FUNDAMENTAL HAPPINESS Series 12 - Launch of ARE YOU REALLY HAPPY?

LAUNCH OF MY FORTHCOMING BOOK

ARE YOU REALLY HAPPY?

FUNDAMENTAL HAPPINESS

Hello Friends,

I had mentioned about my book in Series 11. We are now ready with the launch. It's on 4th October, 2013 at 6:30 PM at Crossword Bookstore, Kemp's Corner, Mumbai. All of you in Mumbai, do attend the launch. Ad Guru Prahlad Kakkar and Award Winning Actor Rajat Kapoor, have consented to launch the book. Here is the invite from the publisher, Embassy Books and the bookseller, Crossword:

Series 12

Now let us come to series 12.

So, how many of you could collect yourselves in a relaxed posture to notice each part of your body from foot to head? Could you be a passive observer of your beating heart, your breathing process? Could you, at some stage, feel your entire body internally? Did you passively observe your thoughts? Often the mind will try to pull you away to many distracting thoughts, pressing issues or worries. Please don't fight your mind. Just observe it. See it from a 'distance'. Create a 'space' between you and your mind. Treat your mind as an experience, just as your body is an experience. 

While you notice different parts of your body, appreciate how each part is alive. Also remember, no part of your body, from foot to head, is you! You are 'being'. Similarly, you are not your mind. If you can fathom your mind as similar to your body, you have made a major progression in your journey towards FUNDAMENTAL HAPPINESS.

As you stabilize in this exercise, you will realize that you need not wait for the daily time slot allotted by you for it. You can do this many times during the day, even while you are at work! We all get interludes in our lives, amidst busyness, when we are doing nothing, just waiting for something. These are also moments when we get restless; we grumble about having to wait, wasting time, and try our best to fast forward our lives and move on.

If you have appreciated the stance behind the exercise that I have described, you will realize that you have given away so many opportunities that could have been used to quietly do this exercise for 10-15 minutes. Yes! You can do this exercise while waiting for transport, while traveling, waiting for a meeting in another office, before an interview (it actually helps!), when you are getting bored and have nothing to do (!), waiting in a queue for anything, or even when you are attending a meaningless but 'important' meeting where your presence is incidental! 

But, please do not try to do this when you are required to pay full attention to something else. Rather, do what you are doing with full attention, instead of getting distracted by what else you have to do, or other pressing issues. Remember, doing whatever you do, joyfully, with full attention, without distraction, is itself a spiritual exercise. I have noticed many persons who are fully absorbed in what they are doing at a given time. I find them at peace. They are not grudging what they are doing. They are not in a hurry to finish what they are doing. Even if you try to distract them they are not likely to get distracted. Whenever you find a person like this among your friends or relatives, just pause and think about him or her. Chances are that you will find such persons mostly peaceful. They may not be consciously in a journey towards FUNDAMENTAL HAPPINESS, for they may lack the required awareness. Yet, they could be persons ready to embark on this journey.

Many of you would have seen craftsmen/women produce their artifacts at crafts melas. They are fully absorbed in their work. They do their work with a sense of joy and satisfaction. They do not get distracted by a crowd of people watching them. They are certainly more peaceful than many who are fully consumed by an urban, high paced life setting.

There could also be persons (many such persons, actually) who find no interludes at all. They are pulled in different directions all the time. Or they create perpetually 'interesting' and 'important' situations for them to be in. Such persons need to pause and take a look at themselves. Those who are themselves packing their lives with activities, leaving no space for anything else, need to ponder about how to deal with themselves. They could find some time, read my posts starting from the first one, and take a call. Those who are in jobs or situations that just do not leave them with any space for themselves, also need to ponder: is there really no free slot? This brings me to my suggestion that you take a holiday from life. 

You will appreciate that this holiday, need not be a physical holiday. It is more to do with your stance in life. For some, it could well mean the need to actually take a holiday for some days. Well, you can soon come back to your usual life with a different orientation.

There are many more things we need to do. I have described just one exercise. We need to spend time and progress slowly. There is much more to follow.

Cheers!

Deepak Chatterjee

chatterjee.deepak33@gmail.com
facebook.com/deepak.chatterjee.944
Twitter: @Deepak33C
http://fundamentalhappiness.blogspot.com

Views are personal

FUNDAMENTAL HAPPINESS Series 11 - My forthcoming book: ARE YOU REALLY HAPPY?

