Your body and Ahimsa

अहिंसाप्रतिष्ठायं तत्सन्निधौ वैरत्याघः
ahiṁsā-pratiṣṭhāyaṁ tat-sannidhau vairatyāghaḥ ||Yoga Sutra 2.35||
When ones relationship with another being is based on ahimsa, the other being drops all resistance in the relationship and all cooperation will be effortlessly forthcoming!

This is a great guide for ones relationship with ones body. Consequently if ones relationship with ones body is based on ahimsa (perfect understanding of the body's grammar and all interactions being based on that), then the body's cooperation will be received! If one has not practiced ahimsa with ones own body, ahimsa in other relationships will be hard.

Correct asana and pranyama practice will let one discover the body's grammar.

Trikāla Drishti

The following is one of the famous soliloquies by Shakespeare that appears in the play Macbeth

To-morrow, and to-morrow, and to-morrow,
Creeps in this petty pace from day to day,
To the last syllable of recorded time;
And all our yesterdays have lighted fools
The way to dusty death. Out, out, brief candle!

The above soliloquy appears towards the end of the play Macbeth and is spoken by Macbeth when he hears about the death of his wife. He is lamenting how time gradually takes people towards the end (death) of (most often) confusing lives. This way of experiencing time (as an entity that continuously flows from past to future creating history in its flow) is the default way most humans experience time. The common term used is linear time and this is the first drishti (way of seeing) time. A similar sentiment is also expressed by Thiruvalluvar

நாளென ஒன்றுபோற் காட்டி உயிரீரும்
வாள துணர்வார்ப் பெறின். (குறள் எண்: 334)
Appears like a day, but the wise see it as a sword
that is cutting through ones life! (Kural 334)

One experiences this continuous flow of time by the changes that we see in the world around us. These changes affect us and give us both pain and pleasure. Consequently, anything that gives us the ability to influence these changes so as to maximize pleasure and minimize pain is keenly sought after. Naturally then, money, power and skill are keenly sought after entities for people operating with this view. This breeds competition and forces the individual to experience oneself as a completely separate entity from other human beings and the biosphere.


As young adults live life more and more out of the first drishti mentioned above, a sense of dreariness usually sets in (despite expensive foreign vacations and the like). Though many different jobs may be taken, essentially one may be doing the same thing of earning more money so as to spend them in increasingly more avenues! When the same patterns in life start repeating, one starts to suspect may be one is missing somethings. That's usually when the wise statements made by rishis and munis of India starts to make sense. If this second drishti never dawns, the dreariness of life will hit one as is exhibited by Macbeth.

Then, one starts to see the cyclical patterns of behavior all around - that pleasure and pain keep coming and going in waves. The jains describe this using the ideas of utsarpini and avasarpini! In other places, it is called the kalachakra, or the cycle of time. This is the second drishti of time - wherein one sees patterns of repeated behavior. Only then, one starts to understand the natural processes. Natural processes are completely dependent on periodic behavior. The zen masters say, 'Spring comes, grass grows!'

Traditionally in India, there were more people who were strongly rooted in the cyclical drishti of time. This does not preclude the first drishti. But, this shapes it such that the first drishti does not violate many key understandings that arise out of the cyclical drishti. Unfortunately, today the situation is not the same. The world (sadly including India) is dominated by people who look for market share and do not worry about externalities. Naturally, it has lead to utter destruction of the biosphere, severe poverty, intolerance and violence all over. People rooted in this cyclical drishti will naturally try to eschew violence as they know that violence will only cyclically breed violence. They will also be able to see clearly that though one may get short term profit by reducing a mountain to rubble, the price of loss of biosphere has to be paid subsequently.

