October 2011

Reminder by Bhashkar Perinchery

There are two factors, which when we recognize and accept, can enable a really decisive and significant transformation in our life. One is the recognition, that the dynamism of life is happening through the ongoing change, an ongoing flow, and that everything is in a 'wave' like process - in a process of movement, in a process of flux! We are used to living with an idea or a concept about reality which is 'static'. Our mind labels and fixes all the impressions in to certain 'static' pictures and concepts. In this way we create knowledge, form an idea of ourselves and the reality, which in fact is not, how it really is.

What we need to become conscious of and recognize is, that in reality everything in life is in an ongoing flow, in an ongoing change. As we allow this remembrance to deepen in our living, it can indirectly contribute towards a quality of creative aliveness and harmony, because then we can see, that our tendency to hold, to fix and settle - howsoever it gives us the appearance of solidity and security - is not based on the true nature of our reality and thus can open us towards the beauty and intelligence of the deeper dimensions of our reality.

To accept this fact, that everything is in an ongoing process of change, of flow, is one aspect. The second aspect that is valuable to bring in to our attention is also very much connected with the first one, and that is, when we consider, recognize and accept the fact, that all our knowledge, in a deeper sense, is only 'peripheral'. We know few things about and around different aspects of life, and this knowledge is useful for the practical, functional aspect of living. But, the more you become alert and observe, the more it will become clear to you, that our knowledge about oneself and each other - our knowledge about the deeper aspects of the reality - is not a real understanding, it is in fact more of a 'projection into the reality' and not the truth. When this aspect gets clearly recognized by you and you can accept it and live with this remembrance without holding to knowledge - without trying to settle in concepts and beliefs, without trying to label yourself or the other in to some fixed idea, a fixed image or a fixed role, etc. - then you will realise, that it is opening you to the experiencing of a different quality of perception and understanding, that is liberating and enrichening your life.

These two aspects are very basic. In the recognition and conscious acceptance of these factors we are allowing a great opportunity. The acceptance which when included as a remembrance and assimilated in to our day to day living enables a deeper insight which is not just a knowledge, that one collects and puts in the storage, but is something that becomes an 'alive reality' in us. This remembrance, this alertness creates a very valuable basis for a healthy development - a deeply creative and celebrative quality of living. In allowing the flow, we are also allowing the recognition of the fact, that the knowledge and the judgements we have about ourselves and others - which often arise automatically in us - is not the truth!

The fact remains, that this life process which is constantly moving and changing and is so ungraspably alive, can not be reduced and fixed in to some 'knowledge'!

These are the two aspects, which are also the orientation in the following reminders that help in a playful, but pragmatic way to deepen and allow these insights to become an alive factor of life. It can become a very valuable contribution in our way of experiencing, interacting and enjoying life in a healthy way!

The first reminder for practical application is: Whenever you are drinking water, tea, coffee or any other liquid, after the first sip, take a little break. Remind yourself of a fact that the liquid you are taking in is flowing into the body, supporting the circulation and the ongoing flow of the blood, contributing towards the aliveness of the body and our well being. There is an ongoing purification, an ongoing cleansing and clearing taking place within the body, through such an ongoing flow. Recognise that the 'flow' is one of the basics of the dynamism of life; feel also the ongoing movement, ongoing change, ongoing 'flow' of life energy in the form of the breath. Inwardly not holding to anything, allow yourself to be with the flow of the life energy. Be with this inner quality of 'flow' for some moments! Let it become a deeper recognition in you! Feel it..... In this way, each time you are drinking something, take some moments to let this fact of life to come in to your deeper recognition. With this remembrance, that everything is alive and dynamic while it is part of the flow, inwardly not holding to anything, consciously allow the flow also within. Let this become a support to enhance the quality of aliveness and celebration in your life.

