Viveka & Vichara - weekly contemplation from Acharya Vivekji

[AcharyaVivek]

Posting for July 19, 2010

I hope this email finds everyone well...

With the unprecedented prevalence of obesity, cancer, depression, etc., in our society we are also witnessing an unprecedented prevalence of gyms, fitness centers, health clubs, etc., in our society. Vedanta teaches us we are ' not the body '. Society teaches us we are ' the body '. Aspiring to bring the ' plan ' ( Vedanta ) to the ' game ' ( Society ), health is the ' game plan ' for our E-Vichara / Electronic Reflections...

E-Vichara / Electronic Reflections--

* We are not the body, we have a body - the body is an instrument, a vehicle, a means to discover our Infinite Nature

* An instrument is not to be regarded nor disregarded for doing so is inefficient - the needs of a body ( some food, some clothing, some shelter, etc. ) are to be embraced and the wants of the body are to be denied

*Sarira madhyam khalu dharma sadhanam ( the body is to be used to serve others ) - to not take care of the body is to not take care of all bodies for the capacity to serve is wasted

*Spending too much time exercising ( > 1hr / day ) makes one body conscious - when we become body conscious our vision becomes distorted leading us to have an ugly personality

*Gyms tend to have mirrors on the walls near the weights so we can observe our lifting technique but this often just leads us to lifting our egos - if we know our technique is fine we should avoid looking at ourselves or others and just rest our eyes

*We tend to use numbers to record how many times we lift a weight but we all know how to count so this becomes a mind numbing practice - why not make the same activity enlightening by recording how many times we lift a weight with the name of the Divine or any other positive mantra

Continuing to strive to flood our thoughts with positivity, attached is our Chinmaya International Foundation's ( CIF - http://www.chinmayavishwavidyapeeth.in/ ) most recent E-Newsletter. Please read about the invaluable service this Institution and those who serve this Institution have taken upon themselves for the sake of spreading joy.

' Those stars which shine for the benefit of others, shine the brightest. ' --- Unknown

Inspire-Love-Be,

Vivek
To read newsletter kindly visit main home page www.chinmayavishwavidyapeeth.in and register to read a copy of the newsletter please.

[AcharyaVivek]

Posting for July 26, 2010

Reflections on Swami Tejomayananda

Hari Om from Las Vegas!

i hope this finds everyone well...

Administrator, child-like, brilliant, scholar, authority, disciplinarian, father, revered, humble, devoted, tireless, simple, saviour, visionary, author, composer, saint, inspiring, inspired, loved, eloquent, all-inclusive, transparent, vigilant, devotee, fund-raiser, refuge, believer, seer, leader, wizard, disciplined, forgiving, giving, sacrificing, living, detached, free, illumined, illumining, delighting, comforting, welcoming, welcomed, accepting, comfortable, teacher, guiding, fearless, adaptive, wanderer, loving, minimalist, integrated, integrating, divine, compassionate, dedicated, diplomatic, Self...

An offering of 60 words, attempting to describe Pujya Guruji Swami Tejomayananda, for His 60th Birthday Celebrations and Guru Purnima. This is an attempt for me, not Him, as a Master is beyond qualification and time. For Him praise and age are as real as a dream. Every word speaks of the Infinite and every moment revels in the Infinite. Striving to appreciate the grandeur of this Master, His words are what we immerse ourselves in with our E-Vichara / Electronic Reflections...

Special E-Vichara / Electronic Reflections on Swami Tejomayananda
*If we always do what we always did, we will always get what we always got - unless we change our attitude we will continue to drown in a sea of mundane existence

*An altar in life, alters our life - when our mind is engaged in an ideal our life becomes ideal

*Do what you value and value what you do - life is too precious to waste our time in meaningless activities and attitudes

*True abiding success is that in which lies the welfare and well being of all people - the joy of seva is absolutely unprecedented

*Work like a horse and live like a hermit - the more we give the less we need

*A great person is great in all he / she does - when we divide living ( i.e. family, work, social, health, spiritual, etc. ) we divide our joy

*Don't tell your God how big your trouble is, tell your trouble how big your God is - we have all been taken care of thus far, why do we believe we will not in the future

The greatest service we can do in this world is to mind our own business and take care of our own mind - purifying our minds is a challenge demanding many lifetimes, why retard this journey more by seducing ourselves with the purity of other's minds

*When the heart is full, the stomach is full - reveling in joy all else becomes inconsequential

*Spirituality should not remain an activity, it should become one's life, effortless and natural - smiling as a hobby and smiling as a lifestyle is a choice

I simply cannot express how amazing being alive is on account of Pujya Guruji...

"What you do for yourself alone dies with you. What you do for others remains and is immortal. " --- Unknown

Inspire-Love-Be,

Vivek

[AcharyaVivek]

August 2, 2010

Hari Om from Reston!

I hope this email finds everyone well...

In our last E-Vichara i had shared insights into the vastness of Pujya Swami Tejomayananda. This past week i had the highest blessings of being in the presence of this Master and listening to Him expound Ramayana Soundaryam ( Beauty of Ramayana ). To describe this experience as any less than Divine would be insulting. Empathizing to share the same, insights into the life of Sri Rama evoked by Pujya Swami Tejomayananda guides our E-Vichara...

E-Vichara

* Samsara ( society ) is tiring and boring - listening to descriptions of Infinity manifested frees us from this ocean of mundane existence

*When we are bound by attachment we are not free to Love the Divine - an extrovert mind can never break through limitations

*If we remember the Divine while we live, the Divine will remember us while we die - only the Divine and those who Love the Divine are beautiful

*Sri Rama is the embodiment of jnana ( Knowledge ) and Sita Mata is the embodiment of bhakti ( Love ) - where there is Knowledge there is ananda ( Joy ) and where there is Love there is shanti ( Peace )

*When the mind is pure one knows what is right and what is wrong - a mother's life is fulfilled if she has progeny devoted to the Divine

*The soul of Dharma is sacrifice - individuality and surrender are mutually exclusive
Continuing with exploring the necessity of self development, the following is a short story on the consequences of living ignorantly...

Nails in the Fence

There once was a little boy who had a bad temper. His Father gave him a bag of nails and told him that every time he lost his temper, he must hammer a nail into the back of the fence. The first day the boy had driven 37 nails into the fence. Over the next few weeks, as he learned to control his anger, the number of nails hammered daily gradually dwindled down. He discovered it was easier to hold his temper than to drive those nails into the fence. Finally the day came when the boy didn't lose his temper at all.

