Forgiveness is a divine quality
The act that hurt or offended you might always be with you in the form of
Anger, hate or revenge . If this negative emotion remains with you for
long it can cause a lot of harm to your mental and physical wellbeing.
Forgiveness as a divine quality can help you free from these feelings.
It can be understood easily by this ancient story.
“Long back there was a monk, one day went to the river to bathe, there
he noticed a scorpion struggling in the water as it was drowning.
The monk carefully picking up the scorpion to rescue it from drowning as
he was just about to put it on land, the scorpion stung his finger. In pain,
the sadhu instinctively flung his hand and the scorpion went back into the
river. Monk again lifted the scorpion out of the water but before he could
set the scorpion safely on land, the creature stung him again. This went
on for several times before reaching the freedom of the riverbank.
The disciple of Monk who was watching him asked “Forgive me for my
frankness, but it is clear that the scorpion is simply going to continue to
sting you each and every time you try to carry it to safety. Why did not
you give up and just let it drown?”
The Monk replied: “My dear child, the scorpion is not stinging me out of
malice or evil intent. He was afraid of me so he was biting me to save
himself. He doesn’t realize that I am carrying him to safety. But My
dharma /duty is to help any creature human or animal so I was doing my
duty. just as it is the scorpion’s nature to sting, so it is my nature to save.
Just as he is not leaving his nature, why should I leave my nature?
By forgiving the scorpion monk was able to hold on to his basic nature of
helping others, If he had developed anger and revenge against the
scorpion which was very natural he would have left the scorpion in water
and also would have left back his divine nature which he cultivated
through years of meditation.
So, to forgive first you should understand the perspective of those who
have harmed you and try to see the bigger picture from their point of
view. Then you should realize the negative impact you will have on
yourself by not forgiving them. And then offer them forgiveness and
empathy.
Forgiveness is the release of resentment or anger, it is conscious letting-
go of dislike towards somebody that has harmed you.
Forgiveness does not necessarily mean excusing, tolerating, or forgetting,
or reconciling with the offender, It involves a change in the way you see
them.
All the ancient cultures have said that Forgiveness is a divine quality and
we should cultivate it in our nature.
How to control your strongest Emotion
………. Anger
Anger as an instrument of our instincts to survive and thrive, it has
inspired our species through centuries to fight our way out of threats and
dangers.
The primary function of anger to ensure our physical survival has
changed overtime, it’s no longer about staying alive by fighting rather it is
now related to our career growth, our relations, work politics, finances,
protecting our family and much more.
Anger releases stress hormones and leads to increase in Heart rate,
Respiration and BP, uncontrolled anger can lead to several health
problems, but when you need to take actions it is our best friend it blocks
emotions of weakness, it stops doubtful thoughts and improves our
physical and mental control.
As anger affects us at all the four levels of our being body, breath, mind
and wisdom to control it you have to address it at all these levels.
At the body breath level, you need to manage the acute anger through
relaxation exercises. You should train our mind to change our habits and
behaviour which lead to anger and rage.
Through contemplation you should reframe our thoughts and retag our
emotions so that you can control anger at a very initial level before it
manifests itself. You should do Anger meditation to improve our resilience
and compaction.
Mastering Anger is a process which takes training and effort, but it is
worth. To leverage the power for constructive actions you need to
understand it, control it and transform it to an asset that works for you
and not against you.
Perception of Time
Time flies when we’re having fun, It drags when we’re bored………..
Although time moves at the same speed for everyone but the perception of
time is not the same for everyone.
Perception of time refers to a person’s subjective experience of
the passage of time, or the perceived duration of events, which
can differ significantly between different individuals and depends
on several factors including our surroundings, our experiences,
memory, mental state and the most important Emotions.
