Ancient India -the seat of mindfulness

The importance of Ashoka Chakra 

I only understood the true meaning of Ashok Chakra on Indian National Flag after attending Vipassana courses. The chakra is the Dharma wheel on the emblem of Ashoka’s pillar at Sarnath.  

This Ashok Chakra is the Dharma chakra- same as Sudarshan chakra of Krishna or Dhamma chakka of Buddhism.

In Buddhism it represents the principle teachings of Buddha Dharma- the knowledge of the universe based on cause and effect (karma). In essence this knowledge helps in eradicating all suffering by simply seeing things nonjudgmentally, without a bias or sense of “I”-also known as Right View (Vi-passana). Sudarshan chakra, similarly, is not a metal or material object of any kind used by Krishna to kill demons. As the name suggests, it is the representation of how establishment of Dharma can eradicate all suffering. “Su-darshan” means- seeing truthfully or beautifully, also same as Right View in Buddhism.

The chakra has 24 spokes representing Buddha’s teachings of Patthanas– explaining causality and the relationship between mental and material phenomena which are known to have Dependent origination. Dependent origination, the main teachings of Buddha, means- all phenomena we see in the world are conditioned phenomena. They exist as cause and effect, meaning pre-existing conditions give birth to new conditions and phenomena. This is clearly taught in Buddha’s teachings and can be understood by practising Vipassana meditation (also known as mindfulness or insight meditation). A good book reference for this is “Discerning Patthana Conditions” by world revered monk teacher Pa Auk Sayadaw in Myanmar, which explains these 24 conditions clearly. By becoming vigilant about these, one can be free from all mental and physical suffering. Of course the book wont make any sense unless one has practised Vipassana. Even for a Vipassana meditator, unless very advanced in the practice, this may be difficult to understand.

However, it is important to note how true wisdom was always there in India and arose again and again in the form of different spiritual teachings. Unfortunately people fall for the fallacy of “religion” again and again and become attached to the idea of Gods, Goddesses, develop extreme attachments for teachers or saints, and even rituals but forget what is really important- working on ourselves to purify our minds and experience the universal reality within. Anyone can attain this wisdom by the simple practice of mindfulness, which is  developing nonjudgmental awareness of the universe within and hence the natural generation of insight.

The birth of mindfulness in India and it’s spread all over the world

Even during Buddha’s times there were multiple prominent spiritual traditions and paths. There were many trying to practice various methodologies and techniques to find the way out of suffering. Such people who were toiling hard to learn, discover and enlighten themselves were called Sramans (Sraman is a Pali word that translates to effort). Various philosophies including theism (Astika) and atheism (Nastika) were present even back then. Many concentration practices were already there called Jhanas in Pali (origins in Sanskrit word Dhyaan which also means concentration or Samadhi) and teachers taught all eight Jhanas clearly, but still no one knew the full path to liberation (and that is what Buddha finally discovered in the technique of Vipassana). In those times, all this fell within Sanatan Dharma meaning study of the eternal laws of the universe understanding which could free ourselves from defilements like sadness, anger, hatred, greed etc.

Much like how the cognitive psychology, psychiatry, and other branches of science today focus on treatment of mental disorders and diseases. People are becoming aware that the complete path out of suffering is already available through the path of mindfulness. Cognitive psychology itself is completely based on mindfulness principles as can be seen in elements of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Acceptance Commitment Therapy etc.

By merely witnessing ourselves within- our thoughts and feelings in a nonjudgmental way and practising this again and again we can develop knowledge and insight within and be free from mental issues.

Thanks to Vipassana courses, mindfulness has spread all over the world today and in some countries like US or UK, mindfulness is being taught in academics to psychology professionals so they can incorporate this in to their therapeutic practices. Much research and exploration is also being done in mindfulness and how it can be used to impact our wellbeing.

A few resources on mindfulness in academics and psychology in the west-

1. Stanford Mindfulness
2. Center for mindfulness, University of San Diego
3. Center for compassion and altruism research, Stanford University
4. Oxford university Mindfulness research
5. Mindfulness at Monash university, Australia

Some well known western mindfulness based leaders or instructors like Jon Kabat Zinn (MBCT or Mindfulness based cognitive therapy), Ekhart Tolle (spiritual teacher on mindfulness) and Daniel Goleman (teaches emotional intelligence in work settings) have mentioned sitting Vipassana courses in India back in the 70’s and 80’s. Other mindfulness teachers who teach Vipassana courses like Jack Kornfield, John Coleman, Sharon Salzberg, have also learnt Vipassana directly under great Vipassana teacher S N Goenka or his teacher Sayagyi U Ba Khin. 

