Damn the society, take your life into your hands!!

A mother took her son to the psychiatrist and complained that he was always thinking about sex.
The doctor drew a square on a piece of paper, looked at the boy and asked, "Son, what comes to your mind when you see this drawing?"
The kid answered, "Looks like a window."
The doc said, "What do you think is going on behind that window?"
"People are behind that window," replied the kid. "They are huggin', kissin' and makin' love."
The doctor drew a circle and asked, "What comes to your mind when you see this?"
The kid said, "That's a porthole."
"And what do you think is going on behind that porthole?" inquired the doctor.
"Ah," said the kid, "There are people behind that porthole with their clothes off, drinking."
The doctor said, "Son, would you mind leaving the room? I would like to discuss this with your mother."
The boy got up to leave and as he reached the door he turned around and said, "Hey, Doc, can I have those dirty pictures you drew?"

It would not be a misnomer to say that we don't know what we are doing: we are aimlessly drifting around, thinking other people's thoughts and doing what they expect from us. And, like the little boy, thinking dirty while, at the same time, pretending to be sophisticated. And, we are so used to living according to the ways of the world, that we have forgotten our true selves. So much so, that living the society's way has become our second nature. Or even our first nature. Because, it takes guts to live the way we want. It means, people mistakenly believe, that you will be cut away from the world. On the contrary, you look at people from a truly positive perspective, as if you are looking at him/her for the first time in your life. As you go along the path of meditative awareness, you annihilate your past slowly and steadily, and that leaves you with a true inner silence. You will be so silent inside, that as you gradually learn to live from inside out, you begin to be in tune with godliness.

It has been a long time since I've written something in my blog. Not because I don't have the time, but because I've gone to my village in a remote corner of India, which doesn't have an internet connection. And it is so small that we don't have public transport too. Only, of late, the four-wheelers have started plying to ferry people to the nearest rural headquarters four miles away. Every year I go to my village for two weeks, but this time, I went on some family work. Spent the whole time sorting things out. One thing I like about my village, however, is that since it is summer, and the sowing season is yet to start, I can see miles and miles of nothingness. It is so relaxing to the eyes that I make it a meditation looking into the nothingness. I can see the horizon where the earth and the sky meet, the dancing of the clouds, and the stillness of noiselessness. What more can you expect?

At the same time, I went on long hours of cycling deep into the countryside admiring the virgin beauty of the backlands. It's truly heaven. And I loved every moment of it. I'm desisting from describing the glorious moments I've relished, because even describing them would give away the charm.

What a waste of life!!

A man, who had three girlfriends, was in a quandary which one to marry. So he decides to give each one $5,000 and see how each of them spends it.
The first one goes out and gets a total makeover with the money. She gets new clothes, a new hairdo, manicure, pedicure, the works.
She tells the man, "I spent the money so I could look pretty for you because I love you so much."
The second one went out and bought new golf clubs, a CD player, a television, and a stereo and gives them to the man.
She says, "I bought these gifts for you with the money because I love you so much."
The third one takes the $5,000 and invests it in the stock market, doubles her investment, returns the $5,000 to the man and reinvests the rest.
She says, "I am investing the rest of the money for our future because I love you so much."
The man thought long and hard about how each of the women spent the money, and decided to marry the one with the biggest tits.

You cannot win in life unless you live it consciously -- with full of awareness. The confusion is going to hound you however rich or powerful you might be. Ironically, the richer you are, the crazier your life becomes. Because you have tied yourself in complex knots of power, prestige, honour, and the like and estranged yourself from the simple things in life that offer you the best happiness. So much so that you mull over even simple things like eating your breakfast or taking a shower as your mind is constantly involved in thinking about the 'bigger' things in life -- like the stock market, how you dress for the corporate boardroom meeting, or what present to take to your boss's wife on her birthday to impress her and the like.

What a waste of life. Cycling and meditation are two things that pull you out of the complex society's demands and put you on the pedestal to your personal glory. And the reason is simple. Whether it is cycling or meditation or zen, for the first time you get time for yourself -- to brood over your life -- far far away from the madness of society.

Unfortunately, for the last one week I was so involved in my 14-hour-a-day work shifts that I could not go on a long ride. Neither could I go for jogging. But the least I could do was dynamic meditation and made the most of it, even if it was only for half-an-hour. That explains why I didn't update my blog too. This is going to continue for another two weeks, but I intend to go on long rides once every two days at least. For the moment, I've been using my bike as usual to go to office -- 6 miles one way and making the most use of it going speed biking in the traffic. It gives its own thrill and the joyride after a day's work is really refreshing.

Food for cycling thought

A Zen Teacher saw five of his students return from the market, riding their bicycles. When they had dismounted, the teacher asked the students, "Why are you riding your bicycles?"

The first student replied, "The bicycle is carrying this sack of potatoes. I am glad that I do not have to carry them on my back!" The teacher praised the student, saying, "You are a smart boy. When you grow old, you will not walk hunched over, as I do."

The second student replied, "I love to watch the trees and fields pass by as I roll down the path." The teacher commended the student, "Your eyes are open and you see the world."
The third student replied, "When I ride my bicycle, I am content to chant, nam myoho renge kyo." The teacher gave praise to the third student, "Your mind will roll with the ease of a newly trued wheel."

The fourth student answered, "Riding my bicycle, I live in harmony with all beings." The teacher was pleased and said, "You are riding on the golden path of non-harming."

The fifth student replied, "I ride my bicycle to ride my bicycle." The teacher went and sat at the feet of the fifth student, and said, "I am your disciple."

Author Unknown