Perceiving time is a fundamental element of our awareness. Our
consciousness and our ability to perceive the world around us is
shaped upon our perception of time connecting the past, present
and the future
As per several neuroscience researches, following are factors that influence
the way we perceive time,
1) Motivation -
o Goal - Motivations and drive to achieve any goal that is of interest
decrease the perception of time. – Time passes fast
o Aimless or without a goal - The perception of time increases that is
why people feel boring if they have nothing to do – Time passes
slow
2) Emotions -
o Positive emotions of joy and happiness decrease the perception of
when someone enjoys time seems to move very fast – Time
passes fast
o Negative emotions especially fear increases the perception of time
that is why in times of fear and panic time seems to move very
slow– Time passes slow
3) Concentration and Focus -
o High Attention or concentration decreases the perception of time that
is why during meditation time seems to move very fast - Time
passes fast
o Sitting ideal and not focusing on any one thing leads to increased
perception - – Time passes slow
4) Memory -
o If we learn or practice something new then our mind takes time to
process the new data and the perception of time increases that is
why if we see new places or learn a new skill we feel the time moves
slow. Like learning to drive car for first time. – Time passes fast
o When we repeat the same activities which we have learned then the
perception of time decreases, and we feel time is moving fast. Like
driving a car daily on the same route. – Time passes slow
Nature itself has made the perception of time in our mind in such a way that
we can make our life more meaningful and less boring by being more focused,
happy, having a goal in life, and learning new skills.
We can decide if we want the time to be on our side or racing against us
Emotions & Feelings
Most of the people do not understand the basic difference between emotion and feeling
but keep using these words interchangeably.
A fundamental difference between feelings and emotions is that feelings are
experienced consciously, while emotions manifest subconsciously.
Emotions - comes from the Latin word emovere which means to move out, emotions is
a state of mind stimulated by thoughts. Emotions are universal, there are 9 major
emotions and multiple minor emotions.
Emotions can only ever be felt through the experiences it gives rise to known as
feeling. emotions are always associated with thoughts, beliefs, desires, and
experiences.
Emotions are not conscious but instead manifest in the unconscious mind. These
emotions can be brought to the surface of the conscious state only if they are
attached to relevant thoughts.
Feelings – Feelings are a conscious experience at a physical and mental level when
different emotions are generated in mind.
Feelings can be experienced at body level or mental level or both and depend on
individual experiences. During anxiety, some people can have sweating or goosebumps
others may experience palpitation.
Feelings can be controlled overtime but emotions can not be controlled easily.
A feeling can be generated by single emotion like fear or happiness or a mix of emotions
like a feeling of Awe made of fear and admiration.
eg Non-vegetarians may have a feeling of joy to see a piece of red meat or chicken and
the same meat can bring a feeling of disgust in strict vegans.
4 Layers of Consciousness
Human consciousness manifests at four different layers of the body,
Beyond these 4 levels, the individual consciousness connects to cosmic
consciousness.
First layer is the physical body, It helps to experience the physical world.
Consciousness exists as body awareness at this level. This layer is made
up of
· 5 Organs of action - Hands, Legs, Tongue, Reproductive organs and
organs of digestion.
· 5 Senses – Touch, Hear, Vision, Taste, and Smell.
Second layer is the energy layer, It is a life force that pervades and
vitalizes the whole body, mind, and subconscious providing energy for
growth and development to each cell of the body. Its manifestation as
breath and is known by different names in ancient cultures like Prana, Chi,
etc.
Third layer is Mind, it opens the world for us, it collects information from
senses, takes it to intellect for decisions, stores knowledge in
subconscious and give instructions for action. It is at this level that we
experience thoughts, feelings and emotions.
Fourth layer is the Wisdom layer the layer of knowledge. This includes
intelligence the logical brain, memory and subconscious. Consciousness
exist at this level as intelligence and wisdom.
· Intelligence with help of memory helps us decides, judges, and
discriminates between right and wrong, good and bad.
· Subconscious contains our experiences, beliefs, phobias, Instincts
Above these four layer, there is cosmic consciousness, through Meditation
one can transcend these four layers and connect with cosmic
consciousness.
Cosmic consciousness gives us all the knowledge of pure self, all
experiences of Intuitions, telepathy, and other such higher states come
from of it. It is a whole different order of reality with eternal peace, joy,
calm and bliss beyond the mind, independent of any reason or
stimulus. Consciousness exist at this level as Pure consciousness, resting
in bliss
How Meditation and Sleep are different ?
Meditation and Sleep seem to look-alike at a physical level but they have a huge
difference and are completely opposite as we go in their deeper aspects.
We tend to fall asleep during the initial practice of meditation because at the physical
level both meditation and sleep calm our body & senses, But slowly as the mind learns
to go deep in meditation we feel more energetic and refreshed after meditation as
compared to sleep.
