Search Results

The new year. What is it? Why do we celebrate?? Is there any history?? or a reason to celebrate?? Is it the earth's birthday?? or it's a religious practice?? or a tradition?? or it's merely a momentary festivity?? A year comes, a year goes, With every new year, we look ahead with hope... Isn't? Isn't that a false hope?? We celebrate the end, We celebrate the new beginning, We are celebrating for the YEAR to come, Then why it is momentary, limited to a day?? Why only for the celebration, we have the energy?? Isn't the new year a never-ending cycle?? To feel bad about the present, To let go the past, To live by the hope, To revisit the cycle again and again?? Who were we a year ago or before that?? Who are we now?? What happened to the resolutions before?? What will make the difference with the new vows?? We are trapped in the jumbled emotions, In the busiest lives of self & society, momentary happiness, momentary change, are just momentary, not a better life. Ask yourself for once, what makes you happy for the new year, Is it the happiness of letting the past go?? Or to enter a new blank chapter??? Or taking the resolution or the momentary happiness?? Several customs, several cultures, So does regions, or the religions, Have their own rituals, of new year traditions... A new year can be better, Not with a resolution, But with determination, Not with the expectations, But with the actions. If it's just a celebration for the new year, celebrate it each and every day, A year will always come, a year will always go, yet a new day, a new beginning comes every day. Whatever reason you have to celebrate the new year, don't let it be momentary happiness, don't live by the false hope, Remember the change is in your hands, You are the master of your own. Some interesting information about calendars; we must know why we celebrate New Year on January 1st every year. I have always been curious about the history of calendars and time. It is very interesting to know about the history of calendars. Several New Year traditions are celebrated every year having different new year dates. Globally January 1st is celebrated as the beginning of new year under the Gregorian calendar which was a modification from Julian Calendar, which itself was a successor to the Roman Calendar. I had questions; if sept means seven, oct means eight, nov means nine, and dec means ten, then why is December the last month of the year?? Isn't logically February should be the last month??? Also to notice we are taught February has fewer days because of leap year calculations, but we are not taught why February is so lucky to have fewer days. The Roman Calendar initially had 10 months, which began with March and ended on December, and being the 10th and last month it was called December. January and February were added later to it at the beginning of the calendar. The reason why January became the first month is because; January has derived its name from the Roman God Janus also known as the God of the Beginnings, and though February was added following January, the remaining days of the years were added to it in the end, which led to less number of days in February. The calendars have been modified several times. The major reform in the Roman calendar was done by Julius Caesar, which followed the pattern and was practiced for a very long time. The interesting part is people used to celebrate the new year earlier on 1st March and then on 1st January, but the authenticity and accuracy of calendars were challenged every time. Pope Gregory XIII modified the Julian Calendar with proper accuracy and calculations and implemented it on 4th October 1582. The miscalculation in Julian Calendar was rectified with an 11-day jump in the calendar. Really, 11 days jump, 4th October 1582 was next day followed by 15th October 1582 in form of new Gregorian Calendar and it was continued and is practiced globally. Here, in India, we ourselves have several different practices of the new year in form of Baisakhi, Bihu, Gudi Padwa, Nutan Varsh, Puthandu, Vishu, etc. depending on the region, culture. Also don't forget, birthdays, anniversaries themselves are the new year of their own. Hence, it doesn't really matter what a new year brings, or how we celebrate, but it is good if we are conscious about what we celebrate and why. It is better to celebrate every day rather than wait for a year to end and a year to begin. It is better to practice change rather than a desire for change. Also, we believe that by celebrating new year's day or following Gregorian Calendar we are being influenced by western culture. I agree we are very much influenced by western culture in terms of actions, behavior, celebration. If we talk about accepting the Gregorian Calendar it is accepted all over because of its scientific accuracy, as earlier calendars were based on lunar positions/movements, and they have more or fewer days than the current calendar. Gregorian Calendar is based on the revolution of Earth around the sun. If we observe Indian calendars, they follow the lunar movement, i.e. the dates of the calendar are based on the movement of the moon, hence festival dates change and are different every year. Thank You for reading, I hope it was interesting and you learned something new.

