind.
There is one primary obstacle standing in the way of us getting to know what we really want - our minds. Often we are under the illusion that our mind controls us, when in fact it is often the other way around, and we find ourselves unable to turn off this cacophony inside our head. Hence, if you are really serious about getting in touch with the inner voice, then you should set at least some time aside each day to still the mind through some form of meditation exercise and let this voice come through. There are many resources on meditation on this site with a wide variety of different techniques to get you started. Don't just do this practice as some kind of obligatory duty - try each time you sit down to have a new sense of searching for inner certainty. Don't expect results straight away - you have spent many years having this inner voice obscured by the mind, and that influence doesn't suddenly just go away overnight. The main thing is not to give up! Try to keep a sense of newness and spontaneity in your meditation, trying different techniques and taking up habits that strengthen your meditation.
2. Be patient
Often trying to listen to the inner voice can lead to a great deal of frustration - we make a wrong decision only to realise that in hindsight we could feel an inner prompting which we failed to recognise at the time. This is all part of the process of learning to distinguish the inner voice from the vacillations of the mind. Again, you cannot expect the inner voice to resurface immediately after so many years of atrophy - don't hold yourself up to some impossibly high standard of perfection but instead see yourself as a growing and evolving work in progress.
3. Distinguish the inner voice from emotional ebbs and flows
Often we get an inner thrill or excitement when we think of something - unfortunately, that doesn't necessarily mean that the idea is coming from deep within - instead it might be ust a temporary emotional fluctuation. How do you tell the difference? The soul's inner feeling is always something that has tremendous certainty about it, whereas an emotional feeling. Meditation teacher Sri Chinmoy once compared these emotional signals to a glass of water being filled hurriedly and spilling eveywhere whereas the soul's message is the same glass being filled slowly and surely
4. When an inner feeling comes, don't hesitate
When we get an inner feeling comes, there is often a great feeling of certainty and strength deep within. However, often the mind immediately jumps in on top of this feeling, wondering whether that really was an inner feeling, and it starts becoming anxious about the impending result of the action you are about to take. However, when you do put your inner impulse into action, you get an inner feeling of contentment regardless of whenever the course of action outwardly ends in success or failure - you know that you have done the right thing for yourself regardless.
5. Choose your friends wisely
Often our own self-image is very much dependent on what others think of us - and we are guided a lot by the opinions of those dear to us. However, often we find that when we begin to listen what we really want, it sometimes swims contrary to what others expect of us. Often it is only when we truly begin to live out our life purpose we see who is really 100% behind us, and loves us for who we really are - these are the people we should keep with us.
6. Courage and sincerity
It is highly likely that your inner voice will start by giving you insights into the closest thing at hand - namely, yourself - and not all of them might be to your liking! Often the inner voice is like a mirror which shows up the parts of our being which need to be perfected, and often it takes great courage and sincerity to acknowledge those imperfect parts of your being without overreacting and feeling that these shortcomings make you somehow a terrible person. The fact that you acknowledge and accept these flaws is the prelude to you getting together enough will-power to expel them from your being for good.
In today's fast-paced world, everyone from time to time looks for an 'escape' - time away in a place far removed from the hubbub of today's world. When thinking of such an escape usually some tranquil scenic location comes to mind far away from daily life . However, for thousands of years great sages and meditators have found that you can create a space of calmness inside yourself to take refuge in no matter where you are. What's more, this space of silence is nowhere else than inside your heart, the space in the middle of our chest we point to when we say 'this is me'. We have all been in this space from time to time, for example when we find ourself in a place of great beauty and suddenly feel at peace there; however, with practise you can enter into this inner refuge at will.
There are a number of techniques you can use to discover this inner refuge and be at home in it, we describe seven of those techniques here. Each of these techniques require a space where you can sit down undisturbed for ten or fifteen minutes. Ideally, you should try and decorate the space with things that help still the mind and induce a sense of calm, such as flowers, pictures of mountains or sunrises or statues; this is a space for your own inner discovery, so really value it.
