Disturbances in Mind

While I was in a Restaurant, suddenly a cockroach flew from somewhere and sat on a lady standing a little away from me.

She started screaming out of fear. With panic stricken face and trembling voice, she started jumping, with both her hands desperately trying to get rid of the cockroach. Her reaction was contagious, as everyone in her group got cranky to what was happening. The lady finally managed to push the cockroach to another lady in the group.

Now, it was the turn of the other lady in the group to continue the drama. The waiter rushed forward to their rescue.

In the relay of throwing, the cockroach next fell upon the waiter.

The waiter stood firm, composed himself and observed the behavior of the cockroach on his shirt.

When he was confident enough, he grabbed and threw it out with his fingers.

Sipping my coffee and watching the amusement, my mind picked up a few thoughts and started wondering:

- Was the cockroach responsible for the ladies' histrionic behavior?

- If so, then why was the waiter not disturbed? He handled it near to perfection - without any chaos or drama.

- So, it was not the cockroach, but the inability of the ladies to handle the disturbance caused by the cockroach that disturbed them.

I also realized even in my case then, it is not the shouting of my father or scolding of my boss that disturbs me, but it's my own inability to handle the disturbances caused by their shouting that disturb me.

Similarly, it's not the traffic jams on the road that disturbs me, but my inability to handle the disturbance caused in my mind by the traffic jam that disturbs me.

More than the problem, it's my own reaction to the problem that hurts me!

The Take-Away:

- The women reacted but the waiter responded.

- We must not react in life; we should always respond.

- Reactions are instinctive; responses are intellectual.

Ant and Grasshopper - Indian Version of story - too good and fact

Original Story:

The Ant works hard in the withering heat all summer building its house and
laying up supplies for the winter. The Grasshopper thinks the Ant is a fool
and laughs dances plays the summer away. Come winter, the Ant is warm and
well fed. The Grasshopper has no food or shelter so he dies out in the
cold.

Indian Version:

The Ant works hard in the withering heat all summer building its house and
laying up supplies for the winter. The Grasshopper thinks the Ant's a fool
and laughs dances plays the summer away.

Come winter, the shivering Grasshopper calls a press conference and demands
to know why the Ant should be allowed to be warm and well fed while others
are cold and starving.

NDTV, BBC, CNN show up to provide pictures of the shivering Grasshopper
next to a video of the Ant in his comfortable home with a table filled with
food.

The World is stunned by the sharp contrast. How can this be that this poor
Grasshopper is allowed to suffer so?

Arundhati Roy stages a demonstration in front of the Ant's house.

Medha Patkar goes on a fast along with other Grasshoppers demanding that
Grasshoppers be relocated to warmer climates during winter .

Mayawati states this as'injustice'done on Minorities.

Amnesty International and Koffi Annan criticize the Indian Government for
not upholding the fundamental rights of the Grasshopper.

The Internet is flooded with online petitions seeking support to the
Grasshopper (many promising Heaven&Everlasting Peace for prompt support
as against the wrath of God for non-compliance) .

Opposition MPs stage a walkout. Left parties call for'Bengal Bandh'in
West Bengal and Kerala demanding a Judicial Enquiry.

CPM in Kerala immediately passes a law preventing Ants from working hard in
the heat so as to bring about equality of poverty among Ants and
Grasshoppers.

Lalu Prasad allocates one free coach to Grasshoppers on all Indian Railway
Trains, aptly named as the'Grasshopper Rath'.

Finally, the Judicial Committee drafts the'Prevention of Terrorism Against
Grasshoppers Act'[POTAGA] , with effect from the beginning of the winter..

Arjun Singh makes'Special Reservation'for Grasshoppers in Educational
Institutions in Government Services.

The Ant is fined for failing to comply with POTAGA and having nothing left
to pay his retroactive taxes, it's home is confiscated by the Government
and handed over to the Grasshopper in a ceremony covered by NDTV, BBC, CNN.

Arundhati Roy calls it'A Triumph of Justice'.

Lalu calls it'Socialistic Justice'.

CPM calls it the'Revolutionary Resurgence of the Downtrodden'

Koffi Annan invites the Grasshopper to address the UN General Assembly.

Many years later...

The Ant has since migrated to the US and set up a multi-billion dollar
company in Silicon Valley ,

100s of Grasshoppers still die of starvation despite reservation somewhere
in India ,

....AND

As a result of losing lot of hard working Ants and feeding the
grasshoppers, India is still a developing country...!!

Meditation for a Travel Bug

There are two kinds of people in this world. One, for whom traveling is a passion and a lot of fun. Exploring new places, tasting different foods, discovering new cultures – they are simply smitten by the travel bug! And then there’s another category of people who start making a long face at the mere mention of the word ‘travel’. They have had too much of it and they can’t seem to enjoy it anymore! For these people, traveling itself is a bug.
The good news is: we have a tool, so simple and handy, to fix this bug.

