| CHANGE SELF TO CHANGE WORLD | |
| Extract: DHARMA OF NO-mIND
CIRCULATED IN THE HUMBLE-HEARTED, OPEN-MINDED, JOYOUS-SPIRITED ADVENTURE OF KNOWLEDGE-SHARING THAT …ALL SENTIENT BEINGS MAY AWAKEN &WORLD PEACE MAY REIGN |
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| [Note: The (Interpolations in Coloured Italic Script in Brackets) within the Body of the Original Quotes in Bold – Intuitively Revisited & Reinvested with Comments — are the Personal Subjective Thoughts, Opinions and Utterances of the Compiler-Commentator – dredged from within the depths of his Limited Framework-of-Knowledge and Partial State-of-Understanding …and is not positioned as The Definitive View on the Subject]. | |
| Note:
Concept: Atman Self – Upanishads/Bodhicitta/Buddha-Nature – Buddhism/Noor-i-Ruhani/Ruh-i-Ilahi – Islam/Holy Spirit – Christianity/Noble Self – Zoroastrianism/‘No Mind’ – Zen/Gentleman – Confucius. Refers to: ‘Godly-Lawful Higher/Immortal/Eternal Self’ in man. Represents: Constructive/Divine Forces of Light-Love-Life Concept: ‘Nafs – Islam/Aham – Indic/Ego – West/Beast-Self – Zoroastrianism/‘Mind-States’ – Zen. Refers to: ‘Godless-Lawless Lower/Mortal/Transient self’ in man Represents: Destructive/Satanic Forces of Darkness-Violence-Death |
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| To put the world in order we must first put the nation in order; / To put the nation in order we must first put the family in order; / To put the family in order we must cultivate our personal life; / To cultivate our personal life we must first set our hearts right. (For, in the ultimate analysis, to improve the macro-scenario — the outer condition of the world order — its Collective State …we have to first set right the micro-scenario — the inner state of order in man’s heart — its Individual State). | Lao Tzu |
| The first peace, which is the most important (as it is the source of all other forms of peace among individuals and nations), is that which comes within the souls of people. | Black Elk, Native American Leader |
| As the family goes (– whether united and harmonious or disunited and disharmonious), so goes the nation and so goes the whole world in which we live (…for it is from the condition of the smallest Individual Unit that the condition of the largest Collective State emerges). | Pope John Paul II |
| You may cry for peace as loudly as you wish, but where there is no(sense of tolerance and) brotherhood (in your heart) there can be no peace (in the outer world). | Max Lerner |
| If your heart is a (seething) volcano (of destruction), how shall you expect flowers (of calm and peace) to bloom? | Khalil Gibra, Poet |
| We can never obtain peace in the (outer) world if we neglect the inner world (of our semi-dormant higher Atman Self) and don’t make peace with ourselves (…as manifest in our current internal state of constant disquiet, dis-ease and unrest). (All pervading) World peace must develop out of inner peace (that only springs forth from the higher Atman Self-aware men’s soul). | The Dalai Lama XIV |
| Peace is something to be attained internally. Wherever we (as unawakened ego-dominated ordinary beings) go in search of peace, we take our (outward-bound, illusions-immersed, troubles-stirring monkey-) mind with us. To find real (unchanging and permanent)peace, get rid of the (godless-lawless ego-dominated, mischief-making, illusions-conjuring monkey-) mind (…instantly!). | Mata Amritanadamayi |
| To attain inner peace you must actually give (away) your (obsolete, godless ego-dominated way-of-) life, not just your possessions. When you at last give (away – not resignedly but willingly –) your (whole past decadent, pagan ego-intoxicated way-of-) life – bringing into(new orientation and) alignment your (fresh Higher self-inspired, conscience-approved, conviction -rooted, experience-tested universal) beliefs and the (principles-moored, values-centric, ethics-bound, sustainable) way you live, then, and only then, can you begin to find inner peace (and in turn …be able to radiate it into the outer world). | Peace Pilgrim |
| (To impress others by false outward show you) Go over and over your beads, paint weird designs on your forehead, wear (religious cloaks and) your hair matted, long and ostentatious (and keep chanting your mindless mantras for all to hear), but when deep inside you there is a(godless-lawless nafs/aham/ego/ beast-self-wielded, high caliber)loaded gun (filled with malignant-bullets of ill-will towards your fellows) , how (in God’s name) can you (even dare to desire to) have God? | Kabir, Poet |
