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Open-eyed meditations: practical wisdom for everyday life
Open-eyed Meditations is a beautiful compilation of thoughts wherein each meditation takes you on a journey to the past, bringing a secret herb to heal a problem of the present. A true distillation of ancient wisdom tips for modern lives, this unique self-help book uses the wisdom of the Ramayana and the Mahabharata to solve your everyday problems. Beyond the storyline, something deeper is waiting to be discovered from these ancient texts. This book is an attempt to uncover the hidden layer of wealth that is cleverly packaged within the commonly known storylines.
280 pages, Paperback
Published August 1, 2016
54 people are currently reading
309 people want to read
About the author
Shubha Vilas
72 books159 followersI am: A spiritual seeker and a motivational speaker.
Academics: 1] B.E in Electronics and Telecommunications
2] L.L.B Specializing in Intellectual Property Law : Patent Law.
Leadership Seminars: Focus on relevant and vital themes: ‘Secrets of Lasting Relationships’, ‘Soul Curry to Stop Worry’ and ‘Work–Life Balance’
Believes: A good teacher sees learning and teaching as integral twin aspects of personal and spiritual growth.
Social interaction: I zoom down on
A} Youth: Periodically interact with them in premier institutes like IISC, Bangalore, BITS Pilani, Goa, Jamnalal Bajaj Institute of Management Studies, Sydnem College. I aim to inspire them to live a life based on deeper human values.
B} Children: Guide towards teaching foundational values through masterful storytelling.
C} Individuals: Practical applications of the Bhagavad Gita; the Ramayana and Vedas in today’s world.
D} Business leaders: as their lifestyle coach, conducting regular classes on Spirituality and Management to help them live a wholesome life.
Academics: 1] B.E in Electronics and Telecommunications
2] L.L.B Specializing in Intellectual Property Law : Patent Law.
Leadership Seminars: Focus on relevant and vital themes: ‘Secrets of Lasting Relationships’, ‘Soul Curry to Stop Worry’ and ‘Work–Life Balance’
Believes: A good teacher sees learning and teaching as integral twin aspects of personal and spiritual growth.
Social interaction: I zoom down on
A} Youth: Periodically interact with them in premier institutes like IISC, Bangalore, BITS Pilani, Goa, Jamnalal Bajaj Institute of Management Studies, Sydnem College. I aim to inspire them to live a life based on deeper human values.
B} Children: Guide towards teaching foundational values through masterful storytelling.
C} Individuals: Practical applications of the Bhagavad Gita; the Ramayana and Vedas in today’s world.
D} Business leaders: as their lifestyle coach, conducting regular classes on Spirituality and Management to help them live a wholesome life.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 68 reviews
January 9, 2019
A Stupendous piece of work. Bravo.
Author Shubha Vilas has personally sent me copy of "Open-Eyed Meditations - Practical Wisdom for Everyday Life" in exchange of unbiased review. I had mixed feelings on receiving the book, because from my past experience I have observed that if I take self-help book, there are less than 50% chance that I would be able to finish a it. But first 3 chapters of this book made me love the book. And to my surprise I finished it in 3-4 sittings.
Author has wonderfully divided thought provoking content into 64 small chapters, you can say 64 valuable diamonds. Every chapter starts with simplest but deep questions, those questions are followed by combinations of lines of explanations and example from the Ramayana and the Mahabharata. At the end of every chapter author has kept summary of the chapter, even summary contains examples used in chapter.
The amazing thing about the book is the way author has put forward his ideas. He has made sure to put a limit of 4-5 pages per chapters to keep reader interested. In each chapter author has put examples at regular interval, to keep tempo up all the time. I didn't find a low / boring phase in book, which is very common in self help book. You can easily find a wonderful line or quote in each page of this book.
We all knew stories of the Ramayana and the Mahabharata but author knows how to combine them with a value system and fed it to readers' thought process. One should read this book every year. And as author has correctly said in introduction one should chew each and every word of these book like cow to digest its content's depth.
Detailed Review Link - http://chevusread.blogspot.com/2017/0...
Author Shubha Vilas has personally sent me copy of "Open-Eyed Meditations - Practical Wisdom for Everyday Life" in exchange of unbiased review. I had mixed feelings on receiving the book, because from my past experience I have observed that if I take self-help book, there are less than 50% chance that I would be able to finish a it. But first 3 chapters of this book made me love the book. And to my surprise I finished it in 3-4 sittings.
Author has wonderfully divided thought provoking content into 64 small chapters, you can say 64 valuable diamonds. Every chapter starts with simplest but deep questions, those questions are followed by combinations of lines of explanations and example from the Ramayana and the Mahabharata. At the end of every chapter author has kept summary of the chapter, even summary contains examples used in chapter.
The amazing thing about the book is the way author has put forward his ideas. He has made sure to put a limit of 4-5 pages per chapters to keep reader interested. In each chapter author has put examples at regular interval, to keep tempo up all the time. I didn't find a low / boring phase in book, which is very common in self help book. You can easily find a wonderful line or quote in each page of this book.
We all knew stories of the Ramayana and the Mahabharata but author knows how to combine them with a value system and fed it to readers' thought process. One should read this book every year. And as author has correctly said in introduction one should chew each and every word of these book like cow to digest its content's depth.
Detailed Review Link - http://chevusread.blogspot.com/2017/0...
March 3, 2017
I would be reading this book if ever I feel down. The author's practical approach for finding spiritual solutions are apt.
An enlightening and engaging compilation of chapters that you can relate to your day to day life.
Open Eyed Meditation by Shubha Vilas is an excellently written and engaging self-help book.
I adored the fact that the examples and situations were taken from the real life experiences. The lessons of Ramayana and Mahabharat were more than enlightening. Never in my life had I tried to see these scriptures to learn high-level meditation. It was exciting and at the same time educative to read a narration as this.
The chapters are lucid to read and understand. You don't need to be aware of various things before reading this book. Something I appreciated too much. The peace and knowledge it has tried to provide are unforgettable. I feel gratitude towards the author for writing these lessons in a simple but compelling manner that can be understood by anyone and everyone.
Events have been taken from a mundane life. A lot of thought would have been taken into account for writing these occurrences, which can be felt while reading it. Each chapter has been summarized in the end of the chapter which in my opinion, was a great idea in itself.
Many messages can be taken from this deeply absorbing work by the author. He has penned down his learning into this book very successfully.
If you believe that meditation is not something we can only do with 'closed' eyes, then you should read this one. It will strengthen your belief that meditation and peace can be found even if our eyes are 'open'. In the arena of self help books, it has impressed me much.
An enlightening and engaging compilation of chapters that you can relate to your day to day life.
Open Eyed Meditation by Shubha Vilas is an excellently written and engaging self-help book.
I adored the fact that the examples and situations were taken from the real life experiences. The lessons of Ramayana and Mahabharat were more than enlightening. Never in my life had I tried to see these scriptures to learn high-level meditation. It was exciting and at the same time educative to read a narration as this.
The chapters are lucid to read and understand. You don't need to be aware of various things before reading this book. Something I appreciated too much. The peace and knowledge it has tried to provide are unforgettable. I feel gratitude towards the author for writing these lessons in a simple but compelling manner that can be understood by anyone and everyone.
Events have been taken from a mundane life. A lot of thought would have been taken into account for writing these occurrences, which can be felt while reading it. Each chapter has been summarized in the end of the chapter which in my opinion, was a great idea in itself.
Many messages can be taken from this deeply absorbing work by the author. He has penned down his learning into this book very successfully.
If you believe that meditation is not something we can only do with 'closed' eyes, then you should read this one. It will strengthen your belief that meditation and peace can be found even if our eyes are 'open'. In the arena of self help books, it has impressed me much.
March 1, 2017
Read the full review here: https://thereandtheir.com/2017/03/01/...
Open-Eyed Meditations, as the name suggests, is a whole new way of meditating. Conventionally we were told that when we are meditating, we should close our eyes, take a deep breath and sit in a place where nobody disturbs us. But this book takes a whole new approach. In this book, the author helps you understand how you can get the benefits of meditation with your eyes open. He takes examples from Mahabharata and Ramayana in order to help you understand the topics.
The best part of this book is its language. The author has chosen to use the simplest language in order to ensure that the reader can grasp the information that he is providing. It is clear from the writing that the author has done a lot of research on the subject and the way he explains these concepts, after reading the reader would think it is common knowledge.
Also, a point to be noted is that the examples that are given and the points that are dealt with in this book are really close to real life situations that we have all faced at some point or the other. We all want quick and fast solutions to our problems, we all want to know how we can best manage our relationships in the best way possible. This book deals with all this and more. The points that have been picked by the author are so universal that they are bound to strike a chord with anyone who reads it.
Open-Eyed Meditations, as the name suggests, is a whole new way of meditating. Conventionally we were told that when we are meditating, we should close our eyes, take a deep breath and sit in a place where nobody disturbs us. But this book takes a whole new approach. In this book, the author helps you understand how you can get the benefits of meditation with your eyes open. He takes examples from Mahabharata and Ramayana in order to help you understand the topics.
The best part of this book is its language. The author has chosen to use the simplest language in order to ensure that the reader can grasp the information that he is providing. It is clear from the writing that the author has done a lot of research on the subject and the way he explains these concepts, after reading the reader would think it is common knowledge.
Also, a point to be noted is that the examples that are given and the points that are dealt with in this book are really close to real life situations that we have all faced at some point or the other. We all want quick and fast solutions to our problems, we all want to know how we can best manage our relationships in the best way possible. This book deals with all this and more. The points that have been picked by the author are so universal that they are bound to strike a chord with anyone who reads it.
February 9, 2017
What an inspiring book this was ! Read full book review here Open-eyed meditation by Shubha Vilas - Book review
I have won this book in Goodreads giveaway and now I consider myself lucky to get this book. The title and cover of this book is an instant eye-catcher.
Meditation, a single word includes vast meaning. Many of you must have tried meditating once in a while but have you known that there is one practical and effective meditation and i.e. Open-eyed Meditation.
This open-eyed meditation is useful in our day-to-day life. The author has divided this book into 64 various chapters and each chapter makes you teach some practical worthwhile lesson.
Either you are struggling to reduce your anger, going through a bad relationship or friendship, have a problem at the workplace; struck at decision making, leadership you can get the answers to these entire questions in a very analytical and friendly manner.
