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Overcoming Inertia and Passivity

Do you wonder why you are not progressing in every way, and especially spiritually? Do you feel that, no matter how you try to be otherwise, you are a helpless victim of your already formed habits and circumstances? Do you ask yourself at the end of each day whether you have progressed in any way?  Tomorrow should find you better than today.

Very few people are able to use their power of free choice to make themselves what they want to be in life. Most people allow themselves to grow passively in any undirected way, according to their habits or moods. Passive people do not put forth the continued, focused effort necessary for spiritual or material success. The chill of inertia, the failure to make an ongoing effort to progress, is the greatest barrier to success and happiness in life.

How actions of the past and present affect our lives.The soul evolves over many lifetimes. At first, a person sees himself as wholly dependent on whatever happens to him. Like a baby, his personality lacks definition. Gradually, as he develops a stronger sense of self, he decides to participate more actively in the events that concern him directly, and seeks within himself the power to influence those events. His successes and failures over many lifetimes manifest in his current life as distinct karmic tendencies.

If a person’s past success tendencies and current efforts to succeed are weak, his chances of financial success in this life are also weak; in fact, they are almost negligible. However, if a person’s success tendency from the past is strong, even though his present life is marked by inactivity and inertia, he will be born into a wealthy family or suddenly inherit a fortune. On the other hand, those who became indifferent to their wealth in the past may be reborn into a life of poverty and struggle, only to acquire great wealth by a so-called stroke of luck, perhaps a sudden inheritance.

Not surprisingly, the person with a strong prosperity consciousness from the past who makes a strenuous effort to earn money in this life, succeeds in all his ventures. Usually he has unfailing business judgment and seldom makes a losing investment. By contrast, the person with a poverty tendency from previous lifetimes has to struggle uphill to succeed, but his efforts will not be in vain. He will either become prosperous late in life or his next incarnation will be dominated by success.

The devotee must avoid complacencyEvery devotee needs to be aware that both good and bad karmic tendencies (habits) dwell in the kingdom of his consciousness. Devotees who have driven away the forces of restlessness through powerful acts of daily concentration, sometimes become complacent, and refrain from combating mental inertia by ongoing attempts to meditate deeply.

When the devotee, through introspection, beholds the invading hordes of evil tendencies advancing to steal his inner peace, he must act as a spiritual general. To defeat the marauding armies of evil inclinations, he must immediately reinforce his good qualities, the protecting soldiers of his many good tendencies. If instead, the devotee, through inertia, fails to fight the evil inclinations that draw him toward temptation, he will find himself mocked by his own evil habits.

A person must be strong-willed to drive away the mind-paralyzing fears that would destroy his inner peace. Falsely they proclaim that the life of the Spirit holds no potential for peace or happiness.  When tempted to sue for peace at any cost, let the devotee reflect that should the evil pretender win, the first to be banished from the kingdom would be peace and contentment. Thereafter the kingdom would be ruled by chaos. Only if divine love and virtue are victorious will peace and contentment prevail.

Neutrality is worse than negativityDuring any period of vacillation, the sincere devotee listens to the voice of the Infinite within and is intuitively instructed by Spirit. By meditation, the voice of the Infinite becomes more and more tangible. That inner voice says: “Forsake all attachment to the senses, use your power of will to relinquish all unmanly qualities, and refrain from doing anything which goes against the true nature of the soul.”

The word “unmanly” signifies anything which is unbecoming to the positive aspect of the soul. Sense-attachment is unmanly because it tries to appease the soul with evanescent sense-pleasures in preference to lasting soul happiness. It is also unmanly to be negative. In a negative state of mind, the devotee loses sight of the positive nature of the soul, and its dedication to his highest good. Being neutral is worse than being negative. In the negative state, the devotee is afraid to forsake sense-attachments. In the neutral state, however, the devotee has neither attachment to God nor to the senses and loses all power of transcendence.

