Jain Tools & Strategies to Live a Better Life in a Sedentary Society - Part 3
Mindfulness meditation can change our brain. The human brain takes in 11 million bits of information every second. At any given moment, our brain can only process about 40 of those bits of information consciously (explicitly); the rest are automatic, mental shortcuts using past experiences or assumptions which can lead to unconscious bias and ineffective decisions.
The reality is we all have blind spots and our unconscious brain (the amygdala and prefrontal cortex) influences our behavior, beliefs, habits and experience, mindlessly running on autopilot. We are attached to our thoughts, images, and opinions from our past experiences and often speak what is on our mind without thinking. We need to create patience in our thinking, stay open to allow new learnings and learn to let go. If we want to reprogram our belief system and overcome biases we’re not even aware we have, let’s make an effort to take charge of our thoughts and reactions. Let go of the passions (kashayas) of anger, hatred, ego and deceit. The root of these passions is attachment.
Aparigraha, non-attachment or non-possessiveness, is one of the pillars of Jainism. It is freedom from things in speech, mind & deed, letting go of thoughts and not being influenced by the kashayas (passions). We can learn to observe and detach from thoughts through mindful awareness. Studies have shown that practicing mindfulness can uncover, manage and reduce unconscious bias.
What is Mindfulness?
This COVID pandemic has brought to light the importance of staying mentally resilient and psychologically strong. Mindfulness involves consciously bringing your attention to the present moment. Once we expose ourselves to the deep layers of our unconscious bias and our own unconscious minds, we can consciously & intentionally choose a new response. By uncovering our hidden biases, practicing mindfulness allows us to gain control of our mind to respond, not react.
It’s no wonder it is so easy to get distracted with our gadgets, overloaded schedules, deadlines, and lose focus. With a little practice, we can train ourselves to improve our ability to focus.
Be fully present, engaged and aware of where we are in this present moment. Live intentionally. What do you notice when you do this? Your energy shifts. Expand your awareness and think about what you are experiencing via your senses. What do you see, what do you hear, what do you feel? Stay centered in the here and now. This moment is what matters. Bring your awareness to your state of mind, your thoughts and your emotions. Take a deep breath and expand your awareness to include the entire experience. Bring your awareness to where you are at this moment - whether you are reading this at home, in a coffee shop, in a library, on a plane - anywhere, anyplace, anytime. Be mindful. Suspend judgment. Pay attention to the present moment.
Photo credit: meditationlifeskills.com
The power of meditation - Samayik
Scientific research shows that the human brain can take in up to 45 minutes of information before it starts decreasing its capacity to absorb anything. If you work from home or in a physical office, pare down the 1 hour office meeting to 45 minutes, and cut the 30 minute meeting to 20 minutes. Take a break, walk away from the monitor, and give yourself time to stretch (and walk to your next meeting).
“We are visitors on this planet. We are here for one hundred years at the very most. During that period we must try to do something good, something useful, with our lives. If you contribute to other people's happiness, you will find the true meaning of life.” - His Holiness Dalai Lama XIV of Tibet
Each person has on average 69,000 thoughts in a day. That’s roughly 48 thoughts per minute per person. As you sit for self-reflection, many thoughts will fly in and out of your mind. You might think:
- Rotten Tomatoes rating was so off on that movie
- Maybe I’ll major in business or Egyptian pyramids
- I’m going to fail the final exams
- My parents will be mad with me
- I’ll never get into a good college
- I’ll never find a job
- Why didn't (fill in the blank) respond to my email?
- I'm exhausted from all these Zoom calls
- (Fill in the blank) did not call me back
Our mind keeps wavering from topic to topic. Let's keep our mind still and transform negative thinking into positive.
Jainism says that dhyan (concentration) of one’s mind on a particular object is possible for 48 minutes at most. A powerful practice and tool for concentration that Jains have is Samayik (introspective self-study and meditation). Samayik is performed for 48 minutes (muhurta) with a vow to keep away from any activity and get into a state of mental equanimity. Supreme peace.
Try this simple technique to get in touch with your inner self. Sit in silence and just be present. Find a comfortable, quiet place that you can relax in. Sit with your head, neck and back straight on the floor, in a chair or on a sofa. Or stand. You decide.
Photo credit: calmsage.com
Now close your eyes. Start by taking few short breaths.
- During your Inhale, pay attention to the sensations of the breath going in through your nostrils
- Hold it in
- During your Exhale, focus on your breath going out through your nostrils
Another deep inhalation…
- As you Inhale, invite in positive thoughts, healing, happiness
- Hold it in – stay neutral
- As you Exhale, release negativity, biases, expectations in your life
- Fully. Let go.
