I saw him today.
He is a good man.
I could tell.
Rough life? Certainly.
Drugs and alcohol? Probably.
Wanting? Definitely.
Deserves more than he has? Of course, as do all.
Your domain is the universe.
Look deeper and you will definitely live better.
Humanity has discarded pearls in exchange for mud.
Yet they are angry over ‘injustice.’
Self confidence is simply a matter of knowing where to look for it.
If you feel you lack self confidence, it is only because you are looking for it in the wrong places.
Self confidence does not dwell on the surface of life.
That sort of superficial self confidence is fleeting.
Genuine self confidence dwells at the depth of your being.
Rest into the depth.
If you ever feel uneasy with yourself, just take a moment to rest into the self.
Know that the self is divine.
Know that if you just show your self, people will see it. love it, and honor it.
You show it by resting into it.
Self confidence is just that simple.
Yes, please believe me, I do understand. They said/did something that hurt you. It made you angry so you just had to hurt them back. Once that pendulum swings, the conflict begins. They hurt you so you hurt them back. Think, The Godfather.
You have two choices. Either work out your differences (much easier said than done), allow the relationship to be damaged in perpetuity by going your own way, or allow it to inflame even more. Incredibly, that is the stuff that create global wars.
So how do you stop that pendulum from swinging? First thing is to allow yourself some time to come back into balance. That might entail biting your lip a bit. Just don’t let time drag on too long, which could perpetuate resentment.
Then, once you are back into relative balance, what comes next next? You need to say something. It may just be just a few words, but let them know that the door is open to healing the relationship, to taking the next step. Be ready for the possibility of rejection in case they are not yet ready to take that next step. If so, just give them more time. Know that the peace offering will not be forgotten. Know that no one wants war. It is just that some people have a hard time taking that next step. You can always try again with another peace offering. Note that a peace offering is not assuming a fetal position. It is not ‘giving in’ or accepting defeat. It is a mature and adult stance, not a weak one. It may be challenging for you to make the offering, and they may not respond exactly how you would like them to respond. It is a process. Your goal is to steadfastly be a respectful, mature adult. Just keep in mind that the pendulum swings and it requires some skill to get out of its way.
When the time comes that both of you are willing to talk, know that neither of you will do that perfectly. Little jabs will be thrown. An ‘honest sharing’ of feelings may be more of a cloaked blaming than an honest airing. Just remember that and handle it as wisely as possible. The possible directions a conversation like this may go are too numerous to mention. However, the concept underlying all those possibilities is the same: stay out of the way of the swinging pendulum. Do not feed that swing. You may have to tolerate a hurtful jab here and there. If it starts to feel to abusive, you can respectfully excuse yourself from the conversation, saying you need to resume it later. More than likely they will know why and will reflect upon how they behaved.
This is an art. It requires patience and practice. A great deal of it is a function of your own personal style. There is no cookbook. Giving yourself the time to cultivate this art is much of what being an adult is all about.
I love the way NK bottom lined the previous blog about Hurt. “There is a fine line between venting and sharing.” It is indeed a fine line. However, if you can stay with the feeling of hurt without slipping into anger (be it overt, passive/aggressive, or whatever), the line then remains clearly delineated and even becomes more like a huge gap. And yes, this is indeed an art.
Perhaps the biggest challenge of the art is feeling vulnerable to the possibility of attack, rejection, or retaliation if you do express your hurt.
The key here lies in not selling the other person short. We often think we aren’t heard nearly as much as we actually are. In the moment, it may seem your words are not being honored. Know that people do hear you in such moments far more than they may be able to acknowledge.
Also know that just one sentence or phrase can be enough to prompt them to (later, in their quite moments) reflect upon what you have shared. Usually, the problem is not that the person didn’t hear you, rather that you think they did not hear you. If you keep pushing your point, your words may be rejected because they feel invasive or overdone. Oftentimes more can be said in a sentence than in a book.
If they do retaliate, respectful and humble silence may be your most powerful response.
It can, at times, be good to say the following:
“I know better than this and would not actually act on it, but do want you to know how I am feeling inside.”
Then say what it is you are feeling, while fully acknowledging that it is just coming from a hurt place within that needs to be voiced, vented, let out.
It is not to be said as an attack but as a humble, vulnerable, and respectful sharing of the hurt that is going on within you.
Someone sent the following rather cynical quote to me:
“Five percent of the people think; ten percent of the people think they think; and the other eighty-five percent would rather die than think.”
I do not know how accurate those percentages are. However, I do believe that of the people that actually do think, only one in a thousand actually discern. Combine that with the fact that Adi Shankara said that the spiritual path is the path of discernment and the state of humanity becomes clear.
Discernment is not only the path, but also the goal… integration of all levels and aspects of your being… integration of thoughts and emotions with what lies deeper.
Are you on a roll? Are you in a rut? Is it hard for you to get going with your life? Consider the perspective that your life is all about your relationship with momentum.
Long term and short term, your life has momentum. Your ability to get that momentum going, or to shift that momentum, determines the nature of your life. Create a healthy relationship with momentum and you will have a good life. However, that is not so easy to do. In the short term, you may know you need to get off the couch and get to the gym, but making that momentum shift can be difficult. Long term, you may not like your job, but overcoming the momentum of your current routine requires overcoming a great deal of momentum. You may be in a bad relationship. You may have an unhealthy circle of friends. These things can be difficult to shift. Momentum can be your greatest enemy in life.
On the other hand, you can be on a roll with your life. You may have a great relationship, great job, great friends, healthy and evolutionary lifestyle, etc. Perhaps you are meditating twice daily and have a healthy routine. In the areas where your life is working, momentum is your friend.
