Doing or Being, or Being and Doing. or Doing and Being

One of the core conflicts on the path of spirituality that everyone faces is the question of whether to accept things as they are or do something about it. One path says let things happen the way they are happening - accepting that it is the will of a greater power and is directed towards a greater good. Another path says, we have a short time given to us and we have to stand up and do what is right and what is good. Do not accept injustice and suffering; do something about it and make things better.

I do not know about others but this has been a long-time conflict for me. It is only very recently that I found out the reality about this conflict; that there is no conflict. There is only awakening, acceptance, and being. The problem with letting things happen by themselves is that mind will not allow you to be at peace. For the reality is not always happy; there is insecurity, there is crime, there is injustice, there is inequality all around and a mature mind will not simply show its back to such reality. Even if you do not really take any action against any of those issues, mind will experience severe cognitive dissonance which can manifest as other unidentified emotions such as frustration, irritability, depression, impulsive nature, etc.

On the other hand, if you have to stand up and fight, the whole experience becomes very judgmental  At the same time, deciding what is right and what is not becomes tougher and tougher as one learns more about the ways of the world. Furthermore, as you start asking questions, you see that the negative virtues are so overwhelming part of reality that you will not know where to start and where it can end. It only gobbles up the mental space with stress and anxiety.

So, why are these two contradicting things part of spiritual journey. My understanding dawned, perhaps, as a result of lots of philosophical thought and little experience.  Most of the time the qualities mentioned, the discipline prescribed, and the methods suggested on the spiritual path are not totally clear. This is more so in today's world where most spiritual journeys are happening without the direct presence of a Guru. When it is said that let things happen the way they are happening, it does not mean that you do not oppose injustice. At the same time, when you are told to stand up for what is right, it does not mean you change the whole world. It is a call for a very fine subjective state. What is truly required is to be not judgmental about what is happening; yet know what you need to do. The question of right and wrong, good and bad does not arise here.  If you are really trusting, you have to trust that your inherent qualities are capable of following the true path if not hindered. No one needs to teach a river, or make way for the river so that the river meets the ocean. Just don't stop the flow and it will by itself, by its own virtue, meet the ocean. Now, to ask if it is right for the river to meet the ocean or if it is right to construct a dam to improve agriculture is the game of the mind and ego.

Once you achieve this state of acceptance where you are no more judging anything, you just live! Now, that you have so many years to live, you have to choose to do something with this life. Now, that choice should be made in the direction that feels right to you in that realm. This is very important. Nothing is right or wrong from a higher spiritual realm; so it really does not matter what you do. But within this realm our actions are going to have consequences and we should be prudent to choose them. I would like to reiterate that, again, here you should not do something because you think that something is not right and needs to be changed. That will be judgmental  You should choose an action because you have to do something or the other in life and you better choose one that seems to have positive consequences within this realm. Realizing that everything is being guided by a higher power, allows you to move ahead with the confidence of doing the right thing.  Knowing that your actions and choices are irrelevant; yet choosing the right path is the true art of living and the path to awakening.

walking past twilight

i look at the moon and the stars
and wonder what they are writing on my cards
i nod my head left to right
and focus on the darkness of the night
as the mind refuses to sit still to meditate
i take a random walk just past twilight
the restlessness refuses to rest
the sleep is still far far away
sometimes the dreams talk gently
yet other times they elude and tease
for the unknown inside
no teaching and wisdom seems to please
the clock is too loud to bear
and the master is not to be seen anywhere
all the paths look welcoming
and all promise a destination
i am still trembling and fumbling
for i don't know whats my hesitation
faintly i do hear the calling
but the ego's strength is too ruling
the crossroads seem unending
and the walk and talk is still pending
i learned the rules of the game too well
and so i can't really play
yet i cant seem to sit and stay
to break free seems to be the only way
the ego is looking at me
like i am its prey
to break free seems to be the only way

Intellect, Conflict and Self-realization

For years, I have been an intellectual and trying to reason everything out to find the truth and to know what is the right thing to do. I cannot claim that I found out the answers all the time; nevertheless, deep contemplation and logic have been my tools in life to solve problems and resolve conflicts.  Soon after I became aware of my cognitive processes of logic and reason, which started becoming all-encompassing and taking charge for almost everything in my life, I started wondering if I am becoming too methodical and logical that I am not able to do anything spontaneously or intuitively.  The thinking became faster and hence even the high-alert situations were becoming easy to respond to with thought instead of reflex. Of course, there are still some biological reflexes that are more hardwired to overcome.  In any case, the point I am making is that I was becoming worried that maybe I am moving away from experience and just processing everything like a computer; more mechanical.  Osho says "be spontaneous" - and the funny part about being spontaneous is that if you think that you should be spontaneous that itself is self-contradictory for you have already become pridictable (osho himself points to this contradiction- such a cunning guru he is)!

In recent times, with my emphasis shifting more to eastern style of spirituality I began to focus on learning through experience rather than through books and intellect.  One thing that occured to me about intellect is that as we hone our intellect (knowingly or through time), we not only start reasoning out everything but also start accessing our unconscious world more readily.  It is a long known fact that we do not readily have access to the information present in the unconscious part of our mind, which only becomes accessible in dreams or through symbolic repesentation and is not always clear. However the unconscious mind is effecting our every decision in life. My insight lead me to believe that as one starts reasoning out more and more, they will be pushed to become more aware of all the parameters involved in any situation. The more parameters one sees as contributing factors to any situation, the less the possibility of attributing the causation to any one particular thing. This leads to the realization (realization - not assumption) that everything happens like an orchestra and not just because one thing or person caused it. This is great learning in itself for it takes away the possibility of becoming angry or upset with any situation or person.

Coming back to the point, I believe that once the degree of intellect reaches a specific point (I don't have any rating here but it should definitely be far far above mediocre thinking), it starts accessing information from unconscious mind also. More importantly rather, unconscious mind starts trusting the cognitive process and reveals the information (read the previous line again as that is the key). This might happen primarily because, by then, reasoning is ready to believe that no one can be solely attributed with any causation. So, the unconscious does not fear about any acqusations and feels okay to share some stuff, which it will not do otherwise for the fear of guilt, ridicule, disgust or meagre judgement.

Since unconscious thoughts also become to surface, more and more actions look like they are becoming thought-out rather than spontaneous.  I learned it is okay! For when we become aware of our unconscious and start using that information as well, we are slowly becoming aware of who we truly are! Without that knowledge and acceptance of who we are, self-realization will just be a feel-good term.

