The Wisdom of the Ring : Even This Will Pass Away

The Wisdom of the Ring : Even This Will Pass Away

In my dream saw a strange thing, on my hand I had a ring

It had a maxim carved - strange and wise

Visible at a glance when held in front of eyes

The wisdom suited changes - life faces ever day

The Wisdom of the Ring was: Even this will pass away

Someone can find a lot of gold; someone can multiply money many fold

Another man might suffer worst of health; or may lose in a day abundant wealth

In any circumstance, calm & humble we shall stay, thinking: Even this will pass away…

Winning boosts pride to the world’s very top;

A loss makes us feel miserable, without any hope

Remember on your happiest and on the saddest of days
Pleasure & Pain come but not to stay, whatever you face: Even this will pass away…

(inspired by Ancient Wisdom)

inner Transformation: A Journey Within To Change the World Without - Journey Begins

Dare Change the World ? 

World is a mirror in which we see ourselves reflected. We are the makers of our own world, if the world looks ugly it is because of we ourselves are ugly. If we cleanse our mind and thoughts, we will find that the brilliance in the world is but a reflection of the brilliance within. But we are mostly engaged in trying to clean the mirror than removing the layer of dirt on our own face. Any change, especially the change within, needs a strong intent, SMART* goals, determination to succeed, a well made plan and a disciplined execution. 

It all starts with a THOUGHT in our mind. Mind is nothing but a constant flow of thoughts. As humans became the crown jewels of Almighty's creation, the supreme intelligence has given us freedom and capability to originate thought. With this power (to originate thoughts), the Supreme Intelligence has made us all participants in His creative process.  

Our thoughts are the seeds that get nurtured into our (verbal and non-verbal) EXPRESSIONS. What and how we think affects what we say and how we say it. Just imagine if you are thinking about some of the sad times of your life, how would your expressions be even while interacting with people unaware of those sad events? If you were thinking of good times, your expressions will be surely more jovial.  

"Language shapes our behavior and each word we use is imbued with multitudes of personal meaning. The right words spoken in the right way can bring us love, money and respect, while the wrong words—or even the right words spoken in the wrong way—can lead to a country to war. We must carefully orchestrate our speech if we want to achieve our goals and bring our dreams to fruition."

—Dr. Andrew Newberg, Words Can Change Your Brain

Our Thoughts and Expressions inspire ACTIONS along with modulating quality and nature of them i.e. what we do and how we do it. It is through our Actions that we become part of the creative process. 

Life everyday poses a set of events or stimuli to us; we can decide not to respond to these events (inaction), decide to use our memory and react (instinctive reaction); or respond to the events by originating new thoughts. In all three cases, there will be an outcome. We can call this outcome as fruit of our actions; or Outcomes. The exact outcome is not in our control but our thoughts, expressions and actions have power to influence the outcome. If the outcome is not that we desire, a new cycle of flow of thoughts, expressions and actions starts and life goes on....And that is how most of us play our role in the creative process. 

I call this triplet of Thoughts, Expressions and Actions as "TEA"; and their ongoing interplay in life as "Brewing of TEA". Therefore, "Brewing TEA" is the way we participate in the creative process of the Supreme Creative Intelligence. 

(Journey will continue.... coming back with A CUP of TEA next) 

Golden Nuggets from Ancient Wisdom: Handling Changing / Challenging Environment

I was having a phone conversation with one of my friends who is going through challenging and changing work environment. In the middle of the call my battery died. We both were online so continued our conversation via IM. The conversation captured a few thoughts on “Handling Changing / Challenging Environment”. I am sharing it for your reflection. You may find some golden nuggets in it or comment on the post and provide golden nuggets …. (I have edited the raw IMs to make it a better read)

My Friend: I am getting frustrated as I am doing job that I did not sign up for. I feel I am being forced to do mundane work. I don’t feel supported when I question inefficiencies, which is demoralizing. I think the frustration I face has an easy solution - I just need to stop caring that much, which is kind of sad for the company.....  What do you say?

AB: First, please keep your morale up. You are doing right thing by questioning inefficiencies of the system.

MF: Ya, but I don’t know if I can make any difference in this environment…

AB: Have you heard of Serenity Prayer...

MF: Nope, what's that?

AB: I love it, and follow it to the best of my ability...

