Occasionally I like to include a series of questions in my blog, each question clarifying the last. In our conversation we discuss what makes your life a successful one?
This is a question from Sabir:
Thank you Michael,
Your answers were really great and provided the necessary base to make the person free from all sorts of suffering.
Michael, I have circle of friends where I discuss your suggestion for knowing and meditating on your self-nature. I do believe in every single word that you have pointed out as you clearly state that these are the teachings of sages of old and you didn't discover anything new. But my friends raise the point that if the stillness and oneness are the only thing to concentrate on then what's the point living life in this world? Since you believe that happiness comes from the place where you actually experience it and not from the opportunities that life brings you, then if you obtain oneness you wouldn't be excited by the opportunities for success that come into your life.
Likewise sorrow or grief shouldn't hurt you, but in the actual world you cannot isolate yourself from these emotions because that would be unnatural.
I tried hard but couldn't make my point clear to them. What would you say in this regard, Michael? Here I must mention that as success is the main motive of my friends they said that this wisdom meditation doesn't support success. One of my friends has attended Richard Bandler famous NLP Neuro-linguistic program in Karachi Branch and other found Paul Mckenna success programs series and they believe that they get certain benefits from those programs. I saw Paul Mckenna books and listen to CDs at my friend place; those have some impact because it based on stimulating imagination which is quiet contrary to meditations
Here was our reply to Sabir's question:
Hi Sabir,
Could ask your friends exactly how they define success? For instance Steve Jobs, since I mentioned him, died with a net worth of around 30 billion dollars U.S. My wife calculated that even if he spent a million dollars a day for eighty years he would have money left over. But he was only 56 years old when he died and was sick for the last eight years of his life. Is that success?
Bernie Madoff is another example. He made lots of money too, but he made it by deception and will spend the rest of his life in jail. Is that the way they would define success? Or Mother Teresa spent her life serving the poor. Is that success? And Kabir of whom you will read about in my newly revised book wrote poetry that is beautiful even in English. (You may be able to read Kabir in his original language.) Is that success?
If your friends have metrics I would like to know them too. For instance they may define X amount of money, or Y amount of years living in good health or Z amount of children as success. Once I have a good idea of what they mean by success, I will be able to give them a precise and complete answer as to how Self-Knowledge will or won't help them with their goals.
Best Wishes,
Then Sabir wrote:
Michael
I have had contact with you since 2006, even before that I always felt amazing states whenever I thought of myself, the world, my surroundings and this universe.
I always felt there is something beneath your suggested meditations and they show me that beneath path, whenever I used it at the times of difficulties and miseries I found great benefits.
I agree with your advice in the last paragraph of your second to last email that at this time of comfort, I should practice rigorously and I will do it with the help of your book and then I will ask for any clarifications.
I think my friend’s idea of success is status and money. But as you mentioned in the examples of Steve Jobs & Bernie, money and status do not necessarily bring happiness and peace. But because we all live in this materialistic world where everybody thinks objectively instead of subjectively, it is hard for them to digest the concept of meditation.
My friends argue that if all you want is stillness and oneness why live in this world at all. If you gain this oneness then you wouldn’t be excited by any opportunity for any success comes your way in life. After all you believe that happiness doesn't come from opportunities; it comes from the place where you actually experience it. Likewise given this belief sorrow or grief shouldn't hurt you. But in the world you can’t isolate yourself from these emotions, coming from a changing world. That would be unnatural. Could you shed some light on these arguments, Michael?
Thanks & Regards
Sabir
Hi Sabir,
Of course it is hard to imagine what it is like to wake up. Most people think that in life you either are busy running after goals and objectives, or dull where you just sleep all day. They can hardly conceive of a state where life becomes fascinating just because of what it is, without the need to gain anything from it. But the feeling is amazing. It is like you have everything because you are everything.
Give the gift of enlightenment when you give Making Your Wisdom Come Alive. This book points to the wisdom and joy that you find at your center. Here you can find the light that makes life shine in its full glory.
See our fully revised second edition.
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And when the sage passes away he returns to that which he is already, always was and always shall be. That's because for a sage the thing that dies has already passed away. But one thing I can tell you for sure, a sage is not dull. A sage is as awake as you can possibly be, without even trying.
The peace that even supports sorrow
But now for your friends: Here is a link to a speech that Steve Jobs gave to the Stanford Universe graduating class of 2005:
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-204609026222503944
I would recommend that your friends follow his advice and model him.
Two things to remember from his speech: First, do what you love. If you don't know what it is, find out. Too many people spend their lives doing something that they hate, just because they think that it will make more money. For instance they wanted to be an artist but they became an accountant. Each day they go into their job with a feeling of dread. At the end of their life when they look back on it, they will feel as if they forgot something that was very important.
Second, live each day as if it is your last. Remember one day you will be right. That will give you the energy to face the obstacles that inevitably come along with any goal, and overcome them.
If you run after a goal merely for status, I can guarantee that at the end you will be disappointed. Even if you get the status that you were hoping for, it will feel hollow.
On the other hand, if you do what you love, not only will the end be satisfying, but you will love the whole process of getting there. You will also love all of the surprises as you see how the dots connect in your life.
I hope that this helps,
Asking Question
As always feel free to ask questions. It is only when you don’t ask that you get to live in assumed limitations. When you can ask you are well on your way to freeing yourself from the limitations that seem to cause your suffering.
Here questions about this article or other things going on in your life are always welcome; you can write us at michael@ananya.com. I love questions and try to answer them all in this blog. That’s because when you start to question limitation, you are on the verge of destroying it.
Please Tell Your Friends
Please tell you friends. Although we don’t have an advertising budget, we hope that everyone who wants to can find out about and wake up to this wisdom.
Best Wishes,
Michael Gluckman
