Miracles of Mindful breathing

Miracles of Mindful breathing 

To feel freedom, peace and joy is the desire of every heart. 

Many of us go to holy places, study scriptures, follow a disciplined life, just to have a glimpse of enlightenment. But still, generally we remain tied to the realities of our circumstance, and feel suffocated by the daily grind. Buddhist Zen Monk, Thich Nhat Hanh, referring to the effectiveness of mindful breathing says that one can achieve many miracles by practicing it in life. To control our restless mind, mindful breathing is given great importance in Buddha’s teachings, and as well as in ancient yoga scriptures. 

Breathing is a physical process that happens by itself but when it is connected to mindful awareness, it becomes an extraordinary act. One feels at ease, and does everything with a centered focus that comes from a true awareness of the self. 

Mindful breathing works like a bridge between the body and mind; it helps to bring our restless mind into calmness, and also to the present moment. The mind’s usual tendency is to run into past memories or dream of future possibilities. As a result, the power of the present moment slips by, unnoticed. Buddha said, “The past is already gone, the future is not yet here. There is only one moment for you to live, and that is the present moment”.  If we miss that present moment, then we continually miss our life. The simple practice of mindful breathing can also create a feeling of oneness with our surroundings – both people and the environment.  The silence we create becomes nourishing for our body and mind, it gives us joy and happiness. We become fully present, and in doing so, connect with life beyond that which is contained within our body. 

A radiant sunset, clouds floating in a blue sky, a little bird hopping on a branch, or the simple beauty of a blade of a grass sparkling with dew drops are miracles of everyday life that can become a source of joy and inspiration in life. 

The relationship between conscious breathing and the power of concentration is well established and can easily be experienced first-hand. Breath has the power to concentrate life force just as a magnifying glass has the power to concentrate the sun’s rays. The simple act of breathing consciously can burn karma and lead to a purified state of existence. 

Life is a display of a complex patterns of joy and sorrow, gain and loss, light and shade. How much we can transform life’s vagaries into a deeper state devoid of fluctuations all depends on our wisdom and insight – one that is available with our next breath. “Breathing in and out mindfully, becoming fully present, with body mind united – these are the conditions for entering the kingdom of God”. (Thich Nhat Hanh, The Path of Emancipation).

Today many people feel lonely, disconnected and miserable, unable to share their joys and sorrows with each other. Living alone does not mean mental isolation. With mindful breathing one can feel at ease in every situation. Life is uncertain; we never know how misfortunes may come to us or to our dear ones. But if we learn to live in an awakened way, treating everybody with understanding and gentleness, then we will have no regrets when something happens to us or to our dear ones. Being loving and compassionate we have the capacity to lead richer, more meaningful lives. 

Buddha advised us through his beautiful gatha (verse), which says, “We must be diligent today. To wait until tomorrow is too late. Death comes un-expectedly. How can we bargain with it?”

A tree that stands strong in the backyard beautifully teaches us the value and necessity of endurance. Shedding leaves, she bears the harshness of cold winter silently, and without losing hope, waits for the spring to come; when she can manifest her beauty again with abundance of new leaves and flowers. From this inbuilt transformational system of nature, we also can learn to receive, embrace and transform any suffering into the enduring richness of life. But for that we must learn to open our heart and feel our interconnectedness and the oneness with our environment. And it all begins with mindful breathing.

Edited by Prodeep Bose

Lessons from a Rose that blossoms in a field of dirt

Lessons from a Rose that 

blossoms in a field of dirt

When young Rahul went to Buddha to have a Dharma talk, Buddha asked him to learn from the four great elements - Earth, water, fire and air. They all have the capacity to receive, embrace and transform. Whether the Earth receives fragrant or filthy water, it transforms all into flowers, grass and trees. Buddha said, if you cultivate your heart to open it up, then it can be immense like the Earth and can embrace anyone or anything without suffering.

