Keeping some basic rules in mind won’t only make your finances smooth but will also be good for successors.
Financial planning is not just about choosing the right investment avenues, correct products and balanced portfolio allocation of your investments. Getting the planning and investing process right so that systems fall in place and the money works for you even when you cannot manage it yourself is crucial for both you and your dependants especially if you are not savvy about money and finances. No doubt what you invest in is important as it will determine your returns, but the way you go about it is also crucial as you should have access to your funds when you need it, says Gaurav Mashruwala, a Mumbai-based financial planner. Here are some of the basic needs to be kept in mind.
Keep it simple: While some may be savvy about money and money management, others might find it difficult to give meaning to numbers and still others may just not have the time for it. The solution to this lies in keeping the investments as simple as you can if you believe you are one of those who feel inadequate to deal with financial complications. For instance, while some products such as gold and systematic investment plans in mutual funds are easy to manage, asset classes such as real estate are complicated. Mashruwala adds, Buying a house to live in is important, but as an investment avenue, besides being complicated real estate is also not liquid enough. Leasing out a residential or commercial property will earn you an additional income, but you have to go through various processes such as looking for a tenant, making the agreement and getting all the required documentation in place and most importantly collecting the rent.
Apart from opting for the right investment avenues, it is also advisable to maintain a consolidated record of all your investments and track them regularly. If you think you can’t manage your finances, opt for services of your bank’s wealth manager, or an individual professional practitioner to ensure that your financial life is secured.
Maintain a logbook: Maintain a logbook with details of all your investments, contact numbers, list of documents, agent numbers, identity cards, bank accounts, bank lockers and anything else that is important. Ensure that at least two-three others are aware of the mediclaim policies you hold, policy numbers and papers, helpline and agent numbers so that they will know how to file a claim in case of an emergency, says Mashruwala. These could be your family members such as spouse or parents or even children if they are grown up and matured enough, close friends or neighbours.
Nominations: It is extremely important to have nominations in place for all your investments. Although the nominee is not the legal beneficiary but just a guardian or a trustee till the rightful heir or beneficiary is determined, having a nomination in place will ensure that the funds are released quickly in case of any casualty. Investors are often careless about nominations. Says Ranjit Dani, a Nagpur-based financial planner, People usually don’t have nominations in place for bank accounts. If it is jointly held then the nomination is not very important, but if not then it is. Similarly insurance policies have nominations in place. But if the policy had been assigned as a security, the earlier nomination is not valid. People often forget to get a new nominee in place.
A nomination is also a better option compared with a joint ownership or holding if you prefer to maintain your finances separately from your spouse or if you are single. While it is easier to change a nominee, in case of joint holding it is difficult to change the co-holder and in some cases not possible at all. So you would then have to close the account or investment and open a new one as a joint holder cannot be changed and will enjoy equal access and rights to your assets.
For instance, if you open a joint bank account with your mother instead of making her a nominee, she will have as much right as you to withdraw money from the account. Besides, after you get married, you might prefer to have your spouse as a co-holder or applicant rather than your mother. So if your mother was just a nominee, you could easily file a new nomination, but if she is a co-holder, you might have to close the account and open a new one.
Power of attorney: Most investors worry about assigning a power of attorney to someone else as they fear that it can be misused. However, a power of attorney would be important if someone needs to administer your assets or accounts on your behalf. So you might have to consider this only if you are a non-resident Indian (NRI) or are single, you or someone in the family has a major illness or if your job is migratory.
You can assign a general or a special power of attorney. While a general power of attorney would allow the person to fill in for you anywhere and take a decision beneficial to you, a special power of attorney would mean allowing access to the person to a single bank account to withdraw money for your medical expenses in case of an accident or allow him rights to manage a certain property only. This power of attorney can come into effect from the moment the document is signed, or at a predetermined future date or in case of the occurrence of a specified event. You can also revoke the power of attorney granted to a person and entrust it to someone else by following the prescribed legal procedure.
Track it regularly: Track your portfolio regularly. Says Dipika Kalra, associate financial planner, International Money Matters Pvt. Ltd, a financial planning-cum-investment advisory firm, Track your investments regularly, and ensure that you have a consolidated statement of all your investments every month-end. That way you will know where you stand. So every month end, Kalra sends her clients a consolidated statement of all her investments including those such as equity that are not handled by her. It is very important to go through all your statements periodically so that any inconsistent expense or charge will most likely stand out and you will also have a fair idea of what the state of your finances is.
Regular reviews: Even if you track you portfolio regularly, it is good to review and realign it at regular intervals. Says Dani, Your portfolio is like a garden, it has to be cleared of weeds. You might buy certain products or make investments anticipating specific needs or situations. If those don’t arise, then you might want to reallocate that investment. Similarly your needs and goals will change with age and these will have to be weaved in your investments.
Succession plan: And last but not the least, plan your succession. As you go along, you are bound to accumulate assets which need to be taken care of after you are gone. You might want to pass it on to a friend or a relative or donate it to somebody, but it has to be passed on to someone. A will and a succession plan is thus as essential as asset allocation or portfolio management. You don’t want to leave bad blood in the family while your relatives sweat it out in the courtrooms, adds Kalra. Besides, it is also very important that someone is aware of the process of liquidation of your assets and can execute it as per your wishes.
Friday, December 10, 2010
Give your best to relationships
A boy and a girl were playing together. The boy had a collection of marbles. The girl had some sweets with her.
The boy told the girl that he will give her all his marbles in exchange for her sweets. The girl agreed. The boy kept the biggest and the most beautiful marble aside and gave the rest to the girl. The girl gave him all her sweets as she had promised.
That night, the girl slept peacefully. But the boy couldn’t sleep as he kept wondering if the girl had hidden some sweets from him the way he had hidden his best marble.
Moral of the story:
If you don’t give your hundred percent in a relationship, you’ll always keep doubting if the other person has given his/her hundred percent..
This is applicable for any relationship like love, employer-employee relationship etc., Give your hundred percent to everything you do and sleep peacefully.
The boy told the girl that he will give her all his marbles in exchange for her sweets. The girl agreed. The boy kept the biggest and the most beautiful marble aside and gave the rest to the girl. The girl gave him all her sweets as she had promised.
