By Rakesh Ahuja
Since teenhood, I have long been interested in spirituality, in ways and means of living my life. Stoicism (Marcu Aurelius\’ Meditations) and Existentialism (Kierkegaard\’s Either-Or) started it all. Both philosophies became two constants in my life. Both also led me to uncompromising rejection of Religion, and that constant has indeed remained a true constant in my life.
After a somewhat dissolute and hedonistic life, it was only around 30 that I started reading literally tens of Philosophical and spiritual treatises ranging from Tolle, Zen and Tao masters, Buddha, Nietzche, Rumi, Epictetus, Seneca, Ram Das, Krishnamurti, Satre and many, many more. I recorded and took bits and pieces from each and tried to incorporate certain precepts in my day-to-day life. Regrettably, I confess, mostly unsuccessfully, but I at least knew that another way of thinking existed.
Now l have started sifting through personal diaries going back to my mid-mid-teens. One earliest lesson I learnt from my mother and actually absorbed to a limited extent was the value of journaling; she was a prolific letter writer and thinker. (Totally unrecognised in the unabashed patriarchy of those times.) It occurs to me that I should share whatever spiritual concepts about living a meaningful life struck me. It is another issue whether or not I followed them; most fell by the wayside, but I will record them as part of my Life\’s Journey. That may be helpful to someone, somewhere.
Incidentally, I will amend the record below as I proceed with rereading my diaries and more aspects and nuances come to light.
Finally, apart from the few thoughts I formulated, the rest of what follows below is obviously not original. It records what others said or wrote.
Throughout history, there have been two burning questions that have captivated the hearts and minds of human beings everywhere: Why am I here? And what’s the meaning of life?
They are the mothership of all questions, shrouded in mystery and magic. And certainly hard to answer.
Yet, still we try.
Perhaps Rumi — the great Persian mystic poet — came as close as anyone when he said:
“You are not a drop in the ocean, you are the ocean in a dropâ€
Practice Gratitude
I am awake; I am still here. I am breathing. And when I stop breathing, who will complain to whom? I can see the green world: I can breathe, think, read and express myself in writing; I can feel, smell and taste food – and enjoy and love.
Today is a bonus day. It may be my last on earth. I must not waste time. I must take action, any action and build my life anew for today. Tomorrow is another day. It can never be guaranteed. If it comes, it will be tomorrow\’s today. and the same approach will apply. . Be grateful for another moment in life to live, to love and be loved.
There is nothing to complain about.
Practice Compassion
No one is less important than me; no one is more important than me. And that is so for all.
I must be kind to myself, and then only I will extend genuine kindness to others. Smiles, positive feelings and thoughts will elicit the like.
Practice \”Notice\”
Life is a sum of moments. Live in the Nowness of each and every action. Thoughts wander in as we are doing something, but the watchword is \”Notice\” – an injunction to self to take notice of what you are doing, whether it be washing dishes or exercising or whatever. The point is that when one takes notice, one stops thinking of the else; mid stops wandering.
Jettison Negative Chatter
Negative thoughts and feelings frequently invade the mind. In my case, it has been a lifelong fault to have an imaginary conversation with another, based on some incident or the other, and creating a confrontational scenario. Invariably, I am left with a stressful feeling, a product of an imagined conversation. All negative chatter must be jettisoned as soon as it enters the mindstream.
I Am What I Think I Am
One is how one thinks one is. Am I feeling well? If I say no. I will only add to that unwellness; the mind will confirm. It is important to Notice oneself, one\’s state, and veer towards a positive perception of one\’s being.
Sartre: \”We are our choices\”. \”Not only is man what he conceives himself to be, but he is also only what he wills himself to be after this thrust toward existence. Man is nothing else but what he makes of himself. Such is the first principle of existentialism.â€
