The Origin of our Problems

Every day I get messages from around the world from people reaching out to ask if I can help them with some of the challenges they are having in life. Often, my first reaction is that of empathy and sadness. I feel sad because almost none of us are taught how to handle life’s challenges. I feel empathy because I know what it is like to be overwhelmed by life’s challenges, something I have experienced many times as a young man and continue to occasionally experience in my day-to-day life. The difference from when I was a young to today, is that now I have tools that I can use to work with any challenges that I face.?

I started to learn the tools to face life’s challenges when I became a sage and started being trained by my guru. The truth of it is that all of us have problems in life (including gurus & sages), but having tools to face challenges is what makes all the difference to the outcome.?

As a sage, I talked to my guru about many of the challenges that I faced and one day I asked him, "What is the source of all my troubles?"?

He responded with an emphatic, "You! You are the cause of all the joy and sorrow in your life."?

At first, this was not easy to hear because I blamed others for some of my problems, but after much reflection and meditation on this I realized that my guru was right (as usual!). I realized that indeed, I am the source of all my joy and sorrow. I believe in karma (the law of cause and effect) and therefore I am solely responsible for what I experience.?

I got two things out of this conversation with him that day:

1. I had to take extreme responsibility for my actions, reactions and all that happens to me.
2. If I am the source of my problems, then it is within my power to change it...and this was very encouraging.

My guru also often said, "Problems are not problems.?They are subconscious patterns that need to be adjusted."?

In the ocean of challenges and problems in life, I cling to this saying like a life vest. It gives me hope that every problem can be solved, so long as we keep working at it and never ever give up. This is humanity’s hope. It also reminds me that problems originate in the mind, in particular, the subconscious mind.?

So, what can I conclude thus far:

• I am the cause of my problems
• My problems originate in my mind
• Problems are nothing more than subconscious patterns that need to be adjusted

All that said, where should one begin in solving the problems in one’s life? Naturally, one begins with the mind, and the first step is to begin with understanding the mind. The best way to do so is to learn how the mind works and then to begin a simple, but highly effective meditation practice.?Meditation allows you to get to know yourself, which is the first step in solving the challenges in your life.?I’m ever grateful that my guru taught me the proper method for meditation; it has empowered me and changed my life for the better.?In my next message in this series, I will share with you my insights on meditation including: What is meditation? The benefits of meditation, and so forth.?

I want to end this message by giving you a little homework. I want you to write down three challenges, or problems, that you are experiencing right now and spend 5 minutes each day reflecting on the origins of them. Can you trace them back to a root pattern in your mind? Can you see that the cause of these problems reside in your mind? If so, do you see what it is you need to adjust in your subconscious?

?Always be at Peace

Swami Sandeepani

Sumarti Ashram