The author has brilliantly interpreted the various scenarios of Ramayana and Mahabharata to present inspiring life lessons.
After reading this book, I am feeling a positive vibes around me. This book is wonderful and it is urging me to change my way of thinking.
This is a precious book which can be read again and again!
At the end, the author has also summarized the essence of a chapter which I personally liked.
I have won this book in Goodreads giveaway and now I consider myself lucky to get this book. The title and cover of this book is an instant eye-catcher.
Meditation, a single word includes vast meaning. Many of you must have tried meditating once in a while but have you known that there is one practical and effective meditation and i.e. Open-eyed Meditation.
This open-eyed meditation is useful in our day-to-day life. The author has divided this book into 64 various chapters and each chapter makes you teach some practical worthwhile lesson.
Either you are struggling to reduce your anger, going through a bad relationship or friendship, have a problem at the workplace; struck at decision making, leadership you can get the answers to these entire questions in a very analytical and friendly manner.
The author has brilliantly interpreted the various scenarios of Ramayana and Mahabharata to present inspiring life lessons.
After reading this book, I am feeling a positive vibes around me. This book is wonderful and it is urging me to change my way of thinking.
This is a precious book which can be read again and again!
At the end, the author has also summarized the essence of a chapter which I personally liked.
February 25, 2017
Self-help books are sold like hot cakes.Every one is always in the pursuit of success, peace of mind and happiness in his/her life. This type of book helps one and all as a guide and changes their life
I am always in search of books in this genre as I want to improve myself and I never get tired reading these books .When I come to know that I am selected for giving my honest review to this book I felt myself in the seventh heaven.
Since I am a health freak I use to learn about yoga and meditation. When I received the book the Open Eyed Meditations, practical wisdom for everyday life, I take the literal meaning and I prepare myself to study the methods and practical tips on doing meditation with my eyes opened. On going through the book only I have realized my mistake and the author has meant wise principles of life by calling them meditations.
I have felt fascinated by the splendid ideas given in the book for my progress and solving my problems.Each and every word in the book brings me to a newer world and fresh experience.The pearls of wisdom displayed in the book have enlightened me on several facets of life . This book has awakened me in several senses and I have changed a lot in my thinking pattern and my interaction with others.
Methodology
The author Shubha Vilas has penned this self - improvement book in several angles beutifully and there is to be a special mention for three of them.
1 He has given Moral messages and down-to-earth tips for handling our interpersonal relationship.
2 He has utilized the stories from the most famous Epics namely Mahabartam and Ramayanam.
3 He has written the book for youth of the present generation.
Every emotion like Jealousy, fear , anger is discussed elaborately . All subjects Philosophy , psychology,business and personal management are dealt in to be understood by a lay man.
In our day-to day life we meet several problems . The book carries solutions to our problems , suggestions for improving ourselves , discussions on leadership qualities, formulas for mind control and lessons on managing dilemmas and methods of strengthening friendship.
The readers will get a life time companion to show a new and correct path so that they will have a fresh enlightenment . The incidents taken from the Epics are relevant to the topics covered in the book and it would enthrall them.
I like the simple language and the poetic prose. There are 64 chapters and each one is titled. These titles are fantastic and they hold strong messages.One title goes like this “Can I change without changing?”Another one -Are You Angry Against Anger?
The following terms frequently used by the people are used .
Hacking , cyber police, database, Valentine’s day,going offline , and Likes.
My verdict :
I like this fantabulous book for all the moral and motivational rationales. In this world where people are driven by consumerism and values are deteriorating this book has come as an oasis.
I recommend this must read book to all. Every one should keep this book in their library.It is a ready reckoner of gems of wise sayings . Also the cover is sure to capture anyone’s attention.
I am always in search of books in this genre as I want to improve myself and I never get tired reading these books .When I come to know that I am selected for giving my honest review to this book I felt myself in the seventh heaven.
Since I am a health freak I use to learn about yoga and meditation. When I received the book the Open Eyed Meditations, practical wisdom for everyday life, I take the literal meaning and I prepare myself to study the methods and practical tips on doing meditation with my eyes opened. On going through the book only I have realized my mistake and the author has meant wise principles of life by calling them meditations.
I have felt fascinated by the splendid ideas given in the book for my progress and solving my problems.Each and every word in the book brings me to a newer world and fresh experience.The pearls of wisdom displayed in the book have enlightened me on several facets of life . This book has awakened me in several senses and I have changed a lot in my thinking pattern and my interaction with others.
Methodology
The author Shubha Vilas has penned this self - improvement book in several angles beutifully and there is to be a special mention for three of them.
1 He has given Moral messages and down-to-earth tips for handling our interpersonal relationship.
2 He has utilized the stories from the most famous Epics namely Mahabartam and Ramayanam.
3 He has written the book for youth of the present generation.
Every emotion like Jealousy, fear , anger is discussed elaborately . All subjects Philosophy , psychology,business and personal management are dealt in to be understood by a lay man.
In our day-to day life we meet several problems . The book carries solutions to our problems , suggestions for improving ourselves , discussions on leadership qualities, formulas for mind control and lessons on managing dilemmas and methods of strengthening friendship.
The readers will get a life time companion to show a new and correct path so that they will have a fresh enlightenment . The incidents taken from the Epics are relevant to the topics covered in the book and it would enthrall them.
I like the simple language and the poetic prose. There are 64 chapters and each one is titled. These titles are fantastic and they hold strong messages.One title goes like this “Can I change without changing?”Another one -Are You Angry Against Anger?
The following terms frequently used by the people are used .
Hacking , cyber police, database, Valentine’s day,going offline , and Likes.
My verdict :
I like this fantabulous book for all the moral and motivational rationales. In this world where people are driven by consumerism and values are deteriorating this book has come as an oasis.
I recommend this must read book to all. Every one should keep this book in their library.It is a ready reckoner of gems of wise sayings . Also the cover is sure to capture anyone’s attention.
March 2, 2017
Book Name: Open Eyed Meditation
Author Name: Subha Vilas
Publisher Name: Fingerprint Belief
Genre: Inspirational
Pages: 279
Open Eyed Meditation is an inspirational book that will change the way; you look at the world. It consists detailed and interesting views to aspire you to think positive. The book is an aim to help today’s generation understand their connection between their needs, wants, wishes, and desires. The book will help you take a deep look inside yourself.
We all know how essential it is to have a positive approach towards life. It is easier said than done. Through this book, author Subha Vilas tries to explain how yoga, meditation, and positive thinking are necessary for modern life. With adopting some basic positive habits, you can truly change your life into a better one. All you need is an open mind to accept it.
“Friendship takes a hit when there is a gap in what we think and communicate.”
The book is divided into several chapters and each chapter deals with a different aspect of life. Every chapter explains its theme in detail with a story and examples. Such style makes it easy for readers to understand the complexities within seconds. Examples given by author are old mythological but carries quite relevance for today’s time.
“In search of a relationship that gives pleasure, we forget we could also be that person who gives pleasure to others.”
I particularly enjoyed ‘7 Secrets of Innovation’, and ‘Are you anger against anger?’ chapters. They explain the fragilities of human mind yet demonstrating how powerful and easy it is to mend our mind to think positive.
51UwegMeQwL._SX320_BO1,204,203,200_
The writing style by the author is simple. They structure flows easily and it is quick read. The author has mastered the art of conveying talks of best interest to human nature in uncomplicated manner. Author’s deep insight on life and its deep sense comes out very well in this book. There are deep secrets that will help you overcome difficulties of your life.
“It is worthwhile to see the positive elements even within the negative intentions of the most envious people.”
The only thing I would have loved this book would had was more depth. There were some examples in chapter that I felt could have been explored more. I felt that things were tied with lose end. The minute I was enjoying it or trying to explore deeper part of me, the chapter ended. I do wish that in next book, there would be chapters that allow me to explore my inner self in more constructive manner.
“The faint smell of success is enough to intoxicate one with euphoria.”
A book will reaffirm your faith in truth, pure emotions, and soul. It will reconnect you to your inner self and make you realize what you exactly desire and what is you doing to manifest it. Are your actions being an obstacle or path to reach your dreams? I do not want to give spoilers so I will leave it up to you to read and judge this book for yourself.
Author Name: Subha Vilas
Publisher Name: Fingerprint Belief
Genre: Inspirational
Pages: 279
Open Eyed Meditation is an inspirational book that will change the way; you look at the world. It consists detailed and interesting views to aspire you to think positive. The book is an aim to help today’s generation understand their connection between their needs, wants, wishes, and desires. The book will help you take a deep look inside yourself.
We all know how essential it is to have a positive approach towards life. It is easier said than done. Through this book, author Subha Vilas tries to explain how yoga, meditation, and positive thinking are necessary for modern life. With adopting some basic positive habits, you can truly change your life into a better one. All you need is an open mind to accept it.
“Friendship takes a hit when there is a gap in what we think and communicate.”
The book is divided into several chapters and each chapter deals with a different aspect of life. Every chapter explains its theme in detail with a story and examples. Such style makes it easy for readers to understand the complexities within seconds. Examples given by author are old mythological but carries quite relevance for today’s time.
“In search of a relationship that gives pleasure, we forget we could also be that person who gives pleasure to others.”
I particularly enjoyed ‘7 Secrets of Innovation’, and ‘Are you anger against anger?’ chapters. They explain the fragilities of human mind yet demonstrating how powerful and easy it is to mend our mind to think positive.
51UwegMeQwL._SX320_BO1,204,203,200_
The writing style by the author is simple. They structure flows easily and it is quick read. The author has mastered the art of conveying talks of best interest to human nature in uncomplicated manner. Author’s deep insight on life and its deep sense comes out very well in this book. There are deep secrets that will help you overcome difficulties of your life.
“It is worthwhile to see the positive elements even within the negative intentions of the most envious people.”
The only thing I would have loved this book would had was more depth. There were some examples in chapter that I felt could have been explored more. I felt that things were tied with lose end. The minute I was enjoying it or trying to explore deeper part of me, the chapter ended. I do wish that in next book, there would be chapters that allow me to explore my inner self in more constructive manner.
“The faint smell of success is enough to intoxicate one with euphoria.”