That night, the girl slept peacefully. But the boy couldn’t sleep as he kept wondering if the girl had hidden some sweets from him the way he had hidden his best marble.
Moral of the story:
If you don’t give your hundred percent in a relationship, you’ll always keep doubting if the other person has given his/her hundred percent..
This is applicable for any relationship like love, employer-employee relationship etc., Give your hundred percent to everything you do and sleep peacefully.
Push yourself forward
Arrow goes forward only after pulling in to backward.
Bullet goes forward only after pressing the trigger backward.
Every human being will get happy.
Only after facing the difficulties in their life path…
So do not be afraid to face your difficulties.
They will push you forward.
The Saint and the Scorpion
One day a sadhu went to the river to bathe. There he noticed a scorpion struggling in the water. Scorpions cannot swim and the sadhu knew that if he did not save the scorpion, it would drown...
Therefore, carefully picking up the scorpion, the monk rescued it from drowning and was just about to set it down gently on land when the scorpion stung his finger. In pain, the sadhu instinctively flung his hand and the scorpion went flying, back into the river. As soon as the sadhu regained his composure from the sting, he again lifted the scorpion out of the water. Again, before he could set the scorpion safely on land, the creature stung him. This drama went on for several minutes as the sadhu continued to try to save the life of the drowning scorpion and the scorpion continued to sting his saviour's hand before reaching the freedom of the riverbank.
A hunter watched as the saint carefully and gingerly lifted the creature out of the water, only to fling it back in as he convulsed in pain from each fresh sting. Finally, the hunter said to the sadhu, "Forgive me for my frankness, but it is clear that the scorpion is simply going to continue to sting you each and every time you try to carry it to safety. Why don't you give up and just let it drown?"
The sadhu replied: "My dear child, the scorpion is not stinging me out of malice or evil intent. Just as it is the water's nature to make me wet, so it is the scorpion's nature to sting. He doesn't realise that I am carrying him to safety. That is a level of conscious comprehension greater than what his brain can achieve. But, just as it is the scorpion's nature to sting, so it is my nature to save. Just as he is not leaving his nature, why should I leave my nature? My dharma is to help any creature of any kind human or animal. Why should I let a small scorpion rob me of the divine nature which I have cultivated through years of sadhana?"
In our lives we encounter people who harm us, insult us, plot against us, whose actions seem calculated to thwart the successful achievement of our goals. Sometimes these are obvious acts, such as a co-worker who continually steals our ideas or speaks badly of us to our boss. Sometimes these acts are subtle a friend, relative or colleague who unexpectedly betrays us or who we find has been surreptitiously speaking negatively about us behind our back.
Slowly we find that our own actions, words and thoughts become driven by anger and pain. We find ourselves engaged in cunning thoughts of revenge. Before we realise it, we are injuring ourselves by allowing negative emotions dominate us. They insulted us or plotted against us or sabotaged a well-deserved achievement at work. But we injure ourselves more deeply and more gravely by allowing our hearts and minds to darken.
Our dharma is to be kind, pure, honest, giving, sharing and caring. Others, due to ignorance, lack of understanding or due to the way in which their own karmic drama is unfolding, may act with malice, deceit, selfishness and indifference. But we must not let their actions or their ignorance deprive us of fulfilling our dharma. We must not allow ourselves to be lowered by their ignorance, their habits or their greed. The darkness in their heart should not be allowed to penetrate into the lightness of our hearts.
Therefore, carefully picking up the scorpion, the monk rescued it from drowning and was just about to set it down gently on land when the scorpion stung his finger. In pain, the sadhu instinctively flung his hand and the scorpion went flying, back into the river. As soon as the sadhu regained his composure from the sting, he again lifted the scorpion out of the water. Again, before he could set the scorpion safely on land, the creature stung him. This drama went on for several minutes as the sadhu continued to try to save the life of the drowning scorpion and the scorpion continued to sting his saviour's hand before reaching the freedom of the riverbank.
A hunter watched as the saint carefully and gingerly lifted the creature out of the water, only to fling it back in as he convulsed in pain from each fresh sting. Finally, the hunter said to the sadhu, "Forgive me for my frankness, but it is clear that the scorpion is simply going to continue to sting you each and every time you try to carry it to safety. Why don't you give up and just let it drown?"
The sadhu replied: "My dear child, the scorpion is not stinging me out of malice or evil intent. Just as it is the water's nature to make me wet, so it is the scorpion's nature to sting. He doesn't realise that I am carrying him to safety. That is a level of conscious comprehension greater than what his brain can achieve. But, just as it is the scorpion's nature to sting, so it is my nature to save. Just as he is not leaving his nature, why should I leave my nature? My dharma is to help any creature of any kind human or animal. Why should I let a small scorpion rob me of the divine nature which I have cultivated through years of sadhana?"
In our lives we encounter people who harm us, insult us, plot against us, whose actions seem calculated to thwart the successful achievement of our goals. Sometimes these are obvious acts, such as a co-worker who continually steals our ideas or speaks badly of us to our boss. Sometimes these acts are subtle a friend, relative or colleague who unexpectedly betrays us or who we find has been surreptitiously speaking negatively about us behind our back.
Slowly we find that our own actions, words and thoughts become driven by anger and pain. We find ourselves engaged in cunning thoughts of revenge. Before we realise it, we are injuring ourselves by allowing negative emotions dominate us. They insulted us or plotted against us or sabotaged a well-deserved achievement at work. But we injure ourselves more deeply and more gravely by allowing our hearts and minds to darken.
Our dharma is to be kind, pure, honest, giving, sharing and caring. Others, due to ignorance, lack of understanding or due to the way in which their own karmic drama is unfolding, may act with malice, deceit, selfishness and indifference. But we must not let their actions or their ignorance deprive us of fulfilling our dharma. We must not allow ourselves to be lowered by their ignorance, their habits or their greed. The darkness in their heart should not be allowed to penetrate into the lightness of our hearts.
Thursday, December 9, 2010
Everything is relative
By the time you read this, we would have traveled great distances. We would have moved through space - the earth, the solar system and the galaxy of which we are a part, are all moving at tremendous speed.
