Letting go the Frame and Framework

Letting go the Frame and Framework

In learning any concept that we do not know we try to search and choose that which we like or is recommended based upon someone's perception. Whatever the concept we choose based upon our likeness or based on someone's recommendation, we explore it and then try to spend some time in understanding it and probably practice the methodology given by the concept.

Any concept that is given by someone might have also created a framework to understand the concept. In the process of understanding the concept, we end up mostly sticking to the framework and start worshipping the frame that is the individual who has given the concept. In our ideology of worshipping the framework and the frame we rarely arrive at a realization that there will be something beyond the concept, the framework that has been introduced by the individual and beyond the individual or the frame also.

This is the time and space that we create ourselves where the concept, framework and the frame become boundaries, limit our understanding and restrict ourselves to stick within those boundaries. This is the risk and the danger that one has to understand and prepare oneself to let go the concept, framework and the frame. The analogy that can be used over here to understand is like we all chose a vehicle to travel from one place to another - may be a bicycle, a car or an aeroplane. But once we have travelled the said distance we let go those vehicles at someplace or the other and travel by foot all alone.

Similarly, we have to let go the concept, the framework and the frame, once we comprehend the concept and then make an every attempt to understand something beyond the concept, framework and the frame. 

This is what an every seeker need to understand and realize that on the spiritual path, the framework in terms of techniques that are introduced or provided by one's Guru are to regularize the wandering mind and once mind is regularized the seeker has to let go the framework of technique and go beyond the technique, the mind and the concept itself.

Most of the seekers' try to give importance to the techniques or the framework itself and then get stuck with them. The seeker need to understand and realize that the techniques are only to regularize the mind and once the techniques are mastered or practiced, he/she has to let go, move beyond the techniques, beyond the mind and beyond every concept.

This is what an every individual need to understand and realize this. The framework in terms of methodologies that are introduced are only to guide the individual to a certain concept and the individual has to let go the framework and go beyond it to arrive at a 360 degree perspective. Most individuals give importance to the framework itself and then get stuck with them. Once a concept is mastered they have to let go, and move beyond the concept, framework and the frame. .

Why every framework creates boundaries?

The people who follow certain framework will create their thought process in the beginning in such a way so that they want to stick to that framework, and slowly convert this thought process into a belief system. Once their thought process gets converted into a belief system, they like to stick to their belief system and would easily get irritated when they are challenged on their belief system. Sometimes, the individuals will not hesitate to fight or even kill on the extremes just in protecting their belief systems. This is the main reason that every individual has to be told before itself about the limitations of a framework and to what extent they need to stick to it and when to leave it also. Otherwise, every framework gets converted into a belief system over a period of time and will make the individual narrow minded, prejudiced and judgmental. It is like the metaphor "finger pointing to the moon." Over a period of time people will see the finger and worship the finger and forget completely about the moon. In this metaphor, the truth is the moon while the finger is only a pointer or a framework that is pointing to the moon or directing towards the truth.

This keeps happening so much in our day-to-day professional or personal lives. We create so many frameworks and stick to them. In organizations, innovation gets stuck completely because of attachment to the frameworks or the belief systems people have created over a period of time following those frameworks. 

CONCLUSION

Every innovator breaks frameworks, thinks completely out of the box, after knowing very well what is in the box and brings in a change or sometimes a revolution itself. Let the innovator or the seeker of truth in all of us realize this and break the boundaries that have been created by the framework - let go the framework, let go the frame and let go the concept.

Let the seeker in all of us realize this and break the boundaries that have been created by the framework - let go the framework, let go the frame and let go the concept. By doing so let us travel and enter into that realm of Nothingness that is beyond and is in everything. The seeker does not become the sought. Once the seeker dies the seeker realizes that the seeker was always the sought itself. The seeker is stopping himself/herself from this realization because of the thought process that the seeker and the sought are different. As part of this thought process the seeker keeps worshipping the sought in a frame and focusses more on the process or the framework that is provided to actually let go the process. The process is given to let go the process once the process is completed. The process gets completed the moment the seeker dies. The seeker dies the moment seeking stops. We have to become a seeker not to seek or sought something else, but to realize that the seeker is the sought itself.