The other side of the coin is that becoming so aware of ones unconscious mind will initially be a very daunting experience.  For it takes lot of time to realize that one is accessing information from unconscious as it actually manisfests in different forms that may not be easily readable. So, to identify that the conflicts one is experiencing in life are actually communication from the unconscious itself takes some time and that time is very traumatic. If one learns to be patient and hold oneself together, they will move past this stormy phase and realize that all the conflicts were actually very useful.  Sadly, many people just get trapped in this stage and do not come out of it. They become keenly aware of all the congnitive processes but don't reach the phase where they can accept them as they are. They fight! Irrespective of who wins in the conflict (mostly between mind and heart as people famously know it), the soul is left with wounds and scars. And then people blame that thinking too much will lead to moving away from reality and experience.  Yes, that will happen if people get trapped in that initial phase and refuse to accept certain facts. But if they do, and move on, the deep cognitive process will eventually lead to liberation as it will show to a person that in the end of everything it is just a great, beautiful, mystical, exhilerating symphony of the universe! Perhaps, such is the path of Gyan Yoga :-)

streams of blurred consciousnesses

somewhere deep in the valley
amidst lost souls and
streams of blurred consciousnesses
i swim to find a shore
desperately, so badly

the places are all familiar
but they don't belong
earth and the breath
are all but borrowed on time

searching for that which
i have never known
knowing that i may not know
when i find

the water is cold
and it's burning my feet
walking in the water
is not that easy either

the rocks and sand are smooth
it's the water that's piercing
looking from up above
it moves like a tear drop
easing its way out
and floating untamed

the burden is too high
not letting me step by
pinning down to the bottom
with rumbling sounds of wind
escaping through the gaps
a stillness of the doom

where is the lighthouse
and where is the hairpin bend
even if there is a chance
i don't know what to mend

i might as well have been here
again and again, round and round
but the lender is pushing for interest
the elements are all in transit

i realize i am going to the ocean
but alas, i carry nothing
what should i gift to the mighty
from all this journey and the flow
what shall i show when i go home
no twig to hold and the water is so cold

melody in the air

I sat down to meditate

trying to clear my mind out

pushing away all things unnecessary

to go deep, meditate, experience joy

a distant song, melody in the air

reached my ears, and stuck my heart

the sound is good, but the time is not

my mind again pulled itself, ready

perhaps it was the song of morning flock

birds flying out of their nests

to start another unprecedented day

but right now, i have to meditate

it could be the birds exchanging

morning pleasantries to one another

or the orchestra of wings flapping together

i better close the windows, i thought

just then, my teacher walked in

asked what i was fighting for

and why i was sitting there

in meditation, master, i seek

to experience deep joy and bliss

but my heart keeps following

sounds from here and there, feather and flock

what joy can you experience, he said

that is not in that distant song

what bliss can one seek

that is greater than the melody in air

look around and open your heart

joy and bliss are right here, right now

joy is where your heart is

the heart is in that distant song

in the melody in the air

I am sitting here alone in the dark room

I am sitting here alone in the dark room
looking everywhere, and alert
my mind aware and afraid
engulfing dark forces all around

I close my eyes to escape
the fear darkness elicits
moving deep and deeper inside
stumbled upon another darkness

this time, the heart was afraid
finding within my mind, darkness so dreadful
my heart flapped its wings hard
to fly out of those unknown corners

I opened my eyes and sat unmoved
the darkness outside now looks
more illuminated, more perceivable
can't close my eyes while conscious anymore
have to wait till sleep takes over

I am waiting for my teacher
to come and hold my hand
take me back to those corners
and lighten them up with his love
oh! teacher where are you
I am sitting here alone in the dark room

oh dear, seek what you need

when you are suffering, seek joy
when you are in the dark, seek light
if you see no hope, seek faith
don't panic and don't ask in haste
oh my beloved, don't seek explanations

seek your purpose, and wisdom
you shall be shown the path
seek strength and courage
the angels will fly by you
oh dear, seek what you need

ask not, why this has happened,
seek not, the dreadful, why me?
to show you the causes,
the pandora box has to be opened
oh dear, don't go there

Looking behind, and moving ahead...

She looks behind, only a glance
Dark and desolate the path
With melancholy and deep longing
But she can see where the light is coming from

Thousand memories pacing, racing, seeking attention
Each one afraid of oblivion, of losing
Selling themselves and binding more
Building a fabric, with threads of pain

A voice from deep inside rises
Stands up and demands to be heard, followed
The feet move forward, one step and then another
She knows where the light is coming from...

My heart is weeping!

Is it all happening according to your plans,

Killings in the name of supreme God,

Or, are you testing us when we will take action?

Should we wait for Peace or fight for Peace?

Should we pity the wrong-doers and pray for their wisdom,

Or, fight like Arjunas of this Yuga?

Are we ignorant or are we submissive?

Show us the path, throw some light

Shall we believe that all the victims had their destinies,

Or, should we stand up and say, 'this is wrong'?

Can we say, birth and death are, but passing seasons,

Or, rise like Kali and do asura-samhara!

Oh! Lord! Give me wisdom; Give me strength.

Wisdom to know what is right,

Strength to do that that is right!

Oh! Lord! My heart is weeping

Is it part of your plan, or are you testing?

Daybreak

It was hot and humid even at four in the evening. The scattered clouds here and there were not able to hide the midday sun's rays. The bus stopped and an elderly lady with a two bags full of biscuits to sell got on the bus. There is no seat free and she kept her bags next to a pole and stood holding the seat's arm-rest. When the conductor came, she gave three rupees and asked for a ticket to the next stop, which was two kilometers away. It was a tiring day so far but time to go home. The conductor gave a cynical look and said, "don't you know maaji the ticket price has increased from today, to seven rupees". The woman suddenly gasped for breath but managed to ask the conductor if she could get the ticket just for this day for the usual three rupees. The bus was crowded and the conductor irritated. "i don't own this bus maaji; please give the change, i have to tender more tickets, or you get down the bus". The lady could not process much but helplessly asked him to stop the bus. "Why do you come to eat our brains, i fail to understand", screamed the conductor and tapped the cealing of the bus with his ticket-holder indicating to the driver to stop the bus, and rushed the lady to get down quickly.

She got down the bus and stood there for a few seconds not knowing what to do and then decided she will take a walk. The walk was slow and preoccupied. She was calculating all the additional four rupees on tickets across the month and the provisions she can buy to sustain household, occasionally wiping the unstopping sweat off her forehead and cheeks with her saree. After a walk for about 20 minutes, she needed rest and sat on the pavement. A 20-storey five-star hotel stood tall and gave shade to the place where she was sitting. From a distance, the building looked very attractive with so many small box-like-windows for each room. Three storyes above where she was sitting, a businessman was rushing to a meeting. The waiter knocked the door and got the coffee the businessman ordered just a few minutes ago. He placed the tray containing coffee decotion, milk, and sugar on the side table and left the room. The businessman made the coffee in a hurry, buckled his belt, and sipped it. A frown on his face. What a waste, I don't know who taught this fellow how to make coffee. He poured down the 90-rupee special coffee down the drain and left the room as the door got locked behind him.