You can also look at your world view in terms of momentum. How open are you to evolving your world view? Perhaps you feel your current world view is what life is all about and you have all the answers you need. Whatever the case, the quality of your relationship with momentum determines the quality of your life. Evolving your relationship with momentum is what the path of evolution is all about.
Over the next few days, take a look at your life in terms of momentum. What is your relationship with momentum? How easy is it for you to make needed changes? How much of your life is on a positive roll? Where are you in a rut and where are you riding a wave? It’s all about your relationship with momentum. You may want to reflect on Aristotle’s words:
“You are what you repeatedly do. Excellence, therefore, is not an act, but a habit”.
You may have noticed that world history, when presented succinctly, often barely mentions India. That is perplexing. However, taking a deeper look reveals why.
To begin with, the notion of zero originated in India. Zero, of course, is nothing. How interesting that it is represented by a circle. A circle has no handle, no edge, no tip, nothing to grab on to. A dog chasing its tail forms a zero. Humanity wants something, not nothing. We are taught from childhood to view the world in terms of things. Nothing is not really understood.
The crux of the issue, however, is that the real gift from India is nothing… Pure Nothingness… the Transcendent. When you finally awaken to the true nature of existence, you awaken to nothing… no thing… that which transcends thingness. Nothing is the backdrop of existence. It is the essence of everything. Of course, when the knowledge from India is studied, the attempt is to turn it into something. Attempting to introduce people to nothing is not understood. It can even be received with hostility, as if the receiver feels they are being toyed with. The essence of Vedic Knowledge then slips through the fingers.
Who would have thought that awakening to the true nature of nothing is the ultimate awakening? How many believe that nothing is a simple concept so easily understood. How many believe that understanding Vedic literature is something attained through memorization, the intellect, an emotional epiphany, or at least some thing!
Indeed, India’s greatest gift to the world is nothing! Nothing transcends everything. It is the field of pure consciousness, not yet conscious of any thing. Therein lies the riddle of life… the longing, the impulse, in need to make nothing something. Certainly something, all things, are made out of nothing. But nothing is not something. Of course, you can wrap your brain around that but then it is not that. You just have made something out of nothing and it is then no longer nothing.
When you first awaken to nothing, then you will understand. You will stand under everything. Nothing under stands everything. Everything comes from nothing. Taking that as a concept can even frighten people, as if the world then is viewed as useless. However, nothing can be further from the truth (pun intended). After awakening to Nothing, all things take on a whole new, deeper, more profound, and beautiful meaning. Life becomes truly rich.
Indeed, we can all be most grateful to India, for giving us nothing.
On some deep level of your being you long for new knowledge. New knowledge fascinates, enlivens, and thrills us all. However, there is one huge obstacle to gaining knowledge that requires attention. That is, namely, your current world view.
On the one hand, your current world view is essential to your life. It is through your world view that you evaluate anything and everything. It is the rudder with which you navigate the waters of life. It is the net result of all the life experiences that you have had. It, in a sense, defines you.
On the other hand, your current world view is what limits you. It is only natural to fear and doubt that which challenges your current world view. It is much easier to embrace new knowledge if it reinforces and conforms to your world view. Otherwise, new knowledge can feel threatening.
This is particularly true when a whole new body of knowledge is introduced all at once… especially if the conclusion of that arena of knowledge is radically foreign to you. Perhaps if it was offered in a step-by-step logical sequence, instead of all at once, it could be understood and digested gradually with the logical conclusions then received with enthusiasm and fascination.
Sometimes I take a step back and look at the knowledge I have gained over the years. I realize how much my world view has changed since I was a teenager. If I were introduced to what I know now all at once then, conclusions and all, I would have rejected it immediately. I would likely not have even been willing to start with step one to follow the logical sequences that led me to where I am now.
That lack of willingness is epidemic, not only for individuals, but even more so for societies. New knowledge progresses slowly and is more often rejected than considered. I do understand that when a person who has never considered Vedic knowledge sees, for example, a statue of Hanuman, the experience can cause them to not want to consider step one of the understanding. I also understand that when a person was raised with an understanding of Vedic knowledge, looking deeper into a new perspective may be viewed as incorrect or unnecessary. In either case, knowledge is lost, discarded, set aside.
Every individual would do well to consider where they are with all of this… how they live their life… what their relationship with new knowledge is. How frozen are you into your current world view? How open are you to new knowledge? In this world where we are bombarded with so many different world views, how do you go about discerning what to consider and what to ignore? There is no cookbook of how to go about this. However, for sure, the answer lies within you.
It is up to you to take an honest look within.
Question: About a month ago, I saw Maharishi Mahesh Yogi in my dreams twice, once during meditation, and the other in the middle of that same night. The second time I dreamed of him, I felt something burst out of my heart, and a gust of pain went all over my body. Something like this happened to me a few years ago. Could you please explain what happened to me?
Answer: Interestingly enough, I had a dream about Maharishi just about the same time you did. We associate Maharishi with the Transcendent, certainly someone who is spiritually very high. It is possible that you had a moment of transcendence during sleep and the dream was a symbolic representation of the experience of transcending, namely a dream of Maharishi.
With such a powerful transcendence, a deep-seated stress in the heart could have been released, explaining your experience. Having said that, though we can’t help to wonder and try to understand what happened when we have profound experiences, it’s best to be easy with it and not even hope to have a definitive answer about its nature. It is enough to know that your heart is in the right place and you are on a rapid evolutionary path. Rejoice in that and set all concerns aside.
The Truth about Religion and Flatlining
