Worry is a prevalent habit, and since it is annoying rather than disabling, many worrywarts don’t recognize themselves as anxious. In fact, worriers often feel justified. Why not turn the car around to double check that you locked the door? Why not worry about global warming, terrorism, and all the other aspects of an unsafe world? Worry is anxiety backed up by excuses invented by the mind. Therefore, this is one aspect of anxiety where the mind must be taught to think in a different way. Convinced by its own beliefs, a worried mind will never abandon its habit. (more…)
Goals and Unattachment
You say that we should concentrate on our present actions and not get emotionally attached to the result. Then how should we plan our future? When we set our goals, we’re generally expecting things to turn out it a certain manner. Isn’t it how we plan our lives? How do we detach ourselves from the outcome and yet find the strength and motivation to take action towards our goal?
Questions About Life
Ever since I’ve started meditating, my mind is muddled with questions regarding my life, my aim, my existence and so many things. Is it because of something new taking place inside me or is it because of a social conditioning that we begin to look for such answers whenever we think of meditation and spirituality. Why are there only questions? How do we get the answers? Is it just the beginning?
Do Words Cause Wars?
Anti-Muslim speech has been curtailed in the U.S. since 9/11 so far as official channels go. Popular sentiment and right-wing radio are another matter. The Bush administration has been chastised for using terms like “war on terror” and ’clash of civilizations” as code for an attack on Islam itself. The Obama administration has tried to erase those phrases. But words don’t cause wars, not directly. They reflect the consciousness of the speaker, which is a much more potent cause of conflict. By his relative silence, Feisal Abdul Rauf is following his long-avowed policy of not getting his hands dirtied with nasty politics. Yet many moderate Muslims have tried this tactic, only to find that they are leaving a vacuum that is quickly filled by extremist voices. (more…)