Nature has an inbuilt transformational system, by which it can symbiotically co-exist with all the elements. The sight of a Lotus in a muddy pond or a rose in a field of dirt is not uncommon. The secret is they can draw nourishment from decay, and blossom in joy to transform the whole environment with fragrance and beauty. From nature we may learn this skill of how to transform our sorrows into joy, pain into gain and can use our spiritual life force to transform life’s bondage into the stepping stones for our liberation. The Bhagavad Gita refers to our Godly and demonic qualities in detail but gives lot of importance on doing our Purusharth (individual will or effort). Krishna told Arjun that life’s problems may be big or small but how we face it - with courage and confidence or with fear and arrogance, makes all the difference in our progress. Thus the transformational power lies not in circumstance but in our outlook. Purusharth is achieved when we act with wisdom (based on truth and proper discrimination) - with a calm mind, and act for the well-being of all. We must always try to save our life from the fire of anger and pride, and from the filth of greed and lust.

Our thoughts and tendencies are very powerful energies, they cannot be stopped or suppressed, and they affect our actions constantly.  All negative thoughts which are potentially destructive in nature should not be allowed to grow.  If we culture a calm and alert mind, we may see these thoughts when they appear, recognize their presence and then just let them go before they manifest into word and action. By observing them in their subtle state, we save ourselves from being overpowered by them, and have the opportunity to skillfully transforming them in some constructive and positive way to evolve our own destiny. 

By experiencing and transforming miseries, we become richer inside, and also make the world richer. These are not abstract ideals but the inner workings of our daily lives. Life’s problems are varied in nature. It may be, a loss in business or in family, addiction, loneliness or may be a bad relationship, but these circumstances all hold within them the power of transformation through our purusharth, or the skillful manifestation of individual will.  

The truth is, in life nothing happens by chance. Whatever good or bad we experience in present life, they happen as a result of our previous karma in different lives. Our present and future life can be saved only by our today’s righteous actions. 

Pain and suffering come in every life to teach us something - to give us an opportunity to be wise and open our hearts with compassion and tolerance. While facing difficulties, we usually want immediate alternatives and think of sidestepping them. We imagine that by avoiding or suppressing the difficulty we can be happy. But that is not so. Our usual response to suppress the reality of a situation or react aggressively to it – both, create unstable emotions that usually result in anger. Our suppressed emotions affect our body and mind adversely. And that anger in turn manifests itself as some physical problem like an ulcer, hypertension, heart problems or mental aggressiveness, self-centeredness, confusion, etc. 

The second strategy, when we vent out our feelings, react sharply, lay blame, quit a job or marriage in a knee jerk reaction, also doesn’t work because the same old demons (pain, confusion, feeling of guilt, tiredness, etc) follow and affect our new situation adversely, creating the same result. So till we learn the lesson of resolving the energy, not just the circumstance that resulted from past actions – seen or unseen, by being spiritual in nature, opening our heart and realizing God’s existence, we remain caught in the energy web of our own past collective actions.  

The only alternative is to learn lessons from our weaknesses, discover wisdom, and use difficulties as our stepping stones to grow spiritually. Not by changing the world, but by changing ourselves, we can bring change in others. Inevitable difficulties of lives can be the source of our awakening, of deepening wisdom, patience, balance and compassion. Buddhist scholar Jack Kornfield says “Without this perspective, we simply bear our sufferings like an ox or a foot soldier under a heavy load (A Path with Heart, p-71).

In today’s world we care more for outside appearance and formal mannerisms than inner substance and sincerity. So often we adopt artificial mannerisms to show our love and concern, but remain angry and resentful inside. This hypocrisy can never bring peace to us or to anybody. 

Anger and hatred accomplish nothing. Swami Yogananda says “Greater than the wounds of battle, are wounds to your soul”. The body perishes, but the immortal soul carries that pain forever. Yogananda ji said, “The spiritual man conquers wrath by calmness, stops quarrels by keeping silence, dispels disharmony by being sweet in speech and shames discourtesy being thoughtful to others.” If that does not work, then keep silent, and pray for the upliftment and well-being of that suffering soul. 