We believe in change, which is natural, by the nature, We believe in change, a constant, continuous, gradual evolution. But, what does change means to us? to human nature?? Why do we seek change in people, In system, in government, or anything/anyone around us Isn't change a never-ending human desire???? If change is natural Why do we say?? To bring change in the world, Be the change first... Can change really be controlled?? Is it in our hands...?? Nature has its own ways of change, it's own way of evolution... yet, human being the most evolved, has no control over the changes in self, in own nature... We are evolved by greed, by desires, or by uncontrolled emotions... The changes we seek/desire is not for the evolution, but for the self-comfort, or for our own favor. Whatever ideology, whatever faith, whatever culture, whatever thought we belong, we don't seek change in ourselves, we seek change in others, for selfish or for ideal reasons. If evolution means natural growth, why do changes we seek are never evolved?? why we reject to accept the change in self?? but expect everything in our own favor?? There is a need for change... In the world, in systems, in governments, In people, in everything around us... Yes, there is a need for revolution. But, there is a need for evolution first. The evolution of change in us, is nothing about expectations or favors, It is about the acceptance, the experience, the learning, the growth, the evolution. The day the change evolves to actions, rather than the expectations. The day you believe you can change, rather than you keep wanting the change, Is the evolution. I found a quote, which said; "You never change your life until you step out of your comfort zone: Change begins at the end of your comfort zone" - Roy T. Bennett I would rephrase it for the context. "The Evolution of Change begins at the end of your comfort zone." As changes exist naturally, and we adapt according to our favors, desires. The evolution of change is what we need, for self, for others, and for revolution.

The Sentient Being, what does it mean?? Is it something simple?? or something beyond reality?? Born as a so-called human, we live our lives, some being social, some being an individual. For what purpose, do we live in a certain way?? Just for selfish reasons?? or it's because of any belief, tradition, or culture says?? We live in the world with the billions of people, different individuals, yet have similar problems. Mental, physical, personal, social, Is anything balanced in life?? don't we just live by, the way we are told?? We judge others, we justify ourselves, Is life just about, proving beliefs or one's own self?? Why do we complain, but never question?? Why don't we live the life, a rational way?? What really matters, for us merely as a human being?? What really matters, for us as a social being?? Is life just a journey from birth to death, just to pass by?? We have the power, we have the potential, to enlighten ourselves, to live a sentient life. One who merely lives life is a human, One who merely lives in a society, in a culture is a social, One who is conscious, one who enlightens self, and enlightens others beyond the discrimination and selfish purpose is the sentient. Life can be a purposeful, it can be balanced, one can master the mind, if aspires to be the sentient. The Sentient Being It was the year 2008 when I was first introduced to the term 'sentient', which in Buddhist philosophy means to be conscious, aware, of the totality of life. While in general terms sentient does means conscious, aware but it is limited to the senses, i.e. any living being which can respond, react by being conscious about its senses is what is called the sentient being. I have evolved by the time in learning and understanding things and concepts in a different way. I usually think what have we achieved in life as human beings?? Where are we in today's scenario, are we living a better life? We live in world of misery, where happiness is just momentary, and what steps are we taking for a better life? We all know about Buddha, sometimes I feel that Buddha is a mythical character, someone's imagination of a perfect human being, an example of how a person should live a life, a teacher, a guide who preaches the right way. When I was a kid, I used to think that Buddha was a female, but in society, he is represented as male. That is the quality of Buddha that one really cannot identify the gender, he/she is gender-neutral, and so does his/her order of monks and nun cannot really be identified by their gender. We designate him/her as the enlightened one, who achieved worldly knowledge, but I don't feel he/she is the enlightened one, but I feel he/she was beyond the enlightenment, he/she was a sentient, 'The Sentient Being'. What does really Sentient Being mean? Can anyone be sentient? Is it necessary for one to be sentient? Let us understand the idea of living beings in my way. 'Human' word is just a term to differentiate us from other living beings such as animals, plants, etc. The basic idea of survival of humans is similar to other living beings, i.e. interdependent on nature and to live just for survival. When humans evolved they formed traditions, cultures, beliefs, society. They created boundaries, limitations, rules, regulations, and practiced them with one another, and became Social beings. As they became social beings, several social problems started arising, and social beings got divided and dependent on their own cultures, traditions, beliefs, etc. There is a competition, there is loneliness, and there is always a struggle. While struggling with life, social being evolves they try to practice or achieve attainment of Nibbana (free from sufferings). But the reason why it is hard for a social being to be a Sentient being is because of selfish motives. There is always an aspect of selfishness in social behavior and thus even if a social being attains Nibbana or attains Enlightenment, that would make no difference. There is a reason why I say Buddha is Sentient, i.e. beyond Enlightenment, because, he/she preached what he/she practiced, what he/she learned, he/she was selfless, he/she wasn't just merely a social being. There were sentient beings earlier before Buddha, after Buddha whom we may know in some or other way. There still are sentient beings around me, around you, in between the herd of human beings and social beings. Who strive selflessly for a better society, who practice what they preach, who is carefree and not careless, who is free from discrimination. I started my journey to be a Sentient being when I got my name changed officially to Mitra Swayamedeep. Which, means 'I devote myself in the belief of self-enlightenment with the rhythm of friendliness.' also the motto of my life. Don't just be a human being or a social being, aspire to be a sentient being. I aspire to be a sentient being. Thank You for reading and being a part of my journey.