On an Ego Trip

Human desire manifests itself in different forms but the driving force is the same. It is power, fame and money and ultimately, all these boil down to the desire for control. Some call it an ego trip.
Experience fuels desire. Most of us wish to experience something, were wired for experience and we find ways and means of maximizing it.
As our brains develop, neurons form memory pathways. This process is accomplished by sensory perception – inputs from the senses forms memory. We constantly endeavor to add to memory with our experiences. This is the basis of desire, and so our desires and brain are interlinked.
An outcome of desire is the need for possession. Possession provides anchor for experience and helps maximize it. As we absorb experience through our senses, the brain processes this information. It is during this process that we “decide” whether our desires are fulfilled or not. Fulfillment of desires therefore helps us find release from the need for possession.
A powerful processor like the mind would have to evaluate all possibilities and find fulfillment of desires without having to physically possess the object of objects of desire. A weaker brain with a short memory might need to possess a lot more things for fulfilling desires and this leads to greed. To live a sustainable life, one needs to have a powerful brain processor.
Desire is useful and necessary as it helps us achieve something and be active. Without desire we will be lifeless. However we need to channel our desires so that they get fulfilled without having to exploit resources.
One way to satiate the desire to possess material goods is to sublimate the desire to virtual reality (VR) tools. VR tools are basically 3D Video games like aircraft simulation systems that allow the mind to have enhanced experience.
Satiation of desire requires energy and material resources and excessive desire leads to greed and hence to un-sustainability. Unresolved desires produce memory knots or stresses that tend to direct the brain to generate anger, frustration and perhaps depression. This happens because thought production is channeled or influenced by existing memories. If the brain has more memory knots of unfulfilled desires then new thoughts will be centered and focused around them. If you have a powerful processor, then your brain would be better equipped to deal with conflicts and anger. It therefore follows that insecurity and anger could be related.
The power of the brain processor is increased by availability of its working memory. This can happen with cultivation of deep thought so that there is dissolution of other memories and psychological knots. As memories increases, the absorption and digestion of inputs also get enhanced since the mind becomes hungry for more experiences and this increases our desires. As our desires increase, the powerful brain minds complex starts looking for a higher purpose. The “mind opening” or God experience allows interaction of mind with external and higher dimensional knowledge space and access to existing information, which are the basis of most discoveries and inventions.

Know that You are Unique

If you pause for a moment to consider that there never has been nor will there ever be anyone else exactly like you, you will know why being yourself is more important than anything else; and you will be able to sidestep the very commonly prevalent fear or pressure that traps us into blind conformity.

The opposite of courage in our society, psychologist Rollo May said, is not cowardice; it is conformity.

Being inspired by someone and learning from their example is wonderful; but if we were supposed to be exactly like that someone, we would have been created with all of her personal qualities, also circumstances, potential, and limitation too. Instead, each of us is born into a specific time and place, with a unique combination of a certain set of talents, and the potential to add or enhance all that in order to fulfill our individual mission in life.

We have all been taught to measure ourselves against the example of other, greater, more successful beings. We are inspired by them and want to follow their example…. But we can become so obsessed with the need to live like someone else, look, teach, grow successful and become rich like someone else, that before we know it we cease to be ourselves.

In the film The Legend of Bagger Vance, Bagger Vance Volunteers to be caddy for the has-been, written-off golfer Junuh in an important tournament. At a pivotal point in the movie, he tells the indifferent player, “Inside each and every one of us is our one true authentic swing. Something we were born with. Something that’s ours and ours alone. Something that can’t be learned. Something that’s got to be remembered.” It suggests finding our authentic self, our special place in the world, our special way of doing things, our special things to do, that absolutely no one else can.

Once, an old Hassidic story goes, the great teacher Zusia came to his followers, his eyes were red with tears, and his face was pale with fear.

“Zusia, what’s the matter? You look frightened!” The other day, I had a vision. In it, I learned of the question that the angels will ask me when I stand at the Gates of Heaven.”

The followers were puzzled. “Zusia, you are pious. You are scholarly and humble. You have helped so many of us. What question about your life could be so terrifying that you would be frightened to answer it?”

Zusia turned his gaze to heaven. “I have learned that the angels will not ask me, why weren’t you a Moses, leading your people out of slavery?” His followers persisted “So what will they ask you?”

“And I have learned, “Zusia sight, that the angels will not ask me, why weren’t you a Joshua, leading your people into the Promised Land?”

His worried followers demanded, “But what will they ask you?”

“They will say to me, ‘Zusia, there was only one thing that no power of heaven or earth could have prevented you from becoming.’ They will say, “Zusia, why weren’t you Zusia?”

Of course you should be inspired by the examples of others and let their lives motivate you to reach your fullest potential; but ultimately you must become the best place your own name here possible.

Or as Oscar Wilde quipped: Be yourself; everyone else is already taken.

Depression as Blessing

A recent research study found that traits like sadness and defeatism define depression but they have their positive side, too. The research conducted by the University of Basel, Switzerland, says depressive individuals perform better than their normal peers in decision-making tasks.

