Can Mindfulness Change your Brain? Ever lose a match because you got a little tight on a critical break point? Or lose your focus and make uncharacteristic mistakes when you're trying to close out a match? Or maybe you are that rare player who doesn't think too much about the score, but still gets frustrated and negative when you're off your game. All these problems are related to your ability to manage your anxiety and negative emotions. One line of thinking goes that the solution is to try move to a place where you play from positive feelings of confidence and fun, the ideal performance state. No doubt this is a great goal all players should strive for that produces awesome tennis. But how often do you actually get into and maintain that state for the duration of an entire match? Most of us have glimpses of these feelings, but struggle through the majority of our competitive experience dealing with feelings of fear and uncertainty, at least at some level. Now research on the brain suggests a completely different solution, through an ancient technique called "mindfulness." Rather than completely eliminating negative feelings, mindfulness training can help you escape their effect by changing how you focus, and increasing productive action within your brain. The research shows that you can literally change the way your mind works and in this way make fundamental changes in your mental game. The most exciting aspect is that these changes can become permanent - by actually rewiring how your brain responds in certain situations--and this can transform who you are as player. Mindfulness has its roots in ancient traditions such as Tibetan Buddhism. "Mindfulness" can be defined as a deep focus in the present moment. It is the act of doing just one thing with our attention completely absorbed in an activity without judgment. Mindful breathing is the most basic technique within this practice, consisting of prolonging our attention to our breath. The concept of course is not new. The concept of "mindfulness" comes from the East and has its roots in a variety of disciplines - namely Tibetan Buddhism, Vipassana, and Zen. Mindfulness works by strengthening the "focus" muscle in the brain - known as the pre-frontal cortex. What researchers are finding is that by consciously shifting our attention through mindfulness we can balance the left and right hemispheres of our brain. This is critical because each hemisphere has a different task - the left hemisphere is more analytical and verbal, the right being more intuitive and visual. Playing tennis well requires a balance between the two, otherwise we can become too analytical, rigid and less instinctive. Staying calm and fluid with our strokes requires this balance. The point is that through the practice of mindfulness we can not only create a new, balanced mind state in the moment, but also alter the way our brain looks and functions over time. The goal is balance between the left and right hemispheres. One of the most interesting implications of this research has to do with how we deal with anxiety. It's generally assumed that the goal is to reduce or eliminate our fears so that we can play with positive emotional energy. That's a great goal, something most players can work toward, and learn to access at times. It's sometimes called being in the zone. But eliminating anxiety isn't always possible in many or even most competitive situations in tennis. Techniques associated with mindfulness offer a different solution to the presence of these negative thoughts and fears. Rather than eliminating them, proper focus will allow you to reduce or eliminate their impact, so that you can function at your highest level even in their presence. When you are balanced between the two hemispheres while playing, the left hemisphere can still contribute analytic thought, but not at the expense of dominating our mental experience. With proper focus, the left brain can quickly assess what shot to hit next or how to clean up your big backswing on your return, leaving more time, for example, to orient yourself to your opponent's toss or position when returning. Mindfulness trains the prefrontal cortex, the "focus muscle." This seamless focus on what is "relevant" in the moment has huge performance benefits. If you find your mind drifting off the court during matches, or have a difficult time functioning when you hear the voice of your inner critic, a shift in focus may be all you need to help resolve what might seem like insurmountable problems that have plagued you for years. Over time this kind of focus shift can actually rewire your brain to make these responses permanent. This is what leaders in neuroscience are now discovering: that our thoughts and conscious shifting of attention can act back on our brain to actually change its structure over time - not just in the moment. This possibility of impacting our wiring to reduce deeply ingrained mental habits - namely losing focus under pressure appears to be revolutionary. I've long known the value of preparing mentally for matches with imagery and music, and the importance of managing our "monkey" mind in matches. Over the years, I've helped many players quell their critical voice, play more aggressively even though their brain tells them to play it safe, and shift their focus on demand. But, what nobody has fully known, and what is now emerging, is that a practice of mindful meditation and conscious attentional shifting can actually change the way our brain is wired in a way that can transform you as a player. Does he love the fight more than the win? The Nadal Example By now, I'm sure that you, like me, are dumbfounded by Rafael Nadal's ability to concentrate and the depths of his competitive spirit. Can you imagine what Rafa's brain chemistry looks like? Take a recent comment Nadal made after his recent win over Federer in the Australian Open. When asked by reporters about the match he said, "Maybe I like the fight more than the win." Let's consider Nadal's statement from a neural wiring perspective as it relates to focused attention. If Nadal's focus is truly on the "battle" rather than the result as he claims - which I firmly believe it is - than it is likely that he is spending little to no mental effort trying to manage negative thoughts, negative memories or worries about what could happen. He is so engaged in the present moment, focused on what he needs to do every point to play his best. He is not allocating important psychological real estate to manage the barrage of negativity that can emerge from the common outcome-oriented mental state. Those thoughts may flash through his brain from time to time as they do with all players. The difference is Nadal is so focused that he doesn't engage them. Balanced focus in the face of Rafael Nadal. If you look closely at Nadal's face when he is competing, particularly his brow, he has a look of that almost appears as consternation. This facial expression represents the depth of focus that Nadal is able to generate. One can only imagine the beautiful brain circuitry that Nadal is activating in the heat of battle - decisiveness, a narrow focus on the ball, the court and Federer's patterns - all that processed, literally, in split seconds. And the outcome is the incredible high percentage execution of the most difficult shots at the most critical moments. But let's take this one step further. Every time Nadal acts on this pattern with a mentality of "fight for every point, give up nothing", he actually deepens the connection of this particular neural network for use in the future. For example, when he chooses to hit a deep backhand crosscourt winner that makes our jaw drop open again, the brain circuitry that created this decision becomes even more accessible next time. In other words, the physical action Nadal chose will actually act back on the brain to further reinforce the connectivity between focus and execution. Let's look at another example, but this time not Rafa, but you. You're leading 5-4 in the first set ad-out, set point, and as you crouch down to return serve your brain flips through the rolodex of possible shots that you could use to win the set. You think, "Should I block it back? Should I step in and take the offense right away? I missed my forehand long the last time I really went for it. Maybe I'll just put it in play." In the meantime, simply because you are spending too much time processing the situation, your body tightens up just a little bit. You decide to put it back in play and hope for the best. To your chagrin, your opponent, realizing that she has to win the point, takes your short blocked ball and hits a winner crosscourt. With balanced focus players process input faster with less effort. In comparison, it's not that Nadal isn't thinking about these sorts of tactical possibilities - rest assured he is - but the key point is that he doesn't have to work as hard mentally as most players do to process the input. He is decisive. His processing speed simply appears to be faster. A study done recently found that verbal facility and problem solving actually improve in elite athletes. Scientists Fink and Neubauer describe it like this: "Like the expert meditator, the expert athlete, has developed the ability to do more with less. By directing attentional resources more consistently and with less possibility of engaging the attention in surrounding cognitive noise, the elite athlete maintains full, or even heightened, awareness of his or her context while simultaneously engaging in sustained on-task attention." Pete Sampras: clutch serving even with anxiety. Improving Focus So how to do this? By learning to balance the halves of your brain through a disciplined focusing exercise, such as focused breathing. It's well known that elite athletes in any sport relish pressure. They have learned to embrace their nerves and when they feel anxious they immediately think something like, "Yes, it's show time." When Pete Sampras was asked about what he missed most in the game he responded, "I miss throwing up in the locker room before the finals at Wimbledon." Elite