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"An insincere and evil friend is more to be feared than a wild beast; a wild beast may wound your..."

Wed, 30 May 2012 10:55:00 -0400

“An insincere and evil friend is more to be feared than a wild beast; a wild beast may wound your body, but an evil friend will wound your mind.”

- Buddha

Which side of your brain is dominant?

Wed, 18 Apr 2012 10:13:25 -0400

Left Brain:

I am a scientist.
A mathematician.
I love the familiar.
I categorize.
I am accurate.
Linear. Analytical. Strategic.
I am practical.
Always in control.
A masters of words and language.
Realistic.
I calculate equations and play with numbers.
I am order.
I am logic.
I know exactly who I am.

Right Brain:

I am creativity.
A free spirit.
I am passion.
Yearning.
Sensuality.
I am the sound of roaring laughter.
I am taste.
The feeling of sand beneath bare feet.
I am movement.
Vivid colors.
I am the urge to paint on empty canvas.
I am boundless imagination.
Art. Poetry.
I sense. I feel.
I am everything I wanted to be.

Which side of your brain is dominant?

The 900 lb Gorilla is Your Ego

Wed, 14 Mar 2012 23:44:05 -0400

The 900 lb gorilla that you see sitting in the room, and always with you, is most likely your very own ego.

The Enlightened Neighborhood

Sat, 10 Mar 2012 06:35:00 -0500

The very essence of the Bible says, love thy neighbor, and not to judge thy neighbor. In the modern day, we only live in a lighted neighborhood, not in an enlightened neighborhood. For the entire neighborhood to become enlightened, the last seed of hate, arising out of judgement in our minds for whatever reason, and that remains planted in individual hearts needs to be removed, and give way to the blossoming of unconditional love. This will make enlightened individuals living in an enlightened neighborhood glow naturally, which sure is not as easy as turning on a light switch. Love yourself, love thy neighbor, and do not judge thy neighbor, love everyone you meet, love life. Hope this wisdom shines through all the darkness.

Correct Oneself or Correct the Whole World?

Fri, 02 Mar 2012 12:12:14 -0500

Correcting oneself is tantamount to correcting the whole world.

Dreams to Reality

Tue, 28 Feb 2012 14:32:51 -0500

Be a dreamer, believe in your dreams, make your dream a reality!

Truth and the Perception of Truth

Fri, 06 Jan 2012 20:37:18 -0500

Truth is universal. Perception of truth is not. Truth alone triumphs. The end.

Beyond Religion by The Dalai Lama

Wed, 07 Dec 2011 10:39:13 -0500

In his new book “Beyond Religion: Ethics for a Whole World”, His Holiness the Dalai Lama argues that religion is not a necessity for pursuing a spiritual life. Rather he proposes a system of secular ethics that transcends religion as a way to recognize our common humanity and so contributes to a global human community based on understanding and mutual respect.

Ten years ago, in his book “Ethics for a New Millennium”, His Holiness the Dalai Lama first proposed an approach to ethics based on universal rather than religious principles.

Now, in “Beyond Religion”, the Dalai Lama, at his most compassionate and outspoken, elaborates and deepens his vision for the nonreligious way. Transcending the mere “religion wars,” he outlines a system of secular ethics that gives tolerant respect to religion—those that ground ethics in a belief in God and an afterlife, and those that understand good actions as leading to better states of existence in future lives. And yet, with the highest level of spiritual and intellectual authority, the Dalai Lama makes a claim for what he calls a third way.

Lobbycracy or Democracy?

Thu, 20 Oct 2011 14:48:00 -0400

United States of America is widely regarded by the world as the champion of democracy. So what does the term democracy mean in USA and rest of the world. The word democracy is formed by the combination of the ancient Greek terms demos (people) and kratos (power). Putting these two terms together, the meaning of democary is derived as power to the people or people power.

As part of democracy, we the people of the land elect representatives of the people to form the government of the nation. Here, the elected representatives and the constituted governing bodies they form derives from the power of people to enact laws of the land to eventually benefit the constituents, who are none other than the people who elected them in the first place. This leads us to the famous phrase from the Gettysburg address by Abraham Lincoln - “government of the people, by the people, for the people”, which symbolizes the ultimate meaning of democracy.

