On Spiritual Restoration

Tags

action, Bhagavad Gita, dharma, discernment, justice, karma, nature, restoration, truth, viveka

A beautiful cool breeze is flowing this morning before the heat rises. The blackbirds are practicing their landings on the fence — the young ones are learning how to land on top of cattails. I notice at least four or five new bushes lining the forest side with their white flowers now blooming.

The sun crests the roof from behind me and starts to warm the left side of my head behind the ear. Flap, flap, flap goes the edge of my sleep shorts as I sit cross legged clutching my cup of tea, The back of my right knee is cradled on top of the left, both of them supported by the toes of my left foot, heel suspended in mid air, lifted by the wooden rail of the deck running crossways. The bullfrog announces his presence by blaring out a morning song. As if in cue, a skirmish breaks out among some blackbirds — perhaps a heated conversation about ownership of a particularly fruited bush.

My thoughts shift. The world has destroyed itself and reconstructed itself, over and over again, for centuries. My hometown of the city of Delhi, the center of many an Indian empire, is said to have been razed to the ground seven times by invaders, and been built again. So, I sit here watching the birds go about their morning routine, which is rarely if ever interrupted unless there happens to be a roaring thunderstorm that forces them to take shelter in their nests and ride it out. Unlike humans, they don’t construct permanent walls or roofs or tenements or try to brave the storm by driving through standing waters.

Yes, the younger, more impetuous ones do fly a bit faster than their parents, and seemingly a bit more recklessly in between the bushes and trees, and occasionally miss their landings atop the cattails to end up closer to the water than their mothers would like to see. But what would you do if you woke up one fine morning of your young life and realized that you had been given wings, and one of your parents, knowing that you were ready, brought you to the edge and gave your quivering young body — that is shaking with fear at the prospect of falling to your death to the earth below — a final push with a prayer beneath her breath and said, fly!

She knows that if she has misjudged the strength of your wings, you may end up on the storm soaked ground below and the earth will either gently catch you so that you may try again, or embrace you forever, orange and yellow flecked wings and all — such is the nature of life, of discernment. We try, we fail, we learn, we adjust, and we try again. No progress, at any level, from the march of an ant to the launching of a new rocket to carry humans into space, has ever been made possible by simply sitting in our nests with the fear of flying or learning to fly.

When compared to birds and bullfrogs and geese and spiders and ants and willows and roses and pine trees and even rocks, we humans are mere fledgelings in the lifespan of the earth, let alone the universe. So, the creator has endowed us with Nature as a playground and observation space where we can learn some valuable lessons that can help humanity either rise and soar, or plummet and destroy itself. The laws of time, space and causation cannot be circumvented without first understanding the basics of cause and effect. Natural laws always takes precedence over human laws, for the wisdom of the One who created the former far exceeds the ones who created the latter.

However, we humans have been given one extraordinary faculty that distinguishes us from the rest of Nature.

And that is the faculty called ‘free will’ by some and ‘discernment’ or ‘viveka’ by others. As I arrive at writing this section, the wind has shifted. A cloud has temporarily come over the Sun behind me. The blackbirds are starting to retreat and the geese have left the pond momentarily to take shelter on land. Discernment on display, and yet it is a cause and effect response to nature’s stimulus. A bit like a child touching a hot stove and learning, forming a memory that it isn’t a good idea to challenge the laws of fire and heat.

So, yes, ‘viveka’ is a faculty and a facility granted to us to convert our learning into experience and then into wisdom. When Arjuna, the aggrieved Prince of the Bhagavad Gita, refused to fight to restore the justice due to him because he did not want to kill his own half-brothers who had connived to cheat him of his rightful inheritance to the kingdom of Indraprastha — the city razed and built seven times — his teacher Krishna said to him: you have been given the duty of a warrior, so you are bound by the laws of Dharma (natural justice and truthful living) to act in the cause of its restoration; rise up and discard this despondency; stand up and fight or else an entire race of good people shall be decimated at the hands of the promulgators of evil or adharma; do not let emotion cloud your discernment, for ‘viveka’ is your greatest faculty — the ability and courage to do what is right for the greatest good; action with love produces detachment to the outcome, and yet detachment does not mean that you be attached to inaction.

