Middle Path

I finally admitted to M.B.A which is said to be a very rigorous program exclusively for the people who can handle pressure capable of meeting deadline and very competitive. After coming here I can say this requirements are quite true.But to what extant? Does doing good in life means becoming a machine? How we define success?Does being successful is being robot?

                     Well handling pressure and meeting deadline are unavoidable but being competitive I don't agree there are ways to bypass it and still do equally good in our career.Wondering how? Let me explain.

              We always regard nature of universe and human life as permanent ,happy and free. But in reality we know that life in this world, be it normal activities,  relationships in society or be it our own body and mind give dissatisfaction. And if we think we realize that everything is impermanent, things constantly rise and fall ,come and go and this human life is so uncomfortable. 

                Now what are the ways we adapt to get out of this uncomfortable state of mind though all this actions are subconsciously taken and need keen awareness on our part to recognize them. First a person can become competitive to an extant that to be ahead of everyone is his sole purpose in life. This competition give him motivation to work more he start achieving success and feel powerful( power is the emotion that is difficult to control by genius like RAVANA he lost his conscious(vivek) ).After feeling powerful you try to achieve even more and technically one try to be a machine but why? If you scan up now you will understand whole process and you find that just because you feel human life impermanent you try to be a machine.

                    Is there a way out? I will say yes. We  just have to scan how this power in us to do something great in life generated . I will explain this with a story though boy in story share different profile from my counter parts here.  boy of 10th class go out to prepare for a eng. entrance of which he know nothing but he is so care free that nothing bother him nether comp. nor his declining. On contrary to all the expectation from him that he get a II in his profile he just somehow manage to pass the 12th exam in second division take admission in XYZ engg. college but with time he started thinking that he has to do something good in life something which is recognized he start preparing for MBA entrance again the objective is same to get a II in profile he generated motivation power work hard enjoy working. But this time it is different  he was fully aware what he is doing power is controlled by him he managed to make 96+ in Entrance. He is now in MBA curriculum now what is the difference . controlling the power and becoming slave of power.

                        Now how can one control the power or save one self from becoming slave of it. Answer lies in  Gautam Bhudda "The middle path". here middle means neutral upright and centered . It means to investigate and penetrate the core of life and all thing with a upright non biased attitude . It give emphasis to human thought and action in dealing with natural environment.It is concerned with the relationship between thoughts and behavior , and the relationship between behavior and its consequences. It is the art of observation and stay aware so that when ever power try to take control you can stop it. I found Buddha is only philosopher who for satisfaction in life do not suggest to leave worldly pleasures and become a saint that is another extreme .

                           Now we have two extreme one is leave everything your desire and ambition as well and become saint another is as we discussed become machine. apart from this 2 extreme there is third way that is middle path which need you to be just aware and control subconscious.And finally

           

"The Tathagatha avoids the two extremes 

           and talks about the Middle Path. 

           What this is, that is; this arises, that arises.

           Through ignorance volitional actions or karmic formations are conditioned. 

          Through birth, decay, death, lamentation, pain etc. are conditioned. 

          When this is not, that is not; this ceasing, that ceases.

          through the complete cessation of ignorance, volitional activities or karmic formations cease.  

         Through the cessation of birth, death, decay, sorrow, etc. cease."

(Samyuktagama, Chapter 12)

Spirituality A Broader Perspective.

       

                   I am from a small but a kind of religious family.We use to pray daily go to temple, But from the childhood .  I  have very basic questions in my mind like why there is bell in temple what is the relation between a tika and God though I like to have a tika(a small one ). why shoes not allowed in temple why only people go to temple only after taking bath. I know it is our values that we got from our religion but do you think this values worth to possess . Well my answer is a utter no let me give u a logic.

                                       Who is God? This question is not specific to any religion I am asking about how you define God . A supreme power Omnipotent And omnipresent I think everyone agree with this definition me too. Now if he is omnipotent he must have created this universe and every thing in it. our shoes as well then why he have problem with shoes he have created us then why he have problem with us coming to temple without bath. I don't think he has any .Infact if he is omnipresent why we have to go to temple to worship.

           I know this article is about spirituality but to learn something new we have to unlearn so many things. I am talking about rituals. If we go deep we will understand why this rituals made and what is the purpose to make them. In Hindu religion we have categorization of society on the basis of the work they do .All educated and intelligent people come under the bhramin category .It is so unfortunate to see that this bhramin use their intelligence to fool others and made this rituals so that people and even king use to pray them and their bad intention give rise to so many superstitions even today people give lakhs of rupees to built a temple to accommodate god who have all this universe to live but this same people are reluctant to keep water bowl on their roof for birds.

            Spirituality is a style of life this is broad.In this way it is opposite to religion which is bookish and covered by rituals. In a ideal way it is spirituality must not follow any custom this must be natural . Variation is essence of world so we must enjoy it rather then afraid from it. But in contrast religion categorize us divide us make us feel that we are different and superior than others and forgot that all other creatures are also created by same god.

