Busy All Day Doing Nothing

I decide to wash my car.  As I start toward the garage, I notice that there is mail on the hall table.  I decide to go through the mail before I wash the car. I lay my car keys down on the table, put the junk mail in the trash can under the table, and notice that the trash can is full.  So, I decide to put the bills back on the table and take out the trash can first.

 

But then I think, since I'm going to be near the mailbox when I take out the trash anyway, I may as well pay the bills first.  I take my check book off the table, and see that there is only one check left. My extra checks are in my desk in the study, so I go to my desk where I find the can of Coke that I had been drinking.

I'm going to look for my checks, but first I need to push the Coke aside so that I don't accidentally knock it over. I see that the Coke is getting warm, and I decided that I should put it in the refrigerator to keep it cold. As I head toward the kitchen with the coke a vase of flowers on the counter catches my eye-they need to be watered. I set the Coke down on the counter, and I discover my reading glasses that I've been searching for all morning.

I decide I better put them back on my desk, but first I'm going to water the lowers. I set the glasses back down on the counter, fill a container with water and suddenly I spot the TV remote. Someone left it on the kitchen table. I realize that tonight when we go to watch TV, I will be looking for the remote, but I won't remember that it's on the kitchen table, so I decide to put it back in the den where it belongs, but first I'll water the flowers.  I splash some water on the flowers, but most of it spills on the floor.  So, I set the remote back down on the table, get some towels and wipe up the spill.  Then I head down the hall trying to remember what I was planning to do. At the end of the day: the car isn't washed, the bills aren't paid, there is a warm can of Coke sitting on the counter, the flowers aren't watered, there is still only one check in my check book, I can't find the remote, I can't find my glasses, and I don't remember what I did with the car keys. 

Then when I try to figure out why nothing got done today, I'm really baffled because I know I was BUSY all day long, and I'm really tired.

Indian Thoughts Archives 

Parable Of The Pencil

  

The Pencil Maker took the pencil aside, just before putting him into the box. "There are 5 things you need to know," he told the pencil, "Before I send you out into the world. Always remember them and never forget, and you will become the best pencil you can be."

"One: You will be able to do many great things, but only if you allow yourself to be held in Someone's hand."

"Two: You will experience a painful sharpening from time to time, but you'll need it to become a better pencil."

"Three: You will be able to correct any mistakes you might make."

"Four: The most important part of you will always be what's inside."

"And Five: On every surface you are used on, you must leave your mark. No matter what the condition, you must continue to write."

The pencil understood and promised to remember, and went into the box with purpose in its heart.

Now try to place yourself in the place of the pencil.  Always remember them and never forget, and you will become the best person you can be.

One: You will be able to do many great things, but only if you allow yourself to be held in God's hand. And allow other human beings to access you for the many gifts you possess.

Two: You will experience a painful sharpening from time to time, by going through various problems in life, but you'll need it to become a stronger person.

Three: You will be able to correct any mistakes you might make.

Four: The most important part of you will always be what's on the inside.

And Five: On every surface you walk through, you must leave your mark. No matter what the situation, you must continue to do your duties.

Allow this parable on the pencil to encourage you to know that you are a special person and only you can fulfill the purpose to which you were born to accomplish.

Never allow yourself to get discouraged and think that your life is insignificant and you cannot make a change.

 

Indian Thoughts, Archives

On Space and Time

The Baba said reflectively: ‘Space and time are two sides of the physical reality. They can be transcended with love and creativity. When there is deep love, we can transcend the limitations of space. The lovers sometimes tend to lose awareness of their surroundings. Even when far away from each other, their love remains intense….

‘Similarly, when one is creative, one tends to transcend the awareness of time. For example, an artist who is immersed in his painting can go on for hours and hours together, even days together, without food, drink or rest. A scientist in his laboratory involved with an absorbing research work can also lose track of time. Any creative work takes us deep into a realm of our being where time stands still….

‘Where there is love, there will always be creativity. We want to give our best to our beloved. Love also will bring out the best in us. We display talents that we never imagined that we had. Some people start writing poetry and singing songs, and do many other creative things, which they never used to do before they fell in love….

‘So my son, when you say time is moving very fast for you, it implies you have developed the qualities of love and creativity in your life. It is really good…

‘May God bless you with more of love and creativity.’ 

The guru blessed his disciple.

They had started referring to their weekly interactive sessions as ‘Guruvar Satsanghs’.

Both the guru and the disciple came to look forwad to these ‘Guruvar Satsanghs’.

They always began the Guruvar Satsangh with a silent meditation. The guru then blessed his disciple with great love, and began the discussion on the day’s theme.

Excerpts from ‘Integral Revolution’.

Aural and Oral Cultures

One of the traditions that is fast disappearing is the very valued, Eastern aural (relating to the ear or the sense of hearing) culture. Oral culture (relating to the mouth or speech) predominantly characterizes the Western culture while aural culture is an important aspect of Eastern spirituality or of being Eastern. In the West listening to music or talk shows while engaged in other activities is a very common phenomenon. It is becoming increasingly common in the East. That the world is shrinking or becoming one has a great deal to do with it, especially in this age of information, communication, and world-wide trade. None the less we cannot but take note of this important shift or change.

I still very fondly cherish one of the experiences narrated to me long ago by my provincial (superior of the region that I then belonged) after a visit of my family. He happened to be a Spanish Jesuit who did not know any Malayalam (my mother tongue), and my mother did not know any language other than Malayalam. My provincial told me that he was very touched by my mother sitting silently in a happy demeanour during his entire stay of three hours. I guess it was the next best to seeing her far away son. I must also note that in those days of very rigorous regulations, my first very short visit of her after joining the Jesuits was after 8 years, and that too caused by her grievous illness.

