Mind your mind !!

How do we perceive the world ?
We know there are things in this world. Because we see, hear , touch , smell or taste them.

Which of these is most important?

Sight:
We see something when light bounces of it and enters our eyes and the signals reach our brain.
Light requires no medium. It work anywhere, even in space.

Hearing:
We hear something when the sound waves it produces reaches our ears and the signals reach our brain.
Sound requires a medium. So we use this to a lesser extent than seeing.

Touch, Taste, Smell : are all related to the skin. The skin of the hands and other parts of the body produce the sensation of touch. The skin of the tongue react with chemicals of a substance to produce taste. And the skin of the nose does the same to produce the smell signals.

What is happening in common here ?

External objects produce electrical signals in our brain.
Let's (For now) call the brain the mind, it's functional unit.

But what's going wrong then ....?

The mind filters the signals into good, bad ,neutral , maybe good, maybe bad etc.
It does so by checking it against a database in itself.
The mind builds this database itself by recording stuff as good and bad and passing it on to the next generation.
And this has been going on for millions of years.
The database has been growing. For the most part it works just right to make the body/mind complex survive.
BUT ..... a certain degree of corruption has grown into this database.
Our minds often trigger unwanted responses to external stimuli.
And it breaks down, becoms dysfunctional .

What is the remedy ?!

SO ....how do we avoid this?
The best way is to just keep in mind what's going on.
Just alert yourself to be aware that your mind is filtering information against a possibly corrupt database.
If you are upto it modify wrong notions.
For example you can modify your fear of water by learning to swim.
Or your fear of flying by flying.
Once you are aware that the mind is only a tool, and that YOU are in charge, it should be easy!
So cheers friends ! Don't let your mind let you
down !!

Are we living in a dream?

It must be my fascination for a couple of movies 'The Matrix' and 'Inception' that makes me think of what if the ideas behind these movies were true.
What If all the world were a dream?
Well If that were so , where should we focus?

Do we need to focus on altruistic motives or egoistic motives?
I think we should be non-egoistic.
Why?
Simple answer nothing you do to your ego (material wealth or security or power ) is going to effect your soul after death.
I say this because I have a little bit of real proof , a tad hazy at the moment but these are called Near Death Experiences.
The people who have faced death (including brain death) and come back after that , never speak of how good they felt because
they had been wealthy in their earthly life.
If anything they felt the other way. They felt they should have been less hurting and more loving.
Infact almost all of the people who have had NDE have become altruistic after the experience.

But it's also a bit of common sense. What good is wealth or power to the soul ?
Because the wealth you've earned is still in the banks or things you invested it in.
It's true it affects your progeny, but we don't know if too much wealth affects them too correctly.
Or for that matter if too much power will do them too good.
Some people  'realise' either through NDE or through 'Meditation' or through 'Prayer'
that the material world is not going to give them happiness , and realise that real happiness already is present in us.
All we have to do is to stop looking and be us !
These are the lucky people. They simply are. And happiness is natural to them.
The Only difference between these people and the others are that the others are still thinking.
The mind is a powerful tool.
But unfortunately it first creates a basic and false 'I' thought to do all it's other thinking.
This I thought is actually false because it pertains to just your own body or mind.
It may extend to your kids and spouse. Rarely beyond your nation.
But reality is different. Reality is that you are not of a body or a family or a nation.
In reality you are the same consciousness that is the one and only consciousness that exists everywhere and at all times.
Your "I am the body -thought" is an illusion. And based on this illusion your entire life you have run after illusions.
When you have run enough and gathered enough you realise that these were all mirages.
Time to meditate. Time to think who you really are.
Time to ask "Who am I" ?
And ask who is the asker and who is the receiver of the answer !!

Putting two and two together - Self , Death and Reincarnation!

The Brahman or supreme consciousness is quite simply said to be attribute less.
And yet one who realises his true self is said to acquire a state of intense relaxation or calmness.
Another place where pure calmness and relaxation is reported is in Near Death Experiences (NDEs).

For NDEs :
Take a look at this documentary : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nTuMYaEB35U
and this from the National Geographic : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pSfNSTB-Xd8

For  Reincarnation :
This is from Dr.Ian Stevenson a pioneer in this field :
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PbWMEWubrk0
This from BBC : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iq64XvwqzyQ.

He does not claim reinc arnation for a fact but puts forth so much evidence that it is clear that
it cannot all be false.