 Edited by Prodeep Bose

“Three Gunas (Tendencies)”

“Three Gunas (Tendencies)”

The expression of nature and ways to evolve beyond it 

Positive thoughts and right actions are the two pillars which make life blissful.  We all desire to have that. But often, with our own inherent tendencies, sometimes we create blockages on the path of realizing our own destiny. Swami Vivekananda said, “For what we call sin and sorrow have all one cause, and that is our weakness. With weakness comes ignorance, and with ignorance comes misery”. 

Those tendencies (gunas), which we carry from our past life’s activities, manifest and influence our thoughts, actions and attitudes in our present life also. 

These tendencies are broadly divided into three groups – Sattwa (purity and harmony), Rajas (Passion and action) and Tamas (inertia and laziness). They also work with different combination and in different ratios in each life. 

To move forward, we must break through Tamas, calm down Rajas and nourish Sattwa.  

Tamas is an energy which pulls us down. It makes a person lethargic, unhappy, discontent, complaining, but not really empower them to do anything.  Tamasic people have no interest, except expressing malaise to others. They remain in darkness in ignorance and always in the mood of denial. 

To wake up from the slumber of the Tamasic state, one must do regular exercises - pranayam, prayer and some selfless service every day. Meeting with enlightened people and reading spiritual books can also help one to come out from Tamasic inertia. Reducing the hours of sleep and watching TV are a good start. Diet should be natural, balanced with fresh fruits, vegetables, nuts, milk products and whole grains. Any type of drugs, smoking marijuana, consuming alcohol, eating meat, fast food etc should be stopped completely. These habits totally destroy life by damaging brain cells, mental abilities and self control.

Rajas is the energy that creates desires, restlessness, competitiveness, and conflicts. Under the influence of Raja guna, a person is egotistic, forgets his inner self, and looks externally to get happiness through sense gratification. 

By being engaged in some meaningful, charitable, social and devotional work, he can calm down his Raja guna (restless and egocentric behavior), and can develop compassion and understanding for others. Leading a simple, contented life, eating healthy vegetarian food, he can bring more clarity and calmness in his nature, and also can develop harmonious relationship with others. 

Sattwa is a quality, which brings purity, harmony, wisdom and true knowledge. A Sattwic person has better control over his body and mind; he is humble, truthful and full of compassion for others. Sattwic qualities take the mind inward and upward - being calm and detached from all the fruits of his actions, he does his worldly duties as a service to God. He is stable, faces the ups and downs of life calmly, and without reacting, and he can act correctly in any given situation. He never gets confused or agitated in his body and mind. Without seeking for anything, his life gets blessed with peace, joy and harmony. Yoga terms such person as with “samadrishti – unaffected vision”. 

Our life’s activities are controlled by the interplay of these three gunas born of nature. But there are always possibilities open to us to improve our life by transforming the basic instincts and working to achieve higher spiritual values. That effort is called Purushartha (our own effort). This purushartha is the main focal point of Bhagavad Gita. Bhagavad Gita prescribes this for all of us to do in life, and says that it is the only way for our liberation. 

With right effort, we can upgrade ourselves step by step from Tamas to Rajas, and from Rajas to Sattva, when we can establish happy relations with all and can spread harmonious vibrations around us.

The Bhagavad Gita tells us to go one step further and try to develop total equilibrium of mind (samatva), and that is possible when one can go beyond all gunas, and can be balanced in pleasure and pain. 

“who is same in honor and dishonor, the same to friend and foe, has renounced the sense of doer-ship in all actions, he is said to have risen above the qualities (gunas)” (Bhagavad Gita, chapter 14/ verse 25).  According to Vedanta, in that state, one is strong and fearless. The Sanskrit word “Trigunatitha” means, who has gone beyond three gunas. Such person becomes one with Brahman, and he does not have to go through the circle of birth and death any more. That soul merges with supreme soul and become fully liberated. 

Edited by Prodeep Bose

Pantanjali’s Ashtanga Yoga (Eight fold path), and its relevance today

Pantanjali’s Ashtanga Yoga (Eight fold path), and its relevance today 

It is a common belief that yoga represents a variety of physical exercises. It is partly true, but exercises (asanas) are only step three in the eight fold path of yoga (ashtanga yoga).