| Patience is a reflection of the (inviolable, inborn Atman Self-aware)peaceful mind. My peaceful (inner state-of-) mind is capable to cope with all situations (that arise in my interactions with the outer world)without becoming (distracted or) disturbed and agitated. It (goes with-the-flow and in good faith) calmly accepts (without enthusiasm or résistance) the resolution of circumstances and, with this (inborn Atman Self-endowed inexhaustible ocean of) patience one acquires the power to deal with all (difficult and intractable external)situations (and guide them to an optimal and peaceful resolution). | Brahmakumaris |
| When you find (mind tranquility and soul) peace within yourself, you become the kind of person who can live at peace with others. | Peace Pilgrim |
| He who lives in harmony with himself (– his noble, inborn Higher Self) lives in harmony with the universe. | Marcus Aurelius |
| Earth will be safe when we feel in us enough safety (…and we can only feel enough safety in ourselves if we have conquered our unpredictable natures and attained freedom from the uncontrollable, disruptions-causing godless-lawless ego-self within us). | Thich Nhat Hanh |
| Sexual, racial, gender violence and other forms of violence (implicitly or explicitly extant) in a culture cannot be eliminated without (first)changing (the contextual setting in which they occur and resetting the collective mindset of the obsolete) culture. | Charlotte Bunch |
| The reason why the (fragmented strife-torn) world lacks unity, and lies broken and in heaps, is, because (pagan nafs/aham/ego/ beast-self-dominated, contradictions-enmeshed, duality-bound, divisive-minded ignorant) man is disunited within himself. | Ralph Waldo Emerson |
| Our individual well-being is intimately (and inextricably) connected both with that of all others and with the (Natural) environment within which we live. | The Dalai Lama XIV |
| Mind, body and environment is the same (continuum …but ignorant ego-conditioned, duality-obsessed man divides and puts them in separate compartments …and never arrives at his soul-liberating higher truth of Oneness). | Hippocrates, Greek Physician – Propagating a Holistic Model of the Mind |
| What we do to the world, we do to ourselves. (So, at the end of the day, in the modern context, when we have ignorantly destroyed the forests, thoughtlessly poisoned the rivers and greedily exhausted our non-renewable resources …the joke will be on us). | Indian AmericanChief Seattle, 1876 |
| What we (as godless ego-dominated beings), are doing (in our discriminatory mind-states conjured erroneous sense of separation and disconnection) to the forests of the world (by mindlessly and callously razing them to the ground) is but a mirror reflection of what we are doing to ourselves and to each other (by living in a dog-eat-dog society constantly going for each other’s jugular). Truly, as Gandhi said, ‘an eye for an eye will make the whole world blind’. | Chris Maser |
| The inward (…individual human state-of-mind) and the outward (…collective state-of-world) are indissolubly united and form a single great eternal (seamless cosmic) current. | Ma Anananda Mayi |
| Change yourself (first so as to be in-tune-with the imperatives of your external circumstances/conditions) and you have done your part in changing the (out-of-tune) world. The world cannot become peaceful unless you yourself (– as an integral component of the world jig-saw puzzle — now) begin to work for peace. It is only by removing (the pathological aham/ego/beast-self-dominated, impure mind-states generated) hate from our hearts (and replacing it with that of our inborn-noble Atman Self-enabled, all-inclusive agape love) that we can live a peaceful life (at the personal level …and bring peace to the larger world). | Parmahansa Yogananda |
| Violence is basically an (unstable-unpredictable godless-lawless)ego-related problem (that afflicts mankind in general). It is a(uncontrollable, easily) provoked (and angered inner-residing atavistic nafs/aham/) ego (/beast-self dominant within us unawakened ordinary beings) that creates almost all kinds of (outer world-life-history disrupting) violence and disturbance. | Maulana Wahiuddin Khan |
| The (unawakened, godless-lawless ego-dominated ordinary people’s)inclination to aggression…. constitutes the greatest impediment to civilization (and Planet Earth). | Sigmund Freud |