A book will reaffirm your faith in truth, pure emotions, and soul. It will reconnect you to your inner self and make you realize what you exactly desire and what is you doing to manifest it. Are your actions being an obstacle or path to reach your dreams? I do not want to give spoilers so I will leave it up to you to read and judge this book for yourself.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 11, 2022
This book falls midway between being a touchstone of wisdom and a book full of platitudes. I somehow feel the author didn't do justice to the task that he embarked on and was capable of. Disappointed. 2.5 stars!
January 29, 2017
Worth for lifetime. Can be read whenever life turns you in odd situations. Thought giving solutions for day to day problems are discussed with excellent examples from Ramanaya and Mahabharata. The Speciality of the book is you can read any chapter. This book is divided into 64 chapters which can be read selectively also. spare time for this book worth for your lifetime..
March 5, 2017
Open eyed mediation is one of the most amazing book by Shubha Files. Earlier, I have read there books by him, ” Ramayana” series, which were outstanding in their own way. Starting with the cover of the book it is amazing. It was beautifully designed. The best thing about the book was it was a solution to all those problems whose solution we keep on asking from others or to ourself. This book has given us so many great examples to understand simple things which we usually fail to understand. While reading the book many other attractive lines caught my attention.Overall, the book was not only a good read but surely a wonderful read. From the first page to the last page it was great. I would suggest people of all age group to read this book and not only once but surely twice or thrice.
March 15, 2017
If a book has the word “Meditation” in its title, that’s enough for me to pick it up. And what can be more exciting than picking up a book titled “OPEN-EYED MEDITATIONS”. The cover page of the book is another impactful factor for having this book in your hands written by Shubha Vilas, who is very well known for his “Ramayana- the Game of Life” series. The book is exactly what it claims to be- it provides practical wisdom for everyday life. Shubha Vilas has this amazing hone of writing the complex topics in such simple words that even a naïve knowing nothing about it will grasp the whole thing as he wants to convey through his writings.
After reading two fiction books written by him, this was a very different experience and in the spread of 64 chapters, the way author has been able to cover so many diverse topics is commendable. The small chapters make it easy for reading this book section by section on daily basis. The way author has explained the topic with the mix of mythology, religion, spiritualism and practicality is what makes this book a Win-Win situation. The book discusses about many day to day problems that we deal with which can be easily solved by applying various tools and methodology. The secrets are explored in this book that will surprise you about the easy solutions that the author provides.
Author has talked on almost all the prominent issues like right decisions in life, relationships, love, self-control, the Ravana in us, needs, wants, our opinions and decisions, being offline, horoscopes and its belief, leadership, innovation, dealing with provocations, personality traits, jealousy, Communication sutras, mistakes, assumptions, success, thoughts, friendships etc. The suggestion or advice that the author shares in the box at the end of each chapter sums up the whole learning from it which you can remember for life and apply whenever you are in the said situation. This is one book that needs to be in your shelf and at the top-most position so that you can pick it up any time as it has repeat value. I give this book 4 star out of 5.
Thanks.
ABHILASH RUHELA – VEERU!!!
After reading two fiction books written by him, this was a very different experience and in the spread of 64 chapters, the way author has been able to cover so many diverse topics is commendable. The small chapters make it easy for reading this book section by section on daily basis. The way author has explained the topic with the mix of mythology, religion, spiritualism and practicality is what makes this book a Win-Win situation. The book discusses about many day to day problems that we deal with which can be easily solved by applying various tools and methodology. The secrets are explored in this book that will surprise you about the easy solutions that the author provides.
Author has talked on almost all the prominent issues like right decisions in life, relationships, love, self-control, the Ravana in us, needs, wants, our opinions and decisions, being offline, horoscopes and its belief, leadership, innovation, dealing with provocations, personality traits, jealousy, Communication sutras, mistakes, assumptions, success, thoughts, friendships etc. The suggestion or advice that the author shares in the box at the end of each chapter sums up the whole learning from it which you can remember for life and apply whenever you are in the said situation. This is one book that needs to be in your shelf and at the top-most position so that you can pick it up any time as it has repeat value. I give this book 4 star out of 5.
Thanks.
ABHILASH RUHELA – VEERU!!!
February 20, 2017
There are sixty four chapters or thoughts which are compiled to help the reader cope with various stresses in life like anger management, ego problems and the like. In this compilation of thoughts he gives analogies from Ramayana and Mahabharata and demonstrates how these age old epics can be of help to the modern man in living a life of peace with oneself.
Each chapter consists of an average of four pages, wherein the problem is discussed and what the causes are, along with solutions or thoughts, from either the Ramayana or Mahabharata. These problems range from problems of communication to ethics (when good is bad and when bad is good). At the end of each chapter the salient points are boxed for easy reference. So one can either read the whole book and check if any of those are applicable to one’s life or if one already has isolated the problem with one’s life, one can go directly to that particular chapter in which it is dealt with and see how best that knowledge can be used to solve that particular life problem.
Each chapter consists of an average of four pages, wherein the problem is discussed and what the causes are, along with solutions or thoughts, from either the Ramayana or Mahabharata. These problems range from problems of communication to ethics (when good is bad and when bad is good). At the end of each chapter the salient points are boxed for easy reference. So one can either read the whole book and check if any of those are applicable to one’s life or if one already has isolated the problem with one’s life, one can go directly to that particular chapter in which it is dealt with and see how best that knowledge can be used to solve that particular life problem.
February 22, 2017
This book is a compilation of 64 inspiring meditation pieces. Each piece, brief and to the point, deals with a specific topic, a very common human problem. ‘How do I enhance my happiness quotient?’, ‘7 secrets of innovation’, and ‘Jealousy – a terrorist attack on self’ are three of the 64 titles. Each piece gives eminently practical counsel on the topic. Each piece is meant to be read and meditated on. We have to absorb the lessons slowly, not just read and understand.
Each chapter is very brief and yet each is followed by a condensed summary which makes it easy to recapitulate. It will be highly rewarding to begin each morning by reading a chapter of this book and spending a few minutes in contemplation.
Read the full review at:
https://matheikal.blogspot.in/2017/02...
Each chapter is very brief and yet each is followed by a condensed summary which makes it easy to recapitulate. It will be highly rewarding to begin each morning by reading a chapter of this book and spending a few minutes in contemplation.
Read the full review at:
https://matheikal.blogspot.in/2017/02...
April 3, 2023
This is awesome
One can learn life lessons being attached with values
It also gives great knowledge in context of our ancient culture
One can learn life lessons being attached with values
It also gives great knowledge in context of our ancient culture
November 11, 2016
The author, Shubha Vilas, graciously sent me a copy of this book and I feel so privileged and honored for the same. He is a spiritual and a motivational speaker and through this book, he shares a part of his vast knowledge with us to help improve our lives.
I guess it is safe to say that this book is a self help book. It is a unique module that teaches us how to cope with our situations and come to terms with the mystery, that is life. Open Eyed Meditations talks about various vices and issues faced by us and relevant examples borrowed from the Ramayana and the Mahabharata help the readers to relate to their current situations. The book contains practical tips that can be applied to our day to day lives and different aspects, both personal and professional.
In my opinion, this book should be treated as a self help guide that is essential for everyone, irrespective of what you do or how you live. The first thing that interested me about this book was the title itself. I am one of those people, who having tried meditating a couple times, have found it impossible to concentrate. So, you can imagine the curiosity when I read the title! After reading the book I have humbly come to realize that one shouldn't interpret the title literally, the book has nothing to do with meditation. Instead, it talks about how to control your emotions/situations in such a way that a mediation like peace surrounds you. What a fabulous thought! And yes, I might give meditation a sincere try very soon.
With topics like anger, jealousy, body image, leadership, failure, embarrassments etc. being discussed, I truly think it is a must read book, for people of all ages. I highly recommend this book, please do read it.
*** This book was sent to me by the author in exchange for an honest review. This has not affected my opinions in any way.***
I guess it is safe to say that this book is a self help book. It is a unique module that teaches us how to cope with our situations and come to terms with the mystery, that is life. Open Eyed Meditations talks about various vices and issues faced by us and relevant examples borrowed from the Ramayana and the Mahabharata help the readers to relate to their current situations. The book contains practical tips that can be applied to our day to day lives and different aspects, both personal and professional.
In my opinion, this book should be treated as a self help guide that is essential for everyone, irrespective of what you do or how you live. The first thing that interested me about this book was the title itself. I am one of those people, who having tried meditating a couple times, have found it impossible to concentrate. So, you can imagine the curiosity when I read the title! After reading the book I have humbly come to realize that one shouldn't interpret the title literally, the book has nothing to do with meditation. Instead, it talks about how to control your emotions/situations in such a way that a mediation like peace surrounds you. What a fabulous thought! And yes, I might give meditation a sincere try very soon.
With topics like anger, jealousy, body image, leadership, failure, embarrassments etc. being discussed, I truly think it is a must read book, for people of all ages. I highly recommend this book, please do read it.
*** This book was sent to me by the author in exchange for an honest review. This has not affected my opinions in any way.***
June 2, 2018
Very profound. Correlates incidents from Epics to our day-to-day dealings. This is certainly not a one-time read. It can serve a good manual for all those who aspire to be leaders or already at leadership positions. If you feel your relationships are not working, you must definitely read it to get some practical advice. Lot of inter-personal and professional skills can be inculcated from this book.
September 23, 2023
Books helps you realize the essence of meditation and various snippets from the Ramayana and Mahabharata advocating the lesson taught in each article.
March 15, 2017
Open-Eyed Meditations by the bestselling author Shubha Vilas revolves around excellent thoughts surrounding meditation. The book takes you on a wonderful journey to the past life, which brings a very secret stuff to cure a present trending problem. In addition to the story, you will also find few secret facts after finishing the book. The author has made an excellent attempt to unravel few undisclosed wealth’s in a clever way.
The book has been divided into 64 chapters. The first chapter talks about the importance of Yoga in communication. The author also talks about the five Pandavas and what they did in their life. The next chapter examines the analysis syndrome in detail. He talks about the two kinds of analysts and suggests which one to adopt.
The author then delves deep into the world of patience with reference of Krishna. He also talks about the importance of delayed management. In the next chapter, the author talks about the significance of taking important decisions in life. The author has given important points inside the box on Page 31.