To develop our full potentiality, to realize our spiritual nature, it is essential to develop the body, mind and soul in a balanced and harmonious way. Sage Pantanjali’s Ashtanga yoga, gives a comprehensive formula, by following which we can be physically healthy, mentally stable and spiritually enlightened. 

Today if we turn on the TV or read a newspaper, we get only shocking news of violence, anger, intolerance and greed, which is a picture of the world we have created. But we can counteract the negative forces that surround us and our own psychological and spiritual drawbacks by practicing yoga every day. Bhagavad Gita described yoga as the wisdom of skillful living with harmony and moderation - and doing all our worldly responsibilities with a calm mind. By moderation of eating, sleeping, working and waking, a yogi destroys pain and sufferings. 

4000 years old Pantanjali’s “Yoga Sutra” defines “yoga chittavritti nirodha”. It can be translated as restraint (nirodha) of mental (chitta) fluctuation (vritti).   B. K. S. Iyenger says, “yoga is the method by which the restless mind is calmed and the energy directed into constructive channels”. Self-control is the central premise of yoga. 

The great karma yogi Swami Vivekananda said, “The purpose of all this physical discipline through asanas and pranayam- is to increase our inner will power”.

Yoga which means our union with our creator is possible in many ways. An emotional man through total devotion and love for God (bhakti yoga), and for a gyan yogi, realization comes through knowledge.

Patanjali speaks of five causes behind our mental disturbances; and they are ignorance (avidya), feeling of ego (asmita), attachment (raga), aversion (dvesa) and love to cling to worldly things (abhinivesa). Yogi with his constant practice, controls and eradicates these weaknesses to be in peace. 

Patanjali described the eight fold path of yoga (ashtanga yoga) in yoga sutra’s second chapter. The first is yama, which speaks of five ethical disciplines. They are non-violence (ahimsa), truthfulness (satya), non-stealing (asteya), control of passions of senses and mind (brahma charya), and fifth is absence of greed and non-attachment (aparigraha). These ethical rules can bring peace and happiness in individual’s life and also in society. 

While yama’s rules are universal in their application, the second step Niyama’s rules are more focused on individual’s discipline. They are purity of body and mind (saucha), contentment (santosh), austerity (tapas), self study and self analysis (svadhya), and surrendering to the Divine (Ishwar pranidhan). The yogi, when learns to dedicate his all actions to the lord, then Divinity reflects in him. 

The third anga (step) is asana (exercises). By toning and stretching the muscles, by making spine more flexible, a yogi makes his body more energetic. Body is an important instrument to carry our spirit forward. So a yogi by taking good care of his body, excels in controlling his mind, intellect and self. 

The fourth step is pranayam, which means science of breath. Through proper inhalation and exhalation, body can be disease free, mind calms down, and the yogi develops better concentration and discriminating power. Like a lock and its  key, breathing has a direct impact on our mind. By focusing on proper exercise, proper breathing, proper relaxation, proper natural vegetarian diet, and with meditation and positive thinking one can spread positive energy around him. Many serious ailments which are termed as psychosomatic disease are related to our stressful life. Dr. Deepak Chopra referred to recent clinical projects, which observed that by increasing the alpha waves in the brain, yoga can reduce depression and stress level.  Another recent experimental study done at the University of California, Los Angeles shows yoga and meditation can help to improve memory. 

After pranayam, the fifth anga (step) is pratyahar (withdrawal), when a yogi brings the senses under complete control.

The sixth step is called Dharana (concentration), when the yogi concentrates wholly on a single point, and can still his mind from all diversions. In the stage of Dhyana (meditation), the yogi’s mind gets absorbed in all pervading divinity. B. K. S. Iyenger described the signs of progress in the path of yoga as “Health, a sense of physical lightness, steadiness, clearness of countenance and a beautiful voice…Freedom from craving….a balanced, serene and a tranquil mind. A symbol of humility, (who) dedicates all his actions to the Lord, and becomes a jivan mukta (liberated soul). 

