PHILOSOPHY OF LUCK

Does Life Luster without Luck?? 

As a matter of courtesy or in common parlance we wish people ‘good luck’ or ‘best of luck’ whenever they make efforts for achieving something extraordinary or important in nature such as school or university examinations, going for a job interview or starting a business or signing a large contract or any matter of utmost importance which may make or break in life.  We also keep using the word luck in our daily lives such as “we encountered bad luck and our car broke down, or missed the flight due to bad luck, or we broke our ankle, or unfortunately we fell down and injured ourselves, or due to bad luck we lost money in business, or the person was lucky and he won a lottery, or the person needs a bit of luck for success etc.

The word Luck is also synonymous with fate, destiny and fluke. Wishing good luck has become a practice in every part of the world. It seems that every culture believes that there is an unknown force which makes a difference in one’s life and that is why they wish people for their success.  In the process this belief has become a part of life and culture. Has anybody thought why people do this purposely or unmindfully? What triggers the practice of wishing good luck? This may also mean that one’s knowledge, skills or hard work are not sufficient in achieving their desired results but they also need the backing or support of luck.

As per John Webster, sixteenth century dramatist and a contemporary of William Shakespeare – “It is better to be fortunate than wise.” Donald Trump, an American businessman has also quoted as “Everything in life is Luck.” There are several anecdotes, parables and quotes which exemplifies the importance of luck in one’s life. It means that luck is something which can make a huge difference in our lives and we cannot afford to ignore it. If this is the case, then WHAT IS THIS LUCK? Is it something like invoking the positive energy around us or is it the influence of stars and planets which have the capacity to override our knowledge and capabilities? If not then why do people love to watch on TV or read in newspapers their zodiac forecasts?   Even those who pretend not to believe in what the stars foretell will secretly like to know what future holds for them in case of matters involving life and death. If we follow the western philosophy of positive thinking then why do we still face hurdles and sometime negative energy overtakes us despite our serious positive thinking and wishful wishing of good luck from well wishers?

If there is an iota of truth in this inexplicable word, then it means that our best of efforts and merit alone cannot decide our future. Then the question may be raised that who decides our success and failure? Is it the influence of our Karma which rewards or inflicts our thought process resulting in a certain type of peculiar outcome? If that is the case then there should be an implicit connection between Karma and Luck. Does this luck work all the time or only sometimes? Does this factor of luck work across the board means helps in all aspects of a person’s life or in contrary? If it works in some aspects of our lives such as our social lives, but perhaps not in married life or professional life but in personal life etc, then it means that a person can be lucky in some aspects of life and unlucky otherwise. If not, then what factors work in bringing good luck or bad luck in one’s life?

One may also argue that in a comparable situation where two or more people have the same capabilities the best succeeds.  However, there are several examples where meritorious or brilliant people are sulking and lesser ones or mediocre people are successful in worldly terms. There are also examples where people have all the materialistic pleasure but not the mental pleasure. In spite of the wealth and best of the merit, they cannot eat properly due to ill health or cannot have a peaceful family life, social life or professional life. There are situations in everybody’s life when our health, wealth, power and position have no use and we feel helpless. Is it the luck or a combination of several factors working against or in favour of a person? My idea of raising this topic is to discuss those factors which make a person lucky or not so lucky or fortunate or not so fortunate.

This topic has been as intriguing as the mysteries of the world yet we do not discuss and accept bizarre happenings in our lives as fate accompli. Those who are ignorant may also say that whatever happens in one’s life is God’s wish. Then again the question may arise that in the kingdom of a just, merciful, kind and loving God why would one person succeed or enjoy, whereas another fail or suffer? God is not supposed to be partial or envious or cruel or ruthless otherwise there would be no difference between God and the devil. And if your answer is that God gives to people as per their deeds then you are talking about the Karma.

Intelligentsia amongst us may also argue that it is the intellect of a person which makes a difference. Then the question may come up that, are they born with this intelligence or they make their brain intelligent by studying and working hard. Human brain is like a ‘Hard Disk’ of a computer which is absolutely blank at the time of birth and needs programming by downloading different software which is equivalent to our acquiring worldly knowledge by reading books, learning etiquettes or going to university, otherwise the anatomy of the brain in the human race is the same. Then how and from where is this luck factor comes into the picture?

Etymology describes Luck as “happiness, good fortune” of unknown origin. Webster dictionary describes luck as a “force that brings good fortune or adversity”. As per Wikipedia, “luck is good fortune which occurs beyond one’s control, without regard to one’s will, intention, or desired result. There are at least 'two senses' people usually mean when they use the term, the prescriptive sense and the descriptive sense. In the prescriptive sense, luck is the supernatural and deterministic concept, that there is a force which prescribes, that certain events occur very much the way the laws of physics will prescribe that certain event occurs.”

Luck is also described as a self-fulfilling prophecy. Indians for long believed in the influence of stars and planets in one’s life. They also believed in lord Ganesha and goddess Laxmi who are responsible for good luck and fortune. As per the ancient Indian scriptures, luck is closely related to Karma and they are of four types which I will be discussing in the next article. Christianity has accepted omens and practiced forms of ritual sacrifice in order to divine the will of their supreme being or to influence divine favoritism. The concepts of divine grace or blessing as they are described by believers closely resemble what is referred to as ‘luck’.  Buddhism does not believe in luck but believes in the cause and effect theory which is the theory of Karma. Islam also nullifies the existence of luck and it is stated in the Quran (Sura: Adh-Dhariyat, verse 22) that one’s sustenance is pre-determined in heaven when the Lord says: "And in the heaven is your provision and that which ye are promised.” This may also mean that God determines one’s sustenance based on his actions or deeds.