athletes love these moments and don't let their nerves get in the way. The key point is that they have figured out that it is not the nerves that will determine their success but, rather, being able to maintain their focus in the moment and committing to the shots they believe in. Putting studies in golf, conducted by Crews and Landers, also revealed that successful amateur golfers who were able to make putts under stressful conditions reported feeling as much anxiety as those were not able to make the shots. These reports were also confirmed with physiological measures: Heart rates of the successful golfers increased as much as those of golfers who failed to make their putts. Reduced left side brain activity correlated with better putting. The difference, however, was that left side brain activity was reduced in the top performers, suggesting they were able to divert mental resources to the right hemisphere as needed to complete the task. These physiological studies concluded that the less experienced athletes had higher levels of left-side activation when on task, while more experienced performers consistently exhibit balanced patterns of left-and right-side activity. What's particularly relevant here is that many players are often both overly preoccupied with finding ways to reduce their anxiety in competition and are disturbed by these feelings. While reducing anxiety is certainly possible through consistent practice of a variety of techniques - including mindfulness training - the key to peak performance appears to lie more in our ability to manage our focus than in directly reducing our arousal levels. It's a matter of shifting our focus away from feelings that may be there, so their role is diminished. This makes sense because it is most commonly the negative thoughts and irrelevant distractions that fuel the anxiety pump in the first place. So it is not the direct reduction of anxiety - heart rate, and blood pressure, for example - that distinguishes the elite from the rest, but our ability to shift our attention on demand. And so far, it seems, the quicker the better. This information is extremely important because it can help us begin to use our psychological resources more effectively. The Amygdala: the fear center lurking deep within the brain. Mental Brushfire Without the ability to shift and sustain focus our untamed minds remain vulnerable to the compulsive thoughts that pop into our heads whenever pressure begins to emerge. It is too easy to get carried away by these thoughts and make poor choices in the middle of competition that only strengthen our bad habits when it comes to our strokes - i.e. playing tentatively and impatiently. Too often, we become victims of our thoughts and forget how we want to really hit the ball or what we practiced during the week leading up to the tournament. There is an extreme example of this. A player who actually equated a first round loss with the possibility of being out on the street one day in his life away from tennis. The mental kindling went like this: "What if my ranking drops? What if I don't get a scholarship after all this time? Then I'll have to go to a weak school. This will surely affect my chance of getting a good job. If I don't get the right job maybe my whole career will take the wrong track. Maybe I'll even be on the street one day. I have to win this match!" Learn to put out the brushfire with your breathing. While I know this may sound far-fetched to you, this is the kind of pressure he was placing on himself to win and improve his ranking. This kind of thinking is called the "brushfire fallacy," in which one negative thought leads to another and another. Again we can directly relate this to activity to one section of the brain, the amygdala or the fear center . In this case the fear center was overly activated, which held him captive. Then of course, his tentative play and eventual loss only strengthened this mental loop. A nasty, on going self-fulfilling prophecy. So what did I do to help him shift this destructive thinking pattern? I had him interrupt this process with a deep breath as soon as he noticed the thoughts circulating in his head. He understood this was critical to stop the brushfire and give other brain synapses a chance to fire. He learned to focus on his breathing daily to practice "catching" these thoughts and become more aware of his tendency to focus on things not working out. I also taught him to pull up pictures of himself playing loosely and confidently and hitting his favorite shots - which were in direct conflict with the actions he was choosing previously. I explained to him that we needed to create new mental "grooves." This is an important distinction because I believe spending too much talking about fears - beyond a certain point - can often deepen the emotion connected to the irrational thoughts. By increasing his awareness of his negative thinking style, particularly the tendency to "brushfire", interrupting these negative thoughts, and replacing them with new pictures his concentration improved. And, to his great satisfaction and relief, he did earn that college scholarship to a division I school. Develop images of relaxed hitting in your own mind. Mindfulness Training I feel confident when write about this topic because I have spent years trying to tame my own mind. Like so many players, I was prone to distraction throughout my playing career in the juniors, in college, and on the tour. For twenty years, prior to learning about how to manage the mind, shift focus, or reduce tension, I was largely a victim of my thoughts and excess tension. Far too often, I would choose to play tentatively in big moments, leaving the ball short because I wasn't able to shift my focus to positive thoughts or be decisive about my shot selection. I remember being very rattled by nerves and not knowing what to do about it. And if you think that I have spent years meditating to get a handle on this, think again. It's not true. But, I will tell you what I have done that has made a huge difference. I have learned to focus my attention on my breath. I focus on my breathing multiple times a day. It's now a habit. Just one or two breaths in the middle of the day, before or during a match, before a point, literally slows my mind down. I feel it immediately. My mind is free to focus on what is relevant. During the week I might breathe for 5 minutes or so a couple of times in addition to the periodic breathing throughout the day. I do yoga once a week. I also practice trying to pay attention to one thing at a time. This is what mindfulness is all about. It is not an either or proposition. Not everyone can meditate on the beach at sunset. I tell you this because I believe there are significant benefits even if you don't practice mindfulness breathing 20-30 minutes every day, which would be more typical of a formal meditative practice. Some people will never do this, but that doesn't mean you can't benefit tremendous from the basic process. The point is that even a little bit can go a long way. It will help you on the court to focus and play better. You will be surprised. So here is a simple series of 4 Steps to put this into practice: First, commit to relaxed breathing 5 minutes per day. To do this, place one hand on your abdomen and one on your chest and allow your abdomen to rise with every breath. Imagine filling a balloon up with air. This will ensure that you are taking the deep, relaxing breath necessary to create the doorway to finding your true and ability and to be able to focus and refocus as necessary. Second, stay present off the court before your match by keeping your attention on whatever you are doing in the moment. This has been one of the most powerful mental techniques that has literally brought players focus to an entirely new level. If you are in the shower, feel the water on your body, if you are eating, taste your food. This will induce a deeper state focus and relaxation even before you walk on the court. Third, use passive attention on the ball when returning by keeping your eyes fixated on the ball. Do not try to concentrate. Use your deep breath to relax your body and just watch the ball and get absorbed into tracking the ball from the moment your opponent steps up to the line to serve. Fourth, when serving practice a progression I call BPR, which stands for Breath, Placement, and Relaxed Arm. First, take a deep breath as you walk to the line to establish your presence, which is accompanied by a choice of your serve. Second, briefly imagine the ball traveling toward your target in your mind. Third, scan and release excess tension from your shoulders and arm. This routine is followed by you bouncing the ball a set number of times, which is comfortable for you and the serve. Keep this routine consistent and practice it regularly so it's automatic. The serving progression: Breath, Placement, Relaxed Arm. Think about this: 50 years ago we didn't know that it was possible to assert control over an involuntary response such as breathing. There is something seemingly magical about being able to regulate something that is part of the autonomic nervous system. We can't directly control our heart rate or blood pressure but we can focus on our breathing as a way to affect everything else. As we train ourselves to shift our focus to our breath and stay mindful of what we are doing in the moment we strengthen our mind and generate new firing patterns in our brain. As we shift our attention to the moment at hand, we increase the likelihood that we will play the game of tennis on our own terms. No longer do we need to be victims of random thoughts or physical sensations that shoot through our body. We can create a "pause" button that redirects our chain of thoughts to a new network that holds the key to our greatest potential and joy. As I always say, we aren't taking any of these trophies with us. But I believe we can lay our rackets down one day knowing that we responded to pressure without being held hostage to a mind that was designed largely for solving problems, not hitting a tennis ball.