However, in many democratic countries including USA and around the world, lobbying has become entrenched in the democratic systems and aims to influence decisions by the elected government representatives to favour the lobbying interest. This process of buying the vote and conscience of the elected representives distorts the outcome of the elected representatives to favor the lobby interest, and not the people who elected the representative in the first place.

Lobbying is effectively political advertising, and a thorn on side of what clean and pure democracy is all about. Lobbyists represent the money interests of high net worth individuals and large corporations to eventually influence governmental decisions to facilitate business and ultimately increased profits. This might not be in the best interest of the people as a whole.

The Merriam-Webster dictionary website also lists Lobbycracy as a new slang word in their open dictionary section as below:

Lobbycracy (noun) : A mutant form of a democratic government in which certain group of persons or organizations try their best to militate the thinking of legislators or other elected public officials for or against a specific cause. In a lobbycracy, democracy is just reduced to counting number of votes and voters are not considered as a political power.

Word Usage: The ten thousands lobbies in the DC have transformed Democracy into Lobbycracy.

Finally, we come to the big question of the century - Do we have to rename the term democracy as lobbycracy to aptly reference the form of governance system prevalent in the times we live in this century?

Sanatana Dharma is the essence of Hinduism

Fri, 05 Aug 2011 23:35:16 -0400

Lead Us From the Unreal To the Real,
Lead Us From Darkness To Light,
Lead Us From Death To Immortality,
OM (the universal sound of God)
Let There Be Peace Peace Peace.

– Brihadaranyaka Upanishad 1.3.28.

The above is the very essence of the Sanatana Dharma, the eternal law of Hinduism. To comprehend the meaning of Sanatana Dharma, one must know the eternal function of the soul.

Krishna Gopala Krishna

Fri, 05 Aug 2011 23:18:29 -0400

The divine Amma or Mata Amritanandamayi singing Krishna Gopala Krishna along with her troupe.

How to Overcome Ego’s Hold on You

Tue, 02 Aug 2011 16:16:00 -0400

Some great suggestions to help you transcend ingrained ideas of ego and self-importance, along with seven downright easy steps for overcoming Ego’s tight grip on you.

1. Stop being offended.

Don’t take everything personal.

The behavior of others isn’t a reason to be immobilized. That which offends you only weakens you. If you’re looking for occasions to be offended, you’ll find them at every turn. This is your ego at work convincing you that the world shouldn’t be the way it is. By all means, act to eradicate the horrors of the world, which emanate from massive ego identification, but stay in peace. Being offended creates the same destructive energy that offended you in the first place and leads to attack, counterattack, and war.

2. Let go of your need to win.

Just be there having fun in the moment.

Ego loves to divide us up into winners and losers. The pursuit of winning is a surefire means to avoid conscious contact with intention. Why? Because ultimately, winning is impossible all of the time. Someone out there will be faster, luckier, younger, stronger, and smarter-and back you’ll go to feeling worthless and insignificant. You’re not your winnings or your victories. You may enjoy competing, and have fun in a world where winning is everything, but you don’t have to be there in your thoughts. There are no losers in a world where we all share the same energy source. All you can say on a given day is that you performed at a certain level in comparison to the levels of others on that day. But today is another day, with other competitors and new circumstances to consider. Let go of needing to win by not agreeing that the opposite of winning is losing. That’s ego’s fear. If your body isn’t performing in a winning fashion on this day, it simply doesn’t matter when you aren’t identifying exclusively with your ego. Be the observer, noticing and enjoying it all without needing to win a trophy. Be at peace, and match up with the energy of intention. And ironically, although you’ll hardly notice it, more of those victories will show up in your life as you pursue them less.

3. Let go of your need to be right.

Just make choices based on love from heart.

Ego is the source of a lot of conflict and dissension because it pushes you in the direction of making other people wrong. When you’re hostile, you’ve disconnected from being rational. Letting go of your need to be right in your discussions and relationships is like saying to ego, I’m not a slave to you. I want to embrace kindness, and I reject your need to be right. In fact, I’m going to offer this person a chance to feel better by saying that she’s right, and thank her for pointing me in the direction of truth. When you let go of the need to be right, you’re able to strengthen your connection to the power of intention. But keep in mind that ego is a determined combatant. I’ve seen people end otherwise beautiful relationships by sticking to their need to be right. I urge you to let go of this ego-driven need to be right by stopping yourself in the middle of an argument and asking yourself, Do I want to be right or be happy? When you choose the happy, loving, friendly mood, your connection to others strengthened.

