Abhijit Naskar's Blog - Posts Tagged "mindfulness"
Meditation is a method-less act
I want you to do something today. I want you to get rid of all the things that you have heard about meditation so far - everything - all those things about focus, attention, sitting upright, closing your eyes, focusing on breathing, sound, this and that - everything - even the things that you have heard from me. Let's try it shall we! Let's start afresh. Let's take a fresh look at meditation. What is Meditation? Forget everything you know about meditation and simply think. Meditation simply means - thinking over - to think over something - to put your whole attention on something without pressure - anything. That is the simplest explanation for meditation. Meditation is simply thinking over.
Today meditation has become a kind of hectic practice where you sit upright and do a lot of breathing exercises, this and that - and they call it Raja Yoga, Vipassana or something else. They need to call it that way, because this way they can keep it mystical. And the more they can keep it mystical, the more they can gain from it. Simplifying it doesn't make the whole business of yoga, meditation and all that, profitable, does it!
So let's simplify it, shall we! Meditation has been proposed as a means to psychological well being - and that means usually comes along with specific methodologies. The Buddhists have their Vipassana technique - the Hindus have their Kundalini nonsense. I am calling it nonsense because of all the mysticism it brings along. The mystical advocates of all that kundalini stuff, truly believe that there are actual energy centers throughout the human spine, and by unlocking them one could attain glorious spiritual potential. The Hindus also call this method of unlocking the kundalini centers of chakras, Raja Yoga, as if its something supreme, and not an ordinary mental state to be attained by an ordinary human. So, when the very practice of Raja Yoga proposes the notion, that it is something not ordinary, and basically unattainable without a teacher - that it is something higher than normal human practice, you naturally feel like you are supposed to go to an expert. This makes it profitable. Hence rises countless spiritual institutions upon the edifice of the primitive elements of human mysticism.
Now let's throw all that mysticism away and look without judgement and preconceived mystical illusions of intellect. Meditation simply means focusing on something, thinking over something. Now the question is, do we need to sit upright and practise meditation the conventional way - closing our eyes, focusing on breathing or chanting or say Aum and going through a million other rituals! Is it necessary? Well, if it suits your taste then of course it's okay - nobody is condemning it. It will bring you obvious health benefits, surely. But it's only the way of the novice, also the most robotic way. Meditation means thinking over. But think over what? Do you have something to think over - something that you'd just think over, simply to take the pleasure from it - to simply be yourself in it - anything - a practice, a habit, a hobby, an idea, anything - something you can think over without any pressure of technicality, ritual or norms - that you can pay your whole attention to, simply because you love it, not because some great so-called guru tells you to practise it or some great scientist tells you to practise it! Do you have something like that - do you - anything - painting, writing, going out for a walk of contemplation, filmmaking, photography - any human activity that you can engage yourself in, without all the pressure that comes along with the very term "method"!
When you love doing something, there is no method, there is no risk, there is no fear, there is no insecurity of failure, there is just doing it. You just love it and do it. Often we also use the term "passion", but I think, the word "passion" is a petty human attempt to justify the activity in front of the society. Why do you need to justify it! You simply love it and you do it. When you love it and do it, you are basically meditating upon it. And when the humans have something they love to do, and they do it, which means meditate upon it, they give a certain amount of time from their daily schedule to that activity, not out of pressure, not out of the insecurity of psychological obscurity, not out of a revolting attitude against the social norms, but simply to be themselves in that activity. When you do that on a daily basis, or find time to do that every now and then, every week, you are basically engaging your brain almost in the same manner as anybody else does in practising the conventional way of meditation - sitting upright, closing their eyes and focusing within. The brain functionings in both cases are basically similar - and they bring the same kind of inner emotional stability, same kind of inner content more importantly - basically the same kind of internal well being, which is sustained in the long run, if you can simply do what you love to do on a regular basis. This way your brain goes through a kind of unique refreshment - that basically is the product of meditation - the simplest meditation - meditation upon the activity that allows you to be you.
