Its the matter of Heart or Heart of the matter.

There are some who naively believe that the Yogi or sage meditating in Himalayas or any retreat is developing a blank mind or a heightened state of awareness which has nothing to do with the emotions or more precisely the Heart. There are also those who claim to know everything and yet don't know how to bring about a change even when they perceive something to be false. I had written in my previous blog that the problem is one of knowledge or giving undue importance to thought. We perceive things through the screen of our thoughts and ideas. Even in this perception we jump to what should be or imagine the opposite and thereby divide our mind. Let us take some examples to illustrate the point. In our spiritual journey we look so far ahead to what is enlightenment, a perfect Guru or whatever and forget to take a stock of where we factually stand and what is the next step that is needed. Our discussions on spirituality are so abstract or philosophical in nature that they merely turn into mental gymnastics or a game or entertainment. We call this mambo-jumbo spirituality and decry those earnestly practicing in solitude. The common accusations range from it is not practical to where is compassion in it, or that we care too much about our relations to start on the path just yet (whatever it may mean). When we notice anger or greed we immediately jump to the fact that there should be no anger or greed or try to control it. True silence or being alone is not a matter of being isolated. No spiritual life worth its name can start unless one has sorted out this tangle of emotions in which we are entwined. Any observation if it has to succeed ( in terms of bringing about a change ) has to have a heart in it. Meaning we have to be value it, have passion for it and be sincere. Our being is determined by the sum or center of gravity of our emotional self. In the beginning there is one thing that we could do to qualitatively improve our emotional life and that is to shun negative emotions or at least never express them. The modern teaching to express negative emotion in order to avoid it being pent up or that its nonexpression would create psychological problems is such a farce and is contrary to the discovery of sages. The heart can only be purified through understanding , simplicity and humility to Learn. Let us allow the Heart to flower by valuing it and heeding to the silent whispers.

Transformation of the Ego

Some of the (pseudo) Advaitic folks would have us believe that there are only two states one where Ego exists and the other where it is not. They employ the very same logic of black and white or in computer (binary) language 0 or 1. They admit of no scope of a gradual refinement of Ego or Self through Sadhana (spiritual Practice). In the Advaitic tradition though such a thing is not denied and it is this that I want to bring out in a concrete manner. Now before we proceed we must know that Vedas( Earliest Advaitic or Non-Dual books) were written long ago and used symbolic language the key to which is probably not fully known or lost. To be precise they were orally translated for many generations before being written. This is the view of Aurbindo too, lest someone blames me of cooking up a story. Now some of these symbols are very beautiful and their meaning is not hard to understand. The art of symbols is a matter of deeper import and difficult to grasp. Those in earnest may do well to go through a beautiful exposition of this in Al-Ghazali Mishkt Al-Anwar("THE NICHE FOR LIGHTS") which is a commentary on the famous Light verse in Koran and elucidation of a certain tradition. To give an example of the symbolism of Veda let us take the Sun and the Moon being employed for Intellect ( intelligence) and Mind (Man in sanskrit or Ego, the thinking and feeling faculty) respectively. Since the moon waxes and wanes and shines on borrowed light it is a fit symbol of the mind. The symbols convey a meaning much deeper which our heart can understand more easily. So there is much more to this like Sun also symbolises the soul being more permanent and the source of light etc etc. Now concerning the transformation of our ego symbolism of Deha ( body) Atmak or or I am the Body mind is implied. This mind is born out of our identification with the body and is gross in nature. Such a mind is totally a slave of our bodily needs and pleasures. But as we evolve we realise that mind itself is more powerful and our joys and sorrow depend on it. Meaning that it is not the object alone that determines the outcome. This is not difficult to see and one of the simple tests is to ask which is more painful a hurt of the body or psychological hurt. So with little reflection and observation we get convinced of the fact that mind is more powerful. Thus we can say that this ego is less gross as compared to the former which took bodily pleasures to be everything. Some people give peeling of the onion as a simile to attenuation of the ego. I shall be more specific and mark out stages or road map. Now the next thing that a seeker stars being aware of his self image. I am so and so. He realises that there is much in it that is not factual and also how much he shows off to keep up with the Joans. There is also the discovery of the fact of personal sorrow. Now having got an Insight into the ways of

thought he tries to observe the common human predicament or the truth about the ego. This leads him to the discovery of Sorrow and compassion or he comes to discover his true I. Now is it not going from gross to subtle or attenuation of our Ego. I hope my (Pseudo) Advaitic friends are listening.

