I enjoyed reading this passage, Taking A Seat At Life's Kitchen Table authored by Rachel Naomi Remen is not just a way of passing time. In fact, this writing is very helpful not only to me, but also to my family members, my clients, and my friends. I consider it a gift from the author of this article. Reading this article is very illuminating. As I am growing agewise I have made quite a number of small and big mistakes. Formerly I used to hide my mistakes, suppress or repress my mistakes. I know denying my own mistakes is not the wholesome and wise way for dealing with them. Not knowing how to deal with my mistakes continued draining my physical, mental, and emotional energy. I distinctly remeber an experience when I was teaching a high school class in India. I have always believed that yelling is never the way to guide a child or young adult. One student was continually disrupting the class, and in a moment of frustration, I yelled at that student. After reflection, I realized that the student was still indeed a child and in their mind was not doing anything wrong. I should have empathized more and gently guided rather than yelled. I apologized to that student, and to give a genuine apology I put myself in their shoes and let go of my own ego. In order to learn and cherish something new we need to take bold steps but also learn to recognize other perspectives. This is the way I have learned how to relate to new and difficult situations. Face life courageously, compassionately, and creatively. This is my life story. It is not a straght line. I have learnt how to live my life. And I am very grateful to the folks holding my hands when I have gone through thicks and thins in my life. To me, life is a blessing, not a curse. And I am grateful to my parents, friends, teachers, neighbors and other members of my family for holdng my hands whenever I needed their help. I am also very happy to offer my help whenever I can. It is by giving we receive. It is a two -way st...
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I enjoyed reading this passage, Taking A Seat At Life's Kitchen Table authored by Rachel Naomi Remen is not just a way of passing time. In fact, this writing is very helpful not only to me, but also to my family members, my clients, and my friends. I consider it a gift from the author of this article. Reading this article is very illuminating. As I am growing agewise I have made quite a number of small and big mistakes. Formerly I used to hide my mistakes, suppress or repress my mistakes. I know denying my own mistakes is not the wholesome and wise way for dealing with them. Not knowing how to deal with my mistakes continued draining my physical, mental, and emotional energy. I distinctly remeber an experience when I was teaching a high school class in India. I have always believed that yelling is never the way to guide a child or young adult. One student was continually disrupting the class, and in a moment of frustration, I yelled at that student. After reflection, I realized that the student was still indeed a child and in their mind was not doing anything wrong. I should have empathized more and gently guided rather than yelled. I apologized to that student, and to give a genuine apology I put myself in their shoes and let go of my own ego. In order to learn and cherish something new we need to take bold steps but also learn to recognize other perspectives. This is the way I have learned how to relate to new and difficult situations. Face life courageously, compassionately, and creatively. This is my life story. It is not a straght line. I have learnt how to live my life. And I am very grateful to the folks holding my hands when I have gone through thicks and thins in my life. To me, life is a blessing, not a curse. And I am grateful to my parents, friends, teachers, neighbors and other members of my family for holdng my hands whenever I needed their help. I am also very happy to offer my help whenever I can. It is by giving we receive. It is a two -way street. Sometimes it may become a two-way street. I follow my Dharma. Hold the hand of a person unconditionally who needs your help. I am very happy for doing it.
Namaste.
Jagdish P Dave PhD, PsyD.
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This short passage Dust If You Must written by Rose Milligan offers me a wonderful lesson about how to make wise choices in life. Life offers many choices-good, bad and ugly. It is upto me to make wise choices. I like music to hear, books to read, friends to cherish and life to live. Life offers many choices.
It is up to me to make right and wise choices. If I goof and make wrong and harmful choices, my choice making affects not only me but also people close to me and connected with me. I have learnt to make wise and right choices not only for my wellness but also for the wellness of people close to me. It may not be their fault but they have to suffer because of my wrong choice making. So it's like a double- edged choice making. My wrong choice making hurting not only me but other close to me. So it is up to me to learn how to make right and wise choices.
As I was growing up, I made some important decisions that caused agony and harm not only to me but people closely retated to me. I have learnt not to make impulsive decisios. I have learned from my mistakes. There is room for corrections. I am grateful to my parents, friends and teachers for giving me helpful feedback and their support.
