Awareness

Awareness is the state of mind where one is able to “observe sans judgment” i.e. the state where “that is” is seen for “what it is.” By consistent training the mind will be able to effortlessly direct itself to be aware of that which it is directed to.

The practical benefit of developing the practice of “being aware” is that it helps us to separate the real options we have from those that pretend to be options. This is a critical quality to develop as in today’s fast paced world, where we are pushed to “decision making” every moment.

“Being aware” allows our senses to perform their roles properly at all times. Till we are aware we will not aware of the possibilities of our senses! Senses provide fodder to our mind. The input from the state of awareness can then be processed to understand whether our intentions and actions are coated with our personal likes and dislikes. If so, then it is clear that the quality of our decisions would suffer.

The practice of “Being aware” allows us to “live in the present” as awareness can only understand present, for its very meaning itself is devoid of past or future. When practiced, the mind is not left to the clutches of the past worries or future anxieties thus decimating the tendency to self-create stress in our lives.

Awareness is the key to understanding. Understanding is the first step towards maturity. Maturity is the launch pad for spiritual exploration. Spiritual exploration is the only journey that we are ever required to undertake. Awareness is the key to understanding because it helps us to assimilate and digest the knowledge gathered or given to us to mature into wisdom. This is because it gives us a proper perspective to see, a proper platform to evaluate and a proper mindset to accept truth as it is.

Awareness is the precursor to concentration as when the former happens effortlessly the latter follows the suit.

One can try the following Yogic process to feel the efficacy of “Being Aware.”

1. Sit in Sukhasana, Padmasana, Vajrasana, or Ardha-padmasana as the Asanas[1] have the innate quality to allow our head, neck and back to be in a straight line. This alignment is necessary for all spiritual processes.
2. Be aware of all the sounds[2] around you. It could be right from the sound of the air conditioner, fan or any gadget inside the room to chirping of the birds and rustling of the leaves due to the breeze, outside the room. Always start being aware of the farthest object from you and gradually move your awareness to the objects close to you. In this way we are allowing the mind to gradually reduce the sphere of our distraction.
3. Now, ‘be aware’ of your breath. The points to note are: (a) Make sure to inhale and exhale ONLY through the nostrils. (b) Inhale and exhale at own rhythm without making noise.
   (c) Gradually, when we begin to observe our breath, it will on its own get deeper. This happens effortlessly.
4. Count the number of breaths. One ‘inhalation and exhalation’ is to be taken as count 1. Likewise we should observe our breathing process 108 times counting from 108 down[3] to 1. There is no competition. Do it at your own pace. We are counting the breath and not the duration of each inhalation and exhalation. This is at individual’s capacity and discretion.
5. Once you reach the count 1. Let go of the count and just be aware of the breath.
6. After a few minutes of breath awareness, gently bring your awareness to your body.
7. Then, be aware of all the sounds around.
8. Rub your palms to generate some heat and press the palms gently on the closed eyes.
9. With a few blinks, open your eyes and retain the state of silence for at least 5 - 10 minutes.

This process when internalized, gives the ability to step back before responding to life’s situations. In fact it is awareness that translates an encounter into an experience.

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[1] Patanjali Yoga sutra (2:46) says: “sthiram sukham asanam…”
[2] Sabda is the subtlest of the panch-tanmatras. The thumb rule: ‘the subtle is powerful than the gross.’
[3] Counting down helps us to turn-in!

An attempt to understand Indian-ness & leverage it!

“You can take a man out of India but not India out of a man.” What is India’s heritage and tradition that led to such an anecdote? This spurned a serious of questions and the answers to which form this small booklet.

Introduction
A decade back (in 1996) when India was gradually waking up to the calls of liberalization, an article appeared in Mumbai edition of Ascent, the supplement with Times of India by C.A. Stephen, the then Manager (Training) Bharat Petroleum. The article stated, “...Unlike Japanese and US managers, the Indian manager does not have a commonly shared philosophical base for his managerial behavior. There could be various reasons namely, lack of appreciation of ancient Indian philosophy, semi-westernized education which does not include Indian thought etc...”

