To criticise is to eulogise

Monday, 28 May 2018

To criticise is to eulogise

 Lifestyle, Spirituality | ET

By Sumit Paul

When you’re being criticised, you’re being noticed,” says an English aphorism. Criticism is actually concealed admiration. It must be taken as an impetus because it’s a veritable stimulant. There’s a term in modern management studies and corporate behaviourism— CC, or Critical Catharsis. That is, an employee is mildly criticised by seniors for his performance in the organisation. This criticism is always positive and its cardinal objective is to bring out the best in the employee by challenging his innate skills. Criticism with good intention always works wonders. But it must never be malafide or hurtful. Only a tree laden with fruits is pelted with stones. In other words, to criticise is to eulogise.

Criticism also jolts us out of our slumber and complacency. It constantly keeps us on our toes and doesn’t let inertia set in. So, instead of getting perturbed by criticism, accept it gracefully. Rest assured, better days are round the corner and a better you is about to emerge. The Constructive Criticism Course for MBA students at Berkeley University, California teaches future corporate magnates the art of criticism with a smiling face. It also includes Chanakya’s Vidagdh Aalochanaasti—wise and intelligent criticism—from his Neeti Shastra. We live in a world of fragile sensibilities and uber emotions. So, it’s all the more important and imperative in such emotionally charged and sensitive times to be careful not to hurt anyone with your criticism.

DISCLAIMER : Views expressed above are the author's own

Quote from the True Charm and Power of Vedanta

Guru-sishya relationship

, Spirituality | ET

By Sakshi Harlalka

There was a child who lost his father and his left arm in a car accident. With great difficulty, his mother brought him up. One day, he confided in his mother that he wanted to learn judo. Aware of the physical strength needed for the sport, she refused. Seeing his inclination, she got him enrolled. The master taught him the same technique repeatedly. Frustrated, he went to his mother and complained.

Finally, the fight was announced where his opponent was physically strong and complete. In spite of this, the young boy fought and won till the fourth round. Everyone was amazed, including his mother. In the last round, he was losing and was badly bruised. At last, gave a hard punch and won the championship. The winner asked his guru how this happened, as he was physically weak.

Guru explained that he was taught only one and the most difficult technique so that in a single punch, the offender could be defeated. Secondly, the guru knew the weakness of his pupil was the absence of the left arm, and so, wanted to protect him from getting hurt. He was taught to defend his left shoulder and it turned into his strength. Thirdly, it requires immense courage to accept one’s weakness that many people fail to do. For this, he praised the boy.

This is why one should always have a guru or mentor to nurture one’s strengths. The role of a guru is like the anchor that never lets you sink. The guru trains the chela for all the battles he would encounter in the present and future. The guru only expects love and gratitude in return.

DISCLAIMER : Views expressed above are the author's own.

But, if He exists?

I drive joy There was a doctor in Benaras who spent 7 minutes in the morning and evening for mediation on God. Knowing this, his colleagues and friends laughed at him. One day they argued that he was wasting ten precious minutes on something, which he had been misled into believing. The doctor replied, “Well, if God does not exist, I agree that I am wasting ten minutes a day. But, if He exists? I am afraid you are wasting your entire lifetime. I prefer to waste ten minutes rather than a lifetime. Why should you grudge me the 10 minutes joy that I derive 4m.

ILLUSTRATED REVIEW : 7^th Heaven moment of the week,  Ipl Sunriser won scoring 174/7, in ipl  , csk no 7 got innovative captain award, 777 got emerging, stylish player

Why avoid hatred

Monday, 21 May 2018

Why avoid hatred

ET By Sumit Paul

Whenever I think of Booker T Washington’s great quote, ‘Hatred is more implacable than dislike’, it causes me to cogitate very deeply. Hatred certainly is much more lasting than dislike.

The latter can anytime morph into ‘like’, but the former, being ossified, doesn’t often diminish easily. Because, ontologically, the very word ‘(dis)like’ has ‘like’ in its womb. So, the chances of its metamorphosis is much stronger than ‘hatred’.

Semantically, the word ‘Hatred’ has a questionable Hebrew (or Yiddish?) root, ‘Haete’ — that never goes; to remain rooted. So, the very word ‘hatred’ has a strong, negative implication.

‘Hatred’ is non-acceptance of a person as he is. It’s the outright denial of another’s individuality, regardless of being good or bad, as one should never be judgemental about others. When we hate someone, we hate his very existence. ‘Hatred’ can turn into love when all prejudices and presuppositions are removed forever and the other person is accepted with his foibles and flaws.

