THE ART OF LIVING

When we hear the term "Art of Living". we naturally connect it to the meditation technique preached and practised by Shri Shri Ravi Shanker. His mission has gained so much popularity that Art of Living centers are spread all over the world, and irrespective of different religious faiths the followers belong to, they find solace and peace in practicing the meditation technique.

Now, let us analyse independently what is "Art of Living"? There are two terms "Life" and "Living" we should remember before proceeding further. While "Life" denotes the Akshara Brahmam, "Living" denotes the kshara aspect. In the language of physics, one is latent equilibrium and the other is dynamic equilibrium. They are also known as non-phenomenon and phenomenon.

Life is the expression of Consciousness. Consciousness is the first outburst of the Supreme known as Noumenon, Brahman, Purushottaman, Truth Absolute etc. Consciousness expressed in Life is explicit in all animated beings whereas in inanimate objects like mountains etc it is dormant. This Life Power dances in "Living". The Cosmic dance of Lord Nataraja is symbolic of this truth. Each individual in his own way expresses himself in the 'living-dance'. Here comes the importance of the knowledge about the 'Art of Living".

"Art of Living" is "Witnessing" i.e. Life witnessing the Living. Dancer witnessing his own dance. Consciousness witnessing its own creativity. Life principle is the Consciousness personified in Ishwara. So, God is the witness of Prakrity i.e. creativity of its own. We are a part in the creativity and the Life principle in us is the reflection of Consciousness. The terms such as Maya, Ishwara, Kudastha, Atma, Jeeva etc., are used to analyse and understand “Consciousness”, which, as already mentioned, is the first expression of that Supreme. The Supreme is known by different names such as “Brahman”, “Purushottaman” although the Supreme cannot be expressed in words. Once we attempt to speak of Brahman, actually we bring that Power down to the level of Consciousness, Ishwara, Atma etc.

Reverting to the main theme “Art of Living” under discussion, we have so far analysed ‘what is life’, ‘what is living’ and also defined ‘what is ‘witnessing’. We may discuss something more about this ‘witnessing’. As already mentioned , Consciousness is witnessing its own creativity without interfering with the play it has begun on its own Will. We may explain it further with illustration. A child full of energy jumps all around, sometimes in its joyous mood or sometime in its unhappy mood. This is the everyday happening the parents witnesses. In each individual this dancing is happening within as well as in the activities outside. Sometimes we are overjoyed with pleasure, sometimes we are in pain. All pairs of opposites – likes and dislikes, attraction and repulsion are expressed as dance of living in each one of us.

How to witness the dance? First of all, we should realize our own Self – Real “I” and differentiating the same from the phantom “I”. The phantom I is dancing and the Real I is witnessing. The story of two birds sitting on tree – one eating fruit and the other witnessing, used by vedantins may be recalled here. The irony is that forgetting our swaroopa – Real I, we identify ourselves with the swabhava – prakrity – phantom I.


The meditation technique, study of philosophy, vedantha vichara etc., are some of the exercises we adopt to realize our Self – Real I. Once we succeed in this realization we could observe the dancing of the phantom I objectively; Life could observe the living objectively, Consciousness could observe the Nature objectively. Here comes the importance of meditation, a technique by which we realize our own Self. Starting with Raja Yoga of Sage Patanjali, different methods of meditation are prevalent such as sahaja yoga, sudarsana kriya, kriya yoga, Transcendental meditation, kundalini yoga, Nada yoga, Yoga-nidra, yogic gazing, Pragna yoga etc. etc. The Life principle and Prana are closely related and so by regulating the prana we attempt to realize the Life principle.Customs (acharams), vedic injunctions, pooja, homam, yagna, chanting of mantras, singing bhajans, visiting pilgrim centres and worshiping in temples are all good so long as they lead us to that goal of self-relisation i.e. realization of the Real I.

The constant jumping of the child cannot be stopped altogether and so too the activities of the grown up, mental activities as well as outside activities. The child is sent to a dance master who teaches the technique of dance and the rhythmic steps. So too, religious leaders, philosophers, saints and sages teach us the rhythm of living. As we know, there is a rhythm in the functioning of Nature. When this rhythm is applied to mankind it is known by the name dharma. Rhythm, dharma, acharams, vedic injunctions etc., regulate our living whereas the Life-principle remains without change wherein Satyam alone prevails.

As already mentioned Life is different from Living. We are forced to dance (meaning engage in activities) from birth onwards. Dharma regulates those activities similar to dance-master regulating the jumping of the child in a rhythmic way in the form of a dance., Once we have understood the Being and Becoming, Life and Living, Akshara and Kshara, Static and dynamic, we can lift ourselves to the witness stage and view even our own thoughts and actions leave alone the outside world, objectively. This Witnessing is the Art of Living. Our practicing meditation so as to identify ourselves with our Real I (otherwise known as Life-principle; Akshara, Being, Consciousness, Ishwara) should not be limited to a few hours. The meditation should be throughout the day contemplatively established even while we are engaged in karma.

To sum up, Atma-anusanthanam (constant rememberence of the Life-principle)would lead us to the realization of the Witness in us (Atma-sakshatkaram) and in that stage our personality would change and we develop an attitude of detached attachment and watch our activities with least emotional disturbance.

The attitude of the child - a kind of restlessness – is due to its ignorance from our point of view. In our case also we feel the same restlessness because we attach ourselves to the Living without realizing the Life principle which is Akshara; Atma; Consciousness; Ishwara etc. On realization of our real swaroopa – Real I, equanimity (samathwam) would prevail in our attitude to face any event in our living.

Remember: “Art of Living” is “Witnessing” Let us find out the Witness in us which is our real swaroopa. Let the Life witness the living; let the Atma witness the functioning of the anthakarana. Let Consciousness witness the functioning of Prakrity – Nature. Let God be viewed as a Witness and not a dispenser of justice or bestower of results. “Eko Deva Sarvabootheshu kooda Sarvavyabhi Sarvabhoodantharatma Karmathyaksha Sarva bhoodathivasaSakshi Cheta Kevalo Nirgunacha. This is the true definition of God. May we realize Godliness in us and bring Godliness in all our actions. May our unrhythmic activities become rhythmic, may Equanimity replace raga and dwesha. May Shanti prevail in our Living through the Light of Life.