Therefore, whether God has pre-determined one’s fate or it is a divine force or some kind of unknown force which helps a person to succeed in the form of good luck or fail in the form of bad luck. If this is the case, then how does this energy or force work in one’s life?  To my mind this topic is so complicated that unless one has an open mind free of all biasness or self imposed prejudices, it would be difficult to understand the philosophy of luck and theory behind its working.

As I perceive, the law of universe binds everything together in its perimeter. Imbalance is caused if any variation takes place. Likewise every action has its consequences and every cause has its effect. If we bring God into the picture then even God is bound by the law of cause and effect otherwise God would not have created dissimilarity between human beings.

This cause and effect theory is so subtle and intricate yet powerful and profound that unfolding its mystery may have insightful effects on our personalities. I have already started writing a book called “Karma Unraveled”. Having studied the sciences, I try to analyze every aspect of life under its purview and as such in my forthcoming book, I am going to analyze this topic keeping the latest findings of modern sciences including different theories of physics, meta physics, quantum physics, astronomy, astrology, palmistry, numerology, ontology, cosmology, parapsychology, human anatomy and physiology.

Meanwhile, I will like to have your take on the topic which may be helpful in unfolding the mystery of luck and making our lives more meaningful and satisfying.

Suman Saran Sinha

Certified Management Consultant

and a purser of logical quest.

4th October 2012.

PHILOSOPHY OF HYPOCRISY

“Ostentation is the signal flag of hypocrisy”. When I look around the world including our personal or professional ones, people are able to project their image successfully in contrary to their true personalities. We preach one thing and practice another thing. One rule is meant for us and another for others. We say certain things we do not mean and do certain things we do not intend to do. At the top echelon of the professional world, mediocrity thrives on hypocrisy by way of appeasement and flattery. For example, the advent of hypocrisy is deeply rooted in our political systems which to some extent is plausible, as the true meaning of politics have changed over the period of time to ‘dealing with people in an opportunistic, manipulative or devious way’.

But what about the existence of hypocrisy in our daily lives including our personal, social, and professional lives? Is it necessary to be hypocritical for survival or it is one’s inherent nature to manipulate? Do we become hypocritical in order to gain advantages or to fool the system or the people? Can we survive in this manipulative world without becoming hypocritical? What are the advantages and disadvantages of becoming hypocritical? I have tried to weave my mind through this abstract topic in order to initiate a discussion and in turn expose ourselves with our day to day hypocritical behaviours and unnatural tendencies.

The question that may also be raised is does hypocrisy provide leverage in our lives and if so, then is it sustainable? I think hypocrisy may provide a stepping stone in making a wrongful entry or falsely projecting an image, and in the absence of credibility it may erode quicker. Any action—verbal or physical is not tenable for long if it is not based on solid moral foundation and this moral foundation is re-enforced by one’s knowledge, experience, merit, intelligence, hard work, truthfulness, greatness, honesty, integrity and gentleness. There can be several examples of non-sustainability of hypocrisy but the recent case of Bernie Madoff, a former US businessman, NASDAQ chairman and an investment adviser who duped people for billions of dollars by his Ponzi scheme, is still fresh in our memories.  His case also demonstrates how so-called white collared intelligent and successful people at high places including banks and government organizations become susceptible to hypocrisy by getting lured towards the false facade created by these con men. This also proves that greed and hypocrisy are closely related terms.

At a micro level, it would be quite interesting to cite examples of hypocrisy prevalent in the society by identifying them under different categories. However, these categorizations cannot be generalized in the presence of exceptions.

1)   Hypocrisy in Personal Life: In some families, a child grows by watching how his or her parents backbite other people, whereas they want their children not to talk foul about others.  They do not want their children to smoke, drink or watch adult movies but they are allowed to do so in their full knowledge. They look for an opportunity to manipulate the system or the society but they want their children to be honest and truthful. In the process, they do not care about impressions they are creating on their tender minds. The hypocrisy is also visible in adult relationships and their thought processes. We want our partner or spouse to be chaste and faithful whereas we are allowed to be deceitful. We may not love our spouse but must make pretentions on Valentine’s Day. We may call them honey or darling twenty times in a day without meaning an iota of its essence and may go for a divorce the very next day.

2)    Hypocrisy in Social Life: I remember how in smaller towns and villages, people used to pay respect to the elders because of their age and wisdom, to teachers because of their knowledge, and to the farmers or professionals because of their experience. It did not make a difference to us whether those people are rich or poor, well dressed or in tattered clothes, living in a mansion or in a hut and driving a car or riding a bicycle. We respected them because of their originality, simplicity, magnanimity and contributions to the society. 

Now, our modern world is entirely different which is built on the basis of hypocrisy and pretentions.  We run after things which shine although it may be contrary to the proverb that whatever shines is not gold. We go by the dress of a person, what kind of house the person has, what kind of car a person drives, how smart a person is in demonstrating his or her wealth or affluence, and how articulately a person presents his or her words. We are least bothered to know the reality of a person or reasons behind these facades. Whether the well dressed person driving an expensive car and living in a mansion is an illiterate or a criminal who has amassed wealth by foul means does not concern us.  As already said we are laid to believe that whatever glitters is gold.  This belief is the outcome of our hypocritical nature which has been enshrined by our modern education system or so-called modern society.