Meditation is a method-less act - an act of contemplation - an act of being. And this contemplation or this being is not a buddhist thing, a hindu thing or a jewish thing - it is simply a human thing. No pranayama, vipassana or kabala has any kind of exclusive authority over meditation whatsoever. All these ways are merely the means of the novice to begin the journey. But the means is not the real act itself. Seeing the method of meditation as meditation itself, is like confusing the menu for the meal. The real journey takes place when there is no means whatsoever - when the self does not need to make efforts to be the self - that's real meditation - the meditation where you simply are who you are and do not seek methods to attain a superficial state of mind.
If you find something you love and make that your profession, then you'll never need to practise the conventional meditation in your life, in order to be psychologically well, because your very profession would be the best meditation for you. If you don't exactly have that dream profession, then simply taking time out from your daily schedule to do what you love to do, would still be a better meditation for you than the conventional one. And if none of these is an option for you, then you can resort to the conventional form of methodical meditation. The final call on this matter, would be made by nobody else but you. But bear in mind, kids meditate on things, the adults meditate on the self. Meditation on the self is the highest form of true method-less meditation, for it brings self-awareness - which is beyond the everyday joy and sorrow. True meditation does not put you in control of your sorrow, rather it takes your mind beyond that very sorrow, as well as joy, into the kingdom of contentment - a kingdom without ideology - without cognitive extremes, such as radical rationalism, radical romanticism or radical emotionalism. In that kingdom, you simply are a human, with no name, no nationality, no tradition, no culture, no religion, no gender and no social image - simply a human.
Further Reading
In Search of Divinity: Journey to the Kingdom of Conscience
Today meditation has become a kind of hectic practice where you sit upright and do a lot of breathing exercises, this and that - and they call it Raja Yoga, Vipassana or something else. They need to call it that way, because this way they can keep it mystical. And the more they can keep it mystical, the more they can gain from it. Simplifying it doesn't make the whole business of yoga, meditation and all that, profitable, does it!
So let's simplify it, shall we! Meditation has been proposed as a means to psychological well being - and that means usually comes along with specific methodologies. The Buddhists have their Vipassana technique - the Hindus have their Kundalini nonsense. I am calling it nonsense because of all the mysticism it brings along. The mystical advocates of all that kundalini stuff, truly believe that there are actual energy centers throughout the human spine, and by unlocking them one could attain glorious spiritual potential. The Hindus also call this method of unlocking the kundalini centers of chakras, Raja Yoga, as if its something supreme, and not an ordinary mental state to be attained by an ordinary human. So, when the very practice of Raja Yoga proposes the notion, that it is something not ordinary, and basically unattainable without a teacher - that it is something higher than normal human practice, you naturally feel like you are supposed to go to an expert. This makes it profitable. Hence rises countless spiritual institutions upon the edifice of the primitive elements of human mysticism.
Now let's throw all that mysticism away and look without judgement and preconceived mystical illusions of intellect. Meditation simply means focusing on something, thinking over something. Now the question is, do we need to sit upright and practise meditation the conventional way - closing our eyes, focusing on breathing or chanting or say Aum and going through a million other rituals! Is it necessary? Well, if it suits your taste then of course it's okay - nobody is condemning it. It will bring you obvious health benefits, surely. But it's only the way of the novice, also the most robotic way. Meditation means thinking over. But think over what? Do you have something to think over - something that you'd just think over, simply to take the pleasure from it - to simply be yourself in it - anything - a practice, a habit, a hobby, an idea, anything - something you can think over without any pressure of technicality, ritual or norms - that you can pay your whole attention to, simply because you love it, not because some great so-called guru tells you to practise it or some great scientist tells you to practise it! Do you have something like that - do you - anything - painting, writing, going out for a walk of contemplation, filmmaking, photography - any human activity that you can engage yourself in, without all the pressure that comes along with the very term "method"!