We are no longer where we were a moment ago. Yet relatively speaking, with reference to our own surroundings, we are in the same place. Buildings, towns, cities, rivers, oceans and mountains, all of them stand in the same place with reference to each other, although in absolute terms this would not be so at all. A person located in space might see us moving, but we ourselves do not see this. This is what relativity is.
Everything is changing every moment but in a short span of time, the change is not noticed. In fact time and relativity are interconnected. An atom and its sub-atomic particles all rotate on their own axis. The fundamental particle, that is, the smallest sub-atomic particle, also rotates on its axis. The time taken by it in making one rotation on its axis is the fundamental unit of time. Every particle and all celestial bodies have their own time. We are aware of the moon-day, which is much shorter than an earth day. The rotation of the particle around its axis is what relativity is. Since the particle moves around itself, for the viewer, change keeps occurring continuously. It is the relationship between the seer, the one who sees, and the scene, which determines relativity. This duality between the seer and the scene is the root cause of relativity.
Philosophically, what is called maya or illusion is in fact relativity. Things are as they are, but different viewers see them differently depending upon their own relative position. In other words, it depends on their perceptions. Maya does not mean falsehood or non-existence; it is anything and everything that is constantly changing and therefore, causing an illusion. Since things keep on changing, they do not have permanence and hence they are called illusionary. The same things put differently or in different circumstances appear differently.
The example of a fabric is apt to illustrate the nature of things. A piece of fabric is an arrangement of yarn. Yarn in turn is a combination of fibres and fibese are made of molecules and so on. At different stages they all look different but their reality remains unchanged. It is the manifestation of the same fundamental existence in different forms that gives it different names and character and the viewer sees them differently.
At the level of consciousness, the field of relativity is set because of i-ness; that is, because of the feeling of 'I' and 'you'. This duality of 'I' and 'you' is the subtlest level of relativity. Every person sees the whole world from his own perspective. He keeps himself at the centre of the whole world around him and relates every thing to himself.
All creatures thus see the whole of existence from their own perspective and gain different impressions of the same event or happening. What is good for one becomes bad for the other and vice-versa, which gives rise to agony and suffering. But when this feeling of duality ceases to exist, one sees the same Self that is present and acting in all living beings, which makes the perceiver realise the truth.
That is, it confers on him the ability to penetrate the veil of relativity. It then makes him content and peaceful.
We are no longer where we were a moment ago. Yet relatively speaking, with reference to our own surroundings, we are in the same place. Buildings, towns, cities, rivers, oceans and mountains, all of them stand in the same place with reference to each other, although in absolute terms this would not be so at all. A person located in space might see us moving, but we ourselves do not see this. This is what relativity is.
Everything is changing every moment but in a short span of time, the change is not noticed. In fact time and relativity are interconnected. An atom and its sub-atomic particles all rotate on their own axis. The fundamental particle, that is, the smallest sub-atomic particle, also rotates on its axis. The time taken by it in making one rotation on its axis is the fundamental unit of time. Every particle and all celestial bodies have their own time. We are aware of the moon-day, which is much shorter than an earth day. The rotation of the particle around its axis is what relativity is. Since the particle moves around itself, for the viewer, change keeps occurring continuously. It is the relationship between the seer, the one who sees, and the scene, which determines relativity. This duality between the seer and the scene is the root cause of relativity.
Philosophically, what is called maya or illusion is in fact relativity. Things are as they are, but different viewers see them differently depending upon their own relative position. In other words, it depends on their perceptions. Maya does not mean falsehood or non-existence; it is anything and everything that is constantly changing and therefore, causing an illusion. Since things keep on changing, they do not have permanence and hence they are called illusionary. The same things put differently or in different circumstances appear differently.
The example of a fabric is apt to illustrate the nature of things. A piece of fabric is an arrangement of yarn. Yarn in turn is a combination of fibres and fibese are made of molecules and so on. At different stages they all look different but their reality remains unchanged. It is the manifestation of the same fundamental existence in different forms that gives it different names and character and the viewer sees them differently.
At the level of consciousness, the field of relativity is set because of i-ness; that is, because of the feeling of 'I' and 'you'. This duality of 'I' and 'you' is the subtlest level of relativity. Every person sees the whole world from his own perspective. He keeps himself at the centre of the whole world around him and relates every thing to himself.
All creatures thus see the whole of existence from their own perspective and gain different impressions of the same event or happening. What is good for one becomes bad for the other and vice-versa, which gives rise to agony and suffering. But when this feeling of duality ceases to exist, one sees the same Self that is present and acting in all living beings, which makes the perceiver realise the truth.
That is, it confers on him the ability to penetrate the veil of relativity. It then makes him content and peaceful.
Wednesday, December 8, 2010
The hiking gizmo list
With the cold weather setting in, it’s a good time to get out in the open and enjoy the outdoor goodness. But don’t forget to take along a few man-made wonders.
There used to be a time when you went into the hills and mountains to get away from the complications of life like the boss, the noise of traffic and the tedium of urban life. It was a simple activity. You put on your boots, stuffed a backpack, and took the first train into the wilderness and hit clean air, the sound of chirping birds, the rustle of leaves in the wind and the soft dew on your face.
Hi-tech: Camping is more than just pitching a tent.
Hi-tech: Camping is more than just pitching a tent. You still do pretty much the same thing, but be careful: Don’t forget to pack that wide-brimmed hat with a mosquito net, a torch, clothespins to hang your clothes to dry, cameras, walking poles, carabiners and a climbing rope, sleeping bags, water bottles and cooking gear. The world of hiking just got more complicated. And more exciting with all kinds of wild gadgets and gizmos.
We’ve handpicked five gadgets from the simple to the sublime so that the journey is, in fact, riotously better than the destination.
Bite relief
What’s the biggest problem you’ve faced on your camping trips? Getting bitten by mosquitoes and almost being persuaded to abandon the outdoors, isn’t it? The Design Go solution is a neat one. Just place their tiny device called Bite Relief on the bite and go click on it a couple of times. The device has quartz crystals that spew out a low-intensity electric current that immediately neutralizes the sting. It works like magic and is great for people who don’t like the mess of anti-mosquito creams and gels. Bite Relief works on other bug and insect bites as well.
Price, approx. Rs670. Available at large health and wellness and adventure gear stores.