Another example of hypocrisy in social life can be that when we meet a person we go by the words of flattery. We like sycophancy so much that those words of praise about our education, position, beauty, success, wealth etc sounds music to our ears and we get ourselves elevated by deceit. In this process, our intelligence takes a backstage and our craving for falsehood takes over.

3)   Hypocrisy in Professional Life: Being a former banker, a financial consultant and having some knowledge of macro economy, I strongly believe that the world’s economy is suffering not because of the wars in Iraq or Afghanistan or elsewhere but because of the greed of a few on the top and a hypocritical society who tends to lean towards the sycophants. It has become a modern corporate culture to promote the packaging more than the substance itself. People on key positions want to promote those who are willing to fall in line instead of those who have their own brain and have the ability to call a spade a spade.

Selection criteria’s are based on degrees and not actual knowledge or worldly experience. One may be highly experienced and capable of obtaining several degrees but cannot get the job because he or she does not meet the robotic parameters. Hiring managers look for the keywords in a resume more than the true capabilities. Merit overtakes the vagaries of the computers. Manipulations take over the quality.  And once these robotic presentations are appointed, then in the race of achieving nonsensical targets for themselves and resulting bonuses for their bosses, they ignore certain parameters which in turn triggers these financial debacles. 

4)    Hypocrisy in Public Life: It would be audacious to dwell upon this topic in public life as the entire system is built on following suit. In the hierarchical system, people have no option but to follow authority. Therefore it is very important who is on top and how the system is functioning in the absence or presence of sycophants.  If a system is marred with sycophants and corrupt officials then naturally hypocrisy would be the call of the game.

5)    Hypocrisy in Religious or Spiritual life: Believing in God or praying to the almighty is a state of mind by which a devotee tries to connect with the supreme power. For this it is important that our mental horizon is filled with purity and able to provide an aesthetic environment for the almighty to get in.  These purities and aesthetic environments are created by certain austerities and self admonishment which requires practice of high moral and ethical standards. Now, if the mind is filled with dirt’s of anger, ego, greed, hatred, jealousy, animosity, dishonesty or negative thoughts, how would one be able to invite God in their mental horizon by way of prayers? It is something like trying to build a place of worship on a heap of garbage. Therefore, prayers without penance are nothing but hypocrisy of par excellence where people not only try to fool themselves and the society but also God.

Therefore in order to develop a qualitative society, we must guard ourselves from the ills of hypocrisy. It may give short pleasure or success or may open the door of an opportunity but its resulting effects may cast a shadow on our society and professional world for a long time.

Being a poet as well, I have written couple of lines on Hypocrisy and it is posted on my other blog and if you have an interest, then you may visit  : http://www.mypoemsinenglish.blogspot.ca/

I will look forward for your valuable comments in order to have an intelligent and thoughtful conversation on the topic.

                      

Suman Saran Sinha

B.Sc., LLB, CMC

Certified Management Consultant

Toronto, Canada.

PHILOSOPHY OF TALKING

There is an English proverb- “To talk without thinking is to shoot without aiming”.  There is a Chinese proverb as well which says “To talk much and arrive nowhere is the same as climbing a tree to catch a fish”.

Talking makes a lot of difference in our personalities and in the creation of personification. To whom we talk what we talk, and where we talk, can become a game changer for good or bad. Sometimes in our personal lives we take talking for granted to the much annoyance of people around us. At our workplaces, if we do not think twice before talking, the consequence may result in losing the job. And the non-thoughtfulness in public life may bring embarrassment and loss of an image.  Therefore how we talk to people is an art, how we construct our thinking in order to talk is a science and if our talking generates revenue for the company then it is commerce. This makes talking a combined mix of art, science, and commerce.

Talking also incorporates the sense of engineering in measuring pitch and frequency in communicating with others, the art of medicine in using our vocal cords and balancing the tone with the help of our mind and intelligence, and twisting of the tongue for promoting commerce. Talking also represents behavioural psychology. For example, while talking, the way we gesture towards listeners may reveal the essence of talking itself. Talking is also logic, as while talking it must have some logical sense to convince the listeners. If the talking philosophises the subject and content of a talk, then it becomes a philosophy. 

Talking can also have attributes such as positive talking, negative talking, nonsense talking, constructive talking, loose talking, bitter talking, soft talking, burble talking, patter talking, ramble talking, murmur talking, loud talking, silent talking or no talking at all. The types of talk may include conversational talk, business talk, inspirational talk, devotional talk, religious talk,  spiritual talk, encouraging talk, disparaging talk, personal talk, dramatic talk, frightening talk, threatening talk, entertaining talk,  sweet talk, harsh talk  love talk, hate talk etc.

Human temperaments or moods influence a person a great deal while talking to someone. Emotional talking may activate the pituitary glands of listeners, rational talking may make the issues clear and to the point, comical talking may make people laugh whereas serious talking may make the mood and the environment heavy and sombre. Talking in rhythm may become a song; otherwise it may become noise. By talking lovingly, a sense of attachment can be generated while hate talk can create a rift between people and society.  Positive talk can cause our spirits to crescendo whereas negative talk can throw us in a chasm of depression and self- admonishment. Loose talk may result in the loss of social confidence whereas no talk or talking less may mystify the personality. 

