Bangalore- a Punya Kshetram

Why do multinationals invest in Bangalore? Why are there so many research institutes in Bangalore? Why is Bangalore the IT hub, the electronics hub, and the Bio-tech hub of India? Is it because of the weather? Is it because of the people? Is it because of anything else? I will come back to these questions later....


I went home this weekend because I was feeling extremely agitated mentally. As soon as I got down from the train at Bangalore, I began to feel much lighter. The agitation reduced and my mind became calmer. The heaviness in my mind instantaneously vanished. This kind of feeling I had even during my last visit back home. I questioned myself whether it was because of the happiness that I am going to visit my parents or was it something to do with the place itself. If it were the former, I should have the same feeling when my parents come to meet me but I don't get it here. Then does it mean that Bangalore has something special in it?


One more thing that I observed this time when I went to Bangalore was the number of institutions that have been opened for the sake of spreading spirituality. I saw a hoarding which said "free yoga and pranayama" taught by the Zen masters. There was a lecture by Swami Sukhabodhanda on the Bhagavad Geeta at the Malleshwaram Grounds. And most of us know that the "Art of Living " Sri Sri Ravishankar is based in Bangalore. The Brahmakumari Mission is also spreading in Bangalore. And there are many more. (Whether each one of these is really a spiritual mission is a question to be answered by the reader himself but they do claim that they are spiritual missions). So, I asked my Master whether Bangalore was special in any manner. And he confirmed my intuition that Bangalore was the modern spiritual capital of India. These missions are somehow able to spread the message of goodness and peace and are able to transform the people to a certain extent into becoming better and better human beings.

This answered my first few questions. Probably, the atmosphere here is itself charged with positive energy and hence people are attracted to this place without their own knowledge.

Bangaloreans are blessed to be there. It is upto the people to utilize the wonderful atmosphere there for their own spiritual and moral development.

Coincidence

It was the sixth time out of the last 8 travels between Chennai and Bangalore that a baby was present in the compartment(cubicle) in which I had a seat. Thrice in Lalbagh Exp, once in Brindavan , once by Kaveri Exp and once when I was travelling by bus when there was a baby in the seat right behind me. Is there any attraction for babies towards me?


You might say it would be fun looking at the baby and enjoying the way it behaves. But is it really true? The first two times when I was travelling by Lalbagh Exp and the time I was in Brindavan Exp(These two trains are day trains and have only Second sittin), the babies were probably about 6 months old and were making a hell lot of noise. I felt pity on the mother who could not manage with the little space in the crowded train and so, for most part of my travel I never sat on my seat and stood near the door so that the mother had enough space to feed the baby and put it to sleep. On one occasion, I told the mother it would be more comfortable for her to travel by a night train because she would have a berth of her own. She immediately told me that if I had experienced travelling with a baby during the night, then I wouldn't be telling this. It happened just as what she said. The next time I travelled by Kaveri Exp, a night train, I yet again came across a couple with their baby in the same cubicle as mine. It was the worst night travel I ever had. I, being extremely sensitive to sound, could not sleep even for 15 minutes continuously. The baby was crying and shouting all through the night. The mother was literally crying because of her guilt of having to trouble others. I was empathising with the couple but could do nothing to help them. This weekend when I went home by Lalbagh, it was not a single baby but 4 kids around the age of 4-5. Oh my God. They were jumping around and playing as if it were a playground. But this time I really enjoyed the way they were playing. They were simply awesome. The only time I had no trouble travelling with babies was the time I travelled by bus. I could sleep very well as the baby too slept well.

Functioning of a human being

Why do we feel bored? This is a question which has been bothering me for quite some time. The reason being that I never felt bored even when I did nothing for 3 months during my holidays but felt extremely bored the day my quizzes got over. I got the answer last night while I was in bed.


The functioning of a human being can take place in 4 ways depending on the activities in his mental and his physical level. I define the 4 ways thus:


Mental Activity Physical activity

1. High High
2. High Low
3. Low Low
4. Low High
   
   

By mental activity, I mean the amount of thoughts that arise in the mind.

Most people function in the first category on most occasions where the level of mental and physical activity is pretty high. When there is a balance between the level of physical and mental activity, life seems to run in a normal fashion. But when the level of physical activity demanded of man becomes higher and higher, the mental activity too increases resulting in stress and tension and physical tiredness. On the other hand, if the level of physical activity goes very low when no work is demanded of him and if still the level of mental activity is high, it results in ennui. In this state we feel like doing something but we don't have anything to do. I realized that this is what happens to me after every quiz. Immediately after a quiz, there is no work demanded of me but my mind is very agitated with a lot of thoughts. Soon boredom sets in.


The third condition is a condition which many people have not tried to experience or attain- a condition of low mental activity or in other words blankness of mind. A low mental activity can be attained with a certain amount of spiritual practice with the help of a proper guide. When I am at home, I am somewhat in this condition when my mind is not very active and obviously have not much work to do. In this condition, there is no feeling of boredom because the mind does not want to have any activity. It likes to remain silent and enjoy the calmness. But when some physical activity is demanded it can result in disturbance in the mind.

The fourth condition is a very difficult condition to attain. Saints are mostly in this condition. Their mind is always in a state of blankness but they have a lot of physical activity demanded of them. They are mostly guided by intuition and their physical activities are guided by Nature. When the mind is always in a state of blankness no matter what occurs, they can take in any load of work and no tiredness or stress sets in.

None of the conditions mentioned above are permanent. It is always possible to shift between one another. But the best condition is the last one. If any one is able to lead a life in the last condition, one can experience bliss and at the same time discharge his duties in a righteous manner.