Most reincarnation cases are children between 2 and 6 after which they forget their past lives.
And at least some children talk of a choice they have , they can either come back to earth or they can choose not to.

A child drew a picture of God holding out two hands on either sides and asking him to choose one.
Of course he chose to be reborn.

Now if we were to put all this together, and this is , I admit a poor attempt by me.
Maybe this is what happens.
In our life , due to our actions , we either get too attached to the world, and have unfinished business here
 or
 we understand it's temporary and fleeting nature.

After death , who ever has unfinished business in the world chooses to be born again (aided by what seems to be his own kith and kin in spiritual form, but could just be his own wishes).

Whoever has learnt the true nature of maya chooses to remain with the supreme consciousness and eternal bliss.

Finding Happiness in 5 easy steps !

If you really want to be happy, for all your life, no matter what the external world has to offer to you,then read this entire article.
It doesn't matter if you have a broken heart or schizophrenia, anxiety or depression, or just plain bored  this information will help you. Just be sure to read all of it, and allow it to sink in.
It'll make your heart soar in happiness no matter where you are. Infact people in Jail have reported becoming happy after realising the truth. And day after day you buy things and none of them give you lasting happiness. Some last a week , some a month, some a few years.

This is not some magic cure. This is just presenting the truth as it is. One thing you'll notice is it does not refute any other faith ! It does not say 'stop following your faith'. On the contrary it is a bigger subset. Your faith whatever it is is included in it.

All of us can benefit by knowing the "Truth".It always enhances our enjoyment of life.

Some of the ways to assimilate the Truth, tried and tested for thousands of years, is explained here.

All major religions point to this Truth in one way or another.
All spiritual gurus and teachings have this as the core of their teaching.

Needless to say , this way appears to be closer to giving one "Contentment" than any other way.

Although we use the word "I" very often , have we ever seriously thought of it's origin?  After all, It is the first word in "I want to be happy" , so perhaps it does deserve some attention!
From where does this feeling of "I" arise ?
Knowing our 'Self' is the first step.  Are you ready to take the giant leap of discovery?

 

Take the leap to find happiness in your life .....by discovering your Real self !

 

Here are the 5 steps to get you true happiness or contentment.

 

1. Realise what happiness really is !

2. Realise  what the world is ! 

3. Realise Who you think you are !

4. Realise Who you truly are !

5. Realise how to be happy always !

Come let's cruise through these 'realisations' !

( Read posts below)

                                                                                                     

 

                                                                                                                       

                                                  

5 Steps to realise what happiness really is !

Most of us think the world is going to bring happiness into our lives ..... most of the time we are left wanting!

 

1. All of us want to be happy in our lives or content that's for sure

2. What we hate is the sadness or emptiness that accompanies it .
( This comes immediately after any worldly happiness such as after acheiving a goal or a high.)

3 .And wordly happiness is ALWAYS accompanied by worldly sadness or emptiness or the need for another high. It never ends.
Does material success really lead to success? See what a successful director (Tom Shadyac) has to say about it in his documentary movie "I AM".
(The movie , by the way, is extremely good - don't miss a chance to see the Movie )

4. But .....there is a permanent sort of happiness ...sometimes called bliss or contentment .


5.I can only point out that this "happiness or contentment" you crave for  is already within you !

(Note : I would like to emphasise the words 'point out'.
There is nothing here that you are I can 'make' or 'construct'.
It is already there. With in you. All you need to do is to stop ignoring it and pay it attention !)

           

5 steps to realise what the world is !

The real way of looking at the world to get happiness in your life

1. By "World" we mean everything we experience in and around you, including in your mind.
The entire Cosmos.

2. Although experiences in the world are palpable with our senses, they are purely sensory,fleeting and temporary and in that sense the world is illusory than eternal or permanent.

3. But there is an eternal immutable force that brings the entire world into play
 The unchanging , "TRUE" essnece of things.


4. The Entire Cosmos appears to be connected intricately and also the manifestation of the same consciousness or force or power.
Even physsics proves this ...read about Einstein's spooky action at a distance.
According to this theory altering the spin of a particle at one end of the cosmos would alter the spin of its linked particle even if it were on the other edge!

5. The same Great and Eternal Power that runs the entire show, namely everything,
  is the source of even the feeling of your  "I" or "ME".