You should note that some kind of spirituality is required to work properly. The next chapter just talks about it with various external and internal battles. The next chapter examines the steps required to solve the problem matrix. If you are cheated by someone in the past, you should read the next chapter since the author examines a topic similar to that.
The next section talks about the requirements of shopping. If you frequently shop either offline or online, try to read this chapter to get a nice overview. The very next chapter talks about relationships. If you think the talent you acquired is your enemy, you should check out the next chapter. Happiness is what you require in life. You will learn how to increase the quotient of happiness with this book.
We all celebrate Valentine’s Day on February 14 in one form or another. If you would like to know few secret tips for your Valentine, the next chapter is waiting for you on the book. The next two chapters examine how you should control opinions and decisions in real life including lessons from the lion. If you feel you are controlled by someone else, the next chapter will be beneficial for you.
If Information is important for you, then you should consider that transformation is also equally important in real-world. This chapter examines a law. You will know about the details if you read the book.
Do you want real love in kisses and gifts? If you are confused between with the choice you want to make, you should go through the Chapter 20 for a nice overview. If you are afraid to stay offline, you should go through Chapter 24. If you want to become infamous, you should go through Chapter 28.
Do you have any belief in horoscope? Are you aware of the horrors inside your horoscope? If you are interested to know more, you should read Chapter 32. The chapter 33 examines how you can really hurt the feelings of others without actually getting hurt. This is a difficult task, but if you read this chapter, you will know how to do it.
When should you cross the Loc in relationships? What is the correct time? You can find the answer to these questions in Chapter 34. Are you in love or relationship with others with conditions? You should navigate directly to Chapter 39 to find out the hidden conditions.
Instead of firing crackers and causing environmental hazards, why not you meditate during Diwali? You can read the various ways to meditate peacefully in Chapter 41. Do you want to know the seven secrets of innovation? You can learn them in detail in Chapter 43.
If you would like to know about other content covered in the book, you should read the book. The author has examined several important facts in the remaining chapters. I would suggest you buy the book and read the content.
The highlight of Open-Eyed Meditations is that each chapter ends with a core summary in box format with fancy corners. The book is not only an inspirational guide but also motivates you to work well in both your personal and work life.
Shubha Vilas brings in a wealth of experience to the table with this book. His writing style is absolutely brilliant in all aspects. If you are an avid reader of novels, Open-Eyed Meditations will surely take you to a new level.
The book has been divided into 64 chapters. The first chapter talks about the importance of Yoga in communication. The author also talks about the five Pandavas and what they did in their life. The next chapter examines the analysis syndrome in detail. He talks about the two kinds of analysts and suggests which one to adopt.
The author then delves deep into the world of patience with reference of Krishna. He also talks about the importance of delayed management. In the next chapter, the author talks about the significance of taking important decisions in life. The author has given important points inside the box on Page 31.
You should note that some kind of spirituality is required to work properly. The next chapter just talks about it with various external and internal battles. The next chapter examines the steps required to solve the problem matrix. If you are cheated by someone in the past, you should read the next chapter since the author examines a topic similar to that.
The next section talks about the requirements of shopping. If you frequently shop either offline or online, try to read this chapter to get a nice overview. The very next chapter talks about relationships. If you think the talent you acquired is your enemy, you should check out the next chapter. Happiness is what you require in life. You will learn how to increase the quotient of happiness with this book.
We all celebrate Valentine’s Day on February 14 in one form or another. If you would like to know few secret tips for your Valentine, the next chapter is waiting for you on the book. The next two chapters examine how you should control opinions and decisions in real life including lessons from the lion. If you feel you are controlled by someone else, the next chapter will be beneficial for you.
If Information is important for you, then you should consider that transformation is also equally important in real-world. This chapter examines a law. You will know about the details if you read the book.
Do you want real love in kisses and gifts? If you are confused between with the choice you want to make, you should go through the Chapter 20 for a nice overview. If you are afraid to stay offline, you should go through Chapter 24. If you want to become infamous, you should go through Chapter 28.
Do you have any belief in horoscope? Are you aware of the horrors inside your horoscope? If you are interested to know more, you should read Chapter 32. The chapter 33 examines how you can really hurt the feelings of others without actually getting hurt. This is a difficult task, but if you read this chapter, you will know how to do it.
When should you cross the Loc in relationships? What is the correct time? You can find the answer to these questions in Chapter 34. Are you in love or relationship with others with conditions? You should navigate directly to Chapter 39 to find out the hidden conditions.
Instead of firing crackers and causing environmental hazards, why not you meditate during Diwali? You can read the various ways to meditate peacefully in Chapter 41. Do you want to know the seven secrets of innovation? You can learn them in detail in Chapter 43.
If you would like to know about other content covered in the book, you should read the book. The author has examined several important facts in the remaining chapters. I would suggest you buy the book and read the content.
The highlight of Open-Eyed Meditations is that each chapter ends with a core summary in box format with fancy corners. The book is not only an inspirational guide but also motivates you to work well in both your personal and work life.
Shubha Vilas brings in a wealth of experience to the table with this book. His writing style is absolutely brilliant in all aspects. If you are an avid reader of novels, Open-Eyed Meditations will surely take you to a new level.
February 18, 2017
I had great expectations from Open-Eyed Meditations. I have been meditating for a long time and with a title like that I was eager to learn more meditation techniques. But in the initial pages itself I felt that I was cheated. The title is meant only to attract the audiences. The word meditation in the title is sure to attract many readers. What the writer has served us under this garb is left overs of footnotes in his Ramanyana- The Game of Life series. Yes the subtitle, of course in a smaller font says practical wisdom for everyday life. But I was so attracted by the words meditations that I read the subtitle only after I had finished the entire book.
Once you accept the fact that this book is not about meditations, you come in a mental state to appreciate the positives, which fortunately are more than one, of the book. In the authors own words ‘Open-eyed Meditations is a distillation of wisdom tips for modern live; a unique self-help book wherein each meditation takes you on a journey to the past, bringing a secret herb to heal a problem of the present.’ The writer draws stories and incidents from the epics of Mahabharata and Ramayana and imparts us moral lessons. The writer has succeeded in creating a buzz by selecting a catchy title ‘Open Eyed Meditations.’ He again does an excellent job in giving the chapter headings. So we have catchy headings like ‘Do Likes Make My Life’ ‘X Factor influencing Success’ ‘7 Secrets of Innovations’ and ‘*Conditions Apply – In Love.’
I really liked some of the ideas mentioned in the book. Let me enumerate a few. The author says many problems don’t need to be solved, they need to be just tolerated. This type of problem solving is called ‘Delayed Management.’ An intelligent problem solver is not a one who solves every problem, but one who knows which problems to solve and which to tolerate.
With people whom we love over relatively longer periods of time, it is important to remember that people seldom change, our perceptions do, based on steady expectations. The author says that we can choose any symbol in our life that will either act as an upgrader or a downgrader.
The author says that we will do good to remember that relationships don’t need us; it is we who need relationships. If there is any need we can be selfish about, it is this need.
While telling us how to deal with difficult people, the author says expecting people’s natures to change to suit ours is like expecting the lion to dwell peacefully in a city with a human. The best way to deal with those having contradictory nature is by maintaining respectful distances. When circumstances force you to deal with them, keep the interactions to minimum. The writer tells us an interesting fact that a human is an average of five people he is surrounded the most with. Speaking of anger management, the author says that anger is nothing but need not fulfilled. So to manage your anger look for the underlying need which is causing it.
Speaking of destiny he says that our life is like a novel, where some pages have already been written and the remaining pages get written depending on our present actions. I liked what the author has to say about forgiving. He says that forgiving is the sign of being concerned about the future and hatred is the sign of being stuck in the past. According to him most people assume others’ actions based on the data base of their bad experiences. Rather than assuming others innocent until proven guilty, we assume others guilty until proven innocent.
The writing is simple and easy to understand. The book does indeed contain some gems of wisdom. So except for the super deceptive title, this book makes a decent read.
Once you accept the fact that this book is not about meditations, you come in a mental state to appreciate the positives, which fortunately are more than one, of the book. In the authors own words ‘Open-eyed Meditations is a distillation of wisdom tips for modern live; a unique self-help book wherein each meditation takes you on a journey to the past, bringing a secret herb to heal a problem of the present.’ The writer draws stories and incidents from the epics of Mahabharata and Ramayana and imparts us moral lessons. The writer has succeeded in creating a buzz by selecting a catchy title ‘Open Eyed Meditations.’ He again does an excellent job in giving the chapter headings. So we have catchy headings like ‘Do Likes Make My Life’ ‘X Factor influencing Success’ ‘7 Secrets of Innovations’ and ‘*Conditions Apply – In Love.’
I really liked some of the ideas mentioned in the book. Let me enumerate a few. The author says many problems don’t need to be solved, they need to be just tolerated. This type of problem solving is called ‘Delayed Management.’ An intelligent problem solver is not a one who solves every problem, but one who knows which problems to solve and which to tolerate.
With people whom we love over relatively longer periods of time, it is important to remember that people seldom change, our perceptions do, based on steady expectations. The author says that we can choose any symbol in our life that will either act as an upgrader or a downgrader.
The author says that we will do good to remember that relationships don’t need us; it is we who need relationships. If there is any need we can be selfish about, it is this need.
While telling us how to deal with difficult people, the author says expecting people’s natures to change to suit ours is like expecting the lion to dwell peacefully in a city with a human. The best way to deal with those having contradictory nature is by maintaining respectful distances. When circumstances force you to deal with them, keep the interactions to minimum. The writer tells us an interesting fact that a human is an average of five people he is surrounded the most with. Speaking of anger management, the author says that anger is nothing but need not fulfilled. So to manage your anger look for the underlying need which is causing it.
Speaking of destiny he says that our life is like a novel, where some pages have already been written and the remaining pages get written depending on our present actions. I liked what the author has to say about forgiving. He says that forgiving is the sign of being concerned about the future and hatred is the sign of being stuck in the past. According to him most people assume others’ actions based on the data base of their bad experiences. Rather than assuming others innocent until proven guilty, we assume others guilty until proven innocent.
The writing is simple and easy to understand. The book does indeed contain some gems of wisdom. So except for the super deceptive title, this book makes a decent read.
