Break the box-Part 1!

Hello all,

Namaste! I want to let my blog readers know about my new website-swaroopa.net.  Very simple id, not the complicated blog id address. Wishing all my blog readers a very Happy Thanksgiving. Thank you for reading my blogs. Thank you for analyzing the concepts with your own mind. Only if there is someone to read or analyze or listen, words have power. Otherwise words are just words, a jumbled lot that makes no sense. So, finally Thank you for sharing your mind for the time you read my blog. That is a precious gift of sharing you are giving to me. Thank you. May you have a lovely holiday! Now to the post.

Last week we discussed how we have to become an Eagle and look at our own life from a very high perspective. Before that we discussed the importance of the present moment of 'Now' where the highest potential for any action lies. Even though, humans never realize, each of our life is a garland of lot of present moments. Our life turns out according to how we use these present moments.

In the moment of 'Now' the potential to create anything is hidden. But we also know any huge structure or organization needs the time and space to develop. When we consistently work on some goal with our deep will power and mental mettle, things start to take shape from the idea to the reality stage.

Mind: But here as humans we have many barriers to break. Our mind plays a huge role in our every day life. But are we our mind? Many times a human who has not done deep contemplation mistakes oneself to be their mind. We have discussed mind so many times, sometimes it becomes redundant to repeat the same thing. But that is the fact.

A person who has not developed awareness lives in the concept that they are their mind. Now, due to this thought process anytime a good or bad thought occurs we fall culprit to it. Thoughts are just thoughts. But that thought comes into our reality only when we follow it with actions. Let us take an example. Consider a college kid who is studying well. He/She has good grades and is pursuing their degree.

Now, one day the student came across some other friends who were in an organization that is working towards some political propaganda. Here the kid has the choice. As of now they came across some individuals, that is all. Whatever they have is just in their thought realm. Only according to the actions they take, things would manifest in their life. This kid could say bye and go back to their every day normal college life. They would get a degree and later pursue their career.

The mind- conscious as well as the subconscious!
Image credits- Pixabay.com

The other choice is, they find out when the meetings for the organization happens. They start to become a regular visitor to the meetings. Soon enough the thoughts that were there only in their mind is starting to show up in their reality. Now, they realize there is recruitment happening for some conspiracy. Soon they find themselves in the front line of the conflict. Here the true culprit is their own mind and the deep non-awareness. 

This is how many times college kids end up as jihad warriors in Syria or Iraq. By the time they wake up and become aware, things would have gone very much out of hand. Mind you, this is also true about deep passions and desires we have for ourself. If we follow those intentions with actions, those also are brought to our reality. It is the same for good as well as bad choices.

Another thing, the minds of young kids are like sponge. It absorbs any thing that is fed to it. If we feed them universal love and openess, the kids grow into true global citizens. Many propaganda organizations know this about the young minds. That is why the terrorist organizations recruit kids who are seven to eighteen year old? This is truly to control their mind. A kid's mind is like a blank slate. Whatever is being written from seven to seventeen year of age stays, as deep subconscious information and view points.

We, the normal everyday humans never realize this fact of how kids can be molded into individuals who become adults that can be the soldiers of a terrorist or propaganda network. So, it is imperative for our humanity itself to bring up young kids as broad-minded, openhearted loving individuals. The word, written as well as spoken and thought has enormous, innate power.

To change the mind or the thought process. So, it becomes imperative for people to know what they are mentally eating. Buddha has said, "We are our thoughts". This is true in another sense as well. We become our thoughts. The actions we take are according to the thought process we have. If we have a positive mindset, that reflects in our every day life. Same with negativity as well. Instead of realizing the potential of mind to create good or bad according to our thought process, we go through life as if sleep walking.

Conditioning: Till now we discussed how the mind can affect our life. Above this the conditioning we go through from our childhoods onward as well deeply affects our mindset. A kid who grew up in a close minded family, we can be very sure would be close minded when they become adults. For example, in some cultures, women are not allowed to show their face. It is considered a big mistake to show their face. But as they have grown up in that culture from very young age, it becomes okay for them to not show their face and hide their identity under clothes.

Yes, every one has their free will and choice. But isn't every one created unique with their own talents and passions. Are any of us cookie cutters? So, in such a case, is it correct or Dharmic to keep women under clothes wrapped as a non-identity? If as a being we have unique nature, talents, and passions, it is to develop our own identity. It is to be as unique as ourselves and thrive in the 'innate power' as a being. So, in such a case, how can it be correct to keep women or even men under wraps and not allow them to develop their own identity?

    A tradition in the USA- The Thanksgiving. Wishing all a very Happy Thanksgiving!
   Image credits- Pixabay.com

This is the clash of the modernism and traditionalism that happens nowadays. In many places, this gets into a clash. Age-old customs and conditioning at war with modernism and progressiveness. Many times religions that thrive in ancient customs find it difficult to embrace the progressiveness and the mindset of modernization. The clash that is happening in the Sabarimala temple in the state of Kerala, India is an example of this. 

In this temple for many years, women between the age of puberty has not been allowed. Now, ladies of puberty age wants to visit this temple. Should it be allowed or not? Should the religious custom move aside for the progressive mentality? Okay, then should all the believers of this custom keep quiet and move aside? As of now, my mind is being pulled to both sides. 