Down below, the lady got up and started walking again.

Pens, pencils, paper & junk

i went to see this pond

where i have been told

the water is very clear

i longed to see my self

in the reflection with such clarity

i ran in hurry to reach there

bent forward to look into the water

pens, pencils, paper and junk

from my shirt pocket fell in

created ripples in the water

and the reflection was not clear

i could not perceive anything

i wanted to wait till the ripples are gone

but the sunlight has already withdawn

and i had to go and come back again

this time with empty pockets

with nothing to create ripples

Learning to unlearn and let go

For a long time, I have been treading a path which is not only unclear but also very uncertain. I have been seeking wisdom; wisdom about things that are clearly visible to us, and things which are mystic. It is amazing to realize that the most common, day-to-day things are as, or more, complex than some of the mystic things. Well, in my journey to seek wisdom, I have tried to find the source of right wisdom. I was seeking something which will show up as a thundering bolt or a dazzling stream of light and enlighten me with some esoteric knowledge about the dharma of cosmos and the secrets of karma calculation formula.

I have been praying and meditating to get that wisdom. And then one day, a thought occurred that turned my journey upside down, which I have to definitely owe to our ancient and mystic language: Sanskrit.

Let me elaborate it here: I have been seeking “Gyan” like a person in darkness seeks light. What is he actually seeking? He is seeking the lack of darkness. Similarly when I am seeking Gyan, I am seeking the lack of “Agyana”. However, for me, and perhaps for many people “Agyana” implied “ignorance”. But what if the word “Agyana” is interpreted like “Ashudha”, where “Ashudha” means that which is not pure? What if acquiring “Gyan” is not an act of acquiring right wisdom but is an act of getting rid of impure wisdom that is already present, that we have acquired through millions of years that have been spent under the watchful shadows of Maya?

This insight did not ring bells of joy or ecstasy, but made me little sad. The reason for that is, before this thought occurred to me, my journey was at least focused. I knew I was seeking something. But now, it requires letting go off all the unnecessary things that I acquired so far, intellectual, mental, and physical things. Unlearning is much complex than learning something new; there are so many sources of information to know new things, but far less to take you through the path of unlearning.

Nevertheless, I have to start treading this path now. I am now attached to the path of letting go until I let to off everything else…

The one step to liberation

Like professor Landgon says in Angels and Demons, "Faith is a Gift". My education lured me with proof of concept and snatched faith away from me long ago. Since then I have been fighting to find meaning through logical reasoning and intellectualization. I was offered the choice of red pill or blue pill during my "aksharabyasam" and force fed the red pill. I am just narrating the facts; no complaints.

All my questions came and ended in mystical reservoirs like all rivers go and meet the ocean. But the well-trained, red-pilled, logical mind is still struggling to understand the symbols of mystical nature. One question the skeptical mind kept on asking again and again was "Are these mystical experiences, so vividly narrated by the mystics, really true?"

If they are true, why are they not more common. Why are they limited to only such short number of people? If transcending the consciousness and diving into the super-consciousness is just a matter of elevated awareness, why is it not commonplace and why are the methods to do it not rather simple? If letting go of the ego is the only step required to perceive higher levels of existence, why is it so difficult for us to do it? It is so difficult that masters advice their desciples the fatal dangers of trying such feats without proper initiation and guidance. Why is it not common and why don't we see it more often?

Those questions lingered in my head for a long time until now, before writing this piece. Once again, ironically, a metaphor came to my rescue in answering these questions, and the answer is simple like my sir sings "Thats why, thats why, because it's the human nature".

Why do people smoke even when they know its harmful; why do we eat junk food even when we know it will spoil our digestive systems; why do we keep on complaining about problems but don't take up actions to solve them? Why do we show different kinds of caring and compassion to "outsiders" and "insiders"? The answer for all these questions is simple: short-sightedness. Believing that this moment is just this moment and is not connected or influential to our futures is perhaps the crux of the problem. This is the same reason for holding on to our egos so firmly, because of believing that this life is all there is, believing that our physical boundaries are the self and not knowing that the self is actually a projection from outside to inside and does not cease to exist when the boundaries of current self are broken. The self is not just in here, but "here" which does not have space-time boundaries.

Alas! I guess just knowledge does not help, because we still eat junk food. Well, I decided not to, from now on...

Why cannot we know the future? Or, can we?

Well, many people might have asked this question many times in life. However, this current blog post is triggered after my friend commented on my previous post “What is Life?” and then said that she “wished” to know some things. I might not be able to provide the answers for all her questions, but I will try to give some pointers. Here is what she commented:

Hey.. Welcome back.. Sateesh.. good post..! now, I understand the double-slit experiment of quantum mechanics.. coming to the core insights you have given here.. Convincing..!! but, why can not one organism know.. its next transformation? I wish to know… if possible.. :-) And, why doesn’t every organism understand what other communicates? How would it be if everything can be understood? How can one develop such skills? Hehe… all weird questions... right? but, I wish to get answers.. :-)

Of course, we can know the so called transformations and know the future. However, there are two complex problems with that. One, we do not have awareness about all the forces involved in any action. We just know about the four forces: gravitational force, electro-magnetic force, strong and weak nuclear forces. Even if we knew about all these forces, we need to evaluate the infinite number of permutations and combinations that are affecting a single system at any given point in time. Let’s say you throw a ball into air and decide to predict where it would fall, you need certain data regarding some of the forces affecting the ball.

1. You have to evaluate your strength with which you threw the ball
2. The weight of the ball
3. The surface structure of the ball
4. The angle at which you threw
5. The air resistance
6. The temperature of the environment
7. The gravitational force of your environment; if you threw it from moon ;-)
8. The composition of different gases in the environment because different gases have different fluid dynamics

Now, your ability to predict where the ball will fall will depend on the accuracy of the data you have regarding these parameters, and then, the formula that you have to apply to get to the solution. Very interestingly, these two aspects reflect two important elements in life. The accurate data represents Knowledge, and the formula represents your Understanding of the Laws of Nature: knowing what it is and then knowing how it interacts with what is.

In life, generally, we miss either one of these elements. Sometimes, we have the wisdom but do not understand “how things happen like that”. We all know that a cyclone or storm will bring lightning and thunder; this is Knowledge. But, how many of us know exactly why lightning strikes only when there are storms or cyclone? Simple example, but not many of us know the intricate details of it.

Sometimes we might know how things happen, but we do not have the data. For instance, while I was first trying to learn how to play flute, I saw others playing flute and I knew that if I blow into the embouchure, it will produce beautiful sound. I knew how the air interacts with the flute and produces sound. But I did not know how much air to blow or at what angle to blow.

