2nd September 2020 – SMILE – Stress to Strength
The first of the five-day event of the interaction based on the Bhagavad Geeta with Swami Swatmananda ji started off with Swamiji getting all the participants to “SMILE”. “To weep is folly. To smile is Wisdom. Keep smiling.” …Swami Chinmayananda. Swamiji informed the participants that the Geeta is also called Ashoka Geeta and explained the folly of living in a state of crying/cribbing. Further, the transformation of Arjuna was explained wherein Lord Krishna did not change Arjuna’s external world but brought about an internal transformation. Life is a series of challenging experiences, so focus on the things one is grateful for. Further, one can always choose a positive response in any situation. This can be accomplished by strengthening ourselves from within. Success without stress = skill + strength. Stress is response to events that threaten or upset our balance. The 3 types of responses are Fight, Flight and Freeze. The longer one holds on to stress the more painful it gets. There are many causes of stress like external, physical, mental, intellectual, and spiritual. Thus, management of stress is the key. It is important to integrate body, mind and intellect. Work with single minded focus as multi-tasking dissipates the mind. Other techniques of stress management, includes putting a dot on the thumb to make us understand that we are responsible for our actions. Further, setting higher goals and realizing that tough times do not last but tough people do. Strengthen mental power through the practice of japa, chanting OM. Reconcile that one is beyond the thoughts. T20 – 20 minutes each of exercise, meditation and study.
3rd September 2020 – SMILE – Moodiness to Mind Balance:
A controlled mind is your best friend and an uncontrolled mind is your worst enemy. “Mind is a monkey, riding on a donkey of the body in the circus of life.” Swami Chinmayananda. Head and mind must combine for balance & freedom from impulsiveness. Do not be overwhelmed by negative emotions or become a slave to senses. Chapter VI describes mind management in 4 words: Chanchal (fickle), Pramaathi (Impulsive), Balavad (Attavhed), Drdham (Unyielding). Swamiji explained Biological Neuropathways of signal entering the brain, which first comes to the emotional mind amygdala and then to front lobe. Thus, the mid brain is a tool to control our mind for which Lord Krishna advocates two steps, 1) Abhyasa- To practice single pointedness with focus in the now, through Japa, Ekagrata, doing one thing at a time. 2) Vairagya- Dispassion, seeing the pain of pleasure & the pleasure of pain, drop attachment to the objects, dropping dependency on results. Human body is only a tool and money has only functional value. Guard against impulsiveness by saying a firm no to what is harmful, pratipaksha bhavana, sattvic ways of entertainment, long term happiness Vs. short term gain (Chapter 18.39). Be mindful of impulsiveness in relationship, actions, responses by focusing on breath/mantra, take refuge in your intellect. Every person, including Bhagavan has been insulted but never take things personally. Swamiji also suggested the SMART formula i.e. strengthen sattva, maximize concentration, aim high, Reduce rajas, Trash tamas.
4th September 2020 – SMILE –Inferiority to Inspiration:
As the vision is so is the world. What is my vision of myself? Individual transformation leads to world transformation. Confidence in life is growth in self, thus confidence and self-reliance go together. Knowledge must make us more confident and independent. Arjuna’s transformation was through the knowledge of Swadharma. Swamiji asked participants if they get nervous, can’t handle appreciation, find it difficult to talk about themselves or performance drops in spite of preparation. Arjuna came in self-doubt and said he rather beg or die, instead of fighting. The main causes for this are low self esteem or Inferiority where people do not want to be seen making mistakes, are seeking perfection, suffer inferiority complex. As a result, one will feel jealous about other people or suffer mental turmoil. “Remember! God never created you to fail in life. The only sin in life is Inferiority”. Swami Chinmayananda. Therefore, one must defeat the defeatist in ourselves. Have a “So What” attitude. APJ Abdul Kalam, who was dejected when he did not become a pilot, was told by Swami Sivananda “So what if you did not become a pilot”. Negativity will dissipate our energy; we brand ourselves as failure and some take extreme step of suicide. One has to always be positive and believe in themselves, like a bumble bee who can fly, in spite of not being suitable aeronautically. It is important to set SMART goals, strengthen our strengthens and weaken our weakness. Hanuman ji is an inspiring idol, who achieved most extraordinary things. “I can! I must! I will! Therefore, one must perform their duties, set clear and high goals, avoid past regrets, have positive self-love, accept compliments, show great humility and learn to accept failure. Connect to the higher through prayer/japa, derive strength through faith and know that the Lord is imperishable.
