Happy Friday!
And welcome to today’s edition of ‘Conscious living with Purnima’. Today, I share with you a practice to feel more connected to the world around you. I hope you will explore it & find it useful.
In this age of rampant digital media use, with everyone trying to vie the attention of everyone else, it can feel like your own valuable voice is lost in the noise. It can make you feel isolated, lonely & confused. There are many positives of the social media but unfortunately inclusivity is not one of them.
It is important to be aware of this, so you consciously cultivate practices to strengthen your sense of connection & belonging to the world.
In reality, we are more connected to each other than separate. As humans we all face the fear of uncertainty, no matter how materially rich or successful we may be. We all desire to be seen, valued & respected. And no matter what happy face we put on; we all have our inner struggles that nobody knows about. Next time you meet someone new, think about all these things and notice how close you start to feel with that person who may be a stranger.
There is a beautiful shanti mantra from the Upanishad:
ॐ पूर्णमदः पूर्णमिदं पूर्णात्पूर्णमुदच्यते । पूर्णस्य पूर्णमादाय पूर्णमेवावशिष्यते ॥
ॐ शान्तिः शान्तिः शान्तिः ॥
The meaning of this mantra is very profound. It means:
” What is visible is the infinite. What is invisible is also the infinite. Out of the Infinite being the finite has come, yet being infinite, only infinite remains. Peace in my heart, peace with each other, peace in the cosmos.”
Read it slowly & contemplate on it. We are all part of the same infinite. We have different life circumstances & social conditioning but essentially, we are all connected - part of the same whole. Thus, when we cooperate with each other, help & care for each other, we can be happy. But our society enforces separation, competition and one upping one another. This attitude does not bring much good into the world. It only brings us distress. How can different parts of the same whole be happy by antagonizing each other? Think about it. And awaken from this delusion of separation.
Here is today’s practice video. Do give it a listen. And start practicing.
I will conclude today’s post with a lovely poem by David Whyte. Read it every time loneliness hits you, to remind yourself that the world is always calling out to you & you are never alone.
Everything is Waiting for You
David WhyteAfter Derek Mahon
Your great mistake is to act the drama
as if you were alone. As if life
were a progressive and cunning crime
with no witness to the tiny hidden
transgressions. To feel abandoned is to deny
the intimacy of your surroundings. Surely,
even you, at times, have felt the grand array;
the swelling presence, and the chorus, crowding
out your solo voice. You must note
the way the soap dish enables you,
or the window latch grants you freedom.
Alertness is the hidden discipline of familiarity.
The stairs are your mentor of things
to come, the doors have always been there
to frighten you and invite you,
and the tiny speaker in the phone
is your dream-ladder to divinity.Put down the weight of your aloneness and ease into the
conversation. The kettle is singing
even as it pours you a drink, the cooking pots
have left their arrogant aloofness and
seen the good in you at last. All the birds
and creatures of the world are unutterably
themselves. Everything is waiting for you.