Technically, in order to talk nicely we have to engineer our talk to produce the right amount of frequency and pitch in order to make it pleasant and impressive. Therefore talking depends upon the frequency and pitch of the sound wave which we produce while talking. Scientifically, the number of cycles per unit of time of sound we produce while talking is called frequency and it is measured in terms of interchangeable Hertz or Hz or KHz (kilo hertz= 1000 Hz). The range of human hearing in the case of young people may vary from 20 HZ to 20 KHz whereas in older people it may be 16KHz. Frequency is directly related to wavelength which means the distance in space it takes to complete a full cycle of a frequency. Pitch is a psycho acoustical attribute of sound which denotes the sound pressure level. I have described the scientific characteristics in order to correlate the importance of sound which we produce while talking.

Medically, the talking sound is produced jointly by the tongue, lip, mouth, larynx and pharynx situated in our throats. Larynx is also called the Voice Box where pitch and volume is manipulated. Pharynx is divided into nasopharynx, oropharynx and larygopharynx. The manipulation of the source of the sound largely depends on them as it travels through the vocal tract. In the human brain, it is the cerebellum and cerebral cortex where Broca’s area is located that is involved in generating speech. Another region of the brain known as Wernicke’s area that is associated with the processing and understanding of languages.

Commercially, the way we talk or communicate with our clients falls under the preview of Customer Relationship Management or CRM. CRM is a strategy for understanding customers and their needs in order to optimize interactions with them. The main philosophy behind the CRM is that it is less costly to retain existing customers than it is to find new ones. Here, the choice of words in talking to customers helps in keeping them within the fold of the company by providing them maximum satisfaction.

In a software environment, a programmer has to create an interface between the various departments and clients for satisfactory results. He has to create data to identify the best customers, enrich and customize the way we talk or communicate with our clients, manage marketing campaigns and reduce customer response times.

                                                                                                              

Furthermore, any form of verbal or electronic expressions amounts to the intentions of the mind to talk or communicate. Whether it is in the form of software, e-mails, social media like twitter, face book, LinkedIn, Yelp etc. Therefore, talking electronically tantamount to verbal talking and as such, we have to be careful what it is that we talk about.

On the note of walking the walk and talking the talk, the environment in which we talk matters a lot. No environment is similar in nature and so, we should be intelligent and judicious in choosing our words for talking which can be broadly put under four categories such as: 1) talking at the work place, 2) talking at public forums or communicationg via social media, 3) talking at home to loved ones, and 4) talking to friends and foes. Here, the quality and quantity of talking depends on the environment at work, home or society. For example, at the work place, if the management structure is vertical and one is directly responsible for all communication with his or her immediate boss then the quality and quantity would depend upon the need, requirements, urgency, and the temperament of the boss. Therefore if oral communication, in addition to transmitting thought, stamps its mark on the personality of the individual and conditions future thought, then it is only reasonable to pay as much attention to the types of talk we do in personal or public lives.

Furthermore, in our personal and social lives, we find that some people talk too much. If their talk is relevant, thoughtful, informative, constructive and positive, then I believe that the person is intelligent, sharp, and beyond average and their talking should not be taken for granted.  To describe an anomaly with the brain of a talkative person versus the modern online search engines like Google, when we enter an inquiry on it, through its network of computers & servers, it immediately looks into the billions of folders and files and retrieves information for us with an announcement that it took 10 seconds or 15 seconds to provide us the result. Google does not care whether we got the right information or whether we liked the result, because its search results depend upon the data stored online.

Now imagine the brain of a talkative person which does not take even a fraction of a second while rapidly searching for information stored in billions of neurons, selecting them, sorting them, constructing them, formatting them, looking into the pros and cons, judging its impact on the listeners and then flawlessly delivering them in a split second. Therefore I believe that one cannot make an intelligent conversation without having the knowledge of various subjects, retaining that information in memory and then retrieving them at the nick of time. One may know a lot but if he or she is unable to deliver the knowledge during a conversation then that knowledge has no use. I also believe that keeping quiet and non participation in an intelligent, informative and harmless conversation is not at all a sign of an intelligent people.

A good beginning makes a good ending, therefore to sum up, talking reflects our personalities and the way we think on an issue or a situation and how we deliver them to listeners. Talking also reflects how educated we are or how intelligently we are able to craft our words to make a pleasant, soothing, constructive, informative and convincing conversation.

Wish you all a very happy and prosperous new year 2012 and your comments are very much solicited.

Suman Saran Sinha

PHILOSOPHY OF THINKING

Positive vs. Negative

It was a matter of discussion with one of the members of Vedanta society, Toronto, on the influence of negative and positive thoughts on our minds, which prompted me to write on this abstract topic. It is a well known fact that positive thinking forces us to act positively, but even after knowing this fact  people get attracted towards negative thoughts more than the positive ones. For example, people become jealous and envious after seeing somebody’s success, progress or happiness which then gives rise to negative feelings. People also become jealous if somebody is more educated or knowledgeable or spiritually advanced. Therefore the question arises, is negative thought always bad for us and as such, should it have any place in our mental faculties? Why are people so abrasive with the thought of negative feelings? Do negative feelings have any positive role in our lives? If so, then how and what should be the demarcation line for both the feelings to co-exist for the betterment of our personality?  In order to avoid repetition of thoughts already expressed by scholars, sages and seers, I have tried to take a holistic approach on the topic mixed with logic and the latest discoveries in neurological science and the human brain.