self esteem

We all place ourselves at various levels, and we are constantly falling from these heights. It is the falls we are ashamed of. Self-esteem is the cause of our shame, of our fall. It is this self-esteem that must be understood, and not the fall. If there is no pedestal on which you have put yourself, how can there be any fall? Why have you put yourself on a pedestal called self-esteem, human dignity, the ideal, and so on? If you can understand this, then there will be no shame of the past; it will have completely gone. You will be what you are without the pedestal. If the pedestal is not there, the height that makes you look down or look up, then you are what you have always avoided. It is this avoidance of what is, of what you are, that brings about confusion and antagonism, shame and resentment. You do not have to tell me or another what you are, but be aware of what you are, whatever it is, pleasant or unpleasant: live with it without justifying or resisting it. Live with it without naming it; for the very term is a condemnation or an identification. Live with it without fear, for fear prevents communion, and without communion you cannot live with it. To be in communion is to love. Without love, you cannot wipe out the past; with love, there is no past.

True religiousness

What is religion? What is the fact, not the ideal? When we say we are religious, that we belong to a certain religion, what do we mean by it? We mean that we hold to certain dogmas, beliefs, conclusions, certain conditionings of the mind. To us, religion is nothing more than that. Either I go to church, or, I do not go to church; either I am a Christian, or I give up Christianity and join some other form of religion, assume some other set of beliefs, perform some other series of rituals, obeying certain dogmas, tenets, and so on. That is the actual fact. And, is that religion? Can a mind whose beliefs are the result of impositions, of conditioning by a particular society, - can such a mind find what is God? Or can the mind which has been trained not to believe, ever find God either?
Surely, a mind that belongs to any religion, - that is, which belongs to any particular form of belief, is stimulated by any form of ritual, has dogmas, believes in various saviours, - surely such a mind is incapable of being religious. It may repeat certain words, may attend church, may be very moral, very respectable: but surely such a mind is not a religious mind. A mind that belongs to a church of any kind, - Hindu. Buddhist, Christian, or what you will - is merely conforming. being conditioned by its own environment. by tradition, by authority, by fear, by the desire to be saved. Such a mind is not a religious mind. But to understand the whole process of why the mind accepts belief, why the mind conforms to certain patterns of thought, dogmas, - which is obviously through fear - to be aware of all that, inwardly, psychologically, and to be free of it; such a mind is then religious mind.
Virtue, surely, is necessary only to keep the mind orderly; but virtue does not necessarily lead to reality. Order is necessary, and virtue supplies order. But the mind must go beyond virtue and morality. To be merely a slave to morality, to conformity, to accept the authority of the church, or of any kind, - surely such a mind is incapable of finding what is true, what is God.
Please do not accept what I am saying. It would be absurd if you accepted, because that would be another form of authority. But if you will look into it, look into your own mind, how it conforms, how it is afraid, what innumerable beliefs it has upon which it relies for its own security, therefore engendering fear, - if one is aware of all that, then obviously, without any struggle, without any effort, all those things are put aside. Then truly, such a mind is in revolt against society, such a mind is capable of creating a religious revolution, - not a political or economic revolution, which is not a revolution at all. A real revolution is in the mind, - the mind that frees itself from society. Such freedom is not merely to put on a different kind of coat. Real revolution comes only when the mind rejects all impositions, through understanding. Only such a mind is capable of creating a different world, because only such a mind is then capable of receiving that which is true.

Relaxed focus

Article From Brian Germain's Book: Transcending Fear, The Doorway to Freedom

Acting RelaxedIn order to alter our course toward escalation, the first step is always the same: we must find a way to relax. This is easy to say in words, but it can be a monumental task when you are enveloped in something genuinely terrifying. Even when we are deep into an emotional reaction, we have the ability to perform the behaviors that begin the process of cooling down. True, we may not get all the way to absolute calmness, but acting calm has the ability to transform a state of panic into a workable reality.
If we begin to slow down, our bodies will send positive messages to our brains. The message will say "all clear, everything is under control." This white flag of peace comes in the form of neurotransmitters and other chemicals that kick in our parasympathetic systems. This is how the body heals itself. We move toward a state of rest, and everything starts to become clear again: we sober up to our natural state of clarity.
William James, the "Father of Modern Psychology", believed that our physiological reactions actually create the emotional experience. This belief has formed the fundamental infrastructure upon which modern emotional psychology is built. The experience of emotion, according to the "James-Lange Theory", comes as a result of the brain's interpretation of the body's state of physiological arousal. I see a bear, I run, my heart pounds faster, I notice the arousal and experience that I am afraid. It is not the object of my fear, the bear in this case that is causing my fear, but the excited state of my body that defines the emotion.
The brain is merely an interpreter of what is going on in the world, which also includes the body. It does so through awareness of the body's current state of arousal. Once the brain has decided that the situation is dangerous due to the physiological escalation of the body, a "sympathetic" course of events is set in motion. The climate in the brain is altered to one of defense, and the kinds of thoughts that occur to us tend to reflect this worldview. This means that the more negative adrenalin we experience, the more negative our thought patterns tend to be.
James therefore asserted that if the physical changes in our bodies tend to be "parasympathetic" in nature, of calming and slowing down, the kinds of cognitions that tend to occur to us are more solution oriented and positive in nature. The "quiescent" systems alter not only our physical chemistry, but also our subjective experience. James' allegation here is that if we control our physiological state of arousal so as to allow our parasympathetic systems to kick in, we are more likely to survive in the long run. This is called emotional intelligence, the skill that separates us from the other animals of this planet.
The experience of fear is a given in the vast array of human experience. The direction of the initial process is not the determining factor in how situations ultimately evolve. The fact is, we have very little authority over our initial response. The cascading physiological changes begin instantaneously, as a result of our semi-conscious appraisal of the world during the moment in question. Although these "below water level" processes are mostly out of our control, the next move is entirely up to us. The real question is: "How can we minimize our emotional response to the world so that we can continue to make clear, logical decisions?" How do we maintain our composure once we have begun to feel fear?
Emotional responses can only be controlled by focusing our attention on the internal aspects of the experience. If we strive to elicit the opposite physiological experience, we will alter the trend toward escalation. Trying to de-escalate an emotion with mere cognition is like throwing rocks at a tornado. If you want to calm down, you have got to first address the symptoms of fear. If we strive to elicit the opposite physiological experience, says James, we will reduce our overall experience of fear. If, for instance, I choose not to walk faster down a dark city street, I will not become as afraid as I would if I engaged the emotion and all that it suggests in terms of action.
The connection between the mind and the body can be utilized to affect the course of our emotional experience. If we have the ability to manipulate the evolution of our physiological experience, we can redirect the subsequent cognition, and thus the outcome of events in a more positive manner. This was the very reason for which James chose to evolve this line of thinking: to demonstrate that the human race has the ability to chose our emotional reaction to the world. If we know how to de-escalate, we will be more in control over our reality.
Only peace can weave back together the fabric of sanity.
You will not feel calm at first. Do not let this worry you. When I am climbing to altitude with a prototype parachute on my back, I often have a starting point near panic. I notice myself rushing around, moving too fast, and that is my cue to start pretending that I am relaxed. Although it is just an act at first, soon I find my body and mind softening and slowing down to a healthy pace. Once I get into a slower internal rhythm, I regain control over myself, and thus increase my level of safety.
When I find my "sustainable speed", the task is merely to remain slow and in control. Each move I make becomes completely deliberate and methodical. I move like a tree sloth in the heat of summer. By moving through danger in relaxed balance, I dissolve the negativity. By pretending to relax, I have transformed the situation.
If you cannot calm down, there is no hope. In order to remain calm enough to maintain a totally clear head, you must maintain continuous awareness of your arousal level so that any escalation in the emotional tone will be quickly recognized. By doing this, we establish an emotional benchmark to which the current state is compared. All cognitions and behaviors are directed toward the goal of defending the status quo of a low arousal level and peaceful emotional tone. The lower the baseline emotional energy, the easier it is to notice increases in the arousal level.
Breathing Saves LivesWe do not have direct control over our heart rate, blood pressure or the chemical changes that occur in our bodies due to stress. We must therefore focus our energy on the aspects of our physiology that are within our control. The primary method by which we control our bodily response to emotion is through conscious manipulation of our respiration.
When we become highly aroused, the breath becomes shallow and rapid. This decreased amplitude, higher frequency respiration is a stereotypical response to stress, and begins the process of transformation into the caveman within. The body sends messages to the brain with chemical feedback loops that spur the process. As William James aptly points out, the only way to alter the course of escalation is through “Reciprocal Behaviors”. This means doing the opposite of what our basic instincts are telling us to do. We must slow down our breathing and soften our muscles, while focusing our gaze softly on our surrounding so that we may relax.
The technique that seems to yield the greatest effect on our emotional state is first taking in a big breath, and then reducing the rate of exhale. Restricting the diameter of the throat reduces the rate at which air leaves the body, thus altering overall the rate of respiration and causing the exhale to make a bit of a “hissing” sound. In Yoga, this is called “Ujaia” breathing. This technique is used by adventurers of all kinds, from mountain climbers to fighter pilots, and has been proven to have a significant effect on our emotional state, and therefore our performance.
By slowing the rate of respiration, the individual also increases the efficiency of oxygen absorption. Oxygenation of the body increases our physical functionality, as well as promoting the awakeness and responsiveness of the mind. More importantly, conscious attention to the state of the body allows the intellect to remain in touch with an essential aspect of the situation, the physiological state.
If the mind is focused solely on the outside environment, an essential aspect of the situation is not within the scope of our awareness. The state of the body partly determines the individual’s perceived ability, which in turn determines the balance of power between perceived ability and perceived risk. The sum of these is our emotional tone, which in turn affects our actual ability. We can thereby transform the outcome of the situation by altering our physiological response to the environment.
You are the master of Time.Take it when you need it.