Whole of life was seen as a cyclical pattern leading to ideas such as rebirth in India. Bhaja Govindam, the famous work by Adi Sankara, says

पुनरपि जनानां पुनरपि मरणं
पुनरपि जननी जठरे शयनं ह् .
Again and again one is born
Again and again one dies

Valluvar also opines the same

உறங்குவது போலுஞ் சாக்கா டுறங்கி
விழிப்பது போலும் பிறப்பு. (குறள் எண்: 339)
Life and death are like sleeping and waking up (Kural 339)

The above assertions by our revered ancestors may appear like childish assertions to the modern educated mind. Unfortunately the modern mind, relentlessly chased by to death by the physicists entropy increasing arrow of time, is not psychologically free to analyze these statements. IMHO, Indian civilization does not ask people to accept these assertions. Instead, the invitation is to be free from ones biases and to explore these with respect. These are deep assertions coming from beings deeply immersed in the cyclical nature of time and the third and even more elusive drishti of time. In the cyclical drishti, while one also experiences oneself as a separate entity, one also sees oneself as a part of continuum of various natural processes that have been going on from time immemorial.

The cyclical sense of time gives rise to ideas of equilibrium. Indians, IMHO, discovered ayurveda simply because of this view of time. Ayurveda is all about equilibrium. Health is understood as equilibrium and disease as the absence of the same. Hence, all intervention is about reinstating the equilibrium. This is starkly in contrast with allopathy that goes in hunt of the cause. Clearly, allopathy is rooted in linear time of cause and effect. Ayurveda does not denounce cause and effect - that is also accepted. Just that, IMO, it subsumes cause and effect as minor parameters of the cyclical sense of time. Restorative justice, unlike criminal justice, tries to reinstate lost balance in society also stems from this view of time.

This idea of cyclical time gives rise to the idea of a central equilibrium around which things move. The movement causes some disturbance but eventually things subside back into the center and then may be they will move in the other direction. This idea is also seen clearly in Indian art forms that talk about the sthayi (unchanging centre) and the sanchari (that which moves around the centre).

Lesser said, the better about the third drishti of time - the timeless sense of time. It cannot be communicated by words. It can only be communicated from one heart to another via silence of the mind. The great rishis of India have been doing the same for many thousands of years. Invitation is for one to explore their lives and anchor oneself at their feet (this again may cause discomfort to modern educated people who may find this idea obnoxious). For the linear sense of time is immensely powerful and will keep dragging one all over the place. All genuine practitioners of Yoga who try to anchor themselves in the cyclical sense of the same would attest for the same. Only anchoring oneselves in the immovable, the ultimate, will help one maintain the cyclical sense of time as ones home. For this anchoring oneself with the masters who have manifested the timeless in them becomes essential.

Questioner: What is the best time to meditate?

Ramana: What is time?

All details about timeless are ultimately futile to someone who has not even tried to discover the cyclical sense of time! Only when one has put in sufficient effort by oneself to stay there, one will start to seek out the help of these timeless masters and cultivate the same in oneself. The great masters say ones separate sense of identity is completely dissolved into the ultimate in this view. One has to explore this to figure out the details of this drishti.


The yogis are those who are equally at ease in all three drishtis of time - linear, cyclical and the timeless! India, and the world at large, is in serious shortage of such people. IMHO, only such people will have the needed ability to redirect the movement of humanity away from self destruction. Skilled in linear time, rooted in cyclical time and with a profound acknowledgement of the timeless, they will have the potential to impact the world in positive ways.

IMHO, the human breath is an entity that possesses a nature that is similar to the mystical nature of time. It is also linear, cyclical and timeless. Regular training of the same will make it deep and subtle. Such a breath will help the individual move between the various drishtis of time at will! Patanjali says in the sadhana pada of yoga sutras,

प्रयत्नशैथिल्यानन्तसमापत्तिभ्याम्
prayatna-śaithilya-ananta-samāpatti-bhyām ||2.47||

When the right effort becomes effortless, the individual becomes one with endless!