| Root out the violence in your life (– your atavistic ego-conditioned tendency to ill-will, lies, envy, intolerance), and learn to live compassionately and mindfully (with humble respect and tolerance for ‘the other’ and the earth-life …aware of the Big Picture of Brotherhood). Seek peace (first within yourself). (For only) When you (as an individual) have (attained true) peace within, real peace with others (in the outer world) is possible. | Thich Nhat Hanh |
| War is the ultimate (outer) expression of the (godless-lawless ego-inflamed, divisive mind-states concocted) inner conflict (raging within unawakened man’s soul). There is war going on all the time(in every nook and cranny of the world); in the business world, in the world of religious peoples, between the various gurus, the various dogmas (…within families and between neighbours). (So, if we resolve our self-deluding, illusory sense of separation from ‘the other’ and the world-life …by dousing our pagan ego-aroused, discriminatory mind-states fanned flames of divisiveness, of parochial distinctions-making, sectarian separations-causing negativity raging in our inner-world …all forms of conflicts manifest in the external world will inexorably disappear too). | Jiddu Krishnamurti |
| We, as individuals are totally responsible for the whole state of the world (for we are the world and as we are, so is the world). We (– when dominated by our godless-lawless egos) are each one of us responsible for every war because of the aggressiveness of our own(insecure) lives, because of our (disease of) nationalism, our(destructive) selfishness, our (temporal sagunic) gods, our (petty parochial) prejudices, our (self-serving decadent) ideals, all of which(contribute to undermining our inherent sense of unity and) divide(and separate) us (into mutually warring factions). | J Krishnamrti |
| If you and I (– under the influence of our ungodly-unforgiving nafs/aham/ego/beast-self) are having a single thought of violence or hatred against anyone in the world at this moment, we are contributing to the (destruction of our self and the) wounding of the world. (So, conquer your wayward nafs/aham/ego/beast-self …to heal yourself and the world). | Deepak Chopra |
| Hatred (– a godless-lawless nafs/aham/ego/beast-self-aroused, impure mind-states conjured condition –) leads to destruction (in our inner and outer world-life). (A godly Atman Self/Bodhicitta/ Noor-i-Ruhani/Holy Spirit-inspired) Respect for all living beings leads to non-violence (and social harmony). The real enemies(disrupting individual and social harmony) live inside you; they are(your atavist ego-generated, self-destructive states of) anger, pride, crookedness, greed, attachment and hate… It is better to win over (our inner-dominating godless-lawless nafs/ aham/ego/ beast-) self than to win over a million external enemies. | Mahavira |
| God’s creation in-itself is good; it is beautiful, in proper proportion and adapted for the performance it has to perform. There is no evil or disorder in it. Such evil or disorder that creeps in is due to man’s(godless-lawless ego-imposed, spiritually-immature, subjective sense of ‘my’) will and spiritual teaching is directed to train and cure that(parochial-uncontrollable, ignorant ego-generated partial ‘my will’ so as) to bring it into conformity (and alignment) with the universal order or (Dharmic) plan (of God’s Will). | Mohammad Iqbal, Poet |
| The solution to the (most pressing existential-psychological-social-ecological) problem of the day (we face in our internal and external worlds) is the awakening of the consciousness of humanity to the(original-innate unborn-undying Noor-i-Ruhani/ Atman Self/Bodhicitta/Holy Spirit-endowed state — the) divinity within. | Hazrat Inayat Khan |
| Be an (evolved Atman Self-aware) instrument of love, harmony and peace. Emphasize benign and creative unity (between nations, faiths, races and peoples) instead of (a lower-pagan ego-self-perpetrated conditions of malignant divisiveness and) destructive disunity. Work(selflessly) for universal brotherhood and world peace. Work (single-mindedly) as though this (stupendous challenge of a) task depends(/hinges) upon you. | Swami Chidananda |
| The easiest and fastest way of reforming a situation is by reforming oneself (to adapt and adjust in-resonance with its imperatives). To make one’s self perfect first (by retuning and realigning oneself with the dominant Flow of the Force), is the most simple but probably least used method to make the world perfect (…only because arrogant ego-self intoxicated foolish beings are unable to recognize and accept the fact that they need inner soul-realignment if the outer world is to be put in Order). | Sadhu Vishwamurtidas |