1. A simple breathing exercise
Often the best way to make 'initial contact' with this inner space is through a breathing exercise. Begin by observing your breath in and out - don't force your breath, but notice how with it naturally slows as you observe it. Then imagine on the inbreath that your breath is flowing like a river deep into the middle of your chest, and again on the outbreath that a river is flowing out. In between the inbreath and outbreath, try to focus on that small space of absolute silence, deep inside your heart.
2. Breath in what you need
Inside this heart refuge, most of the beautiful qualities we have are located - empathy, kindness, love and peace. You can use a breathing exercise to invoke a particular quality you feel you need and watch it grow inside your heart. For example when you breathe in, feel that inner peace is entering into your heart, and when you breath out feel that its counterpart - worry, tension and restlessness - is leaving your body. Similarly you can breathe in joy and breathe out sorrow and depression, or breath in energy and breathe out lethargy and tiredness.
3. Heart identification
You can try a similar exercise with your eyes open, this time with a lighted candle or a flower in front of you. This time, feel that when you breath out, that you are moving out from the heart center and entering into the candle and flower. And when you breath in, all the beautiful qualities of the candle or flower are entering into your heart and becoming part of your own being. This exercise illustrates the difference between the heart and the mind - the mind separates and analyses, but the heart always reaches out and feels the good qualities of the thing it is concentrating on.
4. The heart garden
Many people have an aptitude for imaginative visualisation: if you are one of those, then you can try to imagine a beautiful location, such as a flower garden or a sea shore, right inside your heart. Imagine that you are walking into this space, and shutting a gate behind you, leaving behind all the problems of the outer world. Try and notice individual deatails of this beautiful space - sights, sounds, smalls - that all contribute towards a sense of harmony and well-being. There are many visualisation CD's that describe just such an exercise which might be of help to you.
5. The bottom of the sea
Often the mind interrupts our exercise and takes us out of our beautiful space. This is normal, especially when you are beginning. When you are distracted by a thought, just let it go and go back to the visualisation. Try to imagine the heart as entirely separate from the mind - one way you can do this is by imagining the heart like the bottom of an ocean. Up on the surface, the waves of the mind are all tossing and turning, but down at the bottom of the ocean, everything is all peace.
6. The art of gratitude
One quality that is especially associated with the heart is gratitude - when we are genuinely grateful for something, our heart comes to the fore and we can appreciate the good things that are happening in our lives as well as the bad. Every day at the beginning of your exercise, you can write down seven things you are grateful for, no matter how small. Even if you are going through a rough patch in life, this exercise can really help you see the forest for the trees, and bring the heart to the fore so you can get on with the rest of the exercise.
7. Pretend you have no mind
Often the main obstacle to getting into that heart space is your busy mind, so why not pretend you have no mind? Begin an exercise by repeating to yourself 'I have no mind, all I have is the heart' and really try to imagine that your mind does not exist, that the only thing that exists is this beautiful oasis of calm in the middle of your chest. When you do this exercise you can feel most powerfully that not only you have the heart, but that this inner space inside yourself embodies a reality far deeper than that of the mind.
Lack of confidence is something which plagues us all at some time or another. Often, our confidence is eroded as we pass through adolescence and early adulthood, as we get experiences of failure which convince us we are not capable of doing something. Here are some common causes for lack of self-confidence and their suggested remedies:
"In the sky, there is no distinction of east and west; people create distinctions out of their own minds and then believe them to be true."
- The Buddha
Many of the central tenets of Buddhism and Hinduism seem totally irreconcilable at first glance. The Buddha taught that all things were impermanent, where as traditional Indian belief is that beneath the impermanent world lies an eternal reality. Most Hindus believe in God in some form, whereas the Buddha was decidedly agnostic. However when one begins a practice of meditation in either tradition, one begins to go beyond the limiting mind which generates these contradictions and see that there is in fact a deep oneness of purpose between the two traditions, and that they are two paths which lead the same destination.
All things impermanent?
"Decay is inherent in all component things", declared the Buddha. Yet most branches of Hinduism hold that beyond the veil of worldly illusion, or maya, there is an eternal reality.