Another deep inhalation…
- Become aware of your breath again. Pay attention to the air entering your nose and exiting from your nose
- Become a silent observer and using your breath as an anchor, watch thoughts come and go
- Don’t be alarmed, disappointed or rattled if your mind wanders from your breath. Acknowledge your thoughts, emotions, feelings and past memories… then let them float by. Here’s the thing. Much of the chatter of the mind is just chatter (worry, anxiety). It's good to be aware of your thoughts. It’s OK to acknowledge anxiety, but don’t get caught up in the negative thoughts that it generates.
- Gently bring your internal focus and attention to your next breath, and when your attention wanders, return your mind back to the breathing without judgment.
- Continue this practice for 5-10 minutes
- When you’re ready, gently open your eyes
Repeat these mindful breathing techniques daily. Cultivate awareness of your breath as part of your daily regimen to manage your thoughts and emotions. Work on staying fully present, aware of where you are and what you’re doing. Practice makes perfect. Tap into this conscious rewiring and discover a healthier way of being where you begin to create instead of react.
"If you want to cultivate a habit, do it without any reservation, till it is firmly established. Until it is so confirmed, until it becomes a part of your character, let there be no exception, no relaxation of effort." - Mahavira
This discipline in self-reflection may transform you to be stronger, wiser and better than you are today. And surely it can help you focus and stay on track.
Make the time to sit down with yourself, pause and rewind (ask questions):Repeat these mindful breathing techniques daily. Cultivate awareness of your breath as part of your daily regimen to manage your thoughts and emotions. Work on staying fully present, aware of where you are and what you’re doing. Practice makes perfect. Tap into this conscious re-wiring and discover a healthier way of being where you begin to create instead of react.
"If you want to cultivate a habit, do it without any reservation, till it is firmly established. Until it is so confirmed, until it becomes a part of your character, let there be no exception, no relaxation of effort. " -- Mahavira
This discipline in self-reflection may transform you to get stronger, wiser and better than you are today. And surely it can help get your focus and stay on track.
Make the time to sit down with yourself, pause and rewind (ask questions):
- Look for the positive qualities in others
- Be happy
Photo credit: qz.com
Self-Reflection
Tap into the power of self-reflection. Everyone makes mistakes. It's good to become aware of your blind spots.
About 8 years ago, Netflix had a huge issue. They were mailing DVDs in the mail with different pricing structures: $5.66/$6.99 a month. Business was good. In 2012, Netflix was on a great trajectory to grow. Their stock grew from 40 to 150. Then one day they made one wrong turn. They decided to hike up their monthly subscription rate by 60%.
• Customers started leaving Netflix left, right and center
• The market did not react very well to this change
• Volatility scared stockholders and the stock tanked from $150 to $60 in 3 months
• The company was hammered by the Board of Directors
• Wall Street analysts predicted that this would be game over for Netflix. The End
What did the CEO Reed Hastings do?
• He practiced self-reflection
• Hastings realized the price hike was not a good idea
• He also kept an eye on the fast moving future of the new marketplace. The future?
Netflix made corrections.
• They focused on creating new content and changed their pricing/bundling strategy
• They converted their installed customer base from a DVD platform to a new live streaming platform
This was a brilliant strategic move! About 5 years back, they issued a 7 to 1 stock split. Every 1 share became 7 shares. Their stock was at an all time high in the $500s. Netflix has shifted the way everyone across the generations thinks about media.
This is a company that self-reflected well, made a positive turn to improve and became the turnaround story of 2012!
Self-reflection is important. This is the source of personal power and leadership growth. It is an essential leadership quality. Great leaders think before they speak. Learn from Reed Hastings/Netflix. Pause. Sit back. Reflect. Silence is golden.
Photo credit: slideshare.net
How to become reflective?
Pratikraman
Self-reflection takes practice. Intentionally make time in your schedule each day to unplug for a few minutes and ask yourself questions such as:
- Am I happy?
- Am I expressing gratitude?
- Am I honest?
- Am I using my time wisely?
- Am I thinking positive thoughts before I go to sleep?
- Am I taking care of myself?
- Am I taking care of my loved ones?
- Am I achieving my goals?
- What went well today?
- What could I have done better?
- What do I want to do tomorrow?
Jains have an effective self-reflection process tool in our toolbox. It is called "Pratikraman" (“man” pronounced mun).
In Sanskrit:
• Prati: back
• kraman:to go, to return
In short, Pratikraman means to come back – introspection, self-improvement or self-contemplation. Self-reflection is an effective leader’s secret to power. During this process, take an internal mirror to look back and watch your thoughts (mun), your words (vachan) and your actions (kaya) during daily life. During this review, look at any mistakes/violations committed knowingly (janta) or unknowingly (ajanta). Take a vow to not to do that again, minimizing its occurrence and working towards self-correction in future.
