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Browse published articles attributed to Vinod Anand, with full-archive search.
CREATIVENESSrn(Vinod Anand) One of the greatest problems confronting us at this present time is the question of creativeness, how to bring about the creative release of the individual, and if we can consider the question, not merely verbally, but go into it very deeply, perhaps we shall be able to discover the full significance of that word creativeness.
Plant positive Thoughtsrn(Vinod Anand) How many of us utilize the power of the subconscious mind? Your subconscious mind does not need your advice to say what is to be done to overcome barriers, when there is a blockade in your daily life. It is continuously alert: Whatever your need may be — your desire for a promotion, purchase of house and precious household items, or anything else — you are able to get guidance from your subconscious mind.
The Power of Sincere Apologyrn[Vinod Anand] The word ‘sorry’ is synonymous with apology. It is a common, familiar word but it is t potent and magical in its efficacy. In our day-today life, it is symbolic of a polite apology for a wrong done intentionally or inadvertently and normally figures in the vocabulary of suave, courteous individuals. Small, insignificant wrongs like bumping accidentally into someone or stepping on someone’s foot elicit a spontaneous, even nonchalant apology from the perpetrator.
The Gift: Economic Perspectivesrn[Vinod Anand] As we know, there are three values (gifts) of economic life: Freedom, Justice and Care. Let us briefly look at the economic perspective of gift: In economics gifts have also received some attention too. It will come as no surprise that most economists have done so within their conventional framework of explanation, that is, by explaining gifts both in terms of exchange and in terms of utility maximization. Kenneth Arrow (1972) is a good example, adding also the idea of a social contract:
Live in the Present Momentrn[Vinod Anand] The present moment is all you ever have. There is never a time when your life is not “this moment’. Is this not a fact? Psychological time is a mental disease. Look as its collective manifestations. They occur; for example, in the form of ideologies or any nationalism, or rigid religious belief systems, which operate under the implicit assumption that the highest good lies in the future and that therefore the end justifies the means.
Even a Teacher Might Have Egorn(Vinod Anand) No one is completely devoid of ego and self-esteem. For example, if a guru does not have a well-functioning ego, then perhaps no seeker would ever listen to his discourses and the former would be left alone in his ashram. Whether you are a guru or seeker, you might have to blow your own trumpet in order for you to be successful. However, ego must be employed differently at different times because of our constant. The Rig Veda says, “Ego is the biggest enemy of humans”.
BALANCING YOUR LIFErn (Vinod Anand) To live a meaningful life, we need to balance our thoughts, words and actions. However, few are able to do this. Either we think too much or too little; in either case our actions are gravely affected. For those who think too much, action is wanting and for the thoughtless life turns out to be a casualty Although harmonizing thoughts and actions is desirable for acting wisely, there is a third element — speech to be present to make life wholesome.
Always Be Positivern(Vinod Anand) God is regarded as the creator of all life on earth; whatever names you gave Him — Allah, Brahma, Rabb, Parmeshwar or Waheguru. If believers tell you that God created life, then ask them: if that is so, who created Him? They have no answer. The truth is that life on earth was not created. It evolved, as did every living creature, and was not created by anyone, by whatever name you call Him.
Looking at Life and Happinessrn(Vinod Anand) Each of us wants some peace and happiness in life. Still, happiness often evades us. “Is there a simple, straightforward roadmap to get happiness and peace in life,” I asked Swami Paramarthanandji in Chennai. He replied, ‘Reducing PORT is the best way’.
Thinking too much is not goodrn(Vinod Anand) Imagine a one-year-old child who is still not able to stand on her feet. This child could think about her future and could well believe that she won’t be able to walk. Although she may be seeing adults walking, she could think that they are so big and she is so small; she cannot even stand up, then how can she hope to walk?
Collaborated Composition of Physical, Metaphysical and Spiritual Bodiesrn[Vinod Anand] When the mind takes the atman — the witnessing entity of the unit mind— as its so-called object, mental waves get straightened gradually. In the end, when its wavelength becomes infinite, and flow in a straight line, the mind will get transformed into atman.