He told his father about it and the father suggested that the boy now pull out one nail for each day that he was able to hold his temper. The days passed and the young boy was finally able to tell his father that all the nails were gone.

The father took his son by the hand and led him to the fence. He said, ' You have done well, my son, but look at the holes in the fence. The fence will never be the same. When you say things in anger, they leave a scar just like this one. '

" Hardwork beats talent when talent does not work hard. " --- Unknown

Inspire-Love-Be,
Viveka

[AcharyaVivek]

August 9, 2010

Hari Om from Washington DC!

I hope this email finds you all well…

Summer is a time for traveling. And often this traveling involves flying. Many people share with me how they feel flying is scary or boring or uncomfortable. i actually feel flying is exciting, productive and relaxing! Knowing this, our experience on a plane is governed by attitude not altitude. ' How to Fly ' is the message of our E-Vichara...

E-Vichara

*When we look out the window of a grounded plane, our vision is ' low ' and so our focus tends to be on the differences amongst entities ( i.e. dull objects, shiny objects, ugly beings, beautiful beings, etc. ) - when we look out the window of a flying plane, our vision is ' high ' and so our focus tends to be on the similarities amongst entities ( i.e. objects, beings, etc. )

* Most of us are physically restrained in a plane seat and this experience is quite opposite to the freedom we regularly indulge in - why not treat this temporary limitation as a test of endurance ( titiksha )

*In a time when there is no time, we should use every moment on a plane to the maximum by reading and / or writing - being by oneself is an opportunity to invest in oneself by getting to know oneself

*In a time when there is no time, we should use every moment on a plane to the maximum by sleeping - staying up late to work the night prior to a flight is a catalyst to sleeping comfortably on a plane

*No one likes being told what to do ( i.e. our dislike for stop signs, red lights, rules, etc. ) - going through security is a tangible means of developing patience and even more, cheerful acceptance

*We are the nature of Joy with or without objects, beings and situations - packing then becomes an experiment and exercise in living with the minimum

*Continuing with the idea of adjusting our attitude towards all our activities, the following is a short animated film about how to practice meditation...just watch...physically and philosophically - Being Thoughts vs. Having Thoughts

" Be kinder than necessary. Everyone we meet is fighting some kind of battle. " --- Unknown


Inspire-Love-Be,
Vivek

[AcharyaVivek]

e-vicara: August 16, 2010

Hari Om Everyone,

I hope this email finds everyone well...

Last weekend I had the great fortune of teaching 50 young adults who had gathered from all over the continent, in Washington DC. The theme of the Retreat was Got G.A.M.E? ( Growth-Action-Maturity-Enlightenment ) revolving around Adi Shankaracharya’s Sadhana Panchakam ( Verses on Spiritual Discipline ). In this visionary text, the first sadhana shared is vedo nityam adhiyatam ( study the Vedas daily ). Now if one does not know the Vedas or Sanskrit or Mananam, does this mean one is ineligible for spiritual discipline? No! The best sadhana is to extract satsanga ( spiritual thinking ) from every passing moment. To inspire such a comprehensive sadhana, an innocent song called Wishlist by the timeless alternative band Pearl Jam is shared through our E-Vichara…

E-Vichara
*I wish I was a sacrifice but somehow still lived on – a true sevak ( server ) is one who wishes for endless resources ( i.e. time, effort, funds, etc. ) to be able to give more

*I wish I was as fortunate, as fortunate as me – the one and only source of Joy in our lives is our Self and so we are absolutely fortunate that Joy is only an attitude away

*I wish I was the messenger and all the news was good – the secret to being happy is to get happiness to give happiness

* I wish I was the full moon shining off a Camaro's hood – the joy that is intrinsic to nature, simplicity, freedom, etc. is unparalleled

* I wish I was the little phrase that you depended on – blessed is the one who has the attitude to give and more blessed is the one who has the attitude and aptitude to give

* I wish I was the verb ‘to trust’ and never let you down – no one wants to be let down, so let empathy be the lighthouse for our every desire, thought and action

Continuing with our wish-list, for those who want to know about the Vedas, Sanskrit and Mananam, our Chinmaya International Foundation ( CIF ) has an online Forum where diverse spiritual thoughts are shared and discussed by people all over the world. Included in these spiritual thoughts are our E-Vicharas. As such, I encourage everyone to visit and participate in this convenient and authentic opportunity to invoke Vedanta – The Science of Life at: CIF Discussion Forum: http://forum.chinmayavishwavidyapeeth.in/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=77&sid=a764cd1c809e1a81fea7e151840c824d

" Our success lies in the amount of transformation we can bring about in our character and behaviour. " --- Unknown

Inspire-Love-Be,

Vivek

[AcharyaVivek]

e-vicara: August 16, 2010

Hari Om Everyone,

I hope this email finds everyone well...

Last weekend I had the great fortune of teaching 50 young adults who had gathered from all over the continent, in Washington DC. The theme of the Retreat was Got G.A.M.E? ( Growth-Action-Maturity-Enlightenment ) revolving around Adi Shankaracharya’s Sadhana Panchakam ( Verses on Spiritual Discipline ). In this visionary text, the first sadhana shared is vedo nityam adhiyatam ( study the Vedas daily ). Now if one does not know the Vedas or Sanskrit or Mananam, does this mean one is ineligible for spiritual discipline? No! The best sadhana is to extract satsanga ( spiritual thinking ) from every passing moment. To inspire such a comprehensive sadhana, an innocent song called Wishlist by the timeless alternative band Pearl Jam is shared through our E-Vichara…

E-Vichara
*I wish I was a sacrifice but somehow still lived on – a true sevak ( server ) is one who wishes for endless resources ( i.e. time, effort, funds, etc. ) to be able to give more

*I wish I was as fortunate, as fortunate as me – the one and only source of Joy in our lives is our Self and so we are absolutely fortunate that Joy is only an attitude away

*I wish I was the messenger and all the news was good – the secret to being happy is to get happiness to give happiness

* I wish I was the full moon shining off a Camaro's hood – the joy that is intrinsic to nature, simplicity, freedom, etc. is unparalleled

* I wish I was the little phrase that you depended on – blessed is the one who has the attitude to give and more blessed is the one who has the attitude and aptitude to give

* I wish I was the verb ‘to trust’ and never let you down – no one wants to be let down, so let empathy be the lighthouse for our every desire, thought and action

Continuing with our wish-list, for those who want to know about the Vedas, Sanskrit and Mananam, our Chinmaya International Foundation ( CIF ) has an online Forum where diverse spiritual thoughts are shared and discussed by people all over the world. Included in these spiritual thoughts are our E-Vicharas. As such, I encourage everyone to visit and participate in this convenient and authentic opportunity to invoke Vedanta – The Science of Life at: CIF Discussion Forum: http://forum.chinmayavishwavidyapeeth.in/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=77&sid=a764cd1c809e1a81fea7e151840c824d

" Our success lies in the amount of transformation we can bring about in our character and behaviour. " --- Unknown

Inspire-Love-Be,

Vivek

[AcharyaVivek]

August 23, 2010

Hari Om Everyone,

I hope this email finds everyone well...

