Connectivity

 Lord Acton had said eons back that power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely.

Today, we see this with celebrity status turning easily to megalomania. One sees this is all politics and glamour industries. Most in politics where international power of statesmanship seems to be a hotbed for human destruction, e.g., the Russia Ukraine war. Or the threat of nuclear invasions … a complete misuse of power.

Power seems to have the power of destabilization of the mind. An imbalance created within the yin and yang factors within all humans. And the attempt to play God without having the necessary qualities of compassion and empathy for all mankind. Dangerous for the world!

It is as if the higher they reach the more they lose ground reality. In that high space, their vision becomes more myopic, confined to their own endless desires. The connectivity with the rest of the humanity eludes them.

There have always been these kinds of destructive minorities who manage to gain absolute powers. But the ground reality also is, that the weaker majority puts them on that pedestal from where they take the leap towards megalomania.

Surekha Kothari

surekhakothari.wordpress.com

www.instagram.com/author_surekhakothari/

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

Compassion

 Love is not easy to understand. Much easier to misunderstand actually.

Due to loving in whatever role equation we have, we also bear the brunt of our words/actions not being understood. The INTENT behind them, the emotion behind them are interpreted according only personal perception and complexes.

A mother’s disciplining is exceptional love. She risks being in the dog house with her child because she wants the best for her child. And many a time, offends the child in her capacity to love.

A friend’s love is demonstrated only when there is frankness and empathy. Another form of love.

Just to name two but either or both could be reasons for distancing also. This kind of love takes great depth to understand and accept.

We speak of kindness and compassion as different from love. But are they? Can there be any of those without love?

We humans only understand compartments. The integrated whole eludes us. Because we oscillate between love and fear. We don’t give freely because we are fearful that if we don’t get something back, we will empty ourselves.

If truth be told, only our perception is limited by fear. We never can lose anything because we are the ocean itself. Why then do we feel limited? Why the need to lead a life full of limitations?

We are not limited, but we feel limited. 

We are love but we feel fear.

We are connected but we feel disconnected and often, isolated.

We know we come and go alone but in between, we fail to live without crutches.

We fear to access the dark spaces of our minds. It is not a comfortable feeling to do this because we have to face ourselves! And we have piled up stuff which we have swept under and don’t want to look at.

Dark spaces within us are a reality as much as they are illusory! When we light a candle to dispel darkness like the sun’s rays replacing the night, that is symbolic of creating light within ourselves. To dispel the darkness of ignorance. We are creatures of complete knowledge who come here to activate our memories of being complete. Everything external is therefore, a reflection of our insides.

There is a lot of theory which will remain a theory until we convert it into our own personal experiences.

Surekha Kothari

www.BodyMindSoulCentre.com

surekhakothari.wordpress.com

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

Aspects of Kindness

 When it concerns wrongdoing, we are aware that it is wrong. We still go ahead. The aspects of kindness/compassion get subdued by the ego and the ego defies the goodness of the heart which we all have.

But goodness gets suppressed or camouflaged when the ego comes to the forefront.

We need the awareness that the ego is also a tool that is not all bad. It is sometimes a survival tool related to our self-esteem. If we are not comfortable in our own skin, we may try to seek self-respect through our egos. But maybe, there is another way. This one could become a self-destructive exercise if we do not have the wisdom of discernment of human beings.

The reason being that the ego does not really recognize love in anyone else. It is self-consuming. Hence, the need for wisdom. Otherwise, we may arrive at crossroads in relationships.

Surekha Kothari

www.BodyMindSoulCentre.com

surekhakothari.wordpress.com

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

Quote of the day

 

Life Span

 

As researchers excitedly work on elongating the human life span, the senior citizens struggle with loneliness, ailments, little to look forward to and non-productive living.

The erstwhile vivacious and bubbly friends are today victims of personal tragedies galore! So many have passed on and so many are suffering from diseases and the loss of loved ones!

Some flog themselves (metaphorically) to keep their sanity and agility of mind by doing sudoku and such activities others give up!

The bottom line for longevity of life would definitely be sound mental, emotional and physical health. In their sunset years of fragility, all senior citizens need love, compassion, understanding and looking after in order to survive their last few years in relatively good health.

Let us not forget, their lives have been fraught with stress which they took on to keep their families thriving. Their brand of family love was sacrificing and working hard for their children. And often, the intense struggle cost them their own sense of joy AND that of others around them.

This should always be carried in the front of our minds.

Surekha Kothari

www.BodyMindSoulCentre.com

surekhakothari.wordpress.com

SpeakingtreeBlog: www.speakingtree.in/public/surekhakothari

Quote of the day

 

Gratitude

 

Someone has rightly said that success without planning is luck. And success with effort and struggle is an achievement. Envy therefore, has no value. All of us can create our own goals and work hard to achieve them. There is no other way, unless the credit balance of your “punya” gives you a place you perhaps did not “earn” like, being born into a wealthy family.