When you love doing something, there is no method, there is no risk, there is no fear, there is no insecurity of failure, there is just doing it. You just love it and do it. Often we also use the term "passion", but I think, the word "passion" is a petty human attempt to justify the activity in front of the society. Why do you need to justify it! You simply love it and you do it. When you love it and do it, you are basically meditating upon it. And when the humans have something they love to do, and they do it, which means meditate upon it, they give a certain amount of time from their daily schedule to that activity, not out of pressure, not out of the insecurity of psychological obscurity, not out of a revolting attitude against the social norms, but simply to be themselves in that activity. When you do that on a daily basis, or find time to do that every now and then, every week, you are basically engaging your brain almost in the same manner as anybody else does in practising the conventional way of meditation - sitting upright, closing their eyes and focusing within. The brain functionings in both cases are basically similar - and they bring the same kind of inner emotional stability, same kind of inner content more importantly - basically the same kind of internal well being, which is sustained in the long run, if you can simply do what you love to do on a regular basis. This way your brain goes through a kind of unique refreshment - that basically is the product of meditation - the simplest meditation - meditation upon the activity that allows you to be you.
Meditation is a method-less act - an act of contemplation - an act of being. And this contemplation or this being is not a buddhist thing, a hindu thing or a jewish thing - it is simply a human thing. No pranayama, vipassana or kabala has any kind of exclusive authority over meditation whatsoever. All these ways are merely the means of the novice to begin the journey. But the means is not the real act itself. Seeing the method of meditation as meditation itself, is like confusing the menu for the meal. The real journey takes place when there is no means whatsoever - when the self does not need to make efforts to be the self - that's real meditation - the meditation where you simply are who you are and do not seek methods to attain a superficial state of mind.
If you find something you love and make that your profession, then you'll never need to practise the conventional meditation in your life, in order to be psychologically well, because your very profession would be the best meditation for you. If you don't exactly have that dream profession, then simply taking time out from your daily schedule to do what you love to do, would still be a better meditation for you than the conventional one. And if none of these is an option for you, then you can resort to the conventional form of methodical meditation. The final call on this matter, would be made by nobody else but you. But bear in mind, kids meditate on things, the adults meditate on the self. Meditation on the self is the highest form of true method-less meditation, for it brings self-awareness - which is beyond the everyday joy and sorrow. True meditation does not put you in control of your sorrow, rather it takes your mind beyond that very sorrow, as well as joy, into the kingdom of contentment - a kingdom without ideology - without cognitive extremes, such as radical rationalism, radical romanticism or radical emotionalism. In that kingdom, you simply are a human, with no name, no nationality, no tradition, no culture, no religion, no gender and no social image - simply a human.
Further Reading
In Search of Divinity: Journey to the Kingdom of Conscience
Humanity A to Z (The Poem)
A for assimilation is the way,
B for bigotry must be thrown away.
C for conscience when at play,
D for delusions all run away.
E for equality once brought to life,
F for fears can no longer survive.
G for greed when let not to thrive,
H for humility won't be caught in strife.
I for integrity mustn't be compromised,
J for justice will then prevail alright.
K for kindness must never run tight,
L for life can then be lived upright.
M for mercy can never be forgotten,
N for naivety keeps you from being rotten.
O for oppression when is begotten,
P for patience must be overridden.
Q for questions when let fly,
R for rigidity will weaken and die.
S for serenity will go awry,
T for tradition if obeyed dry.
U for unity is our supreme mission,
V for vanity leads only to destruction.
W for wholeness is our salvation,
X for xenophobia is no civilization.
Y for yield we must never to separation,
Z for zeal we mustn't lose for ascension.
B for bigotry must be thrown away.
C for conscience when at play,
D for delusions all run away.
E for equality once brought to life,
F for fears can no longer survive.
G for greed when let not to thrive,
H for humility won't be caught in strife.
I for integrity mustn't be compromised,
J for justice will then prevail alright.
K for kindness must never run tight,
L for life can then be lived upright.
M for mercy can never be forgotten,
N for naivety keeps you from being rotten.
O for oppression when is begotten,
P for patience must be overridden.
Q for questions when let fly,
R for rigidity will weaken and die.
S for serenity will go awry,
T for tradition if obeyed dry.
U for unity is our supreme mission,
V for vanity leads only to destruction.
W for wholeness is our salvation,
X for xenophobia is no civilization.