First word

Interesting discussion about the first word usage in some of the key books in Indian thought in a workshop at YogaNidhi

1. Bhagawad gita stats with
"dharma-ksetre kuru-ksetre ..."
First word is dharma (complex questions on decision making in life) indicating what to expect from the Bhagawad gita.

2. Ramayana starts with
"tapaH svaadhyaaya nirataam tapasvii..."
First word is tapah (cleansing of personal impurities) indicating what to expect from Ramayana.

3. Yoga sutras start with
"atha yoganusasanam"
First word is atha (engaging with ones life afresh this / each / every moment) indicating what to expect from Yoga sutras.

Awesome and apt dialogues

Awesome and apt dialogues! To be reflected regularly

கிருஷ்ணன்
--------------
என்ன இருக்தாலும் உன் பண்பும் என் மேல் இருக்கம் அன்பும் அளவிடகூடியதா என்ன?

சகுனி
-------
எனக்கும் உனக்கம் நல குறைவு எது கிருஷ்ணா?
கிருஷ்ணன்
--------------
தோல்வி மனிதனுக்கு வெறியூட்டும்
வெறியில் மதி மாறும்
எதிரி அது சமயம் இடம் கண்டு இடிப்பான்
வெறி மேலும் வீம்பும்
நெறி கேட்டு அறம் விட்டு தடம் மாறி படு குழியில் விழுவான்
இல்லை. எதிரி விழ வைப்பான்

குந்தி: சரி, இனிமேல் என்ன முடிவு
கிருஷ்ணன்: உன் மக்கள், உன் முடிவு. முடிவு செய்ய வேண்டியது நீ

கிருஷ்ணன்
-------------
சண்டையை தடுக்கும் பொருட்டு நீ குடிசையிலும் வாழ சம்மதிப்பாய் என்று நினைத்தேன்
ஆனால் ஆசை யாரை விட்டது

கிருஷ்ணன்
-------------
பாவ காரியங்கள் என்றும் அழிந்துவிடாது அத்தை
அது எப்புடியோ வெளியே வந்துவிடும்

Taxi driver stories

Every taxi driver has a poignant story that he is more than ready to share! Hear ten taxi drivers and the fate of the hoi polloi of this nation is revealed.

Belongs to a impoverished farming community from the hinterland - shift to city with hopes of doing a decent job defined as one that involves wearing full pants - live in squalid conditions and work graveyard shifts to make 15K a month - spend most of it in paying for mostly useless white mans education of kids and dream that somehow magically they will be much better than him.

Endaro mahanubhavulu

We were coming back to Chennai after a visit to the native village. We had some tender coconuts in our car brought from our home. We asked a road side tender coconut seller if she could chop it for us. She happily agreed. As she was serving her regular customers (who buy the tender coconut from her), she also simultaneously chopped 7-8 tender coconuts for us too.

As we finished, I offered her some money for her service. She blushed and was really taken aback. She said, "To quench your thirst, I simply chopped a few coconuts for you! No no no, I cannot take any money".

Velammal - tender coconut seller on GST road near chengalpet toll both

There were four of us and all four were stunned by her sense of Dharma and her effortless expression of the same! Living in a mostly corrupt and highly competitive Indian city (and working for even more competitive corporations who exist purely to make money), we were all so conditioned to assume that everyone is like that. This was especially assumed as this lady was a economically not well of lady selling tender coconuts standing in the hot sun all day. But her sense of Dharma immediately awakened all of us to our actions. This is not to eulogise them. They may have their share of their issues. But, it is best to observe each other and learn about Dharma from each other.

As I recited this story to a few people back home, everyone said 'thank god! there are still some Dharmic people in the villages'. If it is commonly well known that cities screw up our sense of dharma, why are we here? This is not a rhetoric question. No answer is assumed. The following questions ensued.

1. If it is commonly well known that cities screw up our sense of dharma, why are we here?
2. Are we completely in touch with all the changes that are inflicted on us?
3. How are we dealing with all of that?
4. What kind of social structures are we building for future generations?

