Self Improvement

Whether it appears on your book shelf, on your To-Do List or on your last nerve, “self-improvement” doesn’t just apply to the eponymous industry. We see attempts in all aspects of our existence; in the gym, at university and in front of the mirror on a Friday night.

It’s interesting that we put all this energy in to physical, emotional and intellectual betterment when one day we will all die. All the investments limited to this life will certainly leave with us. Which begs the question: why it is such a natural desire to move forward in these ways beyond just the fulfillment of basic needs for survival like the animals?

According to the yoga texts of ancient India, this “self” is not the body, the mind or the intelligence. The individual “me” in each of us is a minute particle of consciousness that goes by many names – the light, the life-force or the soul, that which never dies or degenerates.

Vedic knowledge explains that this eternal soul is constantly evolving through different stages and species of life, using this body like a vehicle. As one may crash a vehicle, and get out into another one, when we leave this body our soul continues its journey in another body.

The petrol that fuels us on this journey is desire. The nature of the self isananda, happiness, and that is what all our desires are aimed towards in one way, shape or form. Ultimately it is not the mastery of a particular skill or some bits of paper and copper that we work so hard for. In and of themselves, these things are inconsequential. It is the happiness we think will be derived from such things that we are actually motivated by.

Similarly self-improvement is just another way to maximise happiness; togain more esteem from ourselves and others and to remove any blocks to enjoyment. Our capitalist, consumerist culture falsely offers us that happiness, though deep down we know that no amount of material acquisition will bring that permanently. Ultimately happiness comes from love, which is cultivated in relationship with others. Love is a reciprocal energy.

This is where we see some irony in that many self-development programsovertly or subtly encourage selfishness; prioritising oneself’s needs and beliefs over and above anyone else’s. The nature of true love is selflessness, to emerge out of our own sphere and to lovingly serve another person and their needs.

In Sanskrit the word “dharma” loosely translates as “nature” or “that which sustains” – for example, the dharma of sugar is its sweetness. Without the quality of sweetness, sugar can no longer be sugar. The dharma of the soul, the true self, is this selfless love. Doing good to others feels good; even if we do it with impure motivations, we still get a buzz and that is because it has brought us closer to this inherent nature.

So real self-improvement means cultivating this mood of service- to our loved ones, to others, to the world. In the highest sense this service mood can be applied to the soul’s relationship with the Supreme Soul, the ultimate higher reality. Only when we take that step out of our own sphere of interest will our connection to our true self, our eternally happy soul, be improved and perfected, and all our desires for happiness be satisfied.

 

Posted with Blogsy

Russell's Revolution

“Spiritual revolution”; the latest catchphrase on Britain’s lips, thanks to amost colourful catalysis by comedian Russell Brand over the last couple of weeks. Brand himself admits he is neither a political genius nor a spiritual exemplar, however amidst all the hype and hypocrisy, no doubt he has raised the reality of these issues to the forefront of people’s minds.

Revolution is the natural conclusion of the intelligent person who sees that superficial shuffles within the current structure are not bringing about the change we need. There have been many instances of such drastic upheavals in history, however it is hard to see one that has resulted in success.

A new system must be based on unity for it to sustain, and this is where the spiritual aspect of Russell’s Revolution becomes crucial. As he points out: “We are all connected”. This is a deep realisation that transcends the platforms of prejudice and power struggles in this world based on nationality, religion, money or skin colour.

Whether we call it our life-force, our consciousness or our soul, there is something that connects us not just to our fellow humanity, but to everything. The root of all our political, social and personal problems is down to the covering of such consciousness in the forms of selfishness, greed and anger.

However if we become attuned to the source of this binding thread, an Absolute Love in our relative world of duality, people will be selfless and satisfied and these problems will naturally dissolve.

But how to make this consciousness a reality for everyone?

This is what Brand fails to provide in his presentation. His plan of action:

Meditate, direct our love indiscriminately and our condemnation exclusively at those with power. Revolt in whatever way we want, with the spontaneity of the London rioters, with the certainty and willingness to die of religious fundamentalists or with the twinkling mischief of the trickster. We should include everyone, judging no one, without harming anyone.

It sounds good, but we don’t need more of the same artfully ambiguous rhetoric we hear from the politicians. We need practical alternatives. We need a plan. A plan based on unifying knowledge that transcends all our material diversity and leads us to a common goal; without such directionwhere are the leaders leading and what is driving our energies forward?

The yoga knowledge offers such pragmatic spiritual knowledge and purpose. Far from being another dogmatic religion or airy fairy philosophy, the Vedic paradigm stretches back at least 5,000 years and is legitimised through anauthorised succession of pure teachers.

The tendency of our society (especially revolutionaries) is to reject any kind of authority (especially spiritual) due to mistrust of those they have been misled or mistreated by. That is why the Vedas reject sentimental notions of belief or blind faith, and offer a scientific process by which a person can tangibly experience its validity in their own consciousness.

We don’t need an external revolution, but internal evolution; a revolution of consciousness. The root of all the worlds problems lies in the impurity of people’s hearts. No matter who is in power, or by what system that person gains power, if they are not pure then there is bound to be injustice.

So again, how to bring about that change?

In the famous words of Mahatma Gandhi: Be the change you want to see in the world. We cannot force anyone else to change, everyone has their free will, but we can inspire change through our actions.

You may think: “Isn’t it selfish to focus on myself as the world spins madlyon and people are suffering?” When we study the methodology of the spiritual science offered in bhakti yoga (the yoga of love and devotion), we see that external change is inextricably linked with internal change.

Each individual freely making that choice is our only power and the only solution. It’s certainly a lot easier to point our fingers and parade our pitchforks than it is to sacrifice our comfort zone or surrender to a cause, however noble.

So the only real questioning remaining is: Do we dare to change ourselvesand our lives in order to change the world?

 

Posted with Blogsy

Freedom

Take a moment to remember the time you felt most free: perhaps when you finished your final exams? Or when you boarded the plane on your last holiday? Or maybe that time when you slurped, sniffed or smoked x, y or zsubstance?

There is no denying that intoxication of its many varieties leads people to feel some degree of freedom – from stress, from social norms and from theirinhibitions.

The question here is not whether such indulgences are right or wrong, but it is this: Could you happily go without?

Someone can freely choose to, say, drink, but if that person could not freely choose the other option (not to drink), then how much freedom is there?

Often only when these things are taken away is it obvious that we are trapped by them, not liberated.

Free will is an inherent and indisputable quality of the soul. But individuals may choose to act in ways that rob them of that innate freedom, surrendering their power of choice to external influences.

Even if our habits are under control, and we manage to avoid responsibility for a while, we are still trapped internally by our desires and our ways of thinking.

Real freedom comes when we can choose what to say and do whatever the situation, and when we can always choose love then our freedom is perfect.

We hear about freedom of speech, but if we don't have the choice to think about what we say before we say it, then where is the true freedom?

We hear about freedom of expression, but if we don't have the choice of whether to act on those emotions, then where is the true freedom?

We hear about freedom of thought, but if we just rely on our conditioning and limited mortal capacity to perceive information, then where is the true freedom?

 

Posted with Blogsy