One really has to reflect very seriously and deeply on where one’s journey is each moment. And how much one is capable of in terms of truthfully assessing the self. We do tend to block what we don’t intrinsically like about ourselves, but cannot change.

New experiences need courage. Comfort and repetitive living will keep you from growth. One way to start the process of growth is to question everything we think, say and do. The weeds need to be pulled out, however painful, for the plant to grow in a healthy way.

Every year, we make resolutions. Some of us fall back into tested patterns and achieve more stagnation of the mind. Unable to heal our hurts and complexes, understanding that we can start afresh from the day the realization dawns that our thinking is not growth oriented.

There are so many accents on self-help today. We need to make an intention and immerse ourselves in this attempt while doing our usual routine. As they say, anything, even a mundane chore, can be done in different ways and joy derived from it. All we need is a simple mind with a clear intention.

And let us not forget the people who have nurtured us, even if it was a ” cruel to be kind” attitude in an attempt to teach us the right values.  Respect for all forms of life is imminent in our journey to find ourselves. Because it is linked with how much we respect ourselves. So, love and compassion are the two most vital prerequisites for personal evolution. For us and otgers. They start with gratitude and blessings for one and all.

Surekha Kothari

www.BodyMindSoulCentre.com

surekhakothari.wordpress.com

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

Qualities

 One of the greatest maladies of our existence today is the superficiality with which we deal with people. Relationships have become “contacts”. External image has become prime! We have classes and professionals in all aspects of external grooming and image building. And a great source of income , too! Because only that is accepted in society and work places.

“Family “spirit is gradually dying out. More families are at feud than ever before. And more “friends” are being cultivated. It is a classic case of giving your best to friends and becoming intolerant of family members.

Have we thought why? It is a jumbled up mess: of self-seeking, avarice, ambition, popularity and very little ethics. Also of distances. If Manipulations and hypocrisy work, why would anyone be foolish enough to practice virtue?

Today, we just WANT and WANT and WANT: contacts we can use, money, power everything! And to hell with anything that smacks of old values!

Do we remember how sacred the vedic marriage rituals were? The depth of the core of living? Or the code of respect? Nope! We are losing it all.

I understand that lifestyle dictates values. But ethics dictates your spiritual journey. The latter however, mostly loses to self-aggrandizement.

Controlling and more controls spell power, whether of wealth or people. Or anything else….

We are so busy pointing out the weaknesses of others that we forget, that however successful you are, you need to be a good human. Also, that it is wiser to look at yourself as you are and work on your dark spots than feel happy pointing at others. This will not light up your darkness anyway.

Qualities like compassion need time to understand connectivity. We are so divided today that connectivity is not up for discussion.

Praise be for spiritual teachers who are trying to reverse these trends through imparting the right knowledge. And hope there will be practitioners instead of critics.

Surekha Kothari

www.BodyMindSoulCentre.com

surekhakothari.wordpress.com

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

Compassion

 

Compassion is possible because we are all mirroring each other. I can feel your hurt because I have been there or close to that feeling myself. I also need to understand that reactions to the same event can be different in different people. And suffering is on different levels of intensity and ability to cope.

And yet, why do we start judging instead of understanding when it is impossible to get into anyone else’s shoes ? I have realised that when we judge others, we have forgotten to be kind to ourselves ! Or compassionate for that matter. Yes, sounds paradoxical ! But not really so.

When we are not comfortable in our own skins , we don’t want to accept our selves , especially our darker areas. So, in order to feel good, however temporarily, it is easier to point a finger outwards for the same weaknesses we may also carry. Because we always attract similar people who mirror our weaknesses. Through them, the universe is teaching us to accept those areas within us, heal and move on in our journey.

All we need is the realisation that we are all imperfect and the journey is about our own learning and healing. Not about judging others . Let them look after their own journey.

It is not our business to treat anyone as small or inferior . This is where kindness / compassion come in. If you must , help people who are struggling to heal, instead if maligning them and throwing brickbats. And shunning them. Human weaknesses are not contagious diseases . So, Our censure makes US inferior people because our lower self is at work at this time. WHY are WE intolerant of someone else ?

 

We need to ask ourselves this question which may lead to a can of worms within ourselves that we are afraid to open.

Compassion and kindness, therefore, need a much deeper understanding.

