BE AWARE

Be Aware

Let me start with a Zen story, although I am sure many of us would know it as well.

 A Story of “Two Monks and a Woman”.

Two Monks were travelling and they came to a river with a strong current. They saw a very young and beautiful woman who was also attempting to cross the river but was afraid to do so. She asked if they could help her cross to the other side. The two Monks glanced at one another because they had taken vows not to touch a woman.

Then, without a word, one Monk picked up the woman, carried her across the river, placed her gently on the other side, and carried on his journey. Another Monk couldn’t believe what had just happened. He was speechless, and several hours passed without a word between them. Finally, he mustered the courage to ask the other Monk - “As Monks, we are not permitted to touch any woman, how could you then carry that woman on your shoulders?”

 The 1st Monk looked at him and replied, “Brother, I set her down on the other side of the river, why are you still carrying her?”

 This simple Zen story has a beautiful message about living in the present moment.

 The 1st Monk who carried the woman was AWARE and the 2nd Monk who watched it was ALERT.

 For being Alert one need to be Awake, Attentive and DOING

 ·        Stay AWAKE - stressful, negative and constantly vigilant.

 ·        Be ATTENTIVE - We use our past experience, being judgmental and try to be more careful not to repeat mistakes. That makes us dwell between the past and the future. We ruminate over events that have passed and constantly stay on our guard 

 ·        ALERTNESS can be felt with sense organs and the command is given by the mind. Consciously, one needs to give thoughts to behave in a certain way. This may be due to self-experience or conditioned by the environment/ society. This is DOING.

 Whereas, being AWARE makes one CALM , being in the present with no burden of past experiences or future uncertainties.  

·        AWARENESS can be experienced without any sense organs.

·        One need not to give any command to one’s mind as AWARENESS is Omni present – it a merger of the Cosmos, Free will and Faith.

·        One doesn’t need to consciously keep up the guard.

·        Being AWARE is to take care of Inner foe than outside.

·        Being AWARE makes one Neutral- no negative or positive feeling (Sthith Pragnaya) and so one is not DOING anything, but simply witnessing everything and move on, like the First Monk.

·        AWARENESS is just HAPPENING without DOING.

·        For being Aware, its only tuning up our energy with Divine Energy, Higher Soul, Cosmos, God or any form of Energy.

·        We are a bundle of Energy and get mixed with Energy when we take exit from body.

 In Jain Religion , the 24th Tirthankara (God) Mahavira’s message was “For liberation just BE AWARE”. He didn’t say “ Be Alert”. The Soul continues journey till it learns to be AWARE.

 APPLYING THIS PHILOSOPHY TO COVID

 During current situation of restriction of movement due to Covid-19 Pandemic, while one is forced to be ALERT to not get this contagious virus and keep the guard up it is equally pertinent to increase one’s AWARENESS towards, physical, mental and spiritual fitness. This practice of simply witnessing in AWARENESS helps one to remain Calm and out of Anxiety or Depression. And being AWARE one doesn’t feel lonely even if he is ALONE.

 You are ENOUGH for yourself and once you are AWARE of it  the magic happens - you will be happy, joyful, blissful not lonely and in sync with cosmos.  That’s the ultimate goal to achieve and experience while in the body.

 Let’s be AWARE of every breath and remain in present to live every moment.

 Wishing all happy and healthy life.