In the last step of Nirvana - like camphor which becomes one with the flame, the yogi also becomes one with his creator, the eternal Brahman. A true yogi, with his better concentration and with wisdom, does all his worldly duties with perfection, but he never gets attached to them. Worldly diversities and desires cannot pull him down from the path of liberation through God realization.  Not by changing others, but by changing himself step by step, the yogi takes his mind to a higher dimension of life, he becomes blissful, and like a fragrant flower spreads his goodness all around. Sankaracharya described that blissful state as follows: “I dwell within the senses but they are not my home; ever serenely balanced, I am neither free nor bound – consciousness and joy am I, and bliss is where I am found”. (song of the soul, Atma Satkam).   

Edited by Prodeep Bose

Following the 5 pillars of yoga can lead us to a state of bliss

Following the 5 pillars of yoga can lead us to a state of bliss

When, Lord, will this unrest come to an end? 

Crushed under the dead weight of oppression

The whole world, O Lord, is in agony.

Peace and happiness are gone. (Tagore, World Unrest)

The poet’s cry echoes the cry of millions of human beings today. We all know the value of peaceful living, but today we are constantly at war with ourselves, with our dear ones, or with communities or nations. Stress, worry, and a feeling of loneliness are part of our life. It seems so strange, that after fulfilling the basic needs for survival, all other species remain quite happy except for human beings. Our cravings and desires are unending, which always lower our gaze downwards. It is a common sight that the dog walking with his human owner looks happy, wags his tail, and looks up joyfully towards the human but the human walks with his head down, depressed. 

Our general belief is, that the cause of our unhappiness lies outside of ourselves. So we think by changing external circumstances we can be happy; and when that does not happen, we become increasingly stressed. For this wrong diagnosis of our unhappiness, we are paying a heavy price in our life. What is diagnosed as a psychosomatic disease are often caused by our negative thinking and attitudes towards life. Swami Yogananda says outside events are neutral, but how we react to them is what is important. Our happiness depends on our reactions, not on events. 

The great scriptures of yoga, The Bhagavad Gita, the yoga sutras, and Upanishad clearly describe that the real causes of war with ourselves and others are rooted in the individual’s unwillingness to listen to the voice of the heart, his inner conscience. 

According to the yoga system, the only way to solve these problems lies in applying spiritual tools and committing ourselves to disciplines that can lead to self-realization and transformation. Through transformation of our internal experiential life we find the immediate effects on our external circumstantial life - on our relationships, our families, and our work. Individual transformations also lay the ground-work for societal transformations as well as the culture that will shape the lives of future generations.

According to yoga philosophy, there is a definite method to attain inner peace, harmony and illumination. Our ancient masters discovered methods that create a bridge between our body, mind and soul; our inner and outer world, our worldly life and spiritual life. By taking good care of 5 basic things, we can make life blissful. They are; proper exercise, proper breathing, proper relaxation, proper healthy diet, and positive thinking through meditation.

Yoga regards the body as a vehicle of the soul in its journey toward perfection. So yogic asanas (exercises) are designed, not to create muscular limbs, but to stay flexible and disease free. They also deepen our awareness of the subtle energy body, and keep our organs and glands healthy. When the functions of glands and thereby hormones are rejuvenated, they help balance our emotions and improve our mental outlook. These exercises are performed gradually and at an individualized pace, and their benefits can be seen in our physical, mental and spiritual lives. 

Next is pranayama. Prana means breath and yam is control. Yogic breathing is deep abdominal diaphragmatic breathing, so when the abdomen contracts with exhalation it helps to oxygenate at higher levels than shallow breathing. In this process, one feels more energetic, has better oxygenation, and remains disease free. Breathing has a direct impact on our mind. If the mind is restless, the breath is short and shallow. So also, is the mind stabilized by deepening and lengthening our breath - the connection between mind and body, is thus an immediately demonstrable one.

Next is proper relaxation. To recharge our body and mind in a yogic way is to withdraw our identity from body and mind consciousness, and with auto-suggestion, send prana to every cell in the body and all organs. That relaxation method is called savasana “corpse pose”. Through savasana, the yogi identifies himself and with all pervading, blissful, and pure consciousness within, finds total relaxation. 