Surekha Kothari

www.BodyMindSoulCentre.com

surekhakothari.wordpress.com

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

Quote of the day

 

Consequences

 An open and educated mind thinks beyond personal desires and looks at the various angles of its actions. The options available as also the different consequences that might arise. There are a number of people who seem to be living in a bubble, in an alternate world, beyond objective reality and these are, for sure, more prone to shock waves from life. Why? Because they never figured out that what they wanted might not actually happen and something else might happen. They never thought of alternatives. And God forbid, there could be a heavy price to pay.

We forget that the unseen hand of God strikes hard sometimes when you are oblivious to everything other than yourself. Definitely, there is merit in observing certain good principles in life and support those who are an integral part of your life. Who YOU chose to bring into your life. And out of all options, know that compassion goes hand in hand with support. AND that we all have feet of clay without exceptions.

We may be born with a silver or even golden spoon in our mouths. But humility before our karmic experiences along with understanding where we are straying will go a long way in bringing balance to our lives. And compensate for actions we are not proud of.

Surekha Kothari

www.BodyMindSoulCentre.com

surekhakothari.wordpress.com

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

Compassion

 

A man came to a Zen master and asked, “I would like to become a Buddha.” And the master hit him hard.

The man was puzzled. He went out and asked some old disciple, “What kind of man is this? I asked such a simple question and he got so angry. He hit me hard! My cheek is still burning. Is it wrong to ask how to become a Buddha? This man seems to be very cruel and violent!” And the disciple laughed. He said, “You don’t understand his compassion. It is out of his compassion that he has hit you hard. And he is old, ninety years old; just think of his hand – it will be burning more than your cheek! You are young. Think of his compassion, you fool! Go back!” But the man asked, “But what is the message in it?” And the disciple said. “The message is simple. If a Buddha comes and asks how to become a Buddha, what else is there to do? You can hit him and make him aware that you are it. What nonsense you are talking about!” If a rosebush starts trying to become a rosebush, it will go mad. It is already the rosebush. You may have forgotten. Zen says you are in a state of slumber, you have forgotten who you are, that’s all. Nothing has to be done, just a remembrance. That’s what Nanak calls surati, Kabir calls surati – just a remembrance. You have only to remember who you are!

Surekha Kothari

www.BodyMindSoulCentre.com

surekhakothari.wordpress.com

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

Quote of the day

 

Quote of the day

 

Quote of the day

 

Spiritual wealth

 I strongly believe that every citizen of this country must take up a cause. This is the only way we are going to wake up to those around us and their needs. Not only that, we also start waking up to our own abundance which, sadly, we don't ever understand because we are always looking to acquire the trivia we don't possess because someone else has it.

If we can just do this exercise: put down what we have on one side and what we want on the other. Just examine how many things that we want are really worth desiring. And examine the worth of what we already have.

Strangely enough, we never ask for: god, give me more goodness, more generosity, more compassion for those around me. Or, please help me be honest and simple in my relationships.

We ask for more of what money can buy. More power, more fame, people lining up to praise you to the skies for what you possess. Gautam Buddha left all the pomp and glory, and years later, emerged as the most glorious of humans.

The moral: only in letting go do we find spiritual wealth and glory.

Surekha Kothari

www.BodyMindSoulCentre.com

surekhakothari.wordpress.com

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

Soul Consciousness

 As you grow older, you realise that your accent is more and more on your health, physical, mental and above all, spiritual. Of course, attachments keep you engaged somewhat but mature thinking should keep us focused on the fact that we are closing in on the end of our journey sooner now, whenever time is up.

Becoming hard and non emotional is a tall order. Pain and suffering makes us human, though weak , too, hopefully, only momentarily. There are so many ways to look at everything. Whatever suits us becomes our path.

But, wisdom lies in not forgetting the basics of love and caring. Truth , simplicity and compassion never had substitutes. Our journey should not deviate from these principles because they are a part of our soul consciousness.

Surekha Kothari

www.BodyMindSoulCentre.com

surekhakothari.wordpress.com

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

Quote of the day

Quote of the day

Contagious

The word "contagious" has been coming to mind often. A smile is obviously contagious. But then, a viral is also contagious. Is contagiousness an automatic response? Someone smiles at you and you automatically smile back.

But sadly, generosity is not. Charity is not. Kindness and compassion are not. Love , the divine energy, is always in short supply.

I would like to say that hatred and envy are not. But when I see the cut throats society today, I can't help feeling that somewhere, some lethal virals like merciless pursuits of power and money became contagious and brought the ethical and moral values down, thus bringing society down. When we started living for ourselves, we forgot to be connected and so, did not respond to external stimuli. And without that, where is the question of anything being contagious ? We don't possess the band width for it.

Surekha Kothari

www.BodyMindSoulCentre.com

surekhakothari.wordpress.com

Speakingtree Blog: 

www.speakingtree.in/public/surekhakothari