However, both traditions stress the truly important thing - that outer pleasures can only give us a temporary happiness, and we must search within and discover the essence of our being to find true fulfillment and happiness in life. Once we go deep within, our limited mind which places both views at loggerheads disappears. With an awakened understanding we see how both these apparently contradictory statements can be true at the same time, that indeed they are both facets of the same truth. We see how the truth can hold all manner of such apparently contradictory statements, as this verse from the Upanishads describes, India's ancient scriptures puts it:
"That moves and that moves not.
That is far and the same is near.
That is within and at the same time, without."
The reality that can be reached during meditation is one so vast that the word 'thing' can hardly be ascribed to it, and yet one so close to the core of our being that many spiritual seekers have a personal relationship with it. But what are the characteristics of one who has reached that reality?
'He who experiences the unity of life sees his own Self in all beings, and all beings in his own Self, and looks on everything with an impartial eye.' - the Buddha
This is something that both traditions would certainly agree with.
The eternal soul?
Budhhists prefer not to use the term 'soul' or 'self' as this implies something which lasts forever. However the ancient Upanishads of India speak of the Atman, the eternal divine spark inside each of us. Therefore, whilst both Buddhists and Hindus believe that we are are born and die again many times on this earth before we finally attain liberation, Buddhists prefer to call it rebirth rather than reincarnation, as 'incarnation' implies some kind of fixed 'self' to come back again.
Many metaphors have been used for both reincarnation and rebirth. The Bhagavad Gita, arguably India's version of the Bible, states eloquently "As a man casts off his worn-out garments and puts on new ones, so also the embodied soul casts off the worn-out body and enters into a new form". Buddhists cite the example of a candle being lit by another candle - the two flames are different, yet there is a common undefinable essence. Again, after one has progressed a little on the road of self-discovery through meditation, one cannot help but be aware that these positions again express different aspects of the same truth. All these problems and misunderstandings arise solely because this truth cannot be expressed adequately by the mind.
Belief in God?
Similarly, Buddhists do not use the term 'God', although many branches of Buddhism have deity figures that reprasent different aspects of the formless Reality. The Buddha was teaching at a time when there was a lot of concepts used to talk about God but very little practical effort to find out what God was or to discover themselves. Rather than talk about God, he therefore preferred to direct his attention to the important task of self-discovery and its potential for relieving human misery. "I teach one thing and one only: that is, suffering and the end of suffering", he used to say. This philosophy is summed up in the famous arrow parable:
A man approached the Buddha and wanted to have all his philosophical questions answered before he would practice. In response, the Buddha said, "If a man were shot by a poisoned arrow, would you tell the doctor: I will not allow you to remove this arrow until I have learned the caste, the age, the occupation, the birthplace, and the motivation of the person who wounded me.? Or would you just tell him to remove the arrow?
On the other hand, many Hindus would say 'Atman is Brahman' - namely that the human soul is a part of God and embodies God. Hence the process of self-discovery and God-discovery are one and the same.
However, as meditation teacher Sri Chinmoy describes in his play 'Siddhartha Becomes the Buddha', the Buddha in his teaching was merely describing the same truths in different terms:
(the scene describes a meeting between King Prasenjit and Kshema, a devout student of the Buddha)
KING: Why has Buddha not spoken about the soul? We Hindus all believe in the existence of the soul. Nothing can be done without the soul.
KSHEMA: True, he has not spoken about the soul, but he has spoken about the inner Light. What is that inner Light if not the soul? He has not used the term soul, but what he speaks of as the inner Light is nothing but the soul.
KING: He has not used the term God. We Hindus believe in God.
KSHEMA: True, he has not used the term God. But he has used the term Truth. What is Truth? Truth is God. God is Truth. The moment you realise the Highest Truth, you will realise God the infinite.
It is interesting to note that despite the Buddha's non-use of any term for God, many Hindus regard the Buddha as an incarnation of God. This shows that it does not matter what terms he used, people still revered him for his wise and loving acts.
