Total Thoughts (January 10, 2010) - Tattva-Bodhah Introduction

Total Thoughts:

 

Tattva-Bodhah Introduction (pages 1-5)

 

• We should reflect on a regular basis - only then will our way of thinking change. We can try to be silent and think and this will help lead us to a more peaceful life
  
• We can view happiness from an evolutionary standpoint - instinctively we chase material objects however we should be aware that we can be concerned beyond something that is material and strive towards self-actualization
• Objects only provide temporary pleasure - we should think about how we can be just as happy without them and reflect on how each individual object only brings us happiness in the short term. We should also avoid chasing negative objects and appreciate/re-discover what we already have 
• When we have desires, we are not happy - we should understand the cause of our desires and why we seek them. Then, we can understand that trying to fill the desires only breeds more desires and hinders our journey towards self realization
• We should release expectations of others, situations and objects - Once we are able to do this, it will be easier to achieve happiness as we won't be looking without, but within
  
• Our true nature is happiness - the knowledge is already within us. Often we turn to objects so that we can measure happiness, however we should  realize that we only need to turn to our state of mind to find happiness. It is then, we can see that happiness creates happiness
• It takes practice - if we derive value from the discussions, we would do it more. Similarly, if we can assess joy from silence, we would do it more
  

"Most people are about as happy as they make up their minds to be" -  Abraham Lincoln

 Inspire-Love-Be

Total Thoughts (December 6, 2009) - Cessation of External Conflicts, Care of the physical body and Intense love

Total Thoughts:

Cessation of External Conflicts, Care of the physical body and Intense love (On Wings and Wheels pg 63-65)

 

• Love is complex and hard to find - We should consider how the word 'love' is misused and overused in society and reflect on what it means for ourselves. We should reflect on how love towards God is a path; a journey
  
• Lust can be blinding- Once we understand this, it can help us move forward
  
• There is no definition of love - Love is a spectrum and it holds different levels of intensity for different individuals. We should reflect on what it means to us and how it relates to our personal relationships
  
• It is difficult to communicate love - We should think about how we can love people that we can't communicate with
  
• Reflection deserves importance - We should realize that reflection is a key contribution to our personal growth process
  
• All discussion topics help us see the bigger picture - reflecting and understanding the topics (euthanasia, love, vegetarianism, morals, ethics etc.) helps us on the journey of self-realization
  
• Highest moral advice is to love thyself - if you can't love yourself, then you can't love others. In order to love thyself, you need to know thyself. This is the journey we are all on

 "We may often give without love, but we can never love without giving" - Swami Chinmayananda

 Inspire-Love-Be

Total Thoughts (November 29, 2009) - Vegetarianism

Total Thoughts:

Vegetarianism (On Wings and Wheels pages 56-62)

 

• We tend to view compassion differently - Something to reflect on is how we can feel compassion for a cow, but not for a carrot
• We have a limited conception of pain - Often, we don't consider whether plants can feel pain and how every substance has energetic value
  
• Consider the least amount of harm to the environment - Where do we draw the line? i.e. fish oil and other byproducts may be good for our health, however natural drugs are also a byproduct. We should understand the amount of benefit and injury that these substances cause
• Cause and effect is significant - We can shift perception if we remove cause and effect. If everyone had to kill what they wanted to eat, then perhaps everyone would gain a new perspective
• There is a lot of pressure to eat meat - For some, the vegetarian diet is cost prohibitive as it is more expensive to be a vegetarian. Meat also has a strong association with culture (i.e. Thanksgiving etc.) which makes it difficult for some to sustain a vegetarian diet. We should consider that if there were more vegetarians, then it would be easier for others to stay vegetarians
• Corporations perpetuate the issue - We should understand the role the corporation plays in communicating the accessibility/appeal of a meat diet
• Tendencies of the mind seek out the taste of meat - When you are full, chicken is not appealing, however when you are hungry even a piece of bread is delicious
• Being vegetarian is not as hard as it may seem - Once we try and commit to education and a routine we can realize that it is not as hard as we may believe it to be
  
• It is beneficial to be vegetarian - it is a moral, environmental and health conscious lifestyle decision
  
• Same criteria for vegetarianism can be applied to wearing leather goods - We should understand why we have different criteria to evaluate whether we should wear leather goods. We need to consider the impact, and what is justifiable (i.e. we eat for sustenance, and we wear leather shoes for comfort and foot support)
  

 

"The straight path is as difficult as it is simple. Were it not so, all would follow the straight path" - Gandhi

 

Inspire-Love-Be

Total Thoughts (November 22, 2009) - Sri Rama's Dilemma/Bhisma's Justification

Total Thoughts:

Sri Rama's Dilemma/Bhisma's Justification (On Wings and Wheels pages 51-55)

 

• Different sets of rules apply in war - we can understand this better when we reflect on whether the ends justify the means and whether we have acted rightly or wrongly
  