| The place to improve the world is first in one’s own heart and head and hands (…for in self-transformation alone …lies our salvation and hope for the benign-sustainable survival of our Future Generations). | Robert M. Pirsig, Zen and theArt of Motocycle Mechanics |
| I cannot always control what goes on outside (me in the material world), but I can always control what goes on inside (me in my own mental world). | Wayne Dyer |
| We (– each-and-everyone of us –) must (change our parochial mindsets and) develop a sense of universal responsibility not only in the geographic (and national) sense, but also in respect of the different (larger humanitarian and ecological) issues that confront(and endanger the sustainable continuity of) our planet. Responsibility does not only lie with the leaders of our countries or those who have been appointed or elected to do a particular job. It lies with each (-and-everyone) of us individually. | The Dalai Lama, in Noble Peace Prize Acceptance Speech |
| A great civilization is not conquered from without (neither by invaders nor the stormy Age Change period of transition) until it has destroyed itself from within (…through its own godless-lawless ego-dominated, pleasures-pursuing, wealth-chasing, name-making, nature-destructing, moral-decay generating, herd-minded constituents – the rot within). | Mel Gibson’s, ‘Apocalypto’ |
| Nations have passed away and left no traces and history gives the naked cause of it. One single, simple reason in all cases; they fell because their (godless-lawless aham/ego/beast-self- intoxicated, illusions-immersed, self-seeking, greed-enslaved, hedonism-pursuing, narcissistic-living, herd-minded ordinary) people (– the Trojan Horse within society –) were not fit. | Rudyard Kipling |
| I believe that civilizations have always been brought to grief by their own faults and failures (caused by their own arrogant ego-dominated, herd-mind generated follies and foibles – the Trojan Horse within), and not by any external agency (…above or below the sun). | Arnold Toynbee |
| Civilizations like empires fall, not for the strength of the enemy outside as through the weakness and decay within (its own body social and polity – generated by the collective-impact of its own citizens and their godless aham/ego/beast-self-induced, herd-mind conjured impure conditions of hedonism-greed-corruption-decadence — the Trojan Horse within). | Jawaharlal Nehru, 1stPM of Independent India |
| The (outer material) world is a reflection of ourselves (– our inner mind-state); what we create outwardly (…whether a condition of harmony or disharmony in the world-life-history) stems from what we are inwardly (in the mind — whether absorbed in the altruistic-hearted, peace-loving, harmony-generating godly Atman Self /‘No-Mind’ State of Being …or immersed in the demonic-natured, peace-disrupting, disharmony-fostering, world-life-history destructing, godless-lawless aham/ego/beast-self dominated, illusory mind-states conjuring conditions-of-becoming). | Rig Veda |
| The Lord will change not that condition which is without thee (–thy external circumstances), until thou first changeth that condition which is within thee (– thy internal pagan nafs/aham/ ego/beast-self-dominated, self-destructing, obsolete attitudes-imprisoned, illusory mind-states conjuring conditions of self-enslavement — the Trojan Horse within). | Qur’an |
| If ye have need of something new (– a fresh set of wholesome and benevolent inner-outer conditions/circumstances), ye must first overcome the old (– godless-lawless nafs/aham/ego/beast-self-enslaved, self-limiting, self-enervating, unwholesome attitude/ mindset) that dominates within thee. | Qur’an |
| You must put aside your old (false godless aham/nafs/ego/
beast -) self … your mind must be renewed by a spiritual revolution so that you can put on the new (real godly Holy Spirit/ Atman) self that has been created in God’s way. |
Paul, Eph. 4:22.24 |
| With self-realization of your own (inborn limitless Atman) Self(/Buddha-nature/Noor-i-Ruhani/Holy Spirit) and the self-confidence in your ability (to independently and freely think and fearlessly act for yourself with compassion towards the world-life …whatever the consequences), you can build a better world, a better life (…for all God’s creatures on Earth). | The Dalai Lama XIV |