This past weekend Chinmaya Mission Niagara ( CMN ) celebrated the sthapana ( installation ) of Bhagavan Krishna and Bhagavati Radha at Chinmaya Dhara. Pujya Swami Tejomayananda blessed this auspicious occasion with His wisdom, with His devotion...simply with His presence. Where the Divine and Guru are, Joy flows like the Niagara itself. To be able to create and sustain a Spiritual Center great resources are required. We sadly live in a world where we are dependent on money to procure even basic needs. And so at the beginning of 2010 CMN embarked on a campaign to raise $250,000 to cover renovations, mortgages, expenses, etc. In less than 9 months we have raised $260,000 with donations continuing to be offered from all over North America! For a Spiritual Center serving a relatively small population of 250,000 and a facility costing a relatively small amount of $750,000, to raise what we have is an astounding success! With all of this in mind, revelations on the raising and donating of funds is the source of our E-Vichara...

E-Vichara

*Asking for funds from family, friends and others one has been raised by / with is a much greater challenge than asking strangers for funds - if a stranger says no we simply have to physically and mentally ' walk away ' from the scene whereas if a relation says no we have to absorb the rejection and be alert to not become bitter.

*Asking for funds for oneself is a much greater challenge than asking for others - when we initially become aware of the Spiritual Path we find being selfless difficult and being selfish easy, yet as we evolve mentally, selfishness becomes difficult and selflessness becomes easy

*Asking for funds is a unique, rare and blessed opportunity to face the ego - when the ego is forced to ' depend ' on others, the noose that the ego has on us is loosened

*Despicably, 20% of people donate 80% of funds - are 80% of people really so incapable to donate their share

*The best way to give is to donate a percentage of one's income and time to charities - ideally this percentage should be at least 10% and if this is not possible right now, grow to this percentage by adding 1%, .5%, .25% ( any percentage greater than 0! ), every year

*As Pujya Swami Chinmayananda has taught, having 100,000 people give $1 is more effective than 1 person giving $100,000 - we are One, let us live mutually, not mutually exclusive

My prostrations to each and every one of you who has contributed towards CMN's Fundraising Campaign. I cannot express the confidence i have invoked on account of your generosity.

Continuing with the idea of raising and donating funds, in a past E-Vichara i had shared - the more we give, the less we need. The following is an article from the New York Times which explains our fallacious belief that a higher income will lead to a higher happiness: But Will It Make You Happy?

"Promise to live your life as a revolution...not just a process of evolution. " --- Reena Mensingh


Inspire-Love-Be,

Vivek

[AcharyaVivek]

( August 30, 2010 )

Hari Om Everyone,

i hope this email finds everyone well...

We often compartmentalize our varying facets of living ( i.e. health, family, work, social, spiritual, etc. ). By doing so, what we subconsciously create is 'pockets', for us to justify unhappiness ( i.e. being unhappy at work to be happy at home or being unhappy spiritually to be happy socially, etc. ). However, our Masters unhesitatingly scream, BEING UNHAPPY IS NOT ALRIGHT! WE ARE OF THE NATURE OF JOY!!! This is the message of all our Scriptures...this is also the message of all our Societies...if only we can ' tune in to the frequency of spirituality ' . And so a song called They Stood up for Love by Live teaches us to find spirituality in society through our E-Vichara...

E-Vichara

*Who is this energy that never left or came - Existence-Awareness-Joy is unborn, undying and so ever present

*We spend all of our lives going out of our minds, looking back to our birth, forward to our demise - all that we ever need is available to us in the Infinite present

Even scientists say everything is just light, not created-destroyed, but eternally bright - every object, being and situation has a name, a form and a Essence yet the more pertinent matter is what are we paying attention to and not paying attention to

*Masters in every time, Lord in every place, those who stood up for love down in spite of the hate - what separates the ordinary from the extraordinary is the former falter in the ' face of hate ' whereas the latter alter the 'face of hate'

*Who lives in a different dimension, free from the struggles we know - what separates the ordinary from the extraordinary is that the former owns ( attaches to ) hardships whereas the latter disowns ( detaches from ) hardships

*We made it to the moon but we can't make it home, waiting on a rescue that never comes - we know everything about everything yet know so little about the Knower, the only Source of Joy

Continuing with the idea of spreading the message of peace, CBS recently shared a report on how Srimad Bhagavad Gita is now being made available in many hotels. Nay, not only being made available, but being read! Check out the News Report - Srimad Bhagavad Gita Giving True Comfort: http://cbs5.com/video/?id=67219@kpix.dayport.com

" Courage does not always roar. Sometimes it is a quiet voice at the end of the day saying... ' I will try again tomorrow. ' . " --- Unknown

Inspire-Love-Be,

Vivek

[AcharyaVivek]

September 6, 2010

Hari Om from Atlanta!

i hope this post finds everyone well…

At the Mahasamadhi Camp Banquet in Los Angeles, Pujya Guruji had shared that a project is a success when those involved with the project are keen on taking up that project again. At our Murti Sthapana in Niagara Falls, I was sharing how preparing for this celebration was exhausting yet enlivening. At the home of one our sevaks in Buffalo, she was sharing how trying yet rewarding teaching / administering Bala Vihar is. These messages are the inspiration to write on challenging challenge in our E-Vichara…

E-Vichara this week...

* A challenge is a situation which demands us to be greater than we presently are – we are successful if we try to be better and we are a failure if we do not try to be better, the outcome is inconsequential

* Capability is what determines whether a situation is challenging or not ( i.e. public speaking is frightening for the typical citizen whereas for the typical politician public speaking is fun, etc. ) – perspective is what determines whether a situation is a positive challenge ( opportunity ) or negative challenge ( burden )

* Why choose a situation to be a burden – why not choose a situation to be an opportunity
Tending to one’s career ( viteshana ), one’s family ( putreshana ), one’s status ( lokeshana ) is easy and sadly, has become natural – tending to another’s pursuits is what makes one great and if one treads this path even minutely one will realize how difficult and unnatural being self absorbed is

When we desire, think, act for ourselves our capabilities are limited to only our self – when we desire, think, act for another ( grhasta ) this leads to serving others ( vanaprastha ) which leads to serving all ( sannyasa ), we manifest Divine capabilities.
* If we feel frustrated, tired, uninspired, etc. to face a challenge, we should recognize this as a sign of our incompleteness ( weaknesses ) and strive to make ourselves complete ( strengths ) – it is better to burn out than to fade away ‘ so push hard ’ and realize this is the means to making the ego fall and the Divinity to rise.