The yogic diet always includes food that is natural, fresh, easy to digest, and balanced with the right quantity of protein, vitamins, minerals, etc. The yogic diet is vegetarian and includes fresh fruits, vegetables, dairy products, whole wheat, nuts, etc. All foods leave a subtle effect on our mind. So when our food and livelihood do not create any disturbance in our hearts or in the lives of others, it is considered good. So a serious seeker on the path of yoga will exclude meat, fish, eggs, coffee, alcohol and any ingestion of drugs. 

As proper foods are essential pillars to maintain a healthy body, positive thoughts can nourish a healthy mind. As Swami Vivekananda warned us not to touch any thought that weakens our mind. To recharge our mind is a two way process. First is to clean up all the negative thoughts – driven by ego, anger, attachment, greed, etc. from our mind. The second is to fill up the mind with positive thoughts like honesty, compassion, humility, non-attachment, etc. The mind is an energy field; it can never remain empty. If we consciously fill up with positive and creative thoughts, then every mode of expression in life will be benevolent. We should not forget that we are on an eternal journey of self-realization; to realize divinity in us and in all. We will be grossly mistaken if we think that our existence is only for hand to mouth living and cycles from our office to our bed. 

By meditation, we calm, concentrate and expand our mind. Touching the divinity within, we will be liberated. And that state only can bring lasting peace and happiness in life. Yoga teaches us that by transforming ourselves, we can bring transformation in a positive way around us. Desire to have yogic union between creations and creator echoes in these lines of the Upanishad:

Lead me from the unreal to the real.

Lead me from darkness to light.

Lead me from mortality to immortality. 

Edited by Megan Petra Wheeler and Prodeep Bose

In Search of Happiness

In Search of Happiness

Childhood for most people represents boundless joy and happiness. A sense of freedom and a state of flow much like a gurgling stream, shimmering down a mountain top. And children make everybody happy. That spontaneity is who we were at our core, undemanding and pure in heart. Happiness is part of our nature; be it a child’s laughter or the occasional tear-drop, brought a sense of simplicity to life for all to experience. The thrilling experience of just swinging from a tree, or running after butterflies on drenched meadows remain plastic moments, ever fresh in our memory. We were full of positive energy, and happy in each moment with whatever we had. 

But as we grew up, our stress came from facing life’s challenges, and our spontaneous positive energy level was mostly overcome with preoccupations of ‘making a life’. We started to feel irritated and unhappy with ever increasing frequency when life did not live up to our set expectations. And some of us startedto searchagain for our lost happiness, our lost paradise in different ways.   

We went to different places, tasted exquisite cuisine, collected costly things, to achievethat state of flow again. And the temporary satisfactionstayed just long enough for us to get a glimpse of our lost world - the sensations of touching, tasting or seeing lasted but a while, till the mind got bored, and the moment passed, drawing us towards a new stimulus. 

Though happiness to some extent depends on external factors, it mainly depends on our mental attitude and self-awareness. Circumstances are always neutral. Swami Yogananda says, “it is how we react to them; that make them seem either happy or sad”. 

We make our life with our own choices. If we decide to be happy then nobody can make us unhappy, and if we decide to be unhappy, then nobody can make us happy either. 

Unhappiness is compounded by our reactions to situations we perceive as negative – and this perception is constantly filtered and motivated by our uncontrolled desires, habits and karmic tendencies. We are caught in a loop of acting and feeling not by our conscious choice.

Spiritual masters recommend practicing meditation and yoga to connect the mind and body,and reflect on life as it is, not as we project it to be. This ability gives us the power to discriminate between a mirage projected over life and the experience of life itself, which is intrinsically joyful. And we become skillful in our response to circumstance, reacting moreintuitively than impulsively.  

Our dependency on the outside world to draw upon our intrinsic happiness can also be a problem. Swami Yogananda says “the more you depend upon conditions outside yourself for happiness, the less happiness you will experience” (Where There Is Light, p. 120). It is factually incorrect that big houses and luxurious items are a pre-requisite to being happy – in fact, sometimes it’s to the contrary.  The anxiety and worry that burns through people often comes from either gaining or losing material possessions of increasing value.