Centuries ago, the legendary Hakim Luqman concluded that ‘Hatred caused many diseases’. Now, modern medical science has also endorsed Hakim Luqman’s sagacious medical viewpoint.

Anagging sense of hatred keeps gnawing at our own existence and manifests itself as an incurable health condition.

Furthermore, to harbour hatred is to live with bitterness till the end. It’s also an act of demeaning and degrading oneself. So, don’t let ‘dislike’ get fossilised into ‘hatred’.

DISCLAIMER : Views expressed above are the author's own.

Qoute from the True Charm and Power of Vednata

Divine service

ET By M S Kurhade

All work undertaken as God’s work serves its ultimate, highest purpose. Any person who earnestly labours with sincerity, love and selflessness — no matter how big or small the nature of work — has fulfilled his service to the Divine. True service is only possible if it finds its roots in love and ahimsa.

Love is boundless like the ocean, crossing all boundaries and frontiers, enveloping the whole world. Ahimsa considers everyone and everything in a wellbalanced approach, with compassion for all creation. A truly service-oriented approach to work will, therefore, use wings of love to spread itself wide and ahimsa to unite all together.

Service also finds itself in relentlessly working for one’s assigned mission. On the other hand, sometimes, the zeal to work ceaselessly can enslave us. We must apply ourselves to work in such a manner that work does not enslave us, but rather, emancipates us. Yajna, or true service, is only possible when an individual labours with love, sincerity, selflessness and compassion for all.

Those with a strong work ethic have inculcated these principles that guide them in their everyday work behaviour. They have also proven to be consistently high-performing leaders with even higher work satisfaction and work-life balance that further reinforces their will for this divine work. Sacrifice here implies the hardships one undergoes to earn one’s living —the divine law, that man must earn his bread earnestly and selflessly and prayerfully by labouring with his own hands.

DISCLAIMER : Views expressed above are the author's own.

But, if He exists?

I drive joy There was a doctor in Benaras who spent 7 minutes in the morning and evening for mediation on God. Knowing this, his colleagues and friends laughed at him. One day they argued that he was wasting ten precious minutes on something, which he had been misled into believing. The doctor replied, “Well, if God does not exist, I agree that I am wasting ten minutes a day. But, if He exists? I am afraid you are wasting your entire lifetime. I prefer to waste ten minutes rather than a lifetime. Why should you grudge me the 10 minutes joy that I derive 4m.

ILLUSTRATED REVIEW : 7^th Heaven moment of the week,  in football centa vego no 7 scored a goal, vlancia no 7, 9 scored a goal, in ipl  , DD 777 got a man of the match

Why Silence is Golden

Monday, 14 May 2018

Why Silence is Golden

The Speaking Tree  India | ET

Words are like bullets; they could hit hard. They can cause pain and hurt to the listener that may be irreversible. Words of love and compassion soothe and comfort a person. Psychologists’ research says that higher the pitch of the speech, the more negative is its impact on the neural system.

Words should be pleasant and appreciating. This helps the soul grow. After all, words are reflection of the inner self.

Learning to control your speech begins at home. As humans, we are bound to make mistakes. When our community helpers and family members make mistakes, we do have the right to correct them; but that should be done with love and kindness.

When words cross the line of self-respect, they worsen the situation. In order to save oneself from the repulsive effects of unscrupulous use of words, it is better to learn to exercise control over what one says.

Saints and seekers have long since periodically practised the vow of silence. This helps them master their speech. Hence it is said, ‘Silence is Golden’.

Lots of energy that can be productively utilised is wasted in unnecessary speech. Young ones are careful observers. They tune into the energy of the words and respond to their surroundings. The cosmos is vibrating because of a sound.

Imagine the vibration being unpleasant — the cosmic energy would align to that frequency causing turmoil in the mental, emotional and physical well-being of matter at all levels.

When God can maintain the cosmic word at a pleasant and constant intensity, we must aspire to do so as well.

DISCLAIMER : Views expressed above are the author's own.

Quote from the True Charm and Power of Vedanta

The one who takes the plunge into the ocean within, finds pearls of wisdom and bliss. You do pilgrimage to far flung places — be it Kedarnath, Badrinath, Ayodhya, or Rameshwaram.And what do you do once you get there after all the effort you take — buy the tickets, endure the inconvenience of long journeys, spend not only money but your time as well and then finally arrive at that place. And what happens when you reach the destination? Yet another rat race begins there. You find out what time the temple doors open, what time the oblation is to be done, and what stuff is needed for the oblation, and try to organise all of that. Then of course the priests at such pilgrimage destinations may pester you to perform this oblation for fulfilment of this wish, and that oblation for fulfillment of that wish.Furthermore, people are not interested in doing the oblation, and offer the prayers themselves.