Realising this fact alone can free you from the entire gamut of "hardships" of life.

 

5 steps to realise who you think you are !

Who are you in reality ? Happiness in your life could come from the answer to this  single question.

1. The "I" we constantly refer to pertains to our body and mind.
(We are too engrossed in our Avtars that we forget we are not stardust but the essence  of stardust !)

2.The "I" we think of as our self is our most basic thought, yet it is only a thought. This is proved by the fact thtat it does not exist in deep sleep when no thoughts exist.)

3.This thought (the false-I or the ego)  is at the root of all our misery such as anxiety or depression.

4.It is extremely difficult to make to let go  false-I or Ego. The "I" who we think we are (body and mind) is no doubt an excellent tool for our interactions with the world, but it is not who we actually are. Believe it or not it is just another "thought" just like all your other thoughts.

5. This transition from false-I to real-I need not happen just in your mind, but can happen in your heart. It need not just be a logical redifinition of who you are, rather a subtle sensing of who you really are.

To quote Helen Keller "The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched - they must be felt with the heart.!"


.

 

5 steps to realise who you truly are !

Finding your true self , the real I,  is finding bliss.

Simply put the "I" that you have been referring to is not the real you.

This false-I or Ego is only a thought, a mental construct , that your mind has divised.

The mind has devised the False-I  it to interact with the world.

The false-I mostly follows what it thinks is the best for the body and mind.

 

But there is a real I which is the source of this false-I just as it is the source of everything else.

We can feel this real I within ourselves if we quell the endless stream of thoughts.

 

And once we have even conceptually understood that we are more than the "I" we call ourselves,

that we will start finding true happiness.

When we learn to be in the real-I we will find bliss.

Even if we find true bliss only once in our life, the experience is enough to take us through life,

with evidence that all our thoughts including the false-I aren't really worth much.

 

 

1.A definition is in order, but believe me I can’t really define the true self.
It defies explanation. It is All. Everything that ever was , is or ever will be.

2. We can perhaps call it the fabric of existence. It is what illumines everything including your
false/small I or the ego.

3. It is in everything and and everything is in it !
It is because of this eternal consciousness that everything appears and disappears.

4. We can not readily see it in ourselves as it is veiled by our own ignorance of  ego or false-I.

5. You can feel it as an ocean of love and peace ..it i simply indescribable. Beyond human methods of conveying.

Return to Main Post

5 steps to get bliss or contentment !

How to find happiness in your life - in a nutshell.

1.      Just be yourself. (not your ego, but your "true" self).
       This is easy said. But there is a technique called 'who am I' through which you can do this quickly. Just ask yourself "who am I really". And don't be satisfied the ready answers you get, from your mind, but trace the "feeling of I-ness" to its source. You will reach the true-I.

2.      Surrendering completely to your true self makes you completely present in the here and now. This because usually people think about the past and future and even present a lot.
     By seeing all those as mere fleeting expressions of the real consciousness, having negated the whole thought-process-trees of past and future and even the present as merely illusory and temporary, you begin to pay attention to the "now" more.

3.      If you cannot find your true self , meditate every morning for 15 minutes on the question “Who you are” and sense or feel the answer beyond who you normally think you are. In a month you’ll notice differences of feeling bettter with more freedom.

4.      If you have vices, as most indeed do, it is not important to get rid of the vice before  you start to meditate. It will disappear by itself once you focus on your true self, and have the supreme knowledge..that you are unlimited.

5.      Though this seems incredibly simple, the point is to keep at it. Everyday. For the rest of your lives.

Your life was a series of highs and lows. The same Life will now be a most enjoyable roller coaster ride ! ! Also remember it is the journey that is important not the destination!
 

Realising the Truth really sets you free

Finding happiness in your life can only be complete when you are liberated through knowledge.

There is a part of our mind that's always 'seeking'.
It is always confused and never seems to be 'content' or fully happy
It never finds the real answer you are looking for.
It never says 'Ah this is it, now i have found it'
THAT by knowing which you would say 'Ah I KNOW ! There is nothing more to know ' - is THE TRUTH.

Well you don't have to go anywhere to find this truth.
It is right there in you.
Yes ! Within you! All the answers are within you.

