10 ways to boost your PR career

I loved these pointers from Lorra, so I am reporting them in my blog. Here are her insightful suggestions, most of which can be used by a professional working in any field. 

With 2013 well underway, I've been reflecting on ways to be a smarter, happier, and more productive professional. Here are my suggestions for professional resolutions:

Take risks and challenge authority.

The most successful relationships are built on mutual respect. Instead of saying "yes," when given an assignment, carefully consider business implications. Don't be afraid to offer ideas and solutions that may seem against the norm. Your ability to take initiative, generate new ideas, and deliver thoughtful counsel will earn you respect and grow your role beyond that of a tactician and into a true strategist.

Affect change as much as possible.

Focus on clients, projects, and priorities with the highest opportunities for meaningful results. Don't get distracted by process or minutia.

Stop complaining.

It is easy to dwell on reasons our career, lives, and families are challenging, unreasonable, or stressful. In 2013, instead of staying on the complaint hamster wheel, take control and change your situation for the better. And as the cliché goes, "choose your battles"—stop stressing about organizational or personal situations you truly cannot change.

Avoid drama.

You are never going to win an argument with someone who isn't rational. Instead, turn the demand or rant your boss or client spouted into a calm and positive opportunity. Don't get defensive or seek validation; overcome your need to be right or prove a point. Walk away from situations that truly aren't worth your energy. This includes office gossip.

Admit you're human.

Take responsibility for your errors. Admitting you are wrong and working to rectify the situation in a thoughtful manner builds camaraderie and encourages an honest approach to business.

Maintain perspective.

We aren't doing life-saving surgery, fighting a war, or solving the debt crisis. It may feel like that sometimes, but although the work we do may be important and meaningful, maintain perspective and lose the self-importance.

Get over it!

Your boss or client criticizes your work, or worse, you. Not everyone is going to love your work all the time. Your openness to suggestions or criticisms and ability to learn from them, and not dwell on the negative, will serve you well.

Turn off the devices.

Being accessible 24-hours a day not only kills work/life balance, but it also sets unrealistic and unreasonable expectations. Truly shutting down for even a few hours a day will lessen your stress and help you recharge your body and your brain.

Consider your legacy.

We are all too young to think about our long-term legacies, yet take a moment to think about how you wish to be remembered and reflect on how you are living your life. If you honestly consider how you are perceived by colleagues, friends, and family, you may change your behavior, relationships, and perhaps even your professional path.

Be benevolent.

Volunteer, take on a pro-bono client, and consider building your corporate social responsibility offerings or career path. Working to improve society should be an element of everyone's work and lives, regardless of the profession.

Best wishes for a productive, joyful, and healthy 2013.

Lorra M. Brown is an assistant professor of public relations/professional communication at William Paterson University in Wayne, N.J. Visit her blog www.lorrabrown.com or follow her on Twitter @LorraBrownPR.

Source: http://www.prdaily.com/Main/Articles/13523.aspx#

The Fable of the Tree

In a forest, deep in a woods, long ago, there was a learning tree. And people would come from miles around to sit under the tree because if you sat under that tree, knowledge would enter your mind, and you would know many things that you never had to learn the hard way.

But one day, a wind arose and it began to rain, and the tree was struck by lightning. The tree was split apart, and shattered, and its leaves flew over the land and landed in many places. After the storm, people came back to where the tree had stood, only to find that in its place was a stump. To this day, when people don't have the knowledge they want, they call it being stumped.

They tried to sit where they once did, but now everything was different from before. They could not absorb the great wisdom that would flow into them as it once had done. The people were troubled. "How are we to know what there is to know?" they asked. Just then, a little boy stumbled on the stump, and fell over. As he lay there, he called out, "I just learned something new!" "What?" called the people.

"If you trip over a stump, you are bound to fall down," said the little boy. The people were amazed. How did he learn this bit of knowledge? They looked at each other and then at the boy. Then, suddenly, they understood something that they never could realize in the days when knowledge came so easily: that experience was another route to learning. They began to seek further understanding by going forth into the world of experience. But, as time passed, they discovered that there was too big a world and too small a time to learn what was needed to know.

