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Words Of Wisdom

Discussion in 'Snippets of Life (Non-Fiction)' started by Viswamitra, Oct 21, 2017.

  1. Viswamitra

    Viswamitra IL Hall of Fame

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    "I'm an ordinary man, who desires nothing more than just an ordinary chance to live exactly as he likes and do precisely what he wants an average man am I, of no eccentric whim who likes to live his life free of strife doing whatever he thinks is best for him" - Rex Harrison in My Fair Lady quoted by Cheeniya Sir

    “As Lord Krishna says in Karma Yoga we should do our duty without expecting appreciation, live life truthfully without trying to impress, instead of striving to make our presence noticed it is better to make our absence felt by our good deeds.” – Smt. Pusphavalli Srinivasan

    The above quotes from two wise elders reverberating in my mind since I read those lines. Thought that I am an ordinary man, who desires nothing more than just an ordinary chance removes my husk of ego and makes me palatable to the fellow beings. I am not suggesting that I should not strive to do extraordinary things and in fact such effort to nurture remarkable thoughts put into action yields great sense of fulfillment. I am talking about the mindset with which I need to attempt such extraordinary work. Let it be a pinnacle for others and for me, let it be a grateful moment for the opportunity that was given to me. Let me become a surface that is constantly burnished by the words of wisdom of others around me. Let the Lord shower the ability to listen to those words of wisdom and make me wiser. Like Rehman says often, “Let all the praise belong to the Lord”.

    I attended a world conference on spirituality a few years back and asked a question to The Chairman of the World Foundation, “What do I need to lose my identity that makes me feel I am this body?” Luckily among thousands of questions, that was the first one that was picked by him. He has been interacting with my Guru for decades and he shared some of what he heard from our Guru. He said, “Let the identity be one with which others recognize you just like your name. You assume you have nothing to do with it. That is the first step towards recognizing the divinity in you”. When I had a meeting with a friend of mine, he told me, “When I begin measuring something, I have taken the first step to improve”. Let me expand in love I share with others and contract with humility when I am being praised. This gap is a great measure for me how well I lead my life.

    Let me do my duty with devotion and love with no expectation. I am not here to impress anyone but to express myself within the confines of my humility. On the day of the reckoning, what matters most is how I felt about myself throughout my life and how everyone around me feel about my absence. It is much more important to live in the memories of people around me than making my presence felt by demonstrating my might. Hiranyakashipu conquered the entire world with all his powers but throughout his life, people were afraid of him whereas his son Prahalad is worshiped even today for his tenacity and humility.

    Right living is not a set of principles one comes into existence with, but how one imbibes what one learns from others around and out of own experiences. What matters most is the set of principles with which one left the world. Truly that is the only thing one can carry. The words of wisdom quoted above by the elders are communicated to me for a reason and they are the medium through which I received it. What I do with it is what defines my life.

    My life’s mission is to help as many fellow beings as possible and not to hurt anyone. Can I lead a flawless life? Absolutely not. But when I drift away from what I came here to do, how quickly I react and respond determines how peaceful my life is. I am given freewill to choose what I like to receive. The opportunities unfold constantly in front of me to pursue but I must approach them with rigor and discipline that would give me self-satisfaction. Peace is not something I should look for. It already exists, and I need to reach it by removing all the huddles. If I remove the husk of ego, I can stop sprouting again and again.
     
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  2. PavithraS

    PavithraS Platinum IL'ite

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    Dear Viswa Sir- Words of Wisdom indeed. Thank you for sharing with us.

    Yes. That is the Ultimate Truth. That is the one and only Wisdom. I love many of Kannadasan's film songs. But this particular song from the Tamil film 'Aalayamani' is something very profound yet simply narrated Words of Wisdom . One can find the lyrics here
    Yes. Sat-Chit-Anandham. We can not blame anything/anyone else for our lack of happiness/peace. We can either choose to embrace our true self- that is being constantly blissful/peaceful -or we can continue to close our eyes in ignorance and search it outside, while it resides within us or rather itself being us.

    Regards,
    Pavithra
     
  3. jayasala42

    jayasala42 IL Hall of Fame

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    Dear Viswa,
    A great snippet of values,values and values.
    We have been given a glance of what our IL team philosopher feels of himself.
    But the world comprises a handful of Viswas and millions of Jayasalas.

    Come Deepavali, we are tired of too many sweets laddu, jangiri, Mysore pak ,unending is the list.
    In the same way the internet Guru supplies endless materials and words of Wisdom in plenty, and we don't know which to take and which to leave.As though this is not enough we get series of upadesams from Whatsapp on day to day basis--the sender might not even have noticed what he is sending.
    Anything in over dose is a poison.9Alavukku minjinaal amruthamum vishame)

    The way in which the media is flooded with words of wisdom, by now the world would have been transformed a lot. But nothing of that sort.There is no massive change towards betterment but definitely the leaning is towards the opposite.

