Venugopal Acharya's Blog, page 3

The Being State – From Human ‘Doing’ to ‘Human Being’ – Part 4

The fourth A – Avoid Doing – the key to ‘Being’ state

One day I sat in the terrace of the ashram, relaxing. A friend came by and asked what I was doing. Nonchalantly, I said I was doing nothing. “You must be planning some class or praying, isn’t it?” he probed me. I insisted I was doing nothing and he was incredulous that a ‘successful’ and ‘busy’ teacher like myself could be doing nothing. I reassured him that I was indeed doing nothing and nothing meant nothing! “You are surely memorizing s...

The Being State – From Human ‘Doing’ to ‘Human Being’ – Part 3

While awareness is easy- it just requires one to pause and ask what’s happening now- acceptance is more difficult. Most people impulsively attempt to change their inner state. Either they declare all’s well or pronounce an affirmation that they’d overcome all their insecurities. In their desperate attempt to improve their mental condition, they bypass this critical second step – just accept you are worrying! Or if you are feeling lonely and sad, and you are aware about your melancholy state, can...

The Being State – From Human ‘Doing’ to ‘Human Being’ – Part 2

The ‘Doing’ addict

Near our monastery, we have a beautiful garden called the ‘Hanging Garden’. Sometimes, I go there for a stroll in the evening. As the services and hectic schedule of the monastery keeps me busy, I’d look at the watch and calculate the hours remaining till I could go to the garden and relax. I’d anticipate the walk around fragrant rose bushes and I’d imagine sitting under the large banyan tree. This hope of a well spent evening helped me tolerate monotonous meetings during t...

The Being State – From Human ‘Doing’ to ‘Human Being’ – Part 1

“For one who is a neophyte in the yoga system, work is said to be the means; and for one who is already elevated in yoga, cessation of all material activities is said to be the means.”
 – Bhagavad Gita (6.3)

“Do I have to wait to die and go back to the kingdom of God, to realize God? Or does He come here as well?” asked a student, after my weekly Bhagavad Gita class.

“You can experience God NOW!” I said, quite animatedly. “You go to Him after death only if you receive Him while you are livi...

Aspiration determines our fame and shame

“Are we being good ancestors?”
–    Jonas Salk (a Medical researcher who developed the first successful polio vaccine)

In a track and field event for the mentally handicapped at Spokane, Washington, in 1976, one of the contestants slipped, tumbled on the asphalt and began to cry. Two other athletes – also with Down’s syndrome, heard the boy fall and wail. They turned back, looked at him expressionless at first and then picked him up. The three then linked arms and crossed the finishing line to...

WHY should we develop our Heart Space? – Part-19

Fearless Contribution – The Essence of Heart Space

“I would rather die a meaningful death than live a meaningless life.” – Corazino Aquino

Two striking contrasts in the history of the Philippines reveal this principle.

Two striking historical examples from the Philippines exemplify this principle. Imelda Marcos and her husband Ferdinand pillaged their country, amassing billions of dollars while millions starved. Imelda, a beauty queen, indulged in a lavish lifestyle, collecting thousand...

WHY should we develop our Heart Space? – Part-18

Imagine a child playing a ball game outside his house, accidentally breaking a neighbor’s window. The neighbor, a stern lady, steps out to punish the child. In that very moment, the boy’s mother rushes out and grabs hold of her son, delivering a hard slap. The child cries at his mother’s harsh treatment. However, he later realizes that being punished by his mother was better than being slapped by the angry neighbor, whose window he had broken during play. That’s because the mother’s punishment w...

WHY should we develop our Heart Space? – Part-17

I once knew a friend, a corporate professional with a lucrative salary, who confessed to drinking and partying while feeling an ever-growing emptiness with age. Despite owning a grand house and having substantial savings, he felt a sense of instability in life because his wife had chosen another man. He described himself as a ship without a rudder, confused about his goals and unsure about what would truly make him happy.

Gradually, with spiritual association and meditation practices, he disc...

WHY should we develop our Heart Space? – Part-16

We don’t die

We are not bound by death. The true essence of ourselves, beyond the limitations of this physical body and mind, is described in ancient Indian Vedas as ‘Brahman’ – the eternal, undying reality. The Vedas also refer to this state as the essence of everything, the Brahman. It is the singular, eternal truth amidst a world of illusions and transience.

Intuitively, we recognize the impermanence of everything around us, which is why we often feel dissatisfied and incomplete, despit...

WHY should we develop our Heart Space? – Part-15

In that moment, a wave of peace washed over my consciousness. I looked at my mother, and she smiled back at me, uttering the words, “Son, if this is it, let it be so.” Quietly, she offered her prayers, and I felt a strange calmness and reassurance. I realized that I was not merely this physical body, and that my life extended beyond the pandemonium surrounding me. I seamlessly let go of control, placing my trust in the universe to guide us. It was an act of surrender, and a tangible peace pervad...