webcast: questions

[Kartik Subbarao]

Sharing some of our responses to the initial set of questions (see below
for the full list) might be a good way to spark some broader
discussions. I'll start by responding briefly to a couple of the
questions. Feel free to ask/answer any additional questions that you'd
like as well :-)

2) I find that when I mentor IT professionals, I'm able to act with
solid intention and clarity (e.g. helping them to maximize their
potential), with minimum attachment to the fruits of those actions. It's
very clear that I'm *not* the doer -- I'm just helping them discover and
develop their own talents. It's up to the shishyas to make use of those
capabilities :-) I do watch the results and see what I can do to improve
as a mentor, but I'm able to be relatively unattached to the specific
outcomes.

8) I find Advaita Vedanta to be the most compelling spiritual philosophy
that I have encountered. In modern spiritual philosophy, I like Ken
Wilber's integral framework (which incorporates nondual truths). I'm a
big fan of Jungian Psychology -- Jung developed amazing insights into
the Psyche, some of which I use every day (e.g. the principle of
opposites, the various personality types, and the concept of the shadow).

-Kartik

===========

1) How do you experience spirituality at work? With your family? With
friends and others?

2) What are some experiences where you have acted with full intention
and clarity, without developing attachment to the fruits of your actions
(karma yoga)?

3) What practices do you follow (e.g. yoga, meditation, pranayama, puja,
other spiritual/religious practices) to ground yourself spiritually?
What gives you stability when you are amidst chaos?

4) How do you follow dharma in your life? What do you see as your
personal dharma (svadharma)?

5) What are some experiences of increased self-awareness where you are
able to see yourself as a witness even as you are fully engaged in
whatever you are doing? What are some experiences of mindful awareness
of your own emotions and those of others, experiencing them while
retaining a conscious choice of your next action?

6) Where do you find spiritual community (satsang)?

7) How do you experience devotion (bhakti) in your life? When you pray
to God, what do you say? What are some ordinary acts that you do, that
you dedicate as a worship of God? What form of God (e.g. Ganesha,
Krishna, Shiva, etc) do you turn to in different situations?

8) What spiritual philosophy/framework have you found to be the most
inspiring? What mental models have you found the most valuable and
practical in your day to day life?

9) What spiritual/religious stories speak to you the most meaningfully?
What characters exemplify the virtues that you emulate in your own life?

10) With the wealth of the world's spiritual wisdom readily accessible,
as well as a personal treasure chest of spiritual inheritance to draw
from, how do you manage this abundance of riches? How do you follow,
shape, and honor a path that suits your temperament (gunas), optimizes
your spiritual growth and your contribution to the world?

[Yelleshpur Dathatri]

I will try to give my perspective about the some of the questions.

 

Question #1: I consider focussing on my duty and evolving all my actions around it as being spiritual. But this has to come with a sense of detachment when it comes to outcomes. This principle is applicable in all settings be it work, family, friends or the community at large. This does not mean that we do not care about the outcomes. If the desired outcome is not achieved, we need to contemplate on how best we can adjust our actions to achive the desired outcomes. Being in the academia this model helps me to keep focussed.

 

Question #2: When I teach a simple or complex aspect in electrical engineering, I try to do it using an analogy known to most of us in our lives. I dwelve into the finer details of the subject and the analogy to the point where I see my students have understood the topic. But when I see they have not understood the concept (failing to answer properly in the following class) I will try other methods cheerfully and try to make it work. I also see my analogies work with most of my students.

 

Question #3: I do sandhya and puja everyday. Chanting of Veda mantras and sahasranamas regularly help me to be calm and focussed. When my mind is in a situation of  chaos, I will to to be in the compny of people who regularly practice satsang. 

 

Dathatri   

To unsubscribe from this group, send email to sankethi-spirituality+unsubscribegooglegroups.com or reply to this email with the words "REMOVE ME" as the subject.