By now, the little boy had grown to manhood, and he had many, many experiences of the big world. But, being the way he was, he was curious. One day, it dawned on him how to have more knowledge than he could through his own experience. He began to ask other people about their experiences. Much to his amazement, he found he could gain knowledge vicariously through the many, many experiences everyone had. The world, which was big indeed, became both bigger and smaller at once. Bigger in the fact that he was able to know more than he could ever personally experience, and smaller because he did not need to go everywhere to see, and hear, and smell, and touch all that there was. When people asked him how he knew so much, he told them his insight. They were amazed. So they began to listen and learn through all of the experiences that everyone had, and the world became even bigger and smaller. And they were very happy about what they had learned.

But one day, someone stopped listening to everyone. Instead, they only listened to people who had similar experiences they had. Groups formed based on how some agreed that the world was this way, and others thought it was that way. No one knew who was right, so they began to argue about it. Then they fought about it. And the world got smaller and smaller, and all of the wonders that were there became invisible to them.

And so, they went on, not listening to each other, not sharing their experiences, not even learning from any experiences, but from their concepts of what was supposed to be true. And the world became darker and darker.

Then one day, in the place where the first tree grew, another tree grew in its place. And some people began to sit under the tree. But instead of knowledge filling their heads, an insight took place. That of looking, seeing, observing, exploring, experiencing, and then sharing what was understood. And as more and more people sat under that tree, the world became bigger and bigger and smaller and smaller again. And they all lived happily ever after.

Source: https://www.wisepond.com/blogs/2013/01/07/fable-tree

Maach Mishti & More movie review: Wallpaper, Story, Trailer at Times of India

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/regional/bengali/movie-reviews/Maach-Mishti-More/movie-review/17910719.cms

Check out Maach Mishti and More!

Story: As the title aptly suggests, Maach Mishti & More is an urban saga that revolves around a typical Bengali household in Kolkata. Primarily focusing on the three brothers and their romantic interests, the film explores the cosmopolitan city where people fall in love, introspect, dream and find their true calling.

Review: For those who had almost forgotten to smile, having been forced to watch a series of debacles in the name of filmmaking, last year, Mainak Bhaumik's Maach Mishti & More instills hope, right at the beginning of 2013.

Here, we see the eldest of the three brothers, Rahul, (Shauvik) returning home with his wife Reena (Swastika), having quit his cushy job in the US. His dream is to become a chef. He wants to start a restaurant in Kolkata, much to the disappointment of his parents. June (Pamela) helps Rahul set up his restaurant.

Rony (Parambrata) is trying hard to climb up the corporate ladder. He is happy with his take-home salary and his rich Marwari girlfriend, Swati. The youngest of the three brothers, Raju (Anubrata), is an aspiring actor. Unlike his two brothers, he considers himself to be 'different' — younger but wiser. Raju doesn't believe in serious relationships. He needs his space — something his mother fails to understand why. He's more like a friend to Rony and always comes up with his brilliant ideas whenever Rony is in a fix handling his girlfriend.

However, the coolest member in the family is their Dadu (Soumitra Chatterjee) whose policy is to 'live life king size'. He hates following the doctor's advice. And nothing goes unnoticed from his experienced eyes. Dadu believes that if a man's mind is in sync with his body, one can actually lead a happy and healthy life. He not only understands the pulse of every member in the family but also helps a young college girl Sunny (Parno) — who he befriends at his favourite tea stall — confess her love to the man she loves.

The story touches you as one can relate to the trials and tribulations of the characters at some point or the other. Like when Raju tries to rent a place for himself, he realizes that it is as difficult for any young bachelor guy as it is for a girl looking for a sanctuary. And it is Neha (Neha) who holds a mirror up to him.

The way Mainak has woven the plot, highlighting idiosyncrasies of the Bengali mind is laudable. We hear Anuradha Ray, who plays Rahul's mother, sharing her grievance: "Ranna korbe bole chole elo America theke?!"

Even his take on the Marwari community in Kolkata is interesting...er...funny! Swati's dad asks Rony if he would like to join him in his business, pointing out that "Bangalis toh sirf adda hi maar sakte hain."