Instead, they seek priests (read agents or middlemen) and pay them for making these offerings on their behalf; perhaps even pray on their behalf. Why? So all in all, there are people who while away their precious time by frequenting places of worship like temples, misguidedly seeking shortcuts by entrusting ‘middle-men’ like priests to obtain for them the treasure without having to put in any kind of effort. Even on the path to God,you are seeking agents, and middlemen, is it not? Be it a Hindu priest, Muslim maulvi or Sikh bhai and sometimes even a guru who says ‘become my disciple and your liberation is guaranteed’, you are, it seems, unable to make that divine connection on your own. But remember, there is no room, for any third person in your relationship with God.After all, will you tolerate a third person in the middle of your relationship with your spouse?

Likewise, there is no place for any third party in the relationship between you and God, not even the master, the guru. The master’s role is only preparatory — to evoke dispassion for the world, evoke an intense desire in you to seek the truth, prepare you to become a seeker, to inspire you to tread the path with conviction. Once the disciple becomes a seeker, in the real sense of the word, dispassion arises in his heart and the quest takes root in his mind. Then, the master takes a back step. And he showers you with merciful blessings, and wishes that you succeed phenomenally…. The master’s role then remains of offering advice on overcoming any stumbling blocks that the seeker encounters, answer his queries and clarify his doubts. But who has to perform the sadhana, the spiritual practices? The fact is that on the spiritual path, even the guru cannot come between God and seeker, and this is right as well.Why will the master interfere in such a sacred relationship? After all, is it the master or is it you who wants to attain God?

But, if He exists?

I drive joy There was a doctor in Benaras who spent 7 minutes in the morning and evening for mediation on God. Knowing this, his colleagues and friends laughed at him. One day they argued that he was wasting ten precious minutes on something, which he had been misled into believing. The doctor replied, “Well, if God does not exist, I agree that I am wasting ten minutes a day. But, if He exists? I am afraid you are wasting your entire lifetime. I prefer to waste ten minutes rather than a lifetime. Why should you grudge me the 10 minutes joy that I derive 4m.

ILLUSTRATED REVIEW : 7^th Heaven moment of the week,    , in ipl  Rajasthan Royal won by 7 wk, no 9 of csk got man of the match in Aseires cortone no 7 scored a goal,  

Know who you are

Monday, 07 May 2018

Know who you are

Economic Times in The Speaking Tree | Spirituality | ET

By SRI RAMANA MAHARSHI

Who am I? The gross body that is composed of the seven humours, I am not; the five cognitive sense organs of hearing, touch, sight, taste and smell, which apprehend their respective objects— namely, sound, touch, colour, taste and odour I am not. Neither am I the five cognitive sense organs of speech, locomotion, grasping, excretion and procreation, which have as their respective functions speaking, moving, grasping, excreting and enjoying. I am also not the five vital airs including prana that perform the five functions of in-breathing. I am not even the mind that thinks, neither am I the nescience that is endowed only with the residual impressions of objects and in which there are no objects and no functionings. After negating all of the above mentioned as ‘not this’, ‘not this’, that awareness that alone remains — that I am.

What is the nature of awareness? It is Existence-Consciousness-Bliss.

When will realisation of Self be gained? When the world that is what-is-seen has been removed, there will be realisation of Self that is the seer.

Will there not be realisation of the Self even while the world is there? There will not be, because just as knowledge that is the substratum will not arise unless the false knowledge goes, so the realisation of the Self which is the substratum will not be gained unless the belief that the world is real is removed.

When will the world, which is the object seen, be removed? When the mind, which is the cause of all cognition and of all actions, becomes quiescent, the world will disappear.

DISCLAIMER : Views expressed above are the author's own.

Quote from the True Charm and Power of Vedanta

Have you ever wondered what makes karma (every action) 100% Karma? What is required to say that an action was fully done?

Consider a man, who is inflicting pain on another with a knife. Now, would you consider this action right or would you consider it wrong? It will depend upon the intention behind that action. In this case, if one is using the knife with the intention of harming somebody then it is wrong action. On the other hand if a surgeon is using a knife to operate upon a patient with the intention to cure him, then it is a right action. In another situation, if the surgery was actually unnecessary and the doctor is only amassing wealth through unfair practices, then in that case the action is wrong. Hence, the intention behind the visible action is all important. This throws light on an important missing link. Mental actions, in the form of thoughts and feelings, are the primary determinant of the quality of karma, than the outward physical action. The intention behind action determines whether the karma is appropriate. What may seem to be a terrible act to your eyes could possibly be backed by the purest intention. On the contrary, what may seem to be the most benevolent and kind act could be a crafted manifestation of a wicked intention.