    Do words of wisdom inspire one and all? A million dollar question!

    No doubt, quotes and words of wisdom do inspire us.The impact is maximum on the first read, but almost vanishes in seconds. The ‘so high’ a surge in dopamine results in an inevitable crash.

    We often find that the person who means to us is one who shares our pain and extends his warm hands and not the one who sends words of wisdom.
    When there is so much of upsurge in words of wisdom, I feel that we are carried away by some one's thoughts and are not allowed to think freely.


    The truth is when we care too much about these quotable quotes,our confidence shrinks and one starts feeling insignificant.

    My mother used to say'get hold of one or two virtues and follow them strictly-such as'don't hurt others.As for as possible try to help others'etc.This will automatically result in flowing of many a virtue.
    Too many words of wisdom make people of ordinary calibre( that is what the world consists and Viswas are exceptions) get overwhelmed They don't know how to think, feel .digest and react .
    Sorry for myself quoting a Tamil proverb
    ” kattik koduththa saadhamum, sollik koduththa vaarththaiyum eththanai naalukku varum”( How long can the packed lunch and imparted advice last?)My mother used to say this soon after advising us.No amount of quotes, proverbs and lectures on Vedantha can help, if people do not decide to change of their own.

    We have to be self propelled,fuelled from within.We can appreciate words of wisdom, but not get attached to them.
    Sorry Viswa,you belong to an exceptional category .Sure, we are proud of you and want to follow your foot steps. But practicality is different.
    For myself , I feel that it is better to face life as it comes and learn lessons rather than following words of wisdom, which on many occasions do not fit in the realistic situation.
    We know for sure that environments do not make men, but the way they perceive the circumstances make men.

    I wonder whether words of wisdom can make everyone have a correct perception of things.

    Sorry, I think I have digreesed a lot.

    Jayasala 42
     
  4. Viswamitra

    Viswamitra IL Hall of Fame

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    Dear Pavithra,

    Thank you for your first response and for sharing the lyrics of Kannadasan's greatest song. I write and write here not because I know so much because I need that kind of affirmation and learn from responses from other members.

    Seeking something that is transient or permanent is a choice given to us. Our direction in life is dependent on that choice we make. Knowing that there is nothing to seek is the highest wisdom one can possess.

    Viswa
     
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  5. Viswamitra

    Viswamitra IL Hall of Fame

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    Dear Smt. Jayasala:

    Thank you for your very comprehensive response. In fact, it is people like Viswa who needs to be told the words of wisdom again and again and that is why every Avatar and every saint who walked this beautiful planet keep repeating the most ancient wisdom time and again. If the world is filled with Smt. Jayasalas, even someone like me will not attempt to remove the husk and seek salvation and instead seek birth again and again.

    I meet everyday so many Westerners here and there is one thing I hear from them consistently is that they need to make a trip to India at least once. When further probed, the only answer I get is "It is the land of wisdom". Such is the name this holy land possesses outside. No matter which part of the world you visit whether it is Australia, Britain, France, Germany, Japan, Russia and the USA, you would not miss watching people attempting to learn the highest wisdom from Sanatana Dharma. In fact, Germans assimilated more of the wisdom of Sanatana Dharma than other countries. When they seek answers in life, they decide to go to India, Thailand, etc. to learn more about the Sanatana Dharma or Buddhism.

    When I see this, I feel problem of plenty is a better problem to have than the lack there of. It is the nature of the river to flow the water from the top of the mountain towards the sea but still we can drink only handful. When Lord Krishna did Geethopadhesam to Arjuna, He said, "This is not the first time I am teaching it". In fact nothing He taught was new and everything He taught were already in the ancient wisdom. But still He never stopped teaching it. In fact, many saints in India kept teaching the same thing over and over again to the ordinary people like me so that at least something will stick over a period of time.

    There is no question unless one is ready to be initiated, none of these words of wisdom will make any difference. That is why Gurus prepare the disciples to lead a disciplined life before teaching any wisdom.

    I agree with you it is not what we receive that makes the difference in life but how we react and respond that would change us. Practicing what we learn is what imbibes such wisdom. Everyone of the saints who walked this planet made their effort to transform the human beings and set an example for others by leading a life of austerity.

    Your mother's quote:

    Viswa's words of affirmation for himself:

    Here in the above example, I have written it once and I heard back from you about your mother's view the second time. Still, I may slip embedding this highest value when I interact with others and hearing that again and again helps.

    Even millions of ants walking over a stone can make it lose some thickness and similarly hearing those highest wisdom again and again will eventually transform someone like me. Of course, life experiences provide wisdom and even in such cases, the husk takes over as my own capabilities helped me overcome the ordeal. Even learning from life experiences need humility that is taught time and again. A stone is carved time and again to be made into a statue and the raw diamonds are cut time and again to get its full luster. Therefore, I never stop paying attention to any wisdom I hear from anyone thinking that it might be the moment that would eventually transform me.

