Most of us think we know what “Conflict” is, but don’t realise that it is one of the significant causes of our unhappiness, dissatisfaction and misery in life. Conflict is an affliction of the mind that creeps in silently, unsuspectingly and unknowingly as one becomes attached to one’s values. It is a byproduct of knowledge and intelligence; and it increases in intensity directly proportionate to the advancement of these two faculties.
When values (doesn’t matter whether right or wrong) are steadfastly and dogmatically held and used as references, anything that is not in line becomes conflicting; for example, in the explosive expressions of conflict caused by religious fanaticism. The “Mind-conflict” is readily translated into “action-conflict” and becomes a scourge of suffering and “unsatisfactory-ness”.
Maturity of thought, the deep understanding of our mind’s nature of attachment to values, and the conscious ability to dwell in the “Now” are some of the ways to mitigate this affliction. However, it is saddening to note that a great many minds dwell in and thrive on conflict.
No conflict? … You can’t argue with a person with a conscious mind. (Tolle, Eckhart – A New Earth, Penguin Books, 2005)
Monday, October 26, 2009
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
On Coming and Going
I use to have a spiritual guru who indulged me in metaphysics. One day while we were having a casual tête-à-tête in his quiet ashram he asked, “Where did you come from and where would you be going to?” My uninitiated response was of course; from a biological source, and to Heaven or Hell attempting to speak his language with due respect.
He chuckled.
I gave him a skeptical look and quipped, “Then where?”
“From Nowhere, to Nowhere” he replied.
“Wow!” I muttered, “that’s profound’. He didn’t respond and we sat in deafening silence for 20 minutes. Then he whispered barely audibly, “Did you notice the stillness?”
“Yes”, I blurted in relief.
“That’s the primordial nature of the Universe which is equated with Nothingness, where all phenomena take birth when the causative conditions arise and return to when the conditions dissolve. Coming and going are only labels given by our minds to imply movement which is actually an entity’s repetitive occupancy of a point in space and time. If you look at the bigger picture, when the causative conditions dissolve, all matter (which is in fact energy) will come to rest in this state of stillness”.
Hearing that, was when I re-evaluated and revamped my ideas of The Providence, Heaven and Hell, Birth and Death, and the Purpose of Life ...
He chuckled.
I gave him a skeptical look and quipped, “Then where?”
“From Nowhere, to Nowhere” he replied.
“Wow!” I muttered, “that’s profound’. He didn’t respond and we sat in deafening silence for 20 minutes. Then he whispered barely audibly, “Did you notice the stillness?”
“Yes”, I blurted in relief.
“That’s the primordial nature of the Universe which is equated with Nothingness, where all phenomena take birth when the causative conditions arise and return to when the conditions dissolve. Coming and going are only labels given by our minds to imply movement which is actually an entity’s repetitive occupancy of a point in space and time. If you look at the bigger picture, when the causative conditions dissolve, all matter (which is in fact energy) will come to rest in this state of stillness”.
Hearing that, was when I re-evaluated and revamped my ideas of The Providence, Heaven and Hell, Birth and Death, and the Purpose of Life ...
Monday, October 12, 2009
On Karma
Much has been said and written on the subject but to the uninitiated, the misconception and confusion continues.
“Karma” is simply “cause and effect” redefined for the human mind’s consumption as, “Any thought (formed, conceptualized), word (uttered, written) or deed (performed) intentionally committed by someone whose mind is not free from greed, hatred and delusion(1)” It is just like saying, all bacteria are germs, but not all germs are bacteria. It is also one of the natural laws and there’s nothing mystical, supernatural, spiritual, divine, unmentionable and taboo about it. As such, it’s not totally correct to say, “I believe (or don’t) in Karma” or “I believe (or don’t) there is Karma” which implies that one doesn’t know. In a broader sense, if one knows one does not have to “believe”(2). Therefore, it is more appropriate to say, “I subscribe or I don’t subscribe to the concept, doctrine or law of Karma”.
“Karma” per se does not have a mind of its own as laymen tend to believe i.e. it does not decide what or even when to take effect. It just unfurls when the appropriate conditions arise. So in itself, it is neither good nor bad, right nor wrong and positive nor negative. It is an ancient Sanskrit word (Kamma in Pali) that originated from a rich Indian subcontinent culture and as it is defined today, there is nothing religious about it. It‘s only the human mind that thinks otherwise ...
(1) Ven. Henepola Gunaratana; Understanding Karma and Rebirth.
