Holistic Living - Do everything with peace

by Life Positive

Do everything with peace

Consider the symbolic meaning of the Trinity. In Christianity they have the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. The aspect of Father is just a seer—you, yourself, are the over-seeing spirit. That of Son is life itself—you're here. Without the aspect of the Holy Spirit no joy can come. It's a creative joy, an impulse in each one of us. In the Hindu trinity, Brahma is the joy of creation, Vishnu—joy of living, Shiva—joy of witnessing. All these aspects have to go together, everyday, in your life.

Whatever is before you, that is the truth. Truth needs not be discovered or looked for. You can seek something that is lost. Has truth been lost? If not, then why search for it? It is futile. If one persists with the search, he is strengthening the ego that says: "I'm a sadhak (votary) on the path of self-realization, I'm seeking truth." Truth need not be found. It's here before you, self-evident.

What else do you want to see—God? You have seen the changeless. Whatever is there before you, you're accepting it. If you don't there is struggle. If you want to remain the way you are, do nothing. No yoga, absolutely nothing.

Kriya Shakti (action), Ichcha Shakti (desire) and Gyan Shakti (knowledge) are other aspects of trinity. Kriya means karma. If you want to do something, you want to become something. Being something is ultimate, whereas becoming is one step down. 'Doing' is not required in the spiritual realm. If you want to do something, you should know how to do it. The 'how' is not needed for you. Therefore knowledge is not there. It doesn't free you; it binds you.

Drop action, desire and knowledge, and you reach the bindu (point). Once there, you travel towards a greater maha (large) bindu. The first stage dons a breathless silence. If there is total acceptance, you have won half the battle. Accept anything that comes without exercising judgment.

There is a story by Gautama Buddha. Read on. A king became a bhikshuk (beggar). He went to another king for alms. It was offered to him. The king didn't like the dirty bowl the bhikshuk was carrying. Therefore, he offered him a diamond-studded bowl. Reluctantly, the bhikshuk used it for a day.

Drawn by the bowl, a thief followed the bhikshuk on his way home. Noticing this, once in his house, the bhikshuk threw the bowl out of the window. Surprised by this action, the thief knocked at the bhikshuk's door. The bhikshuk answered from within: "You have got what you wanted, why are you bothering me?" The thief replied: "I'm curious. Why did you throw away such a priceless bowl?" He was invited in and was told: "Because you wanted the bowl, I gave it to you." Astonished and ashamed, the thief said: "I keep stealing, but I wish to leave this habit." The bhikshuk then advised him: "Just ask yourself whether you want the thing before you steal it." Thereafter, whenever the thief wanted to steal, he just couldn't.

A few days later, the thief again visited the bhikshuk and asked him: "Now what should I do?" He was advised to be alert. The moral: stop influencing or being influenced.

Anything you do with alertness becomes dharma. When you accept sat (truth) with alertness, you incorporate chit (alertness). Take life as it comes. What remains is ananda (joy).

Love has no defined path. The joy of love is within, when you witness life without influencing or being influenced. Soon compassion follows. It cannot be practiced. It is congenital. Once you start getting the glimpse, you can go ahead and read any scripture or visit any guru. However, take care: never get caught in the spiritual circus.

Madabusi Subramaniam, India