Holistic Living Article - 37 Date: 24.06.13 Every aspect of this universe is changing continuously . Everything in this universe is fresh and therefore pure and holy . This changing aspect is called life .This change is so slow that it appears to be still in the eye of an ordinary person. When there is a vast change , we get puzzled and get difficulty in accepting the change which is called death . Our mind do not want change . It wants to repeat the old . Therefor change in human beings is very difficult . But whether one like or not he is continuously changing . He is not aware of this . At times for a small period of time one is aware but afterwards he is not aware about it . Each one of us like to cling to the past or what is happening now and do not like to the changes . This brings suffering . Because things are to change in its own way whether one like or dislike . Every aspect of this universe is living in a certain way .Then what is so great about holistic living ? We understand that Mineral World , Fungi, Plants , Virus & Bacteria , Animals and Humans have their own life cycle and way of living. The only major difference among them is awareness / Consciousness / Mind which the humans have in a superior form . This awareness can bring happiness or unhappiness . We don’t want unhappiness or sufferings . Due to the absence of a developed awareness , all other aspects except humans do not suffer because they are not aware about it . So except humans no other species make any hue and cry for everything as if they are the only living creature in this universe and they have only the right to grumble . So the aim is how to live with blissfulness and without suffering . This can be called as holistic living . To lead a holistic life the following aspects needs to be considered . 1. Arrangement of Food , Clothing , Shelter and Lust . 2. An inner desire to query about suffering . 3. Getting Spiritual Knowledge . 4. Continuous reflection on Spiritual Knowledge . 5. Meditation . 6. Desire to know the Truth . We shall consider each aspect as mentioned above . 1. Arrangement of Food , Clothing , Shelter and Lust . For survival we need food first . This is the most important requirement in life . Empty stomach can’t pursue an holistic life for an ordinary person . All constituents of the universe are searching and getting food from their environments naturally without grumbling/suffering due to various evolutionary changes . Humans only suffer in this aspect because they want to accumulate endlessly due to fear of future controlled by mind . Our need can be fulfilled but not the greed . Because greed needs infinite quantity which is impracticable . We carryout various works to get food and once food requirement is reasonably solved , we should not take any means to accumulate more . We know by acquiring huge wealth/materials suffering will not cease . We should try for more wealth with proper means and accept the outcome even if we are not satisfied . Then again we may do more efforts to earn more in a proper way and accept the outcome irrespective of our satisfaction or dissatisfaction . It means our Dharma is to try and accept the outcome in any form . It is a continuous process with full acceptance . This is the key of the holistic living . Similarly we can have the fulfilment of other needs in category one . Lust is a special character which we have already dealt in a separate article . Therefore Dharma is not suffering and Adharma is suffering . 2. An inner desire to query about suffering . All humans are living and most of them are suffering . Each one of us feels that we are competent enough to take care of us with the knowledge we have . But the knowledge we have is a skill only to acquire wealth/materials for survival and not the skill to lead a holistic life . To have this spiritual knowledge no university degree is required . This is the knowledge of life and only one live human being is required . So if we don’t watch our sufferings and question about its root cause then suffering is not going to cease . Then there can’t be any beginning in holistic life .This is called spiritual insight for house holders and Bairagya for serious spiritual seekers . Generally this will not come in young age due to our physical strength and attachment to the material world . As we grow old , we do not seek so much sensual pleasures due health issues , family problems , fear of death etc and therefore our attachment to the material world decreases . This may prompt us to question about the root of our suffering . The other reason may be , when we are in deep sorrow we may question ourselves why am I suffering ? Generally the questioning ceases when the problem get solved . When the problem continue for a longer period of time or questioning continue even after the problem is over , then there is a chance of pursuing the spiritual knowledge . 3. Getting Spiritual Knowledge . Once we are able to see and question about our sufferings , we search for its answers . Then we will search for any person who can answer our query . We may get the direct spiritual knowledge from the persons or we may read spiritual books . Spiritual knowledge is nothing but the nuances of life (As given in previous articles) viewed in a unbiased manner . In the path of holistic living spiritual knowledge is must . Knowing solves 25% of the hurdle . 4. Reflection on Spiritual Knowledge . Once we have spiritual knowledge we have to watch/understand our various thoughts and actions for its deeper meaning and its course correction . Reflection means continuous checking of self (our thoughts , anger , ego , desires , behaviours , greed , jealousy , hatred , fear , grumbling , attachment , illusion etc) . With this we will be aware about the truth .This gives the power of discrimination to understand the things in its deeper level . On the surface , the appearance may not be always true . When it is viewed in an unbiased mind , the deeper meaning will be revealed . So continuous reflection is the key to be closer to the truth . 5. Meditation Meditation is a process to still the mind so that it will be easy to observe us in a unbiased mind . Unless we do meditation we can’t see our thoughts and reflect upon them with the acquired spiritual knowledge . This is a tool to control the mind to disengage us from the sufferings from our karmic layers . This disengagement can happen when we accept the results of our actions (Karma) due to karmic layers with full understanding . 6. Knowing Truth . Once we master the process of witnessing our actions due to meditation , our perceptions of life controlled by our mind will change . We will be able to visualise the true nature of the things of this universe . Once we get the glimpses of the truth , outcome of the happenings around us will be accepted without any discomfort . Thus sufferings will vanish and we will realise that blissfulness is our real nature and we are that . We need not make any effort to get it from anywhere . But this effortlessness will be achieved only after great effort . When we are exhausted with the effort , our ego of master-ship for doing/controlling events will drop we be surprised to see that we are that . Then we can have that perpetual smile in our face which is the indication of our blissfulness like the fever is the indication of a disease. If we understand these aspects of our life , whatever we do in whatever condition (Married/unmarried , poor/wealthy , healthy/unhealthy , youth/old , employed/farmer/businessman , vegetarian/non-vegetarian , male/female , boss/sub-ordinate ,higher class/lower class etc) life will be a continuous celebration without fear and stress . Here quantum of life will not have any value rather than quality of life . Here time and space will lose all its power to threaten us and we will be in glorious present (without glory of past , fear of the future , fear of accumulation in land /wealth etc) where there is no suffering . Wealth will be only a tool to feed the body and not to control our life . Power will be a means to understand the truth and not to enhance ego . Here understanding life in every form will bring universal consciousness , brotherhood , peace of mind , sympathy , equanimity , compassion and harmony with nature .This is called an holistic life with the popular Sanskrit theme Basudheiba Kutumbakam (The universe is my family) . R.P.Rath Ahmedabad 9227233330
Posted on: Mon, 24 Jun 2013 07:00:14 +0000
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