(2) Chief Rev. Ven. Dr. K Sri Dharmmananda
“Karma” is simply “cause and effect” redefined for the human mind’s consumption as, “Any thought (formed, conceptualized), word (uttered, written) or deed (performed) intentionally committed by someone whose mind is not free from greed, hatred and delusion(1)” It is just like saying, all bacteria are germs, but not all germs are bacteria. It is also one of the natural laws and there’s nothing mystical, supernatural, spiritual, divine, unmentionable and taboo about it. As such, it’s not totally correct to say, “I believe (or don’t) in Karma” or “I believe (or don’t) there is Karma” which implies that one doesn’t know. In a broader sense, if one knows one does not have to “believe”(2). Therefore, it is more appropriate to say, “I subscribe or I don’t subscribe to the concept, doctrine or law of Karma”.
“Karma” per se does not have a mind of its own as laymen tend to believe i.e. it does not decide what or even when to take effect. It just unfurls when the appropriate conditions arise. So in itself, it is neither good nor bad, right nor wrong and positive nor negative. It is an ancient Sanskrit word (Kamma in Pali) that originated from a rich Indian subcontinent culture and as it is defined today, there is nothing religious about it. It‘s only the human mind that thinks otherwise ...
(1) Ven. Henepola Gunaratana; Understanding Karma and Rebirth.
(2) Chief Rev. Ven. Dr. K Sri Dharmmananda
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
On The Ultimate Truth
The Truth that we know of is only difficult to find if we don’t know where to look. Philosophers, gurus and cultivators claim that the Truth can be found within us and when we find (or understand) it, we need not look elsewhere or any further. They'll also not hesitate to say that whatever we take to be the Truth belongs to us – i.e. how our mind perceives and interprets it at a certain point of time. Therefore, the definition of any Truth will depend on the levels of our knowledge and where the frontier of our minds' understanding lies. But then again, they’ll be quick to point out that these are contemporary Truths and not ultimate since they are subject to our minds’ capability to change definitions. So what is the Ultimate Truth? They define it as, “The Truth that cannot be changed”. If so, then the right answer should be “Nothing”, because no Truth can be ultimate as long as the mind is involved in giving it a definition and a label (name), or that it even has a definition and a label. All so called "Truths" are created by the mind, for the mind.
Thus, we enter the realm of “suchness” …
Thus, we enter the realm of “suchness” …
Monday, October 5, 2009
On Saints and Millionaires
You may have heard of the saying, "It is easier to make a saint out of you than a millionaire". It's true if you think about it and consider the amount of resources required. How come? Well, not many people seriously want to be saints, and certainly not many millionaires in this world either. Most of those who started out wanting to be saints changed their minds halfway and most of those who started out wanting to be millionaires went most of the way and still kept on going despite the odds. Only those aspiring millionaire wannabes who have failed miserably might give sainthood a shot. The reality is that all saints can become millionaires but in their wisdom they chose not to. Similarly, all millionaires can become saints too, if they wake up to the same wisdom that they have been blinded from. There are indeed more saints up there than millionaires down here and yet we human beings are oblivious to this Truth. That's the sad part of it ...
Sunday, October 4, 2009
On Reciting Prayers
Once upon a time there was a holy celibate and self-made preacher who traveled far and wide to teach the proper way of reciting prayers. Perchance, he heard of a small island in the middle of a large lake where a secluded place of worship stood. There, were monks of high order who have practiced their own method of reciting prayers from time immemorial.
So, the preacher made up his mind to pay them a visit, journeyed to the edge of the lake and took a small ferry rowboat across. When he arrived at the place of worship, he was accorded a simple, warm and respectful welcome. In the prayer session that followed, he noticed that the monks were reciting the prayers incorrectly. The preacher then took upon himself to authoritatively correct them for which the monks were graciously thankful.
Upon completing his mission, he returned by the same ferry rowboat that had brought him. In the middle of the journey, he heard a few voices calling out to him, "Great Master, Great Master, please wait up. We are unsure of one of the stanzas you taught us. Could you kindly repeat it for our benefit?" The preacher turned around and after a long pause choked a reply, "It doesn't really matter. Just continue to recite what you have been reciting all along."
The 3 monks behind him who waited for his reply were patiently and calmly standing on the water ...
So, the preacher made up his mind to pay them a visit, journeyed to the edge of the lake and took a small ferry rowboat across. When he arrived at the place of worship, he was accorded a simple, warm and respectful welcome. In the prayer session that followed, he noticed that the monks were reciting the prayers incorrectly. The preacher then took upon himself to authoritatively correct them for which the monks were graciously thankful.
Upon completing his mission, he returned by the same ferry rowboat that had brought him. In the middle of the journey, he heard a few voices calling out to him, "Great Master, Great Master, please wait up. We are unsure of one of the stanzas you taught us. Could you kindly repeat it for our benefit?" The preacher turned around and after a long pause choked a reply, "It doesn't really matter. Just continue to recite what you have been reciting all along."
The 3 monks behind him who waited for his reply were patiently and calmly standing on the water ...