* Often people encourage me to buy a cell phone. Others cannot understand how I can live without one! And still others get frustrated that I do not have one. My response to them is simple, sans a cell phone I can be available, I can be efficient, I can be content. The following is an article from Business Week describing how great leaders are still able to be great without a cell phone - America's Most Exclusive Club -- http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/10_33/b4191077620370.htm

" Nature gave us one tongue and two ears so we could hear twice as much as we speak. " --- Unknown

Inspire-Love-Be,

Vivek

[AcharyaVivek]

September 13, 2010

Hari Om from Tulum!

I hope this email finds everyone well...

Anger VS. A w a r e n e s s. We all want to revoke anger and invoke awareness...yet we all welcome anger and refuse awareness. Why? Why? WHY? For the purpose of infusing peace within, leading to a diffusion of peace without, we strive to uncover the difference between these two practices, in our E-Vichara...

E-Vichara

*When under the influence of anger we are unobservant of our situation ( i.e. road rage, etc. ) VS. when we practice awareness we are quite observant of our situation - through awareness we are more efficient in all our activities ( i.e. remembering names, etc. )

*When under the influence of anger we do not experience our situation VS. when we practice awareness we thoroughly experience our situation ( i.e. the sensation of a shower, etc. ) - through awareness we enjoy all our activities more

*When under the influence of anger we are in disharmony with our situation ( i.e. no one likes to be in the presence of an angry person, etc. ) VS. when we practice awareness we are in harmony with our situation - through awareness we live more as One in all our activities ( i.e. awareness is integral to empathy and vice versa )

*Every moment is an opportunity cost ( i.e. the gain of engaging in A and the loss of disengaging in B, etc. ) - to prepare ourselves for every moment we should reflect on the great gains associated with aware-full living and the heavy losses associated with anger-full living

*Anger is simply an expression of frustrated desire - if we aware of how much we have and how little we need then practicing contentment will be natural and anger will be alien

*Awareness is to be developed slowly through association ( i.e. take select activities and continuously remind oneself to be aware through that activity [ i.e. brushing our teeth, eating our food, typing our emails, and such like] ) - through a continual growth of such association, eventually every activity is encompassed and we rediscover that we are Awareness and that anger is extinct

i have often reflected on the redundancy of celebrating January 1 as the start of the New Year. What changes other than a measure of time? Nothing.

A real New Year should be based on education, should be celebrated with knowledge, should be inspired with wisdom. And so my New Year is when students return to their respective elementary schools, secondary schools, post secondary schools, etc. Every facet of society changes when students return to school.

The return to secular schooling also means a return to spiritual schooling. With this in mind, i wanted to share with everyone the schedule i am most blessed to be involved with during our local 2010 - 2011 spiritual year:

( this schedule will take effect beginning on Sunday, September 19 )
Weekly
Monday --- Evening --- Mississauga --- Tattva Bodha Discussion
Tuesday --- Evening --- Niagara --- Vishnu Sahasranama Class
Wednesday --- Evening --- Buffalo --- Vivekachudamani Discussion
Thursday --- Evening --- Niagara --- Sanskrit Class
Thursday --- Night --- Niagara --- Vivekachudamani Discussion
Saturday --- Morning --- Niagara --- Yoga & Meditation Class
Sunday --- Morning --- Niagara --- Srimad Bhagavad Gita Discussion for BV Teachers
Sunday --- Morning --- Niagara --- Srimad Bhagavad Gita Discourse on Chapter 3
Sunday --- Afternoon --- Hamilton --- Srimad Bhagavad Gita Discussion on Chapter 2
Sunday --- Evening --- Toronto --- Tattva Bodha Discussion

( dates for these Satsangas will be shared by local sevaks )
Monthly
Thursday --- Evening --- Niagara --- Satsanga
Saturday --- Evening --- Buffalo --- Satsanga
Sunday --- Afternoon --- Hamilton --- Satsanga
Sunday --- Evening --- London --- Satsanga

( this itinerary will be updated at http://www.chinmayaniagara.org/vivekjischedule.htm )

Yearly
Pittsburgh --- Boston --- Houston --- Phoenix --- Washington DC --- Chicago --- Columbus --- Munster --- Portland --- Flint --- Vancouver --- Minneapolis --- Calgary

Please invest in yourself by being part of these activities. Please invest in others by encouraging them to be part of these activities. Looking forward to being with all of you.

"Young souls learn to accept responsibility for their actions. Mature souls learn to accept responsibility for their thoughts. And old souls learn to accept responsibility for their happiness. " --- Unknown

Inspire-Love-Be,

Vivek

[AcharyaVivek]

Sept 20th, 2010

Hari Om Everyone,

I hope this email finds everyone well…

Right now Chinmaya Mission has approximately 15,000 students enrolled in our spiritual programs for children and youth ( Bala Vihar ) throughout North America. This past month most of these students resumed their spiritual studies post Summer Vacation. Now, how many teachers are needed to help facilitate learning for 15,000 students? Right now Chinmaya Mission has approximately 2,500 teachers serving our spiritual programs for children and youth throughout North America. 15,000 students coming together to learn from 2,500 teachers and 2,500 teachers coming together to learn from 15,000 students. And how does this learning take place? Communication. Every facet of living, whether spiritual or secular is simply an expression of communication. With this in mind, thoughts on how our teachers can communicate with their students is the strategy for our E-Vichara this week....

E-Vichara

* Many times when a student is speaking we are occupied with our response, judgement of the student, distraction from the environment, etc. – students are surprisingly sensitive to the attention or lack of attention offered to them and so while a student is speaking we should be occupied with their words only

* The difference between hearing and listening is this: the former is mindless and the latter is mindful; being a competent listener is pivotal to being a competent speaker

* Students learn far more outside of the classroom than inside the classroom – being a teacher is not a 90 minute activity, rather we must be vigilant about our thoughts, speech and actions at all times

* To ‘ teach ’ is to learn twice – let us forever remember that we are the beneficiaries by sharing knowledge, for in time this knowledge becomes the fabric of who we are ( wisdom )

* When we fail to be on time ( without just reason ), let alone be ahead of time, for our seva (service ), we overtly and covertly convey to our students that their time and so they, are not as important as our time and us – a student learns more when they are nurtured which is why being ahead of time to serve is imperative

* The greatest resource a nation has is people – a single educated, inspired, devoted student can change all of humanity forever and ever ( i.e. Swami Chinmayananda, Swami Tejomayananda, you! )

* More thoughts for teachers will be shared next week and the week after that for students! Since we are on the subject of knowledge, everyone reading this E-Vichara has obviously learned the alphabet...A is for Apple, B is for Ball, C is for Cat, etc. Attached is a presentation on what our alphabet should be. Read! Reflect!! Realize!!!