Hi Friends,

I have written a book titled,

 "ARE YOU REALLY HAPPY? FUNDAMENTAL HAPPINESS"

It is being launched by my publisher, Embassy Books, Mumbai, early October. 

Here is the cover:

For those of you who are following my blog, it is easy to guess what the book is about. Yes, the theme is the same. The book, though, has more explanations, anecdotes, examples and also details of my own journey towards FUNDAMENTAL HAPPINESS. It captures, in a step by step approach, the stance necessary to embark on this journey. 

I will share more details about the book launch in a while. You may notice links on the right hand side of my blog page in future posts.

MY BLOG WILL CONTINUE
Yes, my blog will continue. The channels are separate. So is the manner of articulation. Readers are welcome to benefit from both or either of them. I am available to address queries of both categories of readers.

Now, coming to my last post (Series 10), there are a few things I would like to further elaborate. I have described just one of the many exercises in that post. You will have to appreciate the fact that if you just follow the steps like a physical exercise, you will reach no where. The exercise suggested by me is neither physical nor mental. Your stance in life is most important. That is the reason why I devoted several posts on readying you before describing the first exercise.

If you are too busy, too preoccupied, leading very hectic lives, witnessing too many pressures from all fronts, then gathering the required stance will be difficult. That's why I suggested a holiday from life. At least for some time.

What exactly is this holiday from life? Simply put, it means that you make that space available in your life to just be. Some persons can do that without taking a break from work. Yet, there could be some who could proceed on leave and still not find that space to be, due to the sheer pace of life, activities, attachments, or striving. It is for this reason that I keep suggesting that before you begin, do revisit my previous posts and internalize the thoughts. You have to take an honest look at yourself, and decide to start an inward journey. Don't worry; once you have stabilized on this journey, you can go back to the many things that you had given up for being in this holiday, but now from a different vantage position. You will not cling to them any more. You have awareness now. This solid foundation of awareness is of extraordinary significance. It is for each one of you to consider how 'busy' you are and then decide on how to take this holiday from life. Some may find this idea of just existing and doing nothing much, unnerving. If that is the case, observe the discomfort. Focus on what it does to you internally. That could be a very good starting point. 

Our body is a very useful portal to embark upon this journey towards FUNDAMENTAL HAPPINESS. It helps us to become less mind identified. With practice you will be able to appreciate what it is to feel each part of your body as you progress from foot to head. You don't have to identify with each part of the body. Just notice that it is alive! 

Similarly just be a passive observer of your thoughts. Don't fight your mind. Your mind will love to engage in a fight with you! Our minds are just too active. Observe your thoughts go by without latching on to them. You will gradually be able to appreciate that you are not your mind.

The beauty of this journey is that you can passively focus on any unhappiness within you and make spiritual progression. As an example, let us say, someone has humiliated you. Instead of immediately reacting to the humiliation, stay with it for as long as you can. Observe how you feel from inside while in the humiliated state. Focus your attention on the pain you are suffering without any analysis, fault finding or justification. You may be amazed to find that the pain actually diminishes, may be dissolves, and peace descends. Now do what you have to do with the person who inflicted the humiliation, from this position of peace! Your action now will be very different. Makes sense?

Good! That should be enough material for a post. Stay connected.

Cheers!

Deepak Chatterjee
chatterjee.deepak33@gmail.com
facebook.com/deepak.chatterjee.944
@Deepak33C
http://fundamentalhappiness.blogspot.com

Views are personal

FUNDAMENTAL HAPPINESS Series 10 - How to go about it?

Hi Friends,

Welcome back to my blog on FUNDAMENTAL HAPPINESS. I concluded my last post with a suggestion that we go on a holiday from life. I received some questions on that proposition, some prompted by disbelieve. Well, let's see.

I would like to discuss one spiritual exercise in this post.  

What I suggest, to begin with, is that you consider honestly facing up to whatever dissatisfaction you are currently experiencing. It could be circumstantial or existential (our fundamental unhappiness within) or a mix of both. 