It requires some mental activity even to be negative, but in neutrality of mind the devotee becomes incapable of any activity, whether good or bad. With unmistakable clarity, the soul warns the devotee about falling into a state of spiritual inertia, in which the desire for good or evil uniformly vanishes.

How to attune to the divine willPassive people want God to do all of the work. They do not use the power of God within them.  In order to succeed, in the early morning and before going to bed, every man or woman interested in material or spiritual prosperity must meditate and make positive contact with God.  Using their full powers of concentration, they should ask God to direct their focused minds to the right understanding and actions for the right kind of success.

Passive people think that by the virtue of prayer alone, God will grant their wishes. This is not true. You must also exercise your will power and through daily meditation strive to attune your will with the Divine Will. This is the way to develop your will: Before you will to do a thing, reason as to what you should do. Make sure that you are directing your will toward accomplishing something good and helpful to you. When your will revolves continuously around an appropriate course of action, it becomes dynamic will. All great saints and masters possess this kind of dynamic will power.

Behind your will is the will of God. God will help you if you first help yourself. Whatever you have done in this life or in past lives can be undone. If a particular karma is strong, it can at least be modified.The key to victory over karma is will power, held in conscious attunement with the Supreme Power through meditation. First use your creative ability to gain success in every worthwhile project that you undertake, making proper use of all your God-given powers. Then pray to Him to help you to bring your efforts to a successful conclusion.

Reborn with the same tendenciesNo matter how many times an individual finds himself, in spite of strong mental resolutions, succumbing to the temptations of sensuality, greed, anger, or egotism, he  should not give up his continuous daily attempts to fight these invading evils. To remain in a state of inertia is to be a prisoner of evil in this life and hereafter. But anyone who continuously struggles against evil tendencies every day in his life, and fails to completely conquer them, will be reborn as a person of great self-control. In other words, all souls who resist failure to the end are reborn as individuals destined for success.

However, anyone who after making no effort to overcome temptations, dies with the thought of being vanquished, through the law of cause and effect, is reborn with the same tendency of failure. For this reason alone, no individual should remain in a state of passivity or inertia when confronted with difficulties, but should bring into proper use all of his God-given powers and  should, if necessary, die struggling. YOGANANDA

Just Live Your Life !

I am a buddha.

I was in Nagpur speaking in a Buddhist conference.

I am not a Buddhist ... only Buddhists were invited to speak; I was the only one who was not a Buddhist.

The president of the conference,
Bhadant Anand Kausalyayan, was a little puzzled.

I was just sitting next to him. He whispered in my ear, ”Have you become a Buddhist?”
I said, ”I don’t need to be a Buddhist.”
He said, ”Then why are you here in a Buddhist conference?”

I said, ”Because I am a buddha.”

He said, ”My God. Then you should be presiding.”
I said, ”That’s true.
Come down.

You are only a Buddhist.

And I have just come by the way after twenty-five centuries, to see how things are going.”
But he could not absorb the shock of my saying that I am the buddha.

In the night he came to meet me in the house of a friend, where I was staying. He was a common friend; he was his friend also.

And he said, ”I had to come, because since the morning I have not been able to drop the idea that a man can say with such authority that he is the buddha.

I have been a Buddhist for fifty years, and I don’t have the guts to say that I am a buddha; I am still a Buddhist, trying to follow the principles of Buddha.

And you don’t seem to follow any principles at all.”
I said, ”Those principles are for Buddhists.

Buddhas make principles, they don’t follow them.

And I can say it with authority because Gautam Buddha himself has said that he will be coming after twenty-five centuries.

Do you think he was lying?”
He said, ”No, I cannot think that way.”
”Do you think he will come exactly in the same body?

That body you have burned. Do you think he will be born as a prince? – because now there are no kings. Where are you going to find a beautiful woman like Yashodhara for him to marry?”

He said, ”My God, in all these details ... naturally they cannot be repeated, because to repeat all those details means to bring that whole century – the kingdoms, the people ... because a single man is not an island, he is connected.”

Now Buddha was the son of a king, Shuddhodhana.