" When flood comes, fish eat ants. When flood recedes, ants eat fish. Only time matters. Just hold on. " --- Unknown

Inspire-Love-Be,

Vivek

[AcharyaVivek]

Life's Alphabets....To Achieve Your Dreams, Remember Your A to Z

Avoid negative sources, people, places, things

Believe in yourself.

Consider things from every angle.

Don’t give up and don’t give in.

Enjoy life today—yesterday is gone, tomorrow may
never come.

Family and friends are hidden treasures, seek them and
enjoy their riches.

Give more than you planned to.

Hang on to your dreams.

Ignore those who try to discourage you.

Just do it!

Keep trying no matter how hard it seems—it will get easier.

Love yourself first and most.

Make it happen!

Never lie, cheat or steal; always strike a fair deal.

Open your eyes and see things as they really are.


Practice makes perfect.

Quitters never win, and winners never quit.


Read, study and learn about everything important in your life.

Stop procrastinating.

Take control of your own destiny.

Understand yourself to better understand others.

Visualize it!

Want it more than anything else.

Xcellerate your efforts.

You are unique of all God’s creations, nothing can replace you.

Zero in on your target and go for it!

[AcharyaVivek]

September 27, 2010


Hari Om from Stroudsburg!

I hope this email finds everyone well…

In our E-Vichara last week i had shared thoughts on how teachers can communicate with their students. This week I continue to share such thoughts through our E-Vichara…


*Students are well aware of when teachers are not prepared – if teachers want students to respect them, they should respect their students by being prepared

* For the typical subject, there should be an equal amount of preparation as class time ( i.e. a 1 hour class should involve 1 hour of preparation for the class ) – with experience and expertise this ratio can decrease on the preparation side and should increase on the class side

* Most sciences (i.e. medicine, pharmacy, education, etc. ) require ongoing training / learning – the same is relevant to Vedanta ( the Science of Life ) and so to be effective spiritual teachers we have to be effective spiritual students ( i.e. when Pujya Swami Tejomayananda teaches, all Chinmaya Mission Acharyas, regardless of seniority, come to listen )

* Generally, elementary school aged ( kids ) students though appearing to be more distracted than secondary school aged ( youth ) students, are not – we should not underestimate the attention of kids as most of the time they are absorbing what is being shared

* When teaching youth, at least spirituality, the medium should primarily be discussion – we need to read and reflect to enable us to ask the right questions for this evokes the right answers

Youth are exposed to disgusting levels of sensory stimulation ( i.e. television, radio, internet, etc. ) which incites them to not be able to focus on simple, subtle, sattvic activities ( i.e. studying ) - empathy or ' being a youth ' is the way to understand how to raise their minds from the mundane to the mystical

In our forthcoming E-Vichara i shall share thoughts on how students can communicate with their teachers. Now before we can learn, whether the subject be secular or spiritual, our basic needs have to be met. If we are hungry we cannot ' hear '. Please take the time to watch the following video on how the Government of India is feeding materially poor children so that they go to school and develop the capabilities to overcome being materially poor. While watching the video, reflect again and again and again about how fortunate we are and whether we are making us of our ' fortune ' - India's Free Lunch: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f227UYDJ7EU&feature=player_embedded

" You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself in any direction you choose. " --- Dr. Seuss


Inspire-Love-Be,

Vivek

[AcharyaVivek]

October 4, 2010

Hari Om!

I hope this email finds everyone well...

In our last 2 E-Vicharas we have been reflecting on the qualities of a spiritual teacher. And I had shared that we would reflect on the qualities of a spiritual student in this E-Vichara. However, this past week the whole world has been immersed in Bharat ( India ), especially me...i was a few feet away from Bharat's former President Dr. Abdul Kalam as he spoke on leadership, i was a few hundred feet away from Grammy recipient AR Rahman as he sang with passion, i was a few million feet away from a poised Delhi as the Commonwealth Games commenced with joy and i was ' with ' Mahatma Gandhi as he continued to inspire one and all on his Jayanti ( Birthday ). With this in mind, we will reflect on the qualities of a spiritual student in our next E-Vichara.

Famous messages on growth is the source for our present E-Vichara...

E-Vichara

*Yadyadacharati shreshthaha tattadevetaro janaha / Whatever a great man does, that the masses also do ( Bhagavan Krishna ) --
The nature of almost every ‘ system ’ is for 5% of people to emerge as leaders and 95% as followers.

*We must be the change we want to see in the world ( Mahatma Gandhi )
Parts make up a whole and even when a single, solitary part changes the whole changes

*Nothing can be taught ( Sri Aurobindo )
The only way to teach is to be ( what we are aspiring to teach )

*What you are speaks so loud that I cannot hear you speak ( Swami Tejomayananda )
Who we want to be is as important as who we are hence why we have to be ever aware of who our role models are.

*Actions speak louder than words ( Mark Twain )
In a society where we notoriously subscribe to seeing is believing, we have to capture people’s eyes before their ears will listen

Lead by example ( Proverb )
- every situation needs betterment, every situation demands guidance, every situation creates learners and to connect all these facets of a situation, i ( you ) have to make the first move

One of Santana Dharma’s most celebrated festivals is Ganesha Chaturthi. Why? Everyone has great respect for Lord Ganesha as He can remove all the obstacles we have in our lives. Really? The Hindu Students Council recently asked me to write an article on Ganesha Chaturthi. i took up this sadhana with the focus to share insights on the need for obstacles in our lives. This brief collection of words has been attached for you.

And, we often study that the nature of Bhagavan is Omnipresence. Well, during the divine sthapana of Bhagavan Radha-Krishna at Chinmaya Dhara in Niagara, Lord Ganesha was present! Attached is a picture of the homam that Swami Shantananda, Pandit Ravichandran and all those in attendance were engaged in. Within the homam one can see the glowing face of Lord Ganesha full out with a curved trunk and a shorter right tusk. Please note He is looking towards all the devotees, giving obstacles ( i.e. the challenges of our sound system ) and taking obstacles ( i.e. the ease of fundraising ). Wondrous is that we would even doubt the Omnipresent nature of the Lord. Especially when His messenger, Pujya Swami Tejomayananda, is present. Ganapati Baba...Moriya!!!

