Wednesday, December 23, 2009

A Holistic View Of Life Essential For Survival

Taken from an article on The Speaking Tree
>
> 17 December 2009

> There are two limits to knowledge. One set by the intellect and the
> other set by experience. The comprehensive way to meditation and
> penance is Twitter Facebook Share Email Print Save Comment experience,
> not intellectualisation. Intellectuals might argue against this, for
> the nature of the intellect is to argue. Those who practice meditation
> and restraint do not use only logic and intellect as the touchstone.
> Their path is paved with experience. The one who has tasted the
> sweetness of experience will know there can be no other viable route.
> This is an optimistic perspective. It is possible that one who prefers
> going the intellect way might find this perspective pessimistic. Logic
> has its own path, which can become complicated but the path of
> experience is less complicated.
>
> A head clerk told the other clerks, "During office hours you go for a
> shave and that takes a long time. Do not shave during office hours."
> One clerk replied, "When hair can grow during office hours, why can't
> they be cut also at that time. If you find a way of stopping hair
> growth during office hours, we will also not cut it during office
> hours." This is the language of logic. Those who live within the
> limits of the intellect and logic speak this language. There are three
> limits. One is that set by the consciousness of the senses. The other
> is set by the consciousness of the mind. The third is set by the
> consciousness of the intellect. We have experienced the limits of all
> these three. Till experience does not enter the limits of the
> conscious, everything seems as above. One who has not experienced meditation cannot enter the field of experience.
>
> Those who have sat down for meditation for the first time say this
> after 10 days - that they could never have imagined such an experience was possible.
> When there was no question of imagination, how could they have imagined?
>
> How can a man sitting on the shores of an ocean estimate its depth?
> Only the one who has dived into the ocean can describe its depths.
> Many spend their lives knowing just their outer self. They never get
> an opportunity to go within. Are they able to see all that is within?
> They do not know what lies within. Many of those who see the body get
> scared on seeing its vibrations. Where have they come from? Are they
> something new? They are not new. They were all within. They are
> constantly working. The energy of the body is also working. But as we
> concentrate we get to know of them and get scared. We are faced with a
> new world. The vibrations were on even earlier but we were not aware
> of them. As soon as the mind gets more stabilised, the inner self emerges clearer.
>
> We need to engage more with the inner world. We should be less
> obsessed with what others do and pay more attention to our selves.
> Only then will there be opportunities for major changes in our
> consciousness that will enhance our personality. If the transformation
> were to continue, then there is the further possibility that we could
> reach the final point. Our perspective should become more and more
> gentle and the perspective of anekanta should always be with us. We
> need to work towards promoting a balanced and mutually connected
> individual, local and global perspective with equanimity, taking into
> account every possible view. That is, giving equal consideration to all things, howsoever small or big.
>
> Put together by Lalit Garg .