The Dog catching its tail

I too want to discuss this point of hurt and sorrow as this may be one of the major issues in understanding of self. We have seen this over and over again that more sensitive a person more he gets hurt and withdraws into a shell. All of us as a general rule are scared of hurt. Now naturally we build resistances and do not meet life fully. Therefore it is necessary to go into this mechanism of hurt. We get hurt because our desires are frustrated, our hopes are dashed or we have a plan of what should be and things do not turn out that way. One of the major factors of hurt is the self-image. We go to any length to protect our image. Any hurt to this is more painful than the physical hurt. Now any solution that does not alter this basic structure of brain will at best provide only temporary relief. So my suggestion is that we must do whatever is in our means to get a total insight into this. Mind is the cause of the problem in the first place but as if by sleight of hand trick it at the next moment becomes a solution provider thereby prolonging this game of The Dog catching its tail.

Do we have Energy to change?

I just wanted to share my thoughts on radical change in our lives. After all this is what each sincere aspirant hopes for, the ability to get out of the rut, the old grooves. Now we know that any action requires the expenditure of energy and any fundamental change would require enormous amount of energy to overcome the momentum. Ramakrishna Paramhansa gave the example of a field full of holes through which water drained off no sooner it was filled. Now in our daily life there are many such holes through which we loose a lot of energy which could have been conserved and used for spiritual transformation. Some of them are obvious and some need investigation to be seen in oneself for there may be peculiarities or a particular way in which one is predisposed. Talkativeness is one such weakness. Geeta while giving the description of a sincere seeker calls him lover of solitude. It may be a dampener but too much partying could certainly never be on the cards should we be sincere. Second is the enormous energy we spend because of being Fidgety. We cannot be quiet with our body. Unnecessary tension of muscles leads to a lot of wastage of energy. WE must be mindful of this. Third is that we are always in conflict. One of the main reasons for this is to focus on what should be rather than what is. Fourth is that our thoughts run continuously. I mean we are thinking addicts. And lastly but not the least our emotions are a big drain on us. We are on a roller coaster rides. Negative emotions are the biggest drain on energy. While we cannot do much about them at least we must not lend them our energy by constantly dwelling on them. But we take unique pleasure in expressing them and dwelling in them. If we are sincere we must be mindful of all these things. If we care to investigate further and sincerely we will realise that Intelligence is nothing but "Energy".

Guru

In the oriental tradition guru is considered essential for spiritual life. Even the great Advaitic sage Maharshi Ramana said that guru was needed and when queried that he had none said that he must have had at some stage in life. He did add that for a very few God appeared to guide from within. But they were exceptions rather than the rule. Moreover he said that should a disciple meet the Sadguru ( True or enlightened sage) he would ferried across the ocean of sansara ( world) as the deer cannot escape once it is in the jaws of the tiger. Ramakrishna Paramhansa said the frog makes a lot of noise but no sooner it is caught by a cobra it falls silent immediately. The snake symbolises the guru and frog the disciple. Two things are very clear from what i have said till now and they are that a guru is indispensable and that getting a God realised soul as a guru is a unique privilege. Kabir a medieval poet saint of India said that Sadguru was different from those who whispered mantra in the ear. Now choosing a right kind of guru was considered as important for we know of the parable of blind leading the blind. A clear distinction was made between a Teacher and a Guru. Only a person having a divine commission could take on the mantle of guru. It was also said that all were a medium of the first guru and hence guru was synonymous with god. Unconditional devotion was expected from the disciple and he was to follow the directions given by the guru in letter and spirit and follow his instructions. He was supposed to take you to the guru residing within and his task would then be over. Genuine gurus sent away their disciples after initiation or some preliminary preparation because in a shade of a big tree growth of another is difficult. We have numerous examples and to quote some , Ramdas sent away yogi Ram Suratkumar and Baba Neem karoli sent his well known western disciple Ramdass to several gurus. J Krishnmuri has radically different views on this and many of the points raised are very valid. As he does not want anyone to be interpreter of his views they could be directly assessed.