When we extrapolate Stephen’s observation, we will find that it actually reflects the present state of each and every Indian whether he / she is a resident, non-resident or PIO (Person of Indian Origin).

Now everyday there are news about Indian corporates buying out companies across globe bigger than their size. We find a lot of Indian students opting to study abroad and also excelling in studies, research and employment. Add this to the booming local economy and increased employment opportunities we can clearly see that the much needed self-confidence seems to be back in us.

In his recent interview, Greg Chappell the famed Australian who coaches the Indian Cricket team has praised India in general for her “resilient nature” after the Indian test cricket team’s resounding win over their South African counterparts. Keeping the information outlined in the above paragraphs in the background, we need to think how all these positive changes are taking place now in the Indian mindset. We also, at this juncture, try to know our glorious tradition that is renewed by the evolution of our culture over centuries and the heritage that our forefathers have left behind to treasure. This understanding will reveal our psyche and help us to scale great heights without losing touch with reality.

Alvin Toffler said that Earth is a Global Village, which is nothing but the English approximation of Vasudaiva Kutumbakam - our time tested traditional thinking. India is one country where civilization flourished when in other parts of the globe people were wandering without proper clothing and food in the forests.

India is a repository and depository of a glorious tradition and culture carefully brought down by (a) the Gurukul system founded by the great Rishis of the hoary past, (b) the joint family system where the elders at home who along with food creatively fed the children moral values at supper times and (c) professional story tellers (the bhagavatas – the one who relish in sharing the divine sport of the Lord in various forms through elucidating the stories from Puranas and Ithihasas) who spread the message of Dharma i.e. principles to lead life amicably. Th list can be expanded to include the intelligent traders who sailed overseas or walked over the towering snow capped Himalayan ranges to engage in business, whether it is a barter or bilateral trade. It was in those times, without the present 10+2+X education system we contributed to more that 15% of the World’s GDP.

Without getting into the technicalities of the Sanskrit words, without attempting to prove that we are the most ancient civilizations, without attempting to prove that our Indian system of life is the best, an attempt has been made to present a picture of who are we and also reveal the treasures that have been left behind by our forefathers. Though this may not drastically change our lives but would surely help us to get a much broader perspective of life as we would derive strength from our own roots and flower due to the understanding of our complex yet simple nation.

This process may rekindle fond memories of your childhood and also for some it may cause depression as they will figure out how the present education system has clinically begun to destroy the very edifice of our tradition and culture. Today we are at a juncture where we are able to discuss and share the fundamental truths that the mass is blissfully unaware in a language, English, that the Macaulay system gave us. May be we were not ready earlier to receive the light on our tradition and also the absence of a mass acceptable language was absent. So instead of decrying the past and denouncing Macaulay, let us focus on the present to understand our tradition and chart a way for our future.

They say that evolution is a conscious process that involves decision making. Moreover the quality of our decisions is measured by the foresight that one exhibits in this process. So from now on let our decisions making process derive benefit from the repository of knowledge and distilled wisdom left behind as our indelible assets by our forefathers.

Each Indian is a Hanuman, time has come to awake him / her up with appropriate thoughts, and truths from traditions of his / her own country, which (it seems) has been forgotten long back. This awakening will help us to evaluate situations we face, tackle them according to their merit, learn from the results and evolve. It is imperative that we all search for our roots and be aware of it, as awareness is keyword in life. All we have to develop at this juncture is an objective and penetrating outlook into our culture and tradition. As Marcel Proust said,” The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes but in having a new pair of eyes.”

Parting note….
There are instances in this introduction as well as the content to follow where the reader would feel disjointed or incomplete. It is done with a purpose to urge you to go into details yourself. This small booklet is not intended to be a be-all resource but aimed to serve as a starting point to your own journey that needs to be planned by yourself at your own pace.