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