One side who deeply believes in Gods and their customs is saying, change should happen, but at its own time and space. Change should never be forced or should not be put as a dangling sword over one's head. We are ignoring the religious beliefs of many by forcing progressiveness. That type of forced change brings unrest and civil war. The other side that is very progressive is saying change that opens up the freedom to pray for everyone should be welcomed. One thing is certain, for such questions, many times there are no easy answers.

Here, there is another important aspect we are forgetting. We are trying to break the barriers outside, in the physical reality. But what about the boxes or barriers, we carry within? We have discussed many times- 'Our inner reality reflects outside'. How much good it is to break the outside barriers while we carry divisions, compartments and dissension within?

Inner forts: As humans we carry a lot of boxes or barriers. These all are heavy burdens on us. Within these boxes we tend to spend our lives. We have the box of family, religion, culture, country, community and more. Yes, all these are good. It gives us a sense of belonging to some clan or tribe. Good, even great. But the question is, should we allow these divisions to come between humans when we interact with one another?

This is where humans falter. We are not able to see the human beneath the Hindu, Muslim, Christian, American. English, Indian, Protestant, Catholic, Brahmin, Nair, Shia, Sunni, African-american, Caucasian or any number of cultures, religions, customs or parties. Beneath all these divisions, one thing ties us together- humanity. That gets lost many times in these partitions.

If we see that human, front and center, we would embrace every person as they are with all their culture, customs, religions and mindsets. But within all these divisions, we lost the human.The society was made for humans. It is not the other way around. Humans were not made for society. So, here another important concept comes into focus. One is not born into humanity. One has to develop humanity.

Our inner mental barriers!
Image credits- Pixabay.com

The openness to see another human being who with all their unique culture, attitude and mindset, with all of it, is still a human-a bag of blood and bones. If we are able to see that humanness in another, we would never be able to do atrocities on another. So, here as humans, haven't we allowed religion, caste, class, parties and politics to interfere unnecessarily in our innate connectedness? Why do we always see people as us and them? It can be alien, infidel, non-believer, believer or the "other".
Who is this other? Have we even seen one person who was not born on this Earth? Have we seen a person from Mercury, Mars, Venus, Jupiter or Saturn? Other! Who is this other? This other, is just another human being who was born on this very same Earth. Breathing the same air. Drinking the same water. Other! Infidel! Alien! Isn't it totally pathetic, how we are acting?

Break the barriers (box): This shows the barriers or boxes are not outside. But it is within us. It is in our mind. Not outside. Instead of breaking these boxes that are within us, we try to break the barriers outside. Again remember the spiritual law- 'Our inner reality reflects outside'. Without doing anything to our own mindset we try to change the status-quo, outside.

Is there any wonder we are continuing the same old wars or bickering decade after decade? We are fighting wars outside while maintaining our status-quo inside. The barriers are within our mind, not outside. It is only a very openhearted individual who with all the trappings of personality outside would be able to see the human being underneath.

As long as we cannot see the human beneath every thing, it doesn't matter how much ever religious, spiritual, disciplined or honorable we are, we have not reached the virtue called humanity. If we cannot treat another as a pure human, it doesn't matter how much ever education, tags, titles and accolades we have, we are still falling short, in the eyes of the Universe.

Bible says, "Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself". Is the neighbor only the same skin colored person who lives across the street or can the neighbor be a different colored person who lives across the globe?

This shows how we are allowing our conditioning and boxes to tie us down. It doesn't matter, what our physical reality expects. It matters what our inner reality perceives. Because it is the inner reality that always manifests as outer reality, either today or in another few months. Instead of realizing this, each one of us try to push against the outer reality and is in the constant struggle of trying to change our life's physical status quo. How would it get changed as long as we are in the same mental concept and mind set?

Jesus and Buddha walked this Earth to show this 'deep reality', which many times humans miss to see. Today we have made them Gods and pray to them. They were true Masters who showed how we can capture our own innate power. Any day we keep someone on a pedestal and pray to them, we always ends up on the lower level. These Masters and even the Gods of all the religion are showing the power we have, to capture our own reality from within our inside- our mind.

The reality of our inner realm- The mind!
Image credits- Pixabay.com

Aham Brahma Asmi! I am the creator of my experiences. Instead of realizing this, we look to outside, to religion, to culture, to Gods, to Jesus, to Buddha to fix our issues. If we ourselves don't have belief in us, how can a God believe in us to fix our issue? See, my viewpoint? We keep on praying and our issues just keep on showing up. Instead what should be our true prayer to the divine?

Please Divine, grant me the awareness to realize my problems. Grant me the courage to fix the issues of my life. Grant me the wisdom to look at a problem in the eye and resolve it. Grant me the mental mettle to stand strong in my virtues, when outer circumstances try to push me down. Grant me the deep honesty to be truthful to myself and take charge of my own life and energies.

See, the difference? Here we are the persons who takes actions. Not an entity outside of ourselves, trying to come in and fix our issues. The second we realize this and take charge of our life, things start to change. Of course, there is a caveat- We need to have deep trust or faith in ourselves. Otherwise it is just the shenanigans of mental noise. No effective outcome takes place.

This is the fix we humans find ourselves in. We carry the mental concepts or barriers that keep us stuck lifetime after lifetime for eternity. Break every mental box or the barrier we put ourselves into. Become the Eagle that flies the highest of the mental and emotional realms! May the Divine help us to break the box!

I wish you a good weekend and I'll see you next Friday! 😉

Next week: Break the box-Part 2!
Credits: Wikimedia Commons and  Pixabay.com