Now, to make life more interesting, there is another element, which is the “Why” of it. Even when I know how much to blow and at what angle to blow, I do not know why blowing at that angle produces sound. Advanced physicist might explain me that when the longitudinal mechanical waves that are triggered from the vibration of the air touching the edge of flute, it creates certain vibration in the wood at certain frequency and amplitude and wavelength and it produces the experience called sound at our ear drums. Wonderful! But, why does such and such interaction produce such an experience at all? These kinds of questions, irritating as they might seem, lead to the cliff from where you will find a seemingly endless abyss. It’s your choice to take the plunge into it or not. No one can tell what you will find if you plunge, or what you will miss if you don’t. You will know, only by jumping. But, you know that jumping is a risk. We have been conditioned to avoid risks from childhood, and probably even from prenatal period.

This is where Heisenberg’s Uncertainty principle sneaks in. Who can tell whether you will jump or not? If I have to predict about certain event which involves you, I have to also know whether you will jump or not. But I do not know that since your choice is totally yours and it may not have any reasoning; it might just be pure “Intent” to which I do not have access. Then, can I predict?

I know I started the answer by saying that “Of course, we can…” I still stand by that statement. You can know provided you have both the Knowledge and Understanding of the complex interactions, which many cultures have been calling as “Wisdom”. To know all the forces in the universe, you should have access to the entire universe. For that, you need to communicate with the entire universe. How will you communicate to someone without knowing their language? Do you know how your brain communicates to your hands when you are typing? You don’t know. But you know that it communicates. You take it for granted because you believe that your brain and hands are part of the “you” and hence it is no big deal. So, when you realize that you are part of this universe just like your brain and hands are part of “you”, you will know how to communicate. This realization cannot be in the realms of belief. It has to be your “reality”. It cannot be something that you hope, believe, or accept. It has to be something that you “Know”.

How to develop such skills? Well, there is nothing to develop or learn here. In fact, you have to un learn whatever our conditioning has taught us from centuries. You have to break the boundaries of your ego and stop believing that you exist independently. A star across few million light years is as much a part of yourself as your hand!

What is life?

I did a brief search on Google, (which happens to be my personal secretary) on what is the definition of life and here is what I found on Wikipedia:

Life (cf. biota) is a characteristic that distinguishes objects that have self-sustaining biological processes ("alive," "living"), from those which do not[1][2] —either because such functions have ceased (death), or else because they lack such functions and are classified as "inanimate."

I also read in my psychology course that children before developing the cognitive skills have a phase of life during which they believe in animism. Animism refers to the belief that everything is alive. That’s probably why my two-and-half year old nephew shouts “mama, the door hit me”.

For a long time, I was perplexed with this question as to what is “alive” and what is “not-alive”. Pondering over it for years, I proposed some axioms to define what can be called “alive”:

• It should grow
• It should cease to exist after certain time
• It should have intent or the experience of being alive or the self-identity which identifies itself from the surrounding environment

I was very happy when I formulated these three axioms because they seemed to fit the bill exactly. Before you read any further, stop and test these axioms. Take any living organisms and see if they fit these three properties. Years passed in bliss until I went back to studying my favorite subject once again from fundamentals; Physics.

When you read physics in conjunction with philosophy and then read any literature on mysticism, your brain gets the same experience that a lump of meat gets in pressure cooker while it is happily blowing its own whistle. That’s when I realized the fallacy of the axioms I postulated in defining life.

Growth is not necessary in terms of the macro-world. Even a single cell division can be regarded as growth. Similarly, even nuclear fission can be considered as growth. If my basic physics is right, the basic principles behind cell division and nuclear fission are the same. There is an external catalytic source of energy which causes the cell or atomic particle to get charged and start splitting. So, there is a problem with this axiom as well.

The second axiom is even more complex. Yes, all living organisms cease to exist. What we call as the organism is defined by its characteristic features such as shape, form, structure, pattern, etc. But, these features cease to exist in anything under the sun (even inside the sun). Nothing in this universe remains in the same shape, form, size, or pattern. The time involved in transformation is different, that’s all. Humans take about 100 years to transform from one pattern of energy system to another; a star takes about a billion years.

Intent and consciousness are subjective realities and can never be detected by someone else unless expressed by the organism that is experiencing them. The expression requires certain apparatus like language, or gestures, or behaviors, or something else. What if the organism does not have any of the required apparatus to express its experiences? Let’s say there is an organism which does not have muscles, which cannot move, which cannot express what it is feeling if it is feeling anything. How will you ever know that it is alive?

However, if you observe the above drawbacks, the axioms do not fail in fitting with all living organisms. They actually fit for everything in the universe! Let’s explore how.

If you approve big bang theory, the universe as a whole is growing; from a point of singularity to an ever increasing entropic system. All the atomic and sub-atomic particles are continuously bonding and forming new relationships, and systems. A single-proton hydrogen atom acquires energy along with some more protons and electrons, and forms helium and grows henceforth towards higher states (or complex states).

All the shapes, forms, and patterns of all the things in the universe are constantly changing and transforming. Nothing exists as it exists in the “here and now”.

Coming to the last postulate, to understand this it might help if you know about double-slit experiment of Quantum mechanics. In a classic experiment to unravel the wave-particle duality of electrons and photons, a physics experiment was conducted where electrons were fired from an electron gun towards the other end of the apparatus where the pattern is detected on a screen. They placed a filter in between the source and destination which has a slit in it. When the electrons are fired, the electrons behave like Good Samaritan particles and form a single straight line patterns on the screen. Now, when the filter is changed and replaced with one that has two slits, the electrons suddenly behave like waves and show an interference pattern on the detector screen. This is interesting. But, there is something more which is bamboozling. When the experimenter decides to see what actually is happening at the filter and places a detector there, the electrons behave like particles when there are two slits and show straight line patterns on the detector screen. I know it is little confusing to imagine all this. So, I suggest you see this vide here to understand the exact scene. Click here for the video

Now, I wonder what makes the electron “aware” that it is being watched. There are physicists out there who argue that it is the existence of the additional apparatus that change the interaction between the particles and changes the outcome of the experiment. However, I fail to understand how the electron suddenly recognizes the observer? This experiment has been conduced thousands of times by thousands of physicists and it yielded the same results. This has swindled the western scientists and philosophers. But for us great souls in the east, it is easy to understand the concept because it has been long told in Vedas that everything is conscious and this is very much reflected in our culture, tradition, and rituals.

So, if all particles in the universe are conscious and have their intent, grow, and cease to exist after some time, is there any point in debating what is alive and what is not? Don’t you think this whole universe is one gigantic living system with so many organs and sub-systems? Can any one part be “living” and other “non-living”? If one part of my body can communicate to the other, and express its desires or despairs, don’t you think that all the systems in the universe also communicate with each other in languages not known to us at this level? Do we understand what our heart is currently talking to our left hand little finger? Why are we so fixated in this “dead” world? Is it our search for meaning as unique and special creatures in the universe? Or is it the restlessness to attribute value to our seemingly purposeless “lives”. For me, this understanding has changed the way I use the words “live”, “life”, or “alive”. They don’t seem to have the same meaning as they had earlier. Now, to me, “transformation” precedes “life”…

A difficult dialogue

I completed reading the book for the second time in the last few hours. I read it at a stretch. I couldn’t put it down even for drinking a glass of water. Just like we take breath every moment without realizing how beautifully it is organized, being controlled, and regulated by our mind, I read that book without realizing what’s happening around me or, as a matter of fact, inside me.

