Move On

 I recently attended a one-hour session on art therapy. All the participants were given a white paper and paint and were asked to use our hands to paint instead of using the brush. This was to get out of our comfort zone and bring the inner child in us to action. After few minutes of hesitation in getting our hands dirty all of us started enjoying the painting as we kept hearing soft and gentle instructions from the trainer. People used their imagination and came up with amazing painting of their idea of reality, how they wanted. After half an hour most of us had already completed what we felt like painting.  We were then asked to exchange our sheet with our neighbors, then continue painting in the new sheet which we got. Many people did not like this exchange. People did not want to give away their idea of reality which they created except for those who got a better picture after the sheets were exchanged. Some could accept what they got and continue with it, some were more than happy with what they got while some others were disappointed with what they got.

This small session had so much to convey about the reality of life. When we are young have the ability to dream and give our 100 %. Life can be the way we want it to be after giving our best. At times what we get from life can be even more than the efforts we put it. At other times the results can be highly disappointing after giving our best. When this happens, some people sink in depression while some others try to accept and make peace. Peace is healing but the real courage is the ability to move on, love, hope, trust, dream and live all over again irrespective of what had happened in the past. Who knows this time we retain what we create so why be hesitant in giving the 100 %. Perhaps the journey is not even about having or losing, the journey is all about our attitude. 

Is there greater gift than feeling of love and a greater punishment than the feeling of hatred.

Is there greater gift than forgiveness and a greater punishment than carrying a burden.

Is there greater joy than giving our 100% and a greater punishment than holding back a part of ourselves. 

Is there greater joy than placing our trust and a greater discomfort than feelings of doubt.

Is there greater freedom than courage and greater bondage than fear.

Let's always give in our 100 % irrespective of what happened in the past. That's the real moving on with courage, hope and trust. that is how we live in the NOW.

Moderation - The Journey and the Destination

" Out beyond the idea of right doing and wrongdoing there is a space I will meet you there " - Rumi.

"Moderation is the character of a Saint" - Lalaji

I think moderation is both the means and the goal, the journey and the destination. There should be a Moderation even in the liberating conditions.

1. Contentment - State of satisfaction while still giving our best.

2. Calmness - In acceptance peace, accept what is while use the will power to create the reality we want.

3. Compassion - Appreciate the goodness and forgive the mistakes.

4. Courage - Ability to trust fully yet stay detached.

In day-to-day life we should try to apply the principles of Moderation in the simple things.

1. We should practice the habit of "giving it sometime", this brings about self-control. All our senses can be brought into moderation, when we don't get over excited and give things sometime. Of course, this is not against enjoying life or having fun, but we should not be desperate or addicted to anything.  Addiction is extremism.  In the same way avoiding or running away from something is also another extremism.  We need to strike a balance between running for a thing or person and running away from a thing or person.

Living the moment is a good thing but it has be balanced by giving it some time. We need to start by overcoming the feelings of " I have to tell this thing right away", " I have to eat this right away", " I have to buy this right away ". Hold on give it sometime, Do not get addicted. At the same time overcome the resistance in not able to speak out or not allowing ourselves to enjoy.

2. Moderation is also about setting boundaries (Moderation between the self and the other).  We should not be very rigid; we should bend and adapt to changes at the same time we should not break. We should learn how much to give be it a material thing, physical help, emotional help, financial help, spiritual help, time, money. Sharing is caring. But at the same time, we should not allow ourselves to be exploited. Inability to set boundaries should be corrected. 

Similar way we should try to be self-adequate and help ourselves in all dimensions and seek help only when we really need. Inability to ask for help should be corrected. 

3. When an unlikely event happens, we first look at it from our perspective.  We need to be moderate and look at the same situation from the other person's perspective. There should be a moderation in our perception of things.

4.Even small weight carried (in the mind) for a long time becomes heavy. It does not matter that weight we carry is good or bad, we like it or not. In either case it creates heaviness. Moderation is going beyond the dualities.

Do not consume what is available, consume only what is necessary. This is discrimination. Discrimination is liberation. The degree to which our discriminative ability is developed, is the degree to which we will manifest moderation. 

The Whole and the Nothing are the same. Expanding towards infinity and contracting towards nothingness are the same. How? God is both infinite and nothing.  Not sometime this and sometime that but at the same time this and that. That is the perfectly balanced state of moderation. Moderation is both the whole and the nothing. Because in moderation we are considering everything as well as ignoring nothing. 

Moderation both the journey and the destination. It's a natural outcome of a liberated soul. We develop the discriminative ability (Clarity) through the other four C's (Contentment, calmness, compassion and courage). these qualities are not only for the way we treat others but also for our own selves. Many a times we stumble and fall on our journey. So, let's accept our weakness and calm down. Let's be compassionate towards ourselves by forgiving ourselves. Let's be courageous to get up from the fall and start walking all over again. 

