I love this passage written by Martin Aylward. My understanding of living a holistic life is enriched by reading and reflecting on this passage. According to me, nonconceptual awareness is awareness beyond the knowledge acquired from books, teachers and other sources. Nonconceptual awareness is cultivated by experiencing the unconditional Truth, the unconditional Love, and by living in here-now consciousness. It is beyond words, concept and theories. I consider it as living Truth. It goes beyond conceptual learning acquired from books, teachers and other resources. It is an experiential learning gained by reading books or listening to teachers attentively with an open mind, reflecting on the teachings, practicing the words of wisdom, and incorporating the teachings in everyday life.

The author describes three helpful supports for nonconceptual awareness. The first support is embodied awareness. Conceptual awareness by itself is not enough. Learning lessons from books or teachers is the starting point. Reflecting on what is orally or verbally acquired is very important for conceptual learning. I call it a curious and inquiring mind. The second helpful support for nonconceptual awareness is building the capacity and the willingness to continue letting go. Mind has a tendency to think. It is mind's job. There is no need to fight the mind or let the mind do whatever the mind wants to do. Using discretion is very important for regulating our thoughts, emotions, expressions and actions. We do not let our mind hijack us. We do not get hooked by the mind. We use our mind wisely. That is the sign of an awakened being. As the author says " Awareness is a more potent, luminous, and immediate than our mental prevarications. When you find yourself caught up in a thought, notice, and in the noticing unhook, unhook, unhook." I find this a very wise advice for unburdening ourselves from the heavy load of unwholesome thoughts. The third step is applying the learning in life, integrating it in our life.  The third support for nonconceptual presence, the willingness to not know- the willingness to put aside familiar and the willingness to meet each experience new. As the author says, "to live aside inner or outer, pleasant or unpleasant, good or bad-all of them can be left aside." I take this as remaining unattached- nonattachment to good or bad keeps the mind free.
​Namaste!

We have a spectrum of emotions. There are times when we are glad, joyful and happy and there are times when we get mad, sad, and unhappy. When I experience positive and negative emotions I let them come and let them go. I do not waste my energy in suppressing, repressing, denying, fighting , complaining or getting stuck. This way I do not waste my energy. When I become a victim of external circumstances, I get upset and angry and process my feelings and work on myself rather than complaining or bitching about it. I do not let myself be a victim of adverse external circumstances but find a way for working on them.

The author of this passage Karla McLaren uses an interesting phrase "Conscious complaining". To me it means recognizing and understanding what causes negative feelings in me. Becoming aware of my feelings, understanding the cause of my feelings, and doing whatever I can to be centered and strong to face the external circumstances. This way I won't waste my energy by complaining or dwelling on the causes of my suffering. I have learned the way of reducing my distress and anguish by practicing mindfulness. Mindfulness helps me understand the causes of my suffering and to be free from the impact of suffering. This practice helps me to be centered and grounded. I see the value of "conscious complaining" as described by the author. I also see the value of doing positive affirmations. It is like looking at the bright side of the issue or situation rather than dwelling on the negative side of the situation. When I have stomach ache, I do not dwell on it or complain about it. I try to find out what caused my stomach ache and learn a lesson from it so that I may not cause my stomach ache again. This way I do not find fault in somebody or complain against someone else in my life. What good, constructive, and positive things I can do is in my hands. And that is freedom.
Namaste!

Based on the wonderful reading by Thanissaro Bhikku, here is my reflection:

Life presents challenges. There are times when I feel the glow of attainment and success. And there are times when I feel the gloom of loss and failure. I have experienced ups and downs in my life. How do I relate to such ups and downs cycles makes a significant difference in the quality of my life. Realizing that life is not a straight line and it goes through small and big curves and accepting this fact without grudging and complaining is the right and wise way of living. I turn my face towards such happenings and face them with equanimity. This is the equanimity of a warrior. I believe in the wise saying, "A wandering mind is not a happy mind." I know the power of pranayama, maintaining a dynamic balance between inbreath and our breath for keeping the mind steady and focused. Regular practice of pranayama makes my mind clear and calm. I feel peaceful and happy. How to sustain this flow is a big challenge for me. What helps me maintain that flow is mindfulness-a nonjudgemental awareness with an intention of staying in the here and now consciousness not bound by ruminating on the past and worrying about the future. I consider this an illustration of concentration equanimity. All wisdom traditions emphasize the value of non-attachment. We all know attachment to anything, good or bad, creates obstructions on the path of our spiritual journey called yatra. In the spiritual journey, there are neither likes nor dislikes. Likes and dislikes come and go. Both likes and dislikes are two sides of the same coin of attachment. We get bound by them. Self-awareness transcends this duality and creates oneness. I would consider this state as transcendental equanimity. May we be free from attachments and aversions and attain the bliss of equanimity in our life!