Soumitra Chatterjee gives a heartwarming performance, while Anuradha Ray essays an archetypal mother. Shauvik, with his accented Bengali, looks the part. Parambrata is effortless as this soft-hearted, confused and romantic guy who hopes there's one Miss Right waiting for him just around the corner! Raima as Ishani, his friend from college and now a yoga instructor and reiki practitioner, is admirable. To some extent Raima's character seems to be an extension of Soumitra's character. She inspires Param to follow his heart. Anubrata and Neha make a good pair on screen; they are vibrant and full of life. Parno does a good job and looks every bit of a tom-boy in T-shirts and capris.

Something we just can't miss about the film is its portrayal of the female brigade. Far from being docile, Neha, Ishani, Reena and June come across as these bindaas babes who know exactly what to do with their lives. They are confident and can tackle any situation head on.

The best part about the film is in its approach, as to salvage these otherwise cliched subjects like love, passion, ambition and self-discovery. Sunny's track is a bit forced.
But for its humour, which compels one to overlook a few flaws here and there, the film also works for its sparkling dialogues. Styling by Neha and Ajopa deserves a special mention; they've done a good job of giving each actor a distinct look, going by their roles in the film.

--

Aseem Seth

Who is Alfred E. Neuman?

Today we delve into the early days of our moronic mascot, Alfred E. Neuman. One day in the 1960s a letter was delivered to the MAD offices bearing no name or address. Other than a postage stamp, the envelope bore only a picture of the magazine's cover boy, Alfred E. Neuman. Clearly, the gap-toothed face of the idiot kid had become iconic. Alfred and MAD, to use an overworked phrase, were joined at the hip. Already the grinning face had shown up in unlikely places: placards of him as a candidate — "You could do worse, you always have!" — were flaunted at political conventions. His features were sculpted in ice at a Dartmouth Winter Carnival. Fred Astaire danced in an Alfred mask during a TV special. A party of climbers planted a Neuman flag atop Mount Everest. Alfred owes his place in history to four men. The first was MAD's first editor, Harvey Kurtzman, who glimpsed the grinning face, captioned "Me worry?" on a postcard in 1954. "It was a kid that didn't have a care in the world, except mischief," Kurtzman recalled. The boy soon made his way into the pages of the magazine, though he was as yet unnamed. Kurtzman had been using the Neuman name mostly because it had the ring of a nonentity — although there was a Hollywood composer named Alfred Newman. Misspelled, with the added "E," it too was integrated into the magazine. When Al Feldstein replaced Kurtzman as editor, he decided to link "Alfred E. Neuman" with the face of the idiot kid. The idiot kid made his official debut in 1956 as a write-in candidate for President on the cover of MAD #30, and the magazine now had an official mascot and cover boy. In the next issue, Alfred made his second cover appearance pictured as an addition to Mount Rushmore. Though others had their doubts, Nick Meglin, then an assistant editor, believed that MAD should continue to use Alfred as the magazine's cover boy. "You'll have to convince me," said publisher Bill Gaines, who had veto power over all MAD covers. Playing up to Gaines' interest in archaeology, Meglin submitted a rough sketch of Alfred in an Egyptian tomb (MAD #32) and one or two others that emerged as cover illustrations later. Having been convinced there were endless possibilities, Gaines agreed that Alfred should reign as the magazine's icon. The Neuman face was created by Norman Mingo. Curiously, none of MAD's artists, though extremely versatile, has been able to render accurately the Mingo prototype. When Mingo died in 1980, his obituary in The New York Times identified him in its headline as the "Illustrator Behind 'Alfred E. Neuman' Face." What is the source of the "What — Me Worry?" Boy? MAD asked its readers to help out and was deluged by suggestions and theories. The kid was used in 1915 to advertise a patent medicine; he was a newspaperman named Old Jack; he was taken from a biology textbook as an example of a person who lacked iodine; he was a testimonial on advertisements for painless dentistry; he was originated by comedian Garry Moore; he was a greeting-card alcoholic named Hooey McManus; he was a Siamese boy named Watmi Worri. One reader dug up a 1909 German calendar bearing a version of the inane smiling face. By far the most pertinent correspondence came from a lawyer representing a Vermont woman named Helen Pratt Stuff. She claimed that her late husband, Harry Stuff, had created the kid in 1914, naming him "The Eternal Optimist." Stuff's copyrighted drawing, she charged, was the source of Alfred E. Neuman and she was taking MAD to court to prove it. Thus began the great Alfred E. Neuman lawsuit. The stakes were not small. If MAD lost, it would be liable for millions of dollars in damages. And Alfred no longer would be permitted to show his worriless countenance in any MAD publication or property... Source: http://www.madmagazine.com/blog/2012/12/19/totally-mad-excerpt-who-is-alfred-e-neuman