5th September 2020 – SMILE: Loneliness to Love:
One of the greatest pursuits of life is love. We feel different from others and experience sense of separateness from them. This make us lonely in spite of wealth, name and fame. Relationships are ephemeral as one has to leave everything at the time of death. However, our body, we view as one and are incapable of inflicting pain on any part. Loneliness goes when we lose our individuality, like a musician or cricketer immersed in what they are doing or even in deep sleep state. “From duality rises fear”. Loneliness goes if we accept / love ourselves and drop our individual identity. We cannot handle ourselves and look to escape from the truth. Do not take pity on yourself by entertaining “Poor Me” syndrome. “If we cannot enjoy our own company, why inflict it on others”. Swami Chinmayananda. Like the great masters, ‘fall in love with love itself’. Love is natural in each of us and does not need to be created, just discovered. Drop ego and have unconditional love, i.e. love the other with their flaws and help each other grow. The TRUTH cannot be known unless one has loved. Accept people as they are, give them freedom and space, understand them and not judge them, handle others using your head and see goodness in others. Express your love like how Krishna tells Arjuna that he is dear to him. Express your fear, concerns and have issue-based differences. Listen (not hear) with intellectual awareness and attention. Love is expressed in many ways and look for intentions and not expressions of love. Speak the truth and avoid gossip and impulsive talking. Reduce dependency on others and do not cling to people. Understand that detachment is not disinterest. Cultivate relationship and bhakti for the Lord, otherwise love for people becomes sentimental.
5th September 2020 – SMILE: Ego to Ecstasy
People believe to live in this world without ego is not possible. They want both ego and ecstasy. The journey from ego to ecstasy is self-unfoldment. In spite of increase in comforts, there is a decrease in happiness. Rishis have found that ignorance is the root cause of sorrow. Ego is built up over multiple lives. Ego is sense of individuality, psychological sense of identity or false identification with the BMI. The way to supreme happiness is to drop ego. Ego should be given up because we are only playing this role in life, to allow the greater potential to manifest and learn/adapt life as it comes with flexibility. Arjuna was deluded but with knowledge he was freed of attachment. Very few institutions have survived long periods of over 500 years and these are mainly spiritual organizations. “More the knowledge lesser is the ego and lesser the knowledge more is the ego”. Albert Einstein. Swamiji also explained the Ubuntu tribe in Africa, who work as a community. “If you want to go quickly go alone. If you want to go far go together”. Om Lokah Samastah Sukhino Bhavante for all 14 worlds. Self-knowledge is the only solution, realize the self and go beyond the small “I” (ego). Each chapter of the Geeta tells us how to give up ego. Chapter 1 – Open up, 2 – Seek guidance, 3 – Teamwork, 4 – Swadharma, 5 – Detachment, 6 – Contemplate on Self, 7 – Evolve in devotion, 8 – OM, 9 – Constant remembrance, 10 – See his glory all around you, 11 – Cosmic vision, 12 – Worship form, 13 – Be a witness, 14 – Strengthen Sattva Guna, 15 – Feel his presence, 16 – Study, 17 – Yagna, Dhana, Tapas with faith and 18 – Surrender. The talks are called SMILE so do not grieve. Wherever Yogeshwara Krishna and Dhanurdhar Partha are together, success, prosperity and glory will be there for sure. This is True Ecstasy.