February 26, 2017
[Disclaimer - I received a complimentary copy of the book from BlogAdda for review. This is the forth book from Shubha Vilas that I am reviewing, but the comments are personal and review is done on a fair-basis.]
The complete review of the book can be found on my blog Open-Eyed Meditations book review by Himanshu Sheth
Open-eyed Meditations is a beautiful compilation of thoughts wherein each meditation takes you on a journey to the past, bringing a secret herb to heal a problem of the present. Similar to the previous books penned by Shubha Vilas, this book also uses the wisdom of the Ramayana and the Mahabharata to solve your everyday problems!
Considering that there is so much stress in everyone’s life, one option to find peace and solace is mediation. As it is known that meditation should be done with your eyes closed but this book spells the other side of meditation that can be practiced with ‘open eyes’ and ‘open mind’. The book comprises of 64 chapters and each chapter follows a unique approach to help us address questions and issues that we have in our life, through the aid of short snippets quoting examples and behaviors from the Ramayana & Mahabharata.
Though the book comprises of 64 chapters, every chapter is kept short [keeping the crux intact] and language used for narration is simple. The reader need not be aware of the characters in the mythological series and this where lies the beauty of the book! Whether you are facing issues at your workplace, going through a turmoil in your relationship, facing problems with decision making or want to enhance your leadership skills; this book offers valuable nuggets of wisdom and action point resources to deal with it all. An ideal way to read the book is to look the Contents/Index and select a chapter that might be able to potentially address your concern.
Some of the notable excerpts from the book are mentioned below
Competition : Compete with yourself not others. Competition with self improves performance and causes no heartburn either. Further comparing yourself with others undermines your uniqueness. Gratitude for our individuality can reduce self-destructive habit of comparison. Unlike flattery, appreciation requires skills and comes from the heart.
People : People want to deal with others’ strengths and not weakness; their abilities and not idiosyncrasies. Rather than rejecting a person due to this bad side, the need is to provide emphatic assistance in dealing with the shortcomings.
Being positive : Talented people with negative attitudes are unable to cope with the ups and downs of life. Right attitude helps to move on in life. Relationships too wither away without the right attitude
Re-brand your mind : Human mind, thoughts, beliefs, values, culture, all operate through symbolism. We have bandwidth to upgrade our symbols and climb up a higher rung of the value system. We could also end up downgrading our symbols to an abyss of negativeness and anxieties.
We can choose a symbol that inspires or choose one that revives bad memories and creates self destruction.
Embrace my embarrassments : We all have embarrassments that we want to run away from. One perspective is to look at them as God’s way of keeping us grounded amid success. The secret is to handle embarrassments with dignity and humility, which is also how we should handle success.
Art of leading Leaders : The first step in leadership training is to find and hone potential leaders at the earliest. Then, shortlist them based on their ability to deal with sticky situations and take personal interest in guiding and developing young leaders, to focus their efforts on upgrading what they have.
Leadership training model can resemble Kangaroo-type, that gives protection in safe havens, or Bird-type, which gives strength to find wings.
Leading though mistakes : Leaders make mistakes too. After the mistake is made, ineffective leaders look for a scapegoat to put the blame on. By taking responsibility, a leader allows himself that scope of error.
A thinking leader considers mistakes as an opportunity. To lament for one’s mistake is important, but far more important is to learn from that mistake.
Leading without a Title : A leader wanting the support of a heavy title is bound to fail. The title can be used either to inspire or terrorize, depending on whether he wants to control his followers or make his followers achievers.
Leaders, who heavily depend on titles, bask in glory during the happy times and hide themselves during hostile times. Title-less leaders come out during challenging times and hide themselves during happy times. For a title-less leader what is more important is performance. A position is only a decoration and when push comes to shove what matters is performance.
Shubha Vilas retains his traditional writing style where he ends each chapter with a summary [or helpful tips to be more precise] that can be used in our day-to-day lives. The book is written in a very simplistic and contemporary manner, which keeps the interest alive!
It is a book that can be read again and again since it reveals many profound thoughts that can nurture a different aspect of your life. As mentioned by Shubha Vilas in the introduction section of Open-Eyed Meditations
Read this book the way a cow eats grass while ruminating. Chew on every word carefully till you have milky lucidity that nourishes every aspect of your life. This book will help you learn the art of meditating with your eyes wide open as you keenly observe the world around you and allow it to enlighten you.
It definitely stands by that promise since each chapter delivers a powerful learning. You can keep the book as a guide for better living!
The complete review of the book can be found on my blog Open-Eyed Meditations book review by Himanshu Sheth
Open-eyed Meditations is a beautiful compilation of thoughts wherein each meditation takes you on a journey to the past, bringing a secret herb to heal a problem of the present. Similar to the previous books penned by Shubha Vilas, this book also uses the wisdom of the Ramayana and the Mahabharata to solve your everyday problems!
Considering that there is so much stress in everyone’s life, one option to find peace and solace is mediation. As it is known that meditation should be done with your eyes closed but this book spells the other side of meditation that can be practiced with ‘open eyes’ and ‘open mind’. The book comprises of 64 chapters and each chapter follows a unique approach to help us address questions and issues that we have in our life, through the aid of short snippets quoting examples and behaviors from the Ramayana & Mahabharata.
Though the book comprises of 64 chapters, every chapter is kept short [keeping the crux intact] and language used for narration is simple. The reader need not be aware of the characters in the mythological series and this where lies the beauty of the book! Whether you are facing issues at your workplace, going through a turmoil in your relationship, facing problems with decision making or want to enhance your leadership skills; this book offers valuable nuggets of wisdom and action point resources to deal with it all. An ideal way to read the book is to look the Contents/Index and select a chapter that might be able to potentially address your concern.
Some of the notable excerpts from the book are mentioned below
Competition : Compete with yourself not others. Competition with self improves performance and causes no heartburn either. Further comparing yourself with others undermines your uniqueness. Gratitude for our individuality can reduce self-destructive habit of comparison. Unlike flattery, appreciation requires skills and comes from the heart.
People : People want to deal with others’ strengths and not weakness; their abilities and not idiosyncrasies. Rather than rejecting a person due to this bad side, the need is to provide emphatic assistance in dealing with the shortcomings.
Being positive : Talented people with negative attitudes are unable to cope with the ups and downs of life. Right attitude helps to move on in life. Relationships too wither away without the right attitude
Re-brand your mind : Human mind, thoughts, beliefs, values, culture, all operate through symbolism. We have bandwidth to upgrade our symbols and climb up a higher rung of the value system. We could also end up downgrading our symbols to an abyss of negativeness and anxieties.
We can choose a symbol that inspires or choose one that revives bad memories and creates self destruction.
Embrace my embarrassments : We all have embarrassments that we want to run away from. One perspective is to look at them as God’s way of keeping us grounded amid success. The secret is to handle embarrassments with dignity and humility, which is also how we should handle success.
Art of leading Leaders : The first step in leadership training is to find and hone potential leaders at the earliest. Then, shortlist them based on their ability to deal with sticky situations and take personal interest in guiding and developing young leaders, to focus their efforts on upgrading what they have.
Leadership training model can resemble Kangaroo-type, that gives protection in safe havens, or Bird-type, which gives strength to find wings.
Leading though mistakes : Leaders make mistakes too. After the mistake is made, ineffective leaders look for a scapegoat to put the blame on. By taking responsibility, a leader allows himself that scope of error.
A thinking leader considers mistakes as an opportunity. To lament for one’s mistake is important, but far more important is to learn from that mistake.
Leading without a Title : A leader wanting the support of a heavy title is bound to fail. The title can be used either to inspire or terrorize, depending on whether he wants to control his followers or make his followers achievers.
Leaders, who heavily depend on titles, bask in glory during the happy times and hide themselves during hostile times. Title-less leaders come out during challenging times and hide themselves during happy times. For a title-less leader what is more important is performance. A position is only a decoration and when push comes to shove what matters is performance.
Shubha Vilas retains his traditional writing style where he ends each chapter with a summary [or helpful tips to be more precise] that can be used in our day-to-day lives. The book is written in a very simplistic and contemporary manner, which keeps the interest alive!
It is a book that can be read again and again since it reveals many profound thoughts that can nurture a different aspect of your life. As mentioned by Shubha Vilas in the introduction section of Open-Eyed Meditations
Read this book the way a cow eats grass while ruminating. Chew on every word carefully till you have milky lucidity that nourishes every aspect of your life. This book will help you learn the art of meditating with your eyes wide open as you keenly observe the world around you and allow it to enlighten you.
It definitely stands by that promise since each chapter delivers a powerful learning. You can keep the book as a guide for better living!
March 2, 2017
Open-Eyed Meditations by Shubha Vilas – Your Daily Karma Book
http://pebbleinthestillwaters.com/ope...
Open-Eyed Meditations by Shubha Vilas is not merely a book. Rather, it is not even a self-help book. In fact, it is much beyond that. You will fall in love with it the moment you start reading it. Because you will find here in this book something that we all were missing so far. Something that makes you conversant with your inner self. Therefore, I will call it a daily workbook. Or rather, daily Karma Book. Each page you read again and will find a different meaning. And each meaning will bring you nearer to yourself. In fact, in a way, it makes you realize your inner strengths.
In fact, this is Shubha’s third book I am reading. The first one is Rise of the Sun Prince. And the second is The Game of Life. After reading Open-Eyed Meditations I find it as close to my heart as the earlier two. As a matter of fact, soon after finishing Shubha’s first book I had to compile 10 Book from Indian Authors that will Touch Your Heart Strings. And Rise of the Sun Prince was part of it. I got a little late in reading Open-Eyed Meditations for some reason. Though there is a pile of unread books in my bookshelf, the book automatically came in my hands out of the queue. It was an invite from Oxford Bookstore and Namita Gokhale to an evening of mindful thinking and the launch of this book on 17 August 2016. Shubha Vilas was to be in conversation with Renuka Narayanan.
Though it was a total miss because of some reason. But then I was in no mood to give a miss to this book. Now, coming back to Open-Eyed Meditations. In fact, it is a unique collection of 64 articles. Each article promises to bring you out of the day-to-day dilemmas of life. And all this happens through the eyes of Mahabharata and Ramayana, the two great epics that connect well to our life. As Shubha Vilas says, “When you are open to life, life opens up to you. Water is present in the air but only when the air is subjected to condensation do we get that water. Similarly, thoughts are all around but only when subjected to contemplation do they become meaningful.”