As per neuroscience sleep is an active process where the body is suppressed by sleep,
but meditation is passive. Sleep is like forcefully stopping a moving wheel whereas
meditation is letting it stop slowly and passively. In sleep, the mind is active and
consolidates the information gathered by it during the day In meditation the mind
becomes still it goes in a state of trance.
The difference between both are at all the three levels of our existence Boy, Mind, and
Subconscious.
1) Body level -
a. Meditation - In meditation we voluntarily control our physical body in any pose
and keep it still and we have the senses and the motor system active but relaxed.
We are aware of our surrounding space and activities but not focused on them.
b. Sleep - in sleep we cannot perceive or feel anything as our sensory and motor
system are suppressed by sleep. There is no feeling of our surroundings.
2) Mind level -
a. Meditation – In meditation, the mind is awake and is in a relaxed state.
Depending on the type of meditation mind can be either focused towards a single
point or relaxed and mindful. It takes us to a level where there is no feeling of
time around us.
b. Sleep – The mind is suppressed by sleep but still is active depending on the
state of sleep that is why we see dreams in sleep. Deep sleep gives us a sense
of timelessness.
3) Subconscious level -
a. Meditation – In meditation mind at a the subconscious level is calm and is
connected to cosmic consciousness there is minimum to no activities depending
on the level of meditation takes us to a state of egolessness
b. Sleep - In sleep our subconscious is very active and there are a lot of activities
going on like memory consolidation, learning etc there is never a state of
egolessness even in deep sleep
Moods are generated by Emotions
Emotions are a state of mind , they can be generated by internal stimuli
(such as thoughts or memories) or events that occur in our environment.
Emotions can be divided in two categories Major and Minor emotions, There
are 8 Major emotions which are generated by several minor emotions.
As we experience any emotion at the physical or emotional level we call it
feeling. Feelings can be a mix of multiple emotions or one. Eg emotions of
wonder and fear can create a feeling of Awe.
When any of the nine major emotions stay for long, they are called as
Moods. Moods are deeper and less intense feelings which stay for hours to
days. They influence the state of mind and actions. Moods create personality
and attitude.
Emotions are generated by specific incidents and stay for some time but
Moods are influenced by several factors including the environment & surroundings ,
past experiences, our mental state and ongoing emotions and can last
minutes, hours, probably even days.
Emotions are like the weather which changes quickly and Moods are like seasons that
stay long.
There are 9 Major emotions which can convert into 9 Moods four pleasant and
four unpleasant
Pleasant –
· Love
· Joy
· Surprise
· Courage
Unpleasant -
· Anger
· Fear
· Disgust
· Sorrow
9th Mood is the Mood of Calm and Bliss which is generated by transcending
other 8 Moods through Meditation.
Sadness can morph into Depression
Sadness is an emotional state characterized by feelings of unhappiness and low
mood. It is one of the eight basic emotions which generate unpleasant feelings.
It is a normal response to situations or thoughts or experiences that are upsetting, or
disappointing. Any normal person will experience sadness sometime during stressful
or somber times.
More often sadness is linked to a specific trigger and usually passes with time and it
can be mild or intense based on the situations and responses.
Depression is a state of mind that can lead to a variety of emotional and physical
problems. Repeated long term episodes of sadness can lead to depression.
Depression leads to emotional Problems include, including feelings of hopelessness
and guilt or worthlessness, It causes loss of interest or pleasure in hobbies and
activities that were once enjoyed leading to difficulty concentrating, remembering,
and making decisions.
Depression also has a profound physical affect including, Insomnia, loss of
appetite, weight loss, Restlessness, digestive disorders, chronic pain, headaches,
and loss of energy.
To avoid sadness to turn into depression, it must be managed early and effectively.
Contemplating on thoughts and mood of sadness helps to identify triggers that lead
to sadness. The practice of mood meditation on positive moods prevents sadness to
morph into depression.
Podcast
How to experience timelessness
Welcome to Onmood9 Podacst ……
Time flies when we’re having fun, It drags when we’re bored ……….. this
seems to be a Philosophical statement but it is true ……. Although time
moves at the same speed for everyone but its perception is not the same for
everyone.