Time wonder
There’s nothing like the Timex Expedition WS4 series to make you a serious outdoor enthusiast. The oversized, wide-screen watch has a temperature sensor, digital compass, an altimeter and a barometer that records activity and can display it in all kinds of graphs to play around with which, admit it, is the number one priority for gizmo owners. Although I suggest you opt for the bold orange version (model T49761), the one I own is a quiet, unassuming black (T49664). Get this right: I am not chicken; the orange version wasn’t available when I got mine!
Price, approx. Rs9,995. Available at all Timex stores.
Cooking outdoors
You went into the hills and had cold sandwiches wrapped in cling film? Tsk! Try the Booster+ 1 stove that comes with a screw-type white fuel (isobutane) canister. A single fuel bottle can whip up quite a storm and the stove, pump and fuel bottle weigh just half a kg. The stove, with its legs unfolded, looks like an alien pod, quite fascinating in the outdoors, really. And if you are good, turn out some wild quail in the wilderness. The stove has two settings preheating and pressurized, to save on fuel. Isobutane is not easily available in the market for a refill, but you can do some jugaad and use kerosene (preferred) or petrol to refill the bottle that works quite as well.
Price, approx. Rs8,000. Available at all Wildcraft stores (www.wildcraft.in).
Survival kit
You’ve packed the sexy carabiner and the hydration packs for your outdoor expedition. But what if you get lost? Where’s the handy all-in-one survival kit? Coleman has a bright orange 5 in1 survival whistle that is just right for an emergency. Its principle feature is a shrill I mean it! whistle that can be heard for miles, a compass with a handy luminous dial, a signalling mirror, water-proof matches and a fire-starter flint. It comes with a lanyard that is handy when it comes to ensuring that kids have it on them at all times. As gizmos go, this is reliable, as it doesn’t depend on batteries for performance.
Price, approx. Rs200. Available at all good outdoor gear stores and HyperCity stores.
Power at hand
This is a dream device and one I am hoping someone will gift me for Christmas. The BodyGard self-powered emergency kit is a hand-cranked emergency power unit that can be used to recharge just about any electronic device you’ve taken into the outdoors from GPS to mobile phones and laptops. In fact, seriously, maybe I can use this in the city too. The device includes an emergency flashlight, back-lit FM radio, panic button that sets off an alarm, motion-activated alarm, compass, signaling mirror and a storage compartment for those pills and matches. Crank it up and there’s instant eco-friendly electricity on tap.
Price, approx. Rs2,400. Available at http://thinkgeekin.tarazz.com/gadgets/travel-outdoors/9d6f/
There used to be a time when you went into the hills and mountains to get away from the complications of life like the boss, the noise of traffic and the tedium of urban life. It was a simple activity. You put on your boots, stuffed a backpack, and took the first train into the wilderness and hit clean air, the sound of chirping birds, the rustle of leaves in the wind and the soft dew on your face.
Hi-tech: Camping is more than just pitching a tent.
Hi-tech: Camping is more than just pitching a tent. You still do pretty much the same thing, but be careful: Don’t forget to pack that wide-brimmed hat with a mosquito net, a torch, clothespins to hang your clothes to dry, cameras, walking poles, carabiners and a climbing rope, sleeping bags, water bottles and cooking gear. The world of hiking just got more complicated. And more exciting with all kinds of wild gadgets and gizmos.
We’ve handpicked five gadgets from the simple to the sublime so that the journey is, in fact, riotously better than the destination.
Bite relief
What’s the biggest problem you’ve faced on your camping trips? Getting bitten by mosquitoes and almost being persuaded to abandon the outdoors, isn’t it? The Design Go solution is a neat one. Just place their tiny device called Bite Relief on the bite and go click on it a couple of times. The device has quartz crystals that spew out a low-intensity electric current that immediately neutralizes the sting. It works like magic and is great for people who don’t like the mess of anti-mosquito creams and gels. Bite Relief works on other bug and insect bites as well.
Price, approx. Rs670. Available at large health and wellness and adventure gear stores.
Time wonder
There’s nothing like the Timex Expedition WS4 series to make you a serious outdoor enthusiast. The oversized, wide-screen watch has a temperature sensor, digital compass, an altimeter and a barometer that records activity and can display it in all kinds of graphs to play around with which, admit it, is the number one priority for gizmo owners. Although I suggest you opt for the bold orange version (model T49761), the one I own is a quiet, unassuming black (T49664). Get this right: I am not chicken; the orange version wasn’t available when I got mine!
Price, approx. Rs9,995. Available at all Timex stores.
Cooking outdoors
You went into the hills and had cold sandwiches wrapped in cling film? Tsk! Try the Booster+ 1 stove that comes with a screw-type white fuel (isobutane) canister. A single fuel bottle can whip up quite a storm and the stove, pump and fuel bottle weigh just half a kg. The stove, with its legs unfolded, looks like an alien pod, quite fascinating in the outdoors, really. And if you are good, turn out some wild quail in the wilderness. The stove has two settings preheating and pressurized, to save on fuel. Isobutane is not easily available in the market for a refill, but you can do some jugaad and use kerosene (preferred) or petrol to refill the bottle that works quite as well.
Price, approx. Rs8,000. Available at all Wildcraft stores (www.wildcraft.in).
Survival kit
You’ve packed the sexy carabiner and the hydration packs for your outdoor expedition. But what if you get lost? Where’s the handy all-in-one survival kit? Coleman has a bright orange 5 in1 survival whistle that is just right for an emergency. Its principle feature is a shrill I mean it! whistle that can be heard for miles, a compass with a handy luminous dial, a signalling mirror, water-proof matches and a fire-starter flint. It comes with a lanyard that is handy when it comes to ensuring that kids have it on them at all times. As gizmos go, this is reliable, as it doesn’t depend on batteries for performance.
Price, approx. Rs200. Available at all good outdoor gear stores and HyperCity stores.
Power at hand
This is a dream device and one I am hoping someone will gift me for Christmas. The BodyGard self-powered emergency kit is a hand-cranked emergency power unit that can be used to recharge just about any electronic device you’ve taken into the outdoors from GPS to mobile phones and laptops. In fact, seriously, maybe I can use this in the city too. The device includes an emergency flashlight, back-lit FM radio, panic button that sets off an alarm, motion-activated alarm, compass, signaling mirror and a storage compartment for those pills and matches. Crank it up and there’s instant eco-friendly electricity on tap.