SobrietyFocus is our bare attention of the situation. It is an accurate, empirical risk appraisal, rather than merely an assessment of our perceived risks. Our initial appraisal of the situation is often erroneous, and can lead to over-reaction. When we soberly appraise the risk of a given situation, we wake up to the fact that things are rarely as bad as they seem. There is almost always a solution.
Humans tend to be fairly neurotic. We project our negative expectations onto the world, and thus live in a world of negative outcomes. We think we are living in the "real world" when we actually reside in negative expectation. In fact, we are engaging in "Depressive Realism". Rather than consider the possibility that everything is going to be OK, we tend to brace for impact. This worldview is no more real than the Pollyanna perspective that leads us to sit back and wait for someone or something to save us. In order to be completely sane and sober, we must awaken to what is real, and work with things as they are.
Clearing Your HeadThe mind of the average human being on this planet is out of control. It flows where it wants to, like a child with no parent. The untrained mind drifts to whatever the environment suggests, whether or not it is in our best interest. This is why mental training is so important for transcending fear. We must learn how to let our preconceived notions go, and wake up to what is actually happening around us.
Meditation practice is the ultimate tool for developing our ability to let go of thought. By spending time in the state of consciousness devoid of thinking, we begin to define this realm of mind as normal, as opposed to the busy clutter of thoughts that is not within our intelligent control. Studies have shown that many meditation techniques promote quiescent activity in the brain, the calming parasympathetic systems that return us to a state of positive expectation and constructive thinking.
When we experience fear, it comes as a result of thinking. When we are totally focused on the task at hand, there simply is no room for extraneous thinking. It is in the moments when we hesitate and disconnect from the flow of our experience that we make room for negative thought patterns. This is the freeze state. The opposite state of mind is the meditative state, the mode of consciousness that is without thought, and is filled with our bare attention of the present moment.
Every time we freeze in fear we are one step away from relaxed focus. All we need to do is soften our bodies, slow our breathing, and let our thoughts go. The only difference between freezing in fear and relaxing into a state of meditative readiness is where the mind is focused. Despite what most people have accepted, the choice is always there.
We all have the ability to lock onto the task at hand. We can focus our awareness to the point that there is nothing in our minds but the necessary actions that move in parallel with our goals. These actions are not brought to our attention by way of our thinking minds, but through our focused awareness of the situation. We move at the speed that is appropriate, and we pause when it is time to pause.
When there is nothing to actually do, the mind does not always gravitate toward acceptance of what is. If we were to be totally logical about our appraisal, we would decide whether or not there was anything we can do to improve our situation right now. If there is nothing to do, we can fully accept where we are and return to the resting state. Unfortunately, this is not how the human mind works, at least not without training.
When we enter a situation in which there is nothing to do to improve the reality of their situation, we tend to ruminate. We chew on the situation with their minds, mulling over the predicament over and over again. Our minds keep bumping against what is, like a moth against a light bulb. We try thinking about the situation from every possible angle, assuming that "linear logic" will get us through the danger. This is the aspect of the freeze state called "Worry". There is no greater waste of our energy.
Worry is like stepping on the clutch and the accelerator at the same time. There is a lot of noise and heat, but we aren't getting anywhere. We are simply wasting fuel. We do this because we think that we are helping the situation. We think that we can solve our problems by thinking. Yes, our minds are ultimately how we solve life's problems, but when there is nothing to actually do or our thoughts are not taking us where we want to go, we must return to rest.
The epiphanies that solve our problems do not come from the worry state of mind. We believe that thinking is the answer, but if we consider where our best ideas have come from, it is not this state at all that is the source of our answers. It is the peaceful, happy state. When we relax the mind, it works for us. When we try to squeeze it to produce when it is in a negative state, we might as well be trying to get water from a rock. Let go, and trust that your positive state of mind will sublimate your answers.
This brings us to the idea of "Bare Attention". If we observe the situation without manipulative thought, we will see the world as it is. This is the nature of true focus. Perfect focus is an unlabeled observation of the present moment. This is how we get in sync with the situation, and find our way through danger. We simply open our eyes, and pay attention.

This Is ItThere is a state of human consciousness that is indescribable. Csikszentmihalyi referred to this experience as the "Flow State". Others have called it the "Zone". Regardless of the words we choose to explain it, this is the state of perfect happiness. We are in complete control over our experience because we are literally creating it, and due to our deep state of focus, we are in perfect safety.
Despite preconceptions of this state of consciousness, this experience is not necessarily a calm, cool and collected moment like sitting on a rock by a river. Sometimes pure joy comes in the form of a waterfall, with you in a kayak, shrieking in ecstasy. Flow is any experience that is simple of mind, and dynamic in nature, and it is characterized by a profound feeling of happiness.
The traditional perspective on enlightenment always points toward circumstances closely resembling solitary confinement: a white room with no sound, Absolute Peace. But heaven can have movement. This movement can be slow like the gentle flow of yoga, or it can be the graceful flow of snowboarding through light, fluffy powder. Flow is the space in which we let go of our worries, and dive deeply into the world around us. It is complete acceptance of what is going on, and complete cooperation.
Another way to describe this state is "Fun". That's really what we are talking about here: Childlike, cut-loose, radiant fun. It is smiling from the heart: Fun that sees no obstacles, only the path ahead. This is the kind of happiness that is contagious and sustainable. Flow is not only contained within ourselves as an individual experience, but can also be the social environment that is created by each and every person present, by mutual consent. When we all agree to cooperate and be happy, a Social Flow State can be created. This is the destiny of the human race.
If there is one thing that inhibits fun, it is fear. Living completely without fear is unrealistic. If however, we learn to control our emotions, and never let fear take charge of our lives, we can sustain this flow of happiness. By noticing our negative thoughts and simply letting them go, our thoughts have a looser hold on us. We are free to follow them or return to the flow of happiness. We see the thought that is making us afraid, and we make a conscious decision not to follow it to its end. Rather than dwelling on the thought that is provoking us to a state of negativity, we can focus our minds toward a state of creation, and manufacture our reality by choice. All this requires is a change of perspective.
If we are to maximize the amount of time we spend in a state of flow, we must clear out our mental roadblocks to being happy. When we spend energy fueling our limitations and our fear, we are not working toward happiness. The real trouble is, most of us don't really want to let go of our fear, or our suffering for that matter. This is human nature, not in absolute terms, but in inertia. An object at rest tends to stay at rest, and a person in misery tends to stay miserable. We hold tightly to our pain because we believe it makes us stronger. We hold onto our fear because we believe it keeps us safe. Neither is true.
Positive PsychologyTraditionally, Psychology and the rest of the medical profession have mostly focused on damage control: helping people up from a continual state of suffering to the mere absence of suffering. The problem with the "absence of suffering" being the goal is that it neglects to consider real happiness. This philosophy simply aims too low. It merely tries to get us from negative one up to zero.
The goal of Positive Psychology is to work toward getting people beyond just zero, up to "positive one". In other words, rather than focusing on minimizing unhappiness, modern psychology is starting to see the value in aiming toward a deeper, more authentic happiness.
I boarded a flight from Stockholm to Copenhagen. A woman sat down next to me, visibly shaking. She had tears in her eyes. I asked her if she was sad about leaving someone behind, but she said she was terrified of flying. She sat down next to the right guy. Funny how that sort of thing works...
I spent the first part of the flight reminding her how to relax. I got her to take slow breaths, soften her muscles and slow her self down. I started to see a change in her behavior.
Next I taught her how airplanes work. Being a pilot myself, I explained the how and why of aerodynamic lift. I explained how the airplane really does want to stay in the air, and the many redundant aircraft systems. We even practiced steering the plane from our seats, applying aileron and rudder input as the plane banked toward Denmark. She still seemed really nervous, but at least she was able to engage in a conversation now.
After a while, I realized that when I fly, I do not spend all of my time trying to relax. I do that when there is nothing else to do. Most of the time, however, I find myself enjoying the ride. This was the missing component. I realized that to take all that energy and try to disperse it was a losing battle. She was too aroused to de-escalate. What I needed to do was change the direction of the energy.
I started to talk about how much I love to fly. I pointed out the gorgeous cloud formations outside the window. I lifted my feet into the air and giggled when the plane went through turbulence. I did what I always do, I had fun. So it turns out, fun is very contagious. By the end of the flight, this librarian and mother of three was practically climbing over me to see out the window.
Gaining control over our energy is not only a matter of calming down. Yes, in order to get to a positive state of mind, de-escalation is necessary. If you can't even communicate because your entire system is locked up, there is no hope of getting into a positive perspective. In situations that are unequivocally real and powerful, it is essential that we maintain a positive interpretation of our adrenalin. It isn't going to just dissolve into thin air; so we might as well use it.
Happiness is not something that creates itself; we have to meet it halfway. The way to do this is to choose your perspective on life. You must choose to see the way to the best possible reality. By believing that there is a higher path, we make ourselves more competent and awake in whatever we do. Consequently our lives become safer, making fear a useless emotion. Once we realize this, fear's grip on us is loosened and we become lighter. There is another name for feeling lighter, it is: "Enlightenment".
Being the PilotThere are two ways in which you may engage your world. You can be the passenger, or you can be the pilot. The passenger is essentially a victim of circumstance. They believe that they are not in control of their situation because they feel that they are not in control over their world. They do not trust themselves to act when action is necessary, so they allow others to control their lives.
Then there is the pilot mentality. When you define yourself as a pilot, you trust that you have the “right stuff” to do what needs to be done in the heat of the moment. You sit down in the seat of control and you chose to be the deliberate creator of what happens. We must not leave this attitude in the cockpit, but carry it into every aspect of our lives. Take the stick. It’s your life after all.
Being driven by inspiration rather than fear is a matter of a conscious decision to be in the driver’s seat of our lives. This is the place of creation, of envisioning what it is that we want and never releasing this intension from our consciousness. The pilot engages the reality of the situation, working with the way things are, but also hold in their mind a better reality that they choose to manifest. This act of deliberate action is what gives a person a profound sense of control over their life, and can lead to only one ultimate outcome: total authentic happiness

