Perspectives

The discussion was about inducting Archimedes into the Hall of Fame of spiritualists and Mindfullness  practitioners.

Those opposed felt that that Archimedes was not a very Mindful person. He,instead of being totally mindful and aware and in the present moment ,while having his bath, wasin fact thinking of the problem of the King's crown and Hydrostatics..

Those in favour ,however argued that Archimedes was in fact totally into the act of having a bath. He had in fact cleared his mind of all matters pertaining to the piquant problem of proving or disproving the purity of the gold used in the manufacture of the Crown. In this empty space of the mnd, the soluton to the problem arose,from  the depths of his Unconsciousness.all by itself.

The jury is still out.

SELF BLESSIGS

 We keep blessing and wishing others well . We are sincere about it and genuinely hope that they would really be blessed . Does it mean that our blessings have the power to make a difference in someone else’s life. It seems so, otherwise why would this be so common across cultures . If it can happen for others , why not for ourselves ? 

We normally wish others Health, Wealth and Happiness . Health does not just mean absence of illness .It is a general well being in which we are physically , mentally and emotionally well abd well balanced. While absence of any disease would be ideal , it may not be always possible. We can wish for it but if some illnesses are there , we can be Stoic about it , accept it with Grace and be thankful that it is not something worse. With age, we are bound to start feeling the reduction in our sensory acuity . Physical losses like that of hearing or sight are comparatively easy , and can be lived with without much discomfort . However others like loss of memory , emotional distress , depression , loneliness etc are more difficult to accept . Unfortunately , there is nothing we can do about it . We hope for the best and be prepared for the worst .

 Wealth is not just having lots of money. It is about wealth consciousness. Wealth consciousness is a mindset .Wealth consciousness means an abundance mentality. It is a feeling that you everything you need and want. Money , relationships, friendship , goodwill , respect etc. Wealth consciousness is a positiveand beautiful state of mind. We want all material things for ourselves and the rest of the world .

 Happiness is very subjective . Each has his own understanding of happiness . Just like wealth consciousness , happiness is a state of mind more than anything physical. Commonly we want peace of mind , absence of worry or any type of suffering . While sensory pleasures give temperory pleasure , it also comes with some pain . To be in a state of bliss is the goal. Stopping to think of ourselves and having a charitable mind set is one way of attaining this state. Prayer , positive thinking , meditation are some of the techniques that are recommended .

More than any of these is the power of self blessing. It is easy does not require any practice . Everynight before going to sleep sit quietly till your mind is calm . Just sincerely bless everyone with Health , wealth and Happiness . After that give the same blessings to yourself . It may seem weird in the beginning but that is okay. Nobody is watching .Along with that , visualise that all these blessings have already manifested in you. Visualise that you are getting up bright eyed and bushy tailed , going about your daily routines in a serene manner humming a song. Imagine yourself without a care in the world. Relations are in regular touch with you and are always there to support you and are happy in your happiness .When you go about with a positive mindset existence is there to fulfill all your needs. 

Stay blessed now and always

Rigidity.

My tennis coach once told me that I should hold the Racquet firmly but not tightly. In the arrogance of youth , i assumed that I knew what he meant but really did not for a long time. One day my opponent served a powerful serve and the racquet twisted in my hand. Then I realised what he meant.
The Racquet, ( sword, kitchen knife , whatever. ) should be firmly held so that the knife does not change its position when it meets resistance
bu tat the same time you can move it any way you want to achieve your goal. A firm grip ensures that the weapon functions exactly as the wielder wants it to , and not on its own. On the other hand when you hold it rigidly other muscles in your hand, wrist,elbow and shoulder also get strained and become rigid which does not permit you instantaneously make changes in the direction and angle of attack.
A rigid mindset which does not permit any accommodation or revisiting the hypothesis on which it is based can be disastrous in life .
Even an illustrious and wise person like Bhishma was not able to avoid the consequences of a rigid mind set.
Mental rigidity is defined as our inability to change our mind even all signs points to a need to change our thoughts , beliefs or opinions. We are unable to see or refuse to see a different point of view .Sometimes it may be that we have become comfortable with a mind set and are afraid to change .People with fixed mind set feel that their qualities are fixed and cannot be changed.
Again a incident from Mahabharata. When Lord Krishna tried to teach Duryodhana , the error of his ways, Duryodhana told Krishna that he does not need any advice. He said, “I know what is “right”but i cannot bring myself to do it ; I know what is wrong but i cannot stop myself from doing it. “ This is a classic rigid mind set . On the other hand Arjuna when faced with his existential crisis implores Krishna to teach him how to change and do his duty.
There is no silver bullet to change our strong beliefs and prejudices. Some of these have been reinforced again and again and have become well entrenched. Like any change management , the first thing is to become aware of this mental defect of ours . Meditation and affirmations are very helpful in changing these bad habits.Continued meditation will make us aware when we are falling into our pattern of becoming more and more rigid and refusing to change. We must practice open mindedness and try to wean ourselves out of our habitual behaviour. Visualisation is another proven way to reprogram our minds. There are many resources available for learning and practicing meditation and visualisations..
A flexible mindset has enormous benefits and can be life changing.It will let you enjoy life more fully. It will improve relationships,both at work and home. Never be stressed about being perfect.Become better at taking responsibility for your choices. 

Mindfulnessi

Sparks shooting from the dying embers of long forgotten fires
Bubbles rising from the depths of the still forest pool,
Forbidden thoughts,insatiable desires
Anger and jealousy,monsters ,one red eyed and green the other,
Unbidden guests, sowing seeds of suffering,
Tranquility,serenity equanimity; snuffed like a lamp in a storm,
Despair not o’ pilgrim , the cure also is within you.
Be a witness without judgement and they too shall pass
even as the ripples weaken and disappear.

Belief