How do we learn our lessons?

Someone asked me a question on my blog “how do we learn our lessons?” A very good question, because we don't often know what we need to learn, where to start.

Basically, we can learn either from other people's mistakes or from our own. But again, what to learn either ways?

Sage Patanjali advocates the understanding of five human afflictions to start off the process of the right knowledge to apply to our learning.

1. Avidya (ignorance). To obtain knowledge of our soul, our purpose, what hinders growth? This requires a realistic introspection. Avidya is believing we know when we don't at all, or partially. About anything. We all know that when we think we know, there is always more to know.

2. Asmita (ego, the "I" identity) which colors our mind and intellect, and hence, our understanding because it dominates, colors our perceptions and hence, creates an imbalance in the mind.

3. Raga (attachment). It creates dualities of "mine" and "yours", conflicting with the universal law of connectivity and of a universal consciousness.

4. Dvesh (hatred). The opposite of attachment is shunning due to hatred, dislike. Also an imbalance because it has no place in the evolution of man.

 5. Abhinivesha (fear of death). This happens due to all the four mentioned above. We are attached to our physical bodies and to those of others. We are attached to our egos which is misleading us from the truth. The positives and negatives create an illusion of loss and gain, and we hold on to the world and our physical, emotional and mental reality as we know it. Actually, we need to let go and flow smoothly.

So, we must start working on our own cleansing of coloration through conditioning and imbibing wrong knowledge along the way. And then, with a new awareness, we will understand what we could have done better earlier and what we can do in the present and future for our journey and our evolution.

Surekha Kothari

www.BodyMindSoulCentre.com

surekhakothari.wordpress.com

SpeakingtreeBlog: www.speakingtree.in/public/surekhakothari

SOULSEEKERS' SPIRITUALITY RETREAT

SOULSEEKERS' SPIRITUALITY RETREAT

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Discover the power of Angelica Yoga with 72 Angels, Dreams, Signs and Symbols

Frustration and comparison

What touches me most is when someone very honestly acknowledges and speaks about the blocks they feel within. One friend talked about feeling jealousy. I know most of us have felt envious at various times when we haven't succeeded in achieving what another has. Or, when we wish we had the attributes or traits of another...or even the luck of another. 

Tough luck, friends! We may be on the wrong thinking track. We are, each one of us, fashioned in a certain way. There is no tax on dreaming and working towards what we want to achieve. The problem lies in how we react when do NOT succeed in achieving the goal.

And this is the time of frustration and comparison with those who stand a little or more than a little above us.

Time to start understanding our life and crossing the "T" s and dotting the "I" s in our lives, not in those of others. There is magic within each of us which lies undiscovered because we forget to look within. We are unique. Why aspire to be someone else?

Surekha Kothari

www.BodyMindSoulCentre.com

surekhakothari.wordpress.com

SpeakingtreeBlog: www.speakingtree.in/public/surekhakothari

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Blame game

The blame game! We have done it ever since we can remember and still continue with it. I guess it is always easier to blame something else or someone else for the plight we find ourselves in. That "plight" we are in needs attention and analysis.

Once we accept that we make the choices for our lives, all arguments become meaningless. But that is being rational. You will find that people who are strong in energy make choices for themselves which is fine.

But rationality does not always prevail. On the flip side, there are others who are weak in energy, who will blame the earth if they fall, blame the family for a bad marriage and so on… everyone except themselves. Not only are miserable, they also make others around them miserable.

And it is so much depletion of energy all over. If only we learn to accept that we are largely responsible for what transpires in our lives, we can change things around for a total transformation in our lives. Because we can't change the external environment or people. But we can work at our own attitudes and knowledge. When we are young, we go through conditioning. But as adults, with education, observation and analysis, we should be able to understand the futility of the blame game and the impact of taking responsibility for our lives.

                 

Surekha Kothari

www.BodyMindSoulCentre.com

surekhakothari.wordpress.com

Speakingtree Blog: www.speakingtree.in/public/surekhakothari

Awareness

Once a shopkeeper dropped some honey on the floor. He picked up whatever he could salvage from the upper layers, and left the rest on the floor. Immediately, some flies came down to lick the honey. Gradually, as they became greedy for more, they did not see that their wings were getting stuck in the honey. Other flies who came in also got stuck for the same reason. 

When they had finished, they realized they could not fly. 

Moral:

It is always wise to keep your awareness around you and never lose your balance so that you never get stuck in life.