Price, approx. Rs2,400. Available at http://thinkgeekin.tarazz.com/gadgets/travel-outdoors/9d6f/
Friday, December 3, 2010
Inviting wisdom to stay
A Nigerian story tells of how Wisdom, Food and Wealth set out on a journey. Soon, they met a man who asked, "Where are you going?" They said, "Looking for a place to live." The man said, "Oh good, i want Wealth to live with me." Wealth said, "Oh foolish man, you would not have me around for long."
Soon they met another who also asked, "Where are you all going?" They answered, "Hunting for a place to live." The man said, "In that case, i invite Food to live with me." Food said, "Even if i came with you today, you couldn't keep me for long."
Further along, they met a third man. He, too, asked where they were going. "Seeking a place to live," they said. The man said, "Wisdom can live with me." Food and Wealth said, "You have chosen Wisdom, so you will be able to take good care of us too." All three moved to his home.
We are taught to value wisdom, act wisely, increase in wisdom. Our experience tells us that too much human conflict, distress and suffering comes from lack of wisdom. So we would like to have more, and for others to have it too. But perhaps we have not really thought deeply about what this involves. While a basic definition is that wisdom consists of making the best use of knowledge, and this seems understandable enough, it leaves out other aspects, which we can put together by examining various traditions.
Developing wisdom was the aim of teaching in the Inuit tradition; a person became wise when they could see what needed to be done and do it successfully without being told what to do. In Mesopotamia, the god Enki represented wisdom and intelligence, and wisdom was achieved by restoring balance. Confucius held that wisdom can be got in three ways -- imitation, the easiest; reflection, the noblest; and experience, often the bitterest.
While it may be fine to declare one has knowledge and information, claiming to know one is wise is often looked upon with scepticism or suspicion. This is thought best for others to judge accurately.
In Plato's 'The Apology', the all-knowing oracle at Delphi declares Socrates the wisest person. Socrates is puzzled by this, since many others around are well known for their extensive knowledge. He interrogates a series of politicians, poets, and craftsmen, and finds those who claimed to know did not really know, or knew far less than what they claimed. They also claimed to know things far beyond the scope of their expertise. Socrates, we are told, is wise because he, unlike others, does not consider himself wise.
While intelligence, cleverness or the ability to appear dynamic is something a person is born with, wisdom is not. One way to increase in wisdom is to move from raw to refined thinking, feeling, reflecting and acting.
Refined thinking involves becoming more aware, informed, interested, discerning. Processing feelings requires being less reactive and more responsive, letting feelings touch but not direct us. Reflecting requires introspection and intuition based on a true and deep understating of the world and decisions coming from human-based values. And all this is expressed through action that is committed, passionate, fair and effective.
Wise beings embody the essence of wisdom that is discernment -- discernment of right from wrong, just from unjust, wholesome from destructive, truth from delusion. They are usually regarded as compassionate towards others, content in themselves.
They have learnt what is truly important.
Soon they met another who also asked, "Where are you all going?" They answered, "Hunting for a place to live." The man said, "In that case, i invite Food to live with me." Food said, "Even if i came with you today, you couldn't keep me for long."
Further along, they met a third man. He, too, asked where they were going. "Seeking a place to live," they said. The man said, "Wisdom can live with me." Food and Wealth said, "You have chosen Wisdom, so you will be able to take good care of us too." All three moved to his home.
We are taught to value wisdom, act wisely, increase in wisdom. Our experience tells us that too much human conflict, distress and suffering comes from lack of wisdom. So we would like to have more, and for others to have it too. But perhaps we have not really thought deeply about what this involves. While a basic definition is that wisdom consists of making the best use of knowledge, and this seems understandable enough, it leaves out other aspects, which we can put together by examining various traditions.
Developing wisdom was the aim of teaching in the Inuit tradition; a person became wise when they could see what needed to be done and do it successfully without being told what to do. In Mesopotamia, the god Enki represented wisdom and intelligence, and wisdom was achieved by restoring balance. Confucius held that wisdom can be got in three ways -- imitation, the easiest; reflection, the noblest; and experience, often the bitterest.
While it may be fine to declare one has knowledge and information, claiming to know one is wise is often looked upon with scepticism or suspicion. This is thought best for others to judge accurately.
In Plato's 'The Apology', the all-knowing oracle at Delphi declares Socrates the wisest person. Socrates is puzzled by this, since many others around are well known for their extensive knowledge. He interrogates a series of politicians, poets, and craftsmen, and finds those who claimed to know did not really know, or knew far less than what they claimed. They also claimed to know things far beyond the scope of their expertise. Socrates, we are told, is wise because he, unlike others, does not consider himself wise.
While intelligence, cleverness or the ability to appear dynamic is something a person is born with, wisdom is not. One way to increase in wisdom is to move from raw to refined thinking, feeling, reflecting and acting.
Refined thinking involves becoming more aware, informed, interested, discerning. Processing feelings requires being less reactive and more responsive, letting feelings touch but not direct us. Reflecting requires introspection and intuition based on a true and deep understating of the world and decisions coming from human-based values. And all this is expressed through action that is committed, passionate, fair and effective.
Wise beings embody the essence of wisdom that is discernment -- discernment of right from wrong, just from unjust, wholesome from destructive, truth from delusion. They are usually regarded as compassionate towards others, content in themselves.
They have learnt what is truly important.
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
Better search for answers within
Years ago, a mediator in a conflict between two individuals, found that the more there was request for rapprochement, the situation was only getting out of hand.
Negotiation didn't seem to work. His intervention didn't work, either. Finally, he requested them to spend some time in silence and reflect on just one question: 'How have i caused this situation to arise?' This did not give any room for blaming the other. The answer had to come from within. In just 15 minutes, the two opponents apologized to each other.
Deep down, every one of us knows why and how conflicts arise, through omission or commission. The problem is, no one wants to admit to the truth; it seems easier to simply pit ourselves against others: Us versus Them. It's a world of our own creation where we don't take responsibility for causing unpleasant situations. The media is full of such news reportage.