We are as a people losing the art of listening to the internal and external stimuli. That way we little by little lose touch with ourselves. Do we have time to silently reflect and formulate our own our views before we are unduly influenced by others’ interpretations of events? It appears that we like to speak more and narcissistically hear our voices more than we attentively and empathically listen to others and understand what they are saying in order for us to appropriately respond to them. Are we formulating our answers or our defense while others are talking? Do we frequently interrupt others because we know what they are going to say? Even if we anticipate what others are going to say, it is a good policy to listen through so the other person feels understood? Some persons have such an internal pressure to interrupt lest they forget what is on their mind at the time. And my answer to them is that they would remember if something is worth saying. Even if they are forgetting what is worth saying, I think they gain more by listening rather than by interrupting.

We are constantly bombarded by unwanted external stimuli. Sensible people would think when they go to a church, temple, a mosque, or a political party meeting, they should be able to hear the readings, songs, prayers or speeches related to the worship or functions conducted there. In a multi-cultural, multi-ethnic, multi-religious, and a multi-party society that ours is, unwanted voices blared out and subjected, willy-nilly, especially at times when we want to rest, study, or do our own prayer or meditation, through loud speakers for the entire town or village, become noxious stimuli easily contributing to disturbance of piece, tranquility, tolerance, and noise pollution.

I have witnessed devout persons visiting holy persons or sages in their ashrams while they are talking to others, and staying in their presence for a time and leaving without having uttered a word. They just came for darshan (seeing the person or just being in the presence of the person). That way their need was satisfied. Sometimes attentive, non-verbal presence is all that is required, and, at such times, speech becomes superfluous. The world around us with all the beings and happenings is the greatest live university where all kinds of courses worth learning are continuously taking place. Attentive and empathic listening will enrich and streamline our conversations, and eliminate at least sometimes our spoken words altogether.

Swami Snehananda Jyoti

Rebellion

A line in J.K Rowling's novel "Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban" particularly attracted my attention. It was "I want to commit the murder I was imprisoned for". It was said by the character Sirius Black. Here the context was quite different, but the way this sentence was framed drew my attention. All along our lives we also feel imprisoned by some kind of binding thoughts. Sometimes we feel bound by religious beliefs. Sometime we are bound by the relations we are in and sometime our own actions bind us so much so that we want to break free from everything and do something exactly opposite of whatever is expected of us. Recently I was hearing a discussion where most people involved wanted to give capital punishment to anyone who says anything against religious beliefs of other religion. Sometimes I feel that we have again started living in a time where solutions are found by demanding hanging of any such person who voices a different opinion. Opinions itself have become a reason to create social unrest. I also feel imprisoned, when such thing happen around me. But! I do not blame this on rising intolerance. I blame this on inaction of self declared tolerant people. 

A social action movement against corruption few years back gave hope to so many Indians that something will change now for the better. Things changed for the better for few individuals of that movement. A wide scale social movement across borders of the nation is required to remove the menace of forced religious beliefs also. The way we do environment summit and decide to reduce pollution, we also do some thing similar to curb the pollution in our thoughts. An organised set of people is trying to pollute our minds so that we become controllable and leave our identities. Hope we can face this onslaught by practicing non-violent murder techniques. People who are surprised by hearing this term non-violent murder, I shall advise them to read some thing more about our father of the nation Gandhi Ji. 

Dr. Sunil Ji Garg

Proper Education

Some time back, I happened to read the story of a Japanese train station which operates just for one passenger and that a girl student. The Kami-Shirtaki train station in Hokkaido Island is the station referred here. Due to insufficient passengers, authorities had virtually decided to abandon this station. It was then that they noticed that there is a girl whose only conveyance is this train. Not only they dropped the idea of abandoning the station but also rescheduled the timings of the train according to this student’s convenience. Is education that important? Certainly, it is.

There is a popular American Story. In 1923, nine of the wealthiest people in the world met in Chicago’s Edge Water Beach Hotel. They included the president of the largest gas company (Howard Hubson), the president of the largest steel company (Bethlehem Corporation - Charles M Schwab), president of one of the greatest commodity traders (Wheat speculator - Arthur Cutten), President of the New York Stock Exchange (Richard Whitney), a member of the President’s Cabinet (Albert Fall), the greatest bear on Wall Street (Jesse Livermore), the head of the World’s greatest monopoly (Ivar Kruegar), the President of the International Bank of settlements (Leon Fraser) and  the president of the greatest Utility company (Samuel Insull).

25 years later, Howard Hubson went insane, Charles M Schwab died Bankrupt, Arthur Cutten died insolvent, Richard Whitney was imprisoned, Albert Fall was released from jail just to die in peace, Jesse Livermore committed suicide, so did Ivar Kruegger and Leon Fraser. The remaining Samuel Insull died penniless. What could have been the missing factor, which led to their falls? Might be proper education, I guess.

Joseph Mattappally

Follow Your Bliss

I have heard of a bus driver in Chicago who does just that. He sings while he drives. That's right... sings! And I don't mean he sings softly to himself, either. He sings so that the whole bus can hear! All day long he drives and sings.

He was once interviewed on Chicago television. He said that he is not actually a bus driver. "I'm a professional singer," he asserted. "I only drive the bus to get a captive audience every single day.

His "bliss" is not driving a bus, though that may be a source of enjoyment for some people. His bliss is singing. And the supervisors at the Chicago Transit Authority are perfectly happy about the whole arrangement. You see, people line up to ride his bus. They even let other busses pass by so they can ride with the "singing bus driver." They love it!

Here is a man who believes he knows why he was put here on earth. For him, it is to make people happy. And the more he sings, the more people he makes happy! He has found a way to align his purpose in living with his occupation. By following his bliss, he is actually living the kind of life he believes he was meant to live.