Y for yield we must never to separation,
Z for zeal we mustn't lose for ascension.
The God Sonnet | Honor He Wrote
I gave you the tablets at Sinai,
I drove your chariot at Kurukshetra.
I gave you the ayats word by word,
I woke up Siddhartha 'n the carpenter.
No matter the time, age 'n technology,
I always rise to treat the common cold.
Amidst a world full of sore coldness,
I only need ten vessels absurdly bold.
I have nothing to do with perfection,
Far from it, I've got plenty to improve.
With each new vessel my sight broadens,
With each identity my existence renewed.
Keeper am I of this terrestrial neighborhood.
I am your innermost fire of god and good.
I drove your chariot at Kurukshetra.
I gave you the ayats word by word,
I woke up Siddhartha 'n the carpenter.
No matter the time, age 'n technology,
I always rise to treat the common cold.
Amidst a world full of sore coldness,
I only need ten vessels absurdly bold.
I have nothing to do with perfection,
Far from it, I've got plenty to improve.
With each new vessel my sight broadens,
With each identity my existence renewed.
Keeper am I of this terrestrial neighborhood.
I am your innermost fire of god and good.
We Are All Fundamentally Racist | Buldozer on Duty
“We Are All Racist (The Sonnet)
If we are still uncomfortable to face,
The roots of racism, how can we uproot racism!
Unless we recognize our tendency for division,
How can we ever be the cause of universalism!
The fundamental fact of human nature is,
We are a septic tank of prehistoric biases.
Sectarianism comes to us far too easily,
For we are all fundamentally racist.
Cruelty is the mainspring of survival in the wild,
So our brain leans more towards cruelty than kindness.
Millions of years of conditioning won’t vanish overnight,
We must self-regulate with our newly developed conscience.
The end of racism starts with the recognition of racism.
We are civilized only when we recognize our uncivilization.”
If we are still uncomfortable to face,
The roots of racism, how can we uproot racism!
Unless we recognize our tendency for division,
How can we ever be the cause of universalism!
The fundamental fact of human nature is,
We are a septic tank of prehistoric biases.
Sectarianism comes to us far too easily,
For we are all fundamentally racist.
Cruelty is the mainspring of survival in the wild,
So our brain leans more towards cruelty than kindness.
Millions of years of conditioning won’t vanish overnight,
We must self-regulate with our newly developed conscience.
The end of racism starts with the recognition of racism.
We are civilized only when we recognize our uncivilization.”
Giants in Jeans Sonnet 97
Age doesn’t make you wise, curiosity does.
Intellect doesn’t make you curious, growth does.
Experience doesn’t make you grow, expansion does.
Travel doesn’t make you expand, self-correction does.
Cynicism doesn’t help correction, awareness does.
Books don’t make you aware, accountability does.
Law cannot make you accountable, humanity does.
Appearance doesn’t make you human, acceptance does.
Wokeness doesn’t make you accepting, character does.
Clothes don’t make character, conduct does.
Etiquettes don’t define conduct, goodness does.
Tradition doesn’t make you good, oneness does.
Oneness is the mother of all civilized behavior.
Without oneness we’re ever headed for disaster.
Intellect doesn’t make you curious, growth does.
Experience doesn’t make you grow, expansion does.
Travel doesn’t make you expand, self-correction does.
Cynicism doesn’t help correction, awareness does.
Books don’t make you aware, accountability does.
Law cannot make you accountable, humanity does.
Appearance doesn’t make you human, acceptance does.
Wokeness doesn’t make you accepting, character does.
Clothes don’t make character, conduct does.
Etiquettes don’t define conduct, goodness does.
Tradition doesn’t make you good, oneness does.
Oneness is the mother of all civilized behavior.
Without oneness we’re ever headed for disaster.
Holy Trinity (The Sonnet) | Amantes Assemble
Civilization is founded on 3 pillars,
Conscience, courage and compassion.
Without these three there is no society,
Only a prehistoric mockery of civilization.
When all three come together, lo and behold,
Here rises the holy trinity – the holy trident!
You can use it to plough the land of creation,
Or abuse it to devour the divisions most obstinate.