The Thinker, thought & the Gunas

Without going into the metaphysical debate of the thinker & thought let's investigate thinking. If we notice carefully we would find that at times thinking goes on automatically without our conscious participation & at other times we direct the thinking. This is a good starting point for our investigation. Now let us look at our sleep and walking states. If we could be watchful we would realise that in dreams the thinker is a reaction to the seen (dream objects). This is an example of passive thinking. Now on the other hand a student fully attentive to the studies is an example of active thinking. Both are thinking but the difference is vast. In active the thinker is predominant while in the other the thoughts. This could be compared to the three Gunas (property) of the mind. According to Sankhya philosophy which is the basis of yoga, all matter is a mixture of these three primordial qualities of energy. They are Sattva ( tranquility), Rajas (active) and Tamas (passive). Quality of Rajas is said to be active when thinker predominates & Tamas when thought. This leaves us with Sattva which is supposed to be a spiritual quality and equated with Intelligence. Before i come to Sattva let me tell you a story as told by Ramakrishna Pramhansa. There were three thieves and they caught hold of a traveler in a lonely forest. After robbing him one thief said , "we must kill him". Said another " why kill, we could just tie him with a tree". Then they departed. The third fellow returned quietly and freed the man the next day. He also took the man out of the forest and indicated the way ahead. Now the traveler was very thankful and asked the third thief to come to his home and he would reward him for the kindness that he had shown. The thief said that he would be unable to accompany him any further for the fear of being caught. In this story the three thieves are symbolic of the three Gunas. While Tamas destroys, Rajas binds & Sattva sets free, all the three cannot accompany the Soul to liberation. From the point of view of energy, Tamas ( Sleeping or Day dreaming) is the state of least energy. Rajas is the state of active energy but its directed towards an object (or goal). Sattva is a state of energy which is not directed towards any object. It is in this passion (Sudha or pure Sattva) which is not directed ( towards anything) that we get a glimpse of reality or our true Self.

Freedom & Intelligence

Why do we have this herd instinct? i have watched those wild life shows on national geography and fully understand the benefits of physical survival from being in a group. i am also aware that referrals & connectedness could get us a good job but beyond that why do we seek to belong to a group ( even spiritual). AS in this forum we have the soul-mates & it amuses me no end. Why is it that our opinion of what we are is so totally dependent on others that we rush for some sort of psychological support every-time. To think over something requires a mind that is not scared to investigate. Are we really serious about discovering ourselves and can we really question our pet beliefs and dogmas unless we are prepared to stand alone? Another related issue is the dependence on stimulation. We require this kind of a stimulation because without it we cannot think about anything independently. It is this very psychological dependence that makes the mind dull. While i am not against Gurus i wish to ask why we rush to hold on to some or the other authority or conform to the teachings. If our motives were clear a True Guru won't mind our questioning. In fact in Geeta (holy scripture of Hindu's) one is asked to know the truth by pari-prashnena which means repeated questioning. Another way is the way of revolt which is not very different from those that conform because they draw the energy from that very source. A thing related to another cannot be different from it. So revolt or opposition is not very different from conformity. Intelligence can operate only when we are free which comes from a mind that is not scared to stand alone.

Intelligence & Daily life

In my previous blog i had written about intelligence and freedom. Now having gone sufficiently into this question in one of the topics i discussed in the forum, one would be curious about how can it come about? It is a matter of how we apply ourselves in our day to day life. Efficient action in daily life promotes intelligence. By efficiency is meant actions that do not produce or promote conflict. Another facet of efficient action is that we do not spend more energy than what is required for a given work. Examples of this are found in both psychical & mental work. Once Shivapuri baba asked his disciple to get flowers for him. Those who know the life story of this marvelous Yogi would know that he was a very austere person & would have asked this from the disciple for some special reason. Now the disciple was eager to serve his master and got a rather large bunch of flowers from the market. Baba pointed it out to him that he was not careful enough in getting these flowers. He had not thought about how much to get and where he would place them. He did not care to find out the purpose for which they were meant. With this simple example baba taught the necessity of due diligence in performance of our tasks. So diligence and efficiency in our daily life brings about intelligence.

Spirituality

Is there a difference between mental and spiritual?It is an interesting question which must have crossed ones mind at least sometime. i would attempt to answer it. At the very outset let me negate all paranormal & psychic phenomenon. They belong to the mental realm & are a serious hindrance to the spiritual path, so we are told by the sages. WE know the position of Advaita very well who would say that in truth there is one existence known as Brahmn ( Absolute) & all else is an appearance or Maya. So this division is arbitrary and based on our limited world view. Though this is there absolute stated position, they do give a concession to our ignorance & acknowledge the 24 principals of Sankhya the philosophy of the Yogies. Now as per this, on the scale of microcosm (individual) first springs the principal of Ego (Ahankara) and later on develops the discriminative intellect (Buddhi) & mind (Man). The pure I being the nearest to spirit has the greatest portion of divine qualities. Some would say that like the Sun reflecting in water, the Atman (Self or Brahmn) is reflected in Chitta (Mindstuff) as I.