The Times Group ­- Where Ideas Get Wings

I am Proud to be a part of The Times Group

Here’s what I suggested to the CEO -

https://twitter.com/aseems/status/173647012368101376

This is what the CEO of TIL Replied –

https://twitter.com/aseems/status/174046517211041792

This is what Happened (after a couple of months…) –

http://www.indiadigitalreview.com/news/times-internet-launches-augmented-reality-app-alive-ios-devices

 Feels Great to be Heard!!!

Thanks @SatyanGajwani! You Rock Sir!

The Five Sheaths of Existence

1. Let’s start from mouth

Mouth + Food = Food Body or Physical Body or Annamaya Kosha. A baby when in womb develops this Body through its mother with the connection of ‘umbilical cord’ and later on when out of womb, the layer upon layer upon layer keeps on coming as the years go by, whatever he or she takes is just through the mouth or if in hospital is feeded by nurses or doctors through the veins. The physical body is composed of gross elements whatever we eat, it affects, builds or destroys our body. We owe this body to mother earth, father sky (ether), and other sisters and brothers: water, fire, wood, air. In a line, this body is made up of gross elements that are decaying.

2. Passages of body + Limbs = Vital body or Pranamaya Kosha. It also grows stronger or weaker in proportion to Food Body and Mental Body. And it grows stronger with clear mind and intellect and with healthy Food Body. Moderate Pranayama and Physical Exercise are good for it.

The Ego is a serpent which has two tongues: “This” and “I”.

3. This + 5 Senses = Mind or Sheath of Mind or Manomaya Kosha. All of its tendencies are outgoing, it is autostart and no auto-stop (it only stops when — a. it is absorbed in the object, b. when we witness it, c. when we seek its source, d. when we control it by watching breaths, e. when our understanding regarding it is deep, f. in deep sleep). By nature it is addictive and intense to addiction: touch, sound, color, taste and smell, these are the 5 senses and it is ‘mad’ for them or for their combination, as they exist outside, it is hard for a beginner to control the mind.

The mind is nothing but the bundle of thoughts made on the objects of 5 senses. It is as transient as the Food Body.

4. I + 5 Senses = Intellect or Sheath of Intellect or Gyanmaya Kosha. It is our CPU, where we store information, process, analyse and reach to a decision. It works according to the stored information, true information makes it shine and false information hangs it just before starting or at the time of processing. The predispositions and beliefs system (tested or untested) are its production and it shapes its reality by them. It feeds on accumulated information and nothing else.

5. The Last Sheath = The mind in sleep (without dream) turns ignorant to it, mind doesn’t know what is happening and so mind is not working. This ignorant state is called — Bliss or Sheath of Bliss or Anandamaya Kosha. Some advice to be in this body to gain pleasure but the sages say that it is just the sheath and nothing else and no wisdom is gained in it.

The above five bodies are mentioned in Upanishads, and each of them is transient, they feed on externalities, self-realization is nothing but to recognise the “Self” (or say, Atman, Brahman, Spirit, or Soul) is not these transient bodies.