Creating a Sacred Space

Creating a Sacred Space

The importance of creating a sacred space for mindfulness practices.

To carry out any activity we create a conducive space where all essential articles, objects or the required furniture, and equipment and tools are made available and the space is ensured that it is not cluttered and there is a free and appropriate flow of all the required five elements of nature - ether, air, fire/light, water/humidity and earth.

For example for cooking we need a kitchen where, water taps for washing, cleaning are available. stove, oven, food processor, cutlery, tumblers, utensils and other objects are available and are kept handy. Otherwise we get stressed out while cooking and might as well spoil the food. 

To sleep well we design our bedroom with comfortable bed, mattress and set the bedroom at right temperature.

Similarly we need to design a space that is quite conducive - which enables and enhances our formal mindfulness or meditative practices. As the practice involves with mind the space should be free from any unwanted objects and kept as much empty as possible. The space can also be made in such a way where we might keep objects of inspiration, may be a small statue, photographs of a Guru or an awakened/enlightened soul, a lamp or a candle, some very soft incense and may be some flowers. Dimensionally speaking about it, it can be anywhere from a minimum of 4ft x 4ft to any measurement on the higher side.

A good chair or cushion and props for sitting still for a longer duration of time would enable our practices and enhance them.

We use mainly three tools for our mindfulness practices apart from the cushions.

First one is the mind, second one is our body and third one is the breath that flows through our body.

Our bodies create certain memory based upon its environment - the objects, the floor and the surroundings it comes in contact with. Considering this aspect, we also need to have a dedicated space, personalized cushions, seating arrangements and mostly empty space in the area that we use for our practices.

When we enter this sacred space for meditation or mindfulness practices, it is very important that we set our intentions for how long we practice and ensure that we let go all thoughts, etc., for such a duration. In Sanskrit this is called as sankalpa सङ्कल्प. When we have the sacred space, the setting of intention becomes easy and over a period of time it also becomes a habit as it gets registered deep in the psyche and we automatically try to focus more on the practice rather than on something else.

It is very important that we anchor our mind onto our breath during mindfulness practices for it is very challenging to still the wandering mind. A sacred space also makes it easy for stilling the mind. One can use different breathing techniques initially to anchor the mind and then follow the natural flow of breath and probably go beyond breath.

Try making your own sacred space and reap the benefits that it adds to your mindfulness or meditation practices.

Reflections - 1

Reflections - 1

Mindfulness practices provides us a platform or a framework to use our faculties of thought, imagination, visualization, emotions, feelings, our wants, desires etc., to enhance our focus, make ourselves more agile, and help us in deepening our convictions of Truth. They also enable us to have those bold conversations with our heart which we might be avoiding because of some kind of guilt or a non-acceptance.

Compassionate and empathetic communication is of prime importance in nurturing and enhancing any relationship. For any relationship to be enhanced we need to build it on strong foundations of trust, open-hearted, and non-judgmental conversations. 

Mindfulness practices especially that are involved in stillness, unintimidated observation and self-reflection will make to see our life, the way we lead it and the path on which we are travelling like an image in a mirror and provide us the courage and strength to course correct and travel boldly the path of Truth.

Life’s 9 Key Questions

 Life’s 9 Key Questions

1. What is the purpose of life in general?
2. What is the purpose of my life in particular?
3. What is that I want to do to fulfil my purpose of life?
4. What are the various ways of fulfilling this purpose and which of them should I be adapting? and are these ways in symphony or asynchronous with external environment?
5. In any of my conversations with others, how am I behaving? Is it that I am trying to explore, be open and learn or contribute? Or is it that I feel superior and try to teach them or feel inferior and succumb to them?
6. In spending time with others, am I really spending time with others or am I ruminating about my own life and trying to show either my supremacy by sharing my success stories or my failures and expecting either praise, sympathy or empathy?
7. In whatever activity I perform am I doing it for its fulfilment or expecting a validation from others or the external world?
8. Can I live The Life with my True Self or am I trying to live life in search of finding myself in others for fulfilment? Am I living life Consciously or numbed?
9. What is that Truly I want from my life and The Life itself?