Spirituality is Synthesis, it is Onenessrn(Vinod Anand) A British author has described Jesus as a Sufi. Jesus was pure; he was love personified. Love is the motif of Sufism. Perhaps that is the reason why the author is calling Jesus a Sufi. In the same why, scholar Sheikh Saleem Ahmed has described Guru Nanak, Buddha and Kabir as Sufis.
Life has Both Limitations and Achievementsrn(Vinod Anand) Life has Both Limitations and Achievements A Muslim youth of my acquaintance, born in a village and madrasa-educated, can speak two foreign languages fluently -Arabic and English - without ever having studied for a university degree. I asked him once to tell me the secret of his unusual success. He uttered a single word: “Junoon” or madness, meaning that if you have unflagging determination to achieve your target, you will certainly do so.
Remembering Past Livesrn(Vinod Anand) If you remember two or three lives, you will be in the same state as the centipede that had been living perfectly well and was going for a morning walk, when a little rabbit asked him, “Uncle, I have to ask a question: How do you manage your hundred legs: which one should come first, which one second, and which one third...? How do you manage one hundred legs together?” He said, “I have never thought about that.
How to Lead a Stress-free Happy Life? (Vinod Anand) On a visit to the US I happened to meet an Asian immigrant, let’s call him SA. I found that he was a man with a difference. At all times he was in a happy mood. His colleagues also affirm that he is quite different from other people. In the course of a conversation, I asked him how he was such a stress-free person, while others were living in stress.
Spiritual Progressrn(Vinod Anand) What is the subject of the enjoyer? It is the mind. The mind undergoes physical as well as intellectual experiences. The experience of spiritual bliss is psycho-spiritual and partly mental by nature. If all feelings are through the mind, it follows that these feelings are born within the vibrational scope of the mind. All existence in this universe is vibrational. Physical and intellectual happiness, both of which are enjoyed by the mind, are therefore vibrational.
Intentions in Lifern(Vinod Anand) Much is said and written about how important intention is to our lives, but there is a whole lot of confusion around that word. A working definition of intention is: ‘to have in mind a purpose or plan, to direct the mind, to aim’, making it seem much the same as a goal. But a closer look will show us differences between the two. Goals define a place to get to the destination. The focus is always the future: Am I going to reach this goal? Will I be happy when I do? What comes next?
Be a bit less Human and a bit more Humblern(Vinod Anand) Innocent civilians die in some countries when bombs rain from the sky. Don’t worry; apparently these deaths are caused by so-called humanitarian bombs. Jou alist Navid Kermani wrote that the term ‘humanitarian’ is inflationary.
Control and Autonomy of Infantsrn(Vinod Anand)
Learn to Live with Naturern(Vinod Anand) Each one of us is very special and each one of us is trying his best to survive. You might ask: ‘In what way am I special?’ Or, ‘what makes me unique’? ‘What is the best strategy I should adopt to survive?’ However, your worries about yourself and your lack of abilities are not what should occupy your mind. Ask only one question, “Who am I? How do I know myself?” When you ask this question, then all self-doubts will vanish. When we are not interested in knowing our own selves, we waste time on many things.
Reason and Truthrn(Vinod Anand) Dogmatic thinking and abdication of reason in their innumerable forms remain as great obstacles to human advancement leading to suffering and ignorance, according to Swami Dayananda. So strongly was he guided by the supremacy of reason that he proclaimed that one should spu dogmas even if inherited from people of wisdom, if such beliefs fail to withstand the supremacy of reasoning and truth in the light of new revelations.
Get Inspired by Selfrn(Vinod Anand) We all are leaders in a way as people around constantly emulate us, seek our inspiration, guidance and support and crave for our attention, love and compassion. Therefore, leaders in any sphere face the dual challenge of connecting with self and others. Knowing one’s true nature, the Self, becomes crucial. While doing so, at times, one’s deep-rooted beliefs, thoughts, fixations constituting mindset become obstacles. In fact, all through our lives we have been indoctrinating ourselves with these only.
Pay a Close Attention to what is Happening Nowrn(Vinod Anand) It often surprises me when people say they intensely dislike cooking; I wonder if it is because they think it is too complicated or if they are often in a hurry to get it all done with. Though something to keep us alive and well, cooking is, above all, an art and a practice. We give it our time and attention; we revel in our tools — our ingredients and also our basic cooking implements.