Source: http://www.gurutalks.com/five-sheaths/

The Death of a Brand - RIP Indiatimes Mail

Dear Indiatimes Mail users, We wish to inform our Indiatimes.com Email subscribers that Indiatimes.com Email Service ("Service") will be discontinued and shall be permanently shut down with effect from 18th February, 2013 - 12 P.M(Indian Standard Time). You will no longer be able to send or receive mails or access your account for the purpose of reading mail and or transfer any data (i.e. emails, tasks, documents, appointments, and/or contacts) currently saved in your account post 18th February, 2013 - 12 P.M(Indian Standard Time). You can however continue to log in to all Times Internet Limited network sites using your Indiatimes.com id. You are advised to immediately download all your emails/contents/data from your Indiatimes mailbox via IMAP at the earliest before 18th February, 2013 - 12 P.M (Indian Standard Time), failing which Times Internet Limited shall not be responsible and / or liable to provide you the content of your mailbox as the same would stand deleted. You are further notified to immediately change your login credentials on networks where you have provided Indiatimes.com Email as your primary/authentication or alternate id. You are advised to visit our FAQ page or write to us at mailsupport@indiatimes.com anytime till 18th February, 2013 12 PM (Indian Standard Time) for assisting you through the aforementioned processes. Please note that under no circumstances, would Times Internet Limited and its affiliates & group companies & associates, be liable and/or responsible, at any time, for any actual or threatened losses, claims, damages, whether direct, indirect, punitive, incidental, special, consequential damages , including, without limitation for any loss of information, non retrieval or loss of data, business interruption or arising out of the inability of users/subscribers to use Indiatimes.com email services. We would like to thank you for the immense support extended to us, through the years. Warm Regards, Indiatimes Email Customer Services 04th December, 2012

What is Tantra? a simple explanation

Mansi carefully placed her offerings of flower, fruits and sweets on the altar of the Kali temple. Her guru invoked the devi. Once the chanting of mantras was over, Mansi contemplated in meditative silence. In the angry face of Kali, she saw a compassionate mother, ready to hold her hand and walk her through the ups and downs of sadhana. Through her puja, Mansi was able to experience a sublime state of consciousness, and she could find answers to all her questions. With this ritual, she was initiated into tantra, the practice of invoking the Divine Feminine, to experience the para prakriti or the supreme soul of Brahmn.

Tantric texts say that goddess is energy, the force behind Creation. Everything in the universe is an interplay of different cosmic energies. To Vedanta the world is maya, an illusion. Tantra goes a step further to say that yes, the world is God’s play, but it is necessary, so that God can experience His own nature — that the world is real and is an expression of the Lord’s will. Shakti is a way to know the Supreme Being, because she is the reflection of ultimate reality.

Sadashiva says in the Mahanirvan Tantra, “From thee has sprung the entire universe. Whatever there is in this world, of things which have and are without motion, from mahat or intelligence to an atom, owes its origin and are dependent on thee.” The Divine Feminine is the soul of the universe, reflecting ultimate reality. She is gross and subtle, manifest and unmanifest. The goddess changes forms; she becomes Durga, slayer of Mahishasura, she is Mahakali, representing raised kundalini with Shiva lying under her feet. As Tarini, she is the shakti that helps you cross the sea of samsara. As Bhuvneshwari she is the queen of myriad worlds. Mahanirvan Tantra says that it’s through invoking the goddess that a sadhaka can be united with Brahmn. 

Left And Right 

Tantra includes both right and left paths. The right-hand path is that of sublime devotion and surrender to Shakti. The left-hand path defies convention and mixes physical with spiritual.  Some practitioners use tantra rituals for controlling someone with the help of mantras — vashikaran, ucchatan or making life difficult for someone at a particular place, maran or trying to harm someone and mohan or forcing someone to become obsessive. These are common rituals used usually to unsettle rivals or obtain favourable judgements in a court case. Says tantra practitioner Yogi Ashwini: “Most people use these practices to solicit mundane benefits — whereas tantra in its positive connotation is meant to gain siddhis or certain powers to transcend and experience eternal bliss.”

“Tantra means a network of energy. Manipulating energy fields can affect the manifestation of that energy in someone’s life. Some principles of tantra are similar to the theory of probability and possibility,” says writer and tantra practitioner Niladri Moitra. Swami Samarpanananda of the Ramakrishna Mission says, “Ignorance of the general public and abuse by irresponsible practitioners of Vamachara or the left-hand path has made the whole science of tantra suspect.” Further, words like bali (sacrifice) scare people away. If tantra is the path a sadhaka chooses for himself, he has to remember that using the practice to gain material, mundane benefits or to harm others won’t get him anywhere.