Namaste.
Jagdish P Dave PhD, PsyD
I love listening to stories, my story, your story and some one else's story. And I have friends who also love to listen to my stories. We share all kinds of stories. Some are delightful and some are painful. I lkie to listen to such stories, some over and over. And there are also tragic stories which come to my mind and heart and I wish to forget them. I have learnt many lessions from listening to my stories and others'. Some stories evoke happiness and there are stories which evoke sadness. I embrace both kinds of stories. Happy stories come and I joyfully say hello to them. Painful stories come, make me sad and I would like to say good bye to them. I have a wide spectrum of all kinds of stories. Some joyful and some painful. My stories are like my friends, I learn from my stories. They represent me.
I wonder which stories have brought lots of joy and delight to me. I have learned a lot from my stories. Such stories are my never -failing freiends.
A question arises in my mind: Do I welcome all kinds of stories? Some are good, some are bad and some do not have any remakable quality. I believe that each kind of story has a meaning and has a value. I learn lessons from my stories. Stories are never failing friends. Each story has something to offer. It's up to me to take it or leave it.
Namsate!
Jagdish P Dave PhD, PsyD
Good reflections to think on and put it in practice.
I had already sent my Reflections. I don’t know what happened.
I have already sent my Reflections on this weekly passage. I do not see my reflections. Please let me know why I donor see my reflections.
Thanks.
Dada
To create something new, the mind needs to be free from thinking about the past or worrying about the future. A creative mind is free from the grip of the past and from dwelling on the future. Creative and beneficial ideas arise in the consciousness of the present moment, here and now. The past is already gone, and the future has yet to arrive. Much of our energy is wasted by thinking about the past and the future. The mind becomes imprisoned by thoughts of the past and by thoughts about the future.
That is why I have learned to meditate regularly. If I do not meditate regularly, my mind wanders and worries, and I lose my energy. My physical, mental, and emotional energy, as well as my sleep and appetite, are affected when I do not meditate regularly. A wandering mind drains my energy. I have learned the importance of meditating regularly, and I have gained many benefits from this practice.
When I was in the beginning phase of my meditation journey, I found excuses not to meditate regularly. These excuses affected my health and my relationships. Through my experiences, I learned the value of regular meditation. I became my own never-failing friend.
Now I teach mindful meditation to children, adults, and older people without charging money. It is my seva, my service, and it brings great joy to my life.
Namaste.
Jagdish P Dave PhD, PsyD
I enjoyed reading and reflecting on the passage by Jack Kornfield. I have also enjoyed reading his books, which have helped me learn how to quiet my noisy mind and live mindfully, quietly, and peacefully. I have learned that true peace comes from within, not from outside. It is an inner journey. We learn important lessons from within when our noisy mind becomes calm and quiet.
During my long life journey, I have tried to make peace within myself by seeking help from outside resources, such as books on meditation and from people who meditate regularly. These resources helped me to some extent, but only for a short time. I have learned that genuine transformation happens from within, and it takes time. Patience, perseverance, empathy, and compassion are my inner resources for spiritual growth and development. They are my loyal friends who have never failed me, and I am deeply grateful to them.
Peace.
Namste!
Jagdish P Dave PhD, PsyD
'Becoming Airports' evokes many ideas about my true identity. Who am I? Who are the travelers? Who is the pilot? What is my destination? These are important questions to ask and explore.
The airplane represents the means of travel. The place where the plane is flying is the destination. The one flying the plane is me. The lives of the passengers depend on me. If I take a wrong turn, many lives may be lost.
The airport awakens thoughts of many voyages in my mind. In the journey of my life, life moves like a river, taking many turns. I need to learn to move carefully. One mistake can change the course of a life.
As I continue on my journey, I encounter many kinds of airports and many kinds of travelers. As the pilot, it is my responsibility to make the necessary adjustments and accommodations. One mistake could endanger the lives of those traveling with me.
Who am I? What is my identity? Who shapes my identity? I am still on the path of discovery. Patience is my companion, and I am not in a hurry. I trust that, in time, my journey will reveal who I am becoming.