  

The human mind is attracted towards anything which gives it mental, physical, emotional or worldly pleasures. In order to obtain these pleasures, how we perceive our thoughts depends on the outcome of our rational or sometimes, irrational thinking which may be logical and or temperamental in nature. Since negative or positive thinking and the resulting pleasures are mostly sensual and gives us happiness and a sense of satisfaction or accomplishment, then in a true sense, it has to be good or positive. The means to achieve those thoughts which may be bad for others may be negative, but as the outcome gives us the mental pleasure, we cannot overtly categorize them as bad. It is inadvertent that we not only get pleasures by thinking good about ourselves only, but we also get pleasure in thinking bad about other people. Sometimes negative feelings crop up inside our mind due to failure or dissatisfaction towards a thing or a situation which is a very obvious and inseparable part of the entire gambit of the process of thinking. Therefore, the way we think negatively or positively, needs to be investigated before arriving at a conclusion.

The thoughts of worldly pleasure can have negative or positive aspects or there may be a situation where enjoyment of such pleasures may result in stabilization or destabilization of our mental equilibrium. Religious books and books of higher knowledge have given us the dictum that any pleasure which is against the law of nature or immoral in character is bad or negative.  But they have failed to mention that negative thoughts act like a springboard which prepares the foundation for positive thinking. Without the mental ground work one cannot build the castle of hope, aspiration, trust, confidence, self assurance, optimism, desire, ambition etc. In other words, without negative thinking there is no existence of positive thinking. It is an inseparable part of the same coin.

The characterization of good or bad, positive or negative thinking also depends upon the stages of our lives as they transform from one stage to another. It means that our level of thinking does not remain the same and it goes through the process of metamorphosis as we mature. The variation of our thought also depends upon our mood and circumstances; as such they cannot be accepted as good or rejected as bad.

Therefore the question arises; do these mood swings undermine our capacity to think positively and if yes, then how to distinguish between these negative and positive thoughts in our daily lives, or how do we bookmark these thoughts for corrective actions? And why do negative pleasures or negative thoughts attract us more than positive ones? Those who are advanced practitioners of spiritualism may claim to have the ability to overcome negative thinking may sound hypocritical as it is difficult to distinguish the characteristics of positive thought in the absence of negative  the way it is difficult to understand the nature of light in the absence of darkness. It is the mood swing which influences cyclical changes in our thinking of happiness or positivity and sadness or negativity which depends upon various natural phenomena occurring around us.

In order to illustrate metamorphic changes in our thought process, we can see it evolve as we mature.  For example, a toy may be the world of a child as long as he or she has the toy, but his or her world will be gone in the absence of it. Similarly, an adolescent has different perceptions that create his or her own world. As time changes, their priority changes and the definition of pleasure or happiness also changes, this may look ludicrous from the angle of an old person, for whom these pleasures may now be irrelevant. Therefore the values of thought which has a positive impact on one’s life at one point of time will seem to have a negative influence. The understanding of the meaning of pleasure has changed with the change in time but the attributes of the feeling of pleasure has remained the same. The pleasures of life are a constant and only the means to enjoy those changes with time.

Hence we see that the outcry of negative feeling is not always bad. Sometimes negative feelings make us cautious in our approach. After getting the feel of a burn, one becomes cautious of fire, which is the result of negative feeling towards it. Nobody feels positive while going through suffering or pain. It is the after-effect of an event which forces one to think positively in order to regain lost confidence and belief. We learn lessons in our lives after going through suffering, and these lessons are the inseparable part of negative feelings which cannot be explicitly admonished. Sometimes, lessons learned from bad experiences and the resulting negative thoughts provide us with an opportunity to analyze and formulate resolutions to be careful next time and continue moving forward with positive approach. In other words, negative thought ignites the process of positive approach in life.

Now with all said and done logically, what does our modern neurology say in this regard? How does our brain work mechanically in these situations and what type of chemicals is involved in developing positive or negative thoughts? If we can identify them, then can we control their activities in our brains to make our lives more peaceful and stable?

Scientifically it is difficult to prove what triggers our brain to think in a peculiar way. Modern science is still primitive in research as far as the human brain is concerned. So far we know that the process of thinking depends upon our emotion which is controlled by chemicals present in the limbic system which is a complex set of structures that lies on both sides of the thalamus. It has four main structures: the amygdala, the hippocampus, regions of the limbic cortex and the septal area. The hippocampus is important in memory and learning, while the limbic system is central in the control of emotional response. Thalamus or Hypothalamus gland is situated in the left side of our brain on top of cerebellum and connected with pituitary gland and other endocrine systems.

Having described the vital parts of the brain, it would be pertinent to understand how they work in tandem to create positive or negative impulses. It is the billions of neuron or neurotic cells which contain the secret of the brain and release chemicals like Serotonin and Dopamine which transmit brain signals from one neuron to another neuron. Serotonin acts as a neurotransmitter and helps relay signals from one area of the brain to another and any imbalance in this neurotransmitter level may influence the mood in a way that may lead to depression. Positive thinking and behaviours encourages the release of serotonin, dopamine and all other ‘feel good’ chemicals and alternatively negative thinking or behaviours, will inhibit the production of those chemicals and instead will release Cortisol that rises during stress. Therefore, a mere smile or sadness will trigger or inhibit the release of these chemicals.

Dopamine being a neurotransmitter makes people more talkative and excitable. The major behaviours dopamine affects are movement, cognition, pleasure, and motivation.  In other words, it affects brain processes that control movement, emotional responses, and the ability to experience pleasure and pain. If any of these biochemical glitches occur, the researcher believes it can lead to depression, as well as obsessive-compulsive disorder, anxiety, panic and even excessive anger. In certain areas of the brain when dopamine is released, it gives one the feeling of pleasure or satisfaction. These feelings of satisfaction become desired, and the person grows a desire for satisfaction. To satisfy that desire the person will repeat behaviours that cause the release of dopamine. For example food and sex release dopamine. That is why people want food even though their body does not need it.

