Worldly wisdom

Worldly wisdom

Modern life is beset with tremendous problems, with stress
being an inescapable part of it. How do we face the challenges of
life? Dada J.P. Vaswani, Indian philosopher-mentor-humanitarian,
delivered a lecture recently in Jakarta on this topic. I had the
good fortune to listen to his eloquent and thought-provoking
discourse, and it was really an inspiring and rewarding
experience.

Dada Vaswani advocates a religion of love (Reverence for all
lives) which extends to seeing God everywhere, not only in every
human-being but even in birds and animals. In essence, we are one
with all existence.

Science has inflated man's ego. The malady of modern man is
that he is blessed with many luxuries and comforts, nut he goes
on blindly seeking more and more material gains. In the process,
he has alienated himself from God. Today's civilization has
become sick and life seems to have lost its flavor. Otherwise,
how can we explain the paradox of opulence alongside mass
suicides in the richest country in the world?

The missing element in our lives is spirituality. Man's
salvation lies in "turning back to God." God is not a distant
being. He lives and dwells in each of us. Once a young man said
to Guru Sadhu Vaswani: "God is nowhere." Sadhu Vaswani asked him
to write this in a piece of paper. Then, just by separating the
word "nowhere" to two distinct words, Sadhu Vaswani showed the
young man that "God is now here!"

First, man must grow in the awareness that he is not alone.
Repeat to yourself "I am not alone -- God is with me" as often as
possible in a day, especially when waking up in the morning and
also when retiring to bed at night, this is the timing most
suited for our sub-conscious mind to respond to our calls. With
God by his side, man should treat the trials and tribulations as
an inevitable part of life. Hand yourself over in "childlike"
trust to God. All the burdens of the universe are ultimately
borne by God.

Second, we must put forth our most sincere and best efforts in
whatever we do, without getting attached to the results. Greet
every experience with the words "I accept." God's mercy is in
every adversity.

Third, service to humanity is service to God. We must help
others, particularly those in need. The opposite of love is not
hate, but apathy. We should do good as much as we can, for as
long as we can and for as many as we can.

Fourth, we should spend sometime in silence every day and keep
a daily schedule of "PQT" (personal quiet time) in order to check
the mind's vagaries. This should help reduce daily stress and
achieve the inner peace needed to realize our true potential.

Fifth, man can change his destiny simply by changing his
mindset. So, adopt a constructive and positive attitude as an
integral part of your lifestyle.

And sixth, develop a healthy sense of humor. Learn to laugh
heartily with others. Good belly laughter is an all round tonic.

Please let me end this letter with a couple of humorous
stories from the revered Dada Vaswani's rich repertoire:

A hefty American Senator said to a person: "I'll eat you up
and swallow you whole." Instead of getting angry, the other
person responded: "You'll then have more brain in your belly than
in your head!"

While walking on a narrow pathway, a man told the person
coming in the opposite direction: "Make way for me." The other
person said: "Well, I was about to say the same thing to you."
The first one angrily said: "I don't make way for fools." To
this, the other person responded "I do," and stepped aside!

D. CHANDRAMOULI

Jakarta