Namaste.
Jagdish P Dave PhD, Psych .D
We all want to move upward in different areas of our lives—whether it is financial success, recognition, or a good reputation. In our pursuit of these goals, there are times when we stumble and unknowingly walk down the wrong path. Instead of looking within to understand where we went wrong, we often blame others for our setbacks. As a result, the cycle of disappointment and misery continues, and we lose our way.
Whenever we fall, our first instinct may be to find fault with someone else. But when we point one finger at another person, we should remember that four fingers point back at ourselves. This is a reminder that true growth begins with self-reflection rather than blame. We need to awaken to the right path by looking inward.
As I was growing up, I learned not to blame others for my shortcomings. Instead, I learned to look within and seek the answers from my own heart. By walking the path of self-awareness, I have become wiser and more mindful of my thoughts and actions. And whenever I find myself taking the wrong path, I pause, reflect, and ask for forgiveness. Each mistake becomes an opportunity to learn, grow, and return to the path of truth and compassion.
Namste.
Jagdish P Dave PhD, PsyD
People are different in many ways. Some rich, some poor. Some literate, some illiterate. Some educated and some uneducated. What is the common thread that runs through such differences, that binds us together? Does telling the truth bring us together? TRUTH is ONE. It is One but is expressesd in different ways. It's like a thread that runs through different beads. We may take different paths to attain the same goal. As stated in the Rig Veda: Ekam satyam bahudha vadanti. Truth is one. It is not my truth or your truth. It is realized and expressed in different ways. In the Bhagavad Gita. the ancient spiritual book, Four paths are described to relize the TRUTH: Gnana marga, the path of self -knowledge. Bhakti marga the path of devotion to God. Karma Yoga, the path of doing selfless action. The fourth path is Sanyasa Yoga, the path of renouncing the world. We follow the path willigly. Each path helps us to be free from the path of ignorance leading to Self- realization.
We may follow the path that shows us how to realize the divinity within us. Follow the path diligently and willingly until you realize the Truth. There is no need to hurry.
Namste.
Jagdish P Dave PhD PsyD
Our mind needs be open and quiet to unerstand and relate to the other person. And the same way the other person's mind needs be open and quiet. Relationship is a two-way street. Many relationships are broken when the mind and heart of each other are closed. Both persons suffer.
Empathy buids the bridge between two people in reltatioships. Sadly, the separation rate and the divorce rate in our country as well as in other industrialized countries is increasing. We need to recognize this problem and need to take steps to work on it. Denying the probem or ignoring it will cause more suffering. What we need to reduce our suffering. We need to wake up and work on solving the problem. It is in our hands.
This is where mindfulness meditaion has been be very hepful to me. In mindflness , we relate to the probem nonjudgementally and compassionately to work on the issue. This approach may take time. It is indeed worth trying. I have walked on this path and have enriched my relationship with myself and with others. l have taken this path and I am helping others who are willingly to walk with me.
Realtionships are very important. We need to enrich them.
Namste!
Jagdish P Dave Phd, PsyD
As human beings we all suffer. We all going through suffering. As Gautam Budhha says Sarvam dukkham dukkham. This the fact of life. Nobody can escape from it. There are two ways of dealing with suffering. Recognise it or deny it. If we rcognize it we can find a way to work through it and be free from it. And if we ignore it or deny it, it causes more suffering. To work on suffereing we need to recognize it, accept it and work on it. Sadly, instead of reconizing it and working through it, we point our finger to someone else. We forget that the four fingers are pointed towards us. We need to wake up and understand the cause of our suffering and work through it.
As I was growing up, I have made many mistakes and I have learned to recognize my mistakes, owned them, worked through them and and become free them. It is an ongoing journey. As a human being, I do not consider myself perfect. I know that nobody is perfect. We need to remain awake, learn from our mistakes and offer our helping hands to them.
Namste.
Jagdish P Dave
Reality or Truth is One. It is not Two. Reading this passage authored by N. Gordan Cosby reminds me of an ancient saying written in Sanskrit. Ekam Satyam bahudha vadanti. Truth is One expressed by sages in different ways. Sadly some of us may not perceive the Reality as One. Such a way of perceiving the Truth and not following it has caused divisiveness and battles and wars. We see such battles and wars between two nations, USA and Iran causing destruction on both sides.