- Ask yourself – did I do that? You may reach the conclusion that it wasn’t right.
- Learn from your mistakes.
- What could be done better?
- What actions do I need to take to not do that again?
Learn to forgive and forget the mistakes of others. What is done is done, it cannot be undone. Of course, this is much easier said than done. Keep a goal of forgiving others. Once you are able to do that, you will gain the ultimate control of your emotions. With time and practice, you can learn to forgive others and yourself.
During Pratikraman prayer, Jains forgive the faults of others and forgive themselves to stop (samvar) the influx (ashrav) of karma (karmon or karmic particles) that covers the soul (atma). The Jain karma theory is the law of cause and effect (action and reaction). The Jain definition of karma is scientific. Karma, or karmon, are extremely subtle minute particles of matter. According to Jain metaphysics, the universe has no beginning nor will there be an end. The universe shall always be there and is filled with karmic particles. These karmic particles are attracted to a living being (soul) from the actions of the mind (mun), by speech (vachan) and by action (kaya). We are responsible for our past, present and future, and only we have the power to alter it. Salvation is when one is able to shed all of the karmas and have a pure soul.
Photo credit: www.jainworld.com
This influx (ashrav) of karma happens due to 5 main reasons:
- Mithyatva – wrong belief, wrong perception, ignorance
- Avrat – lack of self-restraint, uncontrolled desires, vowlessness
- Pramad – carelessness, laziness, unawareness in activity, unmindfulness, forgetfulness
- Kashaya – passions (anger, pride, deceit, greed)
- Ashubh Yog – inauspicious activities of mind, speech and body
During Pratikraman, Jains ask for forgiveness for mistakes that may have occurred knowingly (janta) or unknowingly (ajanta), repent them and be mindful that these mistakes are not repeated in the future. Jains practice this process of introspection regularly. There are 5 types of pratikraman:
- DEVASIYA – daily in the evening, reflect on any wrongdoing during that day.
- RÄIYA - at the onset of sunrise, reflect on any wrongdoing done at night.
- PÄKKHI – reflect on any wrongdoing done during the past half-month.
- CHAUMASI - reflect on wrongdoing done during the last four months
- SAMVATSARI - once a year reflect on the wrongdoing done during that year
During Samvatsari Pratikraman, Jains recite prayers to seek forgiveness from all the 8.4 million types of living beings in the universe (one-sensed to five-sensed) that they may have caused harm to, knowingly or unknowingly, during the past year. Here’s one of the stanzas on forgiveness:
- I forgive all souls
- May all souls forgive me
- I have friendship with everyone
- I have no animosity towards any one
Jains believe that periodic cleansing of the soul – mindful awareness, repentance and atonement is essential to avoid karmas becoming ‘stickier’ and more difficult to shed.
Being able to see where the road ahead leads, like Reed Hastings did, allows you to plan for the road ahead. Do you take time to pause? Studies show that students who meditate before an exam do better than students that do not. Use your breath as an anchor and sit in stillness anytime you feel stressed. Studies have shown how mindful meditation benefits a variety of conditions:
- Reduces anxiety, stress and depression
- Improves concentration and productivity
- Enhances cognitive abilities
Summary
As a single pawn can attain superpowers, we too can change our ways. Let’s follow the principles of ancient Jainism to effectuate positive, nonviolent change in thought (Mun), action (Vachan) and deed (Kaya) and educate others to do the same. Pratikraman is mindful and can serve as a vehicle for self-improvement. Awareness and understanding can influence the way we think and behave.
In summary, here are some suggestions to self-reflect, learn from the past, increase your leadership ability and become a more inclusive being on this planet:
- Practice the Jain principle of Aparigraha (non-attachment). Learn to let go and live intentionally.
- Be mindful that this life is temporary and think of everyone as an equal.
- Carve time in your daily routine to try mindfulness meditation, go inwards and pay attention to the present moment
- Sit down with yourself for up to 48 minutes (Samayik) and cultivate calm
- Self-reflect (Pratrikraman) and express gratitude
Seize the day! Like the pawn can transform to do greatness, invest in yourself and make your life extraordinary.
© 2020 Binny S. Nanavati
Thank you for reading and sharing this article. You can view the previous parts by clicking here (Part 1, Part 2).
I help teams find solutions for process, tools, ideas and questions, impacting their customers. Writing and publishing are also skills I have acquired along the way. "Premium Author".
4yBinny Nanavati - Long read, but good article.
Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Belonging Thought Leader + Speaker + Coach + Author
4yThank you Amit. Good suggestion.
Director, Visa
4yHi Binny, great compilation/application of Jainism to current time. I read part of it and then skimmed other sections. Perhaps break the series to 5-6 parts? Thank you for your contribution, really useful! 🙏🏼👏🏼👏🏼🙏🏼