                      We always give example of unbelievable things to prove the existence of god and to deepen our trust in him. But if you pay attention to your breath you will realize that breathing is not a conscious activity  if I am taking breath ,Who is taking breath for me or breath is an event happen to me . And by observing this I realize that I need not have to imagine god with 3 faces to believe him ,my breath in itself is a miracle.

                         

                                

Please Value Compromise

If you can't go that extra mile meet someone halfway. Value compromise, but don't compromise your values. Life is not a smooth journey. It should not be. It is marked by ups and downs . people and situations move in and out of life . some are easy to handle while other are difficult to deal with .It is difficult ones that always come to us to test our abilities of how smoothly we manage to cope with them . With least resistance and friction offered in the effort.

                 We may not always get what we want . Does that mean we should not seek to get what we want ? Or rue over the fact that what set out to achieve is different from what we actually did?

               Disagreement occurs , not so much for want of agreement as to the lack of our desire to agree . Our entrenched disinclination disposes us not to agree to something or with someone that is half as good . When we say half as good, we presuppose the half as bad already . This conflict between half as good and half as bad holds us to back arrive at a solution with regard to people and situations that are not past resolve in themselves.
             When faced with people and situations caught in the spatio-temporal wrap , different from our own , we fail to see them in objective light. Our subjective thinking gets the better of us . As a result what's obvious to others is not so to us.
               The solution to resolve a deadlocked situation or parties involved in it exists outside this wrap. But for that to happen , people need to cede their stance.
           This ceding of position is not acceptance of defeat, or meek surrender . it is not something to be ashamed of or to feel conscious stricken about. Rather it is the brave attempt at surmounting the inflated sense of ego that comes in the way of us arriving at an agreement. it is a conscious choice.
            Adoption of such a way requires us to recognise others' point of view . We can start looking for merit in others' case only when we presume an element of demerit in ours . for truth is never absolute. We mistakenly chase the shadow and miss the image.
                     Compromise is intrinsic to nature's scheme of things to avoid resistance. when a fierce wind threatens to blow away and uproot all that comes in its path even the mighty tree , otherwise firmly standing , begins to sway and bends and bows.
                  The fury of wind doesn't last but the submissive bending of tree manages to see it through the rough patch. A blade of grass flattens itself against the swift current of water only to pop up its head when the current slackens .Nature uses this defence mechanism for survival .It also teaches us to live in harmony with one another and at peace with ourselves.
                  Nature provides us with the option of compromise as an effective means to achieve harmony and peace in times of personal conflicts and emotional turmoil and interpersonal clash and collective wars . We only need to wake up to the idea and bring it into play to attain peace within and outside.
                It is certainly not a big price , rather a welcome value addition in the objective evaluation of compromise . What are we waiting for?
                       
NOTE:- this is not my work .it is my favourite article from SPEAKING TREE(Times Of India)
                    

Thinking about new Chief

Christine Lagarde

Where does India resides in the developing world? Though India along with other BRIC nations opposed European nations support to Christine Lagarde as IMF chief after Dominique Strauss Kahn , But our voice is not strong enough . India must lead developing world . We must suggest a name for this post.Apart from that we must demand that all the contender must face all the question regarding the problems IMF is facing today ,otherwise Lagarde will win very easily. The way European united to support lagarde this all question remain unanswered .Their attitude did not depicts free , unprejudiced, transparent selection process. When world bank and IMF were established , world big economic powers select their leaders with a so called gentlemen agreement .European select IMF chief and Washington select World bank chief. This time European proudly interfering in the broader picture.

                              IMF is still stick to non disclosure clause . According to rules nominations for all the candidates will continue till 10 June ,those have impeccable record in forming economic policies , those have a professional background . Name of all the nominated candidates were presented to 24 member IMF executive board and they will select three of them .Then only the shortlist will be published .After that there will be voting is used to select the chief. European union and Switzerland have 8 out of 24 seats in IMF and combine with America  they have 13 votes. Apart from that German chancellor Angela Merkel declared lagarde extremely intelligent and experienced. Italy's Silvio Berlusconi said she is a great option. all other European speak in same tone. It is very sad see that international financial media become toy in the European hands financial times has logic that since IMF has most of the problems associated with Europe . Therefore chief must be from Europe. If this logic is correct then in 1997 IMF's France leader should resign to give his post to some Asian . Germany finance minister Shabel said that it is logical to have a European as IMF chief as Europe has highest share in IMF. If IMF and world bank are just corporate institution than it does not matter but they are also universal institution whose goal is to resolve matter regarding world finance. After Strauss Kahn the person who take his responsibility have to face so many problem Europe loan problem is just very small in front of them.

                     There are evidences that IMF had  been biased earlier under the leadership of Dominique .but Strauss Kahn and lagarde are different . On one side Kahn wanted to repair the damages due to Neo Liberal , on the other side lagarde is of center right front she is strict and declared that everyone have to work determined manner or she will made them do forcefully. Now having a strict biased and ardent believer of Neo liberal policies as a IMF chief is definitely not in the interest of India and other developing and developed nation.