Business to the Buddha

Tag: mind

  • Endless trip of the mind

    Over thinking can cause a lot of damage. This endless trip of mind creates two worlds within our mind. It is difficult to tame the monkey mind. An easy solution is meditation. My personal experience is Art of living part Happiness Program helps in multiple ways.

    Meditation helps in more than one ways. I shall share a recent incident some time in future. Until I get time to write my experience, here is a wonderful story from the book I have referred multiple times on my blog post – Prayers of the frog.

    Our one mind creates so much of trouble, understand Ravana had ten and the disaster it caused. Better to have a head over shoulders that is balanced, isn’t it? Wish you a very Happy Dussehra and I leave you with these thoughts of bringing peace.

    Endless trip of the mind

    Samuel was down in the dumps and who could blame him? His landlord had ordered him out of the apartment and he had nowhere to go. Suddenly the light dawned. He could live with his good friend Moshe. The thought brought Samuel much comfort until it was assailed by another thought. Samuel thought “what makes you so sure that Moshe will put you up at his place?” “Why wouldn’t he?” Came another question in his mind. He said to himself sharply “After all it is I who found him the place he is living in now; and it was I who advanced him the money to pay his rent for the first six months. Surely the least he could do is put me up for a week or so when I am in trouble.”

    That settled the matter in Samuel’s mind, until after dinner. After dinner, his mind again took a trip of thoughts; “Suppose Moshe were to refuse?” “Refuse?” Samuel again reasoned in his mind; “Why in God’s name would he refuse?” The man owes me everything he has. It is I who got him the job, it is I who introduced him to that lovely wife who has borne him the three sons he glories in. Will he grudge me a room for a week? Impossible.”

    Once again, Samuel’s mind settled until he go to the bed. He could not sleep as the thoughts came back “But just suppose Moshe were to refuse. What then?” This was too much for Samuel. His mind was on an endless trip, the thoughts continued “How the hell could he refuse?” Samuel was losing his temper in thoughts itself. His mind continued the chain of thoughts “If the man is alive today it is because of me. I saved him from drowning when he was a kid. Will he be so ungrateful as to turn me out into the streets in the middle of winter?”

    This mental exercise continued in Samuel’s mind; “Just suppose…”. Poor Samuel struggled with it as long as he could. Finally, he got out of the bed around 2 AM in the morning, went over to Moshe’s home, and kept ringing the doorbell until Moshe, half-asleep, opened the door and said in astonishment, “Samuel! What is it? What brings you here in the middle of the night?” Samuel was so angry by now he could not keep himself from yelling, “I’ll tell you what brings me here at this hour of the mind! If you think I’m going to ask you to put me up even for a single day, you’re mistaken. I don’t want to have anything to do with you, your house, your wife, or your family. To hell with you all!” With that, he turned on his heel and walked away.

    How to get over it

    Before your mind or relationships explode like Samuel’s did, my experience based suggestion would be – register for a course mostly happening online during Covid or reach out to me I shall try to connect you with someone who can help you attend an upcoming course.

  • Focus







    It was a carefree weekend, I woke up as usual in early morning and was brushing my teeth. Chirping of birds, how did I miss it everyday? Today, I heard it clearly and with full attention. The thought came in mind again – I don’t even remember hearing this good morning call of birds; everyday.

    Is it a distraction from outside or there is some distraction inside? I left this thought as it is. It is difficult for ego to accept that something within can also be a distraction and cause botheration. It means – ego finds it difficult to accept the problem was/is itself / inside.

    These thoughts kept on lingering in mind. After two weeks of these thoughts, this Sunday I went for my regular group meditation practice. At the Art of living center, where we were doing our practice I got the answer. Renu di – the teacher – briefly discussed what is needed –

    Wherever your focus is, other things become distraction. If your focus is clear there may not be any distraction. On the contrary you may, once in a while, notice something and with awe observe it and move on to your focused activity. “Distractions are felt if you are not centered”

    [Tweet “Distractions are felt if you are not centered”]

    This Sunday during our session, a generator was switched-ON nearby, naturally it was noisy. However, we all could do our meditation easily. Renu di asked us – how was the session? Almost everyone had a good practice. She further asked – how many of you felt the loud noise was a distraction? It was not a distraction to any one. She added – whenever you are jittery go inside, when outside world distracts you, go inside. If there is anything bothering you observe yourself you will find botheration are when your focus changes.