A few mentions-

1. Read- Mindfulness teacher Sharon Salzberg’s message on S N Goenka

2. Listen to- Vipassana teacher Jack Kornfield’s homage to S N Goenka

3. Read- Daniel Goleman’s article on Vipassana courses with S N Goenka and others

Mindfulness is a science, not a religion

Unfortunately, India has not taken the lessons of mindfulness as seriously as the west. Even though Buddha’s pure teachings of mindfulness are still offered in present day India as 10 day Vipassana courses and those who practice Vipassana are surely benefitting much, the mindfulness movement has not caught up in the same way in India.

One of the reasons for that is “religion”.

There were many spiritual teachers in India before and after the Buddha and each has taught in his own way trying to show the path out of suffering. The path taught by each is the same because the universal reality is the same. There isn’t a separate Hindu universe, Buddhist universe, Jain universe, Muslim universe, Christian universe or a Sikh universe. There is simply universe. Only the language and context differ in different times. There is also the limitation of the teacher based on his or her own awareness levels as well as the levels of absorption and wisdom of the students. Due to this, it seems like these teachings are different from the other and hence boundaries and religions form. If we try to see similarity in religions and work to connect the dots, we will find that all religions are trying to say the same thing- since the reality of the mind is the same. But unfortunately we focus on differences and unnecessary details and hence it only leads to arguments and conflicts.

There are only a few resources I found on mindfulness in India other than the main organisation (Vipassana as taught by S N Goenka in the tradition of Sayagyi U Ba Khin)-

1. Indian Institute of Management, Bodh Gaya Mindfulness center
2. Mindfulness for effective leadership course at IIMB

How physics can explain secularism

We can take the example of physics. Let’s say there are students studying in higher STEM classes and they join different coaching centers for Physics. Now one coaching center may have a wonderful physics teacher who teaches by problem solving. Another teaches by giving examples and telling stories. Yet another teacher explains the same concepts by theoretically explaining via equations. Maybe there are a few very popular teachers. But they all have different teaching styles and philosophies and each student speaks highly of his teacher or his coaching center. But aren’t they all teaching the same physics? It’s the same physics, isn’t it? The same magnetism, laws of gravity, quantum effects, electronic phenomena, present universally. Also, the important thing is to learn the Physics. One can talk highly of his teacher and his coaching center, argue with the other about who is better or how his coaching center is the best, but if he or she doesn’t practice, how will they pass the Physics exam or develop knowledge of physics? Is this any different from religion? Every spiritual teacher teaches the same universal principles to all. He just teaches in his own language and style based on his knowledge levels and also the knowledge levels of the students. But the students have to practice what is taught. Without the practice, religion is meaningless.

Mindfulness is Mind Physics

According to Buddha, there is only mind and matter in the universe. Everything in the universe is made up of vibrations and is constantly changing. The change is happening because there is constant contact between mind and matter (for example- stimuli and our senses leading to sensory formations like images, sound, feelings, thought, taste, smell etc). All mind and matter is fundamentally the 5 elements of fire, air, earth, water and space manifesting themselves. By clear observation of all mental phenomena by developing an objective mind (concentration practice of Anapana helps in this), one can see this whole reality within ourselves. In many present day Vipassana meditation centers and monasteries (especially the esteemed ones), mind is trained in 8 levels of concentration (Buddhist Jhanas) and at the higher levels, mind can be trained to see the most subtlest vibrations in the universe- called kalapas.

So mindfulness is the physics of the mind. Modern science is focused on the physics of the material universe. And while mindfulness uses a concentrated objective mind as a tool to observe the universe within us, modern science uses material tools to observe the universe outside. 

Wishing to celebrate the ancient wisdom in India that has survived through centuries of adversity, reflecting on the spiritual leadership and greatness of India, despite the extremely large population and diversity, hoping that religion will not be a block to our happiness and progress anymore-

मज़हब  नहीं सिखाता आपस में बैर रखना|

Translation- Religion does not teach animosity.