    Those who have learned the art of retaining the ancient wisdom don't have to worry about listening more and more. It is the empty vessel like me that needs filling.

    Viswa
     
    Last edited: Oct 22, 2017
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  6. HariLakhera

    HariLakhera Platinum IL'ite

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    Dear Viswa,
    Kabeer, the Sufi Saint, once said - when I was bornin this world, I was crying and the people around me were rejoicing. I must do something that when I finally go that will make people cry. We still remember him for his words of wisdom. There are hundreds of people who left their imprints behind. This is one side of the issue.
    At a crowded Satsang, every one was shaking their heads in agreement with the preaching of the Guru. After the Satsang was over, I heard one old lady saying- everybody listens but no one follows. This is the another side.
    There are hundreds of people who are remembered for their bad deeds. But remembered they are. This is the third angle.
    As Jayasala Mam said the world is flooded with words of wisdom but it has not become any better. This echos with what a French philosopher said- the world is neither better nor worse, it is as it was. The question therefore arises, what's the use of such words of wisdom?
    I was reading somewhere about the difference between living and being. There is some sort of competition among the preachers to tell us how to better ourselves or even achieve perfection. We all know perfection is next to impossible.
    I would like to prefer being to living. Living is not difficult. Being is. It is not important for me what others think of me. It is important for me what I think of myself. I am prepared to live with all my imperfections. As long as my actions are harming anybody, I am okay with that. If I continue being a good person, a good father, a good husband, a good friend, I do not need to crave for recognition today or tomorrow.
    Having said that and as you said, the river flows and all what we have is handful of water. We must take what ever good comes our way and try to retain it.
     
  7. Thyagarajan

    Thyagarajan IL Hall of Fame

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    :hello:Quite a good read and good for emulation. But given the circumstances and politicking around, would it be possible to attain this goal or goals in a consistent manner. A Mother Theresa could do. A Florence Nightingale -yes. a mahatma Ok. but me..mmmm thanks and Regards.
     
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  8. Viswamitra

    Viswamitra IL Hall of Fame

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    Dear Hariji,

    Thank you for presenting three angles and sharing Kabeer's words of wisdom.

    Two questions here. First, despite words of wisdom, world has not become any better, is it because that rich wisdom is not assimilated by the world despite being available in plenty?

    If we don't worry about what others think of us and are ready to live with our imperfections, why the world should live up to the expectation of us? Like us, the world may be comfortable in living with its imperfections.

    Is the world a real world or how our mind perceives it?

    When you get a chance to remember where did you read this, can you kindly share this rich wisdom with me? I would like to understand the difference between living and being as well.

    In my humble opinion, living is not difficult but right living is. I keep trying it hard but I wasn't very successful. I have to first understand what is becoming a being and then attempt to become a being before I can respond whether it is hard or easy. I am confused as to how to be a being without living having born in this world?

    I am sure you meant "not harming" anyone. This is one of the essential value taught by the ancient wisdom as quoted by me, Smt. Jayasala and you.

    I can agree it is hard/difficult but can we categorically declare it is impossible? The ancient wisdom says that when a life becomes perfected through a flawless character, it loses the need to be born again. I am not knowledgeable enough to debate whether it is true or false. Assuming perfection is hard for me, I question myself how much I recognize that others around me also are struggling to be perfect and hence I need to be forgiving.

    What we do is for our own good and I agree with you completely that recognition is not the reason why we do our role in this world.

    In my view, one can suffer because of lack of information, lack of understanding or lack of experience. Most who lack information end up seeking it and some do their best to understand it but where most struggle is to practice those teachings. This is my humble view out of my own personal life experience.

    Thanks again for sharing your insight.

    Viswa
     
    Last edited: Oct 22, 2017
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  9. Thyagarajan

    Thyagarajan IL Hall of Fame

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    that is perfectly OK. but even this may not be possible all the time. somewhere one errs along the way, earning the displeasure of his parents, siblings, spouse and off-springs. in that case a perfect husband /spouse - would remain an impossible feat to achieve. one would find there are many criticise about imperfections in Rama/Sita the protoganists of Ramayana story. Thanks and regards. God Bless Us all.
     
  10. Viswamitra

    Viswamitra IL Hall of Fame

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    Dear Sri Thyagarajan:

    Thanks for your feedback. Everyone you have mentioned above were ordinary people when they started their mission. The difference is their will power to continue trying until they were successful. Let us not look at the end results and keep trying to make one step at a time like what Smt. Jayasala's mom suggested. If we have to climb Himalayas, besides all the gears needed, most importantly we need determination.

    Viswa
     
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