Losing a loved one is possibly the most heartbreaking and traumatic experience we will have to go through in our life - it is arguably the one experience that you can't type up a 'five easy tips to overcome...' article about. Time is a great healer though, and as the grief subsides we often emerge from the experience a wiser, more grounded person.
1. Make the most of the time we have.
Remembering that you are going to die is the best way I know to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose. You are already naked. There is no reason not to follow your heart.”
- Steve Jobs
In today's world with its vast knowledge of medical science, we are rarely exposed to the realities of death and our own mortality at a young age, and we often live our life as if we have infinite time at our disposal, putting off achieving our hopes and dreams to some indefinite time in the future. However, when someone we know passes on, we look at the time we have left on earth, and suddenly it doesn't feel like all that much at all.
Often it takes something as death to make us realise what is truly important in life. That argument you had that led you not speaking to that person for years, or those worries over money or who does or doesn't like you - it all seems so petty now. This keen awareness of death can be a powerful catalyst to look at your life and give priority to the things that truly matter. Most people want their loved ones to go on living life after they have departed the mortal coil; we can pay tribute to their memory by seizing every day and living it to the full.
2. Widening our heart.
“When the game is over, the king and the pawn go into the same box”
- Italian Proverb
For some people, grieving can be a very isolating experience. However after the pain has lessened, it can often leave us with a valuable window into the human condition.
Every day, all around this tiny globe, people who have lost a loved one are undergoing this very same experience around this tiny globe of ours; it is something that affects us regardless of income or status. Death is indeed a great leveller, a great humbler, a remover of such arbitrary notions as inferiority or inferiority. Where beforehand we might have seen some of our fellow human beings in terms of stereotypes of class or culture, we are now more inclined to see them as like ourselves, just making their way through life as best we know how, and we become more accepting of any mistakes they might make along the way.
Often modern living can bring the narrow self-centered part of our being to the fore, and push our basic goodness into the background. When something like a death happens, people come together in the most touching and heartfelt way. It is then we truly see the stuff that human beings are truly made of: kindness, sympathy and largeness of heart.
3. An experience of the beyond.
Because I could not stop for Death --
He kindly stopped for me --
The Carriage held but just Ourselves --
And Immortality.
- Emily Dickinson
The shock of no longer having your dear ones around in the physical body is a powerful and sometimes insurmountable one. But for people who are open to the idea that there is an eternal part of our being that persists long after the passing of the physical body, the death of a loved one can be a powerful confirmation of that belief. Every culture in the world has at least some aspect of it that deals with an eternal aspect to man, and those who are in tune with that eternal aspect can often feel it in their loved ones even after they depart the body.
"At the present state of human evolution, to conquer Death may be an impossibility. But to overcome the fear of death is not only practicability, but inevitability.", writes meditation teacher Sri Chinmoy, who himself passed away very recently in October 2007. When we go beyond the limits of human thought and enter into the silence within ourselves, we sense that in the recesses of our hearts, there is a part of ourselves beyond birth and death, and this discovery considerably reduces our apprehensions about what lies on the other side of that wall separating living and dying. And when we use our hearts, we find that the bond of love which held us together with our dear ones on earth is still as strong and meaningful as ever now that they are no longer with us.
Yesterday, 11 October, my meditation teacher Sri Chinmoy passed behind the curtain of this mortal world, after a lifetime of service to humanity spanning 76 years. 43 of those years were spent in the West, tirelessly demonstrating his firm conviction that another, better world is indeed possible, if only we can all go deep within and find the strength to better ourselves. Tributes have flooded in from all corners of the globe, and their sheer variety is testament to the myriad ways in which Sri Chinmoy demonstrated his vision: some remember him for the volume and depth of his musical works, others for his groundbreaking achievements in athletics, and yet others for his work to break down the barriers of suspicion and distrust between countries and faiths and remind us of the eternal truth that the world is indeed one large family. Those who are fortunate enough to be his meditation students remember him for all these things and more, for he truly instilled in each one of us a deep and lasting awareness of the divine beauty that is at the core of each human being.