Wasting precious lifeforce chanting like a parrot,
Do not go chasing fiction out in the wilderness.
Wipe the rust off your heart that causes all the drag,
And you my friend, shall be the incorruptible trident.
However, in reality, there are no three, but only one.
The spirit of love and oneness is beyond time and form.
Conscience, courage and compassion.
Without these three there is no society,
Only a prehistoric mockery of civilization.
When all three come together, lo and behold,
Here rises the holy trinity – the holy trident!
You can use it to plough the land of creation,
Or abuse it to devour the divisions most obstinate.
Wasting precious lifeforce chanting like a parrot,
Do not go chasing fiction out in the wilderness.
Wipe the rust off your heart that causes all the drag,
And you my friend, shall be the incorruptible trident.
However, in reality, there are no three, but only one.
The spirit of love and oneness is beyond time and form.
Peace is Existence (The Sonnet) | Mücadele Muhabbet
Peace is not a statement,
Peace is existence.
Love is not a sentiment,
Love is sentience.
Awareness is not a practice,
Awareness is absolution.
Moderation is not restriction,
Moderation is jubilation.
Ignorance is not inferiority,
Ignorance is upliftment.
Failure is not the end,
It is the road to development.
Acknowledge the whole, quirks and all.
You have all the powers to treat the world.
Peace is existence.
Love is not a sentiment,
Love is sentience.
Awareness is not a practice,
Awareness is absolution.
Moderation is not restriction,
Moderation is jubilation.
Ignorance is not inferiority,
Ignorance is upliftment.
Failure is not the end,
It is the road to development.
Acknowledge the whole, quirks and all.
You have all the powers to treat the world.
Life is Chaos (The Sonnet) | Sermon of Sustainability
Best laid plans of mice and men,
Often go awry leaving no hope.
Just when you think you have control,
Life throws you off course.
All notions of order are a myth,
Only order of the universe is chaos.
Expand your sight and you’ll realize,
There is order in every chaos.
A narrow mind is ever struggling,
In the tangled web of order and chaos.
A sapient mind works above the two,
For their sight is fixed on a purpose.
Focus on life, not on all its philosophy.
Embrace the chaos and act despite insecurity.
Often go awry leaving no hope.
Just when you think you have control,
Life throws you off course.
All notions of order are a myth,
Only order of the universe is chaos.
Expand your sight and you’ll realize,
There is order in every chaos.
A narrow mind is ever struggling,
In the tangled web of order and chaos.
A sapient mind works above the two,
For their sight is fixed on a purpose.
Focus on life, not on all its philosophy.
Embrace the chaos and act despite insecurity.
Role of Arrogance | The Peace Testament
Arrogance has its purpose, but first you gotta learn how to use it, so that it’s a force for good, rather than a primeval tendency of self-aggrandizing.
Let me tell you a story. I was traveling to deliver a talk. The driver friend picked me up at the airport and dropped me at a fancy hotel booked by the organizers. At the reception before me there was an elderly couple. From what I gathered, their daughter had booked a room for them, but they were having a little difficulty communicating it.
I could sense that the hotel people at the desk didn’t take them seriously to begin with, probably because they weren’t dressed fancy. I kept quiet.
Finally the elderly man and woman gave up. They lowered their heads in disappointment and turned around to walk out without checking in. And just as their backs were turned, I heard one of the receptionists make the remark, “village idiots!”
That’s it – I lost my cool! In that situation, at that moment, I felt as if my own parents were being treated like that.
I held the elderly gentleman by the wrist, marched up to the desk, and spoke.
“You think you are so fancy, don’t you – working at a fancy place in your fancy clothes and phony etiquette – so much so that you forgot to treat people like people!
You ridicule them because they don’t speak English.
Well, in that case, I speak more languages than you can count – then how should I treat you – you pathetic little tribal jerks!
It’s not enough to wear clean clothes, go home and wash your heart with some soap. Despite all that cologne, you stink!
You can manage a hotel, you can manage a business, but you don’t manage people, you treat them like family.”