Surekha Kothari

www.BodyMindSoulCentre.com

surekhakothari.wordpress.com

SpeakingtreeBlog: www.speakingtree.in/public/surekhakothari

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"The cockroach theory for self development"

At a restaurant, a cockroach suddenly flew from somewhere and sat on a lady, she started screaming out of fear with a panic stricken face and trembling voice, she started jumping, with both her hands desperately trying to get rid of the cockroach.

Her reaction was contagious, as everyone in her group also got panicky.

The lady finally managed to push the cockroach away but ...it landed on another lady in the group new, it was the turn of the other lady in the group to continue the drama.

The waiter rushed forward to their rescue. In the relay of throwing, the cockroach next fell upon the waiter. The waiter stood firm, composed himself and observed the behavior of the cockroach on his shirt. When he was confident enough, he grabbed it with his fingers and threw it out of the restaurant.

Sipping my coffee and watching the amusement, the antenna of my mind picked up a few thoughts and started wondering, was the cockroach responsible for their histrionic behavior? If so, then why was the waiter not disturbed? He handled it near to perfection, without any chaos. It is not the cockroach, but the inability of the ladies to handle the disturbance caused by the cockroach that disturbed the ladies.

I realized that, it is not the shouting of my father or my boss or my wife that disturbs me, but it's my inability to handle the disturbances caused by their shouting that disturbs me. It's not the traffic jams on the road that disturbs me, but my inability to handle the disturbance caused by the traffic jam that disturbs me.

More than the problem, it's my reaction to the problem that creates chaos in my life.

Lessons learnt from the story: 

I understood, I should not react in life. I should always respond. The women reacted, whereas the waiter responded. Reactions are always instinctive whereas responses are always well thought.

Do you have the ability to find a reason to laugh at yourself? It is a very liberating experience, believe me! So, one day, I was travelling by a share cab with my two grand kids and daughter in New York. These share cabs pick up people on the way if they want to travel the same route and provided there is space, of course. I was completely unaware of this.

So, while we were chattering away, suddenly the left side door opened to a young man. Before I could show my displeasure for unceremoniously stopping our cab, my daughter told me to move to the right. In bewilderment and completely not understanding what was happening, I quickly shifted to my right and fell with a thud on the floor of the cab.

I had not realized that, for some reason best known to the cabbie, half the back seat had been removed! After a few seconds of shocked silence in the cab, I broke into peals of laughter and my grandkids and daughter, very relieved at my reaction, joined in. At this moment, I realized how wonderful a feeling it is to laugh at myself. It freed me from being conscious in the presence of others.

Surekha Kothari

www.BodyMindSoulCentre.com

surekhakothari.wordpress.com

Speakingtree Blog: www.speakingtree.in/public/surekhakothari

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Self Help

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Fighting and Killing In The Name Of Religion

In an ancient temple, a number of pigeons lived happily on the roof top. When the renovation of the temple began for the annual temple feast, the pigeons relocated themselves to a Church nearby. The existing pigeons in the Church accommodated the new comers very well.

Christmas was nearing and the Church was given a facelift, all the pigeons had to move out and look for another place. They were fortunate to find a place in a Mosque nearby, the pigeons in the Mosque welcomed them happily. It was Ramadan time and the Mosque was repainted, all the pigeons now came to the same ancient temple.

One day the pigeons on top found some communal clashes below in a market square. The baby pigeon asked the mother pigeon "Who are these people?” The mother replied, “They are Human beings". The baby asked, “But why are they fighting with each other?”

The mother said "These human beings going to temple are called 'Hindus' and the people going to Church are called 'Christians' and the people going to Mosque are called 'Muslims'.

The Baby pigeon asked, "Why is it so? When we were in the Temple, we were called Pigeons, when we were in the Church, we were called Pigeons and when we were in the Mosque and we were called Pigeons. Similarly they should be called just 'Human beings' wherever they go"?

The mother Pigeon said, “Apparently these so called intelligent human beings don’t understand that there is one God called by different names in different religions. Hence they are fighting and killing each other in the name of religion.”

Surekha Kothari

www.BodyMindSoulCentre.com

surekhakothari.wordpress.com

Speakingtree Blog: www.speakingtree.in/public/surekhakothari

About "Titiksha"

I want to share what my mother told me today...about "titiksha". It means, without worry, grief or tears and without resisting the flow of life and events, to tolerate everything. A tall order, right? But there is more!

This is just ONE quality of a peaceful person. The others are: decisiveness, obedience, sacrifice, love, generosity, happiness, silence, patience and tolerance.

These are pearls of wisdom from our spiritual texts and Masters who lived these qualities.

                                                    

Surekha Kothari                   

www.BodyMindSoulCentre.com

surekhakothari.wordpress.com

Speakingtree Blog: www.speakingtree.in/public/surekhakothari