LIFE AND YOU (I)

Editor's Note:

The following is a random collection on the meaning of life based on

quotations from the greatest authors and philosophers over the ages.

The interpretations are strictly those of the editor, but the message is

universal and worthy of serious consideration.

1.
“If you want to know the past, to know what has caused you;
Look at yourself in the Present, for that is the past's effect.
If you want to know your future, then look at yourself in the Present;
For that is the cause of the future."

The above quotation taken from the Majjhima Nikaya, the Buddhist holy book, speaks volumes to anyone in search of self determination. The message is both simple and profound.

You are the collective unconsciousness of all that has gone before you, and within you lies everything that has occurred in the past that has caused you to be who you are. Like the rings in the great oak tree that tells us everything, good and bad, that has occurred over the centuries of its life, so too are you, a true reflection of your past.

Therefore it is vitally important that you spend time to reflect on all that has gone before you and to learn from this who you really are and where you want to be. For without this knowledge, your future will be nothing but a random series of encounters without reason and without direction and your journey through life will be that of the lowly ant;

You arrive, you live and you die and you leave a void

to be filled by the next ant.

Instead, your life will have true meaning only if you understand whom you really are, what your role is meant to be and above all, you follow the path laid out for you, to reach the glory that you are destined to be.

2.
"When you are inspired by some great purpose, some extraordinary project,

all your thoughts break their bonds:

our mind transcends limitations, your consciousness expands in every direction,

and you find yourself in a new, great, and wonderful world.

Dormant forces, faculties and talents become alive,

and you discover yourself to be a greater person by far

than you ever dreamed yourself to be."

These words, contained in a brief introductory statement in the enormously influential Yoga Sutras, acknowledged as the foundational text of Yoga, crystallize the wisdom of one of India's greatest philosophers Patanjali.

The fundamental aim of Yoga is to assist us to attain a better understanding of ourselves, and to achieve a higher level of awareness and enlightenment. By encountering and transcending all our weaknesses and our inadequacies, we are able to unleash a more confident and comfortable attitude in our lives and exercise better control of our environment.
All of us will have no difficulty in identifying people in our lives whose actions we have admired and respected. We have tended to assign special status to these people and place them in special categories. But the truth is that we all possess the potential to transcend our limitations. We need only to find the key to unlock the energy within us, to control the negative shackles that bind us and to release the power within us.
Yoga, by a system of profound meditation and self evaluation, is designed to release these energies and assist us to arrive at that exalted position of union of the body, the mind and the spirit where our true self emerges.
But the truth is that we do not need to be practitioners of Yoga to achieve our full potential. What we do need however, is a process of systematically identifying, encountering and overcoming each of our negative constraints, neutralizing their impact upon us and thus allowing the free spirit to come alive.
To achieve this, we must begin by adopting a sense of purpose and direction, and to working diligently to achieve this. Whichever you choose however, must be consistent with the basic principles of life and the natural laws of nature of doing no harm to others, recognizing the unity of all living beings and a sense of universal humanity.

This is, and has always been, the underlying principle of all the great religions of the world and one which will carry you to the pinnacle of your potential.




3.
"People take different roads seeking fulfillment and happiness.
Just because they're not on your road doesn't mean they've gotten lost."

Often quoted by His Holiness Dalai Lama, this statement is a powerful indictment of the hypocrisy and prejudice that exists in the world. We are quick to judge others who appear or think or act different than us. We have all grown up with such deep seated prejudices that we instinctly believe that what we do is always correct and therefore anything that is different is likely to be wrong.

No one really takes the time to teach us that in nature there are invariably many solutions to an existing situation, and that they are all correct. This single omission is directly responsible for all the tragedies, all the suffering, all the antagonisms that exist between and among individuals, groups, communities and nations.
It is a lot easier to blame others for our own shortcomings and distinctly more convenient to maintain power and control by projecting the difference in others as a threat to survival.

Throughout the ages in every society and among all peoples of the world, there has occurred such vast and unwarranted suffering in the name of difference than in anything else. We have used the excuse of race, religion, appearance and social status to perpetrate these atrocities and continue to do so presently.
Yet the fundamental truth is that our lives will become so much more fulfilled if we begin to set aside our fears and prejudices and learn to accept all others for who they really are, rather than who we think they might be.

A life dominated by love and understanding, rather than the present distrust and fear should be the unequivocal goal of all who genuinely seek the true nirvana .


4.

"Too many of us are not living our dreams,
because we are living our fears."

This quotation attributed to the American motivational speaker, Les Brown, has always been one of my favorites. During my many years of medical practice I have had innumerable opportunities to refer to it with my patients to illustrate a fundamental truth.

There is no doubt in my mind that at some time or another we have all fallen victim of failing to achieve our dream because of fear and anxiety. As a result we suffer significant loss and regret. In fact it represents the single most important factor which limits human behavior and compromises the choice of action.
We see it in so many situations; when the child holds back from jumping into the pool, or riding the bicycle or approaching the teacher because of the fear of failure. We also see it when we avoid accepting a challenge or stepping forward to assist because we may falter, or when we fail to comment on a situation to avoid embarrassment or to hurt others. The outcome of all of these inevitably leaves a sense of dissatisfaction and regret.
In the wider picture when we deliberately submerge our deepest desires, hopes and dreams of achieving a goal because of a paralysis of fear or inadequacy, we inevitably suffer pangs of regret and negativity that leave scars and compromise further action, affecting even our psyche.
The answer to this state of mind involves first being honest to yourself and recognize your failing, and then converting this insight into positive action by developing a sense of direction and purpose and acting in faith until confidence is restored.

Without this, we will end up like so many people, drifting hopelessly in the seas of despair subjected to the tides and winds around us and seeking help from anyone and everyone.