Yesterday’s lecture at the Vedanta Center in Boston was titled “Four Simple Exercises,” and it outlined two things to remember and two things to forget. I would like to share these four ideas.
1. Forget the good you have done to others: At first this may seem counter-intuitive; however, too often we do good to others expecting something in return. If one always expects something, one’s ego is playing too much of a role in the action, and one is hurt when nothing is offered in return; however, if one expects nothing in return, it is a pleasant surprise if something is offered.
2. Forget the bad others have done to you: When we dwell on the bad things others have done to us, we turn ourselves into the victim, which is a position of weakness. As the victim, we are unable to prevent the pain inflicted upon us. By forgetting the bad things others have done to us, we are no longer in that position of weakness.
3. Remember that all is transient: When we forget this, we experience pain when we lose someone or something close to us. Remembering that everything is transient prevents this suffering.
4. Remember that God alone is real: Remember that God will always be standing by you, and that God is the one thing that is real and unchanging.
As someone who grew up without much exposure to Hinduism, I found this lecture to be particularly helpful as it outlined discrete steps to follow to try in order to apply the Hindu philosophy to everyday life. I find it is often far easier to understand the principles or beliefs of Hinduism in theory than it is to actually apply those theories in my life.
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