| Let everyone (assume his responsibility and) sweep in front of his own door and the whole world will (follow his example and) be clean. | Goethe |
| Before healing others, first heal yourself. | Gambian Proverb |
| Clean first the inside of the cup and dish (– the heart-mind –) so that the outside may become clean as well. | Bible, Matt 23:26 |
| Could we change our attitude, we should not only see life differently, but life itself would come to be different. Life would undergo a change of appearance because we ourselves had undergone a change in attitude. | Katherine Mansfield |
| Change your (obsolete, self-limiting) thoughts and you change your world. | Norman Vincent Peale |
| The key to change… is to let go of fear. | Rosanne Cash |
| Within you right now is the power to do things you never dreamed possible. This power becomes available to you just as soon as you can(have the courage to fearlessly) change your beliefs. | Maxwell Maltz |
| When we are no longer able to change a situation, we are challenged to change ourselves. | Viktor Frankl, Holocaust Survivor & Psychiatrist |
| If you’re headed for a cliff, you’ve got to change direction. | US President, Barack Obama in Speech (Feb 09) |
| The greatest discovery of any generation is that human beings can alter their lives by altering their attitude of mind. | Albert Schweitzer |
| When I was young and free and my imagination had no limits ( in my youthful exuberance), I dreamt of changing the world (around me for the better …so I sincerely tried and tried to the best of my ability, but it was in vain). As I grew older and wiser, I discovered (to my utter dismay) that the world would not change, so I shortened my sights somewhat and decided to (at least) change my country. But it too (to my great disappointment) seemed immovable. As I grew into my twilight years (still hopeful), in one last desperate attempt (at initiating positive change), I (finally) settled for changing only my family, those closest to me (in my immediate surroundings with whom I wielded the most influence); but alas, they (too, trapped in the decadent ways of the world) would have nothing of it. And now, as I lie (broken-hearted) on my deathbed, I suddenly realize that if I had only (looked inward and) changed myself first, then by (the power of) example I would have changed my family. (Then,) From their inspiration and encouragement, I would have been able to better my country, and who knows? I may have even changed the world. (So, dear brother, learn from my failure …and in order to change the world, begin by first changing yourself). | Scripted on the Tomb of an Anglican Bishop’s Crypt at Westminster Abbey |
| Yesterday I (thought I) was clever. / that is why / I wanted to change the (outer) world. / Today I am wise. / That is why / I am changing myself (– my inner world). | Sri Chinmoy |
| Everybody thinks of changing humanity but nobody thinks of changing himself (…which is where the whole process begins). | Leo Tolstoy |
| It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent. It is the one that is most adaptable to change. (Methinks herein lies the rub for man who thinks nothing of changing and adapting the world to himself instead). | Charles Darwin |
| The measure of intelligence is the (mental-resilience endowed, open-minded) ability to change (and adapt to the emerging environmental imperatives …or go under). | Albert Einstein |
| Our inner universe (/state-of-mind) manifests itself outwardly (in the condition of our worldly circumstances whether) in sickness and health, in joy and sorrow, in peace and stress (– depending on whether it is absorbed in the wholesome higher Atman Self/‘No-Mind State …or immersed in the unwholesome lower nafs/aham/ego/beast-self state). If we want to change (the world-condition) externally, it must first take place within us (internally — within our own self-awakened, original-inborn immortal Atman Self/‘No-Mind’ State-of-Being). Otherwise it will only be a(fruitlessly attempted) mechanical patch-up job (affected in vain). | Nalin Nirula |