But for this you need to shut down your mind ! Not overwork it !
The mind is your best tool to get there, and still it is your worst enemy.
It's like the pole vault.
You can reach to a height with the pole, then you need to let go off the pole.
You need to let go off your mind, after you have reached a certain height.
By this i mean if you have employed your mind to analyse itself and the world,
And realised how illusory it really is, then you are on the spiritual path.
To have reached the maximum height that your mind can take you.
Now you have to let go off it. Shut it down.

How do you let go off your mind ?
One way is to become a devotee of a spiritual master.
It makes your ego wane in comparision with that of the master or what he points to.
When your mind/ego realises that it is nothing, but that the power that makes it work is the real thing, and that power is all there is, then you have arrived.

Another way is meditation on your self.
You try to feel your real self , intentionally asking 'where does this "I-ness" of my I come from'
You become aware of your real SELF.

It is as simple as realising the underlying power or awareness is the only real thing..and all that we see including your thoughts/mind/ego/world are all illusions.
And to make this our realisation through out our life, should be our worthwhile goals.

I say this because it would be what will get you real happiness, as opposed to any of the materialistic goals such as money, fame, love etc.
Such material goals may for a while seem worth seeking and seem to give you contentment, but in reality they are only prelude to the sorrow inherent in them.
Only realising the truth sets you absolutely free from sorrow.

Finding happiness requires redifinition of terms

True happiness in your life requires redefining some familiar words.

Word	Worldly Definition (As you know it now)	True Definition (Redefined after you know the truth)
I	Your false-I. A mental construct invented by you for interacting with the world. The purpose is the survival of the body and mind.	The power that brings about the “I” feeling within you, and is also the power that brings the world into its temporary , ever changing,  fleeting existence.
World	A place to interact with, and derive happiness from	An Illusion, which can only give illusory happiness,which has sadness/suffering built into it.
Thoughts	Appears real, and you constantly identify with them.	Illusory objects when compared to the power that lies beneath them, and runs everything.
Happiness	Deriving pleasure through the senses  such as Acheiving a worldly goal	Just BEING ! Surrendering fully to the moment and accepting good and bad alike.
Love/Sympathy/compassion	Feeling an attachment to the other person(s), and hence making him/her happy, always knowing “you” are doing it.	Being aware of what is keeping the other person unhappy, and helping him remove it, and find the real-I, without thinking your own worldly-I is responsible.

 
 

Spiritualism (and NOT religion) is the true basis of happiness

The Biggest mistake is to get lost in rituals to find happiness in your life, while the opposite is needed.

Every religion points to the truth. This is the inner core of the teaching of all the spirtual masters.
But nowadays it gets lost in its outer workings, in the rituals and the rules.
The outward form of religion is only good enough to tell you there is something much more valuable towards which it points. Do not hold on to the outward form alone...because....

Even when you think you are religious you are still missing its true intent.

"cuculla non facit monachum" - The cowl does not make the monk.

 

For example when Jesus was asked.
What must I do to inherit eternal life?’
He answered: " 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind'; and, 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'"
 "Do this and you will live"

Unfortunately, in the modern church, the expert in the law would have said, "Simply believe, have faith." 

 

Belief that christ ever lived or rose from the death is not as important as loving God ! ! !

If anythin,g religion nowadays is a money making business that drives people away from God and Love than towards it !
People nowadays are afraid of venturing near a God who is intent on judging them for all the wrong they have done !!

There is 3 times as much about love and compassion in Jesus Teachings, than about faith or belief.
Check this out for yourself.

 Here is what Jesus himself preached about compassion :

To those who showed compassion] "Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.'

"Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?'

"The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.'"

Relgion is  a complex money making business that is built around the exploitation of man's natural inclination to know more about spiritual truth.

 They will hold to the outward form of our religion, but reject its real power. Keep away from such people. Read 2 Timothy 3

Well, Jesus himself asked , if a kingdom is divided, how shall it stand?

This sham that passes in the name of religion is bound to fall, and people are going ot seek once again the real purpose of religion, to seek the truth that is the basis of all of these religions.

This isn't a problem with any one religion alone -
It is frequently found in all religions that there are arguments , divisions and wars fought over what each word in a religious text was supposted to mean !!


