Our perceptions are shaped by our beliefs. So the same world is experienced differently by different people. No amount of evidence may convince a resolute skeptic, while the naive are susceptible to the least suggestion. At the end of the day, each of us has to find our own path and see what works for us. All teachers, teachings and practices – religious, spiritual or philosophical – can only help. But the choice of what to believe or not – is yours to make.
SOUL offers a glimpse of my world view. It shares several ideas and practices that I have found beneficial and empowering. Though these lessons come from my own experience, I present them to you as a fictional story. So that you may consider these suggestions lightly and without any compulsion that you believe. Play with them, introspect. Try them out for yourself.
I invite you to experiment with your own questions and to discover your own answers. Lightheartedly, join the adventures of the kindhearted young adults going through their own learning curve. And wherever you feel interested, look deeper into the subject of study. The internet will provide you with plenty of resources on many of the topics.
To support such inquiry, this is the first of a series of posts. In each of these posts, I will share more about particular concepts from the book.
Here, let us consider the implications of Critical Mass.
Most people dream of a more joyful and peaceful world. And for this vision to actualize, each of us needs to find joy and peace within ourselves within our own little world. In my own life, meditation has been an invaluable process in this direction. It has helped me become more peaceful and enjoy life with greater enthusiasm. I believe it has given me the courage to care and thereby discover the Power of Caring.
I first learned of Transcendental Meditation (TM) through Deepak Chopra’s book Quantum Healing. As a science student, I was impressed with the value a doctor placed on this practice. I was able to locate a teacher in 1994 and went on to learn TM Siddhi as well.
Forty minutes a day, and I could see the immense difference it was making. There was a subtle change to the energy at home. It was amazing how my dog would sense whenever I began practice. Without being called, she would come running from wherever she was and lie quietly through my meditation.
Strangers began to smile more often and somehow that made sense, as others felt less “alien” somehow. It’s a little hard to explain, but has to be experienced. My teacher said that we begin to understand “oneness” experientially. Some other friends shared similar experiences, and in those days, it was a relief to know that. Meditators were still pretty much a minority in my social circles at that time!
Later, when personal challenges as a caregiver stepped up, I have often thanked the stars for having learned TM. Those forty minutes have enabled me to get through weeks of acute mental and physical stress, without anysleep. Believe it or not, my longest stint was 28 days without sleep.
All this is anecdotal evidence. So, in addition, let me share that TM has been the subject of a large number of research studies. TM.org says: “More than 600 scientific studies verifying the wide-ranging benefits of the Transcendental Meditation technique have been conducted at 250 independent universities and medical schools in 33 countries during the past 40 years.” Benefits include improved health, focus, creativity, and community well-being. Studies on other forms of meditation have also provided similar results.
Nearly 50 scientific research studies conducted over the past 25 years verify the unique effect and wide-ranging benefits to the nation produced by the Maharishi Effect: decreased crime, decreased violence, improved economic trends and improved quality of life were observed in the country’s population, if the square root of one percent of the population meditated twice a day.
All this data appeals to my common sense. As every individual works on raising his or her own level of consciousness and becomes a more peaceful, joyful and contented person, he or she is bound to affect and influence family, friends and co-workers. This ripple of change can then multiply exponentially, leading to a transformation across larger populations.
Wikipedia defines critical mass as “a sociodynamic term to describe the existence of sufficient momentum in a social system such that the momentum becomes self-sustaining and fuels further growth.”
SOUL offers a blueprint that looks to awaken a critical mass of individuals to honoring the highest in themselves, all others and the planet itself.
Imagine a world wherein each soul is nurtured and enabled into allowing it’s light to shine and all live in alignment with universal law.
I believe it is possible. As the Dalai Lama said, “Whether one believes in a religion or not, and whether one believes in rebirth or not, there isn’t anyone who doesn’t appreciate kindness and compassion.”
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