To sum up, we must understand that every thought matters in shaping our lives for good or bad. Positive thinking helps us in shaping our future actions with confidence and conviction whereas the occasional dose of negative thinking may make us cautious of events which may become hurdles in moving ahead positively. It is up to us to weigh which thought process is more helpful in achieving results while remaining calm and happy. If we do not know how to balance the mix of positive and negative thoughts in daily life then we are going to hurt ourselves physically, mentally, and emotionally. For those who do not know how to balance them, it can be suggested that spiritualism and yogic practices like asanas (physical postures), pranayama (breathing practice) and meditation may help them in controlling the flow of Serotonin and Dopamine in the brain.

I would look forward for your valuable comments and wish you all Happy Holidays.

Suman Saran Sinha

PHILOSOPHY OF JNANA YOGA

(Salvation through knowledge)

In modern concept

The philosophy of Jnana Yoga - as written in Sanskrit language, and ‘Gyana’ as it means in Hindi for knowledge, is the most complicated topic to write and discuss as the word ‘knowledge’ itself is very subjective and differs from person to person depending upon one’s perspective of life. A university professor may be very knowledgeable as far as teaching is concerned whereas a farmer may be equally knowledgeable in case of farming and agriculture. Both have a common denominator i.e. the knowledge of their vocation and the difference is in the numerator which is the purpose of the knowledge. None can say in real terms that they are more knowledgeable than others. Knowledge is limitless and its intrinsic value and importance cannot be assessed by its nomenclature. Similarly a lawyer, doctor, engineer, businessman or others engaged in their respective professions may think themselves an expert in their field, but may be less knowledgeable as far as the knowledge of other vocations are concerned and as such they can be also termed as illiterate or partially educated persons.

Generally, people have the tendency to underestimate other people as less Gyani (knowledgeable). This is the pseudo extension of their ego or false pride and reminds me of the story of six blind persons and an elephant. All of them touched different parts of the elephant and described the elephant according to the body part they came in contact with, and ridiculed other fellow blinds for giving the wrong description. Therefore, beyond one’s experience and area of expertise, a person cannot be considered as knowledgeable. Furthermore, the value and importance of knowledge depends upon social, political, economic structure and its demand and supply in a society which changes with the time. In an agrarian society a farmer would be more wealthy and respected than the university professor and vice versa.

Hence, a question may be raised on defining the characteristics of the knowledge in order for a person to be considered as Gyani (knowledgeable). What are the broad categories of knowledge and what is the difference between worldly knowledge and eternal knowledge?  Is worldly knowledge which we acquire from our external senses; is the real knowledge or that which we acquire from the internal senses, the true knowledge? What is the difference between them? And what are the pros and cons of acquiring worldly knowledge and the eternal knowledge? Unless we clarify these questions, it would be difficult for an ordinary person like me having minimal knowledge to digest the philosophy of Jnana Yoga. It would be also difficult for people like me to aspire for salvation through knowledge without knowing its fundamentals.

The knowledge which we acquire in this world is generally meant for becoming an expert in a particular field so that we could profess that knowledge in order to educate others, earn our livelihood or bring a change in the society materialistically, financially, socially and/or scientifically. These efforts directly or indirectly bring material gain, worldly success, self- glorification, personal benefits, a sense of achievement, and accomplishment. One may argue that these successes are necessary to be recognized in the society which also brings material happiness in life. But a question arises - does material success bring real happiness in life? If it is real happiness and success, then it should stay in our life all the time, but does it? The definition of success also differs from person to person. One may consider financial success as the real success whereas for another, the sense of extraordinary achievement is the real success. Yet for another, helping others without any material gain is the real success and so on.

Now, the implantation of worldly knowledge into our personality has its own cost and they are not free of frills. It costs our mental peace, physical and mental wellness, happiness and harmony. Worldly knowledge ultimately puts all of us in a race course to compete for our survival in this materialistic world. In the process, we overstretch ourselves and inherit stress, anxiety, sufferings, blood pressure, heart attacks and other physical and mental ailments.

While acquiring worldly knowledge, our nature and character also changes. Chances  of losing our natural qualities are high  and we may become egoistic, selfish, proud, ruthless, angry or arrogant (with some exceptions), and in some cases it is so overwhelming that one may find less difference between an illiterate and an egoistic educated person in terms of behavioural character.

The worldly knowledge provides the means to survive in the outer world whereas inwardly knowledge or eternal knowledge provides an opportunity to know and understand our inner world and our true selves without disturbing the harmonious balance with nature. It entails who we are, from where we have come, what our true nature is, and how to be mentally and physically fit to obtain everlasting bliss. The implementation of worldly knowledge may result in stress, mental agony, worries and frustration whereas the inwardly knowledge brings peacefulness of mind, tranquility, stability and happiness. It helps us in moving closer from consciousness to pure consciousness or in Vedic terms - from Atma to Param-atma. This inwardly knowledge is also called Aatmic Gyana or knowledge of self.

Now, an ordinary mind may think why to bother about knowing our own self and what we are going to get out of it ultimately? In this materialistic world when everybody is looking for an opportunity to grab something for immediate gain or climb the ladder of material success, what are we going to gain out of such spiritual knowledge or practice? In this world, it seems that ultimately what matters is who is more successful materially. 