As we ponder these questions, let salute ladies like Velammal who invite us to explore these questions. Endaro mahanubhavulu, antareeki vandanam (Oh great soul, I salue you)!

ஞானமுங் கல்வியும்

நமச்சி வாயவே ஞானமுங் கல்வியும்
நமச்சி வாயவே நானறி விச்சையும்
நமச்சி வாயவே நாநவின் றேத்துமே
நமச்சி வாயவே நன்னெறி காட்டுமே.

ஞானமும், கல்வியும், நானறிந்த வித்தையும் பஞ்சாட்சரமே; நா கூறி வழிபடுவதும் அதனையே ; நன்னெறி காட்டுவதும் அத்திருமந்திரமேயாகும்.

-- திருவாசகம்

Quotes from Eknath Eashwaran's FB Page

"When we get upset, it's not because life upsets us. We get upset because we're upsettable. With practice, everyone can develop a mind that's unupsettable. One of the best ways to do this is to give complete attention and respect to those around us - particularly when we differ."

"Jealousy comes into a relationship when we try to possess someone for ourselves. It is a very difficult secret to discover: that when we do not want to possess another person selfishly, when we do not make demand after demand, the relationship will grow and last. And it is something we have to learn the hard, hard way. This is the secret of all relationships, not only between husband and wife, boyfriend and girlfriend, but between friend and friend, parents and children."

"It is the nature of an untrained mind to keep moving, moving, moving. But the mind is infinitely teachable. You can make it natural for your mind not to move, but to dwell like a laser wherever you place it. That is the secret of genius, and it is the secret of satisfying relationships too."

"When your own mind is slow, you will be calm under attack. You will be in control of your own responses. Then you will not be afraid of angry people; you will be able to face them with affection in your heart, security in your mind, and a quiet confidence that you can slow down their anger. Even a belligerent person can sense that you are remaining calm, so you not only remain free from anger yourself but help the other person to calm down too."

"We do not still our minds in a week or even a year; it takes a long, long period of steady, enthusiastic effort. We should never be impressed by anyone who claims to give us complete control over the conscious, preconscious, and unconscious levels of the mind in a four-week seminar. But even it it takes a lifetime to attain this state, it is worth all our time and attention."

"It is no small thing to compose a sonata or write a perceptive novel; we are indebted to the great composers and writers who have given us beauty and insight into human nature. But I am most moved by the beauty of the perfectly crafted life, where every bit of selfishness has been carved away and what is thought, felt, said, and done are brought into harmony."

“We have to have a purpose greater than the endless struggle to satisfy personal desires.”

"The mind is conditioned to go after what it likes and to avoid what it dislikes, and so it is never at rest. If we can observe our mind with a little detachment, we can watch this process. Training the mind to be patient and calm under all circumstances, then, often begins with learning to wear our likes and dislikes loosely, casually, like a favorite old sweater."

“We need people if we are to grow, and all our problems with them, properly seen, are opportunities for growth. Can you practice patience with a deer? Can you learn to forgive a redwood? But trying to live in harmony with those around you right now will bring out enormous inner toughness.”

"When the mind is still, we can become an instrument of peace."

"Our speech has power. If we are careless in the words we choose – or even deliberately negative – we can set in motion damaging forces that are as threatening as a viral epidemic. Or we can add our voice to the harmony that underlies all life by choosing our words with care, honesty, and – above all – kindness."

“Developing a one-pointed mind will enrich your life moment by moment. You will find that your senses are keener, your emotions more stable, your intellect more lucid, your sensitivity to the needs of others heightened. Whatever you do, you will be there more fully.”

