Gurus - A new beginning

by Life Positive

We commemorate the new year by inviting our distinguished panel of speakers at the LP Expo 2010 to offer us their insights

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Renew yourself!
Swami Tejomayananda

Swami Tejomayananda is the head of Chinmaya Mission Worldwide. He is a living portrait of simplicity with depth, humility with courage, and wisdom with devotion. Progressive in thinking and precise in decision-making, he has inspired and executed many notable, innovative projects, including the Chinmaya International Residential School in Coimbatore, the Chinmaya Centre of World Understanding in New Delhi, the Chinmaya International Foundation near Cochin, among others.

Fluent in Hindi, Marathi, English, and Sanskrit, Swami Tejomayananda’s talks, written commentaries, and original music, poetry, and text compositions exude lofty spiritual insights, incisive Vedantic scholarship, and universal harmony.

That which is ever new and fresh
That alone is good, real, and beautiful!

There is a profound truth hidden in these lines. Consider a freshly-bloomed flower. A thing of beauty. Such a fresh colour and scent; such a depth of softness to the touch. However, that same flower a few days later is withered and brown, fit only for the dustbin.

A flower, of course, has a limited time span, but the same truth resonates through almost every aspect of life. A river remains ever fresh because it continuously moves forward. If a part of it were to get landlocked and be unable to flow, the water would get rancid and stagnant and no life would thrive in it.

Our own human lives are governed by this universal truth. Unless we renew ourselves constantly and keep the direction of our lives attuned with our goals and vision, it is very likely that we will run out of motivation and enthusiasm and our lives will come to a halt.

But it is in our spiritual lives that this truth has greatest relevance. The true seeker constantly practises awareness of his thoughts, words and deeds, is ever-vigilant about his ego and never stops the process of inner growth. If he strives relentlessly, he will in time reach the zone of freshness and newness. In this state, he is always in the moment and approaches each situation anew. This approach will naturally unlock his creativity, and effectiveness and immerse him in effortless action. Such a person is naturally in touch with the forces of goodness, realness and beauty.

May this New Year bring you greater
goodness, happiness and success

Stay inspired
Smt Jaya Row

Smt Jaya Row is the founder of Vedanta Vision. She is dedicated to the dissemination of Vedanta – the oldest management school in the world.

Smt Row has spent over 30 years studying and researching Vedanta. After a degree in microbiology and a distinguished management career she devoted herself to interpret and re-present Vedanta to the modern generation.

She has spoken at several prestigious organisations, including the World Economic Forum, Davos, World Bank, Southern California Edison, Shell UK, Coca Cola, Morgan Stanley, Deutsche Bank, Infosys, Purdue University, Washington University etc. Her seminars help create a valued corporate asset – the fulfilled, dynamic human being: a person of impeccable character, integrity and maturity.

What can we do to bring inspiration and exhiliration into our lives?

Less is more

The modern mantra for enjoyment is to have more, do more, enjoy more! The truth is that the more you indulge in the senses the less you enjoy. Every successive contact reduces the joy content until you reach a stalemate – zero enjoyment. Savour the moment. Regulate sense gratification with your intellect. Then even a little sense contact gives immense joy.

Give to gain

Everyone is chasing success. But nobody knows the formula for success. Most people work with the attitude of taking, grabbing, ‘what’s in it for me’. This only results in failure and sorrow.

Work becomes energising, creative and successful when you change your outlook from one of taking to that of giving, contributing, adding value to others. Vedanta says the only two motivations in life should be – atmanah mokshartham or self-liberation and jagat hitaya, welfare of the world. Whether you are an artist, musician, carpenter, or corporate czar – your actions take on a magical touch when you infuse your actions with the spirit of yajna – service and sacrifice. Your life transforms from one of mediocrity to that of excellence and you metamorphose from an ordinary mortal to an extraordinary immortal.

Love v/s hatred

The Rig Veda says – Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam – the entire universe is one family. Yet most of us are unable to see oneness even in our homes! We are crippled by feelings of apartheid, alienation and hatred. All problems arise from a false sense of separateness. The truth is we are all one. Rise above apparent differences and the benefits of oneness will be yours! Success comes to a person who is able to feel one with team mates.

When you focus on differences you become insecure, threatened and sorrowful. Feel one and you are happy. You develop the capacity to enjoy others’ success as if it were yours. As your circle of oneness expands you are in communion with the Divine!

Permanent v/s impermanent

The nature of the world is ephemeral. It consists of pairs of opposites and is in a constant flux of change. Even as your material components are traumatised by the world the Spirit in you is unaffected, untouched by the vagaries of the world. Stand on the balcony of the Spirit and watch the changes in the world and in your matter layers. Then you will be in a constant state of intoxication, excitement and revelry!

Dispel darkness, bring in light
Swami Sukhabodhananda

Swami Sukhabodhananda is the founder Chairman of Prasanna Trust and is a gifted and prolific teacher and speaker on Vedanta. In a recent poll The Times of India voted Swamiji as the country’s best speaker. The Week magazine has acclaimed Swamiji as one among the top five exponents of spiritual knowledge. His self-development programme called Life has benefited many in the corporate sectors of reputed institutions like banking, finance, industry, education, armed forces and police. Swamiji was invited as a dignitary on five different panels at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland and was a special invitee to the United Nation World Millennium Summit of spiritual leaders. An acclaimed author, Swamiji’s English books Oh, Mind Relax Please! and Oh, Life Relax Please! are best-sellers. A gifted singer, his chants and mantras have had a salutary effect on many listeners.

To err is human, but to remain in error is stupidity, which is ignorance by another name. Darkness is not the presence of something that is black, but the absence of light. That is why darkness cannot devour light, but light can dispel darkness. Even the pitch blackness of a starless, moonless night is no match to the feeble flame of a candle. If we reflect intently on the nature of darkness, we find that darkness has no substance as such, even though it can envelop us. Such is the mystery of darkness that, though it cannot be defeated directly, it can be put to flight by lighting a lamp.

In spiritual parlance, darkness denotes ignorance. One can destroy ignorance by lighting the flame of understanding.

How does ignorance enter our lives?

Ignorance is of two kinds, primary and secondary. Primary ignorance is the state of not knowing the source of joy, not knowing oneself. Secondary ignorance consists in not having material information such as that contained in knowledge fields like physics, chemistry, or history. Happiness is part of our basic human nature, but our mind creates misery. Misery is contrary to our nature. Misery blinds us to the perception of the self as the source of joy. This is similar to the way we become unable to perceive the rope as rope once our eyes have “seen” a snake in its coils.

Mind creates misery by its desires, expectations, anger, and jealousy stimulated by unnecessary comparisons. If we banish these negative emotions that create misery, our Self will emerge as a source of joy, similar to the way the effulgent sun emerges as clouds disperse.

Is anger an expression of ignorance?

It depends. Anger that is proportionate to a given situation is an expression of intelligence. Fear that is proportionate to a situation is an expression of intelligence. But if either is unwarranted by or disproportionate to the situation, then it is an expression of ignorance.

People ask me, “How can I stop getting angry?” The question is wrongly formulated. It is like asking how to stop darkness from descending. Darkness is the absence of light. So anger is the absence of joy and peace. You dispel darkness by bringing in light. Likewise, if you want to overcome anger, bring in joy and peace. As darkness disappears at the approach of light, even so will anger melt away at the approach of joy and peace.

Let the new beginning in 2010 bring health, wealth and prosperity and more importantly clarity and wisdom to all Life Positive readers.