Friday, October 2, 2009
On Letting Go
This is a true story, which took more than 3 months to unfurl and fruit. One can imagine the uncountable number of such occurances in our lifetime, some are short while others highly protracted. We should pause to ask ourselves whether we have enough time in this life to reap the benefits of each lesson well learnt.
Some years ago, an elderly retired Indian gentleman, presumably in his sixties and re-employed as a dispatch person, dropped by our office to deliver documents. Subsequently, as his visits became regular; my colleagues and I struck up an acquaintanceship and in those brief chat moments that he could spare, he told us he was a heart patient wearing a pacemaker.
One day 3 months ago, he popped in while I was away and on his way out I bumped into him. On seeing me, he showed me a label torn from a medicine pack, and politely asked whether I could lend him 50 Ringgit to buy the drug to treat his cardiac ailment. Without a second thought, I whipped out the note and handed it to him. He graciously thanked me and promised he would return in 3 days to settle the debt.
When I walked into my office, my colleagues reported that he had approached them earlier to borrow money and they had flatly turned him down on the reason of trust. They then wanted to know whether I had unwittingly lent him any. I only responded with a smile. Somehow, their uncalled for remarks implanted negative thoughts in my mind of distrust and fear of losing the money and whether I have made a mistake of lending him. In the few days that followed, I struggled to put the thoughts behind me but could not completely erase them.
On the day he promised to return with the money, he defaulted. This further fueled my thoughts of distrust and I reasoned it was unfortunate that our relationship could only be worth a mere 50 Ringgit and so consoled myself that the world's full of such characters anyway. A month passed without any sign of him. Then one day he came by to say that according to his doctor, it was time to replace his pacemaker but he will repay the debt a week before the procedure. Another month passed. I then resigned to the thought that the debt was irrecoverable, wrote it off and re-attempted to forget that it was ever incurred.
However, a week ago, he showed up and upon completing his assigned chore, he confidently walked up to me and joyfully handed me an envelope containing 50 Ringgit. I was unexpectedly touched by his honesty and the very gesture of returning with the money jeered at my distrustful thoughts of him. Instinctively, I took the envelope, put my hand on his shoulder and said, "Do me a favour, please take this back, and donate it to a welfare institution of your choice, in your and your family's name." He gave me a sudden look of surprise that melted into a gentle smile. He whispered a "Thank You", nodded acknowledgingly and slowly walked to the door without looking back ...
In reflecting, I concluded that in this encounter, it was a small price to pay not for one, but for several lessons learnt. Everyone in the story was my teacher. As for the bottom line - did I lose anything? I think not. I was just letting go ...
Some years ago, an elderly retired Indian gentleman, presumably in his sixties and re-employed as a dispatch person, dropped by our office to deliver documents. Subsequently, as his visits became regular; my colleagues and I struck up an acquaintanceship and in those brief chat moments that he could spare, he told us he was a heart patient wearing a pacemaker.
One day 3 months ago, he popped in while I was away and on his way out I bumped into him. On seeing me, he showed me a label torn from a medicine pack, and politely asked whether I could lend him 50 Ringgit to buy the drug to treat his cardiac ailment. Without a second thought, I whipped out the note and handed it to him. He graciously thanked me and promised he would return in 3 days to settle the debt.
When I walked into my office, my colleagues reported that he had approached them earlier to borrow money and they had flatly turned him down on the reason of trust. They then wanted to know whether I had unwittingly lent him any. I only responded with a smile. Somehow, their uncalled for remarks implanted negative thoughts in my mind of distrust and fear of losing the money and whether I have made a mistake of lending him. In the few days that followed, I struggled to put the thoughts behind me but could not completely erase them.
On the day he promised to return with the money, he defaulted. This further fueled my thoughts of distrust and I reasoned it was unfortunate that our relationship could only be worth a mere 50 Ringgit and so consoled myself that the world's full of such characters anyway. A month passed without any sign of him. Then one day he came by to say that according to his doctor, it was time to replace his pacemaker but he will repay the debt a week before the procedure. Another month passed. I then resigned to the thought that the debt was irrecoverable, wrote it off and re-attempted to forget that it was ever incurred.
However, a week ago, he showed up and upon completing his assigned chore, he confidently walked up to me and joyfully handed me an envelope containing 50 Ringgit. I was unexpectedly touched by his honesty and the very gesture of returning with the money jeered at my distrustful thoughts of him. Instinctively, I took the envelope, put my hand on his shoulder and said, "Do me a favour, please take this back, and donate it to a welfare institution of your choice, in your and your family's name." He gave me a sudden look of surprise that melted into a gentle smile. He whispered a "Thank You", nodded acknowledgingly and slowly walked to the door without looking back ...
In reflecting, I concluded that in this encounter, it was a small price to pay not for one, but for several lessons learnt. Everyone in the story was my teacher. As for the bottom line - did I lose anything? I think not. I was just letting go ...
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