Transcend The Mundane

Most of tantra practices have hidden meanings and profound spiritual nuances. For instance, in panch makar sadhana, “Madya means intoxication through awakening of the higher senses and doesn’t just denote getting drunk on wine. Similarly, matasya symbolises ida, pingla and sushumna as they crisscross each other at several points in the body, thereby forming a fish-like pattern. Maithuna refers to the merging of male and female energies. In this process, one partner has to sit atop another so that sexual energy can be harnessed. The concept of bali, too, is different in tantra, meaning to sacrifice something that is your very own. Mudras represent various forces of nature,” says Yogi Ashwini who points out that tantra practices raise the kundalini and ought to be used only for self-protection. Worshipping the Divine Feminine not only energises the sadhaka, it makes him more aware of himself. Through the various rituals, the sadhaka finds control over the self and transcends the mundane to experience bliss. Tantra is not about denial, it doesn’t divide things and practices into pure or impure. The Mahanirvan Tantra explains, “When Brahmn gyan has been acquired, there is no distinction between pure or impure. For to him who knows that Brahmn is in all things and eternal then what is there that can be impure.”

Shakti is there in everything, from the flame of the lamp to the rays of the sun. Energy is everywhere, in different forms, always moving, creating and energising objects in the universe; a sure sign that we, too, should keep moving, doing our duties well and sharing our joy with others on the path.

Source: She Is Everywhere http://bit.ly/QAM1JH

What gives me hope? Get's me High? Read this if you want to know

The mind is neither diseased nor healthy, the mind itself is a disease. To say that the mind is silent at times and not at other times is incorrect. The mind is never silent because mind itself is equal to noise. Some say that the mind becomes ‘mad’ at times, but that is not possible because the mind itself is madness. It will remain chaotic because that is its nature. Therefore, never attempt to silence the mind.

 

Mind can never become silent

 

Silence of the mind is an empty set, a delusion. The mind can become subtle; it can become powerful, but never silent. As long as the mind exists, there will be noise. Silence is not a state of the mind. It is the absence of the mind. It is disassociation from the mind. Transcending the mind alone will bring silence.

 

A renowned Zen monk Rinzai lived in his Guru’s ashram, struggling for years to silence his mind. The mind, being the mind, did not become silent, on the contrary, it became stronger. He attained many psychic powers and his fame spread far and wide but he was not able to silence his mind.

 

Once as he was meditating, his Guru sat down beside him, noisily rubbing a brick against a rock. Thinking that this was a test, he decided to remain unperturbed and steadfast in his effort to meditate. The Guru too, carried on his chore for the whole day. Finally, Rinzai could not bear the noise any longer. He opened his eyes and asked, “What are you doing?” “I am trying to make a mirror out of a brick by polishing it with this stone”, came the prompt reply. Amused, Rinzai stated that it was an impossible task. The Guru responded knowingly, “Just as it is impossible to make a mirror by polishing a brick against a rock, the mind cannot be silenced by fidgeting with it. The brick may become smooth, but never a mirror. Similarly, disciplining it may make the mind subtle, but not silent.” Silence manifests only on leaving the mind, by taking away the controls from the mind.

 

How does one become free from the mind?

 

Transcending the mind is not possible so long as one identifies with it. Therefore, to sever the identification, keep witnessing the drama of the mind. Neither fear the mind, nor fight with it. Neither listen to it, nor try to make it understand you. Just observing the play of the mind will reduce its fluctuations.

 

Do not be influenced by the mind. Do not dance to its tunes. Do not try to stop it. Do not even guide it. Keep watching its manoeuvres. Just observing the vagaries of the mind will reduce its oscillations: Its vacillations will diminish and the mind itself will begin to dissolve.

 

Once you reach a point where you pay no heed to the mind, it will start giving up its unsteadiness. But as long as there is even a speck of hope in the mind that you will pay attention to it and do its bidding, it will attempt to trap you. It will play many tricks in its fight for survival.

 

The mind is cunning

 

Battling the age-old identification with the mind, the aspirant bravely sets out to overcome it. He challenges the mind saying, ‘If you think you can shake me, if that gives you pleasure, then by all means try, but I will remain steadfast in my goal and persevere diligently.’

