TALENT AND OPPORTUNITY

Most of us enjoy the IPL season and the matches! Time to enjoy the daily fix of nail-biting excitement. Time also to take a leaf out of the book of one of the biggest stars of the IPL. The man they call AB de Villiers!

There is an interesting little story that AB shares in his autobiography, which holds a valuable lesson for leaders. Even if you are not a cricket fan, it's a story you must hear. A story of two men. De Villiers. And French.

AB says there were several people who had a hand in his development as a cricketer. His parents, his coaches, and senior cricketers notably Graeme Smith, Jacques Kallis and Mark Boucher - all of whom had a strong influence on AB. And there was one other name in that list, not quite as well known. Francois Geldenhuys. The man they called 'French'. AB says that French was the guy who backed him when he was most in need. The man who had a pivotal influence on AB's life and career. So what exactly did French do?

Flashback then to the year 2000. French was captain of the North Transvaal team in a local inter-school tournament. AB was in that team, and the coach had put him down to bat at No. 7. French spoke to the coach and said AB should be given a chance to open the innings. The coach agreed, even if somewhat reluctantly. AB grabbed the opportunity with both hands, and scored a century. That hundred resulted in AB getting picked in the South Africa Colts team. In addition, he then got picked for the South Africa schools team a year later, and so on. And on.

This begs the question. Would AB have made that kind of progress had French not spoken up? What might have happened had AB been left to languish down the order? We will never know.

However, as AB himself says, what we do know is that there are several exceptionally talented sportsmen and women out there who never get to realize their full potential, who languishes in obscurity simply because they don't get a chance to show off their skills and capabilities. AB got his chance, because someone spoke up. And that made all the difference.

That's true for sport. And for business and life too. For every rising star, we hear of in the corporate world, there are several others - equally talented, as capable - who unfortunately don't get a chance to prove their worth. Success is not just about talent. It's about talent and opportunity. When talent meets opportunity, history gets made.

If you think about it, you will see that your own success, your achievements in life, is thanks to a mentor or a boss who took a chance on you and gave you a break. A break that allowed you to show what you were really all about. Maybe they made you a General Manager - even when there were other more experienced candidates, and people were saying you were not ready for it. Or perhaps someone promoted you out-of-turn to Vice President to head a function or business, which you then rapidly grew. So even as you take pride in your talents and your achievements, take a moment to thank the men and women who gave you that opportunity. 

Now it is your turn to return the favor. Take a bet on raw talent. Bet on unripe fruit.

If you are a team leader secretly wishing you had an AB de Villiers in your team, you need to pause and think. Maybe there is already an AB in the team - but he or she hasn't got an opportunity to show what he or she is capable of! Give him or her a chance, please. Don't focus only on your established stars. Give talent an opportunity.

As a leader - and star performer - you might wish you were an AB de Villiers: scoring runs, dazzling fans and winning games. But really, you owe it to yourself to be a French. Become the kind of person who gives the young ABs in the team the opportunities to show their mettle. 

As you sit back and watch an IPL game on your TV screen, enjoy the fireworks from

A B De Villiers. Nevertheless, spare a thought for French too. He made a difference. He gave talent an opportunity. 

You should, too… 

Have a great day!

Be blissful.

S.Sekar

Contact: sekrajc@yahoo.com

Abundant Moment of Happiness

Festivity is an integral part of our culture and tradition of this soil. It is a powerful way to program the collective sub-conscious for abundance.

Many of our loved ones are not happy people yet. How to feel on “Top of the world” when you are surrounded by people who are in an emotional abyss? We wish for a happy world, but our collective emotional maturity is far from it. These festivals bring in togetherness to create this abundance, happiness and peace.

The questions is should we do this only during festival times? Why not this be the way of our living? We may not succeed in creating a life of “Eternal Bliss” for our loved ones, but we can always create endless happy moments for them. Well what to do then?

• How about giving a surprise gift when there is no occasion that demands it?
• How about at least one hand written letter to different people expressing your love and gratitude for the role they have played in making you what you are?
• How about “just like that” phone calls to a friend to let him or her know why you cherish your relationship with him or her?
• How about a sudden visit to surprise someone, as a gesture of love?

Resolve to create at least one happy moment for at least one person, every day in your life. We will end up with festivity every day. Wake up with a sense of purpose to create a happy moment for someone today and every day. I know it is difficult to keep people happy, but is very easy to make people happy.

Momentary happiness and moments of happiness are the easiest gifts we can give our loved ones. So let us make a lifetime commitment to endeavor to create happy moments for people.