4. Let go of your need to be superior.

Develop self-control and by not controlling or not judging others.

True nobility isn’t about being better than someone else. It’s about being better than you used to be. Stay focused on your growth, with a constant awareness that no one on this planet is any better than anyone else. We all emanate from the same creative life force. We all have a mission to realize our intended existance; all that we need to fulfill our intentions is available to us. None of this is possible when you see yourself as superior to others. It’s an old saw, but nonetheless true: we are all equal. Let go of your need to feel superior by seeing the good in everyone. Don’t assess others on the basis of their appearance, achievements, possessions, and other indices of ego. When you project feelings of superiority that’s what you get back, leading to resentments and ultimately hostile feelings.

5. Let go of your need to have more.

By grateful with what you have and know that whatever you need the universe will provide.

The mantra of ego is more. It’s never satisfied. No matter how much you achieve or acquire, your ego will insist that it isn’t enough. You’ll find yourself in a perpetual state of striving, and eliminate the possibility of ever arriving. Yet in reality you’ve already arrived, and how you choose to use this present moment of your life is your choice. Ironically, when you stop needing more, more of what you desire seems to arrive in your life. Since you’re detached from the need for it, you find it easier to pass it along to others, because you realize how little you need in order to be satisfied and at peace.

6. Let go of identifying yourself on the basis of your achievements.

By allowing opporunities to come to you.

This may be a difficult concept if you think you are your achievements. I can hear your ego loudly protesting. Nevertheless, stay tuned to this idea. You’re not this body and its accomplishments. Notice it all; and be grateful for the abilities you’ve accumulated. The less you need to take credit for your achievements and the more connected you stay, the more you’re free to achieve, and the more will show up for you.

7. Let go of your reputation.

By being sincere at all times.

Your reputation is not located in you. It resides in the minds of others. Therefore, you have no control over it at all. If you speak to 30 people, you will have 30 reputations. Connecting to intention means listening to your heart and conducting yourself based on what your inner voice tells you is your purpose here. If you’re overly concerned with how you’re going to be perceived by everyone, then you’ve disconnected yourself from intention and allowed the opinions of others to guide you. This is your ego at work. It’s an illusion that stands between you and being at peace. There’s nothing you can’t do, unless you disconnect from rationality and become convinced that your purpose is to prove to others how masterful and superior you are and spend your energy attempting to win a giant reputation among other egos. Stay on purpose, detach from outcome, and take responsibility for what does reside in you: your character. Leave your reputation for others to debate; it has nothing to do with you.

Excerpted from the original post written by Dr. Wayne Dyer on this subject.

EGO stands for Edging God Out

Fri, 08 Jul 2011 12:36:00 -0400

EGO is a word we hear a lot about these days, we all have one, some are larger then others, but in someway we all have one. The ego serves only one purpose, and that is to make you feel better about whom you are. That in-of-it self is not a bad thing, but the ego has no concern for others, or really for it’s self.

The ego will, and has, destroyed many a great person, all in the name of defending it’s self. The whole purpose of the ego is to self preserve it self. The ego’s job is to make you feel better about yourself, and it will do what ever it needs to do to make that happen. The ego is the voice inside of you that tells you to kick them when they are down, to make others feel bad about themselves; all in the name of lifting yourself up, making you feel better about you.

We see it all the time, and I am sure we have all lived it. We take the opportunity to use others disadvantages to our advantage. Sad but true, we here about it on the news, read about it in the paper, or we see it first hand. But we fail to see it when we are the ones doing it, we justify it, we turn it around and repackage it, dress it up to make it look better, we may even call it by different names, but in the end its all the same, it is the ego doing its job, using others misfortunes to its advantage.

Some will argue that the ego is needed, that it really does serve a good purpose. But the argument is week at best and self-serving at all times. We tend to want to hold on to that which makes us feel better. Much like any addict, we need to get that ego fix daily or we start to go through withdrawal symptoms. We start to feel the tingling of self-doubt setting in, the layers of falsehood start to peel off, and we head in to a tail spin of despair, as we try to piece back together the image of self that was created thru deception and ignorance of others.

The ego does not allow for God to truly be present in you, there is no room to serve the god within you, It clouds the spirituality in you, and hinders the divinity within you. This ego replaces the God within each one of us by edging God out. This is why, many religious scriptures, warn about the sin of pride and the sin-of-self. Always remember that the greatest battle ever is happening withing you and keep reminding yourself that pride (ego) is a road block to true happiness.