இதயத் தாமரை

இதயத் தாமரை மலர்கையில் அமைதியில்
ஆழும் புத்தியும் அஹங்காரமும்

உண்மையான ஆசனம் இதயக் கமலம்
பத்மாசனம் முதலியவை பஹிரங்கம

யோக சஸ்திரம் சாஸ்திரம் சூத்திரம்
இதயக் கமலம் தேடுவதற்காகவே

பிரம்மசூத்திரம் படித்த புத்தியும் பணியும்
சுயஒளி கொண்ட அல்லியின்முன்

இதயக் கமலம் வாசம் வீச
தானே நிற்கும் நாவு

ஆழியில் கலக்கும் மழைத்துளி அதுபோல்
இதயத்திடம் சுயமிழக்கும் சிற்றின்பம்

ஆதவனுடன் எழும் உலகு அதுபோல்
உள்ளொளியுடன் புனித குணங்கள்

இதயத் தாமரை அமர்தல் கல்வி
மற்றவை உணவிடலாம் கற்பிக்காது

What do you think about fate?

A question posed by my wife to me. I gave her an answer that she seemed to like. Sharing it here :)

There is a famous sanskrit phrase - 'Tamasoma Jyotirgamya'. For most people, the meaning of this phrase is the standard translation 'lead me from darkness to light'. But this is just the translation from sanskrit to english. To know the meaning means to have experienced the process being referred to.

Take for example any characteristic we have, or any attitude towards important life dimensions - ones attitude towards money or ones outlook towards class/caste/religion etc or ones feelings with respect to career / social status / marriage / love / politics etc. Most often than not, our views / outlook is not something that has been arrived at by carefully observing all the relevant factors. Even for those who claim to do so (like many modern day liberals), there could be many subconscious biases that guide the decision making process. In most scenarios, the individuals outlook is there due to the flow of (seemingly) arbitrary events in nature - our birth in the family and society (macro and micro) where we were born, the time in human civilisation, our experiences since birth etc. This flow of prakruthi (nature) has produced certain characteristics / tendencies in the world as a whole and also in us. The right word for this tendency to maintain status quo is 'inertia'. The sanskrit word 'tamas' alludes to this.

For example, for some of the students I teach Yoga to, I tell them that Ill not quote a fees. They are free to pay or not to pay and if they pay, they are free to choose an amount. This puts them in some amount of difficulty - much like the one they experience when I ask them to stay for a while in prasarita pada uttanasana! They are similar in the sense that initially both are quite uncomfortable but slowly they both help to throw light on things (stiff back / hamstrings in one case and relationship with money in the other) that exist but one does not know. in addition, both these explorations can be beneficial (at least in my opinion) :)

This disturbs the students and usually makes them sit up and take notice about the unusual situation they find themselves in. That they are disturbed is natural as they will (correctly) be worried if there are other strings attached. But, I do not do this to trouble them but to set up the space such that they come in touch with their relationship with money. We will happily blow 300 rupees on some stupid movie but will fight for a single rupee with a share auto driver. This is not necessarily wrong but I am pointing at our relationship with money (which not many of us are aware of) from which this behaviour stems. 

The various reactions I encounter are worth looking at. Some keep on negotiating and throw the ball back at me, some just choose an amount and settle down with it, some pay in excess to play it safe, some choose an amount but are constantly worried if it is appropriate and finally some sternly ask me to be professional and quote a price. None of these is wrong and I am NOT trying here to make any judgements here. This is just an attempt at exploring the various reactions which in turn stem from various characteristics of the individuals in question and in particular their relationship with money. The interesting question here is that how many of them are aware of their characteristics and their relationship with money that bring about this behaviour. In my opinion, not many. A few of them for whom this rankling is there, talk to me about this at some point. Then, there is a chance for further exploration. That would then be an attempt at experientially exploring the above wise saying from the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad.

But, one need not let this tamas completely dominate ones life. One can actually be free from this tamas at least in some dimensions of ones life. To do so, one has to carefully observe all relevant factors (external and internal). Then one is not programmed into exhibiting the default behaviour. This default behaviour (interaction of our tendencies with that of the worlds') is what is usually referred to as fate. Observing it and getting in touch with it is metaphorically referred to as throwing light on it (as one becomes conscious of their existence which one was not earlier). This throwing light on many of our default characteristics leads to lot of self discovery. If one experiments with this in ones life and ensures that one is free of all default behaviour in at least one dimension of ones life, then, in my opinion, that individual can be said to have had a taste of the above mentioned sanskrit aphorism.