| Every man that is at peace …adds to the peace of the world. If enough people share the value of peace …war can be bought to an end. A(creative) shift (of attitude and awareness in acknowledging the inherent oneness and unity of humanity) in consciousness can transform the world. Such a shift is already occurring …it just needs a critical mass (– the 100th monkey to kick-start the process). You could be the turning point. You could be the (initiator of the creative)change you want to see in the world (…by readjusting and readapting your archaic-unwholesome heathen ego-self dominated, imaginary discriminations-making, parochial divisions-creating, illusory mind-states conjuring regressive conditions of distinctions and separations between self and ‘the other’ …to be more in-tune-with your evolved-wholesome immortal Atman Self …in-sync-with the freshly emerging progressive conditions of benign-spirited, humanity-unifying, harmony-creating, liberation-ushering New Age of Brotherhood). | Gandhi |
| Because of the innate connections between ‘Man’ and ‘Nature’, the(condition of the) inner-self of man is reflected in the external(condition of the world) order. Therefore, it follows that, when man’s(godless-lawless ego-dominated, decadent condition of) inner being has turned to darkness and turmoil, nature (and his outer world condition) is also turned from harmony to disequilibrium and disorder. … A traditional Muslim (or sane, rational man of any faith) would see in the bleakness and ugliness of modern industrial society and the ambiance (of a dehumanized, directionless, meaningless and purposeless life) it creates as an outward reflection of the (inner decadent ego-induced dense cloud of) darkness (– the Trojan Horse)within the soul of (the ignorant-arrogant ego-intoxicated, modern-minded) men who have created this (counter-productive, malevolent, unsustainable, civilization-threatening, nature-endangering) order and who live in it (unhappily trapped in a self-generated state of constant frustration and immiseration). | Syyed Hossein Nasr |
| The violence and conflict we are witnessing is a (– externalized projection and) dramatization of the inner (godless-lawless nafs/aham/ego/beast-self perpetrated) violence of (ordinary unawakened) humanity. We are not individuals, separate (-different-distinct and disconnected from each other and the world-life). What happens to us (inexorably) happens to all of life (…and vice versa). Physically we may (seemingly ostensibly) live isolated in our secluded homes, (secretively) screening our domestic violence from the rest of the world but psychologically we are (integrally united and) inseparable from (the Network/Matrix of) all of mankind. The poisonous fumes of our inner (ignorant-impure nafs/aham/ego/beast-self- induced, senses-deluded, impure-discriminating mind-states conjured illusions of differences, separations and divisions – at the individual and national levels – and their attendant inescapable effects of discord, hostility, aggression-generated) turbulence seep through the collective consciousness of humanity (…and corrupts the social fabric). The violence within (each and every one of) us(nafs/aham/ego/beast-self dominated untamed ones)… is the very source of danger and destruction (…of our natural world-life-history, as is happening today). | Sri Bhagwan’s Message |
| What causes suffering in this world? Our collective choices influence the (organo-holistic unified) field of information and energy in the biosphere of the earth which is our extended body. When collectively we are turbulent (due to the roiling influence of our godless-lawless nafs/aham/ego/beast-self dominated, agitation-embroiled nature and turbulent mind-states concocting conditions of unrest and disquiet), Mother Nature will also be (reciprocally) turbulent. Therefore, we may have some (proportional share of responsibility and blame of active) participation in the (catalyzing of a) cyclone and natural calamities that we blame on God. We are not separate (beings divided, distinct, different and disconnected from each other and) from nature. When our inner (lower-pagan mortal nafs/aham/ego/beast-self aroused, impurities infected mind-states of agitation and)turbulence settles down (under the calming influence of our awakened godly-lawful Atman Self/Bodhicitta/Noor-i-Ruhani /Holy Spirit) on a collective level (…and inner rest, quiet and stillness reign then — through this self-transforming realization and world-life evolving self-initiated action), it is possible that (in a mutually-reciprocal response) nature’s turbulence may simultaneously calm down (as a direct comeback on it). | Deepak Chopra, TOI 24.4.00 (Q&A Section) |
| Scores more Quotes in this Mould avail in ‘The Collection’ (Estd. 1958) |
About Sarosh Framroze
