Inquiry, the heart of all spiritual traditions

Exploration into understanding the common point of all spiritual traditions comes from the right kind of Inquiry. In this short video with Santikaro, I explore the question of the kind of Vipassana practice that is based on this and can bring out transformation in our lives.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PKlb6hYm6Ng

I did a meditation workshop sometime ago for patients dealing with terminal illness. Based on that, I have put up some practical points on dealing with Anxiety about death and dying, in this article on Huffington Post. 
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/…/practical-ways-to-deal-with…

Exploring spirituality in Crisis

Here's my article in Huffingtonpost on spirituality: 

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/…/exploring-spirituality-fi_b…

On Habits and Addictions

Here's a couple of blogs I published on Speaking Tree website

1. On habits and addictions:

http://www.speakingtree.in/public/spiritual-blogs/seekers/self-improvement/5-steps-to-break-free-from-addiction-and-bad-habits-and-addictions

2. Heart of Spirituality:
http://www.speakingtree.in/spiritual-slideshow/seekers/science-of-spirituality/the-heart-of-spirituality/247630

The world of gadgets – its grip on our lives!

I love the potential of electronic gadgets! But far greater is my love for living Life in the “here and the now”!

Recently, I spent a couple of weeks in Singapore. Although I had lived for several years in Singapore, it was much before the wave of electronic gadgets took over our lives. In those days, people couldn't wait to get to their homes so that they could get onto their TVs, computers or other electronic amusements. Now these very 'amusements' accompany us wherever we go, seeking to engage and entertain us all the time. As a result, most of us who live in these cities tend to be constantly restless -- texting, playing games, reading posts, checking out videos, fiddling with the music lists, etc., seeking out one diversion after another.

Almost everywhere, you see people being caught up with their electronic gadgets - smart phones, tablets and iPods/mp3 players. We are constantly seeking fun, excitement, and at a deeper level, an escape from the reality of our daily lives.  And in response to our demands, the electronic industry is producing more and more things that are portable and can zap you into a world away from the present.

Singapore is one such city where the potential of losing one's self into this world of gizmos, is the highest. MRTs and bus stations are the ideal zones for people to get lost in their gadgets. And you could also see people glancing expectantly or texting mindlessly while riding on escalators, walking on streets, and even while crossing traffic signals. 

Security is both a boon and a bane. The outward security of life that we sometimes find in the cities doesn't necessarily ensure inner security and on the contrary leaves the mind free to dwell on its inner fears. This is how the 'addiction' of electronic gadgets has gripped the whole city. It gives us an escape from boredom and "inner insecurity" of our lives and it promises something, which at best is only a temporary diversion. Unfortunately, we fail to see how grasping onto these gadgets deprives us the opportunity to live life to the fullest, to connect with other beings and to cultivate our own strengths in coping with life, no matter how it manifests itself in the here and the now.

After a few days stay in Singapore, I began to realize that this phenomenon is not merely addictive but it also seeks to “proliferate” through us. Having a smart phone and a tablet creates a certain “itch” in the hands. We use ‘apps’ that draw others into this web more and more and thus the positive power of digital networking becomes a tool for the whirlpool of unproductive chattering. Although the digital world has many privileges of networking and spreading positive cheer to people, the gadgets in themselves carry a certain energy, which is a potential breeding ground for the restless type of energy.

The kind of energy I felt when I am absorbed in them was temporarily exhilarating but in reality was only draining -- mentally, emotionally and physiologically. Isn't that what addiction is all about? It gives you a temporary high, but leaves you depleted when you are off from it. So in order to maintain the 'high' you indulge again in it. But the next time, it leaves you with a less exhilarating effect and thereby necessitating a larger 'dosage'. Test yourself – how long can you keep a gadget in your bag or in our pocket without fiddling with it during your spare moment? The next step is to see if you can shut it off at night when you go to sleep and how long before you activate it in the morning? Even when there is no message or a call, we seek out for new posting, new video, etc. Sometimes the addiction is so severe that some people can no longer go away on a retreat or anywhere in Nature, where these gadgets are no longer active!

At the end of my couple of weeks of stay in Singapore, I felt that although the population there had increased, I only “saw” a few people there! Even the lady at the counter who smiled and offered me my drink was restless to get back to her gadget.

I saw the danger and the potential “environmental hazard“ that lies for all the cities in the world. Although it inspired me with a new determination not to lose myself in this world of gadgets, I wondered about the possible antidote that was available for all the Singaporeans, and all those who live in modern cities (especially the teens and young adults). And how about the peer pressure and the ridicule for those who seek to ‘take a break’ every now and then from these gadgets?

 Do send me your comments.

Meditation Retreats in Thailand - Now Online!

Here's my article on Meditation Retreats in Thailand. If you like it, then please click 'Like' to encourage the publisher, and myself, to produce more of such materials:

http://www.lookeastmagazine.com/2014/06/meditation-retreats-in-thailand/ 

The Thai Smile - Answer to the crisis in Thailand

After spending 8 months, mostly traveling within Thailand, I just flew in to Singapore on some work. It was a refreshing change to be back in a more organized and clean city, and amidst predictable living conditions. It's definitely nice to have maps and guides for everything and to know that you can expect your buses and trains to always be on time.

It's reassuring to get response for every question you ask, whether at the airport or at the mall, not with blank stares or broken communication, but with clear and detailed information. Yet, as the day dragged on, I realized that despite my irrefutable delight amongst these conditions, there was something that I was badly missing! No it wasn't the the pad thais or green curries, and definitely not the chaotic traffic or the polluted air. It was the gentle but heartwarming Thai Smile! Over the past few months in Thailand, when things were unpredictable and disorganized, when communication was not clear and the heat unbearable, I had come to rely on one thing; the ubiquity of the "ever-comforting Thai Smile." 

My experience of a genuine Thai smile is not based on outer conditions, and am certainly not referring to the commercial smile from air hostess or at hotels. It is something that is rooted in the culture and trained innately in behavior. It is true that a genuine smile is rare, not just in Thailand, but the world over, because:

A smile lifts the spirit, 
A smile softens a tiring journey, 
A smile shows unconditional acceptance, 
No matter what your identity,
A smile conveys support and lightens all worries, 
A smiles kindles new hope and is ever-welcoming,

When you arrive into this new land,
Knowing not where you path is headed,
You discover again your heart's home, 

In the soft and gentle, Thai Smile!

I recall reading an article from a Time Correspondent couple of months ago (whose phrase of the "ever-comforting Thai Smile" I have used here). He argued that based on the history of conflicts in the country and the ongoing political struggles, a Thai Smile has never been a reality but the hype of tourist guides. In recent times, many of my friends abroad have enquired with me repeatedly about Thailand as they doubt the Thais to endure the current circumstances.

Yes, individually, how could anyone endure the political strife and instability, the whimsical administration, and the worsening living conditions. But the strength of the Thai's innate ability to smile is not to be underestimated. To me, "the land of smiles" has a great potential as long as it smiles continue to be shared with all - generously and sincerely! 

So also shall its hope for peace keep improving if all the political groups rely more and more on their real source of power. More than any other time in history, what is needed now is for Thais to rise and reclaim their true inheritance and power; the power of the "ever-comforting Thai Smile."