But, to do this takes a bit of effort. One must be willing to let go of old patterns of behaviour and change one selves. Any such attempt is equivalent to breaking ones built up sense of self and this inevitably leads to some amount of pain. Young kids experience this often but since they are quite flexible they learn fast. As we grow old, we cannot ape the kids as we also need to be strong and not let the worlds thinking capture us all the time. So, the need is to simultaneously be strong and flexible. This is also one of the aims of asana practice - to make the spine strong and flexible. I remember once playing with a discarded bee hive in a farm. It was extremely strong and flexible. If we build up enough desire to develop such an ability in us, then we will be able to develop the right kind of discrimination that will help us identify appropriate pains and endure them in order to develop desirable qualities and overcome the relentless flow of tamas. This then takes us away (at least to some extent) from the default behaviour or fate! If not, one shall surely be consumed by the incredible flow of prakruthi!

Both fingers point to the moon

प्रक्र्तेः क्रियमाणानि गुणैः कर्माणि सर्वशः
अहंकारविमूदात्मा कर्ताहमिति मन्यते 
The interplay of guna's produce all the form one experiences. But, the ignorant person thinks (s)he is the doer. - Gita (3.27)


நெல்லுக்கு இறைத்த நீர் வாய்கால் வழியோடி புல்லுக்கும் ஆங்கே பொசியுமாம்
Water sent on the canal while intended for the crops, also nourishes the grass along the way - Auvaiyar in Moodurai

Yuddham thyajatha , Spardhaam thyajatha

Maithreem Bhajata - A beautiful song written by the great saint Sri Chandrashekarendra Saraswati. There are many wonderful renditions of this song - this one by T.M.Krishna is a lovely one

The lyrics clearly indicate this great saints advice to humanity. The title of this note (Yuddham thyajatha , Spardhaam thyajatha) is from the song. It literally translates as

Please forsake war for ever,
Please forsake competition for ever!

The great man requests humanity to forsake competition in the same breath where he asks us to forsake war. I feel, he clearly makes a connection between the two. While the exact nature of the connection may not be obvious, I feel, he may have considered competition to be the seed of war.

When such is the case, should we not pause to look at all the places where competition is cultivated in our lives and then consider deeply if its presence is needed? What do our schools and other educational institutions inculcate in the impressionable minds of our young ones? What spirit do the companies we work for embody? What spirit do they cultivate in their employees? One single truth that permeates all these institutions is competition. What does a country whose economy is based on GDP cultivate in its citizens?

Either we ourselves must be able to see this and act. If not, we must pay serious heed to great saints like him. If not, disaster awaits!

அதனைக் கண்டேன்

அதனைக் கண்டேன் அதனின் அருளால்
அதனைக் கண்டேன் யோகத்தின் விளைவாய்
அதனைக் கண்டேன் இருளின் முடிவாய்
அதனைக் கண்டேன் என்னை இழந்தேனே

Why do we do what we do?

Firstly, all "why" questions that investigate causality are tricky questions. Here is the reason for the same.

Consider the case of a simple road accident. Why did it happen? The usual answers are one or both parties were driving irresponsibly. This could very well be true. But these are not the only reasons. There could have been some bad roads that just a few seconds back for one party which may have disturbed the driver, causing hir to instantaneously loose concentration. Another possibility could be that one party just had a not very friendly conversation with someone else before starting the ride. All these certainly have contributed towards causing the road accident. So, causality is clearly a causal web of densely interconnected causes and effects. In addition, it is not a finite web. These causes usually extend very far back. So, in reality, causality is an infinitely complex web. Normally, we reduce this complex web to a finite few causes to suit our needs. For example, one driver will reduce the causal web to just the other driver. The onlooker may reduce it to both of them or the government contractors who laid the poor roads.