" The outward freedom that we shall attain will only be in exact proportion to the inward freedom to which we may have grown at a given moment. And if this is a correct view of freedom, our chief energy must be concentrated on achieving reform from within. " --- Mahatma Gandhi

Inspire-Love-Be,

Vivek

[AcharyaVivek]

Challenges and the Controller: Why Ganesha?
By Acharya Vivek (Chinmaya Mission Niagara)

Vighneshwara – the Remover of obstacles. This is the traditional understanding of the potency of Sri Ganapati. And so before you went to College or University for the first time, your parents probably prayed to Lord Ganesha to prevent you from being distracted from your studies. After you graduate and begin to work, your family will invoke Lord Ganesha again to ensure that your competition always remains behind you. Even when you buy a car you will remember Lord Ganesha to protect you from all hazards! Is this all Vighneshwara is capable of, removing some challenges?

Vighneshwara – the Controller of obstacles. This is the true understanding of the potency of Sri Ganapati. The difference between remover and controller is quite significant. A remover can only delete negativities and thereby create positivity. A controller can do the same as well as add negativity to create positivity. And this is what we most often need in our lives.

Examples? If I am inclined to be a teacher yet have geared my classes towards being an engineer, Vighneshwara may create a situation whereby I perform poorly in a class and am unable to continue in the engineering program. Alternatively, I then pursue teaching. The challenge which Vighneshwara put upon me would have been vital for me to engage in career I actually was inspired by not frustrated by. The same philosophy applied to the work scenario could perhaps be, me being exposed to competition which guides me in such a way so as to not submit to corruption. And when related to driving, I could skid on ice causing me to crash into a tree whereas if I did not I would have hit a pedestrian.

The Lord gives obstacles as well as takes obstacles. This is represented by His rope. With His rope He certainly takes away challenges allowing us to succeed in our task. With His rope He also gives us challenges allowing us to succeed in our task. Knowing this, we should strive to develop faith in Vighneshwara that whatever comes our way is a blessing overseen by Him. This attitude is especially precious in times of difficulty. When we suffer, our vision tends to become microscopic leading us to often scream out ‘Why me?’ However, if we keep the Lord on our mind and in our heart we will appreciate ‘Why not me?’ We will have the macroscopic vision that we are all privy to hardships, not just some.

Fine, develop faith…how though? For our parents this was easy. Their parents told them to have faith! We have been raised in a different society where belief in religious and spiritual matters is not easy.

The way to develop faith in a metaphysical science is the same as with a physical science. Get educated! When we gain knowledge of the nature of say nitrogen or sound-waves or arteries, we come to have faith in that particular science. In the same way when we gain knowledge of the nature of say Ramayana or Bhagavan Shiva or Brahmam, we develop faith in this science we call religion.
Read the stories of Vighneshwara. Chant Ganapati Atharva Sirsam. Study Vedantic explanations. As Adi Shankaracharya’s Vivekachudamani teaches, study is a catalyst to surrender. And what is surrender? Simply an attitude adjustment. When we know truly know Vighneshwara we will perpetually smile as He does.

[AcharyaVivek]

October 11, 2010

Hari Om from Pittsburgh!

I hope this email finds everyone well…

Each and every one of us was a student, is a student and always will be a student. In what sense? We are always learning. Through our recent E-Vicharas we have been reflecting on the qualities of a teacher with the focus being on communication. And as promised, we will think about the qualities of a student with the focus continuing to be on communication, through our present E-Vichara…

E-vichara
*Respect is characterized by being ready to listen to what a teacher has to say, yet not wanting to know more ( i.e. the typical relationship with a secular teacher, etc. ) – care is characterized by wanting to know more, yet not being ready to listen ( i.e. the typical relationship with a child, etc. )

*We have to learn to revere our teachers – reverence is a confluence of respect and care in which case we are ready to listen and wanting to know more ( i.e. the typical relationship with a Guru )

*In most cases, only the teacher offers concern for the student, who just assumes he / she is to receive ( i.e. being available to listen / read / think of a students problems ) – we need to remember that teachers are students too and so we should offer concern too ( for eg: when was the last time we asked our teachers “ How are you? ” instead of just telling them how we are?)

*Just as we want our teachers to encourage us by offering attention to what we are sharing, in the same way we should encourage our teachers by offering attention to what they are sharing ( i.e. making eye contact, sitting still, participating in the learning, etc. ) – when a student is engaged in the knowledge being shared, a teacher offers a higher caliber of knowledge thereby creating an amplified learning environment

*God helps those who help themselves and God helps those more who help others - teachers teach those who learn themselves and teachers teach those more who teach others

*All that we know today has been taught to us directly or indirectly by a ' teacher ' - we should forever reflect, remember and recognize the contribution ' teachers ' have made in our lives and in turn contribute the same in others lives.

*Teachers...students...human beings...more important than aptitude is attitude when we play these different roles in the drama we call living.

The following are profound thoughts by Charles Swindoll on the implication of our attitude on our affairs...

The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life.

Attitude, to me, is more important than facts. It is more important than the past, than education, than money, than circumstances, than failures, than successes, than what other people think or say or do. It is more important than appearance, gifted-ness, or skill. It will make or break a company ... a church ... a home.

The remarkable thing is we have a choice every day regarding the attitude we will embrace for that day. We cannot change our past. We cannot change the fact that people will act in a certain way. We cannot change the inevitable.

The only thing we can do is play on the one string we have, and that is our attitude ... I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me, and 90% how I react to it. And so it is with you ... we are in charge of our attitudes.

" You lie the loudest when you lie to yourself. " --- Unknown

Inspire-Love-Be,

Vivek

[AcharyaVivek]

18th October 2010

Hari Om Everyone,

i hope this email finds everyone well…

In the beginning of chapter 1 of Srimad Bhagavad Gita, Prince Arjuna is poised. With head high, chest out and muscles flexed he instructs his charioteer, Bhagavan Krishna, to put his chariot in the middle of the battlefield. And at the end of the same chapter Prince Arjuna is sweating, shaking…shocked. What happened? Fear. How to change fear to fearless is the aim for our E-Vichara this week...

E-Vichara ( October 18, 2010 )

*We derive no benefit from being scared – being aware brings about cautiousness sans the leeching of mental and physical energy which fear instigates.

