Some thoughts

Here are some thoughts that came out of the discussions between me and the preceptor(s). We all know this, but sometimes, writing down our thoughts gives a kind of re-enforcement to them. So, here they are:
1. Let go the past. It’s gone, and not going to return. Whining about the things that happened in past is not going to help you in any way.
2. Quit complaining about people and their deeds. No one is perfect, including you.
3. If something (or someone) does not affect your life, then probably it is none of your business.
4. If you want the peace of mind, you should be at peace with yourself. And for that, you should be at peace with the people in your life, and people around you.
5. Different people act in different ways in different situations. So, if someone was not nice to you today, maybe it wasn’t his/her day. So, labeling him/her as a meanie based on one instance would be unfair.
6. Never say bad things about people (even if they are true). You will not gain anything by that. In fact it will create bad impression about you.
7. Never hold a grudge about anyone, even if he/she has been ‘not nice’ to you. A ‘grudge’ is a negative emotion, and will only hurt you in the end. If you really dislike someone, avoid him/her, or stop dealing with him/her.
8. You cannot probably change your destiny, even if, by some magic, you find it out.
9. Stop worrying about things that are not in your hands. Think about things that are in your hands, and are under your control.
10. Always do good Karma. Even if you won’t get anything out of it, at the least, you will feel happy about it.
11. Put a positive thought, and positive things will happen.
12. Things don’t happen by themselves. There is a definite ‘cause and effect’ relationship behind everything.
13. Be good to others. Do good to others, as much as you can. You don’t have to go out of your way, in order to be nice, but, in your own ways and means, try to be as good to others as possible.
14. It is nice to be important, but it is more important to be nice.
15. If you think you are suffering "because of someone's deeds", do not keep blaming him/her. He/she didn't probably plan it this way.
16. At the end of the day, cleanse your mind off all the negative emotions(hatred, worry, grudge etc), so that you will start the next day with a clear, fresh mind.
17. Take the people by their face value, for what they are. Do not treat them by prejudice.
18. Do not belittle anyone. You have no right to do so, whoever you yourself are.
19. Do not let your ego take over you.
20. Do not keep telling people about your miseries and sorrows. People are not interested in that.
21. Do not expect people to do things 'for you', by themselves. People are not going to guess what's on your mind.
22. You cannot probably control the way other people think or feel.
23. You will be a lot peaceful, if you get rid of 3 things from your mind: Ego, Expectations and Prejudice.

The beginnings

As a first step, I got in touch with a preceptor, or a guru. He was not a 'Sadhu' or anything like that. He was just a simple software engineer, like me.... nice guy. He asked me to take 3 sittings with him, on 3 successive days. During the 3 sittings, he explained me the process/technique of meditation, and the philosophy behind it.
My experience was that, after each session, I felt very light-headed, fresh, and lively. This was a very new experience for me. I shared it with my preceptor. He mentioned that it was a good sign.

How I got into Meditation ?

I have a bunch of friends (from different circles), who often talk about spirituality, Meditation etc. I used to feel that I am too young to think about these things. I have a friend couple, who, both of them are into Meditation. After having long discussions with them (in person as well as via emails/chat), I realized that, these guys know a lot more that I do, about life in general. They have a definite perception of so many things in life, that I could not have even thought of.
While I was discussing these things with friends, I was also reading about different meditation philosophies and techniques. After doing a considerable and careful study, I realized that:
- Purpose (or goal) of all the techniques is the same: to reduce (and eventually, get rid of) the thoughts that pass thru our mind, and experience the inner peace.
- Philosophies might be different on surface, but underlying principle is the same: to bring out the best in you, and become a good person.

Different people can have different goals, as far as spirituality is concerned (merging with the ultimate/God/Master etc). My goal for turning to meditation was (and is) simple: to achieve peace of mind, to stop worrying, to become a good person, and to (be able to) enjoy life.

My enlightened friend told me that these are just the by-products of the meditation, which you will get anyways. Of course, no harm done by having these goals.

So, I chose the meditation path named 'Sahaj Marg' or 'Easy Path'. Since I do not intend to promote it, I shall not go into the details of it. More info can be found at srcm.org .

In the next posting, I shall mention about my meditation commencement and practice.