I read it with the same curiosity as a two-year baby looks at his new toy train; not knowing how it moves when his mother does something with the key, and put it on the tracks. Just like the baby holds the toy train and stares at it in astonishment and awe; not knowing why it amuses him so much even though he doesn’t know what it is. And finally he puts it in his mouth, perhaps, not knowing what else to do.

Just like a baby, I kept staring at that book; not knowing what to do. If not for my acquired knowledge that forced me not to, I would have cried; just like a baby. For the second time in the last few hours, I was experiencing a trance-like situation; the whole world spinning around me or maybe I was going round-and-round, I wasn’t sure. I was perplexed and ambivalent, as if all my emotions and logical sense were kept in a bottle, lid closed, and shaken like a bottle of Champaign. Stirred and shaken upside down.

“The Alchemist,” that’s the title of the book. Written by a person who stays thousands of kilometers from my place; who doesn’t speak my language; and who has never been to my country. Still I felt as if he was sitting by my side explaining to me lucidly every detail of my life and telling me, “Hey! No matter how long you go on a wrong road, turn back.” I felt so close to him because he told that he loves me; just like he told millions of the readers of that book. That didn’t matter. He did not tell me something new. But he brought forth feelings and lessons that I was trying to ignore.

I was not hearing his words through my ears, but I was clearly listening to him. His words were acting like freezing-cold water on hot melting rock; causing disastrous and multiple explosions inside me. My heart was telling, “I have to trek the path I believe in.” But my logic was saying, “May be you should wait for some more time.”

A dialogue, one that hitherto never occurred, started in me. Perhaps, this dialogue was there forever since I was born; but this was the first time I became aware of it. Till now, it did not bother me because I did not accept its existence. But now it was staring in my face and the sound of the conversation was getting louder and louder.

I was always thinking that my logical sense was a bit poor, as I was a poor student at mathematics (what a poor association!) However, after listening to this dialogue between my heart and mind, I realized that my logic was indeed very strong. Maybe it was against my heart, but very strong. It flaunted the virtues it achieved from years of acquired knowledge.

It is strong and stubborn.

It is stubborn and arrogant.

It is arrogant and insecure.

It is insecure and afraid.

Suddenly, my heart asked in distress and in dismay, “How long has it been since you saw the sunrise?”

My mind did not hesitate. It had a definitive answer, “I have to work late in the night and I can’t get up so early. Don’t you think I have responsibilities to fulfill?”

“When was the last time you found yourself in peace and harmony?”

This time, the answer from my mind was even more concrete as if it was well prepared for such a question, or perhaps, already knew that such a question existed. It replied, “That is what I am trying to achieve. If I work a bit hard now and secure and settle my life, then, I can be at peace.”

“When was the last time you had a chit-chat with your soul?” the anguish was now more apparent in the voice of my heart.

“What soul, I am the soul?” straight came the reply from my mind. My heart did not say anything. It went numb with a tinge of pain and agony.

Subduing its voice, my heart said, “I thought you were just ignoring me. Now I know you deny my existence itself.” Saying this, my heart stopped talking but kept a grin as if it has decided something. The look resembling the dialogue, “Enough is enough! I am going to take some action. Words will not do any magic anymore.”

I couldn’t tolerate this conversation anymore. My brain was blocking out. Just like two high-speed asteroids colliding in space without any noise, I was having big-bangs in my head and heart without any sign on my face.

By now I gathered the courage to let my struggling-tears come out. I got up, closed my bedroom door, fell back on my bed and started crying. Only the first move was in my control. The moment the first tear was out of my eyes, my emotions took the reins in their hands and I was sobbing hopelessly and helplessly.

Slowly, I drifted into a sleep; a sleep that was more like trance. I did not feel the monotonous emotions or routine unnecessary thoughts about tomorrow or the day after that. At that time, all I was concerned about was living that moment. I wanted to sleep forever. I was hoping that I sleep that night and never wake up to see this stupid, boring life again. I didn’t want to get into a control-less situation where I am driven by my surroundings and events which do not allow me to do what I dream of.

I didn’t want to get up because I knew that the next day is going to be the same. I knew that when I get up, I will pacify my heart and convince it to wait for some more time before I can trek the path of its dreams. I knew I will be able to ignore my internal conversations, because I knew my “acquired knowledge” is powerful enough to push away the floods of inner talk. I knew that the next day is going to be the same, unless I free myself.

This rang bells in me. Yes, freedom. What if I was free? Then, tomorrow isn’t going to be the same. If I was not controlled by anything or anybody, will I allow tomorrow to be the same? Hell, no!

Yes, freedom! I kept repeating these words until I peacefully glided into the world of my dreams. It was like switching off the black & white monitor and viewing the color one. It was like going from an 800x600 resolution to an amphitheater. A dream where I was sure that tomorrow is not going to be the same.

The next day when I woke up, I realized it was not the same! It does not have to be same! Then, I explored the meaning of freedom and ways to achieve it.

Don't carry the past with you

“How are you doing?” I asked a friend of mine whom I met after a long time.

“Fine” He said in a matter-of-the-fact tone, and for the sake of courtesy he asked me back. I, as usual said, “I am doing just great!”

His face had a grin and a raised eyebrow. “Well, even I am trying to be great. It seems it’s going to take some time.”

I was left thinking over his trailing optimism. I asked, “What do you mean you are trying. One doesn’t have to try to feel great. You just feel so.”

“Well, maybe it’s in your case. On my mind, I have got many things, which demand my constant attention and resources,” he said in a you-wouldn’t-understand manner.

I understood what his problem was; it is the same as everyone has every day. It is the problem of all those people who feel just fine and not great. It is the same tricky situation that many people find themselves lost in.

So, I said to him, “Then, why don’t you tear off the papers in your book as soon as you read them. Why do you carry the whole book with you?”

He gave me an amusing look and said, “What?”

“Well, let me explain to you clearly. Every day in your life is a page in the book called Life. This book is tied to your body and it cannot be untied. It is mandatory that you carry it with you. And unfortunately, many people carry it with them without realizing that that book is stopping them from walking fast.

Since your birth, there must have been thousands of pages added to it and the weight of the book keeps on increasing day by day. As it is tied to your body, you will not be able to run, jump, or walk fast on your Path. You get yourself set in a slow pace of life which becomes routine and dull. Even when you come across situations and experiences you want to run with excitement or jump with joy, you cannot do it due to the burden of the book.

