The Life Drive Newsletter May2013

The Life Drive Newsletter May 2013
By Rahul Inamdar
The Life Drive Newsletter
May 2013
http://lifedriveorg.blogspot.in/
shaileshdesh@gmail.com
About The Life Drive Newsletter
This newsletter is meant for someone who is interested in improving his or her work on own Journey of Personal Growth. I believe that that this Journey is about becoming the best that you can be and expressing yourself in a manner that is most meaningful to you. Each one of us has two inbuilt and perpetual drives that influence all that we do The Life Drive inspires us to create new things, seek out our true selves and engage with external world with zest and affection. At the same time, The Death Drive within us scares us, makes us harm ourselves, makes us find comfort in the lazy status quo and gets us to look at external world and other people with suspicion and violence. The Death Drive within us does anything and everything it can do to stop and derail our Journey of Personal Growth. To succeed in its objective, the Death Drive throws many traps at us, such as convincing us that the problem is not within but outside us and convincing us that the comfortable life of status quo is better than risking the challenges of self exploration and self-expression. How well, and whether at all we progress on this Journey is entirely dependent on whether we constantly honor our Life Drive by giving life to newer expressions of our core self and whether we succeed in defeating that enemy within ( The Death Drive) every day. Nobody and nothing outside of us can ma ke us do this - it can happen if and only if we take complete personal responsibility of staying true to our precious and sacred Life Drive. This newsletter is meant to be a small reminder- that hopefully will make each of us take a pause and ask this question to ourselves: Did I truly honor my Life Drive today?
The power of introverts : TED Talk by Susan Cain
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c0KYU2j0TM4
In a very intense and genuine talk Susan Cain makes a powerful case that the introverts themselves and the world at large will gain a lot if they accept the fact that introverts need a different approach and environment to bring out their best. This typically includes access to solitude and time to process their own thoughts and feelings. At a more deeper level, the key message from the talk is that each individual will benefit a lot if he or she understands the uniqueness of own personality and works on expressing this uniqueness in the best possible way ( without getting distracted by what the world thinks is the right thing to do )
Manifesto, By Susan Cain 1. Theres a word for people who are in their heads too much: thinkers. 2. Our culture rightly admires risk-takers, but we need our heed-takers more than ever. 3. Solitude is a catalyst for innovation. 4. Texting is popular because in an overly extroverted society, everyone craves asynchronous, non-F2F communication. 5. We teach kids in group classrooms not because this is the best way to learn but because its cost-efficient, and what else would we do with the children while all the grown-ups are at work? If your child prefers to work autonomously and socialize one-on-one, theres nothing wrong with her; she just happens not to fit the model. 6. The next generation of quiet kids can and should be raised to know their own strength. 7. Sometimes it helps to be a pretend-extrovert. Theres always time to be quiet later. 8. But in the long run, staying true to your temperament is the key to finding work you love and work that matters. 9. Everyone shines, given the right lighting. For some, its a Broadway spotlight, for others, a lamplit desk. 10. Rule of thumb for networking events: one genuine new relationship is worth a fistful of business cards. 11. Its OK to cross the street to avoid making small talk. 12. Quiet leadership is not an oxymoron. 13. The universal longing for heaven is not about immortality so much as the wish for a world in which everyone is always kind. 14. If the task of the first half of life is to put yourself out there, the task of the second half is to make sense of where youve been. 15. Love is essential, gregariousness is optional. 16. In a gentle way, you can shake the world. Gandhi
http://lifedriveorg.blogspot.in/ shaileshdesh@gmail.com
Excerpts from A Simple guide to life (Essay based on Buddhist philosophy by Robert Bogoda)