It is the restoration of the good, of goodness through the use of discernment that elevates us within.

Back to my morning by the lake. When the mighty hawks stray and soar too close to the blackbirds and their young, the much smaller but deft in flight blackbirds do not hesitate to guide them back to their nests. Order is swiftly restored. The blackbirds’ size isn’t a disadvantage – they are much more flexible in changing speed and direction as compared to the hawks, because of their size. Each of us, as individuals, may be smaller than the big machinery that wants to endanger our young, and yet, with the exercise of ‘viveka’, with consistent action that works towards the restoration of ‘dharma’, we can engage in reconstruction of truth, kindness, empathy, friendship, and bliss.

Our greatest faculty and facility is the divine’s love that we carry in our heart. Let us wield that love with courage in all that we do, even if it means that we run the risk of being thought of as weak and ignorant. The evil and unjust are the ones who are weak, lacking in ‘viveka’ —and it is their hubris and heart calcification that will be their destruction. We, the wielders of love, will be the agents, the dispensers of that justice.

Natural justice is dispensed by the natural laws of time, space and causation. It is the law of karma charioted by the holders of ‘viveka’, that has for eons and civilizations, ensured victory for those committed to action for the restoration of Dharma — truth and justice.

For when the storm of natural justice arrives, it restores equality among all, regardless of size, strength, power, status or color — the hawk, the blackbird, the finch, all respond to the storm by taking refuge in their nests. Their use of discernment is in full display. Maybe we humans can observe, learn and use natural wisdom to restore ‘viveka’ in our lives too. I believe we can. How about you?

Kimud

Epilogue: Written mid-week during my week-long ‘virtual retreat’ to effect some inner restoration. A lot of wandering threads here, so feel free to take what appeals or relates to you. Namaste.

P.S. Join our weekly twitter #spiritchat on twitter – Sunday, June 7 at 9amET / 1pm GMT / 630pm India. We will talk about restoration, dharma, karma and more over tea, fruit and maybe even some cookies. Bring a story to share. Namaste – @AjmaniK

Spring flowers bloom… a sure sign of restoration

On Life’s Inequalities

Tags

equality, equinox, nature, privilege, seasons

In order to understand the idea of inequality, we may be well served by first defining ‘equality’. Simply stated, equality is the state of being equal in status, rights and opportunity. It is often associated with fairness, equity, impartiality and justice. It is apparent that equality and its associated traits and virtues are wonderful, if not essential, for humans, communities and societies to practice and embed in their lifestyle.

And yet, equality is a fleeting thing at best. If we look at nature, inequality seems to be everywhere. The robin lays a lot of eggs, but not each one of them hatches. Among the ones that do hatch, not every fledgeling is equally healthy. Some flowers bloom more beautifully than others, even though they may grow on the same branch, and tree. In fact, flowers on the same branch often compete with each other for sunlight. Nature is full of examples of inequality, both in flora and fauna.

Two instances when nature may come close to exhibiting equity is at the moment of the equinoxes. Every spring and autumn, at a given hour of a given day, the sun crossess the celestial equator. We observe, even celebrate these days as those of equal sunlight and darkness. It is only on n these two days of equinox that nature’s law seems to benedict equality upon her two hemispheres. On every other given day of the year, inequality of light and darkness is the natural law. And we humans, along with the flora and fauna that we live amongst, have learnt to thrive in this inequality of nature!

Similar to the two days of the equinoxes, there are perhaps two other instances in which equality is the natural law. Is it in the two instances of our birth and our death that we are equal in nature’s eyes? Is it not that the beggar and the king are ‘equal’ in birth and, particularly, death? Every living moment between those two moments has the potential to subject our lives too inequality. We might as well adapt, change, learn to live our lives well, swim and thrive in this sea of inequality, yes? Make no mistake. This isn’t a call to surrender and accept unfairness, inequity and injustice. We may have bigger battles at hand.

Our battle is for the abolition of the use and abuse of privilege. Our battle is against those who would use privilege to keep us from the opportunity to strive for natural justice. Equity, ethics, empathy and equality are all part of our core spiritual existence and heritage. Our battle against privilege will return us to our core values and existence, to equality through Oneness.