Shubha is a spiritual seeker and thus he helps us all to have a glimpse of this beautiful path through his powerful writing. He is also a motivational speaker. A degree holder in engineering and law, Shubha specializes in patent law. The story doesn’t end here. There are a number of other hats Shubha wears. You can find him on FaceBook and Twitter. Open-Eyed Meditations, as the name indicates, is a practical wisdom for everyday life. This book is not a one-time read. You will hook to it to refer again and again. In a way, it is my life reference manual. Every time I read it, each page gives me a new meaning of life and lights a candle in dark somewhere in my mind.
http://pebbleinthestillwaters.com/ope...
Open-Eyed Meditations by Shubha Vilas is not merely a book. Rather, it is not even a self-help book. In fact, it is much beyond that. You will fall in love with it the moment you start reading it. Because you will find here in this book something that we all were missing so far. Something that makes you conversant with your inner self. Therefore, I will call it a daily workbook. Or rather, daily Karma Book. Each page you read again and will find a different meaning. And each meaning will bring you nearer to yourself. In fact, in a way, it makes you realize your inner strengths.
In fact, this is Shubha’s third book I am reading. The first one is Rise of the Sun Prince. And the second is The Game of Life. After reading Open-Eyed Meditations I find it as close to my heart as the earlier two. As a matter of fact, soon after finishing Shubha’s first book I had to compile 10 Book from Indian Authors that will Touch Your Heart Strings. And Rise of the Sun Prince was part of it. I got a little late in reading Open-Eyed Meditations for some reason. Though there is a pile of unread books in my bookshelf, the book automatically came in my hands out of the queue. It was an invite from Oxford Bookstore and Namita Gokhale to an evening of mindful thinking and the launch of this book on 17 August 2016. Shubha Vilas was to be in conversation with Renuka Narayanan.
Though it was a total miss because of some reason. But then I was in no mood to give a miss to this book. Now, coming back to Open-Eyed Meditations. In fact, it is a unique collection of 64 articles. Each article promises to bring you out of the day-to-day dilemmas of life. And all this happens through the eyes of Mahabharata and Ramayana, the two great epics that connect well to our life. As Shubha Vilas says, “When you are open to life, life opens up to you. Water is present in the air but only when the air is subjected to condensation do we get that water. Similarly, thoughts are all around but only when subjected to contemplation do they become meaningful.”
Shubha is a spiritual seeker and thus he helps us all to have a glimpse of this beautiful path through his powerful writing. He is also a motivational speaker. A degree holder in engineering and law, Shubha specializes in patent law. The story doesn’t end here. There are a number of other hats Shubha wears. You can find him on FaceBook and Twitter. Open-Eyed Meditations, as the name indicates, is a practical wisdom for everyday life. This book is not a one-time read. You will hook to it to refer again and again. In a way, it is my life reference manual. Every time I read it, each page gives me a new meaning of life and lights a candle in dark somewhere in my mind.
March 7, 2017
Format: Paperback Title: OPEN-EYED MEDITATIONS
Author: Shubha Vilas
Genre: Self-Help
Publisher: Fingerprint! Publishing
Release Date: August 1st 2016
Pages: 280
Price: 250
Source: Blogadda.
ISBN: 978 81 75 99 390 7
My Rating: 4.5/5
I feel lucky to be chosen by Blogadda Book Review programme to review this book and the cover of the book is simple but eye catching and the Title chosen by the author is very enamouring and will pull the crowd of book lovers.
Introduction: Open-eyed Meditations is a beautiful compilation of thoughts wherein each meditation takes you on a journey to the past, bringing a secret herb to heal a problem of the present.
A true distillation of ancient wisdom tips for modern lives, this unique self-help book uses the wisdom of the Ramayana and the Mahabharata to solve your everyday problems.
Beyond the story-line, something deeper is waiting to be discovered from these ancient texts. This book is an attempt to uncover the hidden layer of wealth that is cleverly packaged within the commonly known story-lines.
Review: The word Meditation in general implies to concentrate on a specific object or thing or to keep mind away from distractions with eyes closed. Real meditation is not easy for the commoners, but here the author has justified his title and emphasizes to tread on the path of righteousness in our daily life by understanding the life of this world and has taken aid from our glorious epic, Mahabharata, which states the path of righteousness and shows us the consequences of deviating on the path of negativity.
The author, Shubha Vilas has divided the book into 64 different chapters and each chapter deals with the practicalities of daily life and the author has tried his best to illustrate the issues that we encounter in our daily life and how to handle it well and has illustrated the examples of our great Epics, Mahabharata & Ramayana.
This self-help book will stir the feelings of readers and they will try to follow the ways to clear off the gloom in one’s life.
He has depicted the instances that crop up in our daily life, at workplace, at home, with friends and the chaos and the turmoil that goes within which distracts the mind of a person.
If a person keeps his eyes & ears open, then he can observe & perceive the things in right direction and mend it to maintain the equilibrium of life and will improve the quality of life.
I am not delving deep into the context of the book because I want people to read by themselves, explore and benefit from the writings of the author, Shubh Vilas. It is a book which defines practical wisdom for our daily life and when one will read then only his emotions and feelings will stir and he will try to adopt the methods which will heal one’s life and his inner eyes will open to differentiate between good & evil.
I loved the writing style of the author, simple words of wisdom written in the language of the common people.
Author: Shubh Vilas holds a degree of engineering and law, but in essence, he is an author, a motivational speaker, lifestyle coach and a terrific storyteller.
My perception: I found the book interesting and it is a book which can be read multiple times to inculcate the values & discipline in our life. If one abides by the writings of the author, it will prove to change the lives of many, who are deviated from the median.
We have adopted western culture to a great extent and it’s time to return back to our roots to regain and the knowledge of epics will help the readers to assess better the writings of the author.
I feel one who is ignorant of our Epic will certainly love to read the epics Mahabharata & Ramayana after reading this book, Open-Eyed Meditations.
This self-help book is open for readers of all age groups.
Buy Book: @Amazon & @GoodReads.
Author: Shubha Vilas
Genre: Self-Help
Publisher: Fingerprint! Publishing
Release Date: August 1st 2016
Pages: 280
Price: 250
Source: Blogadda.
ISBN: 978 81 75 99 390 7
My Rating: 4.5/5
I feel lucky to be chosen by Blogadda Book Review programme to review this book and the cover of the book is simple but eye catching and the Title chosen by the author is very enamouring and will pull the crowd of book lovers.
Introduction: Open-eyed Meditations is a beautiful compilation of thoughts wherein each meditation takes you on a journey to the past, bringing a secret herb to heal a problem of the present.
A true distillation of ancient wisdom tips for modern lives, this unique self-help book uses the wisdom of the Ramayana and the Mahabharata to solve your everyday problems.
Beyond the story-line, something deeper is waiting to be discovered from these ancient texts. This book is an attempt to uncover the hidden layer of wealth that is cleverly packaged within the commonly known story-lines.
Review: The word Meditation in general implies to concentrate on a specific object or thing or to keep mind away from distractions with eyes closed. Real meditation is not easy for the commoners, but here the author has justified his title and emphasizes to tread on the path of righteousness in our daily life by understanding the life of this world and has taken aid from our glorious epic, Mahabharata, which states the path of righteousness and shows us the consequences of deviating on the path of negativity.
The author, Shubha Vilas has divided the book into 64 different chapters and each chapter deals with the practicalities of daily life and the author has tried his best to illustrate the issues that we encounter in our daily life and how to handle it well and has illustrated the examples of our great Epics, Mahabharata & Ramayana.
This self-help book will stir the feelings of readers and they will try to follow the ways to clear off the gloom in one’s life.
He has depicted the instances that crop up in our daily life, at workplace, at home, with friends and the chaos and the turmoil that goes within which distracts the mind of a person.
If a person keeps his eyes & ears open, then he can observe & perceive the things in right direction and mend it to maintain the equilibrium of life and will improve the quality of life.
I am not delving deep into the context of the book because I want people to read by themselves, explore and benefit from the writings of the author, Shubh Vilas. It is a book which defines practical wisdom for our daily life and when one will read then only his emotions and feelings will stir and he will try to adopt the methods which will heal one’s life and his inner eyes will open to differentiate between good & evil.
I loved the writing style of the author, simple words of wisdom written in the language of the common people.
Author: Shubh Vilas holds a degree of engineering and law, but in essence, he is an author, a motivational speaker, lifestyle coach and a terrific storyteller.
My perception: I found the book interesting and it is a book which can be read multiple times to inculcate the values & discipline in our life. If one abides by the writings of the author, it will prove to change the lives of many, who are deviated from the median.
We have adopted western culture to a great extent and it’s time to return back to our roots to regain and the knowledge of epics will help the readers to assess better the writings of the author.
I feel one who is ignorant of our Epic will certainly love to read the epics Mahabharata & Ramayana after reading this book, Open-Eyed Meditations.
This self-help book is open for readers of all age groups.
Buy Book: @Amazon & @GoodReads.
June 10, 2020
Open-Eyed Meditations is a non-fiction book with a series of chapters based on the teachings of Mahabharata and Ramayana. Each chapter takes up one issue and offers a practical solution to it by linking it to one or more incident from the epics.
Spanning across 280 pages, the book has 64 chapters and each chapter emphasizes some aspect or other of human behavior and how to handle different situations that we encounter in our day to day life.
Concepts such as fixed, rigid and realistic mindset of humans, emotional, thought oriented and uplifting personalities have been skilfully introduced. Treatment of the process of letting go, importance of time and events on human mind, power of responsibility and possessing an uncomplaining attitude is quite captivating.
This book is a powerhouse of knowledge and surely deserves a place in every bookshelf. This is a book that has to be read again and again to sharpen and educate our mind into handling different situations that we might encounter in life. It gives a broader picture of life and advises us on how to behave with people, understand each other, relate to problems, handle tough situations and take correct decisions.
I would definitely recommend this book to everyone as it has all the elements that which followed will help us lead a happy and meaningful life. This book will help you learn the art of meditating with your eyes wide open as you keenly observe the world around you and allow it to enlighten you.
Full review here: https://intheclassroomoflife.blogspot...