The power and strength of Sri Chinmoy's message - that "we are all truly unlimited if we can dare to have faith" - lay in the fact that it did not stop at mere words, but was powerfully demonstrated through his own personal example. He entered into one field of human endeavour after another - poetry, music, art, running, weightlifting - with the enthusiasm of a child and the determination of a colossus, and in each one he made his mark in ways that spoke volumes to the boundless capacity of the human spirit.
To the very end he remained the dynamic visionary that has brought inspiration and joy to millions around the world - just a couple of weeks earlier he had travelled to the Russian city of St. Petersburg to give concerts of meditative music, and just the day before his passing he was composing more songs to add to his existing total of over 20,000, as well as hosting a meditation function for his students. Every facet of Sri Chinmoy's work spoke of the timeless and eternal qualities of the human soul, a timelessness that feels alive and vibrant even now, even as its creator has left his mortal sheath.
On a personal level, I would like to thank anyone who has expressed their sympathies during this challenging time, and we draw comfort from Sri Chinmoy's own words on the subject:
"Death is not and can never be the end. To me, life and death are like two rooms. During the day I work in the living room, and at night I take rest in the bedroom. Life is my living room; death is my resting room. Both I equally need in order to love, serve and please God. Right now, death is something unknown, and most people are afraid of the unknown. But we have to realise that death is an important part of God’s Cosmic Game and a natural step in our evolution. An individual works very hard and makes considerable progress during his lifetime, let us say. But after playing the life-game for a certain number of years, he usually becomes tired. One cannot continue playing any game or sport without rest. We need rest so that we can start playing again with renewed energy and enthusiasm. So death is a well-deserved rest for the divine warrior who has been fighting hard on earth for the Lord Supreme."
The Tibetan Buddhist teacher Sogyal Rinpoche has an interesting concept called 'Western laziness', which basically describes the clever way in which we burden ourselves with so many things to do and obligations to fulfil so that we will never have a moment to question what it is all about. Because the truth is, facing that question can be one of the scariest things of all.
However, the main reason the question is so scary is that we try to approach it with our mind. The French philosopher René Descartes is famous for his statement "Cogito ergo sum" (I think, therefore I am). However, what is less known the means by which he arrived at that conclusion, and which definitely gives a more incisive view into what actually goes on in our minds every day. Descartes started his enquiry by doubting everything - in fact the only thing he was sure of was that he doubted. From that he drew the conclusion that he thought, and hence he came up with his famous statement (this line of reasoning seems more than a little shaky to me, but that's a subject for another article). But this line of thought does illustrate one clear fact - the thing that comes most easy to the mind is not thinking, it is doubting. And no matter what idea we have as regards what the purpose of life might be, the mind is always on hand to analyse it, chop it up into categorizable pieces and then chuck the pieces in the garbage bin.
And yet, there is a little voice inside us, deep inside our hearts, which knows this life is so much more than mere eating, working, procreating and dying. As a child we have this innocent trusting faith in the world and human goodness, which slowly recedes as our mind becomes developed, and gravitates towards a more negative view of the world (as newspapers know all too well) that makes it very hard to see the vast amount of human kindness and empathy and love that is actually out there. But still, buried under layers of scepticism and suspicion, a spark of that inner voice lies inside every one of us, which knows such things as happiness and peace and perfection are absolutely possible, which somehow yearns for utopia and knows about it at the same time. Many different cultures have given different terms to this reality inside us - the higher Self, the soul, the inner buddha, the message of God inside us - but no matter what term you are comfortable with, it's certainly a good place to start embarking upon this journey of finding your purpose in life. "Your vision will become clear only when you look inside your heart", Carl Jung once wrote. "Who looks outside, dreams. Who looks inside, awakens."
The process of getting in touch with this inner being is called meditation. We have all had meditative moments in our lives - if you are a musician, you probably have had that experience where the music just takes you completely beyond the the mind; similarly top athletes talk about a zone where all the mental clutter stops and they can feel what it is like to just be in the moment focusing solely. Or perhaps it was looking at a sunset or a beautiful child that made the mind just stop, so this beautiful inner reality could come to the fore just even for a moment. What meditation does is enable you to access this inner reality on a more frequent, and ultimately continuous basis. "When we go deep within, we approach our true existence and that existence is in our soul, in the inmost recesses of our soul", explains meditation teacher Sri Chinmoy. "When we live in the soul, we feel that we are actually, spontaneously doing meditation."