And needless to say, the burden is just going to increase as you grow older and you will miss many opportunities to hop and jump. If by any chance you manage to take off that burden at a later stage in life, you will be upset to realize that the moments of joy have come and gone and you were just a mere spectator. Time is the most precious commodity and will not come back once you miss it.”

He was more confused by all this and asked, “What is the book and what are the pages? Can you be a bit explanatory?”

“Yes, my dear”, I said in a caring voice and continued my explanation.

“The book is your life and the pages are the experiences you have encountered thus far. And the content in those pages are the lessons that those experiences brought with them.

Now, the trap everyone falls into is that they don’t read the pages. They just carry the book as a reference guide rather than a text book. For instance, if you want to become a surgeon, you have to read some books and gain some knowledge from them. Some books are text books from which you have to learn everything before you pass the course. There are other books that work as reference guides and need not be mugged up; you can refer to them only when necessary.

Unfortunately, people handle the Book of Life as a reference book. But it is NOT! You have to read, understand, and remember the essence of every page before you go to the next one. Otherwise, you will be just carrying the every increasing burden with you. However, since it is not a book of reference, when you try to go back to some pages for seeking some solution or an answer for a question, you will find that the text seems complex and incomprehensible. It seems because you did not read the previous lesson but are trying to go randomly.

Therefore, the best thing to do is to read every day’s lesson at the end of that day and tear off that page from the book. You might argue that tearing off pages is not a good thing to do. But you need to know that such paradigms will just let you fall while carrying the burden.

Nothing in the world was given to you to be stored or saved with you. Whatever you get in life, you have to savor it for the moment, enjoy its presence, capture its essence, give it back and move on.

Every page in the Book of Life is a problematic situation. If you have solved that problem and learned the lesson it carries with it, you will not need that page again as you already have digested the spirit of that lesson.

It is very important to know that you must not carry the past memories with you; but only the lessons from them. If at any point in time, you are being haunted by any memory from past, understand that you have not enjoyed that moment in the past when you should have completely appreciated it. A memory haunts you only if you did not give it its share of attention or appreciation when you faced that situation.

The best way to walk the Path is to live in the present moment, appreciate what is in front of you, solve today’s problems today itself, learn the lessons from today, and enter tomorrow with only a rejuvenated spirit instead of a stinky, dirty, heavy baggage of old, cold, haunting lessons.

As long as you are tied to the heavy book of life with all the pages that you should have shed off, you will falter to walk with your spirits high.”

Now he understood what I was telling but he still was caught up in the pessimistic habit of escapism. He asked, “Okay, I will learn the lessons of the day that day hereafter. What about the pages that are already accumulated? I will have to carry that, what say?”

A smile came on my face knowing that at least that he is ready to take in the insights I gave him instead of striking them off as some silly stuff. So, I carried on with my analogies.

“Of course, you have already stuffed your rucksack with lots of a huge book containing lots of pages from the past. Perhaps, it’s time to stop for a while the mundane tasks of your life and complete the pending work. So that you can clear off all the worries from yesterday and enter tomorrow afresh.

It’s never too late. No matter how long you go on a wrong road, turn back. Otherwise, you are just going to end up nowhere. I suggest that you take some time off from your routine life, go on some vacation, spend some time lonely, reflect on your past, introspect in retrospection, read the pending lessons, learn them, and once you feel that the pages can be left behind, do so and come back to your routine schedule.

I guess that’s the best piece of advice I can give you. Beyond that you will have to make choices and take turns; whether it is a right turn or left one, or even a U turn.”

With that we had a good laugh and he seemed to have already shed some pages and his spirit was able to jump a little bit.

On a final note, I told him, “With spirits that are heavy you are going to crawl on the ground. With spirits that are as light as wind, you are going to fly. Make a Choice!”

Walk the Path & Live in the Moment

Yesterday, I was watching cricket match between India and West Indies. As many Indians know, due to a row between Nimbus sports and DD, the match was telecast on DD 7 minutes delayed. Since Nimbus was not made available to us via our cable operators, we were watching it on DD even though we were watching 7 minutes into the past.

At the same time, we also had a sense of peeking into the future since all news channels were updating the score ball-by-ball without any delay. We were watching the scores on the news channels and then switching to the game on DD. It was some kind of a thrill to know that in the next over the batsmen will get out or that the batsmen will hit a six on the next ball.

I continued with that shuffling for almost 2 hours enjoying the strange excitement which resembled a feeling of ‘knowing the future’. But when the match entered a tensed phase, into crucial deciding last overs, where it was neck-to-neck fight between the teams, I could not go to the news channel to see what actually happened. I was tensed and anxious as to what will happen; but I did not feel like switching to the news channel to ‘know the future,’ so to say. I continued all through the final overs on DD till India won the game.

After the match, I was struck with an insight about the series of feelings I experienced during the whole match. Initially I was excited and thrilled to know the future but then when the match reached tensed situations, I preferred to stay with that tension rather than relieve myself by peeking into the other channel.

Perhaps, this is what happens to us in life. The more intellectual we become the more access we get to the happenings of future. At least, we will start estimating the most probable events and somehow start seeing the future. In the beginning such knowledge might be exhilarating, but soon you would lose interest in the match that’s in front of you if you know what’s about to happen.

Many philosophers have advocated that mind is your enemy. When I first heard such sayings, I felt that they are some kind of losers and hate people who are gifted with intelligence to know and understand the future. However, luckily, I understood the ill effects of being intelligent soon: You cannot anymore live in the moment!

Mind demands security and security comes with certainty. Certainty comes with logic and logic peeks into future. In the end, mind feels Secure and your heart will feel lost.

So the moral of the story and the insight I had is: Mind is a good servant but a very bad master. Use your intelligence to achieve your dreams; don’t let your dreams be determined by your intelligence.

If you let that happen, all your dreams will become nothing but logical analysis of what you possibly can do or cannot do. This evaluation of possibilities is limited and restricted by your acquired learning, which we call mind. Mind is just as old as your age is, whereas your dreams and intuition are much older; perhaps, they have been there since the origin of the universe in one form or the other.

The balancing act has to be learnt! Mind should enter the picture only after you know and realize what your Dreams are. Then, after you know, take the help of your mind to follow the Path. Mind has to just make things easy and comfortable for you to walk your Path. It should not be deciding what your Path is.

When Mind is trying to decide your Path, it sees the opportunities, probabilities, abilities, capabilities, and many such parameters. The result is that you start to live in the future.

When mind is trying to analyze or judge about your Path, it draws incidents, experiences, lessons, pains and pleasures from your memories. In such a case, you live in the past.

But if you let your heart decide the Path, then, Mind has only on task; and that is to make sure that your journey is joyous and purposeful. Hurray! Here, you are living in the moment.

