BEING REAL

There are many roles with which we commonly identify ourselves with. As a child, adolescent, youth, father, mother, husband, wife, elder person, healthy, sick, wealthy, powerful, enlightened and so on. But in reality these are just thoughts about us.

Any thought that we have about our self, irrespective of its nature, is only a thought. It cannot be our true self as the truth of our self is not a thought but the source of it.

There is something within us that is greater than our thoughts, mind and body but is aware of the thoughts, mind, body, beliefs and everything that presents itself as reality to the five senses. Any thought, feeling or emotion is therefore an inadequate description of our true self.

The true self is not the mind, body, heart, soul, truth, god or anything that can be named. It is simply beyond definition. It is easier to get caught in appearances rather than take a step back and see that we are beyond all that we think or perceive.

The truth of who we really are is completely independent of any concept of who we truly are whether it is being ignorant or enlightened, rich or poor, healthy or sick, and so on. Truth is free from everything and the only thing that blocks us from enjoying this freedom is attachment to a thought about who we are! This attachment is what prevents us from the realization of who we really are.

An image may arise in our mind, a sensation may appear in our body, an emotion might captivate us. All these are objects which come and go, are born and die, appear and disappear. But the truth about who we are does not come and go. It is an ever present reality.

Infinite consciousness without focus upon a specific activity is our true reality. It is the consciousness from which all of life springs. The purpose of spirituality is to see beyond our roles and dramas to the transcendent truth.

Ranji Varughis

 

Awareness, the I of all I’s

It is our common experience to note that we have numerous ‘I’s. The I of I want, the I of I sang a song, the I of I am an engineer, or I am thinking. But beyond desires, actiivities and physical characteristics there is another I that is basic. This I gives rise to the subjective sense of our existence like our self image, physical charecteristics, emotions and social category. When we speak about the self it is these categories that we refer to but they are not the origin of our sense of personal existence. The most basic I is something different.

As we introspect deeper to find the origin of our subjectivity we find that the search for I leaves the regular ideas of personhood behind and takes us closer to awareness. Awareness is something apart from, and different from, all that of which we are aware – thoughts, emotions, images, sensations, desires and memory. Awareness is the ground in which the mind’s contents manifest themselves; they appear in it and disappear once again. The objects of awareness — sensations, thoughts, memories, images and emotions — are constantly changing and superseding each other. In contrast, awareness continues independent of any specific mental contents.

Awareness cannot itself be observed, it is not an object, not a thing. Indeed, it is featureless, lacking form, texture, color, spatial dimensions. These characteristics indicate that awareness is of a different nature than the contents of the mind; it goes beyond sensation, emotions, ideation, memory. Awareness is at a different level, it is prior to contents, more fundamental. Awareness has no intrinsic content, no form, no surface characteristics — it is unlike everything else we experience, unlike objects, sensations, emotions, thoughts, or memories.

A group of travelers forded a river. Afterwards, to make sure everyone had crossed safely, the leader counted the group but omitted himself from the count. Each member did the same and they arrived at the conclusion that one of them was missing. The group then spent many unhappy hours searching the river until, finally, a passerby suggested that each person count their own self, as well. The travelers were overjoyed to find that no one was missing and all proceeded on their way.

Like the travellers, we often neglect to notice the one that counts. Until we do it we do not know our true self the timeless and eternal awareness we are.

NAMASTE

Ranji Varughis

 

Feelings

Feel your feelings and move on. If something hurts, don’t push it away. Don’t wallow in it either. The feeling is real and if it hurts it’s because it mattered to you. Once you’ve felt it, let it go.

It isn’t the feelings of hurt or anger or sadness that cause the problem it’s holding on to them, never to let them go. Those vibrations get stuck in the very cells of your body, leading to sickness or depression. Don’t do that to yourself

 

Let life live through you

“It doesn’t matter if you draw,or write books.
It doesn’t matter if you saw wood, or catch fish.
It doesn’t matter if you sit at home
and stare at the ants or the shadows of the trees
and grasses in your garden.

It matters that you care.
It matters that you feel.
It matters that you notice.
It matters that life lives through you.

Contentment is life living through you.
Joy is life living through you.
Satisfaction and strength is life living through you.