Spanning across 280 pages, the book has 64 chapters and each chapter emphasizes some aspect or other of human behavior and how to handle different situations that we encounter in our day to day life.
Concepts such as fixed, rigid and realistic mindset of humans, emotional, thought oriented and uplifting personalities have been skilfully introduced. Treatment of the process of letting go, importance of time and events on human mind, power of responsibility and possessing an uncomplaining attitude is quite captivating.
This book is a powerhouse of knowledge and surely deserves a place in every bookshelf. This is a book that has to be read again and again to sharpen and educate our mind into handling different situations that we might encounter in life. It gives a broader picture of life and advises us on how to behave with people, understand each other, relate to problems, handle tough situations and take correct decisions.
I would definitely recommend this book to everyone as it has all the elements that which followed will help us lead a happy and meaningful life. This book will help you learn the art of meditating with your eyes wide open as you keenly observe the world around you and allow it to enlighten you.
Full review here: https://intheclassroomoflife.blogspot...
March 17, 2017
Perhaps, you might have heard of the saying that all words of wisdom are captured in the epic tales - Ramayana and Mahabharata. However, it's not easy for an untrained mind to read those heavy books and find the necessary analogy. Shubha Vilas has made it easy for us by writing this book Open-eyed Meditations.
(Read more reviews at my blog Ethereal Jinxed.)
What is meditation? If not to unfold oneself, be at peace and get to know own self in a much better way by becoming aware of everything around you! Divided into small chapters of 2-3 pages, the book delves into wisdom bites, amply supported by the stories we were all told as kids by our grandfathers and grandmas. It's a book which can be referred again and again and from any page.
Though self help genre is not the one I particularly prefer reading, I still picked this one since I had previously read other books by Shubha Vilas and I was interested to find out how he would have written. Even the title of the book is eye catching - open eyed meditation when we all do meditation at some level with eyes closed. But the name perfectly suits the book written on practicality meets mythology.
Do you know about the word - Serenflippity? It is a feeling when you open up to the exact page you were looking for in a book without the use of bookmarks. With this book, you after bound to experience serenflippity.
Recommended for all readers.
(Read more reviews at my blog Ethereal Jinxed.)
What is meditation? If not to unfold oneself, be at peace and get to know own self in a much better way by becoming aware of everything around you! Divided into small chapters of 2-3 pages, the book delves into wisdom bites, amply supported by the stories we were all told as kids by our grandfathers and grandmas. It's a book which can be referred again and again and from any page.
Though self help genre is not the one I particularly prefer reading, I still picked this one since I had previously read other books by Shubha Vilas and I was interested to find out how he would have written. Even the title of the book is eye catching - open eyed meditation when we all do meditation at some level with eyes closed. But the name perfectly suits the book written on practicality meets mythology.
Do you know about the word - Serenflippity? It is a feeling when you open up to the exact page you were looking for in a book without the use of bookmarks. With this book, you after bound to experience serenflippity.
Recommended for all readers.
March 7, 2017
Introduction:
In the books' introduction,the author explains why the book is named as 'Open-Eyed Meditations' and goes on to explain what is meant by meditating with open eyes.
Dont miss out these wonderful sentences in the book's intro-' When you are open to life,life opens up to you. The upper limit of your ability to learn is determined by the upper limit of your desire to learn'. Reminds me of a thirukural- 'Vellathu anayadhu malar neetam maandar tham ullathu anayadhu uyarvu'. This means that a 'Just as a water lily's stem length is determined by the level of water in the pond, a person's rise is determined by his/her mind's strength'.
Overview:
A fantastic read,especially if you are looking for self-help books on practical wisdom.The book is true to the tagline displayed on its cover-'Practical wisdom for everyday life'. Drawing inspiration from the stories of Ramayana and Mahabharata,the author gives examples to demonstrate nuggets of practical wisdom.
Chapters:
The book is divided into sixty four chapters.Each chapter deals with an everyday life problem.Sample these chapter headings- 'Do I Really Lack Something?' and 'The Magic Carpet for Relationships'. In every chapter, there are examples taken from the great Indian epics to illustrate the point.And it makes sense too. The book has an abundance of wise quotes from the author.Most of the lines made me sit up and re-read them. Here is one on gratitude- 'The feeling of incompleteness envelops one when gratitude is absent'.
The book deals with almost all aspects of human life.There are chapters on relationships. Here is an interesting one -'Crossing the Loc in Relationships'. There are chapters on workplace ethics. Consider this- 'Spirituality @ Workplace'. Then there are chapters on motivation. Check this out- 'Can I embrace my embarrassments?' .
Writing Style:
The writing style is crisp and each line is laden with profound meanings.There are a lot of word-play involved in the chapters headings as well as the contents.It is a delight to read the thought-provoking sentences. Describing Aswathama's lack of confidence inspite of possessing the powerful jewel,the author likens his status to that of a 'high-end mobile phone in the hands of a gadget-ignorant person'. I found myself smiling at the comparison.
The book is definitely a labour of love. Although the book is voluminous,there are no wasted chapters in the book.Each chapter is written for a definite purpose.The short stories and examples provided in the chapters enhance the appeal of the book. At the end of each chapter,the author gives a summary of the important take- aways from that chapter. The summaries at the end of the chapters,give a kind of text-book feel. It does feel like a syllabus book for practical wisdom.
Conclusion:
It is not a book to be read in a hurry.Sit with it when you need inspiration.Sit with it when you want to fill your mind with good thoughts.You can read and re-read it to assimilate the essence of the book.This book is a guide to embracing positivity and practicality in life.
In the books' introduction,the author explains why the book is named as 'Open-Eyed Meditations' and goes on to explain what is meant by meditating with open eyes.
Dont miss out these wonderful sentences in the book's intro-' When you are open to life,life opens up to you. The upper limit of your ability to learn is determined by the upper limit of your desire to learn'. Reminds me of a thirukural- 'Vellathu anayadhu malar neetam maandar tham ullathu anayadhu uyarvu'. This means that a 'Just as a water lily's stem length is determined by the level of water in the pond, a person's rise is determined by his/her mind's strength'.
Overview:
A fantastic read,especially if you are looking for self-help books on practical wisdom.The book is true to the tagline displayed on its cover-'Practical wisdom for everyday life'. Drawing inspiration from the stories of Ramayana and Mahabharata,the author gives examples to demonstrate nuggets of practical wisdom.
Chapters:
The book is divided into sixty four chapters.Each chapter deals with an everyday life problem.Sample these chapter headings- 'Do I Really Lack Something?' and 'The Magic Carpet for Relationships'. In every chapter, there are examples taken from the great Indian epics to illustrate the point.And it makes sense too. The book has an abundance of wise quotes from the author.Most of the lines made me sit up and re-read them. Here is one on gratitude- 'The feeling of incompleteness envelops one when gratitude is absent'.
The book deals with almost all aspects of human life.There are chapters on relationships. Here is an interesting one -'Crossing the Loc in Relationships'. There are chapters on workplace ethics. Consider this- 'Spirituality @ Workplace'. Then there are chapters on motivation. Check this out- 'Can I embrace my embarrassments?' .
Writing Style:
The writing style is crisp and each line is laden with profound meanings.There are a lot of word-play involved in the chapters headings as well as the contents.It is a delight to read the thought-provoking sentences. Describing Aswathama's lack of confidence inspite of possessing the powerful jewel,the author likens his status to that of a 'high-end mobile phone in the hands of a gadget-ignorant person'. I found myself smiling at the comparison.
The book is definitely a labour of love. Although the book is voluminous,there are no wasted chapters in the book.Each chapter is written for a definite purpose.The short stories and examples provided in the chapters enhance the appeal of the book. At the end of each chapter,the author gives a summary of the important take- aways from that chapter. The summaries at the end of the chapters,give a kind of text-book feel. It does feel like a syllabus book for practical wisdom.
Conclusion:
It is not a book to be read in a hurry.Sit with it when you need inspiration.Sit with it when you want to fill your mind with good thoughts.You can read and re-read it to assimilate the essence of the book.This book is a guide to embracing positivity and practicality in life.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 12, 2017
This is an excellent book; I am following Shubha Vilas from his Ramayana series, so when I got the mail from blogadda to review this book, I applied without any second thought. An open-eyed meditation is a collection of deep exploration, good analysis of current situation and perfect interpretation of Ramayana and Mahabharata.
The cover image of the book is very unique, it’s just like reading this self-help book your aura will change from negative to positive, also it’s like you are taking the positive vibes from clouds or rather from heaven. Now the writing style and the pace of the author are so lucid that it easily dilutes in your mind. We are living in 21st century so the problems are high tech and how to come out of this problems; the author has showcased solutions from our age old epic i.e. Ramayana and Mahabharata.
The chapters of Open-eyed meditations start with problems facing in today’s world, and then the solutions are provided by giving the real incidents of Ramayana and Mahabharata. From my early childhood my grandmother used to tell many events from both this epics but after reading this book my knowledge for both this epic has been raised. This book is not like one time read or can be completed in one sitting but it should be read again and again for solutions in your life. We know stories from Ramayana and Mahabharata but didn’t find solution but author provided inspiring lessons through this book.
There are ample of self-help books in the market but why should you read this Open-eyed meditations; for the reason that it gives references from 2 oldest epic on which our Indian principles are being made. Also because of the deep knowledge on Ramayana and Mahabharata author is capable to transform your life in positive way through this book. I have read many self-help books but very few have touched my heart, this one is among them.
The chapters which I liked the most and also inspiring are: Are you programmed by someone else? 7 secrets of Innovation, A story about Communication and Keeping old friendships intact with changing times.
Some of the memorable lines from the book:
• Nature is actually a school that happily teaches eager students the secret lessons of life.
• With time many things change – the situation changes, your need changes, your mood changes. But most of all, your maturity level changes.
• When an eagle is attacked by a flock of crows, it chooses to fly higher and out of the crows reach rather than fight back.
• If you desire what you deserve, it will come to you. But if you desire what you don’t deserve, you will run after it.
• Loving relationships thrive on acceptance and strangle on expectations.
• The fact is that a human is an average of five people he is surrounded most with.
• Inspirational ideas are never conceived by force, they are received by grace.
• A person who wants to hurt others is primarily hurting himself.