"The ego is a very powerful elephant which cannot be brought under control by any creature less..."

Tue, 05 Jul 2011 11:49:22 -0400

““The ego is a very powerful elephant which cannot be brought under control by any creature less powerful than a lion, which, in this instance, is none other than the Guru, whose very looks make the elephant-like ego tremble and die. You will know in due course that your glory lies where you cease to exist.””

- Ramana Maharshi

Origin and Basis of Inequality Among Men

Fri, 24 Jun 2011 16:21:25 -0400

Jean-Jacques Rousseau, one of the greatest figures of French enlightenment, discusses two types of inequality, natural or physical and ethical or political. Natural inequality involves differences between one man’s physical strength and that of another – it is a product of nature. Rousseau is not concerned with this type of inequality and wishes to investigate moral inequality. He argues moral inequality is endemic to a civil society and relates to, and causes, differences in power and wealth. This type of inequality is established by convention. Rousseau appears to take a cynical view of civil society, where man has strayed from his “natural state” of isolation and consequent freedom to satisfy his individual needs and desires.

For Rousseau, civil society is a trick perpetrated by the powerful on the weak in order to maintain their power or wealth. Rousseau examines man’s physical and mental characteristics and finds him to be an animal like any other, motivated by two key principles: pity and self-preservation. The only real attribute that separates him from the animals is his perfectibility, a quality that is vitally important in the process Rousseau goes on to describe. Man in the state of nature has few needs, no idea of good and evil, and little contact with other humans. Nevertheless, he is happy. However, man does not remain unchanged. The quality of perfectibility allows him to be shaped by, and to change in response to, his environment. Natural forces such as earthquakes and floods drive men into all parts of the globe, and force them to develop language and other skills. As men come into contact more frequently, small groups or societies start to form.

As men start to live in groups, pity and self-preservation are replaced by amour propre or “self love” or “self-esteem” or “self respect”, which drives men to compare themselves to others, and to need to dominate others in order to be happy. Essentially, the opposite of self-preservation (amour de soi). Amour propre is an acute awareness of, and regard for, oneself in relation to others.

The invention of property and the division of labor represent the beginning of moral inequality. Property allows for the domination and exploitation of the poor by the rich. Initially, however, relations between rich and poor are dangerous and unstable, leading to a violent state of war as in the case of the French revolution.

Rousseau’s account of the operation of society focuses on its various stages. Beginning with the trick played by the rich, he sees society as becoming more and more unequal, until the last stage of inequality, which is despotism, or the unjust rule of everyone by one man. This development is not inevitable, but it is extremely likely. As wealth becomes the standard by which men are compared, conflict and despotism become possible. For Rousseau, the worst kind of modern society is that in which money is the only measure of value.

The Good Life as defined by the Bubble Generation

Tue, 17 May 2011 16:18:00 -0400

The economy we have today will let you chow down on a supersize McBurger, check stock quotes on your latest smartphone, and drive your giant SUV down the block to buy a McMansion on hypercredit. It’s a vision of the good life that many aspire which the noted economist Amartya Sen termed as hedonic opulence. And it’s a conception built in and for the industrial age, about buying and having more and more. Based on this perspective, it prompts us to the question: Is a well lived life worth anything?

This is in total contast to the other vison of maybe cooking a fine meal at a right-sized eco-home, to be accompanied by local, award-winning microbrewed beer your friends have brought over, and then walking back to the vegetable garden to pick some of the vegetables you have grown and use it in the dinner preparation. That’s an alternate vision of meaningfully well-lived life, what the ancient Greek philosopher Aristotle termed eudaimonia, can be meant as “happiness” or “flourishing” and also as “well-being”. It highlights a concept called eudaimonic prosperity, and it’s about living meaningfully well. Its purpose is not merely passive consuming but living i.e. doing, achieving, fulfilling, becoming, inspiring, transcending, creating, accomplishing — all the stuff that matters the most in all our lives.

We live in an era where all that matters is people with supersized egos eyeing to be on Forbes who is the richest in the world list, an era defined as the bubble generation.

Renowned psychologist Abraham Maslow wrote in 1943 about hierarchy of human human needs in the classic - A Theory of Human Motivation, here is an excerpt:

It is quite true that man lives by bread alone - when there is no bread. But what happens to man’s desires when there is plenty of bread and when his belly is chronically filled?

