My Journey to becoming better human being

Journey to becoming better human being - 38 What should I do ?   We were in the middle of a major calamity in the country. We were concerned and were thinking of what to do. We were exploring if there was any way we can create something that not only sensitizes people but also show them some direction as to what they can do if they want to. We proposed it as a topic for our weekly meeting.   “There is a broad spectrum of the possible response to the catastrophes affecting other people.”   We have witnessed massive human tragedies caused by natural disasters like earthquake, flood, draught, tsunami or by manmade disasters like riots and wars. We have heard heart breaking stories of massive human suffering, loss of lives, starvation and illnesses.   On one end of the spectrum is the indifference to the suffering of others. Perhaps not feeling connected to their misery or even if feeling connected, suppressing that feelings by submerging in ‘minding my own business’.  

Journey to becoming better human being - 37 What makes it so profound ….   A friend who had just returned from a few days’ meditation camp was gaga about his experience. He was all out to convince me about the value of his experience and wanted me to join him. This was not the first instance. Over time, I have come across many enticing systems with exceptional claims. But this time his pitch was so powerful that I was somewhat shaken. I decided to take up the point for discussion in our weekly meeting.   “In today’s time with widespread confusion and disorientation, a great number of ‘self-help’ systems have proliferated.”   How true it is. I myself have come across more than a dozen systems. There are systems referring to sub-conscious and hypnoses, meditation and prana, with modern names and esoteric Sanskrit names, offered by ostensible scholars and by self-styled gurus. There are systems related to exercises, breathing, diet and even medicines. Each system claiming to b

Journey to becoming better human being - 36 I thought I knew ….   In our pre-meeting chat Sonali recounted how we have been meeting regularly every week for many months and how by now, we knew each other well. Rajesh responded jokingly that perhaps we know each other more than what we know about ourselves. What started as a joke took a serios turn and we wondered whether we knew ourselves well. It was proposed as a topic for the weekly meeting.   “Most people do not know much about themselves.”                                                          We decided to check by noting down few points about what we knew about ourselves. I am easy going. I am introvert. I am lazy. I am clever. I am hard working and so on, we started describing ourselves. I tend to procrastinate. I tend to go in details. I tend to feel nervous and so on, we started describing our tendencies.   “Is it what you are or is the way of you behave?”   I was taken aback by the question. I had never

Journey to becoming better human being - 35 If only I had done that….   While walking towards our weekly meeting, Rajesh recounted a wrong decision of his life and how adversely it had affected his life. Listening to him, I also recollected a major mistake of my life. I went into a tailspin. Had I not made that mistake how different my life could have been! Both of us realised that though the incidences were in a distant past, the regrets about them remained with us even now. How we wished we could turn the clock back! We proposed that as a topic for our weekly meeting.   “Let’s do a Guided Experience.”   By now we knew the technique of Guided Experience. One of us reads a story and all others follow with closed eyes. The story is in first person and we are to imagine ourselves in that person. In between, there would be pauses allowing time to imagine more about that specific stage of the story.   “I am standing before some sort of court. Breaking the tremendous tension

Journey to becoming better human being - 34 Why is diversity disturbing me?   That day I was furious. It was only a week since this new colleague was with us and it was so frustrating. He questioned ‘our’ way of working and had his own ‘weird’ ‘impractical’ ideas. I was agitated and wondered how to deal with him. I sought help in our weekly meeting.   “There is nothing new. For everyone, ‘our’ ideas are always right, and ‘other’s’ ideas are weird and impractical.”   I was not sure. I have worked with so many people. No one was so different and so frustrating. As usual, as I delved deeper, new perspectives emerged. I have been comfortable with people who were like ‘us’, who were aligned to ‘our’ way of working.   I could clearly realise discomfort with people who were ‘different,’ who had a different way of thinking. And it is not that they were wrong. In fact, in the hindsight I realised, they were right from their point of view.   “Respecting diversity is the key.”  

Journey to becoming better human being - 33 How to manage balance in life?   We were driving to our weekly meeting and I was sharing my experience of few days ago. On my way to airport, early morning I had seen lot of people taking a walk and jog. I think people are increasingly becoming health conscious. But interrupting me, my friend told about his 17-year-old neighbour who committed suicide. It was shocking. What is happening?   We decided to propose this paradox for the meeting. While people seem to be becoming more conscious about their physical health, is their mental ability to handle tougher situation declining? As we started discussion more incidences of people unable to handle their tensions came up.   “Things are well when they move together and not in isolation.” “This is one of the 12 principles of valid actions.”   By now we were quite conversant with Principles of valid actions. The laws of behaviour breaking which will result in suffering within us and a

Journey to becoming better human being – 32 Where we are heading to?   Just before the meeting, we were chatting about how life has changed in last few years. With the kind of moral degradation that we witness, we wondered where we are heading to. We proposed that as a topic for our weekly meeting.   “With the kind of rapid changes taking place, people are feeling suffocated by a disorientation, not knowing what to do – says Silo in his first letter to friends.”   Silo is the nickname of thinker, writer and a spiritual guide from Argentina who founded the Humanist Movement. In less than half a century, the movement spread to over 100 countries giving foundation to the life of millions, inspiring them to place personal and social transformation as the project of their life. The fact that he wrote this letter way back in 1991 signifies his profound insights into human processes.   “The rapid changes have caused instability and dislocation in human relationship.   The trad