I would’ve went on and on, but the elderly person stopped me. Don’t know whether the people at the reception realized their mistake, but by the look on their face they sure did feel small.
A moment later with a tinge of remorse and utter humility in voice, the other receptionist spoke. She apologized to the couple in their native tongue and finally helped them check in, without any miscommunication or frustration.
Let me tell you a story. I was traveling to deliver a talk. The driver friend picked me up at the airport and dropped me at a fancy hotel booked by the organizers. At the reception before me there was an elderly couple. From what I gathered, their daughter had booked a room for them, but they were having a little difficulty communicating it.
I could sense that the hotel people at the desk didn’t take them seriously to begin with, probably because they weren’t dressed fancy. I kept quiet.
Finally the elderly man and woman gave up. They lowered their heads in disappointment and turned around to walk out without checking in. And just as their backs were turned, I heard one of the receptionists make the remark, “village idiots!”
That’s it – I lost my cool! In that situation, at that moment, I felt as if my own parents were being treated like that.
I held the elderly gentleman by the wrist, marched up to the desk, and spoke.
“You think you are so fancy, don’t you – working at a fancy place in your fancy clothes and phony etiquette – so much so that you forgot to treat people like people!
You ridicule them because they don’t speak English.
Well, in that case, I speak more languages than you can count – then how should I treat you – you pathetic little tribal jerks!
It’s not enough to wear clean clothes, go home and wash your heart with some soap. Despite all that cologne, you stink!
You can manage a hotel, you can manage a business, but you don’t manage people, you treat them like family.”
I would’ve went on and on, but the elderly person stopped me. Don’t know whether the people at the reception realized their mistake, but by the look on their face they sure did feel small.
A moment later with a tinge of remorse and utter humility in voice, the other receptionist spoke. She apologized to the couple in their native tongue and finally helped them check in, without any miscommunication or frustration.
Fundamentalism is not a neurodivergence, but a lethal neuropsychiatric condition | Sin Dios Sí Hay Divinidad: The Pastor Who Never Was
Fervor of faith is not the problem, bigotry of faith is the problem. Or to put it simply. Religion is not the problem, fundamentalism is the real problem. But we must be aware of what a fundamentalist is. A fundamentalist is not necessarily a person who takes the scripture literally, rather, a fundamentalist is a person who deems their own religion as the only true religion, and all others as heresy. Some fundamentalists do interpret the scripture metaphorically, and still manage to remain a bigot.
After all, you see outside, what is inside. So the point is, if you want to see integration in the world, first you gotta irrigate your heart, not your colon, of all division. Until you understand undivision, you won’t understand divinity. No sabes unidad, no sabes divinidad.
Even if you have never heard of Jesus, even if you have never heard of Buddha, even if you have never heard of Moses and Mohammed, even if you have never heard of Nanak and Naskar, you can still be divine. But if you never treat another person with kindness and dignity, you can never be divine.
It’s your behavior that makes you religious, not your belief. Besides, even in this day and age, if your belief still keeps raising walls, instead of bringing them down, it’s time you seek medical help. Because you see, bigotry is not a legal problem, it is a medical problem, just like alcoholism is a medical problem. Fundamentalism is not a neurodivergence, fundamentalism is a lethal neuropsychiatric condition, which requires immediate medical attention.
After all, you see outside, what is inside. So the point is, if you want to see integration in the world, first you gotta irrigate your heart, not your colon, of all division. Until you understand undivision, you won’t understand divinity. No sabes unidad, no sabes divinidad.
Even if you have never heard of Jesus, even if you have never heard of Buddha, even if you have never heard of Moses and Mohammed, even if you have never heard of Nanak and Naskar, you can still be divine. But if you never treat another person with kindness and dignity, you can never be divine.
It’s your behavior that makes you religious, not your belief. Besides, even in this day and age, if your belief still keeps raising walls, instead of bringing them down, it’s time you seek medical help. Because you see, bigotry is not a legal problem, it is a medical problem, just like alcoholism is a medical problem. Fundamentalism is not a neurodivergence, fundamentalism is a lethal neuropsychiatric condition, which requires immediate medical attention.