Which picture does your current or aspired life fit into?

Why commoners are fascinated by royalty?

Fri, 29 Apr 2011 09:55:00 -0400

The royal wedding of the century as was hyped by international media was wrapped in about an hour on Friday, April, 29, 2011. Britain’s Prince William married Catherine “Kate” Middleton in a storybook ceremony at Westminster Abbey in central London in the United Kingdom (UK).

Prince William is the elder son of The Prince of Wales and the late Diana, Princess of Wales and he is second in line to the British throne. After the marriage traditions at the famed church, Prince William, now conferred the title the Duke of Cambridge, kissed his new wedded wife Kate, the Duchess of Cambridge, on the balcony of Buckingham Palace. Many people lined up the streets of London and crowds celebrated the event all day long, and many more were glued to their television sets to get a glimpse of the fanfare worldwide.

Now comming to the central question, why commoners from around the world are so crazy and fascinated by the royal wedding and royalty in general? The answer my friends is best said by the above picture taken today, a picture that is really worth more than a 1000 words.

To add to the charm, Kate was born a ‘commoner’ and not an aristocrat from a royal family, as was Prince William. The royal wedding also provides an avenue for us to express our ambivalence about class privilege, whereby rooting for Kate, who is commoner, a descendant of coal miners, lets us revel in our egalitarianism. However, paradoxically we would not see Kate’s marriage as a triumph for commoners if we did not accept the premise that it is desirable to join the ranks of the aristocracy?

God bless and may all the hopes, wishes and dreams of all commoners around the world be fulfilled!

Dalai Lama's Quotes on Kindness

Thu, 28 Apr 2011 13:21:00 -0400

The Dalai Lama is one of the best known living ambassadors for peace in the 21st century world we live in. He is famous for his quotes and views on many topics that touch the lives as lived in this modern era, and his signature jovial smile also highlights his inner peace that radiates contentment.

Here are a couple of quotes by the Dalai Lama on the importance of kindness in the world we live today.

Our visit to this planet is short, so we should use our time meaningfully, which we can do by helping others wherever possible. And if we cannot help others, at least we should try not to create pain and suffering for them.

It is important to reflect on the kindness of others. Every aspect of our present well-being is due to others’ hard work. The buildings we live and work in, the roads we travel, the clothes we wear, and the food we eat, are all provided by others. None of them would exist but for the kindness of so many people unknown to us.

The logic behind global military spending?

Mon, 18 Apr 2011 11:49:00 -0400

Military spending among all countries totaled $1.63 trillion in the year 2010, but that was up just 1.3% from the year 2009. Such military spending includes weapons, military equipment, soldiers and the cost of maintaining and upgrading a country’s military infrastructure. Take a look at what some of the world’s top 10 costliest militaries, which is a listing of top 10 countries ranked by their budget for military spending each year.

Take a look at the military expenditure as percentage of GDP chart using World Bank data, it shows that some of the top 10 nations listed are spending a proportionally higher amount on military spending in relation to their country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP), money that could well be more importantly spent on other projects that benefits its citizens directly.

India has become the world’s largest weapons importer, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute report on military expenditure, in the process overtaking China. India accounted for 9 percent of all international arms imports between 2006 and 2010, while China accounted for 6 percent. India’s $32.5 billion defense budget for 2011 jumped 40 percent from 2009, and it now expects to spend $80 billion over the next decade on arms. Russia is India’s largest arms supplier, accounting for 82 percent of sales.

All this military stockpiling for the greatest battle ever? Man and mankind will never change, I guess, as human nature is always ingrained to chase victory and supremacy, even though all victory is just an illusion?

The BRICS decade or two?

Mon, 18 Apr 2011 11:09:52 -0400

The BRICS, comprised of emerging economic countries Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, will restructure international economic and diplomatic relations over the next 10 to 20 years. Currently, representing around 40% of the world’s population and nearly a quarter of global economic output, the BRICS countries hold the reins of the economic engine for this and coming decade.

In 2010, China overtook the dragging economy of Japan to become the world’s second-largest economy. At current growth projections, China is sets to catch up America within a decade or two. India and Brazil are growing rapidly. The past few years have reinforced the suspicion of many that the story of the century will be the inexorable rise of emerging economic powers.

If projections of future growth look rosy for emerging markets, however, history counsels caution.