I said, ”First you will have to find
Shuddhodhana, and what about Shuddhodhana’s father?

It is going to be difficult. You will have to find Yashodhara.
What about Yashodhara’s father?
”You will have to manage a son to be born, and on the night the son is born Buddha has to be exactly twenty-nine years old and he has to escape in a golden chariot.

Where are you going to find these things?
You can do it in a drama, but in reality ...

Trust me, I am the buddha – this time born to a different father, this time no Yashodhara, because last time it was enough.

One has to learn from experience. This time no children, I cannot tolerate them; they are the nastiest people in the world.”

He said, ”My God. You have made the thing such that one wants to feel that perhaps you are the Buddha.”

I said, ”It is not a question of feeling.
I don’t depend on your feeling.

I am the buddha, whether you feel it or not.

There were many fools like you in Buddha’s time who never accepted him as the buddha, the enlightened, the awakened.

It is up to you to be wise or to be a fool.

OshO ❤
CHAPTER 24. AROUND ME... SOMETHING HAPPENS
The Osho Upanishad

Feel Happier Right Now ! By Jessica Blanchard

“Start where you are. Use what you have. Do what you can.” ~Arthur Ashe

You dream of a life where you have more freedom—your work nourishes your mind and soul, your home is organized, and you have ample time to exercise and eat right.

It’s not that your current situation is awful, but you long to do more of the things you love. Yet when you contemplate radical changes, your heart rate quickens, and you convince yourself it’s just not the right time.

So you keep waiting for the big moment when you can make that big change that will lead to happiness.

Well, you’re wasting your time …

Our ability to feel happier comes from inside ourselves, not from external circumstances. You don’t need to quit your job, move to an exotic location, or lose weight to be happy. You can embody happiness right now.

I have to catch myself and find my happiness from within again. It might take a few minutes, hours, or days, but I use these mini-habits to help me get there. They cost little to nothing and are portable.

No matter your situation, you can start right now. The following habits will help you stand a little taller, smile from your heart, and shine a little brighter.

For Your Mind

1. Breathe deeply.

Inhale deeply, and exhale completely ten times. Deep breathing slows your thoughts, relaxes your nervous system, and brings you closer to your own intuition.

2. Use a mantra to change your mind-set.

Sha is a Sanskrit root word meaning peace, as in “shanti.” Say “sham” slowly ten to twenty times. By combining sound, breath, and rhythm, mantra channels the flow of energy through the mind-body circuit and calms your nervous system and mind.

3. Express your love.

Write a note or tell a loved one how you appreciate them.  Communicating positive emotion slowers stress hormones, bad cholesterol, and blood pressure, and it strengthens immunity.

4. Rejuvenate your mind.

Close your eyes for a few moments. What do you see in the darkness of your mind’s eye? Notice the patterns that form.  This is a simple meditation that rejuvenates and refocuses your tired mind.

5. Explore healing aromas.

Plants like rosemary, lavender, and sage can improve our moods. Create your own natural spa. Put your favorite essential oils in a spray bottle with a little water.

6. Swap a thought.

Make a list of your positive traits and attributes. When you criticize yourself, refer to this list. Keep this pattern up and you’ll transform your inner dialogue.

7. Allow yourself to be.

Accept all your feelings about your present situation. They are valid, whether you like them or not. Accepting your current situation is the first step to feeling happier.

8. Declutter one spot.

Declutter one surface or area. Starting small is easier. But when your home and workspace are clear from clutter, your mind feels more spacious.

For Your Body

9. Lighten up.

Once a day, laugh at yourself. When you make a mistake, see the humor in your error. Laughing isgreat medicine, it improves your mood, and it relieves stress and tension.

10. Stretch your body.

Sitting in a chair? Push away from your desk. Inhale, and as you exhale, bend forward, moving your ribs toward your thighs. Breathe deeply. Get out of your mind and into your body and the present moment.