 

Even after giving this ultimatum to the mind, it will use various ways and means to trap you. When you feel you are truly ready, the mind will lay its trump cards on the table. It will give rise to greed, ‘Oh, you could have gained so much happiness from the world, which you are now giving up – Why are you doing that? The world has such an abundance to offer and you were almost there. Now look where you are heading. Your goal was not very far; you were all set to achieve success. Why turn towards the Pure Self now? All your hard work will be in vain. It’s just a little more effort to actualising all the dreams you have cherished. Don’t stop now,’ and so forth.

 

Alternatively, the mind will create fear, ‘Can you really live without me? Where will you go if I am not with you? Won’t you need me at every step of the way? What if you don’t get what you are looking for? What if you waste this life and don’t achieve success? Why trust the unknown and unfamiliar? What if you have to return empty-handed? What if you are abandoned? Why do you want to make your life difficult and painful? Why are you moving towards your own death?’ and so forth.

 

If you get entrapped in this game of the mind, then your instincts of greed and fear will prompt you to follow it, reducing your strength to work towards liberation. Your thoughts will turn in the direction of continuing to live as you have been living for so long. You will decide against penance and renunciation. Beware, these are the pitfalls of listening to the mind and they will arrest your efforts towards liberation. The mind presents myriad arguments, and if you get convinced by any of them, that spells disaster.

 

Why fret over the insane?

 

Recognise the mind. It is crazy. When you come across a mad man on the road, you may see him prattling to himself or even abusing you. This will cause you to lose your temper or even fight with him only so long as you are unaware of his mental state. The moment you realise he is mad, though you may have proceeded to beat him, you will abandon the attempt with the thought, ‘If he is not aware of what he is doing, there is no point in getting angry.’ Then, even if he praises you, it would not bring joy, as you know he is insane and not aware of what he is speaking. The Wise Ones say that once you recognise the insanity of the mind, you will not listen to it. And once the mind understands that you are not going to listen, then it will let go.

 

You tend to like the mind’s advice, as you do a friend’s, because it will speak about enhancing your happiness and getting rid of unhappiness. With that, the mind will motivate you and present a pretty picture of the future, but this is not the truth. It will try with all its might to delude you. For want of strength, if you stop, that is, listen to the mind and act accordingly, then you will miss the opportunity. But if you can remain strong and refuse to budge, if you can remain uninfluenced you can transcend it.

 

Be a witness

 

You have two choices. Either listen to the mind or just remain a witness. Whether you agree or disagree with the mind, you are still listening to the mind. In either case, you are making your identification with it stronger. Therefore, the mystics do not advice you even to fight with the mind. They only ask you not to pay heed to the mind. Neither guide the mind nor be guided by the mind.

 

If the mind feels that you will soon return to it, that you are gullible and can be induced with greed or fear, it will remain active and not get dissolved. But if you remain steadfast in this practice of witnessing the mind, then the mind will realise that you have broken all relationship with it, and throwing tantrums will not help. Because there is no one to listen to the mind, the mind becomes inactive.

 

A wondrous divine state

 

A sincere aspirant remains steadfast and advances towards transcending the mind. With a firm resolve, he puts in efforts towards this. At first, he tries to understand the mind, by analysing the thoughts and then he only observes the gimmicks of the mind with alertness. He remains apart and unaffected by them. In this way, he progresses in the practice of separating himself from the mind and goes beyond it.

 

Going beyond the mind, one experiences a wondrous state of being. A state where there is the experience of light. A profound silence, an incredible intoxication, unfathomable peace and supreme tranquility  Divinity manifests in the aspirant. The notion of ‘I’ dissolves. The droplet merges with the ocean. Supreme awareness remains

Source: http://bit.ly/PFJsLu 

The Businessman and the Fisherman

An American businessman was at the pier of a small coastal Mexican village when a small boat with just one fisherman docked. Inside the small boat were several large yellowfin tuna. The American complimented the Mexican on the quality of his fish and asked how long it took to catch them. The Mexican replied only a little while. The American then asked why didn't he stay out longer and catch more fish? The Mexican said he had enough to support his family's immediate needs.

The American then asked, but what do you do with the rest of your time?

The Mexican fisherman said, "I sleep late, fish a little, play with my children, take siesta with my wife Maria, stroll into the village each evening where I sip wine and play guitar with my amigos. I have a full and busy life, señor."