Namaste!

Based on the wonderful story by Nora Bateson, here is my reflection:
​
Life is complex. Life has many threads. Life has many beads. Life has many levels. Life has many colors like a rainbow. The musical instrument of life has seven sound notes. When we see these differences without eyes covered by separateness, we see the underlying oneness or indivisible unity or harmony. And that is pure love. Thus there is oneness in manyness. Pure unselfish love stems from complexity. Likewise complexity stems from love. It's like branches stemming from a deep rooted tree. When we look at differences with colored eyes, the differences divide us and cause violence and destruction. It all depends upon how clear our vision is. How we view others different from us. When we relate to others with clear mind and clear heart life becomes harmonious. It has taken time for me to move in the direction of harmony and unconditional love and acceptance. Walking on the path brings deep joy, fulfillment, oneness and bliss in me. There are two ways of looking at the knife in our side. One way is looking at the knife as a means of violence. The other way of looking at the knife is looking with compassionate eyes at the hitchhiker as a desperate poor and hungry man. Nora Bateson's father looked at the man with kind and compassionate eyes. His focus was not on the knife. His focus was on the poor man desperately struggling for survival. He felt warmth and care for the traveler. I am ending my comments by asking me a question: how would I have reacted to the traveler?

Namaste!

Based on the original post by Aldous Huxley, below is my reflection:

Knowledge is acquired from past experiences. Knowledge is subjective and objective. It has duality. Me and you, this and that. Past and present. Knowledge has divisiveness.
Understanding has non-dual consciousness. Beyond me and you there is we, there is us. Understanding is nonverbal. Understanding is existential awareness. Understanding is non-argumentative. Understanding has wholeness. Understanding is not bound by the past and is not captivated by the future. It is here and now consciousness. Understanding has emptiness, free from likes and dislikes, free from the grip of attachment and aversion.
I have multiple unconditional relationships. When I relate to myself , to my family members, friends, and strangers , and nature with an open mind and an open heart, I feel oneness. Being fully present helps me create understanding of myself and others. Being aware of what is happening in my body, mind and heart without judging helps me understand myself. Being mindfully present with others and nature helps me cultivate understanding. Spiritually speaking it creates unitive consciousness, oneness.
Namaste!

Nature offers so many noble gifts of wonderment, joy, and beauty. In order to enjoy and appreciate these noble and wonderful gifts we need to be silent as Mary Oliver says " In order to be light and frolicsome" we need "only the silent confirmation." Reading these words "the silent confirmation" reminds me of the Taoist path of silence. Once Laotzu, the author of Taoism, was walking with his friend silently deeply enjoying the gifts of nature, birds welcoming the rising sun and the sky displaying wonderful colors, his companion uttered " Vow! What a beautiful sight!". Lao Tzu asked him to witness the beauty of nature without uttering a word.
When my wife passed away, I felt deep grief and sadness. Remaining silent helped me to go through the grieving process, the "dark night of the soul." I have also enjoyed the bright rays of the sun and the thick darkness of the night. I have learnt to go with the flow of life without resistance. When I have resisted the flow of life I have suffered more. Mindfulness of what's happening inside and letting it come and go helps me relate to the phenomenal world freely without any bondage.
​Namaste!

Based on the article written by Anthony De Mello, here is my reflection:

Spirituality or holiness or selfless love cannot be obtained by making efforts. They are states of Being, not becoming. Becoming is like a behavior that can be acquired, changed, or modified. Spirituality is isness, presence, realty, truth, tathata as the Buddha says. It is formless, shapeless, sizeless, nameless and timeless. It is eternal. It is transcendental. We cannot purchase it or sell it. It is not a commodity. It is beyond a transactional mindset.