“I will get everything I want from life when I help enough other people get what they want from life” being one of the laws of life. By creating happy moments for others, your happiness becomes a natural by-product.

Till you become happy I will create enough happy moments for you – resolve today.

Wishing you Most and more

Have a wonderful day

Be blissful.

S.Sekar

Contact: sekrajc@yahoo.com

Think “For" never “Against"

Greetings!

• Lord Krishna asked Arujna to fight for righteousness and not against Kauravas. 
• Mahatma Gandhi did not think against British, but only for Indian independence. 
• Even those who crucified him, Jesus did not think against.

By the very design of Existence, there is no spiritual help for thought processes that are “against” anything or anyone, and all spiritual assistance is available only to the thought processes that are “For” anything or anyone.

So think for yourself and never against the competition.

PLAY TO WIN AND NOT TO DEFEAT.

MODERN GAMES ARE WON IN THE MIND EVEN BEFORE THE ACTUAL GAME BEGINS.  Another living example in the contemporary world is Usain Bolt of Jamaica. He won in Athletics events in all the Olympics that he participated. Bolt is the only sprinter to win Olympic 100 m and 200 m titles at three consecutive Olympics (2008, 2012 and 2016), a feat referred to as the "triple double."He was “For” winning and you can see his famous posture, which will motivate every one.

Wishing you most and more

Have a great day and a wonderful weekend.

Be blissful.

S.Sekar

Contact: sekrajc@yahoo.com

Mobile: +91 9566024721

Working Together Works – Aligning Capabilities

WHY YOU DO WHAT YOU DO?

Valmiki after completing the writing of the great epic Ramayana, showed it to Sita and she loved it. He showed it to his wife and she praised it. Then he showed it to Narada, the sage who keeps travelling between heaven and earth, but he was not impressed,” It is good, by Hanuman’s is better,” he said. 

“That monkey has written the Ramayana too”. Valmiki did not like this at all, and he wondered whose Ramayana was better, So he set out to find Hanuman. 

Narada directed him to the Kadali-vana, the groove of plantains , not far from Ayodhya, that Hanuman frequented. There, on seven broad leaves of the banana tree, Valmiki found inscribed Hanuman’s Ramayana. He read it and found it to be perfect. The most exquisite choice of grammar and vocabulary, meter and melody. Valmiki could not help himself. He started to cry. 

“Is it so bad?” asked Hanuman.

“No, it is so good, “said Valmiki

“Why then are you crying?” asked Hanuman. 

“Because,’ replied Valmiki, “after reading, Hanuman’s Ramayana no one will read Valmiki’s Ramayana.” Hearing this, Hanuman simply tore up the seven banana leaves on which he had inscribed his telling of Ram’s tale. “What you have done?” screamed Valmiki, watching Hanuman cast the pieces into the wind. “Now no one will read Hanuman’s Ramayana”. 

Hanuman Said, “You need your Ramayana more than I need mine. You wrote Ramayana so that the world remembers Valmiki; I wrote my Ramayana so that I remember Ram”. 

• At that moment, Valmiki realized how he had been consumed by the desire for validation through his work. 
• He had not used the work to liberate himself from the fear of invalidation.
• He had not appreciated the essence of Ram’s tale to unknot his mind. 
• His Ramayana was a product of ambition,. 
• Hanuman’s Ramayana was a product of affection. 
• That is why Hanuman’s Ramayana sounded so much better. 

Valmiki fell at the Hanuman’s feet and said, “Just as the flesh distracts us from the mind, so do words distract us from the idea. Now I realize that greater than Ram is the idea of Ram.

Valmiki wrote Ramayana to achieve fame and status, whereas Hanuman wrote Ramayana to find Rama! The intent matters!

Wishing you most & more 

Have a wonderful day & great weekend

Be Blissful.

S.SEKAR

Contact: sekrajc@yahoo.com

WINDING UP VERSES OF BHAGAVAD GITA

Lord Krishna concluded his entire teaching with the 66^th Sloka of Chapter 18 of Bhagavad Gita. In verses, 65 and 66 Krishna gives a summary of the BG. He has summarized the sadana of Karma yoga in 65^th verse and the sadana of Gnana yoga in the 66^th verse. Gnana yoga is doing Saranagadhi as per lord Krishna. It is a total internal change or attitudinal change in a person earned by Knowledge of ‘Atma’ by doing Shravanam, Mananam and Nidhithyasanam. Understanding brings about a change in his attitude, change about the world and himself. This attitude is called Saranagadhi. This is an internal change in oneself. His values will continue and all his duties will continue depending up on his Ashrama Viz., Grihastrashrama, Sanyasashrama etc. There will be no change in his external lifestyle. The difference is only in his internal lifestyle borne out of knowledge of the Self ‘Atma’, gained by him through Gnana yoga. Before gaining knowledge, I looked upon Body, mind as owned by myself. Ahankara and mamakara (It is I and it is mine) were playing inside me. There was ownership and controllership of my Family, possession and so on. It is the ownership and controllership, which is silently changed in my mind by gaining Self-knowledge. By gaining Self-knowledge, I remove my doer ship. Upanishads say through Self-knowledge alone liberation or Moksha is possible.