(Link to complete version: http://www.accesstoinsight.org/lib/authors/bogoda/wheel397.html )) Note: When we study the core teachings of the major religions, we often come across insights and guidance that is very valuable for our journey of growth. Whether one agrees with the entire framework of a particular religion or a not is a subject of personal faith and is a completely different matter. But the most fascinating aspect of these ancient philosophies is the fact that many of them seem to be talking about almost the same core universal principles principles which are fundamental to our journey of personal growth. The excerpts below have been taken from an essay written by Srilankan scholar Robert Bogoda. In this essay, the author has tried to capture the core essence of Buddhist philosophy and the guidance we can seek from it as we live our regular lives in the modern world. Shailesh.
INTRODUCTION: The lack of a clear philosophy of life, so widespread today, is largely responsible
for the steady decline in ethical standards, both individually and socially . The Buddha was concerned with the material welfare of his lay disciples as much as with their spiritual development. He did not deter them from seeking mundane happiness, but he stressed that in pursuing mundane goals, the lay Buddhist should take great care to avoid breaking the basic rules of morality The guiding maxim of the entire essay is: A little well done is better than a lot poorly done. The Buddha's teaching, which is unique in its completeness, is the most rational and consistent plan for wholesome living. It is not based on dogma or blind faith, but on facts and verifiable conclusions. It therefore offers a reasonable way of life which should be attractive to any thinking person. The mere fact of accepting Buddhism intellectually, however, will not ensure happiness and security. To yield its http://lifedriveorg.blogspot.in/ shaileshdesh@gmail.com
fruit the Buddha's teaching has to be utilized intelligently and constructively in all the activities of our daily life. It has to be adopted, adapted, and applied until all its basic principles are absorbed and made habitual by repeated practice, for a theoretical knowledge of Buddhism is insufficient in itself. If one wishes to make changes in the changing personality that one now is, these changes will take time and patience. The lofty heights of Nibbana ( Nirvana Enlightenment ) are not to be reached by a sudden leap but by quiet, persistent endeavor over a long period, guided by the Master's teaching.
THE RIGHT VIEW OF LIFE :
Kamma ( Karma Action ) is neither fate nor predestination, but
our own willed action considered as capable of producing results. Understanding the kammic moral law of cause and effect, we will learn to control our actions in order to serve our own welfare as well as to promote the good of others. There are ten bases of merit (puakiriya-vatthu), deeds which spring from the virtuous qualities of detachment, goodwill, and wisdom, and which generate wholesome kamma: generosity, morality, meditation, reverence, service, transference of merit, rejoicing in the good deeds of others, hearing the Dhamma, expounding the Dhamma, and straightening out one's views. It is lack of right understanding and ignorance of the underlying laws of life that account for the prevalence of materialism in today's world, Thus we find that when people worship money regardless of how it is earned, hunt for pleasure no matter where it is found, chase power and fame regardless of the cost to their personal integrity. Ignorance of the law is no valid excuse in a court of law, and so it is with regard to the moral law of kamma: the law operates regardless of whether one believes in it or not, due effects following from their respective causes. Just as an infant will get burnt if it touches fire regardless of whether or not it understands the dangers in playing with fire, so those who violate the laws of morality will have to face the consequences when their kamma ripens, regardless of whether or not they accept the teaching of kamma. Buddhism teaches that human beings evolve according to the quality of the kamma they have performed during their lifetime. This supplies a rational basis for morality For a genuine Buddhist, http://lifedriveorg.blogspot.in/ shaileshdesh@gmail.com
then, one's everyday activities, by way of thought, word, and deed, are more important than anything else in life. Life is not a being, an identity, but a becoming; not a product, but a process. There is in actuality no doer, only a doing; no thinker, only thinking; no goer, only a going.
THE NOBLE EIGHTFOLD PATH :