The feeling that you bring into your actions also determines the quality of karma. Pure feelings of compassion, oneness and gratitude that arise from an attitude of surrender to the divine will, transform work into worship.

The Soul of Karma is embodied by these three aspects – love, understanding and pure feeling. Any act that is imbued with the feeling of love, wisdom, and pure virtuous intention is 100% karma. It arises from higher awareness. Action that arises from an awakened Soul of Karma brings completeness and fulfilment in your life.

Action arising from ignorance, lower intentions, devoid of love and compassion is soulless karma. It is reactive as it arises from the past conditioning of the mind. It does not give completeness. Far from being 100%, it entangles you and leads to sorrow or confusion.

One may feel that every action is actually a reaction to situation, but not all actions are reactions. Reactions are programmed responses to external or even internal stimuli. The subconscious mind has been designed to automate responses to certain stimuli. Since childhood, we observe and learn certain fixed responses. The subconscious mind is the storehouse of such fixed responses.

For example, do you need to think twice before pulling your hand away from fire? Do you actually think, “This fire can burn my hand; let me take my hand away”? No. It happens automatically without conscious thought. The subconscious mind is programmed to enact this response to the stimulus of fire. We’ve borrowed this behaviour through genes, through our upbringing from parents, our neighbourhood, through school and largely through the media.

You suddenly brake the car to a halt when an obstacle appears on the road. You catch hold of anything you can get your hands on to when you stumble. These are automatic reactions. It’s actually useful that your actions are automatic in these instances. It saves you the effort of consciously considering repetitive actions. This is indeed a blessing.

However, this blessing becomes a curse when it comes to programmed behaviour. For example, how is your response when you feel cornered in a group? Consider the compulsive need to withdraw from a scene where you sense insecurity or hostility. Consider the pleasure that is felt when the scene conforms to your liking. These deeply ingrained responses helplessly manifest; much against your conscious will.

When someone speaks harshly or swears at you, perhaps you may be compelled to swear at them in return. When someone praises you, you may feel gratified and comply with their needs. You may say, “The situation was such, so I got angry.” This is a reaction, because it is dependent on circumstances. Your behaviour with people is dependent on how they behave with you. You hand over the remote control of your life to people and situations. Most people lead life in this reactive way, by being a victim of their past conditioning.

Reactive living does not need higher awareness. You do not need awareness to follow the same beaten path every day. However, if you have to choose a new path, which is unknown, it needs awareness. Creative living requires higher awareness. Human evolution is all about moving from reactive living to creative living; it is about raising the level of consciousness. When you raise your level of consciousness, you begin to act less and less impulsively or compulsively. Your actions will become increasingly intuitive and creative.

An awakened response arises intuitively from pure consciousness. It does not arise from the storehouse of programmed responses. It is fresh and creative. Actions arising from pure consciousness are independent of prior mental conditioning. They are fresh and novel actions, free from past prejudices. They are imbued with the Soul of Karma. Develop the habit of questioning yourself in everyday situations. Ask yourself: “Am I reacting mechanically to this person, to this situation?” When you question yourself in this way, it creates an opportunity to respond creatively. With raised awareness, you become conscious of the space where you can choose your response.

When you practice being in the stillness of pure consciousness, your actions will arise from the freedom of choice of response. For example, if someone swears at you, you will choose an awakened response by either ignoring it or responding creatively. An awakened response is not constrained by fixed patterns of behaviour. The Soul of Karma awakens with rise in consciousness. Love, wisdom and pure feelings will drive your actions to attain completeness, making them 100% Karma.

But, if He exists?

I drive joy There was a doctor in Benaras who spent 7 minutes in the morning and evening for mediation on God. Knowing this, his colleagues and friends laughed at him. One day they argued that he was wasting ten precious minutes on something, which he had been misled into believing. The doctor replied, “Well, if God does not exist, I agree that I am wasting ten minutes a day. But, if He exists? I am afraid you are wasting your entire lifetime. I prefer to waste ten minutes rather than a lifetime. Why should you grudge me the 10 minutes joy that I derive 4m.

ILLUSTRATED REVIEW : 7^th Heaven moment of the week,  in Motogp two, Balssardi no 7 won a podium, in ipl SRH won by7wk,  Suryakumar no 77 won a man of the match, DD 777 got a man of the match