Don’t be afraid.
Love, feel, let life take you by the hand.
Let life live through you”

 

AWARE & ALIVE

Most of us only experience the very upper layer of the vastness that the ocean is. This layer is the one that is most susceptible to atmospheric changes. The ocean surface may be relatively undisturbed on a calm day, yet when huge waves are whipped up by a storm it becomes a powerful force to reckon with. But as you travel beneath the surface the influences of the changing weather patterns decrease and greater stability can be experienced. At sufficient depths one remains unmoved by the ongoing turbulence on the surface.

This analogy can be used to describe the dynamics of the mind. The mental forms of perceptions, feelings, emotions, and thoughts that come and go can be compared to the ocean waves that spontaneously form at the surface, persist for a while, and then dissipate back to that vast reservoir from which they arose,

Meditation is often mistakenly considered as a means of “escaping” the turbulence of mental forms by somehow suppressing or cutting ourselves off from the existence of these “waves” that have a tendency to toss us about and continually knock us off balance

But meditation is about developing a different relation with the mental forms that continuously arise in our mind – “our” perceptions, feelings, emotions, and thoughts. Rather than suppressing them, or denying them, its about learning to not cling to them and to not infuse them with a sense of a permanent independent identity that is against their very nature. In the process of letting go and loosening our tendency to grasp at and identify with the “surface” activity of “things,” we begin to develop a stronger awareness of the formless depth which is the basis for such activity. We begin to develop a better appreciation for the relation between the personal and the universal – between the form and formless.

Meditation involves being with your thoughts as they are, neither grasping at them nor pushing them away. That is, being open to the way things are in each moment without trying to manipulate or change the experience—without judging it, clinging to it, or pushing it away. It is to realize that thoughts, emotions and feelings are just waves on the surface of the ocean, . By doing this become aware and alive to life as it unfolds in the present through thoughts, feelings and perceptions..

NAMASTE.

 

ABOUT YOUR THINKING.

Most people these days are stressed out by the fast pace of life, economy, and worries about the future. Most people would be much happier and healthier if they knew how to slow down and live in the moment.   Mindfulness is an internal resource that all of us already have within us. The idea is to channel or direct this resource to transform our relationships with stress, emotions, pain, and illness. Not being aware of the mechanics of your inner state is like falling asleep while driving at high speeds – becoming aware gives you the power to retake responsibility and to choose happiness and peace over the vicious control dramas of the ego.

Mindfulness means maintaining a moment-by-moment awareness of our thoughts, feelings, bodily sensations, and surrounding environment.  When we practice mindfulness, our thoughts tune into what we’re sensing in the present moment rather than rehashing the past or imagining the future. You cannot find yourself in the past or future. The only place where you can find yourself in the NOW Mindfulness allows us to be fully present, attending to the moment, deeply engaged and yet at peace.

While most people seem to think that mindfulness is a good thing, many people are confused about what exactly mindfulness is. Does it involve emptying the brain of thoughts, inducing relaxation, or going into a trance? Do you have to go live in an ashram and retreat from the material world to practice it effectively?  Is it a kind of religion or cult, and is it potentially dangerous?  In fact, none of the above has been shown to be true.

Mindfulness is the ability to live life more fully aware of what’s going on both around us and in our minds. Through that awareness, we become more familiar with our ongoing mental habits. That awareness increases our ability to pick and choose (without expecting total success) which ones to continue and from which we might step back at any moment

Studies have confirmed that:-

Mindfulness is good for our bodies as it boosts our immune system’s ability to fight off illness.

Mindfulness is good for our minds because it increases positive emotions while reducing negative emotions and stress.

Mindfulness changes our brain, since it increases density of grey matter in brain regions linked to learning, memory, emotion regulation, and empathy.

Mindfulness helps us focus by tuning out distractions and improving our memory and attention skills.

Mindfulness fosters compassion and altruism making us more likely to help someone in need

Mindfulness enhances relationships by making each partner feel more optimistic and relaxed, and enabling them feel more accepting of and closer to one another.

Developing an observing mind that, watches your own daily experiences, notices your automatic patterns, and gently redirects your attention to the present moment is the beginning of growing a “mindfulness muscle” to help you navigate the winds of change and stresses in your life. As Eckhart Tolle said: ‘Always say “yes” to the present moment. Surrender to what is. Say “yes” to life—and see how life suddenly starts working for you rather than against you.’

NAMASTE.