The second reminder is: about non-clinging. Not to cling to any concepts, nor knowledge by recognizing that whatever we know - especially in human relationships about the other, or about oneself - is based mostly on conditionings, certain impressions and standards which we have collected combined with the influence of the positive or negative experiences of our past. Howsoever relevant such a knowledge may be for our practical living, in reality, there is something deceptive about it, because we are trying to fix ourselves and fix others into a conceptual solidity, which in fact is not so! Everyone is going on changing, each of us is in an ongoing 'process' of learning, growing, ripening. Each moment there are different impressions, different experiences, which are affecting our life, which are determining our way of looking and seeing. In remembering this, while you connect with others, you support yourself and the other indirectly towards a quality of authenticity and aliveness. As long as we fix the other in a role and put a label - which very often is our normal and not so conscious way of going about - then we are also creating barriers for the other to open and be with the dynamism, be with the mystery! It has a certain kind of blindness about it, when we fix a label and believe that the other is so. An important aspect of it, which mostly is not so consciously considered, is also that when we fix the other in this way, we are also fixing ourselves and this adds up towards a subtle inner stagnation. This second reminder is about bringing such an inner wakefulness that helps one also to open and grow in creative connections with the others.

Each time, you meet another human being, observe all the automatic reactions, which are activated in you - all the thoughts, all the judgements, all the undercurrent feelings, all the concepts and labels, that arise etc.. Noticing all these, remind yourself of the basic fact, that deep within you don't know, who the other really is?! We have these impressions, we have some concepts, we have made some pictures of the other based on the past experiences and associations, but in reality, do we know the other?! Remember this and stay with this inner state where one is not caught in any 'knowledge' as wakefully as possible. This is a very valuable foundation for a sensitive and sympathetic way of being with oneself and the others.

Through that you are giving yourself and the other 'room' - the space, to open up and flower. Such a remembrance helps us also to become naturally respectful towards each other, since it is possible to see, that we are not just these concepts and beliefs, which we are holding to and identifying with – we are much, much more – we are part of a great, deeply interwoven mystery!

Our mind can not and we also should not try to reduce it all in to some kind of 'knowledge'. The more we stay inwardly wakeful, the more it becomes clear and transparent to us - what limitation our mind and the resulting knowledge has, and also how tremendously significant it is to be able to be a conscious, compassionate and creative part of this life process. It also helps us to realize what it means to be 'present' in our human connections, and how such a quality of 'lived presence' becomes a blessing to oneself and to each other. Living consciously becomes a support for a healthy and harmonious living – enabling us to experience this life as a blessing and not get lost in the misunderstanding as if it is a burdensome struggle! It appears to us as a burden, as long as we don't encounter life with a deeper alertness and look at the nature of our reality itself.

Bring these two reminders carefully in to living and see that each of these reminders is applied and practised at least seven times a day. Each time you drink anything, if you can bring the remembrance, that is the best. But sometimes, if you forget it or some other difficulty is arising, accept it, yet, with a playful but also determined approach, bring the remembrance at least on seven occasions during your day. For the second reminder, while you meet people, even if you may not be going in to deep conversations or interactions - some times even just looking at another person there may be thoughts and feelings, associations and labels etc. arising - allow an inner wakefulness in these interactions to be a step towards a deeper inner remembrance and introspection. That will be very valuable. These are the two reminders to play with, to work with and to celebrate.....!

High Noon
of Humanity

The quiet individual choice we make with global impact

By Bhashkar Perinchery

What makes us human beings really human, what allows us to live the humanness is, when we realise that we have the potential, the chance, and the capacity to observe, to watch, to witness what is taking place within ourselves, in the body and in the mind, without identifying with it.

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THE 'HOW' towards the realisation
of a fulfilling, liberating life
 

given by Bhashkar Perinchery

Human reality is a very unique and deeply significant process. We as human beings need to 'dance' between two dimensions - between the dimension of time and the dimension of the eternal, the dimension of the mind and the divine dimension. This is what makes our lives so very challenging, because we find ourselves between these two natural factors - the polarity and the dynamism created through it and to find the right 'atonement' in our life is a process of discovering, learning, ripening and flowering.