For example in Islam -
There will come a time for my people when there will remain nothing of the Qur'an except its outward form and nothing of Islam except its name and they will call themselves by this name even though they are the people furthest from it.(Ibn Babuya, Thawab ul-A'mal)







 

Movies to know your "SELF"

1. Peaceful Warrior : True story of olympic gymnast Dan Millman.
Yes this is a true life story. An olympic aspirant gymnast has to forgo his dream
of winning an olympic gold medal because he has an accident and breaks his leg.
WHAT could be more earth shattering than that?
And yet he recovers, when he discovers that life isn't about winning or losing.
The increased awareness helps him win his medal, without a hitch.
From a broken man to an olympic medal winner watch the transition of the boy
guided by a  zen master.


2. I AM ; True story documentary from the award winning director of  Bruce Almighty/The Nutty Professor etc , Tom Shadyac 
You probably may have seen one or more of these movies.
The director Mr. Tom Shadyac was immensely successful.
But material success instead of making him happier, shocked him.
He realised that there was something wrong in the whole idea that material success would make him happy automatically.
Watch this very interesting film to discover what happens next.



3. The Shift : This movie is by Wayne Dyer.
As the name suggests the shift in thinking from ambition to meaning makes such a transition to our lives that it is futile to attempt to describe it here.
Please watch this amazing and life transforming film.
 

Finding happiness in your life hinges on realising Who you truly are

Finding happiness in your life isn't easy until you understand who you really are.....

 

When I speak about 'who you really are' , I am not really sure many of you really know what it means exactly.
 

Well here's an often quoted passage that describes it better , perhaps than my words do. Pay particular attention to the highlighted words.

 

Our Deepest Fear

“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate.

Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.

It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us.

We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous?

Actually, who are you not to be?

You are a child of God.

Your playing small does not serve the world.

There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you.

 We are all meant to shine, as children do.

We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us.

It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone.

And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same.

As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.”

 

This inspiring quote by Marianne Williamson is from her book, A Return To Love: Reflections on the Principles of A Course in Miracles, Harper Collins


 

5 Reasons Why I write this Blog

1. I actually found contentment in my life for the first time through this method !

2.It actually transformed my basic way of thinking , just like that.
 I didn't have to practise anything heavy like meditation all day or jump rope (!) etc.

3. I am sure that all but the enlightened few, Needed this transformation to be happy, in
a sense broader than 'worldly happiness'.

4.It worked with other people too ! People who were hopelessly depressed, anxiouss and even
who had schizophrenia.

5. I am sure this contentment , it is this, that all who have found it are wanting to share with others.
All the spiritual gurus.
The beginnings may vary but the way is the same.
Once you find it , I'm quite sure you'll want to share it too !


So begin with the 5 steps to happiness .....and it'll work out for you just the same as it did for the rest of us. Just be sincere.

Another Example of someone who found happiness in his life

Finding happiness in your life depends a lot on who you realise you are. 

 

 

Another superb example of who you are ! (The poem that inspired Nelson Mandela, who today has left us, to be with the creator. Farewell Madiba!)

 

His favourite poem :

Invictus.

Invictus

By William Ernest Henley

 

Out of the night that covers me,

Black as the pit from pole to pole,

I thank whatever gods may be

For my unconquerable soul.

In the fell clutch of circumstance

I have not winced nor cried aloud.

Under the bludgeonings of chance

My head is bloody, but unbowed.

Beyond this place of wrath and tears

Looms but the Horror of the shade,

And yet the menace of the years

Finds and shall find me unafraid.

It matters not how strait the gate,

How charged with punishments the scroll,

I am the master of my fate,

I am the captain of my soul.

 

For Broken Hearts

Finding happiness in your life if you suffer from a broken heart.

In love you are ALWAYS insecure.
You know why? That's because this thing we call love of hearts isn't even love really, it is desire or want.
You want your boyfriend or girlfriend.
You want him not to betray you.
Sure you'll row to the end of the world for him or her, but it's still want.
Now comes the hard part.
Nothing in this world can ever make you secure.
Not all the money , all the fame , or all the love your partner bestows on you.
For you to be secure you have to look someplace else.
ANd that place happens to be....YOU !
It's within you, to be secure no matter what happens in the changing fleeting temporary world outside.
 All of us go thru love and its insecurities, but the answer really lies in you silencing your thoughts and getting to know your real SELF.
yeah.
Your mind or ego makes thoughts.
Thoughts that go on and on and make you insecure.
If you could shut them down for a minute , you would understand what power lies within you. What happiness. What strength.
The kingdom of heaven, is really within you.
But for this you will need to make a 'shift' in your thinking.
You'll have to make the shift talked about in the main post.