“God - give me the strength to change the things that I can.... courage to accept the things I cannot change; and wisdom to know the difference!!!”

In non-spiritual terms: 

We operate in a three concentric circular domains around us. The largest circle is the Circle of Concern - we worry and we can keep worrying about these things, but nothing that we can do to improve things in this domain. The middle circle is the Circle of Influence - we don't have direct control over things here, yet we can influence; and the innermost smallest circle is the Circle of Control - these are activities and situations that we are in control . If we dwell too much in the Circle of concern and try changing things we are likely to become frustrated... 

MF: Very simple, yet really true, except that for my environment perception of value is based on circle of concern.....

AB: We should reflect on things in our circle of concern briefly (that we have not put them there wrongly); care for things in our circle of influence and focus most of our (change) effort in the Circle of control...

MF: But we are measured on things that we have little influence or control over

AB: Sometimes... and that is "What I have to Do" just because I have signed up to work for a corporation...

In that case we need to work on bringing things from Circle of Concern to Circle of Control. One way is organization empowering you and helping you use your positional influence to influence or control more things in your circle of concern (provided they benefit business), . That option once again might be out of your circle of control (hopefully in your circle of influence). But the way that is within your circle of control is - for you to show your leadership and gain that empowerment by generating influence through taking proactive ownership of things you think you can control. You need to successfully evangelize merits of your thoughts / proposals – showing clearly how they contribute value to the business or the organization.    

MF: The issue at my organization is that there is no influence to fix the concerns I have at any level because it is too hard......and not important enough. What if I am not able to bring things from my Circle of Concern to Circle of Control?
AB: Put your sincere efforts to change the thing that you don't like; If you can't change it - change the way you think about it... 

MF: But why are people afraid to take ownership or make decisions? 

AB: Knowing what you have told me about changes and uncertainties in your organization, it may be  insecurity. When the leaders are secure and confident; they are trusted and they make their teams believe that members are doing important work for the company; people don't hesitate to make right decisions because they know they will be supported even if the outcome is not favorable. People flourish and such companies flourish…

MF: Yes i agree with that. You cannot be correct all the time without a few mis-steps here and there

AB: On a lighter note, I might have shared Teflon Style of management.... did I ?

Teflon is the non-stick material on the cooking pans... People these days don't want anything sticking to them; so you ask anyone anything, if that requires effort - they will either say they don't know or tell you that it is someone else's job..  :)

MF: I must admit that I have not felt job security in my current role ever - from day 1

AB: You are lucky I would say...

MF: ha? In what sense? Good looking, smart......engaging......apart from that how am i lucky?

AB: Since you have not yet gotten into the comfort zone and not felt this is the permanent environment for you; you are able to think out-of-the-box and question status-quo without fearing for anything...

MF: That's a nice way of saying I am not fitting well… :)

AB: It is only after one feels comfortable that fear of change makes you compliant to the environment...

MF: But I feel unsettled.......

AB: Yet it is keeping you green; and not letting you become a fossil :)

Atithi Devo Bhava: Experiencing True India - A day to remember...

When visitors come to India, they see "Atithi Devo Bahava" (i.e. "Visitors are like God") advertisements and as majority of them only visit metros, they leave India with an eagerness of where can they experience "Atithi Devo Bhava". Many of them leave with the unpleasant experiences of beggars almost snatching things from their hands; or people trying to make a fast buck out of foreigners. I have heard those stories so many times, and I am sure you did too...

But June 5, 2013 had something different in store for us. I was accompanying 11 students from Exeter University of England to a cultural field trip to Shantidham Gurukul near Sangam along with a visit to a nearby village.  

As soon as we reached the Gurukul, we were received by the students and the acharyas with pleasant and auspicious Vedic chants. As we all walked towards the Yajna-shala, we could only hear the chanting or the birds chirping - adding to the chorus. Living in the city for so long, not hearing traffic noise and impatient ALL OF US honking; is a peaceful experience in itself.  

After a warm welcome ceremony, the Gurukul reverberated with the Vedic chanting of 60+ young bramhcharis. Their heartily charting created mesmerizing environment in the middle of nature's abode. After many other informative and interesting sessions on Indian culture; we were served a traditional lunch on Banana leaves. I have been a regular visitor to this Gurukul; and if you want to experience "Atithi Devo Bhava" in action; this Gurukul is the place to go.

