GRATITUDE

Dr. Patanjali J. Yogendra

There is an incident regarding Mother Teresa described in B.K.R. Pais book ‘Mother of love’.

Mother saw a woman lying in a gutter in Calcutta Lane. She was being eaten away by worms, disease ridden and unconscious. Most passers by would steer clear of this woman to avoid the stench and filth. Mother Teresa however took her to her home for the destitute, gave her a bath and put her in bed. Afterwards, mother touched her hand to soothe her. The woman’s face for a few fleeting moments lit up with a serene smile and she said, “Thank you”. And then she died.

Mother Teresa, while recounting this incident, concluded that “Had I been in her position, I would have said that I am hungry, I am sick, thirsty or in pain. I could never have brought myself to say Thank you”. She says, “It is this woman who,  taught me a lesson in Gratitude”.

None of us are, and I pray we never should be in the position of that woman, and yet how often we are grateful for all that is around us: for all of nature’s gifts and God’s blessings.  


Published in the Nov 2010 edition of Yoga & Total Health Magazine.

AWARENESS IS THE KEY

- Anil Peter

Awareness is the ability to stand back and watch one’s mental and physical activity. So what’s so unique about this phenomenon? Well, the fact of the matter is that very few of us are aware. Most of the time we have so completely identified ourselves with our body, mind, work, habits etc. that we get lost in them. And yet, this quality called awareness is unique to the human species.

Plants have feelings, but no mobility. Animals have both feelings and mobility. Man also has this but at the same time he has this extra attribute – awareness. Man has this extra and all important ability to be able to know his consciousness, and to allow it to manifest and blossom to its fullest potential. This consciousness, the underlying life principle in every atom, is the same in all things, but its expression can be different. In plants and bacteria, this consciousness is expressed at a very rudimentary level. While in man it is expressed at a far more complex level.   

So, where does all this get us as far as our daily life is concerned? If one looks at the nature of the mind, one can immediately see that its essential nature is movement. By being aware, one watches this movement of the mind. A very beautiful story would illustrate this point.

There once lived a king, with a beautiful, but rampantly wild horse. The king promised that he would handsomely reward anyone, who could subdue his horse. A contest was therefore arranged, where many tried mounting this horse, only to be thrown off it. Finally, one very weak looking individual volunteered. He escorted the wild horse out, and returned a while later, seated astride the horse, with the horse obeying his every instruction. The king was amazed, and wanted to know how this man had succeeded when so many others had failed. To this, the horse tamer replied, “Instead of fighting your stallion, I let him run freely to his heart’s content, following its own impulses. Eventually he became fatigued and submissive. It was then no problem to befriend your horse and gain command.”

It is the same with the mind. If we fight and wrestle with the mind, we will never achieve mastery over it. The method to adopt is similar to the wild horse trainer – let the mind follow its impulses and tendencies without restriction, until it becomes ready to accept your authority. Give the mind a free run, don’t suppress it, but merely watch and get to know it.

Through increased awareness, we start responding to situations instead of reacting to them. That is, by watching the life process – the activities around oneself as well as one’s mental activities – this divine intelligence in us, the consciousness, is better able to express itself. As a result of this, we become better communicators, salesmen, research scientists, family men etc. As one starts responding to the environment, one starts living in greater harmony with it.

Awareness is a quality that can quite easily be developed. It is in fact a quality, we always have possessed, but have forgotten it, because of wrong thinking. Awareness is in fact a process of letting go. We let go of our dogmas, ideas, concepts, and try seeing things as they are.      

Published in the Jan 2011 edition of Yoga & Total Health Magazine.

A HANDFUL OF PATIENCE

It is said that Raja Bharathari happened to go into the forest where the famous Yogi Gorakhanatha was practicing yoga. Not recognizing him, Bharathari met one of the disciples instead and entered into arguments. The King said, “What do I care for Gorakhanatha? If he wishes to learn the ways of the Almighty, let him come and hear me.”Gorakhanatha who overheard this, announced himself and said: “I will readily become your disciple provided you give me a handful of patience.”   

Raja Bharathari took up the challenge and went in search of a handful of patience. He went to one god after another and finally to Vishnu who said, “I cannot supply you with patience. If you want to see patience in human form, go and see the great Yogi Gorakhanatha. The king, searching for Gorakhanatha, came back to the same place, when the great Yogi smiled at the king and accepted him as one of his disciples.

Published in the Oct 2010 edition of Yoga & Total Health Magazine.

IMPLICIT OBEDIENCE TO THE GURU

 

Guru Amardasji, the third Sikh Guru was preparing to appoint his successor. He secretly decided to put all his disciples through a test.

The Guru asked all the disciples to get some earth and build small mud platforms. They all hurried and each one made a small platform. When the Guru came to check the mud platforms, he asked all the disciples to pull down the platforms and rebuild them, since they were not as he expected. Thus each time the mud platforms were made, the Guru rejected them for some reason or another and asked them all to rebuild the platforms. Guru Amardas was quite old at this time, so several disciples began to think that he was becoming senile and was no longer in full possession of his senses. As a result, one by one the disciples abandoned the work. Only one middle-aged man named Ramdas, was the only disciple left, who patiently and cheerfully made and re-made the platforms seventy times. The others taunted and jeered at him and told him that he was mad. Ramdas said to them “Brothers, the whole world is blind and mad. But the only one who can see and is sane is the Satguru.” Guru Amardasji embraced Ramdas and filled him with spiritual wealth. He had found his successor, a man who would serve the Lord with no thought for himself, with a heart big enough to help and comfort thousands of souls. Thus Guru Ramdasji was appointed as the fourth Sikh Guru.

“God had put himself in the Guru”, said Guru Nanak in the Adi Granth.    

Outwardly the Guru is a human being, but inwardly the Guru is God, the manifested embodiment of the spiritual essence.

Sadhaka 

(Adapted from texts and edited)

Published in the Sept 2010 edition of Yoga & Total Health Magazine.