Boredom: what is it?

What is boredom? where you are not in tune with the present moment. feeling meaningless. not in tune with the world. also means in subtle ways that u dont feel good about urself and feeling that ur best is not going to be good enough. what does one need to do in this situation? be in tune with the energy.allow yourself to feel. it. being aware of everytho0ugh, every feeling. go into it deeply and not for once wanting to be free of it. this will make it interesting and teaches acceptance of what is inside you which is ultimately not you but a condition for now. awareness sets you free.

Intelligence : what is it?

What is intelligence? is intellect intelligence? or is intelligence the appropriate response to the now without interference from past experiences or without motive. Intelligence is living in the moment and loving what you do deeply and passionately. it means where the actor and the action are one. for example: you can clean the house like a chore or like a painter. if its a job/duty its a burden; but if you are in tune with what you are doing with heightened senses and where you see every moment as sacred and whole, then this is heaven. An intelligent person can never be consistent and he will always shock or suprise you with his responses as they would be from moment to moment and not pre-determined. How to awaken this intelligence? It is by going inward, being in the present moment, doing everything with total awareness.Allowing this moment to be inwardly with non resistance,non attachment and non judgment of what is. Try it!!

A Radical transformation

Post attributed to J Krishnamurti exibit on "Life ahead"

It seems to me that a totally different kind of morality and conduct, and an action that springs from the understanding of the whole process of living, have become an urgent necessity, in our world of mounting crises and problems. We try to deal with these issues through political and organizational methods, through economic readjustment and various reforms; but none of these things will ever resolve the complex difficulties of human existence, though they may offer temporary relief. All reforms, however extensive and seemingly lasting, are in themselves merely productive of further confusion and further need of reformation. Without understanding the whole complex being of man, mere reformation will bring about only the confusing demand for further reforms. There is no end to reform; and there is no fundamental solution along these lines. Political, economic or social revolutions are not the answer either, for they have produced appalling tyrannies, or the mere transfer of power and authority into the hands of a different group. Such revolutions are not at any time the way out of our confusion and conflict. But there is a revolution which is entirely different and which must take place if we are to emerge from the endless series of anxieties, conflicts and frustrations in which we are caught. The revolution has to begin, not with theory and ideation, which eventually prove worthless, but with a radical transformation in the mind itself. Such a transforation can be brought about only through right education and the total development of the human being. It is a revolution that must take place in the whole of the mind and not merely in thought. Thought, after all, is only a result and not the source. There must be radical transformation in the source and not mere modification of the result. At present we are tinkering with results, with symptoms. We are not bringing about a vital change, uprooting the old ways of thought, freeing the mind from traditions and habits. It is with this vital change we are concerned and only right education can bring it into being. To inquire and to learn is the function of the mind. By learning I do not mean the mere cultivation of memory or the accumulation of knowledge, but the capacity to think clearly and sanely without illusion, to start from facts and not from beliefs and ideals. There is no learning if thought originates from conclusions. Merely to acquire information or knowledge, is not to learn. Learning implies the love of understanding and the love of doing a thing for itself. Learning is possible only when there is no coercion of any kind. And coercion takes many forms, does it not? There is coercion through influence, through attachment or threat, through persuasive encouragement or subtle forms of reward. Most people think that learning is encouraged through comparison, whereas the contrary is the fact. Comparison brings about frustration and merely encourages envy, which is called competition. Like other forms of persuasion, comparison prevents learning and breeds fear. Ambition also breeds fear. Ambition, whether personal or identified with the collective, is always antisocial. So-called noble ambition in relationship is fundamentally destructive. It is necessary to encourage the development of a good mind - a mind which is capable of dealing with the many issues of life as a whole, and which does not try to escape from them and so become self-contradictory, frustrated, bitter or cynical. And it is essential for the mind to be aware of its own conditioning, its own motives and pursuits. Since the development of a good mind is one of our chief concerns, how one teaches becomes very important. There must be a cultivation of the totality of the mind, and not merely the giving of information. In the process of imparting knowledge, the educator has to invite discussion and encourage the students to inquire and to think independently. Authority, as `the one who knows,' has no place in learning. The educator and the student are both learning through their special relationship with each other; but this does not mean that the educator disregards the orderliness of thought. Orderliness of thought is not brought about by discipline in the form of assertive statements of knowledge; but it comes into being naturally when the educator understands that in cultivating intelligence there must be a sense of freedom. This does not mean freedom to do whatever one likes, or to think in the spirit of mere contradiction. It is the freedom in which the student is being helped to be aware of his own urges and motives, which are revealed to him through his daily thought and action. A disciplined mind is never a free mind, noT can a mind that has suppressed desire ever be free. It is only through understanding the whole process of desire that the mind can be free. Discipline always limits the mind to a movement within the framework of a particular system of thought or belief, does it not? And such a mind is never free to be intelligent. Discipline brings about submission to authority. It gives the capacity to function within the pattern of a society which demands functional ability, but it does not awaken the intelligence which has its own capacity. The mind that has cultivated nothing but capacity through memory is like the modem electronic computer which, though it functions with astonishing ability and accuracy, is still only a machine. Authority can persuade the mind to think in a particular direction. But being guided to think along certain lines, or in terms of a foregone conclusion is not to think at all; it is merely to function like a human machine, which breeds thoughtless discontent, bringing with it frustration and other miseries. We are concerned with the total development of each human being, helping him to realize his own highest and fullest capacity - not some fictitious capacity which the educator has in view as a concept or an ideal. Any spirit of comparison prevents this full flowering of the individual, whether he is to be a scientist or a gardener. The fullest capacity of the gardener is the same as the fullest capacity of the scientist when there is no comparison; but when comparison comes in, then there is the disparagement and the envious reactions which create conflict between man and man. Like sorrow, love is not comparative; it cannot be compared with the greater or the lesser. Sorrow is sorrow, as love is love, whether it be in the rich or in the poor. The fullest development of every individual creates a society of equals. The present social struggle to bring about equality on the economic or some spiritual level has no meaning at all. Social-reforms aimed at establishing equality, breed other forms of antisocial activity; but with right education, there is no need to seek equality through social and other reforms, because envy with its comparison of capacities ceases. We must differentiate here between function and status. Status, with all its emotional and hierarchical prestige, arises only through the comparison of functions as the high and the low. When each individual is flowering to his fullest capacity, there L.s then no comparison of functions; there is only the expression of capacity as a teacher, or a prime minister, or a gardener, and so status loses its sting of envy. Functional or technical capacity is now recognized through having a degree after one's name; but if we are truly concerned with the total development of the human being, our approach is entirely different. An individual who has the capacity may take a degree and add letters after his name, or he may not, as he pleases. But he will know for himself his own deep capabilities, which will not be framed by a degree, and their expression. will not bring about that self-centred confidence which mere technical capacity usually breeds. Such confidence is comparative and therefore antisocial. Comparison may exist for utilitarian purpose; but it is not for the educator to compare the capacities of his students and give greater or lesser evaluation. Since we are concerned with the total development of the individual, the student may not be allowed in the beginning to choose his own subjects, because his choice is likely to be based on passing moods and prejudices, or on finding the easiest thing to do; or he may choose according to the immediate demands of a particular need. But if he is helped to discover by himself and cultivate his innate capacities, then he will naturally choose, not the easiest subjects, but those through which he can express his capacities to the fullest and highest extent. If the student is helped from the very beginning to look at life as a whole, with all its psychological, intellectual and emotional problems, he will not be frightened by it. Intelligence is the capacity to deal with life as a whole; and giving grades or marks to the student does not assure intelligence. On