The nature of the reality we live as 'the world' is a 'dream-like reality', made possible along with an inner quality we develop, which is like a state of 'intoxication'! To find the balance in life we need to bring a subtle kind of remembrance, so that we can bridge between the duality of the world and the non-dualistic dimension of the spirit - which one may refer to also as the dimension of the essence or the divine dimension.

 It is often said: "Yes, we have heard, read and thought about these aspects, but how to realise it, that is what we want to know?" These reminders offer the 'how' and provide one of the excellent and effective opportunities for those who want to assimilat and live the deeper understanding. Seen from the standpoint of 'the world' where we look at everything of the manifest creation through the mind, life is experienced as a process of 'duality' and hidden behind is all the unknown, invisible - the 'creator'. But, seen from the experiencing of the deeper reality, where it has become conscious - that deep within there is no duality, that this creation is only an aspect of the 'one-reality' - then to indicate the nature of the reality from that state, using the words, there is a different approach.

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It is often said: "Yes, we have heard, read and thought about these aspects, but how to realise it, that is what we want to know?" These reminders offer the 'how' and provide one of the excellent and effective opportunities for those who want to assimilate and live the deeper understanding.

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In the first approach of the dualistic perception there is the idea of the human being here below, and the idea of the god there above what the religions mostly are using. In such a way of looking the remembrance becomes possible through prayer a prayerful orientation in living. Approaching from the spiritual basis, looking from the reality of the essence to find the balance and be fulfilled in life, the human being needs also to remember - remember one's true self, remember, and come consciously in touch with the nature of our innermost reality, our essence - which is unfathomable and wondrous. So either way, in the form of prayer or in the form of an appeal to the higher self, reminders are required which need to be brought into living - so that there can be a conscious bridging between the two dimensions of the manifest and the unmanifest, between the 'dream-like world' and the 'non-dualistic essence' of the true reality. 

Since there is a forgetfulness which is strongly affecting and entangling us in the periphery - in the roles and the goals, which are part of the 'game' of the dual - it is necessary, to deliberately and consciously bring such 'reminders', either in the form of a prayer or as an appeal to our higher self. One needs to bring such supports for remembrance, so that our basic understandings and insights can be assimilated and brought into living, into practice, that such an understanding is a lived reality. Both the approaches, when rightly practised will lead towards the deeply fulfilling and liberating experience of our 'essential' reality. Without the right recognition, without the right remembrance, without the right awareness of the nature of our reality, we human beings easily get lost in all kind of misunderstandings, wrong interpretations etc. and rather than living creatively, intelligently, lovingly, we tend to slip easily and get trapped in a power-oriented, controlling, forcing, destructive, unloving and inhuman way of going about life.

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Without the right recognition, without the right remembrance, without the right awareness of the nature of our reality, we human beings easily get lost in all kind of misunderstandings, wrong interpretations etc. and rather than living creatively, intelligently, lovingly, we tend to slip easily and get trapped in a power - oriented, controlling, forcing, destructive, unloving and inhuman way of going about life.

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We are at a period in the development of the world, where it is very decisive and necessary to bring 'the remembrance' as deeply as possible by every sensible  individual. Whether you are having a religious and mystical orientation or are without any particular religious and spiritual direction in life, but are attempting to live as intelligently, as alertly and are being open to look and consider all will benefit. Whether you see yourself as religious or non-religious or atheistic or are not categorizing yourself in any way all can benefit, all can contribute by embedding these reminders into living and thus allow them to come into practice.That is what during the coming 'intense period of awareness' we will be working with: the ten reminders, to be brought consciously into recognition, assimilitated and lived.