• It's difficult to achieve our goals -  we should remember that the goal is that we are happy/at peace with our decisions
• Temperament can affect our destiny - we should be aware of the line between our 'real' selves and our 'fake' selves
• Free will and destiny have different implications -we should think about how destiny can push us towards acceptance and free will can push us towards choice
• Understanding choice can help us grow - if one is enlightened, is there a choice? we can reflect on whether it is real or the ego and understanding this can help us gain clarity and predict consequences of our actions
  
• Awareness can bring about change - making people aware of how much they have, can help them understand how they can contribute to society (ie. help others)
• Decisions have purpose - we should understand when we are making decisions for ourselves and when we are acting for the greater good
  

 

"The quality of the mind would determine how the Ego would react to a given challenge." - Swami Chinmayananda

 

Inspire-Love-Be

Total Thoughts (November 15, 2009) - Error or Sin?

Total Thoughts:

Error or Sin? (On Wings and Wheels pages 46-51)

 

• We should realize that society and the individual are not governed by the same morals and rules - society might punish you even if you thought your action was right. We should reflect on the idea that just because you are not punished immediately, does not mean it will not happen in the future, or in another life so we should strive to always do what is right
• We should be more morally conscious of 'little' mistakes - we should try to understand the line between a small innocent mistake and one with longer term consequences. We should think about how hard we should be on ourselves and become more aware so those mistakes don't continue and eventually evolve into bad habits
• Perception can have an impact on how mistakes affect us - having mistakes in our lives, whether they have been directed at us or not, we need to understand whether something is a 'true mistake' and how we can learn from our experiences. It is then, when we can be more conscious of the positive or negative balance that it creates
• There are different degrees of 'right' and 'wrong' - we should be prepared and decide how we would react when faced with either situation
  
• Punishment doesn't always bring about change - we should try to understand the role of rehabilitation and education for those that have done wrong things before we try to punish or force a solution, with respect to society and ourselves
  
• Conformity poses challenges - rather than conforming, we should take time to reflect on whether it would be harmful or not, aligned with our morals and make a decision based on what we believe to be right

 

"Ignorance will not disappear merely with education. It can go only with a change in our ways of thinking." - Gandhi

 

Inspire-Love-Be,

Total Thoughts (November 8, 2009) - Abortion, Indecision

Total Thoughts:

Abortion, Indecision (On Wings and Wheels pages 44-46)

 

• Abortion is a serious decision, not to be taken lightly - this is something that we should acknowledge and understand the long term consequences of and how it impacts our decisions and actions
  
• We should take a long term view of decision making - we should practice thinking something through, even if we would still perform the action as it will allows us to become more aware of the decision at hand and will allow us to reflect on the experience with the possibility (in some cases) of revisiting the decision later and learning from it
• It is beneficial to strive for inner peace - when you are at peace with yourself, it can help in the decision making process because you have faith in what the outcome will be rather than being attached to the expectation of the outcome
  
• Indifference contributes to indecisiveness - a useful technique could be to question how certain decisions affect us and how they are connected to the 'bigger picture'. for small decisions an effective tool can be to flip a coin and follow through with the result
  
• We can reflect on Sati - when we reflect on Sati, we should think about how it was related to the time and understand what learning can be adapted to modern day society
  
• Education can benefit society - we should think about the most effective way to deliver education to society as inspiring people often is more effective and impactful than governing people
  
• Social patterns change over time -  we associate with different role models over time and sometimes it helps to take a step back and raise our awareness to re-evaluate whether we are learning from the right role models
  

"Desire is at the root of all actions, good or evil" - Swami Chinmayananda

 

Inspire-Love-Be,

Total Thoughts (November 1, 2009) - Social Conscience and Euthanasia

Total Thoughts:
 

Social Conscience and Euthanasia (On Wings and Wheels pages 41 - 44)

 

• Things that are taught to us become our belief - our actions and decisions may be influenced by learned behaviour and we should gain a better understanding of how this learned behaviour affects us to better direct our actions and decisions
  
• Selfishness can be controlled - it is in our nature to be selfish, however with increased knowledge and awareness we can exercise more control
  
• We should not treat people differently based on their title/association - it is beneficial to make our relationships more straight-forward and simple, therefore relationships will be less complex and we can achieve more peace
  
• Performing actions and having expectations is not sustainable - if we have expectations then there will be room for disappointment, therefore making the journey to contentment more difficult
  
• You can be closer to God through self-development - this is something that we should continue to practice and strive for
  
• Should avoid the term '"God" - there are many interpretations and the translation can sometimes be confused in certain situations
  
• The book "Island" by Aldous Huxley is a good read - examines many of our discussion/life topics
  

 

"An investment in knowledge pays the best interest" - Benjamin Franklin

 

Inspire-Love-Be,