This whole insight might seem silly initially, but once you learn how to talk to and listen to your Intuition, you will wonder how good its wisdom is when compared to the knowledge of your mind. Trust me, walk this walk and you will relish every moment of it and also cherish it when you reach the destination.

Is it Freewill or Fate?

This debate has been there for centuries and it was never satisfactorily concluded. Here, I argue that life is a complex combination of both freewill and fate, and that this complex calculation is all taken care of in a dimension that cannot be depicted in a two-dimensional or three-dimensional space system.

Perhaps, this is where Einstein’s space-time concept is useful in philosophy. However, I will try to explain my theory with an analogy to the way computer networking and database administration works.

Imagine this universe as a huge network of computers and you are one of the Client computers connected to the Server called “God” (Please note that there is no religious inclination in this theory. “God” is used just for my convenience.)

Also, imagine that all the data related to the client computers (that is people) are stored in the server database in the form of “desires.”

Whenever, you desire for something—consciously or subconsciously—a query is sent to the server database asking to send the relevant result into your life. For example, let’s say, subconsciously I ask for a pizza. Then, a query is sent to the server database and the computer called God will send me the result of Pizza into my life.

This query is pretty simple because the object of the query is clearly mentioned. However, let’s say, I ask for “some delicious food”. Now the server database has so many results related to this query that the computer called God will send me the top 5 results for this query into my life.

But these top-5 results for a query will be different from computer to computer (person to person) depending on its preferences and personal settings. So, the results I get for “delicious food” will be different from what you might get.

Even this example is simple when compared to the jumbled, confused, entangled and tortuous queries (desires) that we, humans, make in our day-to-day life (God bless God, I wonder how he handles this mess). So, naturally, as a consequence of such a complexity, the results also tend to get more irrelevant.

It is very important to note that it is not that God doesn’t know what you want. But God will not give anything that you did not ask for. God wants you to make a choice because it is your computer after all.

However, the two examples above do not take time into consideration. That is, it is assumed that the query and the result happen in sequence one after the other. However, fortunately or unfortunately, we humans are not that stable and focused in life with the choices we make.

Taking my example again, let’s say at 10:45 p.m. and 4124504 pico-seconds, I ask for delicious food and naturally it will take at least 10 pico-second (let’s say) to execute that query. But within 2 pico-seconds from the instance of the query sent for delicious food, I will change my thoughts and say, “I want delicious Chinese food.” Here comes the eternal problem of human mind that is as predictable as a cat on the wall jumping on to one side rathern than the other!

Now God (poor fellow) has to stop its current process’ execution, change the parameters and search for a different parameter. The problem does not end here. Within the next 2 or 3 pico-seconds, my thoughts change again and this oscillation continues until a combination occurs where the God computer reaches a default setting and sends that result. This can be understood just like the “Switch case” in C language or Java. Within a particular time, you change so many options, that God will send the default one.

But I (the query sender) will be wondering, “Why did I get this food when I asked for that food?” See, God does not function accurately. Then, we start cursing our fate, “What is there in our hands? Everything is fate. It is written on your face, it is written on your palms, it is defined by your stars, it is that and it is this.”

Now, any sane person will understand that the fault was not with God computer but with the syntax or frequency of the query sent from Client Computer!

I wonder how the God computer will tackle such ridiculous queries in millions and millions of numbers from across the world (and perhaps the aliens are like us too. Who knows?)

So, the debate of freewill over fate ends here with the conclusion that you have got freewill for a certain amount of time, before which if you do not utilize it, you will get the Default result that you might as well prefer to call Fate.

From birth to death, every organism is given choices to make. The range of these choices is very large. They range from a choice like blinking your eye when a strong wind blows in front of your face to a choice like choosing your career or life partner.

The key point to understand is all of them are equally important even though some appear to be insignificant issues superficially. They are equally vital for the existence of living beings.

When we are presented with a decision-making situation in front of us, we make decisions or choices based on two things: 1) our biological drive and 2) our acquired learning.

Whatever the psychology behind this decision-making is, we make choices on our own. However, the universe runs on the cause-effect principle. So, if you come across a situation in which you are to make a choice, it is quite apparent that that situation is the effect of a choice that someone else had made in the past. Also, your current choice is going to affect the future.

That being said, the margins of freewill and fate are to be drawn with a great care. I can understand that this might seem very confusing to many people.

Anyway, the moral of the story is: Be specific about what you want. Then, stick to it until you get it. Otherwise, you will just end up blaming your fate.

Remember this: "Don't flap your wings when you are at high speeds. Otherwise, you will terribly hurt your wings..."

How to find the purpose of life?

Well, this is a million dollar question everyone in the spiritual world is trying to find an answer for. Perhaps, this is the final answer of all the schools of philosophy trying to understand God.

Once you know the purpose, you know the mind of God!

If you have come at a juncture in your life where you asked this question, then, you certainly deserve a clear explanation.

The question of purpose needs to be looked at, and answered from two viewpoints:

1. From your personal and materialistic viewpoint
2. From a spiritual and a universal viewpoint

The first one talks about your purpose as a human being and a social being; how you need to lead your life, how should you grow, what should be your targets in life, and finally what is your destination, etc?

These questions answer your materialistic Purpose. More often than not, this purpose is very clear and everyone knows about it. In general terms, these are called Responsibilities.

If you realize, the only thing in our life that we do not have any choice over is the selection of our parents.

You select your friends, you select your spouse, you select your job situations, etc. However, you do not select to which parents you will be born. This is solely decided by a higher force, and this selection automatically tells your materialistic purpose. The set of circumstance in your family will give you some Mandatory Responsibilities, which fall under the domain of Materialistic Purpose.

If you look back in your life, you will see so many events and situations that would not have taken place if you were not born to this particular couple. So, if you clearly understand the nature of your parents, you will understand your materialistic purpose. Well, how to understand your parents is a big concept in itself. Here, understanding does not imply the one that we talk in a general sense. What I mean by Understanding is to understand what actually the DREAMS of your mother and father were (or are)? The mixture of your parents’ dreams tells you what your purpose is.

For example, in my case, my father was a genius and artistic person who wanted to get recognition in life and believed in sharing what he had. My mother is a very simple person who is content with what she has and is very happy giving away what she has to anybody in need. My father never cared for what others would think; my mother is very sensitive about this issue. So, ultimately, as their son, I have inherited both the characteristics in different proportions.

At the same time, my brother also inherits the same characteristics. However, due to the difference in the proportions in what we have inherited from our parents, my brother and I differ in our traits.

Well, the crucial point to understand here is that we also need to understand the spiritual purpose of our parents in order to understand our role in this world. It is not just the behavior of our parents, but what they truly are. This can be understood only if your parents have spiritually evolved to a state where they actually can tell you something about their own purpose. Otherwise, it is not possible to understand your purpose from this method.