the contrary it degrades human dignity. This comparative evaluation cripples the mind - which does not mean that the teacher must not observe the progress of every student and keep a record of it. Parents, naturally anxious to know the progress of their children, will want a report; but il, unfortunately, they do not understand what the educator is trying to do, the report will become an instrument of coercion to produce the results they desire, and so undo the work of the educator. Parents should understand the kind of education the school intends to give. Generally they are satisfied to see their children preparing to get a degree of some kind which will assure them of a livelihood. Very few are concerned with more than this. Of course, they wish to see their children happy, but beyond this vague desire very few give any thought to their total development. As most parents desire above all else that their children should have a successful career, they frighten or affectionately bully them into acquiring knowledge, and so the book becomes very important; and with it there is the mere cultivation of memory, the mere repetition without the quality of real thought behind it. Perhaps the greatest difficulty the educator has to face is the indifference of parent to a wider and deeper education. Most parents are concerned only with the cultivation of some superficial knowledge which will secure their children respectable positions in a corrupt society. So the educator not only has to educate the children in the right way, but also to see to it that the parents do not undo whatever good may have been done at the school. Really the school and the home should be joint centres of right education, and should in no way be opposed to each other, with the parents desiring one thing and the educator doing something entirely different. It is very important that the parents be fully acquainted with what the educator is doing, and be vitally interested in the total development of their children. It is as much the responsibility of the parents to see that this kind of education is carried out, as it is of the teachers, whose burden is already sufficiently heavy. A total development of the child can be brought about only when there is the right relationship between the teacher, the student and the parents. As the educator cannot yield to the passing fancies or obstinate demands of the parents, it is necessary for them to understand the educator and co-operate with him, and not bring about conflict and confusion in their children. The child's natural curiosity, the urge to learn exists from the very beginning, and surely this should be intelligently encouraged continually, so that it remains vital and without distortion, and will gradually lead him to the study of a variety of subjects. If this eagerness to learn is encouraged in the child at all times, then his study of mathematics, geography, history, science, or any other subject, will not be a problem to the child or to the educator. Learning is facilitated when there is an atmosphere of happy affection and thoughtful care. Emotional openness and sensitivity can be cultivated only when the student feels secure in his relationship with his teachers. The feeling of being secure in relationship is a primary need of children. There is a vast difference between the feeling of being secure and the feeling of dependency. Consciously or unconsciously, most educators cultivate the feeling of dependency, and thereby subtly encourage fear - which the parents also do in their own affectionate or aggressive manner. Dependency in the child is brought about by authoritarian or dogmatic assertions on the part of parents and teachers as to what the child must be and do. With dependency there is always the shadow of fear, and this fear compels the child to obey, to conform, to accept without thought the edicts and sanctions of his elders. In this atmosphere of dependency, sensitivity is crushed; but when the child knows and feels that he is secure, his emotional flowering not thwarted by fear. This sense of security in the child is not the opposite of insecurity. It is the feeling of being at ease, whether in his own home or at school, the feeling that he can be what he is, without being compelled in any way; that he can climb a tree and not be scolded if he falls. He can have this sense of security only when the parents and the educators are deeply concerned with the total welfare of the child. It is important in a school that the child should feel at ease, completely secure from the very first day. This first impression is of the highest importance. But if the educator artificially tries by various means to gain the child's confidence and allows him to do what he likes, then the educator is cultivating dependency; he is not giving the child the feeling of being secure, the feeling that he is in a place where there are people who are deeply concerned with his total welfare. The very first impact of this new relationship based on confidence, which the child may never have had before, will help to wards a natural communication, without the young regarding the elders as a threat to be feared. A child who feels secure has his own natural ways of expressing the respect which is essential for learning. This respect is denuded of all authority and fear. When he has a feeling of security, the child's conduct or behaviour is not something imposed by an elder, but becomes part of the process of learning. Because he feels secure in his relationship with the teacher, the child will naturally be considerate; and it is only in this atmosphere of security that emotional openness and sensitivity can flower. Being at ease, feeling secure, the child will do what he likes; but in doing what he likes, he will find out what is the right thing to do, and his conduct then will not be due to resistance, or obstinacy, or suppressed feelings, or the mere expression of a momentary urge. Sensitivity means being sensitive to everything around one - to the plants, the animals, the trees, the skies, the waters of the river, the bird on the wing; and also to the moods of the people around one, and to the stranger who passes by. This sensitivity brings about the quality of uncalculated, unselfish response, which is the morality and conduct. Being sensitive, the child in his conduct will be open and not secretive; therefore a mere suggestion on the part of the teacher will be accepted easily, without resistance or friction. As we are concerned with the total development of the human being, we must understand his emotional urges, which are very much stronger than intellectual reasoning; we must cultivate emotional capacity and not help to suppress it. When we understand and are therefore capable of dealing with emotional as well as intellectual issues, there will be no sense of fear in approaching them. For the total development of the human being, solitude as a means of cultivating sensitivity becomes a necessity. One has to know what it is to be alone, what it is to meditate, what it is to die; and the implications of solitude, of meditation, of death, can be known only by seeking them out. These implications cannot be taught, they must be learnt. One can indicate, but learning by what is indicated is not the experiencing of solitude or meditation. To experience what is solitude and what is meditation, one must be in a state of inquiry; only a mind that is in a state of inquiry is capable of learning. But when inquiry is suppressed by previous knowledge, or by the authority and experience of another, then learning becomes mere imitation, and imitation causes a human being to repeat what is learnt without experiencing it. Teaching is not the mere imparting of information but the cultivation of an inquiring mind. Such a mind will penetrate into the question of what is religion, and not merely accept the established religions with their temples and rituals. The search for God, or truth, or whatever one may like to name it - and not the mere acceptance of belief and dogma - is true religion. Just as the student cleans his teeth every day, bathes every day, learns new things every day, so also there must be the action of sitting quietly with others or by himself. This solitude cannot be brought about by instruction, or urged by the external authority of tradition, or induced by the influence of those who want to sit quietly but are incapable of being alone. Solitude helps the mind to see itself clearly as in a mirror, and to free itself from the vain endeavour of ambition with all its complexities, fears and frustrations, which are the outcome of self-centred activity. Solitude gives to the mind a stability, a constancy which is not to be measured in terms of time. Such clarity of mind is character. The lack of character is the state of self-contradiction. To be sensitive is to love. The word `love' is not love. And love is not to be divided as the love of God and the love of man, nor is it to be measured as the love of the one and of the many. Love gives itself abundantly as a flower gives its perfume; but we are always measuring love in our relationship and thereby destroying it. Love is not a commodity of the reformer or the social worker; it is not a political instrument with which to create action. When; the politician and the reformer speak of love, they are using the word and do not touch the reality of it; for love cannot be employed as a means to an end, whether in the immediate or in the far-off future. Love is of the whole earth and not of a particular field or forest. The love of reality is not encompassed by any religion; and when organized religions use it, it ceases to be. Societies, organized religions and authoritarian governments, sedulous in their various activities, unknowingly destroy the love that becomes passion in action. In the total development of the human being through right education, the quality of love must be nourished and sustained form the very beginning. Love is not sentimentality, nor is it devotion. It is as strong as death. Love cannot be bought through knowledge; and a mind that is pursuing knowledge without love is a mind that deals in ruthlessness and aims merely at efficiency. So the educator must be concerned from the very beginning with this quality of love, which is humility, gentleness, consideration, patience and courtesy. Modesty and courtesy are innate in the man of right education; he is considerate to all, including the animals and plants, and this is reflected in his behaviour and manner of talking. The emphasis