What is depression? Depression is a symptom of deprivation. When you think that you are seriously lacking in something that you earnestly desire, this thought is bound to lead to depression. Depression is not a physical phenomenon; it is psychological in nature. If you feel that you have gained what you wanted to gain, that will give you a sense of satisfaction. But when you feel that you have failed to achieve your goal it leads to depression. In the first case, your life very soon comes to a full stop, but in the second case your life goes on, punctuated by commas.

Unpleasant experiences are painful but they make a necessary contribution to advanced intellectual development. Without undergoing this kind of experience, no one can be a super achiever.

A survey undertaken earlier entailed studying the lives of one hundred super achievers in order to discover their common features. It observed that one common trait of all these super achievers was discontent.

Discontent not only leads to an unending passion to achieve some prospective goal but it also engenders an unremitting urge to achieve more and more. Thus it becomes the master key for a high degree of success, whatever the field of action. Where contentment puts a full stop to everything, discontent pushes you on a non-stop journey. This is the greatest advantage of depression.

History has always shown that those living in carefree comfort, and not therefore a prey to despair, have generally failed to achieve any notable success; in contrast to those who beset by adversity, have fallen into depression only to emerge subsequently as super achievers.

If, according to the law of nature, the journey of super achievement pursues a painful course, you are bound to keep to that course. In this case, you have only two options; either achieve super success by paying its natural price, or die without ever knowing super achievement

Nature has demonstrated this fact in several ways. For example, if you want a glass of apple juice, you have to crush an apple. This applies to anyone who wants to be a super achiever: He is to oblige to tread the thorny path prescribed by nature because, without fulfilling this condition, no one can reach his desired goal.

It is a fact of life that one who was born with a silver spoon in his mouth is fated to live out his life as an average person, whereas those who are born without this silver spoon contrive to achieve great success.

In the beginning, depression seems to be a curse but in the end, depression turns out to be a blessing. In fact, depression is only a temporary phase of life. It is in no way permanent. Depression is like a tedious journey. During this journey, you may be tired or bored, but when you reach your destination, you experience total happiness and satisfaction.

Some fact of ancient Monks

Fearless Monk

The goal of mankind is knowledge…. Now this knowledge is  inherent in man. No knowledge comes from outside: It is all inside. What we say a man ‘knows’ should in strict psychological language, be what he ‘discovers’ or ‘unveils’ what man ‘learns’ is really what he discovers by taking the cover off his own soul, which is a mine of infinite knowledge.

We are responsible for what we are, and whatever we wish ourselves to be, we have the power to make ourselves. If what we are now has been the result of our own past actions, it certainly follows that whatever we wish to be in future can be produced by our present action; so we have to know how to act.

The more we come out and do good to others, the more our hearts will be purified, and God will be in them.  ………..  Swami Vivekananda

Mango as Spiritual Guide

This is the mango season. That has set me thinking.... Acharya Nagarjuna is a great Indian Philosopher. Many traditions regard him as a Tantric Acharya, in some other traditions he is regarded as an Ayurvedic expert and in yet others, even an Alchemist, but I am yet to come across a story of his being associated with horticulture. I will not be surprised if I discover that some traditions believe him to be a horticulturist. But as far as his knowledge about the mango is concerned it is universally accepted that what he says is but natural and common wisdom.

Nagarjuna in his letter talks to the king about different categories of mangoes. They are special varieties whose appearances and degrees of ripening can be categorized as follows :(1) those not ripe but appear ripe; (2) those ripe but appear not ripe; (3) those unripe and appear unripe; and (4) those ripe and appear ripe. He was extrapolating this with reference to people we come across in our daily lives.

In term of preference, obviously the kind of mango we must choose is the one belonging to the last category as it is ready to be served an there is no risk of waste involved. The second preference should be given to the in my opinion to the second last. Because it does not deceive you, you can just discard it right away or wait for it to ripen. Then the next in order of selection should be the one mentioned in number two. It involves some chances of waste but at least you can use it after some testing before cutting to see if it is really ripe.

 The one you must avoid is the first category of mangoes. Choice of the mangoes in any case is not a big deal and much insignificant, in comparison to the selection of people whether it is a matter of a kalayana mitra or spiritual friend, or an associate in mundane affairs. These days if we look around, there is no dearth of people who are likened by Nagarjuna to the first category of mangoes. They are those who have acquired special tricks to project themselves as friends. They cannot only be risky for spiritual path seekers but also to the society as a whole.

Spiritual friends should not only be spiritually ripe but should also appear to be so. They must be morally clean, compassionate, have association with good people. People promoting themselves as spiritual gurus with tricks are particularly dangerous. There is great chance of getting themselves corrupted, if already not corrupted, by name, fame, wealth and position. In mundane areas also, a friend should be an upright person, with clear mind and wisdom.