connected, ordered into three groups: Wisdom group (paa)
It consists of the following eight factors, inter-related and inter-
1. Right understanding: knowledge of the true nature of life; understanding the Four Noble Truths. 2. Right thought: thought free from sensuality, ill-will, and aggression. Morality group (sila) 3. Right speech: abstinence from falsehood, slander, harsh speech, and useless words. 4. Right action: abstinence from killing, stealing, and sexual misconduct. 5. Right livelihood: avoiding any means of livelihood that involves harm or exploitation of others. Concentration group (samadhi) 6. Right effort: training the mind to avoid unwholesome mental states and to develop wholesome mental states. 7. Right mindfulness: developing the power of attentiveness and awareness in regard to the "four foundations of mindfulness" body, feelings, mind, and mental phenomena. 8. Right concentration: cultivation of one-pointedness of mind.
CHALLENGES AND OBSTACLES IN THE PATH :
The following five states are likely to prevent
or block the success of our efforts to lead the upright life of a Buddhist lay follower. They are called by the Buddha the five mental hindrances (pacanivarana) because they close the doors to both spiritual and worldly progress. : 1. The first of the five hindrances is sensual craving, obsessive hankering for possessions or for the gratification of the senses. While the lay Buddhist will seek wealth and possessions as an integral part of mundane happiness, he will also be aware of the limits to be observed in their pursuit. He will recognize that if one obtains wealth and position by unjust means, or becomes excessively attached to them, they will become a source of misery and despair rather than of joy and contentment. Money alone cannot solve all our problems. Many people never learn this, and spend their time and energy accumulating wealth and the so-called "good things" it can buy. But in fact, the more they acquire the more they want. Such people can never find happiness. A lay Buddhist must be moderate in all things. Extreme desires for riches, the enjoyment of liquor, and the ostentatious display of ones success are sure signs of internal insecurity, things to be avoided. 2. Ill will or hatred, the second hindrance, is the emotional opposite of desire, yet it is an equally potent obstacle to personal development. Hatred colors everything black and drives us to destroy what we suspect is inimical to our interests. The best way to overcome hatred is by cultivating loving-kindness, explained later in this essay. 3. Indolence and mental inertia is the next hindrance, the obstacle to strenuous effort. The lazy person is not inclined to strive for correct understanding or high standards of conduct. He is a drifter or a dreamer, easy prey to the thieves of craving and hatred. 4. Restlessness and worry are twin hindrances very much in evidence today. Restlessness is manifest in the agitation, impatience, thirst for excitement, and unsettled character of our daily existence. Worry is the guilt and remorse that one feels when one broods sadly or regretfully over an evil deed that has been done or a good deed left undone. The best remedy for a lapse or transgression already committed is to decide never to repeat it; the best remedy for neglecting to do good is to do it without delay.
5. The last hindrance is doubt. Doubt is the inability to decide, the lack of resolution that prevents one from making a firm commitment to higher ideals and from pursuing the good with a steady will. These five hindrances are great handicaps to one's progress. They deprive the mind of understanding and happiness and cause much unnecessary suffering. By cultivating the five cardinal virtues confidence, energy, mindfulness, concentration, and wisdom and by constant effort one can reduce their harmful influence. .When one adopts this attitude to life, one will discover greater detachment, deeper calm, more durable peace of heart even amidst the same situations that previously produced nothing but stress and worry. The key to managing stress is through the disciplining and mastery of the mind. One can also reduce stress by forming good work habits. One should confine oneself to doing one thing at a time, since attempts to juggle multiple tasks only lead to poor results in all of them.
BEWARE OF BIAS AND PROPAGANDA : Buddhism teaches the need for clear thinking, selfcontrol, self-help, and meditation. Although each human being is endowed with a mind, very few of us use that mind to think for ourselves. The great majority of people today allow others to do their thinking for them. The mind absorbs a great deal of poison from the outer environment by continuous exposure to suggestions from others. This mental passivity has become especially baneful with the development of the mass media. Radio, television, and newspapers, pulp journals tabloids (and internet) , blare their messages at us every minute of the day, and their power of penetration is reinforced by the ingrained human disposition to accept what we are told and to comply with what we are urged to do. Bombarded left and right by ten thousand inducements, we no longer think our own thoughts, feel our own emotions, or initiate our own actions; instead, we think as others want us to think, feel as others want us to feel, act in ways that will win the approval of our peers and superiors. The pull of the crowd has become irresistible. How then is a Buddhist to protect himself or herself from the baneful influences to which we are everywhere exposed in the modern world? As lay Buddhists we should always adopt a critical attitude http://lifedriveorg.blogspot.in/ shaileshdesh@gmail.com
towards the written and spoken word and should always apply mindfulness to protect ourselves from being emotionally swayed by those who seek to win our favor. We should stand back from the topic under review and examine it objectively from all angles. Only after appraising the alternatives should we arrive at a decision or evaluation. If we properly understand the working of kamma .we will recognize that no one can be alike, and thus we will also avoid drawing comparisons; for this is a world of comparisons as well as of propaganda. The only meaningful comparison that one should make is between the person that one was a month ago, a year ago, or a decade ago, and the person that one is now: physically, intellectually, morally, and financially. If there has been no improvement, or insufficient improvement, one should inquire why this is so and remedy one's deficiencies without delay. If this annual stocktaking is done regularly, it will be most beneficial. Putting aside pride and prejudice, revising one's values and outlook, one will then lead a simpler, saner, and happier life.
Please do share your comments and feedback on the Newsletter. You can reach me at shaileshdesh@gmail.com

The Life Drive Newsletter May2013

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The Life Drive Newsletter May2013

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The Life Drive Newsletter May 2013