Opening quote of my new book, Sleep Only Gets in the Way:


“Heaven, when it is about to place a great responsibility on a man, always first tests his resolution, wears out his sinews and bones with toil. Exposes his body to starvation, subjects him to extreme poverty, frustrates his efforts so as to stimulate his mind, toughen his nature and make good his deficiencies. Men for the most part can mend their ways only after they made mistakes. Only when they are frustrated in mind and in their deliberations can they stand up anew. Only when their intentions become visible on their countenances and audible in their voices can they be understood by others. As a rule, a state without law abiding families and trustworthy Gentlemen on the one hand, and on the other, without the threat of external aggression, will perish. Only then do we realize that anxiety and distress lead to life and that ease and comfort end in death.”

—Mencius, Book VI Kao-Tzu
Part II, 15

The words  - I have a dream… is something that each and everyone of have used many times through out our lifetime. But those words when spoken from the young vibrant mind of Martin Luther King that hot dusty summer day still makes the small hairs at the back of my neck stand up. And he said only these words …I have a dream.

 

It became a landmark in American history and forever changed the nation so that it finally joined the brotherhood of man. And all he said was – I have a dream.  So was it the words or was it the silence in between the words. From whence it grew in strength, from whence it came.  So my dear readers, I am humbled by your appreciation of this blog and if can I leave one single thought with you, it is that within you lies the fount of knowledge, a treasure house of capacity and an immense stronghold of strength that one can draw upon. If one were to choose to walk in the path of silence.

I too have a dream.

I have a dream that one day we will change the future of the human race.  These words may sound grandiose and have been echoed many times in the past by many great people. Yet, they hold true till today. 

If it is dreams that will define who we can become, then let us dream far and wide; let us dream to the dizzying heights of raising mankind to the ultimate purpose of living in harmony, in peace and in love—as envisioned by almost every philosophy and religion since beginning of time.

 

 

Lets take a look at what this whole ‘contemplation’ is all about. Ultimately the contemplation  is about NOW. This moment in time. Right here and now. Unfortunately most of us do not live in NOW. We are lost in the vagaries of yester years or we swing forward to our vision or day dreams of years to come. Either way, they are totally illusionary.  To be lost in the past or to be what might be the future is in essence, mental masturbation.

Hence,  just like the act, it produces no productive result. Its only self satiating.  Let’s take a look at yesterday, the past so to speak. The past does not exist. It is only there when you step into it. And u can only step into it from now. It’s only from this moment in time that it exists. There is no past. And your past can be dramatically different from someone else’s past. If u had an argument with someone yesterday,  your version and his version will be dramatically different. So whose past is the past?

So what is past? The past is viewed from this present. It is our tint on it. Our lenses that define it. Again the past is ruled by the present. And what about the future?  The future does not exist. It only exists in your mind at this moment. It only exists in the present. Your vision of the future can be dramatically different from the person sitting next to you. The past exists in the present and the future exists in the present. And therefore the point of contemplation as defined in the Sphere of Silence, is about controlling Now. Because when you control Now, you control all your past and you control all your future. Now is the only thing that exists.