 

Practice moment to moment non-judgemental awareness

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Why is non-judgment an important practice? Non-judgemental approach means to make a conscious effort not to be critical of the actions or thoughts of others. The practice of non-judgment is essential to purify and deprogram the mind just like by eating clean, healthy food, and avoiding alcohol and caffeine we can detoxify the physical body. There is a distinction between judgment and discernment. Discernment simply is perceiving the way things are. Judgment is what we add to discernment of how things or people are and how we think they ought to be. So, in judgment, there’s an element of dissatisfaction with the way things are and a desire to have things be the way we want them to be. Left to itself, the brain will automatically judge things as good or bad, right or wrong, fair or unfair, important or unimportant, urgent or non-urgent and so on. This happens so fast that our experiences are automatically colored right when we get to them. Practicing non-judgement is to silence the mind by stopping the constant flow of thoughts analysing and evaluating everything and everyone we meet, ourselves included. When the mind is clear, we can see new possibilities, transcend perceived limits, and live a life of greater ease, joy and love. The key here is to bring awareness to the moments of our lives. Be aware when the brain is automatically judging a situation or a person, and we can pause and get some perspective. In this way we create a sort of “space” between ourselves and the thought so that we’re not so caught up in it. Labeling judgements as judgements can be useful. When we notice ourselves judging we can just say the word “judging” quietly to ourselves. When we name our experience we again create a small gap that gives us a sense of freedom. Was this judgment just something that popped in my mind? Is there another way I can see this? A practice of non-judgment helps us to avoid a lot of the suffering we experience on a daily basis. Some kinds of judgment are both good and necessarily practical. What I have tried to highlight are those kinds of judgment that are founded on either hatred, prejudice, rigid categorization, unsubstantiated generalization, or any act of making a ‘final judgment’ that closes the heart to another living being. It is not easy to reserve judgement and no one is entirely able to do so, but it is something we can strive for and put into practise as diligently as possible.

 

Turn your wounds into source of power.

Everyone has certainly been emotionally hurt in some way. As a consequence self-worth and emotional well-being is altered and even diminished by the harm resulting in an emotionally abused victim. It is important to cease being a victim and become the author of your own valiant tale of strength and compassion. The character of the victim was created to explain what happened. Suffering occurs when these stories are believed to be true. It is important to recognize that these stories are just stories and not the reality. As long as we cling to the belief that these stories are real we stay stuck in it and work overtime to meet the needs of the story. These stories are so powerful and convincing that they get internalized and get lodged within and manifest itself in physical appearance and movement. It is only by letting go of these stories that freedom can be found to explore the mystery of the true self. The best reason to shed the story is because healing can never be found within that story rather it’s only possible to resign to the script and accept the suffering and remain stuck in the past. Even though it could seem justifiable in insisting on being seen as victimized, abused, abandoned, betrayed and so on the trajectory of your life can be changed by letting go of these stories of pain and misery. Craft a new story that will be a valiant tale of strength, healing and beauty. Script a story of being a valiant traveller rather than a betrayed victim. It is good to remember that none of the stories are true – they are scripts you have created. Then why not create scripts that are grand and ennobling. When this happens you will die to who you have convinced yourself to be and become a mystery unto yourself. You will no longer ask the question, “Who am I?” but instead will wonder, “What am I?” You are much larger than your stories.

 

You are not your thoughts.

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One of the reasons for our misery is our identification with our thoughts. We believe that we are what our thoughts, feelings and perceptions reveal to us. But in reality we are not this. We are that which knows thoughts, feelings and perceptions. They are but objects that appear and disappear in our being. Look at the sky. There are two phenomena, the sky and the clouds. The cloud comes and goes. The sky never comes and never goes. The cloud is a time phenomenon. The sky is always there. It is a timeless phenomenon, it is eternity. The clouds cannot corrupt the sky, its purity is absolute. Its purity is untouchable. Thoughts are just like the clouds that appear in the sky. They may be of different sizes, shapes and colours. They appear and disappear but the sky remains pure. Our true being is like the sky. We are the silent watcher of the play of the clouds. Sometimes they are white and beautiful and sometimes they are dark, dismal and ugly. Sometimes they are full of rain and sometimes empty. Sometimes they greatly benefit the earth and sometimes they cause great harm. But the sky remains always the same. Thoughts, feelings, actions are like the clouds. Being is like the sky – things happen in you, you never happen.