So this is considered Spiritual. Shankara in his masterly treatise Vivekchudamani (crown jewel of discrimination), says that this I shining in the Buddhi(intellectual Sheath or body) is the only real and should be meditated upon. We could also say that all is matter or energy. Starting from this premise it can be shown that our body consists of the gross (Sthul) energy and is called the Annamaya Kosh (body of food). The other body which is of finer substance is the Pranmaya kosh (body of breath). Finer than this is the mind (manomaya kosh). Finer than this is the intellect (vigyanmaya kosh) and the finest is the soul or I which is considered to be more fine than anything else and atomic in size (anu) residing in the heart. This is the spiritual entity.

Open Heart Surgery

The mankind is in crisis and it needs an immediate Open Heart Surgery. Ever since we began to use thought and became "civilised" we have cultivated all the cunning of thought and are caught up in its pursuit of pleasure and avoidance of pain. One of the reasons for our misery is operating from this citadel called the "ME" or "I". Thought has done everything in the rule book or for that matter breaking all rules to perpetuate a lifestyle where its dream creation has become more important than actual fact of living. All our responses are contaminated by this little self (me) and therefore we cannot meet life head on fully. As we grow older we get enclosed in this cocoon and the childhood spontaneity remains but a distant memory. Physical security is a must but why do we go at length to protect ourselves psychologically. Why is our self image so strong that we refuse to see ourselves naked (as we are). To live life fully we must be vulnerable (without defenses). Love can only flower when the heart is not enclosed in web of thought and belief. The Maya (ignorance or power of illusion) that the Advaitist speak of is nothing but thought. Thought has a lawful place in our daily interactions but it must not be allowed to grow deep psychological roots. This can only be done when we remain ever watchful and observe the ways of thought and its deceptions.

The Prognosis or the Recovery of Heart (Ailment)

We had briefly stated (previous blog)the cause of our ailment and suggested the method of Open Heart Surgery. As it appears to the superficial eye it could be just another theory that goes the rounds and have merely intellectual stimulation as a goal. For those that are serious and have a subtlety of vision, I would like to go into it in greater detail. Now having said that thought is the cause of our problems what are we left with to proceed. Do we watch our breath or whatever is the latest fad or follow the various techniques which are handed down with great skills (marketing?) and a sprinkle of exclusivity and esoteric interwoven in it. If I may suggest that we do not have such a long time in our hands to negate all these tricks one by one after experimenting with each. One lifetime is not enough and then only hope is to believe in reincarnation and the lullaby that the very same teacher will take you forward from where one had left. It would be easy to set aside all for having tested one drop of a mixture one can predict all about the rest. Of course they would tell you that it works if only...one had practiced enough, if only....etc etc. Now having rejected thought and meditation tricks is there nothing left for us to proceed on our journey of self discovery. We have given such tremendous importance to understanding through concepts that we forget that if we pay sufficient attention and apply ourselves diligently we could "SEE" for ourselves like any scientist doing his experiment. The only difference is that we focus our attention to our life, its day to day activities and try to have an understanding of the important as well as the trivial. The big and the small both tell us what we are and need equal attention. No teacher or book can give you what you can gain by such a direct insight. If we have such a mindset then we can dabble in anything and that becomes a mirror to see ourselves. This is true devotion when we take all life as worship (workshop). To "SEE" is to believe.

The First Step

The first step in the Spiritual path is to realise that no matter what we do or whatever path or method that we follow, we only strengthen this center of egotistic activity. When one has seen the danger of this then there is a possibility of doing something about the misapprehension or illusions that we have. The only way to get over the illusions and misapprehensions is inquiry or earnest questioning. I feel it would be appropriate to start with the questions that we are passionate about and they could range from ascertaining our motives, desires or about Love, God and Self. Traditionally though some questions are termed fundamental questions and uncovering of which would lead to the dispelling of all darkness. One such question is the inquiry into "Who Am I". Does the thinker really exist or it is a product of our conditioning. If we were to inquire deeply and observe we would realise that this division between the thinker & thought is the greatest myth. There is only thinking which we call the mind and beyond that is the ground which can never become the object of our thought. So the inquiry as to what this "Substratum" is could be yet another fundamental question.