What can inequality create? Thirty three years ago this month, a young boy left behind everyone that he had known, spent the better part of twenty four hours migrating across the oceans to the unknown. With suns, moons and stars guiding his eyes, he traveled to a land which held out the promise of equal opportunity. A lot of equinoxes have since been celebrated by him in his adopted land. The boy has grown, but the dream has not yet gone.

The dream has in fact been transformed into a practice that his heritage has long known: “to arise, awake, keep aloft the banner of love, and to stop not until the goal is reached!”

Kumud

P.S. What’s your story of adapting to inequality, of celebrating equinoxes, of battling privilege? I invite you to share with the #SpiritChat community, Sunday September 22 at 9amET on twitter. Namaste – @AjmaniK

The Spirit of Ideation

Tags

creativity, healing, ideas, nature

Some of you know that I am a ‘nature’ walker, and that I am often looking for opportunities to look at the trails that I walk with new light, perspectives and framing. The results of some of these ‘nature walks’ is often shared in photographs, poetry and short writings.

It wasn’t until this week, sitting in a Biom* workshop over two days, that the idea emerged — there is a deeper, long-term, holistic effect of these walks on my being. One speaker talked about the importance of ideation in the fields of biomimicry, biomimetics and bioinspiration. All of these fields, collectively called Biom*, are connected in the origin of the idea that nature and biology already have created a lot of solutions to some of our grand-challenge problems.

If we are to believe that some of these solutions already exist in nature, then the question becomes – how do we ‘define’ our complex human problems in a language that biological systems can understand? It is in the creation of this common language where ideas and ideation comes in.

How often is it that someone’s ‘new idea’ or ‘new theory’ is laughed at and dismissed? What if there were a repository or knowledge base, where the innovations required to make the new idea a reality, could be compared with existing natural and biological solutions? The goal of Biom* is to create a ‘safe space’ for the the ‘idea person’ and their ideation. It is to provide a canvas, buckets of paint and paint brushes, for ideation to create new masterpieces with the help of nature and her infinitely diversified and brilliant solutions.

The workshop happened on Monday and Tuesday. On Wednesday morning, after a mixup about the time for my dental appointment, I decided to go walking before I went into work. The idea, the question, that I held in my heart was – how could I apply what I had just learnt over the past two days about Biom*? In search of the answer, I found myself slowing down even more than usual during the walk.

I started a conversation with an ex-marine walking his Siberian husky on the trail. He told me that there were some American Eagle nests in the thicket of trees across the water, but he hadn’t seen them in a few weeks. Fifteen minutes later, I had stopped downriver to watch some bees working with a bunch of flowers who had all their petals folded backwards. A fluttering of wings, and I looked up to see a dozen mallard duck in full and swift flight, traveling upriver. What’s their hurry, I wondered? And then, there they were, a minute or so later. Two bald eagles flying upriver, in virtually silent flight, painting with majestic brushstrokes against a clear blue canvas.

So, what does ideation have to do with spirituality, our spiritual journey? Let me posit that if and when we choose to appreciate our inherent talent for ideation, we can grow creativity. When we grow creativity, we can grow solutions to all of our complex challenges. If we were to be heart-facing towards any idea which is simple, credible, ‘tells a story’, and enhances value for humans and the ecosystems that we live in, then we are enhancing human values, aren’t we?

Perhaps bioinspiration can create a better conversation between our ideals and ideation, between us and our ecosystems, and All of Life that surrounds us. What can be a better spiritual practice than that?