The winding up slokas of Bhagavad Gita are from verse 67 to verse 78. Four qualifications are required for anyone for the study of Gita. They are Tapas (disciplined life), Bhakti (reverence towards acharya, desire to learn Gita and appreciation of the validity of his teaching), Shisrusha (doing service to learn from a Guru) and Anasuya (a non-judgmental mind). Whoever is propagating the teachings of Gita is doing the greatest service to Krishna Bhagavan.

Krishna wanted to solve the spiritual problem of Samsara caused by Raga, Moga and Soga. Attachment to people (Bhisma and Drona) and grief caused by death etc. are emotional problems. Emotional dependence is the fundamental problem of Samsara. Gita is an attempt to solve both ethical and spiritual problem of Arjuna. Arjuna was under delusion (should I fight or not) in the Kurushetra war. Krishna asks Arjuna “did the delusion gone out of your ignorance?” Through his teaching Krishna removed the delusion regarding Dharma. Delusion caused by ignorance regarding dharma is gone after hearing the teaching of Lord Krishna. Gita teaches us how to live in the world. We have to change our attitude and see Eswara everywhere and in everything (11^th Chapter). We have to see the world as the very Bhagavan’s body.

An attempt to follow the teachings of Gita to the extent possible by a person makes his family a harmonious one without any fight. Also World will be a place of harmony. For a Kshatriya, fighting a dharma yudham is Swadharma (rights). Gita says remember your responsibility and your rights. With this Sanjaya’s remarks is also over. BG teaches us the Art of Living. Essence of Gita is Liberation through Self-knowledge.

Be blissful.

S.Sekar, Contact: sekrajc@yahoo.com

ASHTANGA YOGA

In His Kapila avatara, Lord Narayana explains the concepts of Prakriti, Purusha and Iswara.

Purusha is the jiva. Purusha is present in every body. Purusha is neither created nor destroyed. Twenty-four tattvas constitute Prakriti. The five elements – water, air, ether, earth and fire; five tanmantras – sabdha (sound), sparsa (touch), rupa (form), rasa (taste) and gandha (smell); moola prakriti – manas (mind), ahamkaram (ego), mahath (unknowable) and avyakta (unseeable); karmendriyas and jnanendriyas – all of these constitute prakriti. So we have a total of 24 tattvas that constitute prakriti.

Devahuthi wants to know what is meant by atma. Kapila replies that atma is different from Prakriti. He says to get out of the cycle of birth and deaths one must have tatva jnana, vairagya, tapas and Bhakti. He then explains what Bhakti yoga is. Bhakti yoga leads to atma jnana. He elaborates on ashtanga yoga, which is a part of Bhakti yoga. As the name implies, ashtanga yoga has eight components – yama, niyama, asana, pranayama, Pratyahara, dharana, dhyana and Samadhi.

Yama includes ahimsa, honesty, not stealing, Brahmacharya vrata, not killing, patience and silence. Niyama includes bathing, japa, deva puja and pilgrimages. Asana involves sitting on darbha grass and doing asanas like Sukhasana and Padmasana. Pranayama has three components – pooraga, kumbaga and rechaga. Pooraga is inhaling through one nostril; kumbaga is keeping the air inside for a few seconds and rechaga is slow exhalation.

If one does these three, the body and mind will be pure.    

Pratyahara – it means withdrawal of the senses from external objects. It is retrieving and bringing back my own mind from involuntary thoughts. I am the original owner of the mind. I want to make sure that I continue to own my mind. Otherwise, involuntary thoughts will come again. They are powerful internal enemy. To make sure that I continue to be the owner I give a job to my mind for 5 to 10 minutes. Best job is to chant mentally whatever prayer you know with awareness. You should be aware of every word and need not think of the meaning now.

Dharana – It is where attention is turned inwards for concentration.

Dhyanam – It is the attention span. Mind, which has got converging power. Thoughts must continue in the same field.