Another point of view may be that talking about spiritual philosophy or Aatmic Gyana is for the people who have already enjoyed the materialistic world and are undergoing retirement age. They are already out of binding social and family responsibilities. Therefore, knowledge of knowing the self may be a good pastime for the people who are living a retired life. They have plenty of time to think inwardly and do some soul searching for improving their karmic energy for the next life. Knowingly, I have raised this question against this celestial knowledge so that I could invoke a debate and get the right answer from the readers of this blog. I have also not quoted any scripture on this topic in order to avoid plagiarism.

However to answer the above questions - Aatmic Gyana helps in exploring the world inside our minds and understanding our true nature or self. Once we are able to understand this knowledge, then our perspective towards life changes. It provides containment, detachments, and control on our ego, anger, greed and selfishness. We rise above ourselves and become more kind, loving, tolerant, generous and giving. This knowledge helps us in becoming better human beings.  It frees us from all mental and physical ailments as the body and mind come in harmony with the nature and the universe. Therefore, it is not necessary that a person having top university degrees or having mastered several subjects may also have this knowledge unless specially studied and practiced.

For me, the true knowledge or Aatmic Gyana is the knowledge which makes me understand my true nature, character, who I am and what is the source of my ‘I-ness’ or belongingness,  while working for the livelihood of my family and betterment of the society. If one has realized some Aatmic Gyana then in spite of having all responsibilities, pressures and pains of life, one can still remain calm, enjoy whatever one has with containment, but with the sense of detachment, keep striving for the best while remaining honest, sincere, kind and loving, patient and tolerant in all situations, to be egoless in order not to make another person small, devoid of false pride and just be a better person. I personally believe that worldly knowledge and inwardly knowledge both are necessary for a person to become materially as well as spiritually successful. To become an ideal human being, one has to discharge his or her duties as per his or her karma, while meditating inwardly to acquire the Aatmic Gyana.

For those who believe in worldly knowledge and material success as the main source of all pleasure forget that if they are the doers and makers of their destiny, then they should have control on its perpetuity. History tells that those who have been powerful and mighty are now weaker and suffering and if they have been the maker of their destiny then they should remain powerful in all times to come. Therefore, none of us are truly the makers of our destinies. So, who is the maker of destiny and how are we enjoying or suffering in this life?  If it is the influence of our Karma which determines our path in this life then who is the controller or record-keeper of the Karmas? To understand our inner self or pure consciousness, as well as if there was a past life, then there may be a life in the future. As such, how we can make our next lives better and how we can connect with the divine for salvation, is the Aatmic Gyana (Knowledge of self), and instruments to understand this knowledge is Jnana Yoga.

Looking forward to your valuable comments,

(The view points expressed in this article is purely mine and in no way it has any relevancy with published or unpublished materials worldwide. Therefore, I look forward for an excuse for mistakes in my thought process. However your comments will further enlighten me in understanding these intricate philosophies).

Suman Saran Sinha

Certified Management Consultant

Toronto, Canada

September 1^st, 2011

PHILOSOPHY OF KARMAYOGA

IN MODERN CONCEPT

This article was originally written and published by me in the Indian Business Association, Moscow’s Newsletter dated June 11^th, 1998 and I thought to post this on my blog with some comments and improvements. I wrote this article in Moscow when yoga was in the process of becoming popular. Few people knew the subject in the west and I am fortunate that my teacher late Paramhans Swami Satyananda Saraswati, founder of the first yoga university in the world, advised me to go through the teachers training course in the year 1984. He had predicted in the early eighties that yoga is going to become a way of life of the modern world and the day it becomes common to all, true yoga will die. Now the whole world knows what yoga is but true yoga is already in the process of waning. New forms and hybrid techniques combined with aerobic exercises, in steam, in pools, with music, in a closed room or just one part of yoga that is pranayama or meditation without going through the basics are being taught everywhere in the name of spiritual renaissance. However, the power of yoga is so strong that even by practising one part, instead of the prescribed eight fold parts, the impact on our physical, mental and emotional being is likely to be enormous.

Raja Yoga as defined by Sage Patanjali described in his text Yoga Sutra, brings emotional, physical and spiritual harmony into our self.  But to bring the true result one has to practice the entire eight- fold path (Asthanga Yoga) viz. Yama (self restraints), Niyama (self-observances), Asana (physical postures), Pranayama (breathing practice), Pratyahara (disassociation of consciousness from the outside environment), Dharana (concentration), Dhyana (meditation) and Samadhi (identification with pure consciousness). Under the Asana and Pranayama there are several other techniques like Mudra and Bandhs (psycho-physiological energy release technique) and Shatkarmas (internal cleansing practices). They are also called Kriya Yoga. These practices prepare our body and mind for advance practices such as meditation. When the body and mind are forced to perform some unusual activity combined with yogic techniques, they are called Hatha Yoga. And when the consciousness is awakened by meditating on eight Chakras (vortices of psychic energy) it is called Kundalini Yoga. I have devoted this paragraph in order to differentiate various terminology of yoga being practiced by people to attain pure consciousness.

As per the Hindu Mythology, yoga has been preached by Lord Krishna to the Prince Arjuna in the sacred book of ‘Bhagwadgita’ and the types of yoga one should practice in one’s life. Yoga has been described in ‘Yoga Sutra’ written by Maharishi Patanjali and has also been described in various Upanishads such as Yoga Kundalini Upanishad, Yoga Chudamani Upanishad, Yoga Sikha Upanishad, Yoga Tattva Upanishad, Katha Upanishad etc.

