Perception

Perception

‘The physical world is a projection of our mind’.

Does it mean that the world is not real?

Does it mean that it is just an illusion of the mind and not a reality?

I think it simply means that we see the objective world through our mind. The way we perceive and the thoughts we project give it a different meaning.

Everything around us can be meaningless or meaningful according to our perception. For example, there was a rock on the side of our street that we passed every day, but we hardly noticed it. This rock had no significance for us. Then, one day we brought it and placed it in front of our house. Now, it became a significant land mark for our guests and visitors.

In another scenario, someone else could have seen it as a deity and prayed to it. The same rock, which had no significance before, has now become an object of worship. It’s not the rock, but the perception of the seer that changed the concept. 

The meaning we give to something or someone may not be as concrete and real as the object itself. Different people may have different perception and meaning for the same object or a person.

For example, everyone passing by our house will not look at it the same way as we do.

One person can be seen differently by different people; as father or son, mother or daughter, boss or subordinate, friend or enemy, teacher or a student, colleague or a mentor, or he could be totally insignificant for others.

The drops of dew on leaves or flowers in the early morning may have different meaning for different people. One looks at them as simply few drops of water, while a happy & cheerful person perceives them as beautiful pearls. Yet another, extremely sad person may think of them as tears… as if nature was also crying with him.

As long as we remember that our perception of the world and meanings we attribute to its objects is subjective, we will not create divisions and hatred. The clash occurs when we start believing and insisting that our perception and meaning is the right one and everyone else is wrong.

                                                                                ‘Rajan Sachdeva’

"Four Laws of Spirituality”

"Four Laws of Spirituality”

​A couple of years ago, I read “Four Laws of Spirituality in Indian philosophy”

The first law​ ​said: "The person who comes in our life, is the right person"

​That is; ​ no one comes into our lives by chance, all the people around us, all  those who​​ interact with us, they are there for a reason, to make us learn and advance in each situation.

The second law says: "What happens is the only thing that could have happened."

Nothing, absolutely nothing of what happens to us in our lives could have happened otherwise.

There is no "if we had done it differently, it would have turned out differently...”

What happened was the only thing that could have happened,
and it must have been for us to learn that lesson and move on.

Each and every one of the situations that happen in our lives is perfect.

But our mind and ego will resist and do not want to accept it.


The third law says: "Whenever it starts is the right time."

It all starts at the right time, neither before nor after.

When we are ready to start something new in our lives, that's when it starts.

And the fourth and final: "When something is supposed to end, it ends."

Just like that. If something ended in our life,​it is for our evolution, to enrich our experience.

So it is best to accept it, leave it, move on and move forward.

​ I think it may not be just a​coincidence that we are talking about this today.

If this thought, this text came into our lives today; it could be because we have to understand that no snowflake ever falls in the wrong place, at the wrong time. "

                                                         

                                                                     "Rajan Sachdeva"

Mantra

MANTRA

How it works and when

Mantra is a Sanskrit word.

It is a combination of Man and Tra.

‘Man’ is Mind and “Tra’ means to overcome, control or discipline.

So the Mantra, by definition, is by which one can control the mind.

‘Sumiran’ – repeating certain Mantra or a phrase, according to almost all Holy Scriptures is the best way to tame the mind.

We know that mind cannot do two things at one time. We can train the body or our senses to do certain things with auto-memory by practicing over and over. We do not have to pay much attention to perform many routine actions such as cooking, cleaning, driving or jogging etc. Our mind could be thinking of hundred other things while doing these things that we are so used to. Once we have perfected it, certain professional work like weaving, sewing, farming or operating small harmless machines etc. can also be done without much guidance from the mind. We can listen to music, talk to friends on phone or think about other things and our body can keep working almost like a machine.

But the mental work, like serious mathematical calculations, accounting - solving a serious problem or a difficult puzzle, performing a difficult musical composition in an orchestra, require undivided concentration on the task at hand. One small distraction or one unrelated thought for friction of a second can become the cause of a big mistake. Mind cannot be at two places.

This is how the Mantra works. If we concentrate on certain Mantra, the mind cannot wander around. If it does, then it means the mind is not ‘on the Mantra’ or the ‘Sumiran’.  It can only be at one place.

We can train our tongue to keep repeating the ‘Mantra’ while mind is wandering somewhere else, but that will defy the whole purpose of the Mantra or ‘Sumiran’, which is to control the mind, not to train the senses.

This is exactly what H.H. Baba ji said by giving the analogy of the ‘mobile and a land-line phone’ - that mobile phone is excellent, but if there is no signal, we need to use the land line. 

Similarly, try to focus on the name of Nirankar, Almighty God, while doing the routine work. But practically, doing Sumiran 24/7 is extremely hard, especially while doing some serious mental work. So we should find some time during the day to do some ‘concentrated Sumiran’ – by focusing only on “Nirankar”.

                                                                                  ‘Rajan Sachdeva’

Life and Death

 Between their births and their deaths,
 three out of ten are attached to life,

 three out of ten are attached to death,

 three out of ten are just idly passing through.

Only one knows how to die and stay dead and still go on living.

That one hasn't any ambitions, hasn't any ideas, makes no plans. 

From this mysterious place of not-knowing and non-doing he gives birth to whatever is needed in the moment. Because he is constantly filling his being with non-being, he can travel the wilds without worrying about tigers or wild buffalo, or he can cross a battlefield without armor or weapon.

No tiger can claw him. No buffalo can gore him. No weapon can pierce him.

Why is this so? 

Because he has already died, there isn't any more room for death in him.

                                                                 ( Taken from an unknown source of 'Tao' )