There is an easy way to find what your purpose is. That is to ask your Intuition. Intuition is your higher Self that has complete knowledge about your Self.

In order to ask your Intuition, you need to get in touch with your higher levels of consciousness. In our every day life, we are so busy with our mundane tasks that we rarely call our higher-self for any help and so it lays just dormant.

Most of the time we depend on our Logical brain because we want to prove to this world that we are intelligent. But we forget that we have something called Intuition which is beyond Logic, and more powerful in its vision.

In order to get in touch with your Intuition you can follow many methods like regular meditation, taking some time of the day just for your Self, being honest to yourself, and constantly seeking for growth in life.

These things are not something very difficult and are advised only for saints and the like. These methods are very simple and can be followed by everyone if we spend at least 10 minutes of the day just for ourselves. Here, the word ourselves refers to our spiritual self rather than our body.

If you would like to cut the crap and just know what your purpose in life is, just ask some simple questions and the answers will tell you what your materialistic purpose is:

• When are you very happy in your life? That is, which task or job gave you ultimate bliss and happiness? This answer should come from your heart instead of brain.

• What is it in your life that you feel really Passionate about?

• When do you feel suffering in your life? Don’t give vague answers like when people hurt me, or when they cheat me or something like that… answer at your personal level. Remember, nobody can do to you anything unless you allow them to.

So, the three answers will tell you what your purpose is. Whatever makes you happy is your purpose and whatever makes you sad is something that is taking you away from your purpose. It is simple Reward and Punishment system in the laws of Mother Nature. If you are working on your right path, you will be happy; otherwise, you will suffer. Mother Nature is not going to decide whether you are going to be happy or suffer; it is purely your choice to choose the path.

Coming to the second type of purpose (spiritual purpose) which I mentioned as Universal Purpose, it is the question of why this whole, massive, splendid, magnificent, universe exists and what is our status in it?

To understand this question, let me give you an example of a jigsaw puzzle. Let’ us assume that there is a very, very, very big jigsaw puzzle. Every atom in this universe has some pieces of the puzzle. The only way to know what the answer to the puzzle is to club all the pieces together. This will be possible only if all the atoms in the universe unite.

However, let’s say that I have 10 pieces of the puzzle and you have another 20. We sit together and talk, just like we are doing now, and we start making approximations as to what that ultimate solution to the puzzle could be. Even our best of the best efforts are only the best approximations but can never be proved to be right or wrong. We can just make the best guess.

Now, let’s assume that a million such people with 10 pieces each sit together. Even then, they will get more close to the answer but never will Find the answer because the rest of the pieces of the puzzle are with the non-living objects like the sun and the stars and even in every particle and atom, to which we cannot communicate.

So, the answer to this question remains alluded and we will never know unless we find a way to communicate with the Universal Database—soul of the universe which has information about everything happening at everyplace of the universe.

Again, this communication is possible with methods like meditation and understanding the laws of nature and the concept of Energy as Matter. This requires tremendous amount of practice and discipline; and most importantly the Quest for Knowledge.

If you have ever wondered, all the religions in this world preach only one thing in the end; and that is Unity. They try to bring people under one domain. Take Christianity; Jesus said that everyone should be like brothers and should be a team. The same goes with Allah. Needless to say, the philosophy of Hinduism is completely based on Unity.

That is the reason why Love exits in this universe. Love is a concept that brings people and things together so that they can solve the ultimate puzzle and understand their Purpose. That's why people feel happy to be in love, and feel so sad when they lose it.

However, the biggest question is how to find it. Remember, “Only the one who seeks shall find.”

Negative Thoughts - the secret of a huge tree

One day a young man with spiritual quest met a Master. He asked the Master, “Master, how do you think I can stop evil thoughts and negative emotions from entering my mind?”

The Master asked the young man, “Where do you think the evil thoughts and negative emotions are generating from? Are they originating from your mind, or are they being induced into you from your surroundings?”

A bit perplexed, the young man replied, “I think they are originating from my mind only.”

The Master gave a smile and asked the young man to come with him into his backyard. There he showed to him a massive tree with huge trunk and branch structure. The tree was magnificent and full of life. The greenery around it was spreading some kind of pleasant energy.

The Master asked the young man, “Does this tree tell you something?”

Confused, the young man nodded his head horizontally.

The Master asked the young man, “Did you ever see the seed of a tree?”

The young man replied, “Yes. I did see. In fact, I have planted some myself.”

“How big are the seeds in size?” asked the Master.

“Well, they aren’t big. They are very small. The biggest of seed I have seen is fistful; that of a mango tree.”

“Then, how do you think that such a small seed has grown into a huge tree you are right now looking at?” “Does it have all the energy in it while it was seed which it is utilizing to grow?”

“No. The seed gets its energy from its surroundings; earth, water and air. Otherwise, it will not be able to grow into a massive tree.”

“Well, then, that means the whole credit for this massive structure should be given to the surroundings, isn’t it?”

Now, the young man was a bit more confused. But he decided to comply with the Master and said, “Perhaps, yes. The credit to this massive structure should go to the environment only.”

To this the Master, with his perennial smile, said, “Oh! Do you think that if the seed did not have the capacity to take in all the energy provided by the surroundings, will just the surroundings be able to build up a tree?”

The young man understood that he was wrong, and he said, “Master, I am confused. Please tell me who is responsible for this structure, then?”

The master brought him back into his house and explained to him the truth about this riddle.

“My dear son, just as a good seed with bad surroundings and a bad seed in good surroundings cannot grow well, good thoughts in evil company and evil thoughts in good company cannot grow.

That does not mean that all the accountability lies with the surroundings. If there is no seed, there can be no tree. But the seed alone cannot decide whether it will grow into a healthy tree or a malnourished one. The seed is a seed. Its purpose is to grow. Now, if you give good light, enough water and fertile soil, it will grow into a healthy tree. If you do not give it all these things, it will either grow into a malnourished tree or it might even die.

The seed is like your mind and the thoughts are the surroundings. If you constantly feed your mind with negative inputs, you are bound to get negative outputs. Moreover, the more you think about those negative thoughts, the more you are feeding them in wrong direction.

It is like having an enemy. You think about your enemy more than you think about your friend. So, indirectly you are contributing most of your valuable time to something that you actually do not want to contribute to.

So, the lesson that the tree taught me, and will teach you as well if you learn, is to be careful about what you take in. Don’t just believe what others say about you. Judge for yourself and only then give those thoughts access into your mind.

Another lesson is to choose your company wisely, because just like a small plant cannot grow in the vicinity of a big tree, positive thoughts cannot survive while you linger with people full of negative emotions.

Of course, your goal should be to become a massive tree of positive thoughts; then, you can give shelter to smaller plants with negative emotions.”

With this explanation, the young man felt relaxed and peaceful. He went home with a satisfied mind and positive thought frame.