Terrorists are blamed for instilling fear and causing violence. They are labelled as the evil ones. But is it possible to mitigate terrorism by waging war on its perpetrators? Shouldn't we, instead, try to understand the pain and hurt that the terrorist has undergone, which has turned him into what he is now? Any one who inflicts pain and terror on others has probably experienced similar suffering himself.
Priyanka Gandhi was asked by a reporter recently to share her experience of her encounter with Nalini, the woman involved in the conspiracy to assassinate her father, Rajiv Gandhi. Priyanka said that she came to realize that Nalini, too, was a victim of her own suffering. It is only when one tries to understand this, one can experience freedom and peace.
Jesus Christ said: 'Love your enemies'. Peace can come about only if one truly understands, through deep listening, the pain and hurt of the enemy. It is love and forgiveness that bring about understanding and peace. Violence begets more violence.
Often our pride and ego come in the way of our asking for forgiveness, despite knowing that we are in the wrong. We hold onto our perceptions and seek more and more justifications to buttress our stand. We fear that we would no longer command respect and dignity if we admit to our mistakes. The truth is that people respect those who have the humility to acknowledge the fact that they are in the wrong.
If we are willing to peel away our perceptions we realize that at the core we are all interconnected and interdependent. The illusion is that there is an 'Us versus Them'. The reality is that we are a unified whole.
To create peace, we need to first create a climate of peace in the world and for this, we need to start with ourselves, our families, workplace, neighbors and friends, and the environment.
How ironical it is to find an anti-war march by activists ending up in violence! That is why Mother Teresa, when asked why she did not participate in 'anti-war' marches, said she needs to first see a 'pro-peace' march. How can one who is polluted from within bring about an end to pollution in the atmosphere! The way to peace begins by looking within oneself and one's family and ensuring that there is peace in oneself and one's family.
Thich Nhat Hahn says: "...If you do not know how to handle the anger and violence in yourself, it is impossible to help someone else, even your own child. Non-violent action can be born only from non-violent living."
Negotiation didn't seem to work. His intervention didn't work, either. Finally, he requested them to spend some time in silence and reflect on just one question: 'How have i caused this situation to arise?' This did not give any room for blaming the other. The answer had to come from within. In just 15 minutes, the two opponents apologized to each other.
Deep down, every one of us knows why and how conflicts arise, through omission or commission. The problem is, no one wants to admit to the truth; it seems easier to simply pit ourselves against others: Us versus Them. It's a world of our own creation where we don't take responsibility for causing unpleasant situations. The media is full of such news reportage.
Terrorists are blamed for instilling fear and causing violence. They are labelled as the evil ones. But is it possible to mitigate terrorism by waging war on its perpetrators? Shouldn't we, instead, try to understand the pain and hurt that the terrorist has undergone, which has turned him into what he is now? Any one who inflicts pain and terror on others has probably experienced similar suffering himself.
Priyanka Gandhi was asked by a reporter recently to share her experience of her encounter with Nalini, the woman involved in the conspiracy to assassinate her father, Rajiv Gandhi. Priyanka said that she came to realize that Nalini, too, was a victim of her own suffering. It is only when one tries to understand this, one can experience freedom and peace.
Jesus Christ said: 'Love your enemies'. Peace can come about only if one truly understands, through deep listening, the pain and hurt of the enemy. It is love and forgiveness that bring about understanding and peace. Violence begets more violence.
Often our pride and ego come in the way of our asking for forgiveness, despite knowing that we are in the wrong. We hold onto our perceptions and seek more and more justifications to buttress our stand. We fear that we would no longer command respect and dignity if we admit to our mistakes. The truth is that people respect those who have the humility to acknowledge the fact that they are in the wrong.
If we are willing to peel away our perceptions we realize that at the core we are all interconnected and interdependent. The illusion is that there is an 'Us versus Them'. The reality is that we are a unified whole.
To create peace, we need to first create a climate of peace in the world and for this, we need to start with ourselves, our families, workplace, neighbors and friends, and the environment.
How ironical it is to find an anti-war march by activists ending up in violence! That is why Mother Teresa, when asked why she did not participate in 'anti-war' marches, said she needs to first see a 'pro-peace' march. How can one who is polluted from within bring about an end to pollution in the atmosphere! The way to peace begins by looking within oneself and one's family and ensuring that there is peace in oneself and one's family.
Thich Nhat Hahn says: "...If you do not know how to handle the anger and violence in yourself, it is impossible to help someone else, even your own child. Non-violent action can be born only from non-violent living."
Buddha, Sangha and Dharma
On the spiritual path there are three factors: Buddha, the master or the presence of the enlightened, sangha, the commune or group, and dharma, your true nature. Life blossoms naturally when there is a balance between the three.
The Buddha is a doorway, and the doorway needs to be more charming than what lies beyond so that people come to the doorway. If you are out in the street and there is rain and thunder, or scorching weather, you feel the need for a shelter. You look and find a doorway. Have you noticed that then, the doorway is more inviting and joyful than anything else in the world?
Similarly, the closer you get to the master, the more charm, newness and love you feel. Nothing in the world could give that much peace, joy and pleasure. It's like depth without a bottom. This is a sign that you have come to the master.
Once you enter the door, you see the world from there, from the eyes of the master. Then in any situation you will think: How would the master handle this? See the world from the eyes of the master and the world looks so much more beautiful as a place filled with love, joy, cooperation and compassion.
Looking through the doorway there is no fear. From inside your home, you can look at the storm and the bright sun too; yet you can be relaxed as you are in the shelter. Such a sense of security, fullness and joy comes. That is the purpose of having a master.
Sangha is charming from a distance, but the closer you get, it pushes all your buttons and brings out all the unwanted things from within you. If you think a group is good it means you are not yet completely with the group. When you are totally part of that group, you will find that some bickering will come up. But you are the one who makes the group so if you are good, your group will also be good.
Sangha has a reverse nature to Buddha. Buddha makes your mind one-pointed; sangha, because it is of so many people, can scatter your mind, fragment it. Once you are used to a sangha, it loses its charm. This is the nature of sangha. Still, it is very supportive. If it were repulsive all the time, then nobody would be part of sangha.
Buddha uplifts with Grace, love and knowledge, Buddha pulls you up from above, and sangha pushes you up from below.