Kumud

P.S. Join us for our weekly chat, Sunday Sep 15 at 9amET ~ I will bring some Qs and tea, you can bring some new ideas! – @AjmaniK

Reference: Ask Nature Database – http://www.asknature.org

Our Spiritual Force-Field – Three Major Sources

Tags

force, nature, science, spirituality

For those of us who may live on a different planet, perhaps even on a galaxy far far away, the news from planet Earth is that a great force is awakening. A force that has potential to bring about great change, greater peace and plant seeds of light to give birth to the greatest force of all…

I know that most of you are already eagerly raising your hands like gradeschoolers for the teacher to pick you because you know that you know that you know all about this ‘greatest force’! However, I ask you to wait, and walk with me for a few minutes. Let us take a look at all the forces we have at our disposal, and see how we may best use them to kick off a wave of change and celebration that will move the universe. So, in no particular order, and in a very loose classification, here goes…

Nature. The forces of nature that we see manifested in the physical world around us. Those forces which makes the sun rise, the waters flow, the wind blow, the earth move on occasion. There are the weather and climate forces which lead to rain, fog or snow, and to summers, autumns and winters that sometimes that feel like spring. Then, there are the seemingly invisible forces of nature – like those that make the grass and the perennials grow when spring arrives. The forces of nature may be visible or invisible to our senses, but we know that they exist because we sense their effects.

Science. The forces of gravity and magnetism have been ‘discovered’ by science over the past few centuries. Although our understanding of them is still unfolding, we have used considerable creativity to use these forces for our advantage and progress. One interplay of nature and science is in how we have learnt to employ magnetism to convert the flow of water wind, and sunlight, into electricity. The industrial and computer revolutions have largely come about through the judicious harmony of science and nature. As science continues to search for a ‘single unifying force’, we wonder about what other discoveries await us along the way? Can you think of more interplays between science and nature that have created progress for humanity?

Spirituality. We all have different notions of what it means for us to be spiritual, or what consists of a ‘spiritual’ experience. The forces of nature and science may enable our experience(s) of the “spiritual force-field” by providing us the environment, and the tools of reason, respectively. However, the spiritual force-field shall remain elusive unless we learn to use that most powerful of instruments of perception, the heart. Some of the forces of the spiritual force-field are empathy, intuition, friendliness, gratitude, thankfulness, joyfulness, peacefulness, willingness to serve, and many more. In the hearts and hands of every single human being who has known their power by direct experience, these forces that constitute the spiritual force-field, become unifying forces that create divine connection.

Are nature and science simply simplified manifestations of this spiritual force-field? Have you ever switched off all your other scientific and natural tools and instruments, and tapped into your spiritual force-field for guidance? If so, what was the result? What did you perceive that transcended the forces of the physical and phenomological world around you? Do you have a practice that can repeatedly tune you back into this spiritual force-field of heartfulness?

In one of the “Star Wars” movies, the main character, Luke, who is seemingly out of ideas, is exhorted to ‘Use The Force’. Those three words became the unofficial mantra for many of us of that generation, because they inspired us, beyond nature and science, to tap into a “force-field” that defied understanding. Young as we were, we were introduced to the idea of “The Force” as our constant companion. So, for those of us who may have forgotten, it is perhaps a good time to remind ourselves, to revisit with That force which has brought us this far, and rewaken It!

May we “Arise! Awake! And stop not until the goal is reached – Vivekananda”

Namaste.

Kumud @AjmaniK

P.S. Join us Sunday, December 20th on twitter in our weekly chat, as we explore our “spiritual force-field”.

Historical note: “Stas Wars: The Force Awakens”, the 7th ‘Star Wars’ movie, was released on December 17th 2015. No, I have not seen the movie as of this writing. Yes, I have seen the original three movies, but somehow skipped the next three… 🙂

Transitions and Spirituality

Tags

nature, spiritchat, spirituality, transitions

Transitions are everywhere. In nature, night transitions to day in the form of dawn, midday brings a second transition, and dusk brings the onset of night. Among the interplay of light and dark, other celestial bodies like the moon, the stars in their various constellations and the planets have their own various transitions in space and time. Closer to earth, some of these transitions manifest as solstices and equinoxes, solar and lunar eclipses, and the seasons.

One common message conveyed by all these transitions is the sense of motion and change felt by our senses when we open up to nature. As we observe nature and her transitions, we can get a sense that even though the boat of personal life may be sailing in ‘smooth waters’ for now, the wind and waves can change at any given moment. In our daily lives, transitions are felt in a job change, a home move, a health challenge, a relationship shift, our taking on of a caregiver role for elderly parents, and much more. The extent (of success) with which we handle these personal transitions can often depend on our level of preparation for them.