Samadhi – This is the depth of attention. It measures how deep my attention is. If I can have Samadhi, it means my mind is totally absorbed in the field I have chosen (say 10 minutes). If I get totally absorbed I  forget my surroundings  (I can’t hear, smell or taste anything)  and I am ignorant of the world. It is called Savikalpa Samadhi. I also forget myself. This is Nirvikalpa Samadhi, which means total absorption. 

 I take a Sankalpa that I will lead an alert life. I want to make sure involuntary thoughts do not kidnap my mind. By doing yoga I will spend time to find out where my mind is and become alert. Be mindful in your day-to-day life. Whenever you do any action, make sure that these actions are done consciously. Two-fold advantage is there. The efficiency will increase when the actions are done deliberately. In addition, mistakes will be less. When actions are mechanical, involuntary thoughts will proliferate. We will win our war against the most powerful involuntary thoughts.

Krishna calls all conscious actions as Satvic actions. Mechanical chanting is rajasa karma. Make your actions conscious and deliberate and you will do it properly. Have a prayer, learn some sloka and chant consciously. It should not be a mechanical chanting of sloka. Then only involuntary thoughts can be removed. Doing Astanga yoga is like winning the property disputes after several years. It is a longer war after which I get back my property by my own mind (Dharma, Artha, Kama, and Moksha).

All emotional problems are because of mechanical life. Prayers are done mechanically. Temple visits are made mechanically. Pooja is done mechanically. You will not get results. Do it consciously and be aware of chanting the sloka.

Yama and Niyama is a set of rules given in the form of Ten Commandments of Hinduism. They are the ten values to be observed if you are a serious spiritual seeker.

Anything done in life with awareness, comfort – these generate joy …elimination of the undesirables. Enhance your effectiveness and be successful in life.

Be Blissful.

S.Sekar

Contact: sekrajc@yahoo.com

LIVING A LIFE OF HARMONY AND POISE

We are living in an age of confusion and tension, both external and internal. We tend to feel persecuted by external challenges and so we feel unhappy. Ancient rishis advised man to live in harmony with all situations in life and steadily work to meet them with discretion and constant application. When we live thus for a period of time, a subjective poise develops that gives us inward peace and tranquility, which thereafter remains unaffected by external threats and onslaughts.

In the outer world of bitter competition and strife, each one of us is compelled to battle constantly with situations and people. Deep within ourselves also, we have become helpless slaves to our own uncontrollable desires and undisciplined thoughts. Modern man is torn asunder between two forces: objective tensions and subjective confusions.

We are bound to face external threats and challenges time and again; none can escape them. Hence, the success and joy in one’s life is measured by the extent of control one has over inner subjective confusions. In our experiences in life, we sometimes fall into detestable and distressing environments and circumstances that provoke and enrage us, and we despair for a solution. Such protests and indignation weaken our inner personality. Instead of braving challenges, we render ourselves ineffective by allowing external challenges to crush and consume us.

After carefully analyzing human weaknesses, religious masters advise us to grow in strength and gain mastery over situations by living in harmony with them. A life of harmony can be lived by rising above our limited, egocentric view of things and happenings and expanding our mind to accommodate a constant awareness of the totality of the world, the entirety of the humankind, and the vastness of universal problems.

When you view problems from a purely egocentric and individual angle, these problems assume exaggerated and enormous proportions and so can easily crush you. Such a person is like a musician in an orchestra who chooses to play on his own without falling in line with the general rhythm and melody of the orchestra.

To live a life of harmony is to recognize oneself as a member of all humanity, living in a composite universe, thereby bringing about a melody of harmonious existence from moment to moment. The harmony envisioned by spiritual masters is attunement with the dynamic silence that is the architect of all creation. Expand to realise that “all is the divine self”. Try to find accommodation for everyone in your compassion and in your love for the world around you. Recognize that all things are creations of the divine Self; then recognize that all things are only the divine Self in various forms. As such they are all ‘moving temples’ of the supreme. Therefore, the Supreme Power alone exists.

Ultimately, when the experience is gained that the “Self-in-Me” is the “Self-everywhere”, only then is there total liberation from bondage of the mortal. There is nothing superior to the experience of Oneness in everything; this is the highest experience.

A life of harmony with a wider view of the cosmos brings to our heart an inward peace and poise before which problems and challenges vanish like mist before the rising sun. Religion ought to help us to live a life of harmony and gain this poise. Let us try to gain self-mastery to experience our true Self, and find eternal glory and peace.

Be blissful.

Swami Chinmayananda 

Contact: sekrajc@yahoo.com