There is almost certainly a meditation group near you if you are living in a town of any size which might hold introductory meditation classes, and there are many sites dedicated to meditation (including this site, which has quite a few meditation articles). As your meditation deepens, you learn to trust this inner voice more, and take decisions according to the feeling you get from it. As opportunities arise in life, this inner voice will be able to tell you if this opportunity is the right one for you.
But sometimes following this inner wisdom can take you out of your comfort zone - perhaps suggesting a job change, or a course of action which involves jettisoning some of the security you have built up - in these cases, you really do have to do the brave thing and take the side of your dreams against your hesitating mind. As former Czech president Vaclav Havel once said "Vision is not enough. It must be combined with venture". We are all unique, and similarly the purpose our life is supposed to have is unique too. If you don't find your purpose in life and live it out, no-one else will be able to manifest that purpose in the unique way that you would have. The dream simply remains unfulfilled, and the world is a poorer place for it.
Our purposes may be unique, but there is one unifying factor they all share - true happiness comes when in some way we work for the happiness of others. "The only ones among you who will be truly happy are those who have sought and found how to serve", wrote Albert Schweitzer. When we look around, we see the happiest people are those who offer their talents to others through creativity or sport or just plain giving their time. When we give to others, our heart expands and our faith in human goodness is restored. A life based around giving takes us outside the realm of the self-centred mind and makes us connect with the world around us in a way that offers real meaning to life.
(Photo of Iguazu Falls, Brazil, taken by Kedar Misani)
Last week, I made the decision to stop loading up the dishwasher and start cleaning, drying and putting away my own dishes immediately after I finished using them. Nothing spectacular about that, perhaps, but sometimes it's the little changes that can make a world of difference, because they can be symptomatic of the big issues in our life.
1. Carpe diem
Take for example, our tendency to procrastinate and never really finish things. Sometimes we start a project, and along the way the temptation arises to take it to a certain point and then finish it at some hazily defined 'later', which of course may never come! Isn't using the dishwasher a bit like that? We put the dishes in and turn the machine on, but the job still isn't finished, because the dishes have to be taken out again and put away. And (at least in our house) they tend to stay in the dishwasher for a couple of days, as a steady stream of dishes piles up in the sink, until someone finally decides to take a few minutes to sort things out again.
One of the great advantages of washing your own dishes and putting them away again is that the job is finished once and for all. In the book 'Clear Your Clutter with Feng Shui', space clearing expert Karen Kingston describes how unfinished tasks can actually be quite energy-draining, as they lie there as an extra burden in your subconscious. Finishing something - even a tiny matter like washing the dishes - can give you the momentum you need to see what else you can finish today.
2. Being in the moment
Washing the dishes is one of those tasks, like sweeping courtyards or raking leaves, that lends itself very nicely to a meditative state. We usually view these tasks as necessary evil that delay us from whatever we want to do afterwards, but instead we can take it as a couple of minutes of time out - switch on some music, and focus on being in the present moment. It is moments like these when creative inspiration comes to the fore: "The best time to plan a book is while you're doing the dishes.”, celebrated crime writer Agatha Christie once said. The simplicity of the task is something that lends itself to simplicity of thought. Meditation teacher Sri Chinmoy once humorously remarked that the two 'inwardly' best paid jobs were giving meditation classes and - you guessed it - washing the dishes!
3. Let's see what else we can do...
There is also the simple fact that you decided to make a change to some aspect of your life and see it through. We are all creatures of routine, and it can take a lot of energy to shake us out of our 'groove' and make a change to that routine. but once done, that energy often tends to find an outlet in new ideas and suggestions. Perhaps decide to tackle the mess in the garden shed, or cut down on drinking so many cups of coffee or restart that old running habit you've let slide? Choosing to wash the dishes yourself instead of putting them in the dishwasher is something small, but then the ripples of putting that change into effect could be bigger than you think!