How do we prepare for the transitions in our lives which are bound to happen in time? The breadth and depth of our preparation is reflected in our daily practice. We are using our physical, emotional, financial and spiritual energy on a daily basis. Awareness of the rate at which we are depleting our energy reserves can provide guidance on which areas of energy need replenishment. If we do not replenish our energy reserves consistently, we may find ourselves facing a transition with an empty cup of life energy. The more our lack of awareness, our lack of regular ‘stock-taking’, the emptier our cup, and the greater the effort to refill it during a transition. The impact of transitions on us is non-linear, if we are not prepared for them.

One great example of this non-linearity, this disproportionate impact of a transition on our lives when we neglect our daily practice, comes from nature. In my recent daily walks in a parkway, I have noticed many giant oak trees simply fallen over into the river which flows through the park. On closer observation, these trees have not been felled, as if with an axe, but seemingly uprooted clean out of the ground, roots and all. My speculation is that over time, the current of the water eroded the soft soil around the roots of these trees, and the trees, being unable to take corrective action, eventually succumbed to the transitional force of the river. There was no mighty axe or bolt of lightning (even though I have seen many trees felled by those too) – in their case, it was the work of the current.

The good news is that we are not like trees. We do have the ability, the consciousness, the awareness to take action, through our daily practice, to pay attention to these transients which bring transitions to our lives. The good news is that we have active, vibrant, giving, sharing communities who can help us navigate these transitions. We simply need to be open to connecting with them, sharing with them our life experiences, our transitions and how we navigated them, and what we learnt from them along the way.

In closing, I invite you to share some of your stories of transition with the #SpiritChat community – in the comments here, and on twitter, in our weekly gathering Sunday, September 27th at 9amET/1pmUTC. From where I sit, there is a slight chill in the breeze that comes through the window, heralding the transition to autumn, on her wings that glisten in the sunlight filtering through the soon to be falling leaves in the backyard… Autumn has arrived, and it will bring us a glorious lunar eclipse in its wake. I am ready. Are you?

Namaste,

Kumud

On Inner and Outer Nature

Tags

natural science, nature, spiritchat, spirituality

As the seasons change, and we look towards Nature to lead us from winter into spring (or summer into autumn), the idea that “change is the law of the universe” is brought front and center into our consciousness in no uncertain terms. The transformation of our outer environment turns our senses outwards, as we admire the persistence with which Nature and her natural laws are executed repeatedly with such precise timing and consistency. Over the decades and centuries, the physical sciences have worked mightlily to explain nature and her beauty and her phenomenon. One of the primary tools used by the sciences, and their practitioners, has been “a sense of wonder” instilled by observing nature at work and play.

Nothing is too wonderful to be true, if it be consistent with the laws of Nature – Michael Faraday
(discovered the laws governing electricity and magnetism)

Nature hides her secret because of her essential loftiness, but not by means of ruse – Albert Einstein (proposed the Theory of Relativity)

It isn’t just natural scientists who have been entranced by nature over the centuries. Any number of artists, musicians, writers and poets have derived inspiration from their observations of Nature. One would presume that outer observation led scientists and artists to inner contemplation, which in turn produced greater awareness, and flashes of creativity not too dissimilar to the lightning storm in a mid-summer night’s dream.

How Strange that Nature does not knock, and yet does not intrude! – Emily Dickinson (poet)

Nature, even when she is scant and thin outwardly, satisfies us still by the assurance of a certain generosity at the roots. – Henry David Thoreau (writer).

Nature is painting for us, day after day, pictures of infinite beauty. – John Ruskin (writer)

Even though we may not completely understand their workings, we know that certain natural laws are immutable. The fact that death shall follow birth, is perhaps one example. The fact that night follows day, and day follows night, is another. The fact that when we put a seed in fertile ground, and it is nourished by water and sunlight, makes the seed grow. The beauty of these natural laws lies in their simplicity. There are no complicated theories that need to be postulated to verify these natural laws, and no amount of belief or disbelief is necessary for their validity.