11. Give yourself a massage.

Use coconut oil or sesame oil on your skin, massage it on your whole body, and then take a warm shower to help your skin absorb the oil. This is a home spa treatment that is used all over India. Touch is calming, and you can reap its benefits without buying expensive massages.

12. Take a bath.

Relax and enjoy the simple pleasure of a warm bath. Light some candles, and put on your favorite music.  Soothe your body with this simple ritual. Why dream about getting away when you can create a calming environment in your home?

13. Place your palms over your eyelids.

This relaxes your eyes and mind. This is especially helpful if you have a headache or feel fatigued.

14. Practice Yoga Nidra (Yogic Sleep).

Take ten minutes to relax your whole body completely and then each part of your body in turn. This magical practice is as efficient as taking a longer nap.

15. Eat with complete attention. 

Put away all your screens. Savor your meal by noticing all its tastes and textures. You’ll improve your digestion and feel more relaxed as a result.

16. Move every day.

Even if you have very little time. You only need five minutes to stretch or walk outside. Building a little movement into your day is better for your health than one longer weekly workout.

17. Hug someone or something. 

Like your friend, pet, or even yourself. Soothing touch is relaxing and calming.

For Your Spirit

18. Make a mini-gratitude list.

What are three things from the past twenty-four hours that can go on your list? Making gratitude a permanent trait is proven to make us happier, healthier, and live longer.

19. Give thanks for your meals.

Saying thanks for having enough will remind you of how much you have. Remember that eight million people don’t have enough food to lead a healthy, active life.

20. Spend time with friends.

Socializing is a secret of the world’s longest-lived people. Set a weekly meeting. Go for a walk, drink tea, or simply enjoy each others’ presence.

21. Listen.

When people talk, listen to them. Be 100 percent present with your company, and you’ll get their appreciation in return.

22. Love your furry friends.

They can be our best friends and show undying loyalty. Spending time petting a dog can improve your mood and even strengthen your heart.

23. Find a beautiful natural thing around you.

Pick a flower, leaf, twig, or fruit. Remind yourself of all the natural wonders that surround you right now. It’s easy to overlook the beauty in the present moment.

24. Take a mini-vacation.

Once a week, I take my toddler and dog to the park for a picnic lunch. We relax and listen to the birds. Leave your busy life for a few moments to be with loved ones who are crucial to your happiness.

25. Give a little bit.

Carry canned food for people asking for food.  Make eye contact. Recognize the common human spirit in every person you meet, right in your neighborhood.

The Secret That Holds The Key To Your Happiness

Your happiness isn’t dependent on where you live, how much you weigh, or what you do for work. The key to happiness is appreciating what you have at this moment. Sure, we all want to make changes sometimes. But one change, no matter how big, is unlikely to transform misery into elation.

Small things that help you appreciate yourself, your loved ones, and the world around you will add up to big changes in your mind-set.

Pick a couple practices from each category. Write them down. Post them on your mirror so that you remind yourself each morning.

Schedule the activities in your calendar.  Even if they take five minutes, this daily reminder will prompt your memory.

And don’t forget to inhale the sweet fragrance of the jasmine that is blooming right under your nose.

Ahh, doesn’t it smell delicious?

Time & Karma

Aloneness and silence

Aloneness and silence are two aspects of one experience, two sides of the same coin. If one wants to experience silence one has to go into one´s total aloneness. It is there.

We are born alone, we die alone. Between these two realities we create a thousand and one illusions of being together - all kinds of relationships, friends and enemies, loves and hates, nations, races, religions. We create all kinds of hallucinations just to avoid one fact: that we are alone. But whatsoever we do, the truth cannot be changed. It is so, and rather than trying to escape from it, the best way is to rejoice in it.

Rejoicing in your own aloneness is what meditation is all about. The meditator is one who dives deep into one´s aloneness, knowing that we are born alone, we will be dying alone, and deep down we are living alone. So why not experience what this aloneness is? It is our very nature, our very being.

Osho
The Sound of One Hand Clapping, Talk #14