Dharma is to be in the middle. Avoiding extremes is your nature to be in balance, to smile from the depth of your heart, to accept entire existence totally as it is. Often you crave for Buddha and are averse to sangha, and you try to change; but by changing sangha or Buddha, you are not going to change.
The main purpose is to come to the centre deep within you, which means to find your dharma. A sense of deep acceptance for this moment, for every moment, is dharma. All problems and negativity are generated from our mind.
The world is not bad; we make our world ugly or beautiful. So when you are in your dharma, your nature, you will blame neither the world nor the Divine.
Dharma is that which puts you in the middle and makes you comfortable with the world. It allows you to contribute to the world, be at ease with the Divine, to feel part of the Divine.
The Buddha is a doorway, and the doorway needs to be more charming than what lies beyond so that people come to the doorway. If you are out in the street and there is rain and thunder, or scorching weather, you feel the need for a shelter. You look and find a doorway. Have you noticed that then, the doorway is more inviting and joyful than anything else in the world?
Similarly, the closer you get to the master, the more charm, newness and love you feel. Nothing in the world could give that much peace, joy and pleasure. It's like depth without a bottom. This is a sign that you have come to the master.
Once you enter the door, you see the world from there, from the eyes of the master. Then in any situation you will think: How would the master handle this? See the world from the eyes of the master and the world looks so much more beautiful as a place filled with love, joy, cooperation and compassion.
Looking through the doorway there is no fear. From inside your home, you can look at the storm and the bright sun too; yet you can be relaxed as you are in the shelter. Such a sense of security, fullness and joy comes. That is the purpose of having a master.
Sangha is charming from a distance, but the closer you get, it pushes all your buttons and brings out all the unwanted things from within you. If you think a group is good it means you are not yet completely with the group. When you are totally part of that group, you will find that some bickering will come up. But you are the one who makes the group so if you are good, your group will also be good.
Sangha has a reverse nature to Buddha. Buddha makes your mind one-pointed; sangha, because it is of so many people, can scatter your mind, fragment it. Once you are used to a sangha, it loses its charm. This is the nature of sangha. Still, it is very supportive. If it were repulsive all the time, then nobody would be part of sangha.
Buddha uplifts with Grace, love and knowledge, Buddha pulls you up from above, and sangha pushes you up from below.
Dharma is to be in the middle. Avoiding extremes is your nature to be in balance, to smile from the depth of your heart, to accept entire existence totally as it is. Often you crave for Buddha and are averse to sangha, and you try to change; but by changing sangha or Buddha, you are not going to change.
The main purpose is to come to the centre deep within you, which means to find your dharma. A sense of deep acceptance for this moment, for every moment, is dharma. All problems and negativity are generated from our mind.
The world is not bad; we make our world ugly or beautiful. So when you are in your dharma, your nature, you will blame neither the world nor the Divine.
Dharma is that which puts you in the middle and makes you comfortable with the world. It allows you to contribute to the world, be at ease with the Divine, to feel part of the Divine.
Is God playing games?
How often have we heard someone ask: 'Why is God playing cruel games with us?' It is perhaps a question that comes to mind when one fails to find a satisfactory explanation of the inexplicable. But the question itself is not a satisfactory approach to understanding.
We can give explanations, but explanations need not be answers.
What is life and what is death? You are looking at death as the opposite of life. So, our encounter with death is conditioned by our definition of death as being opposed to life. Look at it another way: Death is one more expression of life. Life scientists declare that death is the most critical defining feature of life. All and only living things die. When you die, you are making the ultimate undeniable assertion that you have been alive. In fact, death is even a precondition to life. The Holy Bible says, "Unless a seed falls into earth and dies, it cannot produce any grains". That is, a seed has to cease to be itself in order to be a source of life to several others like it.
The most comfortable place for you is to be is in your mother's womb. After birth, many times you search for that same comfort. That is why in Hindu temples, the sanctum sanctorum is called garbhagudi representing a mother's womb. At the time of delivery, the body of the mother pushes the child out. When it is pushed out, every child goes through what is called birth trauma, experiencing a form of death. Tagore asks, "Is it death or is it life?" What do we experience? Birth, exit from the womb where life originated and was sustained for about nine months and into the world outside is a form of death that leads to life although in different environments. Similarly, death exit from the world could be a door to some other form of life or life at yet another plane.
Don't we cast off worn-out clothes in order to wear new ones? Why get so attached to physical phenomena? During the great dotcom bust of the post-millennium years, a lot of people went through depression all over the world, but especially so in California, the hub of all that dotcom activity. Let us think of what really happened. Nothing more than the fact that what had been hyped sky-high was brought down to earth. The same thing had happened in Bangalore real estate. It happens cyclically in stock markets across the globe. You build the bubble, and, when the bubble breaks, you feel depressed. Those who know that the rise is artificial make all the profit while gullible believers in the longevity of the bubble lose everything.
The value we attach to objects of speculation like stocks, shares, land, and commodities is purely psychological; they are illusory or insubstantial. Likewise, all sorrows are chiefly created by the mind. You invest 10 million rupees on a piece of land expecting to make a profit of 10 million, but the profit is only notional in the sense that it is based on your expectation that the value of your purchase will double within the time frame of your expectation. If your expectations are defeated, you start suffering. It's all in your mind, isn't it?
Therefore the trauma that you feel at events like accident or death is also mainly psychological, and so death is something you can overcome through spiritual discipline.
We can give explanations, but explanations need not be answers.
What is life and what is death? You are looking at death as the opposite of life. So, our encounter with death is conditioned by our definition of death as being opposed to life. Look at it another way: Death is one more expression of life. Life scientists declare that death is the most critical defining feature of life. All and only living things die. When you die, you are making the ultimate undeniable assertion that you have been alive. In fact, death is even a precondition to life. The Holy Bible says, "Unless a seed falls into earth and dies, it cannot produce any grains". That is, a seed has to cease to be itself in order to be a source of life to several others like it.