Now, I am not in any way saying this reduction is wrong or not needed. It is absolutely needed. But, I want to look out how we reduce that infinitely complex web into something more manageable by the intellect. The normal way is through the ego. The ego is in charge of the intellect and hence reduces the infinitely complex web into finite components to suit its need.This is exactly the reason why causality is tricky. If we can look through this and free ourselves from this tendency then we can understand causality better.

This is very important as without this we may be sub-consciously looking for certain answers. We may also interpret answers in ways that suit our needs. This could be dangerous. This is all the more dangerous because we are in the midst of situations that demand us to act and hence if we have trained ourselves to reduce the infinitely complex web based on some other sound dharmic philosophy instead of the unconsciously trained habit patterns of the ego, we can never act consistently and correctly. Thus, it is very important to continuously be aware of ourselves and the patterns of compulsory thinking we fall into to understand things clearly.

Now, lets come back to the original questions. Why do we do what we do? I am assuming you are asking about things we are free (external circumstances wise) to not do but still find an urge from within to do. There are many perspectives from which this question can be analysed. Of course, all of them being models of same reality, they are all connected. Different people resonate to different models.

1.

One immediate manner is to try and understand the human nature. What are all the forces that drive the human nature from within. Maslow's hierarchy of needs or the traditional Indian Chakra model of a human being are wonderful starting points. These models do not go into the evolutionary causes of why things are the way they are. They just look at how it is now and that should be fair enough reduction for our purposes.

Maslow's hierarchy of needs

In these models, there are different kinds of innate needs in the human system and unless they are satisfied, they keep coming back to poke us to satisfy the need. If they are not recognised correctly and satisfied, they will change their shape and form and come again and again. For example, if the need of physical safety (and its manifestations at many levels due to not being met for many years) is not met, it may come out as constant bad / possessive relationships with people. This metamorphosis of needs makes the a little complicated to handle but if an individual wills, then he/she can certainly clear up all of them.

If all needs below level 'n' are satisfied fully, then one will experience needs only at level 'n' and above. So, this captures the reason why we do what we do. Consciously or unconsciously we are trying to satisfy these hierarchy of needs. If we can clearly observe this hierarchy of needs in us, we can go to them straight and satisfy them instead of letting the metamorphose into unrecognisable forms which make us do all sorts of stupid things. Instead, if we observe ourselves well enough, we will deal with these healthily and operate at the highest need level that one is capable of at a given time.

2.

In another model, all of manifestation we see around us is a play of consciousness. This model is the basic philosophy of Yoga / Samkhya and it has a few basix axioms (meaning, they are assumed to be given). The basic postulate is that there are two entities: a.) Purusha (a singular consciousness; pure awareness as an approximation) and b.) Prakrti (all of manifested nature). The two are continuously interacting with each other for reasons beyond the human intellect. This interaction produce the various elements and all of life. As a consequence, different life forms are born with certain tendencies. 

Samkhya model

Since all forms (including you and me) have come out of the interactions of Purusha and Prakrthi, one must be able to separate them out experientially. But, this is obviously very difficult for most people. Then there comes the third entity these philosophies postulate. c.) Ignorance. Life forms are not aware that they are Purusha within but Prakrti outside. Instead life forms are caught up in the belief that they are only prakrti. Through practices suggested in Yoga the following evolution in our understanding happens:

I am Prakrti -> I am both Purusha and Prakrti -> I am purely Purusha

Samkhya / Yoga clearly state that the purpose of life (including all the urges to act) is so that life can evolve in the above mentioned direction. This is the reason why we act. But, normally we are not aware of this and hence we are all over the place acting in all sorts of directions. But, if we notice the above clearly, we will act in a much more focussed manner.