If there are simple laws that govern external nature, it is safe to say that there are certain simple laws that govern inner nature too. When we think positive thoughts for ourselves and others, we plant seeds of positivity. When we act with kindness towards ourselves and others, we plant seeds of kindness. When we experience prosperity in our lives, we harvest seeds of goodness and kindness that we planted at an earlier time. When we sit in silence and stillness, even for a few minutes a day, we extend an invitation to inner peace to pay us a visit. Is there any doubt in your heart and mind athat this inner peace plants seeds of peace in the world at large?

If we are to acknowledge that the “law of nature is change”, then there is wonderful news for us. For if the law holds in the external physical world, there is no reason that it does not hold true in our inner world. We can choose to change whatever prevents us from planting seeds of good words, good thoughts, good actions, and inner peace. If we feel that we are “weak”, and cannot change by ourselves, we can seek help from our friends, our families, our communities. Nature teaches us that there is strength in community, and symbiosis is a very effective way forward…

What are your thoughts on inner and outer nature? Even though Nature is a great teacher, do you think that all of her lessons are applicable “as is” to us humans? What possible lesson(s) can the apparent ruthlessness of Nature (natural disasters) teach us? How does our inner nature get affected by the evil nature and action of others? I invite you to join us in our weekly twitter conversation, Sunday March 29th at 9amEDT in #SpiritChat, to discuss these questions, and more.

Namaste,

Kumud

Quote Source: http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Nature

Q1. The transition from winter/spring and/or summer/autumn. How does that make you feel within? #SpiritChat 

Q2. Most of us enjoy a universal love for mother #Nature. What is it about her that evokes this? #SpiritChat 

Q3. Which 'element' of Nature tends to influence you the most? Fire, Earth, Air, Water, or...? Why so? #SpiritChat 

Q4. What are some 'natural laws' that we learn as children? How do they serve us as we grow older? #SpiritChat 

Q5. "Nature abhors a vacuum." -François Rabelais // How does this relate to our inner nature? Does it? #SpiritChat 

Q6. #Nature is a great teacher, but, do we need to adopt all her lessons? Why or why not? #SpiritChat 

Q7. How does our inner nature get affected by the 'evil' nature and action of others? Does it? #SpiritChat 

Q8. What does Nature teach about truth, equality and justice? #SpiritChat 

Q9. To those trying to synchronize their inner nature with outer Nature, you would say... #SpiritChat

Q10. Share the work of your inner nature with the world, the community... Thank you! #SpiritChat

Nature and the Spirit – Earth

Tags

earth, nature, spirit, spiritchat

I grew up in a big city and I would always look forward to the summers when I could go and explore the country with my parents – mostly in the mountains in the far North and far East of India. My childhood memories are full of traveling the remote regions of the Himalayas, of rising mountains flanked by steeped valleys and flowing rivers.

Sitting silently,
Doing nothing.
Spring comes,
And the grass grows by itself.
– Osho (1931-1990)

Nature, and all its elements, have been a source of inspiration, awe, and even fear, for man since time immemorial. In the days before science started to occupy our consciousness by inventing more and more sophisticated tools to engage our minds and bodies, nature was perhaps our only source of information.

We perhaps observed nature more carefully when we weren’t subject to all the modern day distractions. Our external observations led to insights which helped us understand our thoughts and moulded our words and actions. I wonder if we have always tried to draw parallels between our inner nature and the forces of nature that exist around us.

The uplifting nature of a sunrise and the calmness of a sunset. The fury of a  thunderstorm followed by the beauty of a rainbow. The blooming of cherry blossoms and the falling of leaves. Nature always seems to have a message for us when we take a pause to truly observe with intention.

One impulse from a vernal wood,
May teach you more of man
Of moral evil and of good,
Than all the sages can.
– William Wordsworth (1770-1850)

Are we too busy to pay attention to nature these days? What lessons can observations of nature teach us? How can nature help us with our spiritual growth?

I invite you to come and share your thoughts with the #SpiritChat community on Sunday February 12th at 9am ET/2pm GMT. The topic will be “Nature and the Spirit”. We will try to focus on one element of nature – The Earth. However, knowing the nature of the SpiritChat conversations, one never knows which way the conversations may turn 🙂

Take a few moments. Stop what you are doing and look outside your window. Nature beckons to you.

It is the greatest show on Earth.

Kumud @Ajmanik