Arya ji from Gurukul had also arranged a village visit for us. I never imagined that the next phase of our visit will be a unique experience even for me as well. As we took a mud road, a gentleman appeared who then led us to the village center. We were standing in front of a 300 year old house in which people were still living. Marvelous piece of architecture, with stone foundation and beautifully carved wooden pillars. What took my breath away was the provision this house had for rain water harvesting. As you will see in the picture, in the middle of the house was a rectangular corridor, with roof sloped inwards and there was an opening. On a sunny day, the opening brings light and fresh air into the house. On a rainy day, water gets collected into the reservoir below. The reservoir also had water removal duct that could be opened at will. I was amazed at the planning this house overall had.

There was was water tank; special earthen pots to keep grains for years.We even saw a woman grinding Raagi using a hand mill. The residents of the house were happy to receive us in their home and offered whatever they had available. We had home grown peanuts with Jaggery, the combination was loved by all of us.

As all of us moved around the village, the curious residents were outside their homes; and I felt life in the village came to a standstill.  But that is how life in India villages probably is - they value people and the time they can spend in human interactions. We where offered some of the sweetest coconut water I have ever had. When we tried paying the villagers, they felt offended and told us that we are their guest and they are doing what a good host should do. They wanted us to carry pleasant memories of the visit.

The picture of smiling grandmas' made me think, how materialistic conveniences of life have nothing to do with happiness and true smile. These people in picture might not have gadgets, fancy cars or expensive clothes; yet they have big hearts and loving thoughts for fellow human beings.

The experiences of the day surely touched hearts of visiting students, in addition, we were left in awe and proud to be an Indian. When you next time see a celebrity talking about "Atithi Devo Bhava" and you wonder "where", especially after what happened in recent months in New Delhi and other metros; do visit any Indian village, which is still untouched by the modernization. And you can yourself see Spirituality in Action; not as a fancy concept but as a Way of Life. 

Can be a Life Saver: Do you go for Preventive Maintenance

We are so caught up in the world of THINGS that we have forgotten that we work to live not live to work... This thought can take several dimension but today I want to pick the one that can be a different between life and death.

We were in a state of shock when we found out that just a floor below our home, our neighbor's relative - a very bright young executive barely 37years of age, after a family get together and banter went to sleep and never woke up. The family members can not get rid of the guilt that he was asked to sleep because "he was talking too much, and didn't let others speak". Never had any symptoms one would worry about. Another shock came just a few days ago when one of our researcher friends went home and while giving dance lessons, just collapsed. And never opened her eyes.

These two events were shocking, more so because I don't know when I went for a complete physical exam and totally unaware of the Inside Story. While living in the US, preventive health checks were at least an annual affair; but in India, too caught up on the roads and procrastination that in the last five years never went to hospital for a complete checkup.

We treat our cars and other toys better than our bodies. We go for regular oil change, regular maintenance services, tire re-balancing etc.  We observe performance degradation of our laptops and mobile phones and go for upgrades. But I wonder if we care about our own body and mind the same. If I had a very expensive dog or horse, I will never let them smoke, drink or stay awake all night - too expensive to risk. But we often mistreat our own bodies even worst.

The recent events did alarm me and I did go for a complete health check. End result - my sedentary life style has started showing up on the health performance numbers. Fortunately, the effect is yet only showing up around my belly and regular exercise offers me hope of recovery. I will not forget Dr. Chavi's one liner - "60min of exercise daily, diet control because I don't want this fat that is currently on the belly to accumulate on your arteries". She also seeded in my mind - "Feel guilty if you are sitting for eating without completing your 60min workout". Both her pearls of wisdom are so far doing the trick. I feel much better that at least I am inspired to do what is in my control.

How about you ? When was the last you went for a health check? Especially if you are above 30 and even more important if you are above 40. Let us at least offer our bodies same respect that we are offering to our cars and other gadgets. The intent of this writing is not to scare you; but to invite you to reflect on "do you know your inside story?" and "are you doing your best to stay healthy?".

arunb's Golden Nugget: Triple Filter Test to Live in the Excellence Zone

This week's Golden Nugget comes from Ancient Wisdom of Socrates.

Referring to the popular saying "Silence is Golden", once a disciple asked Socrates, when shall one speak. Socrates replied that everyone should apply a triple filter test before speaking anything.

