Last week my lab group went for a game for soccer. The temperature was was around 50 Deg F (10 feg C). Initially many of us were cold but after running here and there on the filed we started feeling warm and the game picked up the pace. As usual, after the 1st 20 min I was totally into the game with full vigor and intensity.We played for about 2 hours, and it felt great. The whole idea of an outdoor sports excites me so much, I feel like a small child whenever I am on the field.
Shouting, yelling, running and going nuts. And so happened this time too, when one of my tememates (who was suppose to be the goalkeeper) came to the midfield and during that time the other team scored a goal. I was RED, and shouted "What the HELL man, why are you freaking coming out into the midfield" etc etc. Then whenever I scored a goal or the team scored one I use to shout and go gaga. Eventually we won the game.
But to my surprise, someone made a very strange comment. Here is what was said " That dude Anurag, looks so calm and peaceful, but he is so intense in the filed shouting and yelling, what is all this......is this is what Art of Living is all about !!!!!
My answer was YES. Yes this is exactly what Art of Living is!!! Art of Living simply means whatever I am doing, I am totally into it. If I am angry - I am angry, if sad - sad, if happy - happy. Living life in an unfragmented manner is Art of Living, living life as intensely as intensely possible is Art of Living. I do not know why people have this wrong notion that spiritual people should not get angry or excited. Whats wrong?? Only difference between a spiritual person is - negative or positive emotion are gone once the moment is finished. The anger is there only during that moment, once the event goes then anger too is gone.
If you really want to learn the Art of Living you have to remain young, alive, available to crying, laughter, available to all dimensions, flowing all over, streaming. But remember, people will all the time misjudge you and you won't get any sympathy. People may cast aspersions at you, but that is worth it. People may think that you are a hypocrite, they may condemn you, they may call names to you, but don’t be worried about it. It doesn’t matter. The only thing that matters is your happiness.
Whenever you hold back some emotion, you feel uneasiness, unhappiness, because the energy is not flowing. The energy is not river-like; it is stuck, dead, frozen. And you would like to flow. Life is flow; death is frozenness. Of course, discipline is needed, not as control but as awareness. A controlled discipline is a deadening phenomenon. When you are alert, aware, a discipline comes easily out of that awareness – not that you force it, not that you plan it. No, moment to moment your awareness decides how to respond.
Guy on the right (Changyao) was the subject of my wrath (Must admit he was the best player in our team)
That’s all Art of Living is all about: remain happy, and don’t create any situation for anybody to be unhappy. If you can help, make others happy. If you cannot, then at least make yourself happy.
I love u all....
...Anu
Shouting, yelling, running and going nuts. And so happened this time too, when one of my tememates (who was suppose to be the goalkeeper) came to the midfield and during that time the other team scored a goal. I was RED, and shouted "What the HELL man, why are you freaking coming out into the midfield" etc etc. Then whenever I scored a goal or the team scored one I use to shout and go gaga. Eventually we won the game.
But to my surprise, someone made a very strange comment. Here is what was said " That dude Anurag, looks so calm and peaceful, but he is so intense in the filed shouting and yelling, what is all this......is this is what Art of Living is all about !!!!!My answer was YES. Yes this is exactly what Art of Living is!!! Art of Living simply means whatever I am doing, I am totally into it. If I am angry - I am angry, if sad - sad, if happy - happy. Living life in an unfragmented manner is Art of Living, living life as intensely as intensely possible is Art of Living. I do not know why people have this wrong notion that spiritual people should not get angry or excited. Whats wrong?? Only difference between a spiritual person is - negative or positive emotion are gone once the moment is finished. The anger is there only during that moment, once the event goes then anger too is gone.
If you really want to learn the Art of Living you have to remain young, alive, available to crying, laughter, available to all dimensions, flowing all over, streaming. But remember, people will all the time misjudge you and you won't get any sympathy. People may cast aspersions at you, but that is worth it. People may think that you are a hypocrite, they may condemn you, they may call names to you, but don’t be worried about it. It doesn’t matter. The only thing that matters is your happiness.
Whenever you hold back some emotion, you feel uneasiness, unhappiness, because the energy is not flowing. The energy is not river-like; it is stuck, dead, frozen. And you would like to flow. Life is flow; death is frozenness. Of course, discipline is needed, not as control but as awareness. A controlled discipline is a deadening phenomenon. When you are alert, aware, a discipline comes easily out of that awareness – not that you force it, not that you plan it. No, moment to moment your awareness decides how to respond.
Guy on the right (Changyao) was the subject of my wrath (Must admit he was the best player in our team)That’s all Art of Living is all about: remain happy, and don’t create any situation for anybody to be unhappy. If you can help, make others happy. If you cannot, then at least make yourself happy.
I love u all....
...Anu
nevertheless, i don't think we should be hysterical. we must remember that our emotions affect others, and when those emotions are extreme, all the more so.
ReplyDeleteyes, it is important to feel and to feel deeply. but there is a time and place for everything. can you imagine that yelling at your teammate might not have been just anger, but also aggression? when that negative emotion is directed at someone, it can create more negative emotion. i think it is ok to be angry, and definitely necessary sometimes, but we can't always just let it flow.
what if the person you were yelling at was physically much larger than you, and had a bad temper? what if he got offended, and he let his anger flow? he might have physically harmed you!
i know you're not advocating physical violence, but remember that it is not the only kind of violence. i am always surprised at how much power i have over people simply by modifying my tone of voice.
so remember that while your teammate's behavior made you angry (perhaps seriously angry, perhaps not), your behavior too can make others feel angry, or hurt, or any number of things.
just some things to think about. i really liked your post! (i remembered it from our conversation on Friday.
:)
Alex
Dear Alex,
ReplyDeleteA few things have to be understood.
1. When I say do not resist your emotions, it has to come out of awareness. I am not saying that we get intensely angry or frustrated and justify that. Knowledge should not be used as shield to cover up the shortcomings, rather use it as an umbrella. If we are not aware than we will be nothing, but just emotional fools.
2. Second, there is a time and place for everything, so depending on the situation we have to act accordingly. Yes. of course if you are angry over course grade then it does not mean you go and shout at the Prof...-:).
3. The person is actually physically much stronger than me..-:). And I am sure he can crush me anytime. But as I say there is a time and place to use anger, aggression, firmness etc. It is an art or I may call it a knack.
P.S: We need to have more such conversations, next time may be with HORSE DE OVARIES...-:) ohhh sorry I mean Hors d'œuvre....
Love
Anu