* Fear is simply a thought – just like the supply of a good ends when the demand ends, so too when attention is not directed to the fear thought, the thought ends.

*There is nothing to fear but fear itself is a statement we have heard 1000 times yet have not listened to even once – no object, being or situation is intrinsically fear inducing, rather we grant fear access to our minds to infect our peace with agitation.

* The period before most experiences is more frightening than the experience itself – we need to reflect on this universal observation and then act accordingly by simply engaging in the experience instead of allowing fear to slow us or even halt us.

*Experimentation with that which we fear helps us exceed fear ( i.e. register with Toastmasters to address the fear of public speaking, etc. ) – fear is futile, fearless is fascinating, let us do whatever it takes to raise ourselves from futility to fascination.

* Some of the greatest fears we have are death, public speaking and change in general – when we invoke true knowledge, as is the aspiration of our E-Vicharas, ( i.e. all that is born is subject to death, preparation with the subject matter, the nature of the universe is to forever change, respectively ) we let go of fear.

Every month i am blessed to teach approximately 60 classes throughout North America. And often these classes answer questions students have and more often these classes create questions students did not have hahaha! Either way, this is growth for we are reflecting on Life and living. Now for the sake of creating more satsanga in society, especially in those cities where there is no Resident Acharya, a Monday and a Wednesday a month i will offer a live webcast where i will strive to address questions that seekers may have.

The Monday webcast will be for Young Adults ( ages 18 – 35 ). Any Young Adults who have spiritual questions, please email Bhavana Shivakumar at ( bhavana.shivakumar@gmail.com ) with your questions. Questions will be accepted up to 3 days before the webcast at which time Bhavana will submit the questions to me to put together, condense and reflect upon. Any questions sent after this period will not considered.

The Wednesday webcast will be for Adults ( ages 35 and above ). Any Adults who have spiritual questions, please email Bindu Menta ( menta.bindu@gmail.com ) with your questions. Questions will be accepted up to 3 days before the webcast at which time Binduji will submit the questions to me to put together, condense and reflect upon. Any questions sent after this period will not be considered.

To participate in the webcast, simply go to www.ustream.tv and in the search field type in Acharya Vivek. Then click on the icon for the upcoming live webcast. You will be able to watch and listen to me, not interact with me.

Remember, technology and i are not friends. We have a team serving this endeavor and since we are trying this for the first time, changes may need to be made and we request everyone's patience and cooperation. If you have any questions or comments email our 2 sevikas. Please do not email me with any questions or comments. i ask of you to empathize with the demand on time i experience.

Our upcoming webcasts will be Monday, October 25 from 7.45p - 9.15p EST for Young Adults and Wednesday, October 27 from 7.30p - 9.00p EST for Adults. These will be streamed live from Mississauga and Buffalo respectively where our Discussion Groups will be present and listening. Stay tuned for further details in our next E-Vichara!

And thoughts to leave you with, we often reflect on how most of our unhappiness is self created, self induced...self defeating. The following is an article from AOL Health sharing what are the most common ways of thinking that prevent us from being happy. Read, reflect, realize! - Happiness Roadblocks http://www.aolhealth.com/2010/09/27/happiness-roadblocks/?icid=main|main|dl3|sec1_lnk3|173653&a_dgi=aolshare_email


" Those who think they have no time for bodily exercise will sooner or later have to find time for illness. " --- Edward Stanley

Inspire-Love-Be,

Vivek

[AcharyaVivek]

E-Vichara October 25th, 2010

Hari Om from Boston!

i hope this email finds everyone well…

Recently i was part of a satsanga in Cleveland. Post satsanga one of the participants had given me some poetry he wrote. As I was reading his poetry, the poems which stood out the most were the ones he wrote on his love for writing poetry. With this in mind, i too was / am inspired to write an E-Vichara on the personal developments of writing E-Vicharas…

E-Vichara ( October 25, 2010 )
*( Connectedness ) When we study our surroundings today, we observe that we are quite disconnected from nature, others, ourselves – the E-Vichara is a medium whereby 1000’s of seekers all around the world are connected, for however long, in reflection.

* (Creativity) Writing a column, blog, email, any regular form of communication, demands one to be creative – as Swami Chinmayananda reveals “ Teaching is the art of communication ” and so creativity is the art of teaching

* (Coordination) One of the greatest sources of stress in our lives is time and one of the greatest jokes in our lives is our belief that we manage our time well – through taking on more, particularly seva, one becomes more efficient, more effective, more immune to the causes and effects of stress

* (Consistency) We have deadlines with academic assignments, mortgage payments, social affairs, etc. and these deadlines act as a catalyst to invoke and maintain discipline – as soon as the send button is clicked on one E-Vichara, ideas for the next E-Vichara begin and come weekend, this needs to be put together whether wired, tired or uninspired

* (Capability) In countless scenarios of living, the more you give the more you receive holds true ( i.e. anger, emails, donations, etc. ) – this truth is amplified when that which is given is knowledge, meaning, writing an E-Vichara is a greater experience to engage in vichara compared to simply reading an E-Vichara

* (Coolness) Technology is intensifying at an unprecedented pace and to deny or ignore this is to choose to limit oneself – through the growing appreciation of the E-Vichara further avenues of ‘ spreading the word ’ were and will continue to be embraced

I offer my humble, sincere and Loving gratitude to each and every person who has compassionately requested to receive the E-Vichara… you have all contributed to my personal growth.

As i shared last week, for the sake of creating more satsanga in society, especially in those cities where there is no Resident Acharya, a Monday and a Wednesday a month i will offer a live webcast where i will strive to address questions that seekers may have.

The Monday webcast will be for Young Adults ( ages 18 – 35 ). Any Young Adults who have spiritual questions, please email Bhavana Shivakumar at ( bhavana.shivakumar@gmail.com ) with your questions. Questions will be accepted up to 3 days before the webcast at which time Bhavana will submit the questions to me to put together, condense and reflect upon. Any questions sent after this period will not considered.

The Wednesday webcast will be for Adults ( ages above 35 ). Any Adults who have spiritual questions, please email Bindu Menta ( menta.bindu@gmail.com ) with your questions. Questions will be accepted up to 3 days before the webcast at which time Binduji will submit the questions to me to put together, condense and reflect upon. Any questions sent after this period will not be considered.

To participate in the webcast, simply go to www.ustream.tv and in the search field type in Acharya Vivek. Then click on the icon for the upcoming live webcast. You will be able to watch and listen to me, not interact with me. You do not need to create a username or register or any such matters, just type, click and enjoy!