Spiritual Experiencern(Vinod Anand) There are five aspects of spirituality—the objective, the why of spirituality, the means for attaining the objective, who pursues spirituality and when. Objective of spirituality is to transcend the limited bodily identity and experience the oneness of the single whole that this creation is. Why should, or rather, why does, one pursue spirituality? We can start by saying that one gets a desire to pursue spirituality and hence goes ahead with it.
Secularismrn[Vinod Anand] The concept of secularism was vibrant in the Indic region with the realization not only of one God but of the essential oneness of all existence: “Ekam Sat bipra bahudha badanti.” Ultimate reality is singular as time or space is, but appears to be many due to apparent divisions. The Rig Veda proclaims that diverse ways of worship reach the same destination as different rivers reach the same ocean.
The Inner Mirrorrn[Vinod Anand] I look again at a drawing my niece, then five, had made, and which I treasure. It has her, her sister, and another person who looks a lot like them. Under each ‘person’ is their name in a childish scrawl — Jacqui, Sue and God. “God looks like this, huh?” I asked; she laughed. “Of course, silly!” and went on to tell me she saw God often; didn’t everyone?
Look at the life in a new Wayrn[Vinod Anand] Truth can be likened to a pyramid— its pinnacle gives the highest expression of truth, while its broad base gives strength and stability. I’ve been amazed by the number of people in India who tell me that they don’t believe in God, and then go onto demonstrate that they do. They can’t get away from it— it’s part of their upbringing. They don’t necessarily define God in terms of somebody who is blue and plays the flute. The thought, however, of an infinite consciousness is so ingrained in them that it’s impossible for them to reject it.
Take the True Inner Pilgrimagern(Vinod Anand) The Brahmasutra Bhashya of Sankara is an abstruse exposition of his advaitic thought, best summed up in a classic line from the l3hashya: “Brahmn satyamjagat mithya jivo Brahmaivah napara” — Brahmn alone is real, the world is illusory; the individual and the universal soul are one”. However, it is in the smaller poetic compositions that Sankara puts these abstruse advaitic concepts within easy grasp of the average individual, using everyday references to illustrate the concepts.
Before investing your savings, you must get rid of the following thingsrn(Vinod Anand) Lust “I want...” could be the most dangerous words for your finances, mostly because we seem to want everything--a world tour, a swanky car, a plush abode. However, extravagance can lead to financial hell. Always remember the first budgeting lesson: separate your expenses into discretionary, necessary and luxury. Indulge in the last one only when you’ve taken care of the first two. Envyr
The Self is not freern(Vinod Anand) Doing whatever you have done, you will continue to get what you have L.F got. So, to live wisely and happily, question the way of doing you have been following. In today’s world where the pace of life is so hectic, fast food has become a popular source of convenience. There is no time for you to look into how harmful fast food could be because you are so busy getting what you want. To earn money—rather, to make a quick buck— you go to any ridiculous extent and thus you end up spoiling the quality of your life.
NOTHING LIKE MEDITATIONrn(Vinod Anand) You are standing in awe in front of a painting. You are getting lost in this labyrinth of shapes and forms, until you are no more. And yet, you are more yourself than you have ever been before. If you’ve ever experienced this, you know that art of any kind can induce meditation. Vallabhacharya argued that the ego can transcend through bhava or feelings.
How well we understand the gift of Mind? [Vinod Anand] We have been created by the universe. How well do we know our creator, the universe? We have been gifted by the universe with a unique attribute, the mind. How well do we understand this gift? The mind creates its own realities and a universe for itself. The mind created by the universe and universe created by always poses such questions.
Power and Lovern[Vinod Anand] All of us contain within ourselves two strong but distinctly different fundamental forces that are in tension: power and love. In working for social change, we need both. The problem is — whether we openly acknowledge it or not — each of us is tilted more towards one or the other, falling into either the power-camp or the love-camp. Our task then is to learn to work with each of them, rather than denying their hold onus.
Do not always fix on the Destination; Enjoy the Potential Pleasures of the Journey itself [Vinod Anand] Do you think a desire to pass an examination in mathematics is necessary for motivating one to practice solving mathematics problems, or even for actually passing the examination? Not quite. A student, who likes mathematics, will solve the problems because he gets pleasure out of it. He enjoys each step that gradually leads to the solution of the problem. He will pass the examination too as a natural outcome of his effort, without specifically desiring that outcome.