Sadly we see such divisiveness in families, communities and nations. How many battles and wars have been created and how much damage and destruction has been created. UNO has been created to unite nations of the world for peace. Sadly the UNO has not been able to achieve it.
It is time to wake up. It is time to join heads, hands and hearts and learn to relate to each other as brothers and sisters. A couple of years ago I had visited Auroville, a relatively small town in the southern part of India. I was happily surprised to see people from many countries of the world living together, helping others and taking care of each other. It is like a pilgrimage. Auroville has been considered an ideal town by the UNESCO. I hope and pray we will wake up, loin hands and work together for universal peace. We create Auroville in the community we live in. Slowly but surely we will attain our goal.
Namaste!
Jagdish P Dave
O traveler wake up from the world we sleep in, the world of illusion. The other world is the world of awakening. There are two worlds we live in. One world is the world is the world of sleeping.The other world is the world of awakening. When we live in the world of sleeping we lose everything. When we live in the world of awakening we gain everything. It is up to us to make a wise choice. Wise choice making makes us happy. Wrong choice making makes us miserable and unhappy. I learned the right way to make a choice from my parents when I was a child. Now at this stage of my life I am wise enough to make right choices. I am very grateful to my parents who helped me to differentiate between right versus wrong choices.
My father used to sing a beautiful song. It is in Hindi.
Utha jaga muasfir bhore bahi aba rain kahantaka sowat hai.
Jo jagat hai vo pavat hai jo sovat hai vo khoavat hai.
Utha jaga musafir bhore bhai aba rain kahantak sovat hai.
O traveller, the dawn is coming. How long will you keep on sleeping?
Wake up O traveller, wake up from the deep sleep and enjoy the benefits of awakening.
Namaste.
Jagdish P Dave
We, as human beings, are looking for truth, love, compassion and forgiveness. How can we attain strength , courage, and patience for attaining such attributes? According to my understanding it requires, patience, compassion and kindness. We all love to have such wonderful qualities in our life. Wishes are not enough. We need to invest our energy, have patience and courage to attain such qualities. We do need proof to show it. Truth, love, and forgiveness are self evident.
Such inner qualities do not need any proof. Living such inner qualities in our daily life reveals the truth. It is evident in my personal life.
It takes time, passion, patience and compassion to attain and preserve such qualities. As we say "Rome was not built in a day."
As we know, building an inner bridge that unites us doesn't happen in a day. It takes time. But once we build such an inner bridge we can walk on it and help others to walk on it. If we all make sincere efforts to walk on this bridge life becomes a joy to sing.
May we all follow this path to make this world safe, peaceful and fulfilling.
Namste.
Jagdish P Dave.
According to my understanding there are two faces of honesty. One honesty is with myself and the other is honesty with others. If I am not honest with myself how can I be honest with others? I find it is relatively easy to be honest with myself. It is relativly difficult for me to be honest with others. There is a fear lurking behind not telling the radical truth. In relationships the fear is about hurting people close to me will abondon me. I go through internal and external fear cycles which will drain my enrgy. When I was a child it was relatively easy for me to tell the truth. As I was going through adolesence it became realtively more difficult for me to behave truthfully. I was going through fear cycles. The fear was of abondoment.
As I was growing up I came to realize that the people who love me unconditionally will not abondon me. They will be with me, they will compassionately empathize with me. Slowly and gradually I came to realize that true love liberates me from my self-created grief cycle. It's up to me to act wisely and end the cylce of emotional ups and downs.
When I was a child my father used to sing a song in Hindi:
Utha jaga musafir bhore bhahi aba rain kahan tak sovata hai.
Jo sovata hai vo khovata hai jo jagata hai vo pavata hai.
O traveler! Wake up. How long will you continue sleeping?
Those who wake up reap the fruits of awakening.
And those who are sleeping lose the fruits of awakening.
O traveler! Wake up, don't keep on sleeping.
With warm and loving regards.
Namaste!
Jagdish P Dave PhD, PsyD