Happiness is also not an individual matter. To fill up my own cup of happiness, it is essential to give service to other needy souls.John. D. Rockefeller, the richest man of the world was physically, mentally and emotionally a miserable man. His biographer says, at the age of 53, he donated all his wealth and formed Rockefeller Foundation, to promote education and medical care throughout the world.By his generosity; he not only helped others but also led a more fulfilling life thereon forward. 

Joys and sorrows both are felt in our mind. We must always be careful to keep the mind engaged with ideas and feelings that lead to a positive place. Thoughts are actions of the mind; they generate energy and are a powerful influence on our life. So, like a good gardener, we must learn to be selective and weednegative thoughts and water only good tendencies like compassion, honesty, love, in us to evolve our consciousness. Then only flower of happiness can blossom to make us happy, and can spread its fragrance everywhere through our thoughts, action, and speech. 

Life is too valuable to be wasted on being negative, unhappy and lacking a deeper sense of the extraordinary and rare value of our consciousness. Life is impermanent, so whatever we can do, we should do it now. The truth is, sooner or later we all will remain only as memory in a few peoples’ minds. 

As the poet saint Kabir said, “When we come to this world, we cry and everybody smiles. Let us do such work in life that, when we leave, we smile and everyone else will cry”.

Edited by Prodeep Bose

Communication through Language

Communication through Language

Language is an instrument through which we express our feelings and communicate with others. It started and developed through human civilization.

Not only human beings, birds, animals, plants they also communicate through their own language.

Only difference is, human language is manmade and animals language is God made, animals are born with it.

In layman’s ear, barking of dogs may sound just the same. But from the same barking, a dog lover will understand whether the dog is hungry, angry, playful, or wants to be petted. Animals are most genuine in expressing their emotions. They do not have words, but their body language, tonal modulation, expression of eyes everything works together. Nobody taught them, they are born with it.

It is amazing to see how animals divide their duties and give alarm calls to each other. Crows and cocks are ever ready to give awaking morning call to others in early dawn. After some time other birds start chirping and get ready to fly away from their nests in search of sumptuous breakfast. 

Forest is the place, where big, middle size, small animals, birds all stay in harmony. But when there is an impending danger from human being or from some big animals, monkeys and crows start giving danger signals in top of their voice to all other animals. They play the role of a security guard.

Animals are very straight forward in dealing with their kids. I remember one scene, where a young monkey was adamant and was refusing to jump from one terrace to the other. Its mother just slapped the kid, and pulled him to do so. There no language was needed, just action was enough. 

Just before passing away my dear dog Lopsy gave me her last hug to express her gratitude. That touch was so genuine, that in a half a second she taught me the lesson of genuine love and sincere attitude of gratitude. That was the parting gift to me from my dear Lopsy.

Human language is more sophisticated, and it has been developed to express our feelings. It has also flourished in literatures through many ornamental expressions. To some extent, socio, cultural pattern also gets expressed through human language.

Urdu was most used language in Mughal court. It has a touch of royalty, courtesy, and very romantic too. Sound effect of Bengali language is quite soft which, to some extent may express Bengal’s easy going life style. The advantage of that is, when someone expresses strong emotions in Bengali, it does not sound too harsh, though from body language and tonal quality, reality may be revealed. If English is spoken with proper English accent, one may hear the rhythm of marching sound in it, which is similar to English man’s formal and disciplined life style. 

Though language can be an instrument for our easy communication, but it can be very powerful, strong, and more expressive if we combine our body language, with right tonal quality, appropriate choice of words all together with right intension. Communication becomes most effective when our intension, choice of words, and body language all work together in the same order. 

But often in today’s society, for different reasons, we do not express our feelings or intensions, in an honest way. We try to be diplomatic in using our language. It is good, when we do not use strong language to others, but it can be confusing when our language is very sweet, but intension is not be pure.

Language should not be blunt to hurt anybody. But communication can be effective only when our intension is pure, and our expression, choice of words, right tonal quality all are used in perfect balance and harmony. 

Our intensions and thoughts are very powerful, they create life in our language. Verbal language is just an instrument to manifest our inner feelings. It is truly said by some poet 

“when the heart full 

Silence is the best expression”.