Humorous quotes about dishwashing (and husbands!):
"No husband has ever been shot whilst doing the dishes"
"It's a wise husband who will buy his wife such fine china that she won't trust him to wash the dishes”
(both anonymous, understandably)
"The washing of dishes does seem to me the most absurd and unsatisfactory business that I ever undertook. If, when once washed, they would remain clean for ever and ever (which they ought in all reason to do, considering how much trouble it is,) there would be less occasion to grumble; but no sooner is it done, than it requires to be done again. On the whole, I have come to the resolution not to use more than one dish at each meal."
Nathaniel Hawthorne (1844) - Mrs. Hawthorne was most likely away at the time.
We often begin a meditation practice with tremendous excitement, thrilled at the posibilities for self-discovery and inner peace. However, the novelty factor wears off after a while as we realise that meditation is in fact a slow and steady process of self-improvement, rather than a quick sprint to enlightenment. Here's a few hints how to keep that sense of excitement and joy in your meditation:
1. Change your meditation routine
If you are arriving at your meditation shrine with a sense of 'same-old, same-old', you need to do something about your meditation routine. There are so many things you can do to bring a sense of dynamism: use music, mantras, sing meditative songs or watch a meditative video. Don't be afraid of spontaneously changing your meditation routine if you wake up with a tremendous reluctance to sit down. You could even start with something dynamic and inspiring and then move back to your normal routine.
2. Stay in touch with inspiration
One of the main reasons meditation practice becomes dreary is that our belief in our ability to overcome our imperfections through meditation gets slowly dulled with time. Thats why it is so important to read books written by great spiritual Masters or great seekers of truth who have crossed that bridge and are able to tell us what the view looks like from the other side. Reading these direct accounts surcharges us with new hope and imagination and increases our own determination to reach that very same goal.
3. Change your surroundings.
If you rearrange and add some newness to the space where you meditate, this will automatically bring a corresponding energy into your meditation practise. There are so many inspiring things you can decorate your shrine with: pictures of your meditation teacher, if you have one, inspiring photographs or paintings, statues - anything which when you look at it instinctively reminds you of the spiritual side of your being. It's a nice touch to keep your shrine freshly decorated with flowers, they always add a sense freshness and newness to your space and when you replace them it's almost like you are renewing your own aspiration as well.
4.Do fun stuff with your meditation group
The sangha, or spiritual community, is not considered one of the three main pillars of the Buddhist path for nothing - having friends who also meditate and are on the same wavelength as you can really reinvigorate your own spiritual quest. Ofren in a group, when one person is feeling uninspired, the collective aspiration of the group can lift him back up, and then he can 'repay' the favour when someone else is uninspired. Aside from meditation, it's good to have fun together: go mountain walking, play a game of football, organise a cycling trip, or come together to bring a challenging project to fruition - all these things help bring a spontaneity back into your meditation.
5. A meditation teacher
A genuine meditation teacher is one who has realised his oneness with the ever-new cosmic Source of spontaneity, and every action of his is the spontaneous expression of his true nature. Watching a meditation teacher even as he goes about his daily life is an education of how to live life in the moment. In addition, they consistently try to ensure their students don't become 'fossilized' - my own teacher, Sri Chinmoy, is a classic example. When we visit him in New York where he resides, he adds plenty of variety to the meditations - with singing performances, spiritual theatre, inspiring stories, readings and displays of mystical poetry and art, and sometimes a dollop of plain old-fashioned humour: the only thing we can expect form each meditation function is the unexpected! In fact, I am writing this article as part of a contest to see who can write the most articles in 24 hours, which was only organised a couple of days ago: I owe this kind of spontaneous spirit completely to the meditation training I have received from my teacher.
(Photo: taken by Prabhakar Street, available on Sri Chinmoy Centre galleries)
Welcome to Sri Chinmoy Inspiration Blog: This blog is a collection of writings on meditation, inspiration and Eastern wisdom put together by Nirbhasa Magee, a student of meditation teacher Sri Chinmoy. I hope you find something here to brighten your day.