I highly recommend this enlighten book for all ages and for every field whether job or business; also it should be in every household’s bookshelf. Whenever you feel low read this book it will definitely rejuvenate your mood.
The cover image of the book is very unique, it’s just like reading this self-help book your aura will change from negative to positive, also it’s like you are taking the positive vibes from clouds or rather from heaven. Now the writing style and the pace of the author are so lucid that it easily dilutes in your mind. We are living in 21st century so the problems are high tech and how to come out of this problems; the author has showcased solutions from our age old epic i.e. Ramayana and Mahabharata.
The chapters of Open-eyed meditations start with problems facing in today’s world, and then the solutions are provided by giving the real incidents of Ramayana and Mahabharata. From my early childhood my grandmother used to tell many events from both this epics but after reading this book my knowledge for both this epic has been raised. This book is not like one time read or can be completed in one sitting but it should be read again and again for solutions in your life. We know stories from Ramayana and Mahabharata but didn’t find solution but author provided inspiring lessons through this book.
There are ample of self-help books in the market but why should you read this Open-eyed meditations; for the reason that it gives references from 2 oldest epic on which our Indian principles are being made. Also because of the deep knowledge on Ramayana and Mahabharata author is capable to transform your life in positive way through this book. I have read many self-help books but very few have touched my heart, this one is among them.
The chapters which I liked the most and also inspiring are: Are you programmed by someone else? 7 secrets of Innovation, A story about Communication and Keeping old friendships intact with changing times.
Some of the memorable lines from the book:
• Nature is actually a school that happily teaches eager students the secret lessons of life.
• With time many things change – the situation changes, your need changes, your mood changes. But most of all, your maturity level changes.
• When an eagle is attacked by a flock of crows, it chooses to fly higher and out of the crows reach rather than fight back.
• If you desire what you deserve, it will come to you. But if you desire what you don’t deserve, you will run after it.
• Loving relationships thrive on acceptance and strangle on expectations.
• The fact is that a human is an average of five people he is surrounded most with.
• Inspirational ideas are never conceived by force, they are received by grace.
• A person who wants to hurt others is primarily hurting himself.
I highly recommend this enlighten book for all ages and for every field whether job or business; also it should be in every household’s bookshelf. Whenever you feel low read this book it will definitely rejuvenate your mood.
February 24, 2017
Open-eyed Meditations talks about practical spirituality useful in daily life. The book isn’t the kind that you can read and forget; you need to read, and ponder over it, then try to apply the ideas. This is not the meditation in which we focus on our inner consciousness, but the process of contemplation on life problems through the insight offered by the ancient texts.
The simple, precise language, and short chapters provide for easy reading. I love the author’s judicial use of Mahabharata, and Ramayana to explain different concepts, and behaviour tendencies. The mention of familiar characters from these epics makes reading more interesting. However, it also results in repeated mentions of same incidents/anecdotes.
The book is definitely a must-read if you love self-help, and self improvement books.
* I received a review copy via Blogadda in exchange for an honest review.
Book Review: Open-eyed Meditations
The simple, precise language, and short chapters provide for easy reading. I love the author’s judicial use of Mahabharata, and Ramayana to explain different concepts, and behaviour tendencies. The mention of familiar characters from these epics makes reading more interesting. However, it also results in repeated mentions of same incidents/anecdotes.
The book is definitely a must-read if you love self-help, and self improvement books.
* I received a review copy via Blogadda in exchange for an honest review.
Book Review: Open-eyed Meditations
February 26, 2017
Increasingly most people are finding it difficult to find some one they trust and who will give them honest advice, though they face problems in their daily life. The book Open-Eyed Meditations gives honest and insightful advice on dealing with events and people who we may find unpleasant, stressful or make us angry. Reading a self help book can be boring, however Shubha Vilas has managed to ensure that the reader remains interested by cleverly incorporating incidents from the popular Indian mythological fables the Ramayana, and the Mahabharata . The episodes are rewritten in the modern day context, considering the lifestyle of those who are using the internet extensively.
One of the interesting chapters is how "Can your talent be your enemy" is especially useful for those in the internet and tech sector , as companies are likely to use unethical methods to acquire talent and technology cheaply, and talented, hardworking individuals are subjected to a lot of slander, harassment, as it tells how talent alone does not make a person successful.
One of the interesting chapters is how "Can your talent be your enemy" is especially useful for those in the internet and tech sector , as companies are likely to use unethical methods to acquire talent and technology cheaply, and talented, hardworking individuals are subjected to a lot of slander, harassment, as it tells how talent alone does not make a person successful.
June 30, 2019
Perhaps my expectations from this book were misplaced. I have over the years developed a distaste for any text that loosely uses the epics Ramayana and Mahabharata to explain away the concepts of the mind. It is quite evident in comparative literature that the various interpretations written about these texts are strictly from subjective opinion. It is my take that story-telling should no longer be an all encompassing factual narrative. The storyteller must in the beginning state that this is "his view of the view of the characters" represented in the story, before he proceeds to oversimplify or vilify some idea or situation. That said, the TOC of this book contains a list of common ego problems that anyone would want insight on. I just don't want to take all of my answers from Ramayana and Mahabharata because I have serious reservations about their status as the source of all solutions.
February 19, 2017
It is not just any self-help book but a unique book which everyone from all age groups can relate to. I loved reading each of the 64 topics, as each topic has its relevance in today’s world. Another unique feature of this book is the inclusion of short stories from Ramayana and Mahabharata under each topic The short stories make the book more interesting and keep a reader hooked onto it. It also breaks the stereotype that only Ramayana and Mahabharata are relevant in Hindu Mythology and has no significance in today’s realty. There are people who find Ramayana and Mahabharata quite boring, however this book has a great collection of stories which anyone will find useful and can find solutions to their problems. This book not only makes one reflect on career oriented decisions and professional life but also on personal and spiritual life.
March 1, 2017
The Epics, Ramayana and Mahabharata, besides being great stories are treasure trove of ancient wisdom. The short stories within these epics can become important life lesson...we just need to look, to understand.
It becomes easier to learn and comprehend this wisdom if someone guides in the right direction.
The book 'Open Eyed Meditations' is an attempt to help understand and answer the puzzle of day to day life.
I have read the earlier book 'Ramayana.......' by Shubha Vilas and though I was not much impressed by it, I still opted to read this new book mostly because I got curious.
And, I find this one much better than the previous one. "Open Eyed Meditations" has small nuggets of wisdom derived from the stories of the epics and applied in today's world.
Take for example the chapter 'Magic Carpet for Relationships' where author has given the perfect example of Krishna's love for Arjun. Krishna addressed Arjun by various names that were his qualities. By appreciating all his qualities Krishna had a lovable bond...a everlasting relationship with Arjun. Shubha Vilas has summed it well "The 5Cs of appreciation are continuous, constant, costructive, contemplative and conscious...it then become contagious and comes back to you"
Another chapter on whether love is defined in kisses and gifts, he gives the examples of deep love of Sita who sacrificed the worldly comforts to accompany Rama and of Urmila's love who sacrificed her right to be with her husband so that he may fulfill his duty. For a loving relationship what is required is an unconditional love and not superficial things like gifts etc.
An example which I found most interesting was in the chapter dealing with the choice of quantity or quality. In today's social media trending world, I have often wondered about those bloggers who claim to have thousands of followers and at times I have felt helpless when I compared myself to them. The example of Arjun who chose Krishna instead of Yadav army for Mahabharat battle and Duryodhana chose the entire Krishna's army clearly shows who chose quality and who chose the quantity. The Pandavas were victorious despite having smaller army because they had the quality brains and blessings of Krishna.
This example made me realize that number of followers on social media might not always mean that my work is of lesser or better quality! This story and the wisdom associated came to my notice at the time when I was feeling little dejected and it made sense to me....I am less worried now...I guess I knew this truth somewhere at the back of my logical thinking...it just needed to be prodded to come out.
There are 64 such chapters reflecting on life lessons that include little insights on love, relationships, leadership, courage, success, emotions, character and personality development. This book has tried to bring forth ancient wisdom for the modern lives in a very easy and simple way.
It is a good read and reader may get an unbiased third person viewpoint on certain issues that my ring true to them.
It becomes easier to learn and comprehend this wisdom if someone guides in the right direction.
The book 'Open Eyed Meditations' is an attempt to help understand and answer the puzzle of day to day life.
I have read the earlier book 'Ramayana.......' by Shubha Vilas and though I was not much impressed by it, I still opted to read this new book mostly because I got curious.
And, I find this one much better than the previous one. "Open Eyed Meditations" has small nuggets of wisdom derived from the stories of the epics and applied in today's world.
Take for example the chapter 'Magic Carpet for Relationships' where author has given the perfect example of Krishna's love for Arjun. Krishna addressed Arjun by various names that were his qualities. By appreciating all his qualities Krishna had a lovable bond...a everlasting relationship with Arjun. Shubha Vilas has summed it well "The 5Cs of appreciation are continuous, constant, costructive, contemplative and conscious...it then become contagious and comes back to you"
Another chapter on whether love is defined in kisses and gifts, he gives the examples of deep love of Sita who sacrificed the worldly comforts to accompany Rama and of Urmila's love who sacrificed her right to be with her husband so that he may fulfill his duty. For a loving relationship what is required is an unconditional love and not superficial things like gifts etc.
An example which I found most interesting was in the chapter dealing with the choice of quantity or quality. In today's social media trending world, I have often wondered about those bloggers who claim to have thousands of followers and at times I have felt helpless when I compared myself to them. The example of Arjun who chose Krishna instead of Yadav army for Mahabharat battle and Duryodhana chose the entire Krishna's army clearly shows who chose quality and who chose the quantity. The Pandavas were victorious despite having smaller army because they had the quality brains and blessings of Krishna.
This example made me realize that number of followers on social media might not always mean that my work is of lesser or better quality! This story and the wisdom associated came to my notice at the time when I was feeling little dejected and it made sense to me....I am less worried now...I guess I knew this truth somewhere at the back of my logical thinking...it just needed to be prodded to come out.
There are 64 such chapters reflecting on life lessons that include little insights on love, relationships, leadership, courage, success, emotions, character and personality development. This book has tried to bring forth ancient wisdom for the modern lives in a very easy and simple way.
It is a good read and reader may get an unbiased third person viewpoint on certain issues that my ring true to them.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 68 reviews