First filter is the filter of "Truthfulness" i.e. what you are saying it is absolutely true? If you are not certain then you will end up promoting something untrue. Many times we keep promoting hearsay without knowing the truth.

Second filter is the filter of "Pleasantness". What you are going to say, is it pleasant?  This filter eliminates empty remarks and vain statements made to hurt others or just spoken for no reason in idleness.

Third filter is the filter of "Usefulness". Is the statement we are going to make benefits the listener? Will our words bring comfort and joy to someone?

If what you want to say does not pass this Triple-Filter Test i.e. it is not true, not pleasant and of no use, then those words are better unspoken.  Only the words that are carrier of truth, provide comfort to someone and result in some benefit to the listener; are worth speaking.

Triple-Filter Test not only create extra time for desirable activities, it also helps in maintaining peace of mind as well as healthy relations with others. I invite you to reflect on this golden nugget and use triple filter test to live in the Excellence Zone. 

Degradation of Values and Our Future

One thought is very close to my heart - "It is the degradation of inner values that is causing the destruction of outer environment". Please give it a thought. All unfortunate events that we see today (or we ourselves cause) are a result of degradation of inner values.

Nurturing of Values in a society has two dimensions - first, the right values need to be inculcated in the growing minds (and by the way it is proven that our mind grows beyond 75 years, Ref: Neuro-plasticity);  we need to make sure wrong values do not corrupt the growing minds. 

With parents getting busy and grand-ma; grand-pa living in a distant town; the tradition of moral story telling to kids is vanishing. The story telling these days mostly is through television or video-games; which are mostly oriented towards getting kids hooked on to junk-food and toys representing violent or romantic characters. 

As we grow up, we get exposed to more television and movies that will test anyone's determination of living a virtuous life. I fail to understand purpose of Big-boss and similar shows; and item-numbers in movies. The only contribution they can make is erosion of values.   

If money, education or power could compensate for lack of values so many of known, rich, highly educated and powerful people will not be sitting behind bar losing all the respect they had earned. 

So what then helps to build a society with values; and how can values be protected / nurtured in increasingly vicious environment? 

As there is no single answer, I am leaving this as a open question for you to provide your thoughts and view on "How to build virtuous India and how to prevent degradation of inner values"?    

Golden Nugget: Ancient Wisdom From Hitopadesha

As the year 2012 came to an end, and 2013 ushered in; I wish you a year of peace, prosperity and joy. This time, the Golden Nuggets are based on Ancient Wisdom of Hitopadesha. Written in the form of stories and advice couplets, Hitopadesha captures the essence of Ancient Wisdom from Indian scriptures including Gita and Panchtantra. I hope you will not only enjoy reading them, but meditate on them and may the ancient wisdom from these golden nuggets make 2013 a joyful year for you.

The wise will strive for wealth and learning, As if to time and age immune;

But not delay good works, realizing, that death may strike one anytime soon.

We often procrastinate on projects where our passion lies, waiting for some event in the future to happen. I pray that 2013 inspires us all to do things that we always wanted to do, especially sharing what we can with those who are less privileged.

To worthy people what you give, and that on which you daily live.

That alone your wealth people merit: The rest you guard, others inherit.

Someone asked a saint, “Who is RICH?”  I invite you to give a thought – “Who do YOU think is rich?”

The saint responded, “The one who after taking care of his needs and responsibilities; shares his / her resources with others – WITHOUT expecting anything in return”. I pray that in 2013, we all will experience “The Joy of Selfless Giving”.  

If you have a contended mind, wealthy yourself you will find.

To one with shoes on his feet, all roads are covered with soft leather sheet.

A king once had a whim that his kingdom roads should be covered with carpet so his feet never fall on dusty roads. The wise minister knew impracticality of the whim, so he asked the shoemaker to make shoes with carpet lining. And now wherever the king went, he always had carpet under his feet. I wish that 2013 will bring contentment to our life, so we can enjoy what we have; instead of wanting to have something more to enjoy.

Even after studying the sacred knowledge, or by going every day to college

You will gain little just by doing this; unless you put your learning into practice

A well-made medicine for the sick, cannot do any magic trick

The suffering you cannot tame; just by uttering the medicine’s name.

I hope you will reflect on these golden nuggets and put to practice what you find good out of them. I wish your family and you a very happy new year!