The most comfortable place for you is to be is in your mother's womb. After birth, many times you search for that same comfort. That is why in Hindu temples, the sanctum sanctorum is called garbhagudi representing a mother's womb. At the time of delivery, the body of the mother pushes the child out. When it is pushed out, every child goes through what is called birth trauma, experiencing a form of death. Tagore asks, "Is it death or is it life?" What do we experience? Birth, exit from the womb where life originated and was sustained for about nine months and into the world outside is a form of death that leads to life although in different environments. Similarly, death exit from the world could be a door to some other form of life or life at yet another plane.
Don't we cast off worn-out clothes in order to wear new ones? Why get so attached to physical phenomena? During the great dotcom bust of the post-millennium years, a lot of people went through depression all over the world, but especially so in California, the hub of all that dotcom activity. Let us think of what really happened. Nothing more than the fact that what had been hyped sky-high was brought down to earth. The same thing had happened in Bangalore real estate. It happens cyclically in stock markets across the globe. You build the bubble, and, when the bubble breaks, you feel depressed. Those who know that the rise is artificial make all the profit while gullible believers in the longevity of the bubble lose everything.
The value we attach to objects of speculation like stocks, shares, land, and commodities is purely psychological; they are illusory or insubstantial. Likewise, all sorrows are chiefly created by the mind. You invest 10 million rupees on a piece of land expecting to make a profit of 10 million, but the profit is only notional in the sense that it is based on your expectation that the value of your purchase will double within the time frame of your expectation. If your expectations are defeated, you start suffering. It's all in your mind, isn't it?
Therefore the trauma that you feel at events like accident or death is also mainly psychological, and so death is something you can overcome through spiritual discipline.
Saying goodbye with grace
Make everything creative, make the best out of the worst -- that's what I call `the art'.
And if a man has lived his whole life making every moment and every phase of it a beauty, a love, a joy, naturally his death is going to be the ultimate peak of his whole life's endeavour. His death is not going to be ugly as it ordinarily happens every day to everyone.
If death is ugly, that means your whole life has been a waste.
Death should be a peaceful acceptance, a loving entry into the unknown, a joyful goodbye to old friends, to the old world. There should not be any tragedy in it.
Zen master Lin Chi was dying. Thousands of his disciples had gathered to listen to the last sermon, but Lin Chi was simply lying down -- joyous, smiling, not saying a single word.
Seeing that he was going to die and he was not saying a single word, somebody reminded Lin Chi -- an old friend, a master in his own right. He was not a disciple of Lin Chi. That's why he could say to him, "Lin Chi, have you forgotten that you have to say your last words? I have always said your memory isn't right. You are dying... have you forgotten?"
Lin Chi said, "Just listen." And on the roof two squirrels were running, screeching. He said, "How beautiful." And he died.
For a moment, when he said "Just listen," there was absolute silence. Everybody thought he is going to say something great, but only two squirrels fighting, screeching, running on the roof.... And he smiled and he died.
That was his message: don't make things small and big, trivial and important. Everything is important. At this moment, Lin Chi's death is as important as the two squirrels running on the roof, there is no difference. In existence it is all the same. That was his whole philosophy-- that there is nothing which is great or small; it all depends on you, what you make of it.
Start with meditation, and things will grow in you -- silence, serenity, blissfulness, sensitivity. And whatever comes out of meditation, try to bring it out in life. Share it, because everything shared grows fast. And when you have reached the point of death, you will know there is no death. You can say goodbye, there is no need for any tears of sadness -- maybe tears of joy, but not of sadness.
But you have to begin from being innocent.
So first, throw out all the rubbish you are carrying. Life is simple; it is a joyful dance. The whole earth can be full of joy and dance, but there are some who are determined that nobody should enjoy life, smile, or laugh; that life is a sin, that it is a punishment. How can you enjoy anything when the climate is such that you have been told continuously that it is a punishment; that you are suffering because you have done wrong things and it is a kind of jail where you have been thrown into to suffer?
Life is a reward, and it is given only to those who have earned it, who deserve it. It will be against existence if you don't beautify it, if you leave it just as you have found it. So leave it a little happier, a little more beautiful, a little more fragrant.
And if a man has lived his whole life making every moment and every phase of it a beauty, a love, a joy, naturally his death is going to be the ultimate peak of his whole life's endeavour. His death is not going to be ugly as it ordinarily happens every day to everyone.
If death is ugly, that means your whole life has been a waste.
Death should be a peaceful acceptance, a loving entry into the unknown, a joyful goodbye to old friends, to the old world. There should not be any tragedy in it.
Zen master Lin Chi was dying. Thousands of his disciples had gathered to listen to the last sermon, but Lin Chi was simply lying down -- joyous, smiling, not saying a single word.
Seeing that he was going to die and he was not saying a single word, somebody reminded Lin Chi -- an old friend, a master in his own right. He was not a disciple of Lin Chi. That's why he could say to him, "Lin Chi, have you forgotten that you have to say your last words? I have always said your memory isn't right. You are dying... have you forgotten?"
Lin Chi said, "Just listen." And on the roof two squirrels were running, screeching. He said, "How beautiful." And he died.
For a moment, when he said "Just listen," there was absolute silence. Everybody thought he is going to say something great, but only two squirrels fighting, screeching, running on the roof.... And he smiled and he died.
That was his message: don't make things small and big, trivial and important. Everything is important. At this moment, Lin Chi's death is as important as the two squirrels running on the roof, there is no difference. In existence it is all the same. That was his whole philosophy-- that there is nothing which is great or small; it all depends on you, what you make of it.
Start with meditation, and things will grow in you -- silence, serenity, blissfulness, sensitivity. And whatever comes out of meditation, try to bring it out in life. Share it, because everything shared grows fast. And when you have reached the point of death, you will know there is no death. You can say goodbye, there is no need for any tears of sadness -- maybe tears of joy, but not of sadness.
But you have to begin from being innocent.
So first, throw out all the rubbish you are carrying. Life is simple; it is a joyful dance. The whole earth can be full of joy and dance, but there are some who are determined that nobody should enjoy life, smile, or laugh; that life is a sin, that it is a punishment. How can you enjoy anything when the climate is such that you have been told continuously that it is a punishment; that you are suffering because you have done wrong things and it is a kind of jail where you have been thrown into to suffer?
Life is a reward, and it is given only to those who have earned it, who deserve it. It will be against existence if you don't beautify it, if you leave it just as you have found it. So leave it a little happier, a little more beautiful, a little more fragrant.
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