2.a

This is basically equivalent to the above with minor differences in terminology. In this Purusha and Prakrti are not two different entities. They are a continuum. Or, even better, prakrti is a result of purusha in action. Nataraja for example is Purusha and his dance is Prakrti.

While there may be some minor differences between this and the previous explanation, for most practical purposes, these two are identical. In this the world is the leela or dance of the divine. This of course includes all our urges to act. Hence, all one needs to do is to take care of them dharmically and surrender to the divine.

3.

The last one is the view from modern understanding of evolutionary science. Here every urge is related to some kind of survival instinct (individual or group) in some hoary past. For example, the desire to earn more money is there because in the formative days of social groups, organisms at the top had better chance of reproducing. So, we have the instinct to climb the social ladder. These days, having more money is somehow equated to climb up the social ladder. Hence the instinct to work and earn more money. This is the explanation of modern science.

Of these three, I find the first two deeper than the third. I am not saying the third is wrong. It is simply not deep enough. To me, it is like saying marriage are about having sex. It is of course true that (at least in India), most individuals have sex for the first time after marriage. Hence, an alien who does not look at things deeply, may conclude that people marry to have sex. While the statistic cannot be denied, the explanation is not deep enough.

Understanding oneself through 1 and 2 above is like concentrating "rasa anubhavam". In music / dance (and other art forms) for example, one tries to concentrate naturally occurring human emotions. This way, one experiences the emotion in a more concentrated manner. This is referred to as "rasa anubhavam". Likewise, through 1 and 2 above, we accelerate the naturally occurring process of evolution by understanding the subtlest direction of evolution.

Likewise, biological evolution is quite undeniable but from my experience, it is not deep enough. The first two, in my opinion, are deeper and are not in contradiction with the third option. I suggest you explore yourselves deeply to figure out the truth for yourselves. All the best :) 

PS: This is a mail I wrote to a friend after his question (title of the note). Thought it would be useful to share it here :)

அவா

அவாவை முன்னம் இழுக்கு என்றிருந்தேன்
அவாவினில் பெரும் ஆனந்தம் கண்டேன்
அவாவே வீடு செல்லும் வழியென்று
அவா வளர்த்தேன் என்னை அறிந்தேனே

மௌனம்

மலரினும் மெல்லிது மௌனம் அதில்
அழகாய் அமர்வர் அமரர்

கைவல்யம்

வகுத்தவன் வகுத்த வகையல்லால் யோகா
புரிந்தார்க்கும் கைவல்யம் அரிது!

Mindfulness - Gratefulness - Fullness

Mindfulness is practised,
so that one can learn to be grateful!
Gratefulness is practised,
so that one can experience fullness!
Until such a time,
when fullness just is!

Action from the heart

I have noticed in my life and in the life of people around me that most often, when someone takes a stand, there is usually another individual around who takes the exact opposite stand. For example, one spouse wants to be environmentally friendly. This triggers the other to deliberately make more waste. I call such an opposing action the dual action. The issue is then normally resolved by the use of force and other such things.

But, there is another space within us. If action emerges from that space, then I have observed that the dual action is not sharp and confrontational. Instead, it is softer and lends itself a lot more to dialogue and co-action. Such an action, I call action from the heart.

The efficacy of this and importance of this can be realised easily by observing the emergence of the dual action and its intensity. The dual action need not only be outside. It can also emerge within in the form of debilitating fear and self doubt when we want to embark on something. But, when action emerges within the heart, even if there is fear, there is some kind of strong possibility of working with. This is from my experience.

The route to the heart though is not a linear progress. One has to work steadily for many years on the various dimensions of ones life. Gradually and steadily, action emerges from the heart and one becomes strongly rooted there. Life becomes smoother and wholesome! May we all be blessed with that!

PS: Emerged from a conversation with a dear friend

Pointers to 'Who Am I'?

A pointer that may help one in understanding oneself and discovering the answer to 'Who Am I'?