Truth according to Vedanta

The teachings of Vedas are not easily accessible to us but we do get a good summary of it in works of Ramana Maharshi and to some extent Sri Nisargdutta Maharaj. But if one is interested to know more about the non-dual teachings one must read Vivekchudamani and if posible Panchadashi. The former is a work by the Adi Guru Sankara and later by Vidyaranaya who is acclaimed to by only second to the former and a person of equal eminence. Vedanta maintains that Truth is non-dual and any duality seen is only apparent and a result of Maya, said to be a mysterious force which is indescribable and can only be inferred. This original source or substratum of creation is called Brahman. Atman or the substratum (Consciousness or witness) in case of the individual is also Brahman. The error is in the individual considering himself to be having a body and mind. This error makes him a Jiva.

When through the threefold method of Listening, Reflecting and Meditating one realises his error he is considered liberated. In case of Sages who have realised the Self the Maya is nowhere to be seen. This is its mystery. Maya is said to Veil Brahman or Atman but does not do so completely. The feeling of "I" is a result of Brahman but the mistaking it for body is the handiwork of Maya. Errors of taking one thing for another is due to mind. So the cause of bondage is mind. Since we consider ourselves to be the mind and work according to a path for its purification the cause of release is also mind. The truth is Atman is ever liberated and same as Brahman.

Difference self love & Self Love

Let me give extracts from three different traditions to explain the difference between self love & Self Love. First from Gurdjieff: Self-love is hell, and self-love is heaven. These two, bearing the same name, are outwardly alike, but totally different and opposite to one another in essence. But if we look superficially, we can go on looking throughout our whole life without ever distinguishing the one from the other. Al Ghazzali in Mishkat Al Anwar, THE APPLICATION TO THE LIGHT-VERSE AND THE VEILS TRADITION , THE EXPOSITION OF THE SYMBOLISM OF THE LIGHTVERSE . http://www.sacred-texts.com/isl/mishkat/msh18.htm Secondly, their are those whose preoccupation is self, and who in no wise busy themselves. about the quest for causality. Rather, they live the life of the beasts of the field. This veil is, as it were, their self-centred ego, and, their lusts of darkness; for there is no darkness, so intense as slavery to self-impulse and self-love. "Hast thou seen," saith Allh, "the man who makes self-impulse his god?"[1] and the Prophet, "Selfimpulse is the hatefullest of the gods, worshipped instead of Allh." Fourth Brahmana: The Conversation of Yajnavalkya and Maitreyi .

http://www.ramakrishnavivekananda.info/vivekananda/volume_2/practical_ve... He said, "It is not for the sake of the husband that the wife loves the husband, but for the sake of the tman that she loves the husband, because she loves the Self. None loves the wife for the sake of the wife; but it is because one loves the Self that one loves the wife. None loves the children for the children; but because one loves the Self, therefore one loves the children. None loves wealth on account of the wealth; but because one loves the Self, therefore one loves wealth. None loves the Brhmin for the sake of the Brahmin; but because one loves the Self, one loves the Brahmin. So, none loves the Kshatriya for the sake of the Kshatriya, but because one loves the Self. Neither does any one love the world on account of the world, but because one loves the Self. None, similarly, loves the gods on account of the gods, but because one loves the Self. None loves a thing for that thing's sake; but it is for the Self that one loves it. This Self, therefore, is to be heard, reasoned about, and meditated upon. O my Maitreyi, when that Self has been heard, when that Self has been seen, when that Self has been realised, then, all this becomes known." What do we get then? Before us we find a curious philosophy. The statement has been made that every love is selfishness in the lowest sense of the word: because I love myself, therefore I love another; it cannot be. There have been philosophers in modern times who have said that self is the only motive power in the world. That is true, and yet it is wrong. But this self is but the shadow of that real Self which is behind. It appears wrong and evil because it is small. That infinite love for the Self, which is the universe, appears to be evil, appears to be small, because it appears through a small part. Even when the wife loves the husband, whether she knows it or not, she loves the husband for that Self. It is selfishness as it is manifested in the world, but that selfishness is really but a small part of that Self-ness. Whenever one loves, one has to love in and through the Self. This Self has to be known. What is the difference? Those that love the Self without knowing what It is, their love is selfishness. Those that love, knowing what that Self is, their love is free; they are sages.

