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THE ALCHEMY OF BALANCING THE OPPOSITES
DNA India
03 October 2005
Swami Chaitanya Keerti
Life exists and moves in balance. This dynamic balance
is related to the complementary nature of opposites.
China's indigenous religion, Taoism, talks of this balance
in terms of yin and yang, represented graphically as
two intertwining fish - one black, one white. Everything
in the universe is either yin (female) or yang (male)
in nature. Yin and yang breathe meaning into each other,
for one cannot exist without the other. You cannot talk
of light without its absence or opposite, darkness. Action
takes off from repose. Being depends on doing and vice
versa.
Just being makes you lazy and just doing makes you hyper
and workaholic. The East became lazy and fatalistic believing
that everything happens by itself, like a child growing
in the womb. The West became hyperactive and conquered
nature. The whole world is suffering because of this
aggression. That person is wise who uses both of these
polarities to attain balance in his life.
Osho says in My Way: The Way Of The White Clouds, "Once
you know this secret alchemy of using the opposite, the
contradictory, you are free. Otherwise, you create inner
imprisonments. There are people who say: 'How can I do
this? I have never done this.' Just the other day there
was somebody who said to me: 'How can I do active meditation,
because for many years I have been sitting silently?'
He has chosen, and he has reached nowhere. Otherwise
there was no need for him to come to me. But he cannot
do the active meditation because he has become identified
with an inactive posture. This is getting frozen.
"Become more of a movement. Be
moving and allow life to flow. Once you know that between
the opposites balance is possible, once you have a glimpse
of it, then you know the art. Then everywhere in life,
in every dimension of life, you can attain that balance
very easily. Really, to say that you can attain is not
good. Once you know the knack of it, whatsoever you do,
the balance follows you like a shadow."
OSHO GALLERIA TRACES HISTORY OF HEADGEAR
The Asian Age
27 October 2005
Covering your head in a religious place signifies much
more than just showing respect. It is also associated
with spirituality. The Osho World Galleria at Ansal Plaza
is showcasing a collection of interesting headgears,
which have been designed, created by the Osho team and
is on display till October 31.
"Headgear has been a part of our culture and it's
not just a means to show respect, but also helps to preserve
the energy in the body," explains Ma Prem Naina
of Osho World. Osho in his teachings had specified the
significance of headgear by saying that fakirs used to
always cover their heads while meditating. "When
the energy reaches the head, there are chances of it
getting diffused or scattered. If one covers the head
with a cloth, this energy doesn't flow out and in turn
intensifies meditation," she adds.
The collection comprises of different headgears which
found a prominent place in the historical times, right
from Egyptian civilisation through the Middle Ages. This
collection includes the Jewish skull caps, the burkha
and the turban. Headgear that symbolise wealth have also
been displayed like the French hoods and roll hats.
The exhibition has caught the fancy of young people,
who have shown interest in the braided cap, which is
the hottest selling item due to its unusual features.
Most of these headgear are made of natural fibres and
are executed in earthy colours priced between Rs 180
to Rs 700.
Prominent headgear on display are:
1. Olive Wreath: This cap is a symbol of peace and healthy
spirit and it originated from Greece. It has leaves arranged
on a metal ring on the crown.
2. Butterfly Henin: An epitome of grandeur in the 15th
century Europe, the Henin has a truncated core at the
base and is covered with tissue from which "L" shaped
military wires protrude at ends. The translucent veil
is draped over the wires making an "M" shape.
3. Braided Cap: Inspired by the turban, the crown is
pleated at the front and back with a braid inserted and
tied at the back. The braid has a dual function of decoration
and tightening to give a good fit.
4. French hood with liripipe: In the Middle Ages, simple
hoods were over decorated with tail like liripipes (a
long scarf or cord attached to and hanging from a hood)
of various kinds. Made in silk to drape over the shoulder,
the liripipe has a long beaded end.