As you consider your dissatisfaction, it is possible that much of it could be attributed to circumstances - the situation you are in, what other people may have done to cause the unhappiness, or other sources of dissatisfaction. Is it possible to get out of your circumstance? Is it possible to significantly change it? Is it possible to stop dealing with the persons responsible for your misery? Often you have the freedom to exercise some choices, which you are not exercising. That has to be your call. Beyond this, you still have to question yourself. How much of your unhappiness lingers that cannot be further assigned to any situation or person? If you cannot honestly blame anyone, you are possibly at a dead end. But if you honestly reach this point, you have taken the first major step in your journey towards FUNDAMENTAL HAPPINESS. For now you are ready to squarely face the basic human condition.

Many of you are already struggling against a kind of unhappiness that you are not able to ascribe to anyone or any thing external. This probably manifests as unanswered questions about what could be the ultimate purpose of life, a sense of void, hopelessness or anxiety - all uncaused. You are more ready than many others for the next step that I am going to describe in this post.

Now let us come to the first spiritual exercise.

Whenever you find time, settle down in a relaxed position. Do this when you do not have anything pressing to do or engaging your mind. If there is something nagging you, deal with that first. 

Now, just focus your attention inwards into your body. Feel yourself as a body. We humans have got so mind identified that we often take our bodies for granted. How often do we just silently observe our hearts beat? Try following the rhythm of the heart beat. Just observe it passively. Don't get involved in it. Gradually you will understand the difference between just observing and getting involved. Notice your inhalation and exhalation. Mentally feel each part of your body. Just observe the liveliness of each part. 

Those who are already caught in depression or angst, will be able to feel the pain of our existence. Stay with the pain. Please do not try to analyse anything. The mind just loves it. Be a passive observer of the pain. Focus your attention to whatever psychic pain you feel. Do nothing about it. 

Those who consider themselves happy and content and have no complaints against anyone or anything, may also notice some basic discomfort or uneasiness that was probably overlooked before. If this is what you are going through, then you are on track. 

What do you do with your mind? Thoughts will keep coming in. Do not fight your mind. Be a passive onlooker of your thoughts. Observe your thought come and go, as you see traffic go past on a road. With time you will be able to master the art of not getting latched on to your thoughts. Yet it is important that you do not try to resist any thought or try to control your mind. Your mind may try its best to attribute whatever discomfort you are feeling, to things external or other persons. Instead of getting into any analysis or causes, just observe the discomfort.

Remember, just like we recognize our hands and feet as parts of our body, try to see your mind also as part of your existence. You are not the hands and feet; they are part of your existence. You can experience them. Similarly, you are not your mind. With practice, you will be able to treat your mind also as an experience of your existence. You are probably too mind identified now. Focusing your attention to various parts of your body helps you to become less mind identified. This is only your first exercise. You will gradually be able to appreciate that you are not your mind. Mind is just a tool available to mankind - a very valuable tool indeed! Just like our hands, feet or eyes. Recall, that in my previous post, I had stated how our body has a role to play in our journey.

With sustained attention to the pain or uneasiness, you will notice that it actually diminishes and may eventually dissolve. If this happens with you, remember, you have just taken the first step. You have embarked on a journey. You have not reached FUNDAMENTAL HAPPINESS yet. Don't rush to somehow reach the end result. Enjoy the process itself. There are many more steps to be  taken. It will take time. 

It is best to do this exercise when you are not hard pressed for time and your mind is not preoccupied with anything very pressing or urgent. One good time to do this is when you go to bed at night. Before you start on this, keep away your phones, laptops, iPads or any other gadgets!

You can make this a regular practice. Gradually you will be able to do this exercise wherever you are with some time at your disposal: while traveling, waiting in a queue, even in office, if you have nothing else to do! It will take you some time to reach that state.

While I have described this as an exercise, those of you who are feeling uncaused depression, meaninglessness, emptiness or anxiety, make it your stance to just be with that feeling. Accept it. Do not fight it. Focus your attention to what happens to your body, internally, when you feel the meaninglessness. Accept that the external world is meaningless. The more you try to find meaning, the more you will get caught in the pain of meaninglessness. if you feel depressed, stay with the depression. Do not resist it. 

I hope all this is not too much in one post. I have tried my best to ready you through my earlier posts. You can always go back to the previous posts by clicking on the blog archives appearing at the top right corner.

Do share your feedback with me.

Cheers!

Deepak Chatterjee
http://fundamentalhappiness.blogspot.com
http://facebook.com/deepak.chatterjee.944
@Deepak33C
Views are personal