Spirituality is always present. It is like light that always shines. It is like love that never dies. I need to be awake to see it and experience it. When I get binded by my self-centered and selfish eyes, I lose it. When I crave for it and try to hold it, I lose it. It is always present in my inner home, inner being. What helps me remain aware of this reality? When things do not go the way I want, I become aware of how I am affected by not acquiring what I wanted. I create a space between the triggering stimulus and my response. I take a few deep, slow and gentle breaths that helps me not to react impulsively. It quiets and clears my mind and it helps me to respond wisely. As the Buddha says, when an arrow of hurt is thrown by somebody, do not throw a counter arrow of hurting the one who throws the first arrow of hurting you. Sadly, many arrows of reactions are thrown at each other in relationships that hurts and bleeds the heart of each other. Non-judgemental awareness, loving kindness and insight of wisdom has helped me to be free from my reactive behaviors. Practicing mindfulness is like a mirror that allows me to see my face and to open my eyes to see the truth and act accordingly.
Namaste!

Based on the article excerpted from Dacher Keltner’s new book, below is my reflection:

A moment of surprise with an open and curious mind creates awe to me. Seeing a child smiling, a flower blooming, watching the cloud sailing in the vast blue sky, seeing a lotus smiling in the muddy water, children giggling with no reason, and a friend showing up unannounced brings surprising and joyful feelings of awe in my heart. I welcome them as guests gratefully. When I keep the door of my mind and heart open, a new arrival comes with a gift of awe and wonderment. I sit near a window in my study room and I see clouds coming and going, birds chirping, leaves changing colors.

When my mind is free and is unoccupied by past thoughts and feelings and not worrying about the future, I am in the here and now consciousness. I see the panorama of natural sights and sounds and it offers me gifts of awe, joy and wonderment. There is a beautiful saying in Sanskrit: khshe khshe yat nanvatam upeti tadeva roopam ramanniyataha: Beauty is that brings newness every moment. It is not easy to live in the here and now consciousness. Mind gets occupied by past pleasant and unpleasant memories and imaginations or worries about the future. Mindfulness of what is going in the mind and heart without being bound by these thoughts and judgements creates witnessing consciousness and it helps me to see wonders of the present moment. In such moments, the dividing line between you and me fades away and it creates moments of here and now wonderment.
Namaste!

Here is my reflection to the poem by John Paul Moore:

The cup of my happiness 0verflows when I hold someone's tired hand to lighten their load. The cup of my happiness doesn't get empty. It overflows and continues overflowing with joyful gratitude. It's by giving we receive. As the poet says, "I am reaping better than I've sowed." The cup of happiness overflows when I give a gift of pure love to someone unconditionally. My cup of happiness never gets empty when I hold someone's tired hand as if it's my hand. When my hands were tired by the heavy burden I was carrying, one of my friends noticed it and lightened my burden by holding my hands compassionately. Selfless service lightens heavy emotional load we carry in our life. Lightening such heavy loads is a spiritual way of living. Living life this way the world becomes a family, a nest, and life becomes a blessing. May we all hold each other's hands like brothers and sisters and make this world an abode of peace and harmony. This is my New Year's Prayer. Let us fill the cup of our life overflowing.
​Namaste!

This passage authored by Eckhart Tolle reminds me the wise teachings of the Buddha. We all suffer. This is the noble truth. Suffering arises in our mind and heart by remaining attached to and bound by the past. Awareness of suffering becomes the doorway into transcending suffering. Awareness of what binds us and following the light of awareness makes us free. This is the noble way of living. It's a journey from darkness to light, from bondage to freedom.

We as human beings go through self-created darkness. We create our own suffering by clinging on to the past. I was in deep loving relationship with a person whom I loved very deeply and dearly. When she passed away I felt emptiness in my life. I deeply suffered, emotionally. I felt like doing nothing and stay in the cave of darkness. My staying in the dark nights of the soul lasted for a long time. Practicing mindfulness meditation woke me up and helped me to see the light. My suffering became a doorway to inner freedom. Facing it mindfully with loving kindness and compassionately helped me to be free from my self-created bondage. Waking up and remaining awake requires inner work, diligence , patience, and perseverance. Such awakening has brought deep joy, happiness and fulfilment in my life. May we all keep the inner light shine and be blessed by awakening!
Namaste!