Remember, technology and i are not friends. We have a team serving this endeavor and since we are trying this for the first time, changes may need to be made and we request everyone's patience and cooperation. If you have any questions or comments email our 2 sevikas. Please do not email me with any questions or comments. i ask you to empathize with the demand on time i experience.

Our upcoming webcasts will be Monday, October 25 from 7.45p - 9.15p EST for Young Adults and Wednesday, October 27 from 7.30p - 9.00p EST for Adults. These will be streamed live from Mississauga and Buffalo respectively where our Discussion Groups will be present and listening. Be sure to spread the word about these opportunities for satsanga!

“ You are today where your thoughts have brought you; you will be tomorrow where your thoughts take you. ” --- James Allen

Inspire-Love-Be,

Vivek

[AcharyaVivek]

November 1, 2010
Hari Om Everyone,

i hope this email finds everyone well...

What is Spirituality? The Science of the Spirit. What is the Spirit? Joy! And so Spirituality is essentially the study of happiness. Now just like all sciences, certain qualifications are needed to be adept with the theory and application of that science. Spirituality is no different. One of the qualifications that is demanded of those wanting to pursue Spirituality is vairagya ( detachment ). A most revered yet most feared word…d-e-t-a-c-h-m-e-n-t. To remove the ‘ fangs ’ that paralyze us from embracing this quality we engage in a ‘ dissection ’ via our E-Vichara…

E-Vichara ( November 1, 2010 ) --- Developing Detachment

*Detachment is not being dependent on any object, being or situation for Joy - in other words, to be independently Joyful
If we think about the most dynamic personalities we know, past or present ( i.e. Thomas Edison, Mahatma Gandhi, Swami Chinmayananda, etc. ), we come to appreciate that all of them invoked and evoked detachment - is our fear than of detachment or of being great

*A few of the gains associated with cultivating this simple quality are objectivity ( i.e. third party mediation ), perspective ( i.e seeing the big picture ), freedom ( i.e. from limitations ) - with such material and spiritual benefits associated with detachment, why are we consciously and unconsciously abstaining from applying this in our lives

*Our intellect is not convinced of why we should practice detachment and so we do not - to develop this conviction we need to study ( through satsanga, seva and sadhana ) and particularly reflect on viveka which is the quality to discriminate between what can and cannot be Joyful

*Once we know what is Joyful ( our Nature ) detaching from what is not Joyful ( not our Nature ) is natural - by attaching to the ' higher ' we are detaching from the ' lower ' ( i.e. lower rungs for upper rungs, video games for cars, indulgence for discipline, etc. ) a.k.a. Yoga

* Contrary to our belief, attachment is not needed for a relationship ( regardless of what degree ) - we have a duty to others and so we should engage in all relationships with seva bhava ( sentiment of seva ), we also have a duty to ourself and so we should engage in the courage to be detached.

This past Monday and Wednesday we organized our 1st Young Adult and Adult Q & A Live Webcasts! We had over 30 participants for both webcasts joining us from all over!!! For those who were unable to join us for the live satsanga, this has been recorded and archived. Simply click on the following link to watch / listen to the thoughts shared. And remember to create more satsanga by spreading the word - Ustream - Acharya Vivek. http://www.ustream.tv/channel/e-vichara

Hero...who is a hero? Batman? Yes ( and to me a Y E S ! ). Hrithik Roshan? Sure. How about a world class chef who instead of focusing on his wants instead has focused on the severe needs of thousands? Please do not wait for my written response. The following is a story highlighted on NDTV and CNN about how Naryanan Krishnan has been instrumental in feeding the hungry. Moreover he is one of ten CNN has selected as a worldwide hero. Please take the time to read about and vote for this hero. If not for is noble work, at least if he wins with your vote, he will have some extra funds with with to nourish the famished - Empathy is the Fibre of a Hero http://www.ndtv.com/article/catch%20of%20the%20day/catch-he-brings-hot-meals-to-india-s-homeless-61029?cp

" Mind is consciousness which has put on limitations. You are originally unlimited and perfect. Later you take on limitations and become the mind ". --- Sri Ramana Maharshi

Inspire-Love-Be,

Vivek

[AcharyaVivek]

E-Vichara / Electronic Reflections - November 8, 2010

Hari Om Everyone,

i hope this email finds everyone well…

Priceless knowledge – which having learned helps us lead prosperous and peaceful lives. Prosperity and Peace are perceived as mutually exclusive, but Vedanta teaches us how to have both simultaneously. How can we put a price on that? This is a message Chinmaya Mission Chicago shared a few years back to encourage their community to contribute to their growing spiritual Centers. This message addresses a major block we have in the way we think so that we have split our family life and our spiritual life. Or our material life and our service life. Even better, our normal life and our abnormal life! Building up whole ideas to tear down divided notions is the foundation for our E-Vichara / Electronic Reflections…

E-Vichara / Electronic Reflections--- Balancing Living

* What is spiritual life – spiritual life is seeking within for the sake of greater peace

What is family life – family life is serving without for the sake of greater peace

* Our spiritual life and family life are expressed differently yet have the same purpose then why the idea that they are mutually exclusive ?

* We consciously compartmentalize the different facets of living ( i.e. home, work, social, etc. ) to unconsciously justify why being unhappy in one facet is alright to be happy in another ( i.e. being uninspired at work is fine for the sake of providing for our families ) - think, both facets, nay, all facets of living are motivated by greater peace and knowing this we should not succumb to being unhappy in any facet of living

* Balancing living, is to not consider balance at all, only living - balance still implies a dichotomy and better is to just live sans this label

* To integrate such an understanding into our daily desires, thoughts and actions we have to begin to envision every moment of living as an opportunity to serve ( i.e. society through work, family through listening, ourselves through exercising, etc. ) - where the mind is engaged in seva that same mind is also practicing satsanga and sadhana and such a mind is living to rediscover the One, Uniform, Infinite...Life

Have you ever claimed yourself to be the ' happiest person in the world ' ? If not, why? We should all be making such a claim! However, to do so demands of us to cease focusing on being happy ( a temporary experience ) and instead focus on being Happiness ( our changeless Nature ). The following is an article from AOL Health on how to train ourselves to shift from happy to Happiness - Happiest Man in the World http://www.aolhealth.com/2010/09/29/how-to-be-happy/?icid=main|main|dl3|sec1_lnk3|176657&a_dgi=aolshare_email

" Whenever anyone has offended me, I try to raise my soul so high that the offense cannot reach it. " --- Rene Descartes

Inspire-Love-Be,

Vivek