    Life is easy, we complicate it by the concept of Monday blue and Friday fun. Even a Monday can be fun so can any other day. Just listen to the chirping of birds, give mind some rest, focus on what you are doing and life is fun.

    Image source – Pixabay – fxxu

  • All is in the mind







    Mr MundhraI recently had privilege to meet Mr BD Mundhra Chairman emeritus of Simplex Infrastructure. He was kind enough to spend some time with us and share his perspective on spirituality, business and life at large. I shall share what I learnt from him in future blogs. Here is a short story from the book Happy Life (Sukhi Jeevan) written by Late Shree Madhodas Ji Mundhra, that he gifted to us.

    In a village lived a Sadhu. He used to cook for himself. One day he prepared his meal as usual. He invited two persons from the village to join him for the meal. He had prepared a meal of lentils, rice, some greens with a chutney. While serving the two, he served both his invitees equal portions. But he discriminated when it came to the chutney. He served the chutney to one but not to the other. The deprived one kept on thinking why he was not being served the chutney. But he said nothing. The other invitee ate the chutney with relish. He asked for an extra helping. He was given that. Meanwhile, the other one was feeling very humiliated. As the meal was coming to an end, he could not stop himself any more. He asked the sadhu why he had not been served the chutney. The sadhu simple said “Okay, so you want it?” With these words, he served the chutney to this person. As soon as the person put the chutney in his mouth, he could not bear it and spat it out. The chutney was too bitter. It was made of leaves of Neem tree. This man failed to comprehend how his companion was actually eating it and relishing the taste.

    The sadhu explained that it was all in the mind. Even the bitter taste has its own appeal and merit. This is nothing but positive frame of mind. Such an effective and positive state of mind and inclination makes a man find some element of contentment even in his hour of sorrow.

    It’s all in the mind. This is why there is a prayer – “Tanmey Manah Shivasankalpamastu”

    Photo – Late Shree Madhodas ji Mundhra Source – http://www.simplexprojects.com/

  • Dichotomy on happiness…







    “There are some things money cannot buy…” I am not talking about Master Card! Generally speaking, I was thinking that there are many things money cannot buy. In fact, the Buddha left his whole empire! He too knew there are “somethings money cannot buy”. This is where I had two minds, and thought to share these thoughts and request for feedbacks.

    The first and foremost thing money cannot buy is LOVE, you are a better judge for this. Other important thing is happiness, in a spiritual context ‘bliss’.

    Sometime back I decided to leave a very lucrative offer the reason was I knew at my heart of my heart, I would not want to do this work and would not enjoy the work. The other option was – nothing! So, it was a tough decision to leave something (something immensely rewarding) for nothing. Recently, I met one of my friends (he knew my previous decision) his first and repeated question to me was – ‘Are you happy?’ And all the time my answer was – ‘YES, are not you happy with what you are doing?’ His response was with many riders – “yes for ‘X’ I am happy, but because of ‘Y’ I have some issues, you know this and you know that and this is what and whatever whatever etc”.

    I thought we take so many decisions “for” or “because of” some or the other things e.g. money. We tend to give drivers seat to our ‘mind’ for making criteria and decision too, while a rear seat to our ‘heart’. Relationship, emotions, all these relate to heart and we largely overlook these while making decision. However, being human we are driven largely by emotions and therefore there has to be a balance between rationality and emotion in decision making too.

    Then came the second perspective – if one wants to be happy no one can stop him/her from being happy. Happiness is a very personal matter. Two persons in similar circumstances could have different feelings (one ecstatic and other wretched). Peace of mind cannot be bought in the market, it has to be felt. If it has to be felt, why cannot one be peaceful while doing whatever he/she is doing? … So the dichotomy is – do we make decision based on few factors and that is the reason for us to be happy or we are happy because we want to be happy and irrespective of the decision we make or irrespective of what happens in our life.

    The question to ask is – happiness requires fulfillment of the CONDITIONS we create for being happy or it is a feeling irrespective of what happens in our life/to us? These conditions, to me, are never ending… as it happens to the squirrel in Ice Age-Trilogy and to Chaipau in Salaam Bombay“. Dichotomy of happiness is you decide on what you enjoy doing or you remain happy irrespective of the situation you are in….

    Related blogs – Cause…, the Middle Path, No judgement its all about perception and Balancing Act, When will we stop?