Let Us Be Kindrn(Vinod Anand) Take the everyday scenario of a traffic jam in the city. When cars are piled up and tempers run high, two auto-rickshaws coming ‘from different directions practically touch each other. Each wants to claim right of way and neither wants to budge and relent. That leads to heated arguments and the drivers so easily come to blows. What would happen if both would be prepared to let the other go first? That would immediately defuse the situation and help ease the jam, instead of obstructing traffic for even longer periods.
The Ete al Light Lies Within All of us do not see or hear the same way at life or the world. That explains why there are believers and non-believers of all hues. Jesus said that one should fix one’s affections on heavenly things and not lay up treasures upon this earth, neglecting more enduring matters of the soul.
Can We Make Religion Scientific? (Vinod Anand)
Literature Connotes Spirit of Welfarern(Vinod Anand) The real significance of the word sahitya or literature is inherent in the word itself for the characteristic of literature is ‘to move together’, keeping abreast of life. Literature is no invention of the superficiality of social life, nor is it the colourful spell of any fantasia. Rather it is the portrait of real life — an exte al expression of the internal recesses of the mind — a bold and powerful expression of the suppressed sighs of the human heart.
Manifest the Higher Self withi Yourn[Vinod Anand] We all have a higher Self within; we were born with it. However, most neither are we aware of it nor do we act from it. It remains dormant, but survives only to manifest at the right opportunity. Sometimes we get a fleeting glimpse of the Self when we spontaneously act out of unconditional love. Recall a sudden wave of empathy that engulfed you at the sight of a man shivering in the cold that prompted you to give him clothes; picking up a wounded animal on the road; the deep sense of fulfillment on rescuing someone in trouble.
Personal Preferences Should be linked with The Welfare of Othersrn(Vinod Anand) In the southern Califo ia town of Claremont, where my parents lived, there is a retirement community called Pilgrims’ Place. It looks like an ordinary neighbourhood of modest homes, but everyone who lives there is a retired missionary or church worker of some kind. Once a year the community hosts a festival to which the whole town is invited. Among the activities, many of the residents set up tables in front of their homes.
Music bestows happinessr Vinod Anand THERE is a difference between a house and a home. A house is just a structure, but, a home includes people who live there as a family and look after each other. It is also decorated according to the choice of the members of the family. Once you go out somewhere, you are keen to return to your place of dwelling and feel greatly satisfied when that happens.r
One should be Religious but not a Hypocritern(Vinod Anand) Unlea ing or de-conditioning is how J Krishnamurti defined his initiation on the path of spirituality in the true sense. As much of our learning is the result of our conditioning which has already taken us away froth our true Self, this is what most of us need to do. This calls for deep thinking to avoid colossal waste of time and energy in first learning and then unlea ing what has been learnt.
One should be Loyal to Relationshipsrn(Vinod Anand) Dear XYZ, if I remember correctly, the last time you met me was at... when was it? Was it at a wedding or a birthday celebration? Perhaps it was at someone’s prayer meeting. How much time did we spend together and what did we say to each other?
Know Your Bodyrn[Vinod Anand] Body is the first gift of God. Let us see how? Does a soul enter the mother’s womb during conception or in the course of pregnancy? Understand that the soul doesn’t ‘enter’. If you are using the word ‘soul’ as an alte ate to the Sanskrit word ‘atma’ then this is wrong choice of word. Firstly, the right choice of word would be the individual soul, the ‘jivatma’ not the ‘atma’ and secondly, the timing of the individual soul to enter the womb is not during or post-conception.
Manifest the Higher Self withi Yourn[Vinod Anand] We all have a higher Self within; we were born with it. However, most neither are we aware of it nor do we act from it. It remains dormant, but survives only to manifest at the right opportunity. Sometimes we get a fleeting glimpse of the Self when we spontaneously act out of unconditional love. Recall a sudden wave of empathy that engulfed you at the sight of a man shivering in the cold that prompted you to give him clothes; picking up a wounded animal on the road; the deep sense of fulfillment on rescuing someone in trouble.