on this quality of love frees the mind from its absorption in its ambition, greed and acquisitiveness. Does not love have about it a refinement which expresses itself as respect and good taste? Does it not also bring about the purification of the mind, which otherwise has a tendency to strengthen itself in pride? Refinement in behaviour is not a self-imposed adjustment or the result of an outward demand; it comes spontaneously with this quality of love. When there is the understanding of love, then sex and all the complications and subtleties of human relationship can be approached with sanity and not with excitement and apprehension. The educator to whom the total development of the human being is of primary importance, must understand the implications of the sexual urge which plays such an important part in our life, and be able from the very beginning to meet the children's natural curiosity without arousing a morbid interest. Merely to impart biological information at the adolescent age may lead to experimental lust if the quality of love is not felt. Love cleanses the mind of evil. Without love and understanding on the part of the educator, merely to separate the boys from the girls, whether by barbed wire or by edicts, only strengthens their curiosity and stimulates that passion which is bound to degenerate into mere satisfaction. So it is important that boys and girls be educated together rightly. This quality of love must express itself also in doing things with one's hands, such as gardening, carpentry, painting, handicrafts; and through the senses, as seeing the trees, the mountains, the richness of the earth, the poverty that men have created amongst themselves; and in healing music, the song of the birds, the murmur of running waters. We are concerned not only with the cultivation of the mind and the awakening of emotional sensitivity, but also with a well-rounded development a the physique, and to this we must give considerable thought. For if the body is not healthy, vital, it will inevitably distort thought and make for insensitivity. This is so obvious that we need not go into it in detail. It is necessary that the body be in excellent health, that it be given the right kind of food and have sufficient sleep. If the senses are not alert, the body will impede the total development of the human being. To have grace of movement and well-balanced control of the muscles, there must be various forms of exercise, dancing and games. A body that is not kept clean, that is sloppy and does not hold itself in good posture, is not conducive to sensitivity of mind and emotions. The body is not the instrument of the mind, but body, emotions and mind make up the total human being, and unless they live together harmoniously, conflict is inevitable. Conflict makes for insensitivity. The mind may dominate the body and suppress the senses, but it thereby makes the body insensitive; and an insensitive body becomes a hindrance to the full flight of the mind. The mortification of the body is definitely not conducive to the seeking out of the deeper layers of consciousness; for this is possible only when the mind, the emotions and the body are not in contradiction with each other, but are integrated and in unison, effortlessly, without being driven by any concept, belief or ideal. In the cultivation of the mind, our emphasis should not be on concentration, but on attention. Concentration is a process of forcing the mind to narrow down to a point, whereas attention is without frontiers. In that process the mind is always limited by a frontier or boundary, but when our concern is to understand the totality of the mind, mere concentration becomes a hindrance. Attention is limitless, without the frontiers of knowledge. Knowledge comes through concentration, and any extension of knowledge is still within its own frontiers. In the state of attention the mind can and does use knowledge, which of necessity is the result of concentration; but the part is never the whole, and adding together the many parts does not make for the perception of the whole. Knowledge which is the additive process of concentration, does not bring about the understanding of the immeasurable. The total is never within the brackets of a concentrated mind. So attention is of primary importance, but it does not come through the effort of concentration. Attention is a state in which the mind is ever learning without a centre around which knowledge gathers as accumulated experience. A mind that is concentrated upon itself uses knowledge as a means of its own expansion; and such activity becomes self-contradictory and antisocial. Learning in the true sense of the word is possible only in that state of attention, in which there is no outer or inner compulsion. Right thinking can come about only when the mind is not enslaved by tradition and memory. It is attention that allows silence to come upon the mind, which is the opening of the door to creation. That is why attention is of the highest importance. Knowledge is necessary at the functional level as a means of cultivating the mind, and not as an end in itself. We are concerned, not with the development of just one capacity, such as that of a mathematician, or a scientist, or a musician, but with the total development of the student as a human being. How is the state of attention to be brought about? It cannot be cultivated through persuasion, comparison, reward or punishment, all of which are forms of coercion. The elimination of fear is the beginning of attention. Fear must exist as long as there is an urge to be or to become, which is the pursuit of success, with all its frustrations and tortuous contradictions. You can't teach concentration, but attention cannot be taught just as you cannot possibly teach freedom from fear; but we can begin to discover the causes that produce fear, and in understanding these causes there is the elimination of fear. So attention arises spontaneously when around the student there is an atmosphere of well-being, when he has the feeling of being secure, of being at ease, and is aware of the disinterested action that comes with love. Love does not compare, and so the envy and torture of `becoming' cease. The general discontent which all of us experience, whether young or old, soon finds a way to satisfaction, and thus our minds are put to sleep. Discontent is awakened from time to time through suffering, but the mind again seeks a gratifying solution. In this wheel of dissatisfaction and gratification the mind is caught, and the constant awakening through pain is part of our discontent. Discontent is the way of inquiry, but there can be no inquiry if the mind is tethered to tradition, to ideals. Inquiry is the flame of attention. By discontent I mean that state in which the mind understands what is, the actual, and constantly inquires to discover further. Discontent is a movement to go beyond the limitations of what is; and if you find ways and means of smoothing or overcoming discontent, then you will accept the limitations of self-centred activity and of the society in which you find yourself. Discontent is the flame which burns away the dross of satisfaction, but most of us seek to dissipate it in various ways. Our discontent then becomes the pursuit of `the more', the desire for a bigger house, a better car, and so on, all of which is within the field of envy; and it is envy that sustains such discontent. But I am talking of a discontent in which there is no envy, no greed for `the more', a discontent that is not sustained by any desire for satisfaction, This discontent is an unpolluted state which exists in each one of us, if it is not deadened through wrong education, through gratifying solutions, through ambition, or through the pursuit of an ideal. When we understand the nature of real discontent, we shall see that attention is part of this burning flame which consumes the pettiness and leaves the mind free of the limitations of self-enclosing pursuits and gratifications. So attention comes into being only when there is inquiry not based on self-advancement or gratification. This attention must be cultivated in the child, right from the beginning. You will find that when there is love - which expresses itself through humility, courtesy, patience, gentleness - you are already free of the barriers which insensitivity builds; and so you are helping to bring about in the child this state of attention from a very tender age. Attention is not something to be~ learnt, but you can help to awaken it in the student by not creating around him that sense of compulsion which produces a self-contradictory existence. Then his attention can be focussed at any moment on any given subject, and it will not be the narrow concentration brought about through the compulsive urge of acquisition or achievement. A generation educated in this manner will be free of acquisitiveness and fear, the psychological inheritance of their parents and of the society in which they are born; and because they are so educated, they will not depend on the inheritance of property. This matter of inheritance destroys real independence and limits intelligence; for it breeds a false sense of security, giving a self-assurance which has no basis and creating a darkness of the mind in which nothing new can flourish. But a generation educated in this totally different manner which we have been considering will create a new society; for they will have the capacity born of that intelligence which is not hedged about by fear. Since education is the responsibility of the parents as well as of the teachers, we must learn the art of working together, and this is possible only when each one of us perceives what is true. It is perception of the truth that brings us together, and not opinion, belief or theory. There is a vast difference between the conceptual and the factual. The conceptual may bring us together temporarily, but there will again be separation, if our working together is only a matter of conviction. If the truth is seen by each one of us, there may be disagreement in detail but there will be no urge to separate. It is the foolish who break away over some detail. When the truth is seen by all, the detail can never become an issue over which there is dissension. Most of us are used to working together along the lines of established authority. We come together to work out a concept, or to advance an ideal, and this requires conviction, persuasion, propaganda, and so on. Such working together for a concept, for an ideal, is totally different from the