5. Pagri: The pagri "fastens" the head to
enable concentration and prevent diffusion of energy.
6. Hooded Cape: Soft folds of the fabric which do not
allow the energy to flow out.
7. Round scarf with beads: The soft unstructured look
of a robe is adorned with an elliptical piece placed
on the head, which falls as ripples around the face and
is tied at the chin.
8. Sun Cap: This cap is fastened at the back giving
it a sporty look and it celebrates all spheres of life.
9. Tribal head gear: The tribal cult is symbolic of
colour, motif and material associated with status, wealth
or fertility. Feathers, shells, bones and horns form
part of their attire.
TEENS TURN TO YOGA AND MEDITATION, BEAT STRESS
The Asian Age
25 October 2005
Clad in a white kurta and salwar, 19-year-old Sujata
Kohli, removes her shoes and softly pads into her meditation
centre. Seeing her friends already seated in half lotus,
she quietly takes her position and begins to focus on
her breathing. Sujata has been practising yoga and meditation
for the past three years and defines it as "rejuvenating".
Demand for meditation classes from teenagers is accelerating
as more and more young people like Sujata view meditation
as the shortcut to a healthier lifestyle.
Ma Prem Naina of the Osho world claims that today young
people comprise more than 50 per cent of the regulars
to the Osho meditation sessions. She asserts, "Present-day
youngsters are absolutely clear about their needs. They
want to experiment with something which not only gives
them an eternal high but is also full of life."
Agrees Keshav one of the teachers at Ananda Sangha,
a four-decade-old international meditation centre. He
believes, that the extent of pleasure derived by youngsters
from materialistic things has already reached its saturation
point and they have started looking beyond it. Throwing
a light on the kinds of problems being faced by youngsters,
he explains, "Youngsters, especially teenagers,
are dealing with a number of stressors like directionlessness,
lack of hope and pessimism. Meditation not only helps
them increase their confidence level but also makes them
feel lighter."
Staying healthy means a lot to young boys and girls.
They are concerned about eating well, getting more exercise
and above all managing stress. According to experts,
situations like busy schedules, increased competition
and societal burden to perform well and climb up the
ladder are enormously adding to the stress quotient of
teenagers.
Upasna Singh, a first year student of Indraprastha college,
started practising yoga and deep breathing to beat examination
stress. She reveals, "I used to stick to my room
and had completely restricted my outdoor activities.
My tutor suggested me to practise meditation to enhance
concentration and it actually worked."
While for some the therapeutic traits of the practise
matters, other go for it to stay fit — to them
it is a quintessential part of their daily routine. G.
Dutt, a journalist, for example cannot do without meditation
after a three kilometres of morning jog. Apart from being
a stress buster, for Dutt, "it’s an excellent
energiser".
Even doctors have started acknowledging the benefits
of meditation and yoga and have become an important part
of medical prescriptions. Especially in a country like
India, where going to a psychiatrist for mental stress
and strain is still considered a taboo, these meditative
practices have emerged as a new avatar to stay relaxed. "If
done regularly and in an organised manner, these practices
can do wonders, which cannot be achieved by any kind
of medicine. It’s natural and has no side effects," says
Dr P.D. Das, consultant psychiatrist, Max Health Care.
Apart from the healing aspect, what draws people towards
these meditation centres is their scientific approach
and non-secular nature. "We do not preach idol worship,
nor do we make use of any specific religious chants.
The attendants are taught to relax only by concentrating
on their breath," explains Prem Singh, manager Vipassana
Centre, Nehru Place.
As a result of increased takers, a number of meditation,
yoga and vipassana have mushroomed throughout the capital.
Though working as full-fledged commercial centres, these
clinics are surely providing a 360 degree solution for
youngsters to stay cool and stress free.
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On
the occasion of 70th Birthday of Our Beloved Master Dept. of Posts.
Govt. of India launched a Special Day Cover at a special function
in the capital. 