The perception of time is fundamental and essential element of our
awareness Our ability to perceive the world around us and how
we connect the past, present and the future depends on it.
Throughout history, scientists and philosophers have been intrigued by the
nature of time and how we, as humans, experience its progression , there
have been lot of studies and research on it but surprisingly enough, its neural
basis is still unknown.
Although time flows with constant speed its Perception of duration of events is
different for different species , For Humans one day may seem to be a short
time but for some insects it is the full life time.
When some one is happily immersed in an activity be it sports, work, or a
creative project he typically has a feeling that time has passed faster than
usual.. But if some one is free, unhappy or waiting for some one the time
moves slow for him .
This distorted sense of time for different individuals in different situations
depend on one thing and that is the state of mind of the observer.
Interestingly the Perception of time is inversely proportional to the Movement
of mind that is, whenever the mind is moving slow which happens in state of
joy or focused work the time passes quickly because mind does not take
inputs from out side and is totally focused inwards.
But when the mind is restless like during anxiety or fear the time passes
slowly as the mind is in a distracted state.
State of mind depends on several factors include Past experiences,
Situation, and Emotions.
I will state some examples to make it clear - how movement of mind is
affected b y different situations, experiences and emotions and how it
interns affects our ability to perceive time.
perceptions defines human awareness of time which
depends on Memory, Motivation , Emotions and focus
if we are experiencing something for the first time our mind is busy collecting
information and it starts to moves fast so we feel the time is moving slow. Like
while learning anew skill of driving a cr or bike.
You must have experienced , when we learn a new skill with full attention like
driving a car or bike we feel the time passes slow as our mind is busy to
process the new data from outside and is not focused on one point. But once
we are use to driving the car or playing the piano the same activity does not
need so much attention and we feel the time passes quickly.
Once we learn the skill and get used to it like playing a piano the mind stays
calm while we do that activity and the perception of time decreases that is it
moves slow of the observer.
Memory -
o If we learn or practice something new then our mind takes time to
process the new data and the perception of time increases that is
why if we see new places or learn a new skill we feel the time moves
slow. Like learning to drive car for first time. – Time passes fast
When we repeat the same activities which we have learned then the
perception of time decreases, and we feel time is moving fast. Like
driving a car daily on the same route. – Time passes slow
Situtations -
o Goal - Motivations and drive to achieve any goal that is of interest
decrease the perception of time. – Time passes fast
o Aimless or without a goal - The perception of time increases that is
why people feel boring if they have nothing to do – Time passes
slow
Emotions -
o Positive emotions of joy and happiness decrease the perception of
when someone enjoys time seems to move very fast – Time
passes fast
o Negative emotions especially fear increases the perception of time
that is why in times of fear and panic time seems to move very
slow– Time passes slow
Concentration and Focus -
o High Attention or concentration decreases the perception of time that
is why during meditation time seems to move very fast - Time
passes fast
o Sitting ideal and not focusing on any one thing leads to increased
perception - – Time passes slow
Emotions have a direct impact on the pace of mind in happy mood the mind
is calm but in a stat of anger or fear the mind is restless.
So to control your mind and reach a state of timelessness you need to first
control your moods.
In deep meditation as the mind becomes one pointed focused the perception
of time fades away and you will feel timelessness.
In experiences of timelessness in meditation makes you connect to eternal present
moment. The notion of the past and future goes away of, and we recognize that the
present moment is all there is
Althought the perception of time moving fast is different from the experience ces of
timelessness in meditation but it brings us one step closer to the ectasy of timeless
state.
So in our day to day life if become more focused on our work, do meaningful
things, cultivate positive emotions of joy and compassion and stay focused on
our goals we can experience the glimpse of being in a timeless state.
We can decide if we want the time to be on our side or racing against us
his implies that changing our perception of time (or our attitude to time) can help us to
reduce our clinging to self. This makes experiences of timelessness very significant.
These experiences of timelessness in meditation are very hard to describe! It’s not the
same as the phenomenon where “time flies when you’re enjoying yourself,” although it’s
of course a good sign when this happens in our meditation practice.
In experiences of timelessness the entire concept of time seems to dissolve, and we find
ourselves in an eternal present moment. The notion of the past and future is let go of,
and we recognize that the present moment is all there is.