co-operation which comes from seeing the truth and the necessity of putting that truth into action. Working under the stimulus of authority - whether it be the authority of an ideal, or the authority of a person who represents that ideal - is not real cooperation. A central authority who knows a great deal, or who has a strong personality and is obsessed with certain ideas, may force or subtly persuade others to work with him for what he calls the ideal; but surely this is not the working together of alert and vital individuals. Whereas, when each one of us understands for himself the truth of any issue, then our common understanding of that truth leads to action, and such action is cooperation. He who cooperates because he sees the truth as the truth, the false as the false, and the truth in the false, will also know when not to co-operate - which is equally important. If each one of us realizes the necessity of a fundamental revolution in education and perceives the truth of what we have been considering, then we shall work together without any form of persuasion. persuasion exists only when someone takes a stand from which he is unwilling to move. When he is merely convinced of an idea or entrenched in an opinion, he brings about opposition, and then he or the other has to be persuaded, influenced or induced to think differently. Such a situation will never arise when each one of us sees the truth of the matter for himself. But if we do not see the truth and act on the basis of merely verbal conviction or intellectual reasoning, then there is bound to be contention, agreement or disagreement, with all the associated distortion and useless effort. It is essential that we work together, and it is as if we were building a house. If some of us are building and others are tearing down, the house will obviously never be built. So we must individually be very clear that we really see and understand the necessity of bring about the kind of education that will produce a new generation capable of dealing with the issues of life as a whole, and not as isolated parts unrelated to the whole. To be able to work together in this really co-operative way, we must meet often and be alert not to get submerged in detail. Those of us who are seriously dedicated to the bringing about of the right kind of education have the responsibility not only of carrying out in action all that we have understood, but also of helping others to come to this understanding. Teaching is the noblest profession - if it can be called a profession at all. It is an art that requires, not just intellectual attainments, but infinite patience and love. To be truly educated is to understand our relationship to all things - to money, to property, to people, to nature - in the vast field of our existence. Beauty is part of this understanding, but beauty is not merely a matter of proportion, form, taste and behaviour. Beauty is that state in which the mind has abandoned the centre of self in the passion of simplicity. Simplicity has no end; and there can be simplicity only when there is an austerity which is not the outcome of calculated discipline and self-denial. This austerity is self-abandonment, which love alone can bring about. When we have no love we create a civilization in which beauty of form is sought without the inner vitality and austerity of simple self-abandonment. There is no self-abandonment if there is an immolation of oneself in good works, in ideals, in beliefs. These activities appear to be free of the self, but in reality the self is still working under the cover of different labels. Only the innocent mind can inquire into the unknown. But the calculated innocence which may wear a loincloth or the robe of a monk is not that passion of self-abandonment from which come courtesy, gentleness, humility, patience - the expressions of love. Most of us know beauty only through that which has been created or put together - the beauty of a human form, or of a temple. We say a tree, or a house, or the widely-running river is beautiful. And through comparison we know what ugliness is - at least we think we do. But is beauty comparable? Is beauty that which has been made evident, manifest? We consider beautiful a particular picture, poem, or face, because we already know what beauty is from what we have been taught, or from what we are familiar with and about which we have formed an opinion. But does not beauty cease with comparison. Is beauty merely a familiarity with the known, or is it a state of being in which there may or may not be the created form? We are always pursuing beauty and avoiding the ugly, and this seeking of enrichment through the one and avoidance of the other must inevitably breed insensitivity. Surely, to understand or to feel what beauty is, there must be sensitivity to both the so-called beautiful and the so-called ugly. A feeling is not beautiful or ugly, it is just a feeling. But we look at it through our religious and social conditioning and give it a label; we say it is a good feeling or a bad feeling, and so we distort or destroy it. When feeling is not given a label it remains intense, and it is this passionate intensity that is essential to the understanding of that which is neither ugliness nor manifested beauty. What has the greatest importance is sustained feeling, that passion which is not the mere lust of self-gratification; for it is this passion that creates beauty and, not being comparable, it has no opposite. In seeking to bring about a total development of the human being, we must obviously take into full consideration the unconscious mind as well as the conscious. Merely to educate the conscious mind without understanding the unconscious, brings self-contradiction into human lives, with all its frustrations and miseries. The hidden mind is far more vital than the superficial. Most educators are concerned only with giving information or knowledge to the superficial mind, preparing it to acquire a job and adjust itself to society. So the hidden mind is never touched. All that so-called education does, is to superimpose a layer of knowledge and technique, and a certain capacity to adjust to environment. The hidden mind is far more potent than the superficial mind, however well educated and capable of adjustment; and it is not something very mysterious. The hidden or unconscious mind is the repository of racial memories. Religion, superstition, symbol, peculiar traditions of a particular race, the influence of literature both sacred and profane, of aspirations, frustrations, mannerisms, and varieties of food - all these are rooted in the unconscious. The open and secret desires with their motivations, hopes and fears, their sorrows and pleasures, and the beliefs which are sustained through the urge for security translating itself in various ways - these things also are contained in the hidden mind, which not only has this extraordinary capacity to hold the residual past, but also the capacity to influence the future. Intimations of all this are given to the superficial mind through dreams and in various other ways when it is not wholly occupied with everyday events. The hidden mind is nothing sacred and nothing to be frightened of, nor does it demand a specialist to expose it to the superficial mind. But because of the hidden mind's enormous potency, the superficial mind cannot deal with it as it would wish. The superficial mind is to a great extent impotent in relation to its own hidden part. However much it may try to dominate, shape, control the hidden, because of its immediate social demands and pursuits, the superficial can only scratch the surface of the hidden; and so there is a cleavage or contradiction between the two. We try to bridge this chasm through discipline, through various practices sanctions and so on; but it cannot so be bridged. The conscious mind is occupied with the immediate, the limited present, whereas the unconscious is under the weight of centuries, and cannot be stemmed or turned aside by an immediate necessity. The unconscious has the quality of deep time, and the conscious mind, with its recent culture, cannot deal with it according to its passing urgencies. To eradicate self-contradiction, the superficial mind must understand this fact and be quiescent - which does not mean giving scope to the innumerable urges of the hidden. When there is no resistance between the open and the hidden, then the hidden, because it has the patience of time, will not violate the immediate. The hidden, unexplored and un-understood mind, with its superficial part which has been `educated', comes into contact with the challenges and demands of the immediate present. The superficial may respond to the challenge adequately; but because there is a contradiction between the superficial and the hidden, any experience of the superficial only increases the conflict between itself and the hidden. This brings about still further experience, again widening the chasm between the present and the past. The superficial mind, experiencing the outer without understanding the inner, the hidden, only produces deeper and wider conflict. Experience does not liberate or enrich the mind, as we generally think it does. As long as experience strengthens the experiencer, there must be conflict. In having experiences, a conditioned mind only strengthens its conditioning, and so perpetuates contradiction and misery. Only for the mind that is capable of understanding the total ways of itself, can experiencing be a liberating factor. Once there is perception and understanding of the power and capacities of the many layers of the hidden, then the details can be looked into wisely and intelligently. What is important is the understanding of the hidden, and not the mere education of the superficial mind to acquire knowledge, however necessary. This understanding of the hidden frees the total mind from conflict, and only then is there intelligence. We must awaken the full capacity of the superficial mind that lives in everyday activity, and also understand the hidden. In understanding the hidden there is a total living in which self-contradiction, with its alternating sorrow and happiness, ceases. It is essential to be acquainted with the hidden mind and aware of its workings; but it is equally important not to be occupied with it or give it undue significance. It is only when the mind understands the superficial and the hidden that it can go beyond its own limitations and discover that bliss which is not of time.

Thoughts here Exibited from J.Krishnamurti on " life ahead"