Jet Lag

The first and the most common after-effect of long hours of travel. Change in time zones disturbs sleep patterns and the entire body cycle gets affected. But that’s not all. With the body not feeling great, the mind is unable to function effectively. If you are on a business tour, jet lag can be particularly problematic as it can affect productivity and efficiency at work.
Just for thoughts: Rajita Bagga, President of the World Forum for Ethics and Business, sometimes travels 2-3 weeks a month but despite long flights and jet lag, she manages to remain productive, creative, enthusiastic, and fresh. How?

 

 

     How to include meditation in your
     tour itinerary?

• Meditation is possible anywhere – flight, airport,
  car transit (when you are not driving), or train.
• It’s good to meditate morning and evening
  but if you can’t, do it any other time of the day.
• Meditating before in-flight meals is a good
  idea. But don’t worry if you missed it, meditate
  whenever!
• Download a few online guided meditations
  on your Ipod or laptop.
• Register for a Sahaj Samadhi Meditation
  Course and carry your mantra
  with you during travel.

 

 

Poor digestion

The last thing you would want on a holiday is an upset stomach. Unfortunately, change in place, change in weather, different eating habits and different food types all make it happen. Sometimes, the craving to taste a different food is so strong that we end up stuffing ourselves and crying with pain later.
Just for thoughts: Srinivas Uppaluri, Management Consultant, needs to travel quite a bit for work. Yet, he has a healthy digestive system. Apart from the fact that he is fairly strict about his diet and eating habits, Srinivas is also extremely particular about his daily routine, no matter which part of the world he is in. Long traveling times and jet lag don’t bother him and he is fresh and charged up when he arrives to take on the day ahead of him. How?

Motion sickness

Most people are uncomfortable in transit because of motion sickness, particularly on flights. While some people feel like throwing up during take-off and landing, some feel light-headed and restless all through the journey. The result: not a very favorable start to that perfect vacation.
Just for thoughts: Shreya Chugh, National Coordinator, Art of Living Yes! Course, travels extensively and used to keep popping pills each time she had motion sickness during air travel. Now, not only has she bid adieu to this problem forever but she doesn’t suffer from any jet lag either in spite of her hectic traveling. How?

Back-to-back travel can take a toll on the body

Imagine what would happen if you had to make more than 12 trips in a year? Sometimes, two back-to-back trips in a month can be enough to leave you exhausted and not wanting another for at least a year again! Continuous travel in different modes of transport – car, train or flight – can actually make one feel sick after a while. Most young business people these days, between the age group of 20 to 35 years, complain of back problems and body pain because of long uninterrupted travel schedules.
Just for thoughts: Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, spiritual leader and founder of the Art of Living, has traveled at least 54 cities in the past 3 months alone! Yet, he looks fresh and energetic after every tour. Whether it is a satsang he needs to attend the moment he lands at the airport, or a business meeting that he needs to go to soon after, the enthusiasm remains unchanged. How?
There is only one answer to all these ‘hows’ – meditation. A few minutes of sitting still with yourself can work wonders, especially when you are traveling,

• It helps you get over the jet lag so that you can spend the day holidaying or finishing business deals instead of catching up with sleep in the hotel room.
• Meditation helps keep the digestive system in place
• Meditation can help restore balance coupled with a few yoga postures, pranayamas, and a little check on the diet. And the best part is that you can do some of these yoga poses even on the flight! (see yoga in airplane). Srinivas Uppaluri, Management Consultant, shares the secret to his good health – “I make sure to carry my yoga mat everywhere I go and the first thing I do after arriving at the hotel is practice yoga, Sudarshan Kriya, and meditation. With that, my jet lag is gone and I’m fresh and active for the entire day.” • A few minutes of meditation helps eliminate the fatigue and travel-related stress in the mind and body.

Ok, all this sounds great but where do I fit meditation into my busy travel schedule? If this is your excuse, there is all the more reason for you to start meditating. It will help add more hours to your day. Just 20 minutes of meditation and see the change for yourself – your mind becomes more focused, productivity increases and you will be able to strike much more profitable deals – all with just a 20-minute time investment.


Loads of Love,

Ravi...

The 5 Legends!

1. Legendary is the love that withstands rejection. It will be free of anger and ego

2. legendary is the commitment that withstands humiliation. It will be one-pointed and will reach the goal

3. Legendary is the wisdom that withstands turbulence. It will be integrated into life

4. Legendary is the faith that withstands a million chances of doubt. It will bring perfection

5. Legendary are the events that withstand time. They will become morals for millions

Loads of Love,

Ravi