These reminders are to be used in the following way. At first you prepare a written form of these ten reminders. If possible prepare 10 separate cards, one for each reminder. Every full hour of the wakeful period of the day, take some minutes to be with it, one at a time. For example, if you are starting the practical aspect of the day at 9 o'clock, then from 9 o'clock onwards every full hour, for ten hours take one reminder at a time, read that, be with it and let it work on you. Let it be felt, allow a little gap to let it get assimilated by you - stay with it just with the conscious openness to be with the sense of this reminder for some moments; be silently with it as if you are taking an elixir for life - sip by sip - in the same style you have to be with these reminders every hour. Let it become a deep nourishment for your flowering. It will be very decisive for the individual development and fulfilment as well as for the development in the world, in the right way. These ten reminders for wakeful hours of the day can be used as an appeal to the higher self or as an universal prayer. Thus it is for people of all religions as well as for non-religious or atheistic oriented.

 Whether as an appeal to your higher self or as a prayer it is valuable that you take  the space in this sense, wherever you are, whether you are in a working situation in the office or somewhere else, allow this individual space every hour for few minutes, as much as possible.

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These reminders are to be used in the following way. At first you prepare a written form of these ten reminders. If possible prepare 10 separate cards, one for each reminder. Every full hour of the wakeful period of the day, take some minutes to be with it, one at a time.

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First hour - Reminder 1:
Let me remember always to look at first at that what is happening in me, instead of limiting my attention only at that what is coming from outside.

Second hour - Reminder 2:
Let me remember, that the way things appear to me and/or is interpreted by me is only one of the multiple angles of perception and not get into the belief, that the way I see or experience it all, is the ultimate truth and thereby not get trapped in any dogmatic, fanatic and serious judgements and reactions.

Third hour - Reminder 3:
Let me remember in every situation to bring my attention to what I have got, what is given, what is positively there as a blessing rather than focusing my attention at that what is not there, what is not given and grieving or complaining about it.

Fourth hour - Reminder 4:
Let me remember, that with each thought, each feeling I engage myself in, with each doing or withholding, I am giving my energy a direction to flow and manifest in life, thereby creating a 'positive' or a 'negative' energy field around me in which I go on 'bathing'. Let me become conscious of my responsibility and become aware of my chance in it ..

Fifth hour - Reminder 5:
Let me look at myself and try to understand myself more deeply with a quality of friendliness rather than getting trapped in an approach of fighting with myself or condemning myself or settling in guilt feelings etc.

Sixth hour - Reminder 6:
Let me consider my fellow human beings as well as life in itself, more sympathetically, compassionately, patiently and playfully

Seventh hour - Reminder 7:
Let me become capable to look at everything in life directly, without getting trapped in my usual judgements which are based on projections through accumulated concepts and beliefs, preferences and prejudices, fears and desires, which I carry in me as a knowledge and is part of the unconscious conditioning from my past.

Eight hour - Reminder 8:
Let me remember to take all that I mostly take for granted - the air to breath, the water to drink, the food to eat, the warmth of the sun, the colours in the nature and the fragrance
of the flowers, the taste of the fruits and the spices, the beauty of the birds and the animals, the fellow human beings, the friendship and love, the health, the breath, the life - not for granted.

Ninth hour - Reminder 9:
May I recognize and live with the remembrance of the fact, that all what is of this world, including this body and the personality with which I normally identify and refer to as 'I' are part of an ongoing, changing and passing phenomena of life. Remembering this,
instead of trying to cling or settle in these, let me cherish each moment, rejoicing and celebrating the uniqueness of it all

Tenth hour - Reminder 10:
Let me recognize that conflicts, confrontations and disharmony are part of the natural process of our reality and when approached rightly helps us to grow and develop our potential and create the dynamism and vitality of life. In this sense let me accept and respect the natural with its diversity and polarity and learn and ripen through it all.In this sense let me also remember to keep the contents of these reminders, these prayers in my heart and apply them in my living from day to day, from situation to situation, from moment to moment and thus live as creatively as possible.

This is something, which requires your wholehearted participation and an inner determination. Once more - this can be practiced by everybody. It will be very valuable and decisive in this very delicate and decisive turning point of the life-process on this earth.