Moderation is not a one step process that has a cut off saying it is done. It's a gradual process, life is a continuous assessment to both learn and apply. As and when we fail, we re-learn and re-apply what we learn and move on to learn more. There is no end to this process. We move towards perfect moderation through moderation, in moderation. Closer and closer to the perfectly balanced state - the source or God, the state of Maha pralaya or the total dissolution or the state which existed before creation. 

Meditation is passivity. In meditation awareness blooms. To act on awareness requires will power. Moderation in passivity and activity i.e., awareness and action are most essential. 

Reflections March

Universally Together but yet alone. Don't fear alone as strength lies within. 

Let go. We can only loose what we hold on to. Detachment is the art of being grateful for the good people and things without getting used to it.

 Try to be self-adequate. Try to meet your own needs as much as possible instead of developing dependency. Though human beings are Inter dependent never allow the formation of habits or addictions.

Do not invite anything, do not resist anything.  Just Be. Courage is the ability to live in the NOW. We navigate the eternity through the NOW. This moment is Now. From this moment to next moment what exists is change. In every moment we should just go on with the flow of change without being for or against.

Being a compassionate listener means to just listen without judgement. Let the person pour out whatever they want to at that point of time. Don't be surprised when they change perspectives, be happy they are moving on from their confusion.

Complete letting go (be it a person or thing which hurt you) requires courage. It's not only making peace with what is but also the ability to give another chance and trust all over again.

We share our joys with those whom we like but we can share our sorrows only with those who like us. If we have someone to share both joys and sorrows then we are very lucky because to love and being loved is the greatest gift on earth.

Dependency creates bondage, being independent is freedom.  Moderate, adequate interdependency is Reality.  Liberation is freedom from the idea of freedom. Moderation is liberation. 

Gratitude without dependency is saintliness. 

Practice the habit of " Giving it sometime" and come of impulsive addictions and tune into self-control.

Acceptance is manifestation of peace, letting go is manifestation of compassion, moving on is manifestation of courage. Peace, compassion and courage are liberating. 

We are human beings, vertebrates, stand straight with confidence, don't lean on anything or anyone.

Human beings with free will make choices. The choices can change. Likes, dislikes, love, hatred, trust, doubt, be there for us, not be there for us. When we understand this clearly, we will no longer be impacted (in good way or bad way) by the choices made by others. 

An opinion which someone has about us is their choice. Not to be affected by other people's opinion is our choice. Transcending external opinions is liberating. It sets us free from our own chains. 

The choices we make also need not depend on the choice which other people make. The choices we make should depend on what we feel is right and what gives us joy. This way we won't have expectations, we would be more ourselves and we would be more joyful.

When unlikely event happens accept (process of making peace with what is), let go (manifestation of compassion), move on (manifestation of courage). We can create a new reality when we courageously move on. How quickly we can accept, let go and move on shows our strength.

The movement from nonresistance to acceptance is quiet a big journey.

At any given point of time when we treat people around us the same way irrespective of how close they are to us is called fair treatment. But what is real equality? Why some people are close to us? There is some underlying condition for our love. When we detach ourselves from the underlying condition of love and still love then it's called unconditional love. Equality is a natural result of unconditional love. This is the holy trinity of detachment (detach to the condition that is responsible for love, not the love itself), unconditional love and equality.

How to detach? Attach to God or the source. 

Even small weight carried (in the mind) for a long time becomes heavy. It does not matter that weight we carry is good or bad, we like it or not. In either case it creates heaviness. 

Do not consume what is available, consume only what is necessary. This is discrimination.

Activity and passivity refer to the mind. Let the body be active and mind be still, not the vice versa.

The Whole and the nothing are the same. Expanding towards infinity and contracting towards nothing are the same. How? God is both infinite and nothing.  Not sometime this and sometime that but at the same time this and that. That is the perfectly balanced state of moderation. Moderation is both the whole and the nothing. Because in moderation we are considering everything as well as ignoring nothing. 

Adapt,  not fully adopt to the extent of leaving your good habits.Learn to discriminate what is required to let go and what is required to hold on.Combine acceptance with will power. Use discriminative ability.

We can create a new reality only when we come out of the illusion of fear.Healing from wound is a beautiful thing but we can't spend too much time in healing alone. We need to have the courage and interest to move ahead.

To move ahead, we should have a goal. Only then we know which direction to move on.Else we will just be lying there to be pulled by the direction of the wind.In case we failed in reaching our previous goal or reaching the goal did not make us feel good and complete and we lost the ability to dream again we are only letting fear of past control us.Throw away the shackles of the past and move on with courage. The ability to dream is courage. The ability to dream and trust all over again is the real courage irrespective of whatever happened in the past.