The American scoffed, "I am a Wharton MBA and could help you. You should spend more time fishing and with the proceeds, buy a bigger boat. With the proceeds from the bigger boat you could buy several boats. Eventually you would have a fleet of fishing boats. Instead of selling your catch to a middleman you would sell directly to the processor, eventually opening your own cannery. You would control the product, processing and distribution. You would need to leave this small coastal fishing village and move to Mexico City, then LA and eventually NYC where you will run your expanding enterprise."

The Mexican fisherman asked, "But señor, how long will this all take?"

To which the American replied, "15-20 years."

"But what then, señor?"

The American laughed and said, That's the best part. When the time is right you would announce an IPO and sell your company stock to the public and become very rich, you would make millions."

"Millions, señor? Then what?"

The American said, "Then you would retire. Move to a small coastal fishing village where you would sleep late, fish a little, play with your kids, take siesta with your wife, stroll to the village in the evenings where you could sip wine and play your guitar with your amigos."

Source: http://withfriendship.com/jokes/america/american-businessman.php

Lateral Thinking

This puzzle is called Lateral Thinking . Scroll down slowly and be honest to yourself. Think like a wizard . . .   man  1. ------------  board     Ans. = man overboard   Okay, let's see if you've got the hang of it.       stand  2. ------------    i       Ans. = I understand   OK . . .  Got the drift ?   Let's try a few now and see  how you fare ? 3. /r/e/a/d/i/n/ g/   Ans. = reading between the lines   4.   r           road         a          d       Ans. = cross road   Not having a good day now, are you ? Redeem yourself.   5.      cycle           cycle           cycle     Ans. = tricycle   Not easy to figure out ha!           0  6. ------------          M.D.         Ph.D.       Ans. = two degrees below zero   C'mon give it a little thought ! !           knee  7. ------------         light       Ans. = neon light  ( knee - on - light )   U can prove u r smart by getting this one.                         ground  8.                    ------------ ---           feet feet feet feet feet feet         Ans. = six feet underground   Oh no, not again ! !   9.  he's X  himself     Ans. = he's by himself   Now u messing up big time.   10. ecnalg     Ans. = backward glance       Not even close ! !   11. death ..... life       Ans. = life after death   Okay last chance ............ ...... 12. THINK     Ans. = think big ! !   And the last one is real fundoo - - -   13. ababaaabbbbaaaabbbb ababaabbaaabbbb. ..   Ans. =  long time no 'C' ( see )

Read It- and Believe

Wow! I've seen this with the letters out of order, but this is the first time I've seen it with numbers. Good example of a Brain Study: If you can read this OUT LOUD you have a strong mind. And better than that: Alzheimer's is a long, long, way down the road before it ever gets anywhere near you. 7H15 M3554G3 53RV35 7O PR0V3 H0W 0UR M1ND5 C4N D0 4M4Z1NG 7H1NG5! 1MPR3551V3 7H1NG5! 1N 7H3 B3G1NN1NG 17 WA5 H4RD BU7 N0W, 0N 7H15 LIN3 Y0UR M1ND 1S R34D1NG 17 4U70M471C4LLY W17H 0U7 3V3N 7H1NK1NG 4B0U7 17, B3 PROUD! 0NLY C3R741N P30PL3 C4N R3AD 7H15. PL3453 F0RW4RD 1F U C4N R34D 7H15. To my 'selected' strange-minded friends: If you can read the following paragraph, forward it on to your friends and the person that sent it to you with 'yes' in the subject line. Only great minds can read this. This is weird, but interesting! If you can raed this, you have a sgtrane mnid, too. Can you raed this? Olny 55 plepoe out of 100 can. I cdnuolt blveiee that I cluod aulaclty uesdnatnrd what I was rdanieg. The phaonmneal pweor of the hmuan mnid, aoccdrnig to a rscheearch at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it dseno't mtaetr in what oerdr the ltteres in a word are, the olny iproamtnt tihng is that the frsit and last ltteer be in the rghit pclae. The rset can be a taotl mses and you can still raed it whotuit a pboerlm. This is bcuseaethe huamn mnid deos not raed ervey lteter by istlef, but the word as a wlohe. Azanmig huh? Yaeh and I awlyas tghuhot slpeling was ipmorantt!  _,_._,___