A friend can be depended upon as your mitra not because of your position or money power. It is not necessary that your friend or for that matter a political leader is a rhetoric speaker or writer. It is the inner values of the person that count.

This will remain true as long as the values placed on honesty and truthfulness have not vanished from this earth. And the reason why one should believe that is because all of us know the ripe mango which is both ripe and looks ripe enough for you to select, will always be preferred.

Internal Truth

There was a sharp difference of opinion among the inmates of an Ashram. One group emphasized the importance of penance and austerities while the other rebutted stating that life is useless without satisfaction of one's personal desires in full. As there was no agreement either way they went to the Master sage for arbitration

The sage received them and without settling the point went on talking on some other subject. Meanwhile a gentleman came and offered fruits and sweets to the saint. The latter accepted the offering and ate up the entire quantity immediately. After a while, another devotee came and offered presents. The saint took the offerings in hand and threw out the stuff through the window. He then inquired of the welfare of the visitor and went on talking softly and sweetly to him. But the guest found it uninteresting and went away after a while.

A third guest came with usual presents. The holy person took something for himself, distributed the rest amongst all those who were present and engaged the visitor in pleasant talk.

After the departure of this guest, the saint sent three inmates to contact the three gentlemen who came that day with presents to find out their reaction towards the treatment meted out to them and report to him. Their experience was reported to be as follows: - The first gentleman was very much annoyed. He was of the opinion that the saint was utterly selfish. The second guest felt greatly disappointed that the fruits etc which he brought with love had been thrown out and did not feel consoled even thought the great person talked to him sweetly afterward. The third visitor praised the saint profusely adding that he was a real recluse as he had lovingly shared with all what he got. The master wound up the discussions thus:

"The best way to live in the world is to share amongst one and all what the Lord gives and to deal with everyone in a gentle way. It is not correct to lead either a crassly selfish life or be engaged in pursuit of penance and austerities without any thought for the well-being of the body."

A man was very proud of his name - Shersingh (lion-hearted). He was always busy bragging about his bravery. To increase the effect of his stories and reputation he thought of getting a tattoo of a lion on his biceps. A professional tattoo artist was called for this. When the tattoo artist started pinching his needle, Shersing started writhing in pain. He tried to put up a brave face for a while but could no longer bear the pain and scolded the artist, "Why are you still making the tail of the lion? There are lots of animals without tail, leave the tail and start drawing other parts of the lion's body."

The result of this adventure for Shersingh was a deformed tattooed creature without head or tail. He sighed and said. "My name and reputation is good enough and I don't need and inscription to prove my courage."

People with weak determination keep telling lies about their valor and courage but when the time comes to perform, they are the first to slime away and hide instead of facing a problem boldly.

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Justification

A man was very proud of his name - Shersingh (lion-hearted). He was always busy bragging about his bravery. To increase the effect of his stories and reputation he thought of getting a tattoo of a lion on his biceps. A professional tattoo artist was called for this. When the tattoo artist started pinching his needle, Shersing started writhing in pain. He tried to put up a brave face for a while but could no longer bear the pain and scolded the artist, "Why are you still making the tail of the lion? There are lots of animals without tail, leave the tail and start drawing other parts of the lion's body."

The result of this adventure for Shersingh was a deformed tattooed creature without head or tail. He sighed and said. "My name and reputation is good enough and I don't need and inscription to prove my courage."

People with weak determination keep telling lies about their valor and courage but when the time comes to perform, they are the first to slime away and hide instead of facing a problem boldly.

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There was a sharp difference of opinion among the inmates of an Ashram. One group emphasized the importance of penance and austerities while the other rebutted stating that life is useless without satisfaction of one's personal desires in full. As there was no agreement either way they went to the Master sage for arbitration

The sage received them and without settling the point went on talking on some other subject. Meanwhile a gentleman came and offered fruits and sweets to the saint. The latter accepted the offering and ate up the entire quantity immediately. After a while, another devotee came and offered presents. The saint took the offerings in hand and threw out the stuff through the window. He then inquired of the welfare of the visitor and went on talking softly and sweetly to him. But the guest found it uninteresting and went away after a while.

A third guest came with usual presents. The holy person took something for himself, distributed the rest amongst all those who were present and engaged the visitor in pleasant talk.

After the departure of this guest, the saint sent three inmates to contact the three gentlemen who came that day with presents to find out their reaction towards the treatment meted out to them and report to him. Their experience was reported to be as follows: - The first gentleman was very much annoyed. He was of the opinion that the saint was utterly selfish. The second guest felt greatly disappointed that the fruits etc which he brought with love had been thrown out and did not feel consoled even thought the great person talked to him sweetly afterward. The third visitor praised the saint profusely adding that he was a real recluse as he had lovingly shared with all what he got. The master wound up the discussions thus:

"The best way to live in the world is to share amongst one and all what the Lord gives and to deal with everyone in a gentle way. It is not correct to lead either a crassly selfish life or be engaged in pursuit of penance and austerities without any thought for the well-being of the body."