Srimad Bhagwadgita has expounded three ways of Yoga- The Path of Action (Karma Yoga), the Path of Knowledge (Jnana Yoga) and the Path of Salvation (Bhakti Yoga). There is inalienable relationship of the three bodies: the gross, the subtle and the causal with the world. After employing all these three in the services of others- is the Path of Action. Realization of one’s own establishment in one’s own self after dissociating from three bodies- is the Path of Knowledge, and surrendering oneself to the God- is the Path of Devotion. As such every human being is endowed with three powers of yoga-

1. The power to do is for rendering service of the world selflessly – that is KARMAYOGA.
2. The power to know is meant to know the self – that is JNANAYOGA.
3. The power to believe and then to surrender- is BHAKTIYOGA.

All these three types of Yoga are independent means of God realization.

My understandings of these philosophies are limited and as such humility demands not to analyze these philosophies in support or in contrary to what has been said or written by great scholars and god incarnated people. However, the human mind is very inquisitive and analytical and does not wish to succumb to a particular thought or philosophy especially in these changing times when so many scientific and technological developments have already taken place and people have no time to go into details of these philosophies. Therefore as an ordinary human being, I have tried to describe in a layman's term, how these philosophies can be applied in a modern concept?

'KARMA' means, what one is supposed to do in a righteousness manner and the term YOGI has been derived from the word yoga and thus the person who performs karma in a righteousness way is called KARMAYOGI. Derived from the root “Yujir Yoge” the word ‘Yoga’ has the implied meaning – eternal kinship with equanimity. The word kinship means – sharing of internal characteristics and equanimity means- mental composure or evenness of temper. Therefore in the word yoga, there is predominance of transcendental stability, but on achievement of this state, equanimity and prowess do follow automatically. Thus word yoga has a very pervasive and profound meaning and should not be confused with ordinary yoga practices.

Besides Asthanga Yoga, Maharishi Patanjali has also propagated other instruments of yoga such as YAJNA (sacrifice), DANA (gift), TAPA (penance), and LAYAYOGA (yoga of rhythmic unison) apart from DHYANYOGA (Yoga of Meditation), PRANAYAM (control of breath), and HATHAYOGA (austere discipline of body).

Now in the Modern Concept, one may believe to attain Sannyasa (renouncement of the world) and Moksha (to attain salvation) without doing Karmayoga. I think that is a misnomer. To attain the salvation one has to practice karmayoga for which one has come to this world and while performing karmayoga they will have to go through the ups & down depending upon the intensity of their karmas. However, in this modern world when one has many responsibilities, several tasks to perform or goals to achieve, life is so hectic and tiring, one can still become a Karmayogi by discharging his or her responsibilities in the true sense but within the framework of the definition of karmayoga as propounded in Gita. I personally think, getting salvation by way of performing karmayoga is the easiest, best and noblest way. Even monks or Gurus,  who practice Jnanayoga or Bhaktiyoga cannot escape the responsibility of doing karmayoga in this life. Therefore why not do karmayoga to attain salvation with the purity of mind and this purity comes automatically by controlling false ego, anger, greed and jealousy.

For example a professor or a teacher, when teaching their pupils with sincerity imparts his or her knowledge without concealing the material fact of the subject, without being partial to students, and without any selfish interest other than what he or she is supposed to get in lieu of their services rightfully while keeping the divine power in mind; is a modern karmayogi.

As long as lawyers, engineers, doctors and other professionals practice their knowledge honestly without any ill motives, ego or greed and by keeping the welfare of their clients, employers or patients in mind, while thinking about the divine power (Istha) as if they are imparting services not for the humans but the manifested forms of the same divine power,  they can be considered as modern karmayogis.

A trader or a business man provides all types of facilities to society by bringing in goods for the economic betterment and survival of the society. As long as they do their business with honesty and fairness and make money by way of fair play by keeping the divine power in their mind as if they are serving the manifested forms of the divine power in all living creatures, are modern karmayogis.

Here the pecuniary gain or monetary benefit or profits behind such professions must not be confused. When we employ upon the various instruments of yoga as propagated by Maharishi Patanjali to become a karmayogi, then we can understand in modern concept that monetary gain is a Gift (DANA) of their hard work they receive from the beneficiary or knowledge which has been acquired by years of TAPA (Penance) and the same knowledge is imparted upon their beneficiary by way of YAJNA (sacrifice) by practicing their vocation rightfully and virtuously.

A person's knowledge or skill cannot be assessed in terms of money, hence the sacrifice. Any person in this world cannot attain the true knowledge of his or her vocation, unless one realizes what he or she is supposed to do with righteousness, that is the realization of One Self, and that can be considered as JANANYOGA. The Jnanayoga cannot be attained unless one concentrates on his profession or vocation to acquire the knowledge, which is DHYANAYOGA. A dancer or an artist cannot understand the intricacies of TAAL (beats) or LAYA (rhythm), unless he or she mediates to understand the hidden secrets of that rhythm and that is LAYAYOGA and so on.

Hence to sum up, one has to imply upon the rightful use of various instruments of Yoga which depends upon the circumstances and the nature of one’s vocation or profession to become a Karmayogi in the modern concept. 

Suman Saran Sinha

a humble devotee of the lord.

Disclaimer: The philosophy of Karmayoga in a modern concept especially its correlation and application in different professions, is the original work of the author and it has no relevance with any book or philosophy published or unpublished. Therefore, any error or omission in my thought process may be excused.