Emotions, Thinking & Observation

For a lot of people the traditional ways seem to be inadequate. The myths and theistic interpretation seem to go against the known scientific approach. How is such a person to start? The starting should always be to delve into some deep personal concern. It could be a burning question or some problem that one is confronted with. Often the approach is theoretical without an emotional content or something that is not vitally important to oneself. An intellectual dissection always confounds the problem. The example of donkey is given for such a person for even if it was to carry a load of books it would

remain clueless. This brings us to what it means to understand? Is there a difference between intellectual comprehension and Understanding? Thinking may be an important function but it has no place in spiritual life. Rather the understanding of the limitations of thought may be a window to the spiritual way. Understanding has the capacity to transform. The process of Understanding varies from person to person. Understanding comes from insight into personal experience. Observation is a scientific tool which has to be applied to the inner world (as against the outer which is the concern of scientist). This needs observation of oneself in daily life and more importantly to study oneself. The study of ones physical, emotional and verbal or nonverbal reactions may be the way. Emotions are the key and true spiritual life begins when we begin to understand our emotional involvement and identifications. It is not that we are identified with some things which we call conditioning, but the sate of identification is always there though the objects vary. In short I am my Identifications and the things on which I invest (emotions). This I need to Observe and Study.

Trasformation
It would not be difficult to see that Spiritual life demands a complete transformation in our psyche. Mere change is of no help. One changes unconsciously whether one likes it or not with the changes in circumstances or time. These changes are brought about by outward forces and do not make a person Spiritual. What is this Transformation that forms kernel of Spiritual life? We could take this statement from Gita as a starting point. Though I would like to change the word lust with imitation in the translation given below. "As fire is covered by smoke, as a mirror is covered by dust, or as the embryo is covered by the womb, similarly, the living entity is covered by different degrees of this (imitation?) lust." Therefore the premise is that the intelligence which is innate in all beings gets covered for some reason which has been ascribed as original sin or ignorance or as I put it blind imitation & conditioning. Of course it is not an individual decision to be or not to imitate

or get conditioned but a fact of living life in a society which has inherited this conditioning through generations. So at the very start one is not starting with a clean slate but with a psyche which is in different degrees of deformity. For a fortunate few the conditioning is merely like a covering of dust in the mirror but for most it is much more, making it impossible to enter a true Spiritual path. So for the few who do try sincerely there exists a possibility to wipe out the false conditioning which imprison man and discover the intelligence which as if lies hidden. The mistake made is that the charge to bring about a change is handed over to the self arising or identified with the conditionings. Questions are asked and answers given from the point of view of this conditioned self which cannot lead to any transformation but a false sense of progress. The Question then is what is one to do and this may be a good starting point.

Choice

I think the subject of Choice is not dealt with in a comprehensive manner when we pit free will against determinism debate. There are some who feel that choice is anathema to spiritual life. "Thy will be done", is a famous refrain which could mean a fatalistic surrender or that the Subject at best feels that a entity outside of him makes crucial decisions. To make God will things turns him into a capricious fellow. To start with I go with the assumption that there is no person outside of our psyche viz, God or angel who chooses for us. It is clearly said of God in Gita that he is neither the creator of duty or 'ought to' nor of the various actions that one is as if forced to perform, nor does he assign the fruits of actions or the results for they necessarily follow the natural Law. One of the official explanations is as given below. "Lord Krishna clarifies this point in this verse and the next stating: prabhuh or the Supreme Lord does not create any agency in the world of beings, rather it is the embodied beings own individuals nature and the level of nescience and ignorance of the atma or soul that determines how they act out existence." The second point I wish to make is that choice is a fact of life and to go with 'No Choice' is also a 'Choice'. All actions depend on something so it would be interesting to examine the basis or background of Choice. I am not going into the mechanism of choice based on sensations and thought but what we choose and why from a broad perspective.

To quote Gita Chapter 6 verse 5 & 6 "Lift up the self by the Self And don't let the self droop down, For the Self is the self's only friend And the self is the Self's only foe. " "For him who has conquered the mind, the mind is the best of friends; but for one who has failed to do so, his mind will remain the greatest enemy." Choice then can be studied at three levels. The highest type of our choice arises from self concept. The choices that shape our destiny are made at this level and it is quite possible that one is not fully aware of the choosing. This gives a general direction to our life and does not interfere in the daily routine of life. The second level of choice depends on what interests our heart. This is hardly a choice for one naturally follows it and often against his rational thought. The only way to choose differently in this case is to have a change of Heart. It is a cause of much contradiction and suffering. The third level of choice which we come across in our day to day living is made mechanically without much thought or with great deliberations but which does not involve any moral dilemma or is not in conflict with our core values or beliefs. We can be defined by 'What and How' we Choose and an understanding would help us Choose wisely for we are Free to choose but have to face the consequences of choices whether we like them or not.